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2003/04 Season

Player Records

Goalgetters

Goals & Assists by Player

Goals & Assists by Role

League Record

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Pos

Pld

W

D

L

F

A

W

D

L

F

A

GD

Pts

3rd

CITY

+21

Players starting more than half the matches

	Ave Age	Young Pros	Seniors	Veterans
Forwards	23.9	Lee Miller	Lee Peacock
Midfield	28.2	Luke Wilkshire	Tom Doherty	Brian Tinnion
Left-side	25.4	Matty Hill	Aaron Brown
Right-side	25.2		Louis Carey Christian Roberts
Defence	25.6	Danny Coles		Tony Butler
Goalkeeper	26.0		Steve Phillips

Quick Facts

Matchfacts

The Road to 92pts Points Per Match (PPM)
	W	D	L	F	A	Pts	PPM
Target	27	11	8	72	41	92	2.00
So far:	23	13	10	58	37	82	1.78
To go:	4	-2	-2	14	4	10	-

First Goal Scored (FGS)
	No	Mins	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
For	28	36	21	7	0	47	14	70
0-0	3	0	3	0	0	0	0	3
Agin	15	51	2	3	10	11	23	9

Cleansheets 17 - 10 Blanks Fired Shots Per Goal (SPG)
	FOR		AGIN
	Shots	Goals	Shots	Goals
HOME	342	34	146	12
AWAY	211	24	219	25
TOTAL	553	58	365	37

Projections

Matches	PPM	FGS	SPG	Mean
46	82	86	63!	77!
Apr (44)	79	84	62!	75!
Mar (39)	80	84	63!	76
Feb (33)	89	88	76	84
Jan (28)	85	86	75	82
Dec (24)	77	80	68	75
Nov (20)	69	80	66	72
Oct (16)	66	76	67	69
Sep (11)	71	88	90	83
Aug (5)	74	103	79	85

Turnarounds

Net Effect = -7pts

Comebacks

->3

-2

-1

Total

L>W

(+3pts)

0/1

0/4

2/10

2/15

L>D

(+1pt)

0/1

0/4

3/10

3/15

Throwaways

+>3

Total

W>D

(-2pts)

0/3

0/4

7/21

7/28

W>L

(-3pts)

0/3

0/4

0/21

0/28

Last 5 mins Net Effect = +8pts
	D>W (+2)	L>D (+1)	W	L	D>L (-1)	W>D (-2)
FOR	6	1	6	1	0	0
AGIN	0	0	0	2	1	2
PTS	12	1	0	0	-1	-4

Corner Count
	FOR		AGIN
	Taken	Goals	Taken	Goals
HOME	168	5	77	1
AWAY	131	6	106	4
TOTAL	299	11	183	5

MAY 2004

Can't Shoot, Won't Shoot - City 0-1 Brighton

Sun 30th - a whole season's hopes and fears compressed into ninety minutes and, sure enough, City's meandering, punchless, pathetic lack of attacking ideas returned to remind us exactly why we got lumbered into the play-offs in the first place.

Danny Wilson asks us to believe that "defeat is not failure" - I would suggest that success is the achievement of reasonable goals and that automatic promotion was such a goal this season, the play-offs merely a second chance to pull the irons out of the fire. To have not succeeded in either phase of the league competition is failure in my book ... more (later)

First Round of Russian Roulette Survived - H'pool 1-1 City; City 2-1 H'pool

Sat 15th & Wed 19th - they say sport is unscripted theatre and here was a classic example, nobody in their right minds would have written an ending like this! One more pull of the trigger now, fingers crossed.

Pain in the Neck - City 2-1 Blackpool

Sat 8th - so it goes that the best young squad in the division has to endure the lottery of the play-offs again, not because the Owls failed to raise their game against QPR but because of a catalogue of missed chances throughout the season. There is no shortage of veteran and senior players in the mix, mainly in attack, yet they have mustered just 34 goals between them in 69 hours of football ... that is poor by any reckoning.

