Blues 3-0 Bristol City

 

Starting XI

Three changes. Harlee Dean made his first start for almost a year, Hannibal Mejbri in for his first ever league start and George Hall back in the XI for the time since August. Troy Deeney rested, Jordan Graham and Juninho Bacuna dropped. Jonathan Leko drops altogether. John Ruddy took on the captain's armband.

Game

We could not have picked an easier game in our attempts to respond to a defeat. It was easy. We won all of our duels. There was mountains of space to attack. Bristol City could not have been softer had they tried.

It took three minutes for us to take the lead, a set-piece delivery to the back post headed in by Auston Trusty despite three Bristol City bodies nearby. We should have increased the lead, Tahith Chong sent away but failed to make a decision. Then Dean's cleared header found Scott Hogan who turned Zak Vyner but miskicked.

Poor decision making cost Blues the chance to extend their lead further. We won a set-piece, Mejbri delivered to the back post, Trusty headed off the post and as everybody watched, he poked home the rebound.

Bristol City made a triple change at half-time and they came out with a bit of impetus but they couldn't get a shot away. The next notable effort was after an hour, Kristian Bielik volleying from a corner direct that was struck sweetly but blocked.

Hall was denied by an excellent Alex Scott tackle before Hogan got the better Andy King and set Maxime Colin up who was denied. From the resulting corner, Chong's delivery curled to the back post and Dion Sanderson finished at the back post.

Bristol City offered virtually nothing in the final 15 but the best chance came when Deeney cut inside and found Lukas Jutkiewicz with an outside of the boot cross, the header saved by Dan Bentley.

Tactics

Blues continued with 3-5-2 despite the changes. Dean lined up between Sanderson and Trusty, Colin returned to RWB, Hall and Hannibal flanking Bielik in midfield and Chong alongside Hogan up top. Bristol City played 3-4-1-2 with Andy King acting as sweeper in the heart of the defence and Weimann behind Conway and Wells.

In truth, tactics sort of went out the window because Bristol City were that poor. However, there were a couple of notable things.

First, we went big down the right hand side first half. Sanderson finding the run of Colin against Jay Dasilva, who cannot run, or he/Colin finding the run of Hall beyond the back of the midfield in the Channel with Han-Noah Massengo not wanting to follow and Atkinson wanting to stay tight to King.

Our press was excellent. Bristol City had no outball and wanted to play their way out. We forced the pass to the left to Atkinson who didn't have much of an option, Hannibal and Hall closing in on Massengo, Colin v Dasilva and Weimann/Wells couldn't get the better of Dean, Sanderson or Bielik. The visitors either went to Bentley who was forced long and would have to watch Dean head it back his way or they would look for a switch which rarely came off.

When they did find Scott, the aim was to find a ball out to Sykes or behind Blues but space was tight against a powerful back five and he couldn't find that ball.

Couple of other notes.

- Blues put pretty much every delivery to the back post rather than trying the routines we've often tried

- Bentley put everything down the middle to begin with. Dean won every battle. They then tried to ping it to the right but Longelo and Trusty had little trouble there.

- The subs were all like for like until the final triple sub when Jordan James, who earlier replaced Hall, moved into the deep midfield position and Bacuna stepped into LCM.

Players

Let's start with Dean. He couldn't have played softer opposition but he was dominant and uncompromising. Colin was excellent at RWB with his ball retention. Hannibal was full of running and was less wasteful in possession. John Ruddy was John Ruddy, just took everything that went near him with minimal fuss. Emmanuel Longelo grew into the game but needs to work on his final ball. Hogan and Chong made a number of good runs but their decision making was poor in the final third.

For Bristol City, they were horrendous. Just soft all over the pitch. Dasilva was the big target, a player who simply lacks any sort of physicality and we ran all over him. Scott was the shining light, the one who wanted the ball and tried to make something happen but was often crowded out or had no options.

Anything else?

Dion Sanderson is suspended for the trip to Hull City next week after picking up his fifth booking of the season.

Rob Atkinson needs to be careful. Referee gave him a number of soft fouls today, the types many referees are no longer giving. He may be caught out for it.

Wrapping it up...

It's hard to draw conclusions here. Bristol City were absolutely pony. They were the softest team we played last season and that continued today. Nothing about them whatsoever.

Did we learn anything? Probably that Hannibal and Hall give us real energy and tenacity in that midfield and will continue to be useful options. The latter needs to grow into 90-minute legs but that will come with age.

Also, our decision making in the final third needs to be better. Trying to be too clever or not releasing the ball or releasing it too early. We could have had five or six really good opportunities today but we were wasteful with the final pass.

It will be interesting to see how we get on without the physicality of Sanderson next week against a Hull City side that will likely have a new manager. I assume Deeney and Graham return to the XI for that one.