Post Match v West Brom

[FantasticMrFuchs]

The thing weve missed all season is QUALITY! Hobbs,Berner,Weale have all been QUALITY this season, The rest of the sqaud have either been hit or miss, Or not featured enough this season. Even Fryatt i wouldn't consider to be an acomplished championship striker yet. If were to be taken seriously as promotion contenders then we need to invest within the squad as WBA,Newcastle,Trees,Cardiff all have the quality to get them to the big time, Im afraid we do not.

[Fox You Forest]

fooking cracking day out apar from the result obviously.

[The Doctor]

The ref was a shocker. I don't place the blame on him, but seriously, if someone doesn't look at his performance and question it, then I despair.

i'm not too sure about that. Yes tamas should have been booked before he was (either for that elbow or pathetic dive) and reid should also have been booked for taking out dyer early doors. The free kick for their second was quite soft but other than that i thought he did alright.

Perhaps thats due to some of the crap we've had recently (Andre Marriner, Lee Mason, The refs v reading(H) and cardiff(a)) lowering my standards because compared to them that ref was good.

[Webbo]

I can't face reading the rest of this thread. I'd just like to say we were well beaten, it wasn't any individuals fault they were just better than us.

We're still a point in front of Blackpool, it isn't over yet.

[Guest]

I can't face reading the rest of this thread. I'd just like to say we were well beaten, it wasn't any individuals fault they were just better than us.

We're still a point in front of Blackpool, it isn't over yet.

I thought the eventual scoreline flattered them to be honest.

We do need to make sure we're putting away those chances we get though cos we could've had a couple yesterday.

[teblin]

I personally thought it was slightly a harsh result, difference was WBA took the chances and we didn't. We have played a lot worse than that and won this season.

3 weeks ago Morrisons shot would have flown into the stand rather than the back of the net, the free kick against Wellens wouldn't have been given, but thats what happens when you are on a bad run. As my old man said things just aren't running for us at the minute.

We are still 1 point clear with 5 to go and before the season we'd have taken that and it just shows how well we have done that we are still in the play offs despite 4 defeats in a row.

We just need a win on monday and that will set us up for the run in.

[Guest]

I don't think we are creative enough - the first Howard chance came from a long throw which was badly defended, the second chance came from a long ball which was badly defended, Morrison's chance came because WBA couldn't clear their lines etc. We only created these chances by pressing them in defence, not by decent passing and moving, and we never had any width tonight to stretch WBA's defence.

So what you're saying is you equate creative football as a particular style, not a statement of fact then? The fact is we created chances. Just because it wasn't "total football", it doesn't alter that fact. As I said before, it looks to me like a confidence problem. City are not playing with the same conviction that they were at the start of the season.

[carterfox90]

the 81st minute before we get a shot on target sums up our striking this season would like to know what they do in training practising golf swings maybe got that horrible feeling that hollowtwat is going to come back & haunt us the fecking shame of it QPR is such a massive game now & nothing more than a convincing win will appease the fans me thinks have the wheels fell off?????????????

[Leicfox]

I fear Reading more than Blackpool. Reading have 3 games in hand on us albeit a worst goal difference but if they win them they join us on the same points but they are in top form.

[marbelladave]

So what you're saying is you equate creative football as a particular style, not a statement of fact then? The fact is we created chances. Just because it wasn't "total football", it doesn't alter that fact. As I said before, it looks to me like a confidence problem. City are not playing with the same conviction that they were at the start of the season.

Interesting exchange of views with Anish.

My take on the argument is twofold,

Firstly I agree that we are making chances but the majority are not that clear cut and come about by us pressing the second ball and causing errors in the defence. We rarely carve out genuinely good chances with our attacking play and Dyer's run first hallf and Howard's cross to Berner apart that was the case yesterday, clearly that is a sweeping statement but I believe it to be true in general terms.

Secondly, it is also very much a confidence matter, since losing Fryatt we have really lacked a predator in the box and the kind of half chances that may have provided goals when falling to Matty have fallen to others who have neither the instincts nor the confidence to score from the often fleeting chances that occur deep inside the box.

