Bristol City (a) - League - 11th February 2005

[WarsawPact]

Strange but true...

Our best performances this season (Colchester [H], Luton [H], Bristol C [H], Bristol C [A]) have all come when we've been "coachless".




Not trying to draw any conclusions or owt...

[Manchester Saddler]

Fantastic result! Thought we'd be mauled - just shows!

[andy__vh]

just got back, the lads were amazing tonight. It was a nice short journey for me and if only we could play like that every week. Merson managed today. 4-5-1 was what ive wanted for a while with him on the bench. Osbourne was super today. Equally I was very impressed with krissy taylor again, Daryl looked very dangerous and pacey. Surnam is a great loan signing. As already said the defence tonight were great. Leroy Lita never really got a sniff. Bristol hit the bar in final stages so there was the near heart attack for me.

Worth mentioning Tinnons challange on murphy. They put in a few tackles like that and the 4 players from them will all miss the next game apparently.

pray for a performance like this at every away game, we created a fair few chances, piled on the pressure in the second half while still looking very solid

super saddlers

[andy__vh]

Worth mentioning Tinnons challange on murphy. They put in a few tackles like that and the 4 players from them will all miss the next game apparently


i meant to say the 4 players that got booked

[WS1]

What a superb performance by the saddlers at Ashton Gate, man for man they worked hard for each other.

Murphy did ok but could have cost us first half when he came out for a cross and misse it.

Full backs Wright had cover with Daryl Taylor helping out and Aranalde had one of his best games for us this season.

Emblen played a lot better than he has done of late whilst Ropes was first clas no messing about if in dout kick it out, well done Ropes on your return.

Kris Taylor was yet again buzzing like a bee wanting to tackle and break up their moves.

Surman just played the simle ball and what a goal so cool is this guy, hope we can keep him for a few more months.

Daryl Taylor was a constant menance with his pace and defended well.

Wrack had another fine performance, broke up a few of their moves and was always avaliable when we had the ball.

Osborn my man of the match again just was pure magic, just got on with the job and he showed he still has got the desire to play for the Saddlers.

Leitao worked hard but missed two good chances to have put us in front.

After the drubbing at Layer Road it was great to see us win on the road again.

Now for a nice smiling weekend.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: 8)

[BathSaddler]

Adsolutely fantastic. We played as a team. That is something that i have not said for a long time, for we had real desire today. I think that our formation of 4-5-1 really stifled the opposition but gave us the ability to break quickly with width and pace. As has been said before, Lita hardly had a kick.

The most encouraging aspect was that without Merson we have proved that we can create chances and that we are not a one man team. Surman and Kris Taylor stood out for me. It was also great [and very rare of late] to see a winger, Daryl Taylor, take on defenders and beat them. This gave us an extra dimension and took pressure off the defence. Both Jorge and Matty, when he came on, held the line superbly.

There is no doubt to me that we deserved to win - at the end it seemed like a cup win against a 'bigger club' and reminded me of those days when we could 'mix it' with the best on our travels. The fans were superb - more than I thought [around 350-400] and I loved the Basque flag!! My Shrewsbury town mate remarked to me that we thoroughly deserved it.

P****d but very proud tonight!

Love ya boys!!

[derbysaddler]

yesssss!, bless um, good result tonight, all saddlers fans who went to tonight, I hope you had a splendid time, how random is this team?

[Saddler Jim]

Just got back from the local after Bristol,I was so proud to see the team play like this.PM I hope as finaly found out how to play away from home,we were brilliant, we were a team united,from goalkeeper to striker,Keeper got confidence because the defence were protecting him,defence knew get it forward 15 yards at least 2 midfielders would be there to pick the ball up and go forward,allowing the defence to sort itself, it was'nt coming straight back. it was then going forward to jorge he held the ball ,and all of a sudden 3midfielders would steam forward to recieve the ball,they were all over the place,the only diisappoinment was we only won by one goal,man of the match no one they all played there part there part.at Colchester I was ashamed to be a Walsall fan now I'm so proud,I heard a Bristol fan say outside the ground,however these are only mid table I don't know,that said it all. :lol:

[saddla]

Oh ye of little faith!
Repent and return to the fold!

