The overall feeling leaving Ashton Gate on Tuesday night was, "we should have expected that". Groundhog Day part 4,000 for the season as Bristol City concede late on against a team that inevitably love to score late on. The perfect storm in some senses, just not for the fans that spend every other weekend at BS3.
It would be wrong to think this was just a continuation of previous experiences this season though. Whereas City really did kick themselves in the teeth with collapses against Nottingham Forest, Luton and to some extent Blackpool, Nigel Pearson’s conclusion was that “tonight didn’t feel the same as other situations.”
He was right in that sense, because on completely different levels you could say that City were much better against Coventry, at least on the ball, than they were at the weekend against Boro. But that’s not how the points would indicate it. That’s part of what the manager has been telling everyone and anything with ears all season. Points don’t reflect progress, even if, yes, it is a results business.
As Viktor Gyokeres ran through and slotted the winning goal past Dan Bentley the angst and cries of "here we go again" were understandable, but below that, it would be unfair and wrong to haphazardly place this match into the collection of thrown away points because, like the manager says, it was different.
This was a continuation of positive performances at home and is an indicator of where the future might be. It wasn’t an extra layer in the quagmire of early season disappointment. Here are the moments missed from a furiously paced end-to-end spectacle at Ashton Gate…
Scott in Williams role
It should be quite obvious now, especially after it came out of his own mouth at the weekend against Middlesbrough, but City’s manager really isn’t one for glowing tactical reports or fancy words when it comes to describing football matches. There’s plenty of evidence in how he displays his team to suggest there’s more nuance to it than that.
Pearson might cut a bullish figure and be against decomposing his opponents openly with a move-by-move breakdown of their last 30 matches or revel in the use of half-spaces, false number nines or whatever tiki-taka actually is. The manager’s small tactical tweak this last week has been a keystone to his team’s ever improving performances though and it’s something that can get lost in the wider malaise that some might see at City.
We’ve already discussed that the idea Pearson is a 4-4-2 merchant isn’t true, and it’s unfair to label him a user of the old "big striker-small striker" combo in Chris Martin and Antoine Semenyo. The subtleties of his recent tactics should reflect that.
Against Coventry, on paper looked at least, it looked like Alex Scott would be used in the ‘Joe Williams’ position, whatever that is. Their roles were quite different as it played out.
The closest resemblance of the two performances was that in a symmetrical formation, they were both the base of what appears a midfield diamond-ish. Scott still possessed the on-ball brilliance that Williams has but in his own strangely Benjamin Button-like mature way of an 18-year old, and it’s a pleasure to continue watching him develop.
From thereon in not much else was the same.
“The tactics were different tonight,” explained Pearson. ”Because we thought Mark [Robins] might set up with a switch between one striker and two strikers up top and if they have one then they have two players playing just in behind.
“It was an interesting game because they allowed us to have the ball out from the back pretty easily, they were sitting hoping to spring so for Alex he didn’t have to play in the same way Joe did because Boro are a lot more aggressive with how they play and they play a different shape.”
That’s the sort of succinct summary which can impress everyone, understandably so. It’s a quick tactical analysis that explains important small moments in a football match with the use of a few words.
Ultimately it means little because on the surface it’s a relatively simple analysis and that information alone won’t win City any matches.
What was impressive was that spotting it and deploying a makeshift midfield three, with a combined age younger than their own manager, allowed City to build their attacks through a talented trio in possession and exploit the overlapping fullbacks.
What we’re really trying to say - because Scott playing deeper isn’t exactly missable if you watched the match - is that Pearson deserves a lot of credit for his recent gambles in personnel.
It might not sway the minds of everyone that has pigeon-holed the manager into the stereotypical English ‘proper football man’ that he appears, but behind that is a man with much more flexibility and inventiveness than he gets credit for.
Inconsistent City
Again, this might go slightly against the positive flow, and we can still see where Pearson is coming from, but this result means it’ll be over a year – at least – without back-to-back victories. That’s the longest run like this since 1993 and even then it might be longer because there’s some shadiness about the results before then.