To sum up, we need to create some really clear cut chances that our faltering forwards simply cannot miss in order to boost their confidence to take on the half chances with more conviction. How we do that is, of course, the question!

[Corky]

I expected nothing from the game, that's what we got but 3-0 was a flattering scoreline for the Baggies.

We were the better side until they scored, the second goal was a damager but we didn't give up and still created some chances.

The ref was dreadful, summed up by giving them a throw despite their player clearing it out.

They were clinical in front of goal, no disgrace in losing to them and they have quality. But we weren't outclassed and we kept possession well in the first half especially.

[lovelcfc]

I thought we played quite well we passed the ball around well we just looked scared to shoot wba were good the scorline was a little unfair KEEP THE FAITH

[Simi]

Another good away day ruined by 90 minutes!

I just thought we never looked like being able to put the ball in the back of the net regardless of whether we created enough or not. We had some good spells throughout the game where we looked after the ball well but then struggled to get a cutting pass through to one of the strikers.

Howard had a good game but never seemed to have the central support from anyone to run onto the flick ons.

They were the much better side and got what they deserved.

[Guest]

Interesting exchange of views with Anish.

My take on the argument is twofold,

Firstly I agree that we are making chances but the majority are not that clear cut and come about by us pressing the second ball and causing errors in the defence. We rarely carve out genuinely good chances with our attacking play and Dyer's run first hallf and Howard's cross to Berner apart that was the case yesterday, clearly that is a sweeping statement but I believe it to be true in general terms.

Secondly, it is also very much a confidence matter, since losing Fryatt we have really lacked a predator in the box and the kind of half chances that may have provided goals when falling to Matty have fallen to others who have neither the instincts nor the confidence to score from the often fleeting chances that occur deep inside the box.

To sum up, we need to create some really clear cut chances that our faltering forwards simply cannot miss in order to boost their confidence to take on the half chances with more conviction. How we do that is, of course, the question!

What puzzles me is that after the S****horpe and Forest home games, I thought we'd got it sorted, and it showed that we don't need Fryatt. However, I now can't wait until he's back, and I'm not even one of his biggest fans!

[davieG]

Interesting exchange of views with Anish.

My take on the argument is twofold,

Firstly I agree that we are making chances but the majority are not that clear cut and come about by us pressing the second ball and causing errors in the defence. We rarely carve out genuinely good chances with our attacking play and Dyer's run first hallf and Howard's cross to Berner apart that was the case yesterday, clearly that is a sweeping statement but I believe it to be true in general terms.

Secondly, it is also very much a confidence matter, since losing Fryatt we have really lacked a predator in the box and the kind of half chances that may have provided goals when falling to Matty have fallen to others who have neither the instincts nor the confidence to score from the often fleeting chances that occur deep inside the box.

To sum up, we need to create some really clear cut chances that our faltering forwards simply cannot miss in order to boost their confidence to take on the half chances with more conviction. How we do that is, of course, the question!

Their goals were hardly born out of creative play, the first was a speculative shot from outside the box following a standard cross into the box and a headed clearance by Hobbs straight to their player, the second was a failure to clear the ball following a free kick that Hobbs unfortunately headed against King's back and fell to the feet of Koren even though we had 7 men to their 4 in the box and the third was down to our total lack of concentration in defence and was gifted to them.

None of which I would class as the result of creative football, to some extent, especially on the first two they just got lucky but then you can make your own luck by having the players in the correct position in the first place.

[morris1234]

Dont know if anybody has already said anything similar but at half time i wanted us to just go for it. I would have rather lost 6 or 7 nil to a good west brom side with premiership quality and made a go of it rather than just going out and hopin it would click for us!