[Burnside]

What a great result on a horrible night.

When i heard the selection before the match i though Merson has been learning a lesson or two. A mobile lone striker with 3 midfielders who have the pace to go box to box and support Jorge.

These were BRAVE decisions. He dropped the teams most creative player. Dropped one of it's player of the seasons (Bennett, although he needed a rest) and resisted the temptation of playing the clubs inform striker.

It worked. Surman, D Taylor and Wrack had Bristol stumped. They struggled to pick them up and pin them down. Recently we have been way to simple. Teams have picked us off man by man and overpowered us. No team can overun the kind of system we played last night. I wouldn't call it 4-5-1 because at times it was 4-1-4-1 and 4-3-2-1 with Surman and Taylor and Wracky breaking from central areas.

this is a great result but i don't want it to raise to many hopes. We relied heavily on Mark Wright, Daryl Taylor and Surman for that pace coming forward. These are still young and inexperianced players who may not be up to that standard week in week out. Take those 3 out of last nights equation and we wouldn't have won.

[Geordiesaddler]

Yes Warsaw, and you can add to that all aour best performances away last season were when Merson wasn't playing. Amazing what you can do by employing some logic and thought to selection and tactics rather than just building the team around Merson in the hope that he performs like it was 1991. Dare I say while the happy clappers reel off their I told you so's
that some of us have been crying out for this all season!

[Greg WP]

What a show!! Organised, intelligent and totally up for it!
Merse reckoned the points dropped vs Wrexham meant season over. Two extra points he cant have budgeted for at Bristol must now logically mean season back on??

Well impressed last night.

[Stu]

I was busy on my road to rock stardom at some club in Milton Keynes last night, so hadn't a clue what the score was till I got home late last night and was well chuffed.

Glad Merse saw the need to not be so open on the road and leave ourselves vulnerable.

Warsaw, I had thought about your comment re: our best performances all without a coach. Is this because there is nobody to contradict Merson's input maybe?

Glad to see Ossie had a good game, thats two sucessive good performances for those who constantly give him stick.

One spanner in the works though?

We're at home to Milton Keynes on Saturday? What does Merson do?

Can you really play 4-5-1 at home to a team in the relegation zone? Or do you go back to the formation, 4-3-1-2, thats served us well at home this season?

Wouldn't want to be in Merse's shoes when it comes to making that decision.

[WarsawPact]

Warsaw, I had thought about your comment re: our best performances all without a coach. Is this because there is nobody to contradict Merson's input maybe?

As I said, I wasn't drawing any conclusions and I certainly wasn't saying "told you so".

I'd just noticed more proof (if any were needed) as to just how bizarre our season has been.

[Geordiesaddler]

Stu re next week. Two things IMO. 1) - we will never win anything playing 4-3-1-2, apart from the odd football match when Merson plays out of his skin. 4-3-1-2 was born out of the gung-ho attitude into which we approached this season, it has in terms of the season's overall objective been a complete failure. Don't let a few unconvincing wins paper over the cracks. Our home form hasn't been that good, and we have struggled massively against the better teams.

2) Looking to the future, what is the point in persisting with 4-3-1-2 to accommodate Merson, when what we need to do is find a systm that works without Merson, thus enabling him to concentrate on being a manager (he should have been big enough to hang his boots up months ago). Merson the player has tried to carry Merson the manager, this needs to stop if this football club is to move forward. We need to find a system that allows our young players to come into the team and express themselves and contribute. 4-3-1-2 sends them out like lambs to the slaughter - just look what's happened to our previously successful reserve team playing 4-3-1-2.

I don't care if its home or away, or if its the MKdonaldslargefries or Man Utd. We should concentrate on what we do, and develope a formation that is first and foremost defensively well organised, and difficult to break down then build from there. That is the way you get into the top 6 in this league, always has been and probably always will be. Merson's role as a player from now on should be cameo roles from the bench when required.
If he wants to be a successful manager he has to start managing, the art of which is getting other people to perform - not trying to do it yourself because you can't get other people to perform.

