Wrong game to experiment?

[davew]

If we had won last night everybody would have praised Joka for brilliant tactical changes and allowing 3 of our best players a few more days rest before the Wolves match. Personally I would rather that he had kept the same team from Saturday which might have secured us 3 points, on the other hand if we had drawn or lost using that team then more pressure to get a win against Wolves and it is unlikely that he would have been able to use the same team for that match. I think that in all probability we had more chance of beating City than Wolves, in spite of our magnificent run of home victories, so did last night's team changes backfire on us? If we are going to use rotation, for me Wolves was the match to do it, not yesterday!

[Slaphead in Qatar]

I quite fancy our chances against wolves. They are not the unbeatable team of earlier in the season.

[toshes mate]

Experiment?   What experiment?

Christie is a right back of better than ill repute.  Odoi has stood in for Kalas before and been pretty good at it too.

You say you'd preferred  the same team from last Saturday but no side, even one you could have fashioned via that gloriously clean Cornish air, could have guaranteed a result last night.  Take the officials away and give us four better ones and we may have had a fairer crack of the whip but that is not to say the result would have been any different.

[BedsFFC]

I'm guessing the odoi and christie changes were for height and heading ability to deal with the throws and dead balls.

I was surprised at city's tactics. They did a job on us defensively, which stifled us but also restricted their attacking options and I'm not sure we would have coped that well whatever team we had.
On reflection, a point there is good and i think we can do a job on wolves who wont stick 10 men behind the ball. Will they?

[Kent Cassandra]

I'm with Joka on this one, a draw away to city the way they play was a decent result. Apart from rotation, Fredericks is not the best in the air and we definitely needed
someone to counter their heading abilities. Ayite or Piazon? I would not be sure which I would play and one cant say that Kalas would have played any better than his replacement who was superb.

[Peabody]

This only my opinion but I think that SJ's decision to play Christie instead of Fred may have been to stop Fred from coming under pressure from Bristol City because he quickly left them for us so soon after signing for them. Plus Fred and Kalas would have a nice rest for the Wolves game. Anyway, I am happy with a point from Ashton Gate.

[davew]

Experiment?   What experiment?

Christie is a right back of better than ill repute.  Odoi has stood in for Kalas before and been pretty good at it too.

You say you'd preferred  the same team from last Saturday but no side, even one you could have fashioned via that gloriously clean Cornish air, could have guaranteed a result last night.  Take the officials away and give us four better ones and we may have had a fairer crack of the whip but that is not to say the result would have been any different.

I don't think that I said it would guarantee a result, I suggested it would be more likely. Time to get some of that clean Cornish air on the golf course. I think playing a team of 11 players together for the very first time could be classed as experimental. Anyway it doesn't matter now, at least we didn't lose!

[KJS]

Joka can't win with some people he has a squad he trains them every day he knows more about the squad and their level of fitness and ability so let the man do his job without constant unfounded criticism 049:gif

[Woolly Mammoth]

The way I see it, if we had lost, and we could have done. We would be saying, if only we could have held on for a draw.
Well we did, and it's a point gained away from home against a team on their day can beat anyone including Manchester United.
Whether we agree or not, and yes I was not particularly delighted with the starting lineup, but there is a method in the madness I am sure. Like dealing with the countless high balls chucked in our penalty area.
Christie made his debut, a full game also, more or less thrown in the deep end, and assisted our goal scored by Mitrovic his debut goal which will make him feel so much better.
Whether we agree or not Odoi did not let us down, he made two very important clearances.
Piazon for me was a little dissapointing, as was Tom. But this was a full bloodied top six clash, no prisoners taken and a dodgy referee in their back yard.
Like every other team who played this week.
We will lick our wounds, and prepare for Saturday where we will have another challenge. A different kind of challenge, no harder and no easier.
Targets injury is a worry, and I hope Fredericks and Kalas return, with Ayite, and I would like to see Kebano play a part.
Realistically we cannot win every game, ask Villa, Derby and Wolves.
So let's remember, all said and done, it was a point gained last night.

[davew]

Joka can't win with some people he has a squad he trains them every day he knows more about the squad and their level of fitness and ability so let the man do his job without constant unfounded criticism 049:gif

It wasn't a question of "Joka can't win with some people" which I am sure that comment is aimed at me, it was just an opinion not a criticism of him! He is more qualified that I am to select his team, obviously he had his reasons for picking the starting 11 and I agree with everybody who has posted that the result could be classed as a point gained rather than 2 lost. If we lose on Saturday and the teams below us close the gap I will still be asking the what if question and I suspect Joka might be doing the same. Next instalment Saturday and I am sure we are all looking forward to it.

[Fulham76]

2 games in to a really tough run of 6 games against all the promotion chasing teams & so far, 4 points is a good return.

Personally, I think SJ planned not to lose last night, rather than go all out for a win. Maybe a decent strategy against a team we've struggled against recently, especially away from home.

[MikeW]

Good interview with Cyrus on FTV.  He talks how City tried to knock Fulham off their normal game and how well they held up under the aerial battle.

