O'Connell substitution

[Davalon]

I doubt anyone is that sad, but anyone noting my likes on this thread will think I'm contradictory.

However, I couldn't work out for certain the change in formation at one stage.

I'm not Johnson's biggest fan but moving Enda to JOC's position a few weeks ago worked fine. Today I just wasn't sure if it was that set up or a back four.

I thought the midfield as a unit were poor today. Yeah both Norwood and Fleck had their moments, but we looked sloppy too often.

Bad day at the office, and the opposition due some praise.

I understand people feeling today's swing in both games is pivotal, but it's gone and we just all need to keep our collective heads.

 

[SwissBlade]

There's a difference between Stevens at LCB and Stevens at CB in a 2.

If Wilder wanted to throw the game away today he certainly went about it the right way.

What would your suggestion have been when JOC took a knock? Bring Stearman or Cranie on at Left Centre Back when neither have played there recently (or perhaps at all)?

There was a tried and tested change there - Stevens in at LCB and Johnson in at LWB. Thats the change that you make all day long and to suggest something new is a bigger gamble

 

[Sharp as a blade]

I’ve not seen the replays, so might be grossly wrong, but in real time I’m blaming him for the 2nd and 3rd goals.

I've just watched the highlights and he's definitely at fault for both.

Their second he seems to make an effort to run into the middle leaving 2 completely free at the back. He then realises and goes a bit wider but still leaving their players free.

The third he's beaten so easily. Could give him the benefit of the doubt and call it good attacking play but I think JOC would have attacked the ball earlier and more aggressively not stood still.

The first was a bit of a dodgy goal as well. Guessing the sun was in deanos eyes because he seemed to hesitate when with full sight of the ball he could have took a step sideways and easily caught it.

 

[ChemEngBlade]

I think he did reasonably well when he came on (attacking). He carried the ball forward, beat a couple of players and out at least one dangerous cross in.

He's not a great player, has low "football iq" and has toblerone feet. But I don't think today was anywhere near as bad as has been made out

Johnson in isolation wasn’t terrible. But imagine you’re Stearman or Cranie sat on the bench and when Jack goes down and the gaffer signals to Johnson to put his shirt on, you’re going to be a bit annoyed & confused. The only reason I can think to not make it like-for-like is that Wilder wanted Johnson's pace to attack down the LHS and keep us up that end, a bit like when Billy came on against Brentford

 

[bladeinlondon]

Crainie was stripped off as well at one point, which made the whole farce, even more farcical. It’s as if CW has to do something left field to show his genius. We were 2-1 up, make a sub that causes the minimum disruption.

He seems to be determined to give Johnson a chance a bit like how he doggedly stuck with Clarke when he wasn’t performing

 

[bladeinlondon]

I've just watched the highlights and he's definitely at fault for both.

Their second he seems to make an effort to run into the middle leaving 2 completely free at the back. He then realises and goes a bit wider but still leaving their players free.

The third he's beaten so easily. Could give him the benefit of the doubt and call it good attacking play but I think JOC would have attacked the ball earlier and more aggressively not stood still.

The first was a bit of a dodgy goal as well. Guessing the sun was in deanos eyes because he seemed to hesitate when with full sight of the ball he could have took a step sideways and easily caught it.

Wilder said he lost it in the sun

 

[INTAKE BLADE]

He definitely lost it in the sun, the second and third goal was good play by weimann but the defending was shocking giving him a free run at both goals.

 

[Carlton Blade]

Johnson in isolation wasn’t terrible. But imagine you’re Stearman or Cranie sat on the bench and when Jack goes down and the gaffer signals to Johnson to put his shirt on, you’re going to be a bit annoyed & confused. The only reason I can think to not make it like-for-like is that Wilder wanted Johnson's pace to attack down the LHS and keep us up that end, a bit like when Billy came on against Brentford

That's the set up we played at West Brom. Nobody else available has played either LWB or LCB. People might not agree but based on previous history and playing time that was the obvious change.

 

[Gimli]

It was a terrible decision. But he loves left footers on the left side.
Johnson is not a wingback and a pretty poor player. Can’t believe we beat West Brom away with him on the pitch to be honest.

I don’t get the obsession with left footers - he has a left footer at LWB who happens to be having a storming season, why move him?

Losing JOC is bad enough, but that sub effectively meant we lost Stevens as well.

Crainie has been excellent when called upon, Likewise Stearman and I can’t believe one of those was not brought on. I’d say Crainie would be the most likely selection based on his versatility but either would have been fine.

