Neil Warnock has often expressed that he wanted to have leaders on the pitch, so he'll should be quite pleased at seeing Bristol City take to the field on Tuesday evening. Still, he was probably more pleased that he avoided seeing leaders leave the pitch on Saturday after his team put in a solid display against pace-setters Reading to end their 100 percent record.
However, there is still not much sign of his Boro side becoming an irresistible attacking force as yet but there's definitely signs of them becoming the immovable defensive object. The red wall of Warnock has a bipartisan slogan-like feel about it as 'A New Leadership' has been seamlessly combined with 'Build [from the] Back Better'. It certainly appears to have resonated with the undecideds on Teesside, who have given Warnock a high approval rating for the job that he's currently undertaking in difficult circumstances. Although, sadly it appears he's been unable to be more inclusive with other party slogans with no room for the Libdem's: "We're sill here" or the Greens "Time is Running Out" - though I think the last one may have possibly been given a free transfer to Brexit.
Anyway, Bristol City surprisingly also lost their 100 percent record on Saturday against Barnsley after initially coming back from a second-minute strike with two second-half goals they looked set for victory until the Tykes earned a point after converting a penalty in the 12th minute of injury time. The spot-kick was delayed by eight minutes after Barnsley's Michael Sollbauer, who was the player fouled in the box, was fitted with a neck brace before being stretchered off. Robin's manager, Dean Holden, disputed the decision and complained: "It doesn't look clear enough for me to give a penalty" - perhaps because his head was still attached to his body it would have been debatable by recent VAR standards.
Incidentally, Gerhard Struber finally left to join New York Red Bulls during the international break and Barnsley now had caretaker Adam Murray in charge, who seemingly displayed equal sympathy for Michael Sollbauer: "It was one of those challenges we probably don't see in the game anymore. It was an old-school '50-50' and credit to Solly for putting his head in a place where he knew he was going to get hurt for the benefit of the team. But that sums him up as a bloke - though to be more accurate he probably meant "expendable bloke". Thankfully, it seems there is hope he may even be able to play in their next game after Murray added: "He is okay and he is back with us. It will depend on whether he was completely knocked out." Perhaps that gives a new meaning to unconscious bias and it's better left to the medics to decide that one.
As to whether any of the Boro players will be preparing to put their collective heads where it hurts on Tuesday evening is uncertain but Neil Warnock probably has a bit of a headache with his team selection. He has a couple of things to ponder over and must decide whether to play Britt Assombalonga, who was subbed at half-time as a precaution with a sore leg. With Ashley Fletcher now out until February following his hamstring op and no immediate news on an out-of-contract replacement striker, it's probably not a good time to take risks.
The other problem for the Boro manager is how does he fit Patrick Roberts into his team without making too many changes that may adversely effect his team's defensive solidity. Roberts is not likely to play as a wing-back as Warnock had previously quipped that he'd need to sign two full-backs to play him. With the games coming thick and fast, there's probably not much in the way of training time to contemplate anything radical. Some pundits have suggested a switch to a back-four is a likely solution but that appears to create several new problems.
Grant Hall is not due back for another couple of weeks so who would play as the centre-back pairing - Dijksteel is the obvious choice for right-back but that would leave McNair partnering Fry, which makes him much more of a defender than a defensive playmaker. At the moment, the back three are given a bit of licence to move up the pitch as Jonny Howson usually fills in the gap and it would be a shame to break up that system just to accommodate Roberts with a back four. Besides, Bola is starting to show promise and confidence as a left wing-back but perhaps now is not the time to up the pressure by playing him as a less protected left-back.
The best option may well be to tweak the current system to a 3-4-3 with Roberts in one of the wide attacking roles with Tav and Bola remaining as wing-backs. Howson could remain in midfield with possibly Morsy, which would mean Saville losing out. Johnson showed enough against Reading to suggest he could be given the other wide attacking role and by default it would be Akpom in the centre.
It may not be a bad tactic against Bristol City as it seems Barnsley managed to carve out 17 attempts on goal against them at the weekend, which would suggest having players running at the Robins defence was quite effective. All that remains now is for Warnock to decide which of his players is the most expendable so he can instruct them to put their head where it hurts in the dying minutes to win the decisive penalty - perhaps the advert for a new striker has already been written: 'Fearless free agent required to lead line, large head an advantage, no experience necessary'.
Tough game tonight against a good footballing side in form.
I wouldn’t want to mess around with the defensive side so I’d just make the one change: Roberts for Britt.
—————-—-Bettinelli———————
————Djiksteel Fry McNair————-
Tavernier Morsy Howson Saville Bola
————————Roberts——————-
————————-Akpom——————-
I see a few of you have started ahead of me so I've just moved your posts to the new Bristol City thread 🙂
I think we'll see a fairly compact 4-3-3 with Roberts not deemed ready to start yet.
