Bristol City boss Derek McInnes rues poor defending after defeat by Burnley
FRUSTRATED Bristol City boss Derek McInnes admitted his team's poor defensive record is threatening to undermine their Championship season.
Again, the Robins scored three goals at home only to end up empty-handed after Chris McCann headed an injury-time winner to give Burnley a remarkable 4-3 win at Ashton Gate.
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To lose the game after staging a notable fightback to level matters at 3-3 in the 90th minute, defeat was hard to take.
City have now conceded 26 goals in 12 games and this latest defeat leaves them perilously close to the relegation zone.
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McInnes said: "The time has come to stop conceding goals like we are, because it is threatening to undermine everything going forward.
"We should be stood here talking about a fantastic fightback and three good goals.
"We should be talking about the immense courage shown by the players to get themselves back in the game.
"We were not always good and there were mistakes made, but we kept our heads, kept battling and never gave up the ghost.
"Instead, we are talking about losing a last-minute goal and that is disappointing.
"The players deserve immense credit for getting back level, but, at the same time, we cannot afford to defend like that against a last-minute free-kick.
"For all the positives, it is really disappointing when you concede a last-minute goal."
Steven Davies equalised Charlie Austin's early strike with a superb free-kick goal and the Robins were the better side in the first half.
Austin restored Burnley's lead from the penalty spot in the 59th minute and Martin Paterson appeared to have made sure of the points when he netted two minutes later.
But City came roaring back as Sam Baldock converted a 77th-minute penalty and substitute Paul Anderson then grabbed a dramatic late equaliser.
Just when it seemed the Robins were going to salvage a valuable point, their defence parted once more to allow McCann to head the winner for Burnley from a Kieran Trippier free-kick.
McInnes said: "I felt the free-kick was soft and we were a wee bit light at set-pieces after losing Stephen Pearson in the warm-up and being without Marvin Elliott.
"We had detailed Pearson to pick up McCann and we were always up against it from set-pieces.
"In the main, we dealt with it well. Then, just as we had to deal with it one last time, we gave them a free header and they have punished us for that."
City have taken just two points from their last six Championship games and McInnes must now lift his crestfallen players ahead of Saturday's home game against Hull.
He said: "With each passing game, a home win becomes more important.
"We have to keep going and it is my job to put confidence back into the players.
"I can assure the fans that we will continue to work hard to improve."
To add to City's mounting problems, skipper and centre-back Liam Fontaine limped off with a pulled calf muscle early in the second half and is now doubtful for the Hull game.
Comments
by BinRelegated
Thursday, October 25 2012, 1:51PM
“@ Pilkington
Please read my posts in full and respond accordingly next time.
Making up post so you are your various guises to approve is a bit childish for someone of the later years.
How about offering some up front comments about City instead of picking the bones with the benefit of hindsight....
Na, didnt think so!”
by Pilkington
Wednesday, October 24 2012, 5:27PM
“@BinRelegated.
The only thing you "warned" a month ago was we needed to get McManus in to shore up the defence and provide some leadership.
Since he joined we have shipped seven goals in just two games, so it is fair to say your hair-brained idea was yet another bad one !”
by marmeliser
Wednesday, October 24 2012, 5:27PM
“can we have a remix of this same, tedious record please derek
who's in charge of your ''defensive'' coaching? whoever it is, FIRE THEM. if it's you, then get someone in who's get a track record of organising a team - 2 banks of 4, properly defending the box. NOT the joke, hair-brained version we see at the moment.
get on the phone and mend fences with kalifa cisse. we need him big time
circulate the likes of woolford, pearson, nyatanga, fontaine, pitman to be available for the transfer window / loan market. you're going to need to free up funds for at least 2 or 3 additions
history could repeat itself again 98-99 style if all this doesn't happen - live sky game, city change their manager after regardless of the result. i'm afraid the ''natives'' mood is getting impatient”
by johnbristol3
Wednesday, October 24 2012, 5:25PM
“Well talk is cheap , and Del at the MOMENT your full of it , we have been ranting on for nearly two years on this site about our defence or lack of one , wait any longer and on your head be it , you have just about got the majority of us on side , but unless we see some sort of major overhaul of the defending and i include a midfielder in that , you will have to shoulder the respocibility , i am beginning to think you have blown all our budget on other positions, and you may well have been told that by Mr Lansdown ,
I am affraid as with managers before you RESULTS is how you will be judged , and at the moment the jury is split,”
by Red_Emerson
Wednesday, October 24 2012, 4:50PM
“The only decent CB's, since promotion to the Championship, have been loans.
Yet we can sign forwards, for a pastime!”
by piledriver
Wednesday, October 24 2012, 2:14PM
“So a guy comes to your house to lay some carpets.You come home and he's removed ten doors and rehung 7 perfectly but the other three are hanging off.
What do you remember him for?
What do you pay him for?
And what do you say when he says he tried hard and reckons he'll improve?
You have another house requiring carpets-Are you going to use him”
by piledriver
Wednesday, October 24 2012, 2:11PM
“We need two players.......and we've needed them both for at least a year if not more.
A tinnion/Hartley style midfielder.
A Commanding RCB
We have a highly paid manager, assistant and a plethora of coaches, scouts etc.
I'm tired of hearing the excuses.
Get on with it.Sort it or move aside and let someone else have a go.Last night was a poor performance throughout apart from a couple of great free kicks.It's looking a shambles and fans are voting with their feet.”
by Casualbutcher
Wednesday, October 24 2012, 1:51PM
“Sorely missing a central midfield pairing of Cisse and Elliott!”
by westywardy
Wednesday, October 24 2012, 1:47PM
“still fully behind Del but he needs a result Saturday. We have scored 17 goals at home in 6 games and only won 2 of them which is ridiculous. The defence comes in for stick but the midfield has no bite and never pick up the opposition. Marvin Elliott gets a lot of stick but we are missing him massively at the moment.”
by Burwallian
Wednesday, October 24 2012, 9:24AM
“Assurances about working hard to improve matters are hollow words and I firmly believe nothing will come of it. Promises promises promises yet the facts tell another story altogether.
Derek wake up and smell the coffee. A side that has not yet a clean sheet all season long, loses big leads and gifts so many late goals tells you a lot!
Corporate failure to tackle the blindingly obvious and your side are in a right mess with only a real hammering to come to be the final nail in the coffin of this defensive set up.”