The Blackpool game was more or less where we came in, with a rookie goal-keeper being allowed to look good by the bluntness of our attack - exactly as with the Hartlepool game back in August. The respective keepers look to have decent enough futures but what more is there to say of forwards who have consistently needed around twice as many chances to get the goals as their counterparts in other second division teams?

Down to the Wire it Goaes - Barnsley 0-1 City

Sun 2nd - deadline day signing Tony Rougier proves his worth as numerous chances are spurned to make the three points certain. Hope now turns to Sheff Weds that they may find another Kevin Pressman for next week!

APRIL 2004

Overview - Average April

Two wins, two draws, one defeat, five scored, four conceded - eight points from five games. That was April's contribution, in other words, the same ratio of goals and points per game as in the season as a whole to date.

When you add in the fact that the wins were over the only two sides who remain above us in the table, and that all bar one of the goals conceded came from set pieces (after we'd missed a host of chances ourselves, naturally) then April's claims for being a microcosm of the season get almost spooky! ... in essence, "not quite good enough!"

Pos	CITY	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts	PPM
3	2003/04	44	21	13	10	55	36	+19	76	1.73
4	2002/03	45	23	11	11	74	42	+32	80	1.78

And yet, and yet, and yet ... somehow with a little help from others automatic promotion is still a possibility. Hoping we achieve it goes without saying but if we do I'll be scouring the record books to see if anybody has ever achieved it with fewer goals than we are likely to have scored over 46 matches!

First Goal Scored				Shots Per Goal
	For	Nil	Agin	Shots	Goals	For	Shots	Goals	Agin
2003/04	26	3	15	531	55	9.7	355	36	9.9
2002/03	24	3	18	522	74	7.1	429	42	10.2

April Diary

Opportunity Missed ... City 0-0 Brighton

Sat 24th - and so it goes on. On the day Plymouth won the title by beating QPR, for the umpteenth time this season City dominate possession, territory, shooting opportunities and genuine goalscoring chances but once again fail to make it count in the only currency that matters ... GOALS!

Maddeningly Hattered ... Luton 3-2 City

Sat 17th - yet more of the same agonising, frustrating lack of composure in both penalty areas as we've gotten used to this season - an abundance of chances to score the first goal, all spurned, then the players decided it would be good idea to start giving away free kicks in the danger zone despite our continuing inability to defend the same.

And yet in this most exasperating of seasons a win on Saturday, if Plymouth do the same, will see us in second place with two games to go. White-knuckle time it is.

La Vie en Rouge - City 1-0 Plymouth Argyle

Tue 13th - more evidence to suggest we are actually the best team in this divison if only we could score the goals to prove it! (NB - spookily for those of us who've noticed his star wax and wane with City's season, Marcus Trescothick was at the crease throughout this match for his best score of the series!) ... great contribution by Tony Rougier as substitute for Scoot.

Tenth Stalemate - Swindon 1-1 City

Sat 10th - once gain City's failure to press for the second goal is punished by an opposition comeback - the seventh time this season the advantage of a goal has been relinquished (compared to only four times in the whole of last season).

Just the Ticket - City 1-0 QPR

Sat 3rd - everything we hoped this team could be was on show today and if only this intensity of performance can be maintained through the remaining six matches, the glory will surely be our's ... bring it on!!!

MARCH 2004

Overview - March of Mediocrity

On the day that City fan Marcus Trescothick found something like his better form out in the West Indies - buoyed no doubt by news of the re-signing of Scott Murray - a couple of old cricketing adages spring to mind that seem appropriate to the month just gone and the one that lies ahead:

"For a better picture of the true score, take two wickets off the current innings"

"Form is temporary, Class is permanent"

Make no bones about it, City's form in the past month has been abject - surely no other team in history has followed a winning streak of eleven with five defeats in seven. Which of those two runs of form represent the true class of this squad? The answer, of course, is neither - the winning run was always waiting for a couple of defeats and the current bad patch will take on a different complexion for a couple of wins, especially as the next two opponents are QPR and Swindon Town!