Bettinelli
Dijksteel - Fry - McNair - Bola
Howson - Morsy - Saville
Tav - Akpom - Johnson
Might see Saville on the bench if games are catching up with him.
I’ve just watched highlights of Boro’s last visit to Ashton Gate on the MFC website and it appeared to be a good match. I’d certainly take a repeat of that 2-2 draw tonight, but completely different situation now. Maybe a draw again but without any goals will be acceptable, although I have a feeling Boro will take 3 points from the next two away fixtures but which one we win and which one we lose I haven’t a clue.
That would certainly fit in with my view of minimal disruption to the defensive shape and I'd also keep the wing-backs. I think any future shift to a back four would ultimately see McNair move to midfield but I'm reluctant to see changes to the parts of the team that are working quite well. Perhaps the task of making the midfield more creative is the biggest problem and in theory with a back three you shouldn't need more than one defensive-minded central midfielder - having two is unfortunate and three is just careless!
Thanks Werder,
Another great briefing and I'm going for 1 - 1 but I could see Boro nicking it. Mr Warnock continues to build his ''us against the rest' attitude having had a chew at the EFL about the fixture list. I'm surprised they didn't arrange the two games coming up at Christmas/New Year time.
Now the really big, and I mean huge question is, will OFB go for 0 - 0?
Stay safe everyone,
UTB,
John
Thanks for Werder, again for the briefing.
As Ken said, the Bristol match last season was good to watch. I too watched the highlights on mfc.co.uk. I will go for a repeat of 2-2 draw at Bristol and a 0-1 win at Cardiff on Saturday. Take that.
Also NW was complaining about the 534-round-mile trip to Bristol for tonight's clash with the Robins as Boro then have to travel to South Wales at the weekend (an 884-round-mile trip) for the clash with Warnock's former side Cardiff City.
I was wondering why didn't they stay overnight in Warnock's place and had another magic berbeque? Surely there would have been places to train and having a mini training camp down there. And then to Wales.
Or is it impossible to stay overnight right now because of COVID?
Up the Boro!
I don’t see why NW can’t select the same team as Saturday, with the exception of Roberts replacing Assombalonga. He could play slightly behind Akpom in a free role, similar to the role David Silva played for City.
I’m sure Roberts is familiar with Silva’s Style and although not as good as him, it would allow NW to keep roughly the same formation and tactics that’s stood him in good stead so far this season.
1-2 Akpom and Roberts.
Thanks Jarkko, Yes I did think a similar thing about them staying down there until the weekend - perhaps if it had been a Wednesday fixture it may have been better but I guess in these Covid days it's harder to have a controlled environment and in the end I think those coaches they travel on are pretty comfy and not exactly the cramped National Express ones I used to travel back to Teesside on when I was a student!
btw I'm not sure who's in charge of planning the routes to the games but the figures quoted in the article don't really add up as if it's a 534 mile round trip to Bristol and Ashton Gate then why is it an 884 mile round trip to Cardiff given that it's only a short 44 mile journey from Ashton Gate to Cardiff? I make that only a 622 mile round trip to Cardiff if they go via Bristol 🙂
Yes, the less disruption the better for an away game at the leaders and Roberts behind Akpom in the David Silva role sounds a decent shout - though if Britt is selected with his dodgy leg then maybe he'll will play behind Akpom in the Long John Silva role instead...
Yes, the less disruption the better for an away game at the leaders and Roberts behind Akpom in the David Silva role sounds a decent shout - though if Britt is selected with his dodgy leg then maybe he'll will play behind Akpom in the Long John Silva role instead...
If only he’d asked me, I could have lent him my walking stick. I’m not going anywhere this week, but might need it next week.
I'm inclined to do along with the "If it ain't broke don't fix it" approach espoused by GHW, with Roberts in if Cap'n Britt can't start.
I don't think I have made one correct prediction this season yet, so it has to be a resounding defeat for the Boro tonight... 3-0 to the Robins
Let's hope my reverse prescient thinking works 🤞
Thanks Werder for another good read.
I am in the leave well alone brigade and if NW doesn't want to risk BA then it has to be Roberts behind Akpom.
Given our lack of creativity and ability to score then it's another ⚽️ - ⚽️ for me at best. Will be watching with fingers crossed. CoB 😎
Thanks for the opener Werder.
I have a feeling that Roberts in for Assombalonga would increase creativity and may be the way forward in any case. As mentioned at the top of the thread it's the side I'd like to see but something tells me it will be 4-3-3 with Johnson.
Thanks for another sparkling opener, Werder.
And so to Bristol, albeit virtually.
One of the features of the season so far is that what had looked like a formidably difficult opening set of fixtures on paper, has turned out to be much less so on the pitch.
Whether that has been because of our own recent improvement or an over-estimation of the opposition remains an open question.
