Did we bottle it today?.....

[knocky1]

If any of you lard ar*es ever played sport yourself, you would realise the benefits of adrenaline. Ours went after the promotion party. Hopefully we'll get some back for Villa and with testosterone and pride we'll show some balls and win 3-0!

 

[Seaford by the sea]

Personally, I thought the players were over pumped. Too many over hit balls early on, too many flicks and loss of shape. Just needed to play our normal patient game. Second half bristol cut off the supply to our wingers. Rather than bottling it, not sticking to a game plan was our downfall imo

 

[Me and my Monkey]

Too many balloons on the pitch. Chaos.

 

[Hampster Gull]

I wouldn't say we bottled it, but our intensity has dropped following achieving promotion. The emotion of it all has effected that intensity that saw us through games when we weren't playing well.

I'm still confident they'll pull a rabbit out of the hat next week. It ain't over yet!!

It ain't over until that bloody fat (opera) lady sings again

 

[Hampster Gull]

Would you disagree with the promotion over champions? I agree we could have wrapped it up, but at the end of the day would you be THAT disappointed?

This can be an outstanding year, or a great year, so its shades of success. In the absolute sense i wouldn't be disappointed of course BUT in that relative sense of those two options yes i would be hugely disppointed if we blow a 7 point lead with three games to go, where we would win the one league title below the top tier that we haven't won. BUT we can still do it at Villa, the team is good enough to be recognised as the best in the league

 

[LamieRobertson]

Give Bristol city a little credit

 

[Blues Rock DJ]

have looked both mentally and physically drained after nigh on 3 seasons in the top 6 of a very unforgiving league, with very limited resources.

 

[BensGrandad]

If CH can lift them for one last effort next week could be ok but they seem to have adapted the attitude of we are up lets just play the season out and go on holiday.

 

[Bold Seagull]

If CH can lift them for one last effort next week could be ok but they seem to have adapted the attitude of we are up lets just play the season out and go on holiday.

Not sure I could fault their work rate yesterday. I think their attitude is fine, but the intensity has dropped, it's something that's hard to define, difficult to sustain, and lost in the emotion of the past week or so.

I think you're doing the team a great disservice suggesting it's attitude or wanting to be on holiday.

 

[Seasider78]

Bottling it suggests the occasion got to the players which I do not think was the case here. We have lacked sharpness and intensity on the pitch since promotion and we look like a team who psychologically have achieved what we wanted to.

 

[Is it PotG?]

Bottling it suggests the occasion got to the players which I do not think was the case here. We have lacked sharpness and intensity on the pitch since promotion and we look like a team who psychologically have achieved what we wanted to.

100% this imho.

 

[GloryDays]

All I can say is thank the loooooord we don't have playoffs this season.

 

[Jim D]

Give Bristol city a little credit

Agree. They still needed something to guarantee their survival. They were fighting for their lives and were pressing us all over the pitch. Next week it will be different.

 

[Wellesley]

I blame Opera Woman.

I think she should have played up front for the full ninety minutes.

 

[BensGrandad]

Not sure I could fault their work rate yesterday. I think their attitude is fine, but the intensity has dropped, it's something that's hard to define, difficult to sustain, and lost in the emotion of the past week or so.

I think you're doing the team a great disservice suggesting it's attitude or wanting to be on holiday.

That was the impression it gave me rather than as somebody on the train said that he knows for a fact most of the players have been on the p...s in Brighton since promotion, which I dont believe CH would allow or let go.

 

[Wellesley]

It was all part of Barber's plan to prevent a pitch invasion.

 

[HCxUK]

To be fair to Bristol they sussed us out and played with a lot more intensity. They kept their shape very well and gave us no time on the ball at all. It wasn't to be yesterday, but Bristol did have something to play for whereas Villa do not.

I don't expect us to win the league anymore and will go to Villa with hope rather than expectation, but hopefully yesterday gave the players a kick up the backside. Also think having Baldock (hopefully) back by then will be huge.

 

[dingodan]

26,000 paying "customers" probably.........huge opportunity to go into next season with a massive buzz at the Amex ......given away by a weak performance...(from what i was told by people at the game) we know we lose the ones we should win and win the ones we should lose....probably go and beat villa now in front of the 4/5000 hardcore away fans ....hope so , can't really see it though.

I do give a f*** personally. I was making a funny about the posters poetry skills.

 

[Martlet]

Without Baldock, we have to find pace elsewhere - we played right into their hands by playing Skalak: they could close Knockaert down and not worry about the threat on the other side. Solly or Murphy should have started, with instructions to run at them. Also, Poc for me has been playing a lot better than Bong.

I agree about the intensity levels. In the five straight victories that took us up, our front two were winning everything, with our midfield harrying, pressurising and generally never letting opponents settle. Yesterday we seemed happy letting them have the ball and run at us - exactly how the goal came about.

I can't blame them - a huge pressure valve was released on Easter Monday. Just hope they ratchet it back up at Villa - they'll be hurting after yesterday.

 

[BensGrandad]

To be fair to Bristol they sussed us out and played with a lot more intensity. They kept their shape very well and gave us no time on the ball at all. It wasn't to be yesterday, but Bristol did have something to play for whereas Villa do not.

I don't expect us to win the league anymore and will go to Villa with hope rather than expectation, but hopefully yesterday gave the players a kick up the backside. Also think having Baldock (hopefully) back by then will be huge.

That is not true because at 5.00pm they were safe bar a 15 goal difference turn round in the last game which is very unlikely. tio happen in 1 game for each team.