It is probably better to consider the overall form in the second half of the season so far, i.e. 31pts from 16 matches against teams that 21pts were taken from the first time round. If that level of improvement can be sustained in the seven remaining matches we're laughing - because it will mean winning all of them and against our nearest rivals!

Being unable or unwilling to sign a proven leader of the line makes Wilson's position crystal clear: in essence, his and therefore our future is pinned on his man - Lee Peacock - recapturing the goal every other game form that he was showing up until the end of January (with so little goal potential in the rest of the team the expectation rises on the main striker to do the business)

Thus if Leapy can prove himself to be in the 20+ goals per season class that he has shown (if only fleetingly) at various times during his four years here, then he leads us to "glory" and earns himself and his manager an ongoing welcome in South Bristol.

If not, then it will surely be the death knell for both of them.

The point being that we won't know which outcome it is to be for a month or so. Here's hoping that today's late consolation heralds a purple patch of form for our number nine.

Pos	CITY	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts	PPM
3	2003/04	39	19	11	9	50	32	+18	68	1.74
4	2002/03	40	21	9	10	64	35	+29	72	1.80

First Goal Scored				Shots Per Goal
	For	Nil	Agin	Shots	Goals	For	Shots	Goals	Agin
2003/04	23	2	14	480	50	9.6	320	32	10.0
2002/03	22	3	15	454	64	7.1	382	35	10.9

March Diary

The Shadow of Failure - Port Vale 2-1 City

Sat 27th - a third defeat on the trot with barely a punch landed in anger.

Required: The Seventh Cavalry! - Tranmere 1-0 CITY

Wed 24th - words fail me, it has all been said - two goals in the last six matches say that the Achilles Heel of our "striking" has caught up with us. Only Colchester have a worse SPG than City and this measure of attacking efficiency isn't something that has just crept up on us, even during the winning run it wasn't much better than average.

As I write there are just 19 hours left for Danny Wilson to find the players to save our season (not to mention his own job). Top of the list has to be someone to do the job of LEADER of the front line that Lee Peacock stopped doing two months ago!

Five Days To Go - City 0-2 Oldham

Sat 20th - yet another game that didn't tell us anything we didn't already know about the potential our team's weaknesses have for undoing all its good work this season.

If there is to be a top two finish at the end of the next thirteen and a half hours of football, the chances can surely only be helped by signing someone who knows where the goal is!

We Get Away With it This Time! - City 1-0 Rusden & Diamonds

Fri 12th - as with the Wycombe game, the balance of play was hugely in our favour but the old failing of not adding to the opening goal remained. Fortunately, where McSporran had nodded the equaliser, Rodney Jack hit the post and the points were our's ... something more is required to frank a promotion campaign though and it is called a "striker" (as distinct from a "shooter").

Congratulations to young Leroy Lita for netting on his first start but it underlined the point that for 90 mins of every match we need a player who carries the sort of threat he does when fresh.

Commiserations to Aaron Brown who's season looks to be over,with five goals and nine assists he has been a regular contributor to the team effort this season.

Only City Could Do This - Stockport 2-0 City

Sat 6th - just two weeks ago table-topping City won their eleventh straight game to hit 2pts/game for first time this season, now we need five straight wins to get back to that mark.

It is one thing to have a horse that stops as soon as it gets its nose in front but dropping 5pts to the bottom two clubs is in the Devon Loch envelope! All the squad's good work is in danger of counting for nothing for want of someone who needs fewer than eight attempts to stick the ball in the back of the net.

Frustration Beyond Measure - City 1-1 Wycombe

Tue 2nd - 24/1 vs 1/1 - a very good example of why the shots tallies can never be used to predict the result of a match. Equally, a very good example of how they can illuminate strengths and weaknesses.

