Bristol City 3-1 Saints - Match Thread

[CB Fry]

  On 11/02/2024 at 14:28, S-Clarke said:

I think people may stop twatting on about it at the end of this month. Look at it this way, we win two games, Leicester lose 1, and we are 5 points behind them and have to play them. If that scenario has played out at the end of the month then it's game on as far as I'm concentred - if that hasn't gone the right way by the end of this month and we're not within 5 points of them then yes, it's over.

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Meanwhile, Leeds are one point behind us, right now, today. But hey, lets pray they win against Leicester and get those three precious points. Fingers crossed!!!! 🤞🤞🤞🤞🙏🙏🙏

[Saint_clark]

  On 11/02/2024 at 16:13, CB Fry said:

Meanwhile, Leeds are one point behind us, right now, today. But hey, lets pray they win against Leicester and get those three precious points. Fingers crossed!!!! 🤞🤞🤞🤞🙏🙏🙏

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Exactly! I'd rather finish in the play-offs than in 2nd. Premier League is overrated, if we're going to get there then i'd rather win a trophy or have the epic day of the play-offs. 

Finishing 2nd yet again is a damp squib.

[Pamplemousse]

I'm hoping for another boring 2-0 win. As fun as Saturday was, it was stressful.

[CB Fry]

  On 11/02/2024 at 16:42, Saint_clark said:

Exactly! I'd rather finish in the play-offs than in 2nd. Premier League is overrated, if we're going to get there then i'd rather win a trophy or have the epic day of the play-offs. 

Finishing 2nd yet again is a damp squib.

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A couple of spankings this week then and your dream of the play offs very much on. 🙏🙏🙏

[Lighthouse]

  On 11/02/2024 at 16:47, CB Fry said:

A couple of spankings this week then and your dream of the play offs very much on. 🙏🙏🙏

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It’s hard to tell on the internet but I’m pretty sure he’s being sarcastic.

[CB Fry]

  On 11/02/2024 at 16:50, Lighthouse said:

It’s hard to tell on the internet but I’m pretty sure he’s being sarcastic.

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He's not being sarcastic about wanting the team currently 11 points ahead of us to lose to the team currently one point behind us.

[AlexLaw76]

  On 11/02/2024 at 16:52, CB Fry said:

He's not being sarcastic about wanting the team currently 11 points ahead of us to lose to the team currently one point behind us.

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This whole - we can catch Leicester thing, is just odd..

At the start of what is the record breaking run, they were 11 points clear of us with a +13 better goal difference.

Today, after 25 games undefeated for Saints, Leicester are....err, 11 points clear of us with a +17 better goal difference

[Lighthouse]

  On 11/02/2024 at 16:52, CB Fry said:

He's not being sarcastic about wanting the team currently 11 points ahead of us to lose to the team currently one point behind us.

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Surely nobody would rather be in the playoffs than finish second.

[IFHP]

  On 11/02/2024 at 16:59, Lighthouse said:

Surely nobody would rather be in the playoffs than finish second.

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I wouldn’t put it passed some of our fans . 

[Osvaldorama]

  On 11/02/2024 at 16:56, AlexLaw76 said:

This whole - we can catch Leicester thing, is just odd..

At the start of what is the record breaking run, they were 11 points clear of us with a +13 better goal difference.

Today, after 25 games undefeated for Saints, Leicester are....err, 11 points clear of us with a +17 better goal difference

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Theyre ridiculous - tbh I can’t believe they went down in the first place. Their current team wouldn’t be relegated this season and they lost some of their better players. 
 

Brendan Rodgers has a lot to answer for his crimes at Leicester 

[Lighthouse]

  On 11/02/2024 at 17:25, Osvaldorama said:

Theyre ridiculous - tbh I can’t believe they went down in the first place. Their current team wouldn’t be relegated this season and they lost some of their better players. 
 