[YGA Saddler]

GET IN THERE!

I went to Bristol last night telling everyone around me on the coach I had a sneaky feeling we would win, and i was right!

Playing a formation to frustrate your opponents will get your more points than the gun ho tactics we have played all season. Merson dropping out the team must have seemed like a mistake but the wingers were just as creative as merse would be. Daryl Taylor has got to play, OK he loses possession when he shouldnt but his tricks and pace really worry um.
Ozzie the criticism i have iven you I will take back if you show that determination ALL THE TIME. Man Of the match. Apart from the formation I think Roper was the difference. In this division you need a defender that will get stuck in and break up the pressure with a hoof upfield opposed to bennetts dilly dallying.
The header was quality from surman and krissy taylor was immense again.

The only dissapointment was Jorges finishing again, he cant afford to waste chances like that.
But eh, who cares. we are 8 pts off the play-offs, 3 off 7th and weve got MK Dons next. It wont be easy but this is the kind of result that drives teams forward to a decent run-in.
The saddlers of old returned last night!

COME ON ME BABIES.

[Magic Man Fan]

Strange but true...

Our best performances this season (Colchester [H], Luton [H], Bristol C [H], Bristol C [A]) have all come when we've been "coachless".

Not trying to draw any conclusions or owt...

Something I mentioned as far back as when Onoura went and again after Barlow. I said then, people were clouding Mersons ideas. It will be interesting to see how long we go without a coach and what the results are. As for my views on the game its easier if I repeat what I've just put on NMFE so apologies if I have repeated anyones comments.

I wasn't hopeful for last night after Colchester even after reading some of the City fans doom and gloom comments but by half time I was saying I had a sneaky feeling that we could win because this was a performance rarely seen away this season.

Merson got it bang on with tactics formation and everything although City were poor, a shadow of the team that were so good at Bescot. Their quiet (when not booing crowd) won't have helped though.

This is the formation that many of us have asked for in away games since as early as Oldham. Drop Merson himself and pack the midfield to cover our error prone defence.

Clean sheet? Whats wrong there then? Oh, of course Roper played, simple really but then he is only a hoof it donkey isn't he? My arse. He clears the ball into the opponents half which seemingly not many of our players can do, Wrack and Bennett proving recently how costly that is by conceding goals as a direct result of poor clearances. So what if its a long clearance? It buys us time to reorganise and take the pressure off the defence. And Roper was actually very vocal last night, something rarely seen from him. I especially enjoyed his bollocking to Murphy which he deserved after another dodgy incident.

The team had balance, energy and the full backs had cover. No signs of any comments about how poor Wright and Zigor are today. I wonder why? Surely it couldn't be because they actually had some protection in this formation. In fact considering hom many say Wright and Taylor are poor defensively they were excellent last night on the right hand side for us such as Zigor was on the left.

Osborn played his role superbly and his passing was much better than usual but as someone has said contracts are here to be played for :wink: . Wrack and Taylor were energetic and getting stuck in. Surman looked useful although he did bottle a couple of tackles but he took his goal well.

Leitao did lots of huffing and puffing and is probably the only man who can play alone up front but if we're going to sit back and defend we have to take chances and Jorge missed yet another sitter after doing the hard work. Sorry, thats what he's on the pitch to do in away games as well as home. Luckily we forced some more chances and took one.

All in all an excellent performance from everyone. The players, the manager and the fans. This season could have been so different if this had been the case in most away games this season.

Faith is restored...for now. :lol:

[Burnside]

I agree with MMF. Jorge is superb as the lone striker. His ability on the ball and general good all round play means that the likes of D Taylor, Wracky and Surman were going to benefit from him creating openings and holding the ball up. The only problem that occurs with a lone striker is when he is bone idol, can't hold the ball up and doesn't have 2 or 3 midfielders with the pace and energy to pile forward in the attacks. We had that last night. Mission succsesful.

Roper is also immense. People say that he isn't good enough on the ball, but to be fair, when we have Wright, Aranalde and Emblen at the back he doesn't need to be. All 3 can bring the ball out of the back 4 and play football if needs be. Roper has in my opinion always been vocal. I love him being on that left hand side of the four because he gives ole Ziggy a good bollocking every now and again when he goes wondering down the left flank or switches off up stairs.

