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ricardo

Ricardo's report v Bristol City

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It was like spring when we pedaled off to the ground so no need for scarf, gloves or woolly hat which made it a real novelty for February. Something else was a bit of a novelty because City appeared to win the toss and choose to kick the "right way"😉 for once, although I think that the low sun might have been the ultimate deciding factor. It was such a pleasant afternoon that my son treated me to an ice cream before kick off and very nice it was🍦😀.

It was obvious from the start that The Robins were not going to let us pass it out from the back as City were hurried into a few injudicious passes thanks to the high press. The visitors were certainly full of energy and it looked that their long unbeaten run was no fluke. There had been little threat from the home side in the opening minutes and so you couldn't say it was against the run of play when the visitors took a 12th minute lead. The ball was given away in midfield and quickly switched forward where another first time pass put Paterson in the clear eight yards out and to the right of goal. his hard struck shot gave Kru,l no chance.

Thankfully we woke up  after that and Hernandez began to get a bit of traction down the City left. A low shot didn't really trouble Fielding but it was a sign that the home side were beginning to get their act together. Bristol were defending in numbers and openings were hard to come by but there was a glorious one mid way through the half when the ball fell to Pukki, only for the City talisman to scuff it across goal and wide.

The City back line still didn't look entirely at ease and Zimmerman, almost gave O'Dowd a free run a t goal with a careless pass only for Aarons to save the blushes at the expense of a corner. Pukki had been well marshaled but Buendia was beginning to have more and more influence and it was a wonderful cross field pass on 36 minutes, to Hernandez that set up the equaliser. The City winger beat his man and found Pukki, who laid it back to Kenny McLean for a sweet strike across the keeper and in off the far post. You could be forgiven for thinking it was normal service resumed but straight from the kick off O'Dowd set off on a run. He was lucky to get the run of the ball from a couple of tackles but the jink inside the defenders on the edge of the box was class and the finish was top drawer. Very disappointing after so much hard work getting back in the game but I have to say that its not the first time we have seen this at CR this season.

City dominated the rest of the half, though blatant time wasting from Fielding and some niggly tackles tended to upset the rhythm of the game. There were a couple of scrambles in the Bristol box as halftime loomed but nobody could apply the finishing touch to some good approach work..

During the break I still felt fairly confident that we could turn it round and the fact that they were now kicking the "right way"😀 bolstered my confidence no end.

It was the visitors who started on the front foot however as City had to see off the early pressure. My son said we needed to score before the hour mark to have a chance of winning and that is exactly what happened. From about the fifty minute mark there was almost constant pressure as City buzzed around the Bristol box. Aarons hammered one in from the angle that Fielding had to turn behind but the pressure eventually told when Aarons again cut inside and although the ball was blocked away to the right of goal it came back in and Ben Godfrey fairly leathered it in from eight yards. Bristol now came back into it for a few minutes and Krul had to be quick to turn aside a low shot but in truth it was the home side who now had the bit between their teeth.

Carrow Road now got very loud as the home team swarmed forward. Hernadez was denied with an acrobatic save by Fielding and Stiepermann hit the bar in another sweeping move but you could feel a goal coming and on 66 minutes it duly did. A couple of corners came through desperately defended blocks but there was nothing the defenders could do when McLean had a dip at another loose ball and beat Fielding all ends up in the far corner from twenty yards.

Now all that was required was to be sensible and I have to say that the boys did that fairly comfortably. Vrancic came on for Trybul and Rhodes for Pukki as time ticked down. Naturally there were a few worrying moments as the visitors refused to give it up but in truth the home side might easily have had a couple more, especially through Hernandez, who must be wondering tonight how he didn't get his name on the scoresheet. He also almost set up Jordan Rhodes, in the final minutes but just couldn't lay it off cleanly to the City front-man who was in acres of space.

A bit of keep ball in the corner saw out time for a hard earned three points and it was a huge cheer that greeted the final whistle. Kenny McLean, my MOM for an industrious performance and two lovely goals. I am finding it hard to keep my expectations in check but this one was never in doubt after we decided to kick "The Right Way".😀

Edited by ricardo
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Many thanks as ever Ricardo. 

Why do you reckon Farke said he was pleased for McLean but not happy with his reaction on scoring his second?

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5 minutes ago, sonyc said:

Many thanks as ever Ricardo. 

Why do you reckon Farke said he was pleased for McLean but not happy with his reaction on scoring his second?

No idea.

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Only thing having watched back on highlights is his celebration on his own....but that didn't seem to be enough to be worthy of DF's comment. After all it was a solo effort and not a 'team goal' perhaps? Or that he rested on his laurels thereafter?

Edited by sonyc

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I think Farke was refering to McClean's action,or lack thereof,for Brizzle's second goal.