Brendan Rodgers has a lot to answer for his crimes at Leicester 

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I think they simply fell foul of the golden rule of the Premier League; Everton can’t ever get relegated, ever.

[Wade Garrett]

  On 11/02/2024 at 14:34, Jack said:

That’d be incredibly attacking! I’d be shocked if more than 3 of Brooks, Fraser, Arma and Mara start.
 

Doesn’t seem that Russ trusts Shea Charles but we’re probably going to need him at CM. Neither Rothwell or Smallbone are ideal as the deepest midfielder

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That’s a very good point.  Smallbone is very good but cannot play that role.  Holes all over the place when he’s there.  

[Wade Garrett]

  On 11/02/2024 at 10:21, Lee On Solent Saint said:

I think this is the game where lose the run. We struggled against them at home, but for the KWP worldie we probably wouldn't have won.

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Wash your mouth out son.  We ain’t getting beat by a load of fucking village idiots.

[ErwinK1961]

Baz, KWP, Bednarek, THB, Manning, Charles, Smallbone, Rothwell, Brooks, Mara, AA.

Lumley, Stephens, Meghoma, Bragg, Armstrong, Adams, Fraser, Edozie, Sulemana

Time for the 8 figure transfer fee man to step up.

[trousers]

  On 11/02/2024 at 14:57, Reggie Rodway said:

Could collect this evening from Basingstoke if it’s still going? 

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Hi @Reggie Rodway- sorry for delayed reply... Have been on the road. Have just replied to your Dad's PM. Will get my son to call you

[Saint_clark]

  On 11/02/2024 at 16:50, Lighthouse said:

It’s hard to tell on the internet but I’m pretty sure he’s being sarcastic.

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Nope, if we're going to go up let's win something or get an epic day out at Wembley for our troubles as more likely than not we'll be straight back down again next season so what would be the point. 

[VectisSaint]

  On 11/02/2024 at 18:24, Saint_clark said:

Nope, if we're going to go up let's win something or get an epic day out at Wembley for our troubles as more likely than not we'll be straight back down again next season so what would be the point. 

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Does winning the play-offs really count as winning something? I think there is a little trophy, but in the end it's really just saying you came 3rd. Runners-up is more prestigious than 3rd. Still find it odd that there is not a trophy for runners-up. In any case being in the playoffs is a lottery anyway, so often the 3rd places team don't end up getting promoted (haven't checked stats to back this up).

[Sheaf Saint]

  On 11/02/2024 at 18:24, Saint_clark said:

Nope, if we're going to go up let's win something or get an epic day out at Wembley for our troubles as more likely than not we'll be straight back down again next season so what would be the point. 

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So you would prefer the lottery of the playoffs to finishing second? 

[CB Fry]

  On 11/02/2024 at 18:24, Saint_clark said:

Nope, if we're going to go up let's win something or get an epic day out at Wembley for our troubles as more likely than not we'll be straight back down again next season so what would be the point. 

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Honestly one of the most noddy tin-pot things I've read on here.

Jesus wept.

[CB Fry]

  On 11/02/2024 at 18:32, VectisSaint said:

Still find it odd that there is not a trophy for runners-up.

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There is. For the reason you say, because the play off winners get one.

https://thomaslyte.com/sky-bet-efl-trophies-designers-makers/

[Turkish]

The play offs is called the 60 million pound game, no one ever said that about finishing second. I’d rather finish 3rd and get £60m. 

[Lighthouse]

  On 11/02/2024 at 18:24, Saint_clark said:

Nope, if we're going to go up let's win something or get an epic day out at Wembley for our troubles as more likely than not we'll be straight back down again next season so what would be the point. 

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Good f**king gravy. Wow.

[Dellyears]

  On 11/02/2024 at 18:24, Saint_clark said:

Nope, if we're going to go up let's win something or get an epic day out at Wembley for our troubles as more likely than not we'll be straight back down again next season so what would be the point. 