FEBRUARY 2004

OVERVIEW - End of a Run, Not End of the World

"Resolution NOT Revolution" is what BCL! asked for at the turn of the year and it has been great to see the City lads showing it in bucketfuls during the course of a splendid run of eleven successive league wins. It was also pointed out in the half-time report that promotions are like general elections - won or lost by the consistency of performance in marginal contests moreso than being the "flat-track bully" on the few occasions everything is in your favour. Let's hold on to the resolve for another 13 games.

Pos	CITY	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts	PPM
2	2003/04	33	18	10	5	47	24	+23	64	1.94
5	2002/03	33	16	8	9	56	36	+20	56	1.70

With the whole team defending as though their livelihoods depend upon it (which in many cases, of course, it does!) the sole remaining caveat is the business of taking the chances that come our way.

Bearing in mind that 8.2 shots per goal is the divisional average, even the striking during the 11 game streak is unspectacular at 7.1 when you consider that six teams have done better than that all season (QPR, Port Vale, Luton, R&D, Hartlepool, Brighton). It isn't as though there's a shortage of chances as only Plymouth have had more shots per match.

First Goal Scored				Shots Per Goal
	For	Nil	Agin	Shots	Goals	For	Shots	Goals	Agin
2003/04	21	2	10	404	47	8.6	278	24	11.6
2002/03	16	3	14	386	56	6.9	324	36	9.0

As the red figures in the above tables highlight, it is only the goal-shy nature of our attack has stood in the way of City running away with this league, reflected in the Projections table (left) where the SPG projection has been lagging the others since a disastrous October/November. It has improved gradually but thank heavens indeed for defensive meanness.

February Diary

Luck Not Our's on the Day - Sheff Weds 1-0 City

Sat 28th - all good things must come to an end and not one City fan would have said "no thanks" if offered 33 points out of the next 36 on offer after the draw at Rushden & Diamonds 11 weeks ago. Wednesday's depleted team missed the two best chances and had a couple of penalty shouts; we forced the two best saves, had a couple of penalty chances and had a goal disallowed by one of football's more "inventive" whistlers (who's surreal interventions were equally frustrating for both sets of fans).

In the end, City got in each other's way to allow the last-gasp winner, inevitably from a set piece.

Dominance not Reflected - City 1-0 Wrexham

Sat 21st - it may not rival Billy Smart's Circus for "entertainment" value but watching this young City team performing to a high level of consistency is far more rewarding. The persistent problem, however, is of taking enough chances for the scoreline to be a fairer reflection of our dominance of matches.

Top for 12 minutes and then some! - Grimsby 1-2 City

Tues 17th - Tranmere's opening goal on 19mins against leaders Plymouth added to the lead Lee Miller had already given City meant that City were actually top of the table until the dreadful decision of referee Jones that gave Grimsby their equaliser from the spot. Thanks Mr Jones - the winning run wasn't going to go on forever but it would have been nice to have left it to football to decide it. Then up popped Aaron Brown having the season of his life with two minutes to go and it was all smiles for the perfect TEN.

Job Done - Posh 0-1 CITY

Sat 14th - taking four points from the two matches against Peterborough is probably the minimum requirement so let's just bank 'em and move up the road to Cleethorpes on Tuesday, eh? Big contrast today with October's at the Gate when we should have been out of sight by half-time.

Turning the Corner - CITY 3-1 Brentford

Sat 7th - here's a classic example of where we'd have drawn 1-1 earlier in the season because it was a very similar pattern to the Peterborough and Luton games. But this was a victory for self-belief, ambition and - given the winning goals came after Tins had been replaced by Clayton Fortune - Youth!

It is impossible to comment on this game without noting the utter confusion linesman Mr Williams from Herefordshire seemed reduced to in the matter of interpreting offside!