 

[Rob86]

I don’t get the obsession with left footers - he has a left footer at LWB who happens to be having a storming season, why move him?

Losing JOC is bad enough, but that sub effectively meant we lost Stevens as well.

Crainie has been excellent when called upon, Likewise Stearman and I can’t believe one of those was not brought on. I’d say Crainie would be the most likely selection based on his versatility but either would have been fine.

It was baffling. The amount of times we’ve changed it to see games out when we are well on top and then yesterday, when we were very lucky to be in front, we bring someone on who’s not really up to it defensive.

 

[Wards]

Having a left footer on the left side of the 3 is obviously Wilder’s preference but can’t say that Cranie wouldn’t have been so out of his depth there not to see us over the line yesterday. Even keep us as a back four if he must, Baldock-Cranie-Egan-Stevens.

 

[Akinbiyi]

What would your suggestion have been when JOC took a knock? Bring Stearman or Cranie on at Left Centre Back when neither have played there recently (or perhaps at all)?

There was a tried and tested change there - Stevens in at LCB and Johnson in at LWB. Thats the change that you make all day long and to suggest something new is a bigger gamble

We were playing 4 at the back at the time. Every centre back has played ‘left’ of that system.

 

[SwissBlade]

We were playing 4 at the back at the time. Every centre back has played ‘left’ of that system.

We were up until the goal, but i think we'd just changed back to a 3

 

[Guesty]

I love this thread.

'I don't know how anyone can blame Johnson. It's just the usual need to have a scapegoat'

*Video evidence that Johnson's apology of a tackle directly led to City's winner*

'But but but...Norwood was shit!'

And I say that who has commented frequently that Norwood gets an easy ride on here for some poor performances and some bad mistakes (I notice it was the same unholy trinity today that also cost us at Rotherham - Johnson-Stevens-Norwood. How bad that result looks now).

The difference is, when Norwood plays badly, we drop points. When Johnson plays, we drop points.*

*Not every time, but you know what I mean.

 

[Ricky]

What would your suggestion have been when JOC took a knock? Bring Stearman or Cranie on at Left Centre Back when neither have played there recently (or perhaps at all)?

There was a tried and tested change there - Stevens in at LCB and Johnson in at LWB. Thats the change that you make all day long and to suggest something new is a bigger gamble

Weren't we playing a back 4 when JOC went off? We certainly were afterwards.

In which case it's not LCB, it's just CB. Where Stearman and Cranie are completely comfortable, on either side. Cranie in particular is a very flexible defender.

Even if LCB, he's more than capable of playing there for 15 minutes and would have been an infinitely better choice than Johnson to help protect the lead. Suggestions that it's such a risk playing a right sider on the left just because Wilder has a strange aversion to doing so are ridiculous.

Johnson at LWB isn't really tried and tested. We played him there at WBA and got away with it, that's the truth.

Finally, Bristol City had a lot of lively and fresh attacking players on the pitch - before JOC came off. That makes the decision to select Johnson even more ridiculous.

Wilder usually quickly makes a typical defensive change to protect a lead. This time he made a change to throw it away. Bizarre.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

We were up until the goal, but i think we'd just changed back to a 3

Weren't we playing a back 4 when JOC went off? We certainly were afterwards.

I’m sure Bergen Blade will look at it when analysing the goals in the next few days, but I thought for the 5 minute spell between Hogan’s goal and JOC’s substitution that we kept with the 4 – the key indicator for this was where Basham was, which I thought was midfield still.

The change to a 3 seemed more to accommodate moving Stevens back there with JOC injured (a formation that was then reversed with the equaliser a minute later). I don’t think Wilder, when making that sub, would have made the change he did had he realised that we’d need to go back to a 4 so soon after in order to chase a winner.

Wilder is right to prefer left-footers at LCB – the overlapping system makes this less of a preference and more of a necessity. With a 4 though, the overlapping just doesn’t happen. For that reason I’d have just brought Stearman on in a 4 – he is at any rate comfortable enough with his left foot, and this would have minimised disruption to the shape we’d gone with as Basham had been moved forward.

 

[Ricky]

The change to a back 4 got us on top in the game and lead to the goal. We were giving them less space to attack.

Knowing that was working, I don't know why Wilder would go back to a back 3.

But if you're to do that, why bring on a player who will fuck us up if we're to revert to the back 4 setup that was previously working?

The safe option in every way, for either formation, was to bring Cranie or Stearman on.

3 points is slightly more important than stubbornly sticking to your right/left balance ideals.