I thought City were better than to use that sort of tactic but as others have said, it's a hell of a 7 days and SJ has to manage his resources.

[grandad]

I was & am in total agreement with Slavisa´s selection of Christie & Odoi. He knew what tactics Bristol would use. This was a game not to loose. The two in question brought the extra aerial presence with which they dealt with all the long throws & corners.

[Twig]

It shows how high our expectations are now, when we express such disappointment with an away draw against a top 6 side! Nothing wrong with that it reflects our success on the field but we have to remain realistic. Personally I could understand SJ's team selection and think he probably got it right.  My only question would have been Ayite vs Piazon but that wouldn't have directly affected the set up of the defence.

[Southcoastffc]

Good interview with Cyrus on FTV.  He talks how City tried to knock Fulham off their normal game and how well they held up under the aerial battle.

I thought City were better than to use that sort of tactic but as others have said, it's a hell of a 7 days and SJ has to manage his resources.

:plus one:

[Arthur]

Good interview with Cyrus on FTV.  He talks how City tried to knock Fulham off their normal game and how well they held up under the aerial battle.

I thought City were better than to use that sort of tactic but as others have said, it's a hell of a 7 days and SJ has to manage his resources.

:plus one:

Bristol City were more than just long throws and high corners: they put together some decent and quick footballing play on the counter attack. That they also mixed it up with an unrefined, aerial bombardment was, in my opinion, a compliment to us: they clearly didn't fancy their chances in an open, passing game alone.

Equally, had we been able to hit them with a few fast counter-attacking moves that led to goal-scoring opportunities, they would have thought twice about chucking Flint forward for every throw-in within 25 yards of our penalty-area. Yesterday, however, we were not at our best in this respect - often preferring to slow down the play. When we did attempt to move the ball quickly, our passing was too wayward.

Despite this, as Slavisa has said, on a night when we weren't able to play our usual game, the battling qualities of the team came to the fore and secured us a well-earned, hard-fought point. It was good to see that we have it in us to defend resolutely when required. It wasn't always so earlier in the season.

[YoungsBitter]

Good interview with Cyrus on FTV.  He talks how City tried to knock Fulham off their normal game and how well they held up under the aerial battle.

I thought City were better than to use that sort of tactic but as others have said, it's a hell of a 7 days and SJ has to manage his resources.

:plus one:

Bristol City were more than just long throws and high corners: they put together some decent and quick footballing play on the counter attack. That they also mixed it up with an unrefined, aerial bombardment was, in my opinion, a compliment to us: they clearly didn't fancy their chances in an open, passing game alone.

Equally, had we been able to hit them with a few fast counter-attacking moves that led to goal-scoring opportunities, they would have thought twice about chucking Flint forward for every throw-in within 25 yards of our penalty-area. Yesterday, however, we were not at our best in this respect - often preferring to slow down the play. When we did attempt to move the ball quickly, our passing was too wayward.

Despite this, as Slavisa has said, on a night when we weren't able to play our usual game, the battling qualities of the team came to the fore and secured us a well-earned, hard-fought point. It was good to see that we have it in us to defend resolutely when required. It wasn't always so earlier in the season.

I agree, they looked sharp when they did pass it quickly through the transition, they were not one dimensional and have been in top 6 all season so it was a good result. Liked Christie's interview, he admitted his legs were gone; also think he was right in that we panicked a bit and let them pound on us with the throws, instead of having the confidence to play it out with our feet and calm it down. Odoi, as much as he is a fighter, is guilty of the hoof it anywhere approach more than Kalas.
I hope Matty Targett is ok for Wolves....

[Denver Fulham]

Good interview with Cyrus on FTV.  He talks how City tried to knock Fulham off their normal game and how well they held up under the aerial battle.

I thought City were better than to use that sort of tactic but as others have said, it's a hell of a 7 days and SJ has to manage his resources.

I always find this sentiment a bit odd, as if there's only one way to play football. We always decry how wasteful our corners and free kicks are. Would you turn down goals off long throws if we had that in our arsenal? I wouldn't. You play the style that gives you the best chance to win.

Opinions can differ, but I thought Bristol City had a fine approach. Some football, some chuckball, some physicality that the ref was OK with. Their goal was nicely worked. No complaints from me. Good battle, good point.

[Benny]

You are talking as if Slav made 4 or 5 changes last night - All the players have had a run in the team apart from Christie and if he didn't play then we my of not scored the goal, given it was his assist.

Silly OP in my mind

[davew]

You are talking as if Slav made 4 or 5 changes last night - All the players have had a run in the team apart from Christie and if he didn't play then we my of not scored the goal, given it was his assist.

Silly OP in my mind

All about opinions m8, that is what a forum is about, when Christie was asked was it a point gained or 2 lost, his answer (more or less was the same as mine), we will have to wait and see! Obviously my post (silly though it might seem to you) is based on a disappointment factor, Lucas has not been playing that great recently, Christie untried for us and hasn't played for quite a while and ok, I am happy with Odoi in whatever position he is selected to play.  Maybe time to move on from this thread!!