It's a conundrum which will receive greater clarification after tonight's match, which certainly falls into the category of "challenging".
A sound defeat would be no surprise to most neutrals. A hard fought point or more would consolidate the impression that we have little need to fear other teams in this league.
I agree with the general consensus that bringing in Roberts as a No10 would be a positive move, given the defensive solidity of the midfield behind him. Tav, too, has the legs to offer positive attacking support.
But I'm struck by the sadness of the wider context.
Bristol are a smaller club than we are by almost any metric that you care to choose. Well run and well managed, they have spent far less on recruitment than we have over many years, a bargain basement club who survive by finding hidden diamonds, improving them, and selling them on to bigger clubs. Bigger clubs like us, in the case of Flint.
Yet we go down to Bristol as underdogs, the height of our ambitions a solid pragmatism, which we hope can contain a table-topping team built over many seasons on an ethic of creativity and fast-flowing attacking football.
That we, the Boro, are going to Bristol hoping that we can stop the opposition from playing, and holding on for a precious point, in the wider historical context, tells its own sad story.
Agree Len. I had similar thoughts before the Barnsley game in the cup, where the thought of playing a good footballing side gave little hope based on recent evidence. How had it come to this? Low confidence against Barnsley?
As it turned out, their reserves beat ours comfortably but, as you allude to, we showed in the league game shortly after that either we had underestimated ourselves or overestimated them as we equally comfortably avenged that cup defeat.
Looking at Bristol City's league fixtures so far, they have beaten Sheff Wed, Stoke, Coventry and Forest before their draw with Barnsley. It's not straightforward to judge but I would say that their fixtures look a fair bit easier than ours to date, even allowing for some under or overestimation. We might even be their toughest opponents so far.
So, if we play to level we have been, I think we can make it a tough night for BC and get a result. If Roberts plays and plays well, it might even be a surprise victory - this is the Championship after all.
I won't get too far ahead of myself though and will predict a 1-1 draw.
Thanks Len and it seems concentrating on stopping the opposition has been pretty much the priority of Boro managers since Karanka took over almost seven years ago - the possible exceptions were Monk and Woodgate but neither succeeded in making Boro an attacking force in their brief tenures. Somehow the strikers we buy become less prolific and the midfielders with a goal in them lose the ability to find the net as Howson and Saville have demonstrated - even scoring defenders like Aden Flint saw their goals dry up.
I've no idea why but perhaps risk aversion is an infectious local trait where the fear of failure outweighs the reward of success - though perhaps the recruitment process has delivered players who lack the personality to express themselves without fear and were previously elevated by others around them. Buying based on stats doesn't always prove to be a measure of the player and perhaps recent managers want reliability and consistency above the unpredictable spark that may be harder to make the game-plan by which many use to control from the sidelines - something that maybe supporters are now educated to appreciate in the absence of real excitement.
Hopefully, Neil Warnock can imbue his personality on those around them and create a more balanced team - though it won't be easy to become a team that blows away the opposition unless it contains enough creative players who can deliver on the pitch.
Bit of a surprise to see Tavernier and Bola dropped in favour of Spence and Johnson but perhaps it's down to the fixture schedule. Though it's always been my concern that Tav was often dropped when Roberts was selected. Looks like Roberts will play behind Akpom as suggested.
Prediction: I'll go 1-1 as I'm not sure if Boro will create enough but will hopefully be their solid selves...
@werder
Not necessarily dropped, maybe just squad management in a busy period.
I did add the caveat of the fixture schedule and in reality the wing-back positions is probably the only place where Warnock has genuine options to make changes - the rest of the team almost selects itself.
Good morning everyone,
NW seems to be very good at giving players a chance to come back into the team after they have been dropped. Having given Johnson and Spence their 'kick up the backside' selecting them tonight shows that they are still in his thoughts and removes any potential issues. Up front, Tavernier and Roberts can share 90 minutes of running after everything and taking a bit of pressure off Akpom.
We'll do well to draw but the team spirit is getting better so who knows. Its probably a bit in our favour that there's no crowd
UTB
Well a good first half and either Bristol are in a false position or we are not a bad side after all.
We have taken the game to them and played some good football.
Spence has looked like the player he was when he first came into the team. Akpom has held the ball up well and made some good runs, unfortunately he didn't take the two chances he had.
Roberts has been lively and nearly produce the killer ball on a couple of occasions. Midfield and defence have been solid and Bristol have not created anything worthwhile. Bettinelli's distribution is still suspect.
The team has worked hard and if we can maintain this standard then the points are there for us to take. CoB 😎
Boro looked relatively comfortable and worked hard in the first half and threatened on a few occasions to create a goal-scoring opportunity but it's similar to the Reading game in that both sides look to cancel each other - neither side has as yet managed a shot on target and it may be the first mistake or even a bit of magic that will decide this one.