Bristol City v Swans | Vital Football

Bristol City v Swans

K

keith margam

Vital Football Legend
Tough match at fourth in the table Bristol City this Saturday, with an expected 2,300 Jack Army in attendance.
Big spenders Bristol City have some class players in their team.

They are not short of forward options with 6’2” Austrian International forward/winger Andreas Weimann, who scored a hat trick last season at Sheff Utd to win 2-3 there.

We know all about ‘thorn in our side’ Weimann. He scored within 31 seconds of our 0-1 defeat against the Robins at the Liberty last season and scored again within 42 seconds of the start of the second half (0-0 half time) of the corresponding away game at Ashton Gate in our 2-0 defeat there.

Weimann, DR Congo International striker Benik Afobe on loan from Stoke and Senegalese striker Famara Diedhiou, signed for £5.5 mill two seasons ago from Angers SCO, are all getting on the scoresheet so far this season.

The signing of 22 year old midfielder Kasey Palmer for £3.5 mill on a 4 year deal from Chelsea was one of their biggest coups of the summer, having been on loan with them second half of last season. Steve Cooper was chasing the England U-21 international on loan, but missed out.

Swedish U-21 midfielder Niclas Eliasson, signed two seasons ago for £1.8 mill, is a classy operator on the flank, and winger/left-back Tommy Rowe has made an impression since joining from Doncaster.

Czech centre-back Tomas Kalas was signed from Chelsea for £8mill this season after a very successful loan spell with the Robins last season.

England U-21 International centre-back/left-back Nathan Baker signed from Villa two seasons ago (undisclosed fee) has performed strongly.

The Robins also recently signed our former player and captain centre-back Ashley Williams, who made his debut in the away win over ten man Stoke last weekend after another of our former players midfielder Joey Allen was sent off for a contentious high tackle against Josh Brownhill early in the game.

Just 18 years old, France U-18 International midfielder Han-Noah Massengo, a summer arrival from Monaco for £8mill, has also started the season brightly and has swiftly become a fans favourite.
 
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There’s a bit of an injury crisis at Bristol City with centre-backs Tomas Kalas and Bailey Wright and left-back Jay Dasilva all missing since mid-August.

Latest injury this week is leading scorer Benik Afobe, on loan from Stoke, who is out for the season after damaging his anterior cruciate ligaments in training this week.

Ashley Williams, whose vegan diet has rejuvenated his career (he says he has never felt fitter since cutting out meat), replaces Kalas in the centre of defence. His statistics on his debut last week against Stoke:

Touches - 99 (1st)
Passes - 90 (1st)
Aerial duels won - 6 (1st)
Tackles - 2 (joint 1st)
Clearances - 3 (joint 1st)
Accurate long balls - 6 (3rd)
 
I wonder how this is working out for the Robins since the controversial incident in their first match of the season and their only defeat so far, and if it will affect the match at all today:

Bristol City have written to every Championship club to tell them that they will not kick the ball out of play for any injured opposing player unless they have suffered a head injury.

The club’s manager, Lee Johnson, explained the new policy following an incident in the 3-1 home defeat by Leeds in which midfielder Mateusz Klich went down but City played on, leading to angry scenes on the touchline as coaching staff from both sides confronted each other.

“It’s fine. We sent an email out to the clubs because this happens often,” Johnson said. “Somebody goes down and sometimes it’s tactical, because people try and gain an advantage and sometimes it’s genuine.

“So we just decided as a club that we’re going to make a rule for the 46 games that we’re going to let the referee manage the game. So therefore if that’s our player injured or the opposition player injured, there’s a consistency there.”

Johnson and Marcelo Bielsa emerged from the tunnel late after half-time as the Robins manager tried to explain the club’s decision to his Leeds counterpart.

“If the referee sees a head injury he will stop the game but if it’s not a head injury he will play on” said Johnson. “And our players are coached to play with 10 men in certain environments, and that’s what I was trying to explain to Bielsa. Obviously that’s not easy with the language barrier but in the cold light of day we were able to sit and talk it through.”
 