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You're too pessimistic. We are building a squad and a style and both should improve by next season, do cheer up and enjoy the ride

[SNSUN]

  On 11/02/2024 at 11:58, CB Fry said:

Please please please can people stop twatting on about us catching Leicester. 25 unbeaten and still 11 points behind.

Leicester to smash Leeds when they play them all day long. I hope Leicester win ten nil.

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I can’t see Leicester dropping enough points for us to catch them either. Maybe, had they lost KDH in the window perhaps but not now, so absolutely I hope they smash Leeds who are, IMO, our only rivals for second. No disrespect to Ipswich as they have done brilliantly this season but I’ve thought for a while they’d drop off. I do think they’ll linger behind us like a bad smell but not close enough to worry. We’ll be 2nd or 3rd and even 3rd I think we win the play-offs. Rather 2nd though without the lottery.

[Saint_clark]

  On 11/02/2024 at 19:06, Dellyears said:

You're too pessimistic. We are building a squad and a style and both should improve by next season, do cheer up and enjoy the ride

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Realistic. The Prem and more importantly the gap between it and the Championship has changed drastically since we last went up. We barely had the resources to compete last time, staying up only on the back of bringing in a ton of funds through sales. As soon as that dried up we circled the drain and dropped. 

The Premier League is a poisoned chalice, a monkeys paw. If the super league happens then i'd be all for going back up, as it is unless we're going up as champions or we get to enjoy a great day out winning at Wembley I don't really care about playing the top sides anymore. 

Edited 11 February, 2024 by Saint_clark

[mikec]

  On 11/02/2024 at 18:32, VectisSaint said:

Does winning the play-offs really count as winning something? I think there is a little trophy, but in the end it's really just saying you came 3rd. Runners-up is more prestigious than 3rd. Still find it odd that there is not a trophy for runners-up. In any case being in the playoffs is a lottery anyway, so often the 3rd places team don't end up getting promoted (haven't checked stats to back this up).

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Since 2000 the winner of the Championship playoff had finished in position:

3rd - 11 times

4th - 4 times

5th - 6 times

6th - 3 times

[Saint86]

  On 11/02/2024 at 16:59, Lighthouse said:

Surely nobody would rather be in the playoffs than finish second.

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I'd rather win the playoff final than finish 2nd, but i'd rather finish 2nd than lose in the playoffs... I guess we'll see what kind of season its been on May 4th or May 26th. I know people are feeling very confident at the moment, but we've got harder fixture than leeds and they're on great form at the moment. I think there are a lot of twists and turns ahead, and we've got to go to Leeds last game of the season.

Edited 11 February, 2024 by Saint86

[Dark Munster]

It is possible to catch Leicester, but extremely unlikely.

The bottom line is if Leeds beat them then our chances of finishing first slightly improve, from tiny to small, but (paradoxically) our odds of promotion decrease.

On the other hand, if Leicester beat Leeds our odds of promotion increase from good to very good.

The choice is clear isn't it?

[Dark Munster]

  On 11/02/2024 at 19:19, mikec said:

Since 2000 the winner of the Championship playoff had finished in position:

3rd - 11 times

4th - 4 times

5th - 6 times

6th - 3 times

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Leeds are on target to get 90 points, us even higher. So there's a good chance the third placed team will beat the current record (Sunderland finished third with 90 points over 20 years ago). That would be a record no one wants to beat, and it would be excruciating to lose a playoff against a team who finished about 20 points below them (a real possibility).

Leicester 10 Leeds 0 please.

[Lighthouse]

  On 11/02/2024 at 19:20, Saint86 said:

I'd rather win the playoff final than finish 2nd

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But why? The playoff final is just a mini competition from 3rd to 6th. The team that finishes second is inarguably better than all of them, regardless of who wins. I don't remember any West Ham fans gloating after winning the playoff in 2012, nor do I remember a sombre silence inside St Mary's when Jos Hooiveld knocked in a goal against Coventry.