As for our next formation it's going to be very hard. It is going to be one of those decisions that Merson will learn from as a manager. I also agree that it is good to see him making his own clear judgements. Not having it clouded by a number 2. Well said MMf for that. I think the pace, movement and trickery of Surman, Wrack and D Taylor is something we cannot afford to not use at home or away.

I do not doubt Mersons influance on this side. Whether from the touchline or on the field. I said some weeks ago that to get out this division you need 11 grafters. Merson is not a grafter in a work rate sense. I don't think we are going to be able to carry him in all of our games. He knew last night what was needed. He needed pacy midfielders with good movement. He does not fit the bill.

I think his role is going to have to change in to Sub to change a game or open up the opposition. Or have him starting home games, and once we are leading and have a grip on a game -2 goals up at HT, 1 up with 20 minutes to go etc move to a 5-man midfielder.

Sorry it's a long post but this is an excellent thread i have enjoyed reading.

[David Potter]

After the dreadful performance at Colchester, this was a surprising, but very welcome result.

We did it without Merson, under a different formation and managed to keep our opponents scoreless.

I don't think we're going to make the playoffs, way too erratic for my liking.

I'm encouraged that we may have found a formation away from home that allows us a chance, at least, of getting results.
Something to build on anyway.

[Magic Man Fan]

As has been reported on NMFE, the formation is one that was successfully used at Palace last season and has hardly been tried since. Hopefully it will be the norm from now on. Thats not playing with fear of opponents just giving them respect and playing to scrape a 1-0 away win which ALL the successful teams achieve.

[Saddler Jim]

Ernest I agree this has been an excellent thread,very enjoyable to read,better than all the in fighting,just proves that at the end of day we are one wene it comes Walsall F.C,LONG MAY IT CONTINUE Well done everybody.

[PerStener]

I was like a nervwreck when It was 3-4 minutes left and when the commentators said that it was 4 minutes of stoppage time I couldn't belive where the referee found 4 minutes of injury time.

[Exile]

I'm very happy for the lads with that result. Well done Walsall. That's all (leave the long stuff to you, MMF :) )

[fensaddler]

This is such a satisfying result - not just because the formation worked, not just because we looked good, not just because individual players had good games, not just because we beat a decent ('big') side. No - the most satisfying thing is that this was Merson's tactics, and it worked a treat. Merson the player is on the wane - there will be perhaps a few more glorious cameos before he hangs up his boots after a fine playing career. But Merson the manager might just be coming of age, and that is both a relief and a joy. One swallow does not make a summer, but on Friday night he got it right - his formation, his ideas, his risks, his selection, his promotion of younger players, his coaching. Maybe, just maybe, Merson does have the makings of a good manager - and if he does, then we are in for a treat. Well done Merse, well done the team. The play offs are still a long shot, but even if we don't manage that, this season could well be a real platform for something special next season - I've been grinning all weekend (its not a pretty sight...).

[WS1]

Strange but true...

Our best performances this season (Colchester [H], Luton [H], Bristol C [H], Bristol C [A]) have all come when we've been "coachless".




Not trying to draw any conclusions or owt...

Frank barlow was the new coach when we played Luton Town.

8)

[Neil Ravenscroft]

Even stranger, we lost the home game against City, probably because we didn't change tactics when they did!

[Stu]

Strange but true...

Our best performances this season (Colchester [H], Luton [H], Bristol C [H], Bristol C [A]) have all come when we've been "coachless".




Not trying to draw any conclusions or owt...

Frank barlow was the new coach when we played Luton Town.

8)

Considering he only started the day before the Luton match, I can't imagine that he had a huge influence on our performance that night.

[WS1]

If you went to Wrexham the match before Luton he was on the pitch before the game and was in the dug out during the game so I think he had some in put in to the result against Luton.

The reason for 4 minutes on the board at Ashton Gate was due to five subs being used and three cautions, 30 seconds for each one gives you four minutes.

:oops: 8)