 

[AWetFlannel]

The change to a back 4 got us on top in the game and lead to the goal. We were giving them less space to attack.

Knowing that was working, I don't know why Wilder would go back to a back 3.

But if you're to do that, why bring on a player who will fuck us up if we're to revert to the back 4 setup that was previously working?

The safe option in every way, for either formation, was to bring Cranie or Stearman on.

The pathetic slaughtering of Johnson has conveniently airbrushed his performance at LWB away at West Brom.

When the sub was made we were a back 3, not a 4. That is why Wilder did what he did, presumably he kept Basham on with the idea of reverting to a back 3 when we went ahead to match them up and kill the game.

Yes he was at fault for the 3rd goal, isn't a great defender and we will not be having him back next season.

 

[Mojo]

No one was moaning when we had this exact line up out against West Brom away and a few other games in that run. The whole team was way off the pace yesterday and Hogan's goal was completely against the run of play. They then brought on two quality attack minded players in Palmer and Patterson. Think we should cut our manager some slack tbh, comments that Wilder cost us the game are disgraceful.

 

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

No one was moaning when we had this exact line up out against West Brom away and a few other games in that run. The whole team was way off the pace yesterday and Hogan's goal was completely against the run of play. They then brought on two quality attack minded players in Palmer and Patterson. Think we should cut our manager some slack tbh, comments that Wilder cost us the game are disgraceful.

The dandy goblin seems to have him easily figured.

 

[Kevincarterversion2.0]

It was a bit of a strange change, given Stears and Crainie were available. We needed a cool, experienced head in there after Jack went off.

 

[Mojo]

The dandy goblin seems to have him easily figured.

Or maybe just maybe Bristol City have some really good players who actually turned up for once yesterday?

It's not Wilders fault Duffy and O'Connell got injured or Didzy was knackered from international duty.

Have a word with yourself. Do you honestly think Wilder made changes to try and lose the game? I can guarantee there will be no one more gutted than him right now.

Yesterday was a major kick in the balls, everyone is hurting right now, but some of the shite being spouted on here is ridiculous

 

[Ricky]

One positive: After yesterday's 'performance' Wilder surely can't start Johnson at Preston if JOC's injured.

Can he?

 

[Speedracer]

It's not Wilders fault Didzy was knackered from international duty.

It is if he looked at the data & saw he was knackered & still picked him to play though. I don't seriously think that is what happened, just providing balance to your point.

 

[Grappler]

I am sure when Cranie came on board, it was said he could play anywhere at the back, and for me, he has been very solid and consistent when called upon to play.

He was warming up when Coutts was about to come on, then he was called over, so I expected him to join the game, instead Johnson came on.

Cranie would have given us a lot more strength at the back.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

One positive: After yesterday's 'performance' Wilder surely can't start Johnson at Preston if JOC's injured.

Can he?

He can, and to be honest probably should if we’re keeping our usual formation, which gives us our best chance of winning in my opinion. Again, he was fine at the Hawthorns.

 

[Ricky]

He can, and to be honest probably should if we’re keeping our usual formation, which gives us our best chance of winning in my opinion. Again, he was fine at the Hawthorns.

At West Brom he was 6/10 at best. Their best opportunities came from him and Norwood giving the ball away. He was out of his depth in the first half and we got away with it.

Cranie at LCB would be far preferable. Let's not pretend we have the centre backs flying forward in difficult away games like this, with a left footer being a necessity. In any case, as I've said many times, Cranie is very flexible and can contribute in all areas of the pitch.

 

[zablade]

Johnson is absolutely gash. He’s had one decent half hour in the game at WBA where Darren Moore was too tactically inept to exploit the blindingly obvious weakness down our left side.

The “challenge” for the winning goal would have been laughable if it was a laughing matter.

 

[Ricky]

Johnson is absolutely gash. He’s had one decent half hour in the game at WBA where Darren Moore was too tactically inept to exploit the blindingly obvious weakness down our left side.

The “challenge” for the winning goal would have been laughable if it was a laughing matter.

I just don't know why Wilder would trust Johnson. He doesn't seem to have the right mentality. I suggest he wasn't prepared, or certainly wasn't expecting to come on - understandable if not excusable. That half arsed challenge single handedly showed why we can't be relying on him in any sort of defensive position.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

Let's not pretend we have the centre backs flying forward in difficult away games like this, with a left footer being a necessity

If we hadn’t have had an overlapping CB flying forward and crossing at the byline we wouldn’t have won at difficult away game WBA...