Bristol City v Aston Villa post-match thread

[lovejoy]

It's shocking how bad we are away really.

3 away wins under Steve Bruce and two of those were at teams no longer in this division due to being relegated (Rotherham and Wigan).

Other at Reading really was just a new manager bounce type result given we then didn't win any for another four months.

We really just can't impose any sort of game plan on the opposition. Just think back to those days under MON when we would be spoiled with 9-10 away wins a season. Conceding possession but so lethal on the counter attack.

Nowadays we just don't offer anything bar being content with a 0-0 and struggling to respond when the home team inevitably scores. It's not good enough if we want to go up I'm afraid.

Pretty sure there have been more - QPR? Colchester?

You're main point is still correct though.

[dorsetvillian]

An improvement over the previous two nightmare away days. However, we must start playing on the front foot and 15 metres higher up the pitch both home and away. We give teams far too much respect. Pressure teams in the Championship and they will fold. I'm just hoping that one decent win away will start the ball rolling. Without away wins going up is impossible.

[AV82EC]

August 1 good win, 1 opening day draw, 1 frustrating draw, 2 shit show defeats.

For a team hoping to go up in the top 2 quite simply not good enough.

September 4 home games, 2 away. Less than 15 points and automatic will be out the window.

As Dr X said on Twitter, September is now quite important.

[QuintonVilla]

An improvement over the previous two nightmare away days. However, we must start playing on the front foot and 15 metres higher up the pitch both home and away. We give teams far too much respect. Pressure teams in the Championship and they will fold. I'm just hoping that one decent win away will start the ball rolling. Without away wins going up is impossible.

This. It give the opposition players and fans encouragement because we let them dictate the play, put balls into the box and rack up the corners. Before you know it we're under pressure and struggling to get out of our half. We need to move 10 yards further up the pitch and press the opposition and force them into mistakes.
Will we ever win an away game comfortably again? I mean a proper 3 or 4 nil where we can relax and have a sing song. I can't see it happening and for me a team who wants to finish in the top 2 has to have the ability to do that.

[Clampy]

Poor first half. We looked disjointed and the system didnt seem to suit us very much. Second half was better, we looked more of a threat. He maybe should have brought Bjork and Hogan on a little bit earlier than he did

Overall, disapointed not to get the three points but a draw was probably a fair result in truth.

[mr underhill]

can't be arsed to look but how does this start compare to last season over the same games?

[Deano's Mullet]

can't be arsed to look but how does this start compare to last season over the same games?

Exactly the same record. one win, two draws, two defeats. I don't think we won any of the next seven games either, not many losses but no wins. I'm sure we'll get one or two wins over the next seven games and better it.

[Mister E]

Three at the back is a dead duck.A mantra for defensive minded dinosaur managers.
It says let's not go on the front foot.Let's be scaredy cats at Ashton Gate ffs.

Tell that to Conte at Chelski.
What he got wrong was the personnel: difficult playing three at the back with no pace and a slow DMF.

[Leicester_Villian]

Totally negative from Bruce ........ he still has no idea of what formation he wants or what his best team is!

Point from a team who will be nearer the bottom than top is unacceptable

Promotion? You go to these clubs and put in a storming performance and win

[Ads]

Disappointing to waste 40 minutes against a poor side with little threat, when the result of the system was to have 6 behind the ball.

Once we switched from 3 at the back we looked more purposeful.

But we have up momentum in the game against a team who were there for the taking.

Better second half. Such a poor goal to concede but they were offside. Onomah impresses as does Davis, shame he was blowing out his backside.

Hogan was very busy when he came on, as was Thor who was let down by his final ball.

Mystifying why Bruce changed what did not need to be changed. But great that finally, we didn't fold like a deck chair when going behind, but came back much the stronger.

We have to put sides as mince as Bristol away. If we hadn't been so awful at the first two away games, the pressure wouldn't be so great to win this one.

5 behind the notional target already and the away form has to change.

Edit: I suppose it was always unlikely going from Dog and Duck level to putting sides away, but the fact we aren't out played away from home, actually competed and were the ones dominating at the end for a change, having come from behind, is actual progress. The evolution has to be quick.

[Legion]

http://www.skysports.com/football/bristol-c-vs-a-villa/374670

[Chris Smith]

I think we are often too dismissI've of the opposition. I thought Bristol were energetic and organised but lacked decisiveness in the final third. Even when we were on top we had to work hard to get anything and their defence nullified our wide men to a great extent. I think they'll win a fair few at home this season. Green in particular seemed anonymous, Elmohamady was more involved but wasteful. Davis took a while to get the measure of their centre backs but once he did I though he put in another good performance although he looked knackered by the time he went off so it was the right thing to do.

The idea to try three at the back is not automatically a bad one but the players clearly didn't adapt well and it allowed Bristol to get on the front foot. to be fair Bruce saw it and changed after 25 minutes. Once the players settled into it I though we had the better of things for the rest of the game without ever completely dominating, we made half chances but seemed to lack conviction or the final ball was not quite right.

A draw was a fair result but now need to follow it up with wins.

[SoccerHQ]

It's shocking how bad we are away really.

3 away wins under Steve Bruce and two of those were at teams no longer in this division due to being relegated (Rotherham and Wigan).

Other at Reading really was just a new manager bounce type result given we then didn't win any for another four months.

We really just can't impose any sort of game plan on the opposition. Just think back to those days under MON when we would be spoiled with 9-10 away wins a season. Conceding possession but so lethal on the counter attack.

Nowadays we just don't offer anything bar being content with a 0-0 and struggling to respond when the home team inevitably scores. It's not good enough if we want to go up I'm afraid.

Pretty sure there have been more - QPR? Colchester?

You're main point is still correct though.

Ah yes QPR I forgot about so 4 wins.

I discount cup games as you can get knocked out next round.

[London Villan]

We now have to win half of our away games to go up automatically. That is a big ask after playing three mid-table teams already.

[wittonwarrior]

A good point but we need to obviously follow  this up with a couple of away wins to fuel the confidence.  Looking forward to Barnsley already.