Bristol City - Nottingham Forest

[Strawberry Avenger]

Will try to be brief:

Positives:
I got my 1st ever 7 point haul in The Aaron Higgs League.  (Congrz.)
Some fantastic passages of passing to get into attacking third.  (This augurs well for our attacking next season.)
Midfield completely dominant.  (My favourite words.  Midfield completely(!) dominant.  Sounds even better said again.  Yates and Garner!!!)
Clean sheet-rarely troubled (by opposition). (Hughton's Forest.  Gnat tight at the back.
Christie and Blackett carried on recent form.  (Redemption time for the Forest fullbacks?  Christie gets better.  Blackett decent!)
We have come a long way since we lost to them at home.  (Hughton progression.  Brentford.  Cardiff.  QPR.  Bristol City.  We're definitely more competitive under Hughton.)
Sheep lost.  (Yay!  Are you watching, Rooney!!??)

Negatives
Not one single clear cut chance created.  (Aye.  Yates did get a header on goal?)
We are paying £37.5k a week for Knockeart.  (That's money to bring in two wingers to add to Ameobi and Mighten?)
Defence were so untroubled the boredom caused a couple of sloppy clearances that nearly went wrong.  
To dominate 1st half so conclusively and create nothing is a bit frustrating.  (But it's a sign of our recent progress after beating Cardiff and QPR to go all but safe.  Another vital point to add to the tally.  One point off 50...)

Taken as a block, our last 4 games have been hopefully showing a blueprint for next season.  (And that's the take away.)

As an aside, I thought the young French lad for them was really good (Massonga?). Lansbury was better than I expected  but still not great. (But not 'great' for the wages he's on, no doubt...he might be their Knockheart, lots of fizz but no sizzle?)

It looks like the Hughton master blue print is being set for next season.

The last four games augur well for the future.

Forest can mix and match it against teams.  Muck and nettle it with the likes of Cardiff.  And crush progressive show boaters like QPR with Forest coming up with 3 great goals.

SA.

[Strawberry Avenger]

Will try to be brief:

Positives:
I got my 1st ever 7 point haul in The Aaron Higgs League.
Some fantastic passages of passing to get into attacking third.
Midfield completely dominant.
Clean sheet-rarely troubled (by opposition)
Christie and Blackett carried on recent form.
We have come a long way since we lost to them at home.
Sheep lost.

Negatives
Not one single clear cut chance created.
We are paying £37.5k a week for Knockeart.
Defence were so untroubled the boredom caused a couple of sloppy clearances that nearly went wrong.
To dominate 1st half so conclusively and create nothing is a bit frustrating.

Taken as a block, our last 4 games have been hopefully showing a blueprint for next season.

As an aside, I thought the young French lad for them was really good (Massonga?). Lansbury was better than I expected  but still not great.

Surely we are not paying the whole of Knockaerts wages. He's on loan, I would imagine Fulham are still paying part of his wages.

I believe we are with a £10 million option to buy clause. Desperate times called for desperate measures and in fairness when the rest of the team were lacking any confidence, he definitely wasn't and played a part in helping turn the tanker around.

Would I take him on a free and sensible wage-Yes. But £10 million and daft wage? - Thanks for your service and good luck moving on.

:cool:

Yes, when the team were on their knees confidence wise, it was a Hughton inspired signing that added some quality to the side.  He has come up with some genuine next level quality and assists that have added vital points to our tally.  However, not done it nearly enough for the wages he's on.  And when he's off it, re: not tracking back.  It upsets the equilibrium that Hughton is trying to build here.

Your caveat to any potential signing rings true.

SA.

[Strawberry Avenger]

Mighten and krov looking very good today.

Yates getting better every time he plays.

:cool:

SA.

I know people like Cafu... but is he any better than Yates? Genuine question... I await the abuse

Why would you expect abuse for that :huh:

In my opinion they are both very good and they are keeping the likes of Sow and Colback out of the team. Not sure why one must be better than the other, for me it's win win and it's good to have them both at the club.

And considering Colback was my player of the season a couple of years back and Sow was (again) my player of the season last season then you've got to say fair play to Yates and Cafu for keeping them out.  I wouldn't have thought that possible because Colback and Sow have 'been'(!) that good in the past (but bad injuries to both have clearly put paid to their former playing selves.)

We're far more competitive in there (some great stuff 1st half v Bristol with dominant midfield performances) and the gravity defying results bare witness to them Cafu Garner or Yates Garner combo (with Krov' ahead of them.). We also seem to give away less free kicks and poor yellow cards with them in the CM birth.

If we lose Garner, we will need a similar 'goal playing' deep lying CM play maker to come in as we are well stocked with the 'Yates/Cafu/Colback' type.

The thing is. Yates is still developing and Hughton is the latest manager to favour him. Cafu is more experienced and a better passer of the ball (who is learning the dark arts of late to compliment his close interplay) and Yates has stated his intention to work on his passing to add to his Total Effort Will to Win Head and Kick Box to Box Smile on the Face AND WIND UP THE OPPOSITION style of play.

SA.