[Dark Munster]

Or a mass brawl with 5 red cards per team, match abandoned, and 3 points deducted for both teams.

But that may be asking too much.

[igsey]

Having followed Bristol City for the last 6 years, I am not at all worried about this one. They are the most mid-table Championship team there is - beat the teams they are expected to beat, draw with the teams around them, lose to the top half teams without putting up much of a fight. I think Huddersfield have given teams a good blueprint of how to play against us, but City won't have time to implement those tactics against us. Our wide players will have a lot of fun, if Mara starts over Adams I think he will get a couple early on.

(Watch us lose this one now!)

[Saint Garrett]

Anyone got any advice for parking, and also for away pubs? Not been to Bristol City before...

[saintant]

  On 11/02/2024 at 19:32, igsey said:

Having followed Bristol City for the last 6 years, I am not at all worried about this one. They are the most mid-table Championship team there is - beat the teams they are expected to beat, draw with the teams around them, lose to the top half teams without putting up much of a fight. I think Huddersfield have given teams a good blueprint of how to play against us, but City won't have time to implement those tactics against us. Our wide players will have a lot of fun, if Mara starts over Adams I think he will get a couple early on.

(Watch us lose this one now!)

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If we do lose you will get pelters for posting this 🙂

[VectisSaint]

  On 11/02/2024 at 19:19, mikec said:

Since 2000 the winner of the Championship playoff had finished in position:

3rd - 11 times

4th - 4 times

5th - 6 times

6th - 3 times

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So less than 50%, think it's best to stick with coming 2nd. 

[trousers]

IF...

- We win our game in hand

- Leeds beat Leicester

- We beat Leicester

- We match the points haul of Leicester's and Leeds' other remaining games

Then we'd finish 5 points behind Leicester and 4 points ahead of Leeds.

No idea what point I'm trying to make here though, if any...! 

[VectisSaint]

  On 11/02/2024 at 18:37, CB Fry said:

There is. For the reason you say, because the play off winners get one.

https://thomaslyte.com/sky-bet-efl-trophies-designers-makers/

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Thanks. I don't recall seeing anything in the Trophy Cabinet when I did a stadium tour though it was a few years ago (pretty sure after promotion to PL though). Don't recall ever seeing a team presented with a trophy after finishing runners-up, guess it just gets sent to the club with medals after the event.

[Holmes_and_Watson]

By going into the play offs, we won't know what level of non-functioning striker to get in.

[TheAlehouseBrawlers]

  On 11/02/2024 at 19:38, Saint Garrett said:

Anyone got any advice for parking, and also for away pubs? Not been to Bristol City before...

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I did post this in a thread about games moved for SKY a while back but can't really say if suitable on a match day - sounds like Igsey lives there so may be able to either confirm or recommend something more suitable

 

[Saint_clark]

  On 11/02/2024 at 19:31, Lighthouse said:

But why? The playoff final is just a mini competition from 3rd to 6th. The team that finishes second is inarguably better than all of them, regardless of who wins. I don't remember any West Ham fans gloating after winning the playoff in 2012, nor do I remember a sombre silence inside St Mary's when Jos Hooiveld knocked in a goal against Coventry.

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It's not about gloating. It's about the experience. 

We've gone up in second. 

We've never won a playoff. 

And how many sides outside the top few can say they've seen their side lift two trophies at new wembley? 

[hypochondriac]

  On 11/02/2024 at 20:23, Saint_clark said:

It's not about gloating. It's about the experience. 

We've gone up in second. 

We've never won a playoff. 

And how many sides outside the top few can say they've seen their side lift two trophies at new wembley? 

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Wanting to go up by winning the playoffs is very different from actively not wanting us to finish second in order to get into the playoffs. Losing in the playoffs would be a disaster for the club and finishing second would be infinitely preferable. 

