TALKING POINT: Should Bristol City head coach Sean O'Driscoll have used his substitutes earlier or was he right to be cautious in goalless draw against Brighton?
Bristol City head coach Sean O’Driscoll admitted he was torn between twisting and sticking towards the end of Tuesday’s 0-0 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion at Ashton Gate.
Given that his priority was to thwart one of the Championship’s best passing sides, the Midlander strung five players across midfield in a bid to frustrate the Seagulls and disrupt their supply lines.
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Sam Baldock had to wait until the 88th minute to announce his return from injury against Brighton.
However, that meant some of his more creative players were sacrificed on the altar of expediency and flying winger Albert Adomah, top-scorers Steven Davies and Sam Baldock and midfield play-makers Brian Howard and Neil Kilkenny were all named among the substitutes.
In the event, O’Driscoll’s team selection and tactics proved spot-on and a Brighton side that scored four against Huddersfield last Saturday, did not create a single clear-cut goal-scoring opportunity.
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Cole Skuse and Marvin Elliott in particular were instrumental in helping City control midfield and the home side were in the ascendancy for most of the second half.
No matter how welcome a second successive clean sheet might have been, there was nevertheless a feeling that the Robins could have taken all three points had they introduced their best attacking players earlier.
Understandably, O’Driscoll was reluctant to compromise his team’s shape in pursuit of a winning goal, fearing too many changes made too early could play into Brighton’s hands.
After all, the introduction of Adomah, Howard and Kilkenny against Barnsley in the last home game had coincided with the visitors scoring twice in a late fight-back.
In the end, he introduced Adomah with five minutes to go and then Baldock in the dying moments, allowing the pair precious little time to influence proceedings.
Given the continuing need for City to keep things tight at the back and render themselves hard to beat, it will be interesting to see what the head coach does when he comes to select a team to play Middlesbrough at Ashton Gate this Saturday.
City’s performance against Brighton was admirable in many respects, with the notable exception of in the final third where the absence of any real pace and guile prevented the Robins from breaking down opponents who were tested without being truly extended.
Should O’Driscoll change his team this weekend and start with a second striker to support the hard-working Jon Stead, or leave things as they are and keep his attacking forces in reserve on the bench?
If you were City manager, what would you do?
12 Comments
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by Vonner
Thursday, March 07 2013, 2:36PM
“Nice Tone - pay your good money to watch Accrington, Morecombe, Burton, Aldershot etc.. I'd say you get the point but you ain't that clever...”
by TOTEENDTONY
Thursday, March 07 2013, 1:59AM
“YOU GUYS MIGHT BE HAPPY WITH A BORING 0-0 DRAW BUT I BELIEVE HE SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT ON PLAYERS THAT CAN OPEN UP DEFENCES AND SCORE GOALS, THAT IS IF THERE ARE SUCH PLAYERS? I WOULDNT PAY GOOD MONEY TO WATCH THIS GARBAGE. DIV. 1 IS GOING TO COME TO THE GATE IF LANDSOWN DONT GET SHOT OF HIM. TOTEENDTONY.”
by Frankclack
Wednesday, March 06 2013, 9:50PM
“redferryman1.
I don't think that anyone here is calling for a "reckless gung ho" approach, just a judicious use of proven players with the knack of putting the ball in the net now and again.
Jon Stead, the way he has been playing so selflessly of late, must be a contender for the player of the season, but he is no goalscorer.
Much has been made of the supposed lack of fitness of Steve Davies, but he has still managed 11 goals in 12 starts. And if there are still doubts about his overall fitness, perhaps this is at fit as he will ever be, and we would have only been looking for half an hour last night.
City are unlikely to get out of their present situation without taking a few considered risks. Last night S O'D decided not to take too many.
I just hope that it does not get to be a habit.”
by redferryman1
Wednesday, March 06 2013, 7:48PM
“The 'score', though unspectacular, was secondary to the 'result'. A reckless, gun-hoe approach to one of the top teams in this division would have been suicidal.
We would instead, today, be discussing another mauling rather than debating the merits of a highly-commendable draw! This would have been unthinkable 8 weeks ago! THAT is how far O'Driscoll has brought us! Last night's 'result' was a display of a team regaining it's self-esteem.
Ignore the pessimists, there are still sufficient games to rescue our season even yet with displays like last night!”
by rocketbob
Wednesday, March 06 2013, 6:23PM
“good point frank clack. Its a game of opinions. All of a sudden we have Fontaine Nyatanga and Elliott playing better than they have all season. Stead is working really hard as is Pearson and Anderson, Davis is still fighting for fitness and may well be included on saturday. I agree its a fine line but i felt the tackling, positional sense and growing confidence was well worth keeping this group together despite the weaknesses, that we and the Coach are only to aware of. It was a fine line and a difficult call. Perhaps you and me ought to be in the dug out!”
by Frankclack
Wednesday, March 06 2013, 5:02PM
“rocketbob
Taking off Skuse for instance, (although he was slightly more adventuresome last night) and putting on Davies, can hardly be called throwing caution to the winds.
And watching the body language of the City coaches it was obvious that they were agonising over making a decision.
I think that they got it slightly wrong by not going for the extra two points.
MobileSimondD.
Yes, Brighton are a decent side, but last night they were made to look ordinary.
City spent the second half playing "Brighton" and not the eleven players they were facing on the pitch.”
by rocketbob
Wednesday, March 06 2013, 4:26PM
“we got ourselves into this position early in the season by throwing on players to attack.
Everyone competed against Brighton and with a bit of luck we would have won. The team looks happy with this method of play and it should continue to work.Look what happened when we were 5.1 up and brought the flair players on.There are a few more games before we throw caution to the wind.”
by whippetprince
Wednesday, March 06 2013, 3:39PM
“A decent hard earned point against a good side (albeit playing badly).
Anyone who thinks chucking on 2 strikers and going for bust with 20 mins to go is just deluded.
I point further towards survival is better than 0 points at all.”
by MobileSimonD
Wednesday, March 06 2013, 3:32PM
“Solid performance. 0-0 not too bad a result again Brighton. They're a decent team who counter attack well. No sense gambling to much. Every point counts at this point of the season!”
by piledriver
Wednesday, March 06 2013, 2:44PM
“I would have introduced Davies or Baldock for Pearson with 20 mins to go and then Adomah on the right wing in place of Anderson for fifteen if it was still 0-0.
A decent point and having 67% of possesion and denying BHA even one shot on target is an acheivement in itself.
It'll be a more attacking line up v Boro and we have Baldock, Davies & AA fresh for a real go at Boro who are bottom in the away form league having lost their last six away games.An early goal is vital and we need to be at it from minute one.
Thirty points to play for and we need 14-16 to survive.”