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Thanks as always ricardo. How come you didn't miss any of the goals? Dehydrated by the spring-like conditions maybe! :classic_biggrin:

Also, you've clearly passed on your accumulated NCFC wisdom to your son. Seems to call it right every time. Well done to him!

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8 hours ago, westcoastcanary said:

Thanks as always ricardo. How come you didn't miss any of the goals? Dehydrated by the spring-like conditions maybe! :classic_biggrin:

Also, you've clearly passed on your accumulated NCFC wisdom to your son. Seems to call it right every time. Well done to him!

I think it might have been the ice cream😁

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14 hours ago, Capt. Pants said:

As as good as we were 2nd half ZImmermann overall gave Farke every opportunity to bring Klose back. 

To be fair I think there was good and bad from Zimmo yesterday. Passing out of defence against an energetic press can sometimes come unstuck.

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It sounds like a daft thing to say but apart from his two goals (both really well taken) I didn't think Maclean had a particularly influential game! Obviously because he scored two he got lots of MOM awards from people but in the first half in particular I thought he lost his position much of the time - that meant Trybull being pulled all over the place which allowed Bristol to control the midfield - we couldn't get the ball up to Stieperman much and when we did and he lost it there was a big hole behind him. He was also definitely dozing for O'Dowda's goal (though it was a cracker). I think Maclean will be better than this performance over the run in.

Second half he was much better - coming deeper for the release ball from our back 5 and creating more space - but he still got bypassed a lot in the last 20 minutes, almost as if he thought his work was done. I doubt Farke will let him get away with that.

I had Aarons as MOM, with Lewis and Hernandes not far behind - as often is the case, their forward running is what we turn games on. If Hernandes had a final ball he could be world class - but then as Farke says he wouldn't be playing for us.

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Agree with the above, kennys goal seemed to energise him a great deal and his second half performance was influential as a result.

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The mark of whether Maclean will cement a first team place is if he can improve that defensive bit to his game, as there is no doubt he was lacking that in the first half yesterday.  That he improved in the second half suggests he can do that - but he will need to have that every game from the start, because that is the discipline that has seen the team do so well this season - the players all do exactly what is required of them for the way we play to work.  

He has loads of talent, but the Farke way demands so much more of players than just talent.  Look at the way Vrancic has adapted to the challenge over two seasons and if Maclean wants to be in the team regularly, he doesn't have to look too far to see the strong competition for a place - and so imo will simply have to improve, the standards being set are that high.

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McClean, like Vrancic before him, is having to learn the essential defensive part of the game that our system requires. I'm pretty sure shortcomings in that area will have contributed to his being well down the selection pecking order prior to Vrancic's injury. Bolton didn't ask many questions of him defensively, but Bristol certainly did, and I agree with sgncfc that it showed yesterday. 

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Precise as ever Ricardo. Good biking weather. We had a lot of sea mist in Redruth but Carrow Road looked bathed in sunshine. And the football matched the weather. Bristol looked as organised a team as we have seen this season and their midfield harried us but our skill and better personnel told in the end.

Yes Kenny deserved MOTM for his goals alone.

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6 minutes ago, keelansgrandad said:

Precise as ever Ricardo. Good biking weather. We had a lot of sea mist in Redruth but Carrow Road looked bathed in sunshine. And the football matched the weather. Bristol looked as organised a team as we have seen this season and their midfield harried us but our skill and better personnel told in the end.

Yes Kenny deserved MOTM for his goals alone.

Yes, very pleasant on the bike but I fear we may get another burst of winter before the end of March. The jet stream is a bit out of whack and they've had some nippy stuff over in the USA recently. Woolly hat and gloves will remain on alert until the clocks go forward at least😀

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Having been conceived, born and bred in Norwich I am never uncomfortable with the cold. As long as it is dry. And Norfolk was famed for its dryness and TB cases were sent there for recovery.

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2 hours ago, lake district canary said:

The mark of whether Maclean will cement a first team place is if he can improve that defensive bit to his game, as there is no doubt he was lacking that in the first half yesterday.  That he improved in the second half suggests he can do that - but he will need to have that every game from the start, because that is the discipline that has seen the team do so well this season - the players all do exactly what is required of them for the way we play to work.  

He has loads of talent, but the Farke way demands so much more of players than just talent.  Look at the way Vrancic has adapted to the challenge over two seasons and if Maclean wants to be in the team regularly, he doesn't have to look too far to see the strong competition for a place - and so imo will simply have to improve, the standards being set are that high.

I recently came across this aphorism: Hard work beats talent, when talent doesn't work hard. I think it must be carved on a piece of wood and hanging on the wall behind DF's desk.

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