[Saint86]

  On 11/02/2024 at 20:54, hypochondriac said:

Wanting to go up by winning the playoffs is very different from actively not wanting us to finish second in order to get into the playoffs. Losing in the playoffs would be a disaster for the club and finishing second would be infinitely preferable. 

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It is mad that this has to keep being said 😐

[SNSUN]

If a magic fairy offered me right now guaranteed second or guaranteed play off winners then yes, I'd take play off winners for the Wembley day out and getting to watch our team win for 3 more games. But there is no magic fairy and play off winner is not guaranteed and is a huge lottery, even though we would be favourites. All it takes is one bad performance and you're out. Ergo 2nd is much better watching Leeds sweat it out against the other 3.

[Turkish]

  On 11/02/2024 at 21:05, Saint86 said:

It is mad that this has to keep being said 😐

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What he’s saying, I think, is that he’d rather go up winning the play offs than go up finishing second. I do kind of get that, it’s a much more exciting way of going up then coming runners up, yet again. In my lifetime we’ve won one thing, the JPT, whereas we’ve been runners up in an FA and league cup finals and the top 3 divisions. So winning something at Wembley would be nice for once even if it is the trophy for third place. 

[JustinR]

  On 11/02/2024 at 19:38, Saint Garrett said:

Anyone got any advice for parking, and also for away pubs? Not been to Bristol City before...

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Plenty of street parking fairly near ground. Lots of nice bars on north street. 

[SaintBobby]

If I had a guarantee of 2nd v a guarantee of winning the play-offs, I’d take the latter.

Obvs, the playoffs don’t offer guarantees though - so I can’t imagine hoping we lose v Leeds and come 3rd on the final day. What would our chances be in the playoffs? Maybe c 50%?

I still haven’t lost hope of catching Leicester, but they would need to “do an Ipswich” while we keep up our form.

[CB Fry]

  On 11/02/2024 at 19:58, VectisSaint said:

Thanks. I don't recall seeing anything in the Trophy Cabinet when I did a stadium tour though it was a few years ago (pretty sure after promotion to PL though). Don't recall ever seeing a team presented with a trophy after finishing runners-up, guess it just gets sent to the club with medals after the event.

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I think it was probably brought in during the last decade so we might not have had it.

[Sheaf Saint]

  On 11/02/2024 at 21:39, Turkish said:

it’s a much more exciting way of going up then coming runners up, yet again. 

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Too right. I wouldn't want to have to suffer the disappointment of this all over again

[trousers]

  On 11/02/2024 at 21:37, SNSUN said:

If a magic fairy offered me right now guaranteed second or guaranteed play off winners then yes, I'd take play off winners for the Wembley day out and getting to watch our team win for 3 more games.

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  On 11/02/2024 at 22:13, SaintBobby said:

If I had a guarantee of 2nd v a guarantee of winning the play-offs, I’d take the latter.

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I think we'd all agree with this 'fantasy' choice but, of course, in the real world there is a third, less palatable option, and that is losing in the play-off final. 

So, yes, given all real world options, the only sensible and pragmatic choice is auto-promotion by any means, rather than the relative lottery of the playoffs. 

 

Edited 11 February, 2024 by trousers

[Lighthouse]

  On 11/02/2024 at 20:23, Saint_clark said:

It's not about gloating. It's about the experience. 

We've gone up in second. 

We've never won a playoff. 

And how many sides outside the top few can say they've seen their side lift two trophies at new wembley? 

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You say it’s not about the gloating, then follow it up with something that’s literally gloating.

All I care about is promotion, the more games we win and the more comfortable it is the better. If someone offered me 8 points clear of Leeds on the last day, with f**k all to play for, or a guaranteed playoff victory, I’d take the former all day long. 
 

I couldn’t give a rats arse about a trophy for winning a 3rd to 6th playoff. It just means you were too s**t to break the top two and had to do it the hard way.