Anyway, my thoughts in general, we are too robotic. Was the same problem we had with 4-4-2 now its happening with the 4-3-3, we are too predictable, no imagination, no creativity and no improvisation. i, like many other city fans, can tell whats going to happen next when we are on the ball, before its even happened yet!

it doesnt help when your captain has no influence on the game let alone anybody else in our side!

i want oakley to grab players by the collars, scream in their face and throw himself about! the only players that looked to give a monkeys yesterday were hobbs, wellens (who i thought was brilliant second half), dyer and howard!

im not kidding myself, west brom are class and know this division inside out and i reckon even maddog could get them promoted (....too much??? ) but the chance was there to just go for it, but instead we just provided another type of threat and not another one, which wba have in abundance! massive threat!

not too bothered about the result, just want to start scoring some goals and taking some risks and not being satisfied with mediocre attacks.

but hey i like whinging about maybe falling out of the play-offs than moaning about relegation :)

[Ford Super Sunday]

The ref was a shocker. I don't place the blame on him, but seriously, if someone doesn't look at his performance and question it, then I despair.

I particularly liked it when their defender kicked it our of play for a phantom injury to Tamas, and then he gave THEM the throw in

[Corky]

The woman getting escorted out was superb.

[Guest]

The woman getting escorted out was superb.

Indeed.

Mattock, sort her out, Mattock, Mattock, sort her out!!

[Corky]

Indeed.

Mattock, sort her out, Mattock, Mattock, sort her out!!

Yes. Liked that chant.

[marbelladave]

Their goals were hardly born out of creative play, the first was a speculative shot from outside the box following a standard cross into the box and a headed clearance by Hobbs straight to their player, the second was a failure to clear the ball following a free kick that Hobbs unfortunately headed against King's back and fell to the feet of Koren even though we had 7 men to their 4 in the box and the third was down to our total lack of concentration in defence and was gifted to them.

None of which I would class as the result of creative football, to some extent, especially on the first two they just got lucky but then you can make your own luck by having the players in the correct position in the first place.

The point is that other teams take their fleeting chances however they are created and City don't. This has happened through much of the season though it has been more pronounced of late.

Several of the opportunities that fell to City players were at least as good as the ones that fell to the West Brom players, yet they scored 3 times and we barely hit the target.

[davieG]

The point is that other teams take their fleeting chances however they are created and City don't. This has happened through much of the season though it has been more pronounced of late.

Several of the opportunities that fell to City players were at least as good as the ones that fell to the West Brom players, yet they scored 3 times and we barely hit the target.

It was in response to we don't create chances other teams do. I just don't think it's down to 'creating' chances and much more to do with taking chances that the opposition give you. So I agree we get plenty of these chances but fail to deliver, Howard was the main culprit yesterday and although Dyer is to be commended for creating his own opportunities he's starting to get a bit blinkered in terms of players in better positions somewhat like Fryatt .

[Dr The Singh]

It was in response to we don't create chances other teams do. I just don't think it's down to 'creating' chances and much more to do with taking chances that the opposition give you. So I agree we get plenty of these chances but fail to deliver, Howard was the main culprit yesterday and although Dyer is to be commended for creating his own opportunities he's starting to get a bit blinkered in terms of players in better positions somewhat like Fryatt .

it's about quality and luck, invariably quality players get that bit of luck or create there own luck............we had enough of the ball in dangerous areas but we never hit the target, unlike the quality of WBA who never created alot but hit the target more then often!!!

[Guest]

I particularly liked it when their defender kicked it our of play for a phantom injury to Tamas, and then he gave THEM the throw in

That was shocking. I think I was too gobsmacked to shout.

The woman getting escorted out was superb.

I managed to get a couple of pics.

[Bert]

It's still our position to lose. Our destiny is still in our own hands. We need to stay upbeat and get behind the lads. Yesterday the lads gave everything, but nothing fell for us. The first two goals were both down to us not clearing second balls. Two simple things really. They took their chances and we didn't take ours. I thought we had more of the ball and matched them for most of the game. It seems to me that the people saying we were shit were those who watched on tv, and that's no dig by any means.

We've many positives to take from the game and a quick and pretty decent chance to put things right on Monday.

West Brom are perhaps the least sportsmanlike team we've played this season, and not just yesterday, at our place too. Another tosspot ref as well. So inconsistent.