This alone doesn’t define City or their season. You can feasibly not win back-to-back games and go up automatically, providing you stay unbeaten, of course; a win and a draw in every two games gets you 92 points and that’s promotion material at its best. So no, this isn’t the be all and end all.
Following on from the point made before about the skewedness of the Championship, had City lost on Saturday but won against Coventry, which perhaps might have been a fairer reflection of performances, then the table would be no different but the feeling might be.
An underlying part of this is that for all the young players, which is incredible and by no means being taken away from here, Pearson made a very interesting statement when asked if this would be a learning curve.
“Learning curve? It’s easy to say it but they only learn if they show progression,” he admitted.
“Learning is about how you process information or an experience and whether you can then do things differently when a similar sort of experience occurs. That’s why I think it’s important for me to recognise that tonight what we didn’t do was lose the game because we showed anxiety, it wasn’t about that.”
If that’s the case then even with the young squad, are they learning? It’s a hard one to answer given the small sample size of this season and not loads outside of it, but the reoccurring theme of conceding late goals isn’t going away.
It’s also hard to foster an atmosphere and help these players groove the winning mentality, winning ugly, when City don’t do it. It does have to come with time, and ground out victories like Saturday, Barnsley earlier in the season and also Fulham at home will have positive vicarious impact, but it’s not something you can be too excited about.
Consistency is something that does take time to come, but if it’s about learning consistency or experiencing it to get it, then it could be a long cycle for City fans to wait for.
Kalas' mild calamity
Maybe it’s a little far-fetched to call this a calamity in the wider sense of things, but given the relative decency of Tomas Kalas’ ‘long’ throw ins, this was a downgrade on his usual standards.
After starting the game strongly and initially pegging Coventry’s half-court press triggers back, when Kalas got the opportunity to fling a long ball into the box the crowd was only too pleased to join in the carnival build up for his hurl.
The crescendo of cheering elevated as Kalas waited in front of the Dolman Stand with ball in hand like a bowler taking in the atmosphere at the top of his mark before launching a prime yorker.
Kalas set off for his metre or so sprint, loading his knee hinges to propel forward. The Ashton Gate hum muffled as the ball left his hands, only to be replaced amicable groans as the flight path became apparent.
Normally the Czech is able to hurl the ball somewhere between the six-yard box and penalty spot, a decent enough effort which does invite City’s bigger men, Chris Martin and now Timm Klose, to challenge for the ball.
This throw however had the opposite effect. It went higher than normal, streaking across the black Bristol sky behind it, and landed only just inside the penalty area where it was heaved clear under no pressure and subsequently allowed Coventry to break away on one of their dangerous counters.
Given how well City are attacking in open play and the ever-improving danger of Alex Scott’s dead ball and in-play crossing, it might be better if Kalas put his long-throws away for the spring.
It should still be added that whilst not that tangibly rewarding, watching the former captain wind up is still one of the most eagerly awaited moments of a home game though, even if it isn’t particularly efficient.
O’Dowda takes a seat
Whilst Callum O’Hare was strolling around Ashton Gate, his almost namesake was sitting in the stands. Callum O’Dowda was sitting in the Lansdown upper, just behind the press box, watching on.
Unfortunately for the City winger-come-wing-back, O’Hare was controlling a game and making an impact more than he has been able too all season, and in damning fashion O’Dowda was only able to witness proceedings rather than influence them in anyway.
O’Dowda has missed three games with injury since hurting himself in a 20-minute cameo against Swansea and isn’t expected back for another three weeks after landing awkwardly on his hip.
It was nice to see the Republic of Ireland international at the ground to support his teammates, whether he’s allowed to travel with the squad or if he made his way to the ground separately isn’t known, but it’s the act of being there that matters.
He was seen hunched over in his chair in full black tracksuit and trainers on speaking to another man that sat with him throughout. The unknown man next to him was seen addressing a notepad throughout the match but again, we aren’t sure what that was relating to.
Given O’Dowda hasn’t had the best of seasons and is now having to watch as Jay Dasilva stakes a decent claim in the left-back/wing-back role, it might not be nice viewing if the winger is going to continue watching from the stands.
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