A well earned and hard fought draw at Ashton Gate yesterday in glorious sunshine and 26c.
It cost us £10 to park the car at Bedminster Cricket Club including entrance to their club, where Swans fans were welcome, the bar was open and food available. Turn off from the M5 J19 on to the A369 and a straight road to the club and only a few minutes walk to the ground, it was an easy in and out. Never saw any trouble at the match, and the corner of the ground where it flared up last season some of the seats were covered over in the away end and in the home end corner it looked mostly families. There was a huge police presence though, must have cost the club a fortune.
 
Steve Cooper:
“It's mixed feelings. We came here to win. We know they've been in good form but we wanted to be positive and take the game to the opposition, which I felt we did. It's a game we should have won, we didn't, so we move on.
We know Bristol City have been in good form and been good value for their results, but we feel we want to come and be positive and take games to the opposition. We did that today, it was a good performance but with the way the game went it was an average result.
It feels like a missed opportunity. I felt we played like the home team second half.
I like Bristol City and Lee Johnson, I know Lee well so to see them penned in their own box and resorting to longer balls was pleasing.
I feel we are making progress. It’s a game we could and should have won, but we didn’t and we move on.”

Lee Johnson:
“I'm not sat here happy that we haven't won, but at the same time I appreciate it was a hard-fought Championship game against a good side that caused us problems.
We were full of endeavour had the better chances in the first half in terms of areas of the pitch, but they showed more guile than we did.
That was disappointing and it's fair for me to demand that quality now. It was a bit hot potato from us with the ball.
I'm not displeased with a point but at the same time I do want a little bit more from the lads."

Steve Cooper on the sending off:
“The Bidwell red card was as yellow as they come. I've spoken to the referee. The linesman made the decision and I felt where it was on the pitch, in front of the opposition dug-out, had a big effect on it.
I can understand, it's a big moment and they are human but it's a it's a poor decision and we don't agree with it. It's a foul, but to send him off was a bit of a weak decision, weak mentality."

Lee Johnson on the sending off:
“I don't think you're going to get off with it if you appeal because I thought the player had an attitude to hurt Eliasson.
I think if he just nicks him back, or with a pull that has the same effect. But I think he had the intention to hurt him which is probably the difference between the yellow and the red. I think it could have gone either way. It's the old fashioned reducer.
It's one of those where you're quite pleased if he gives him a whack and gets booking. So I get it. It definitely could have been a yellow. It was on the verge of that yellow and a half."
 
Match Statistics:
Robins v Swans
Possession 43% - 57%
Shots 11 - 15
On target 2 - 2
Corners 2 - 7
Fouls 8 - 10
Cards Y1 - Y1 R1

Referee Tony Harrington 4/10 (favoured the home side, gave numerous free kicks in danger areas as their players overreacted to tackles to gain advantage, whilst Ayew was hacked down several times and the ref turned his back and let play continue)

Attendance 22,885
 
Ashley Williams had a good game, blocked everything and looked very determined to do well against his old club. His vegan diet is doing wonders for him.
A pretty even game where both sides had limited chances, we edged the second half.
Happy with the draw and still up in second place, although the gap has closed, only 3 points separate the top 7 clubs.
Another thing, looking at the table, the top six clubs, we’ve already played the other five, with 3 won, 2 drawn and 1 loss. A tough start to the season then, but we’ve come through it really well. Perhaps the next few games will be easier, but it’s a tough league and we have to stay focused.
 
Celina took to Instagram to complain about being the victim of a studs up, leg breaker challenge from Taylor Moore after just 15 minutes.
The Bristol City player was only cautioned by referee Tony Harrington, with Moore also escaping a second booking for a foul on Andre Ayew shortly after half time.5527DCEA-D49A-4E5F-9452-FA3C79715596.jpeg
 
Lee Johnson on the Bidwell sending off:
“I don't think you're going to get off with it if you appeal because I thought the player had an attitude to hurt Eliasson.”
What about the “attitude to hurt” by one of your own players, Mr Johnson?
 
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