Sun 1st - bad news to start the month with the stitch-up over the issue of Under 21 fixtures where the favoured Premiership sides have hung the Nationwide clubs out to dry.

JANUARY 2004

OVERVIEW - New Year's Resolution!

Nice to see a few more of the figures in the year-on-year comparison tables below turning green, i.e. not just the goals against; nice too that all of the projections (left) continue to indicate improvement.

Pos	CITY	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts	PPM
3	2003/04	28	14	10	4	40	21	+19	52	1.86
5	2002/03	28	15	6	7	53	31	+22	51	1.82

As the Matchfacts show, this January has seen the long-awaited substantial improvement in the finishing shots per goal, however, this alone would not have been enough without the sustained defensive excellence that could yet see a new club record for goals conceded in a season.

First Goal Scored				Shots Per Goal
	For	Nil	Agin	Shots	Goals	For	Shots	Goals	Agin
2003/04	17	2	9	351	40	8.8	244	21	11.6
2002/03	15	1	12	325	53	6.1	265	31	8.5

January Diary

Seventh Heaven - CITY 1-0 Colchester

Tue 27th - a narrow victory margin but a significant step nearer the summit.

Tinman Wraps It Up! - Hartlepool Utd 1-2 CITY

Sat 24th - for just over an hour a goal-less draw looked favourite, until Marc Goodfellow's attacking run provided the spark for a period of pressure which crucially led to Leapy taking a chance for the opening goal. After an equaliser, inevitably from a set piece, enter the 500+ man to bag the points.

City Find the Gloss Finish - CITY 4-0 Chesterfield

Sat 17th - it was left until late but City finally found the touch to give a realistic look to their superiority over a poor Chesterfield outfit - the only real mystery was how the visitors managed to keep eleven on the pitch.

Jolly Goodfellow Makes His Name - Notts Co 1-2 CITY

Sat 10th - billed as a pacy, two-footed, versatile forward/winger - remind me, what's wrong with any of that exactly? - Marc Goodfellow showed he can head a ball as well!

HALF-TIME REPORT - Afraid of Glory?

Sat 27th Dec - At the same stage of last season we were in second place with 46pts from 23 matches, exactly what the current leaders Plymouth now have.

Now we are fifth with 37pts, yet of the teams above us we have beaten Plymouth and Brighton and drawn with QPR (all on their own patch) and also beaten Barnsley at Ashton Gate. So who is there to fear in the second half of the season, except ourselves perhaps? ... more

Pos	CITY	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts	PPM
5	2003/04	23	9	10	4	29	19	+10	37	1.61
2	2002/03	23	14	4	5	46	26	+20	46	2.00

All too often supporters cite extreme examples to justify whatever their particular outlook or like/dislike might happen to be. For example, the eternal optimist would use the 5-0 opening day thrashing of Notts County as evidence of an uprising in the West, poised to unleash a new footballing phenomenon upon an unsuspecting world; on the other hand, the doom-and-gloom merchants would have you believe the 0-3 reverse at Wycombe was not just typical of Bristol City but also the end of civilisation as we know it!

Well I don't believe that any team is as good as its best result or as bad as its worst one; in fact, I have decided to adopt a rule-of-thumb that any winning margin of three goals or more simply tells you how poor the losers were on the day. Have enough bad days and you go down, but to go up you need something more than the hope of meeting enough teams on their bad days.

According to this "Bad Day at the Office" principle the Notts County, Brighton and Wycombe results will now be ignored. That leaves twenty matches, more typical of the season to date, where there was no more than a couple of goals in it either way; games where virtually every goal scored (or not scored) had a real value in terms of points. These were the games where we needed the players - as they say across the pond - to "step up to the plate", to seize the moment to get the goals that matter. Look at it this way - just one more goal in each of five drawn matches and we'd be top, that's how close we are!

Shots Per Goal
Shots	Goals	For	Shots	Goals	Agin
244	20	12.2	158	15	10.5

Check out the performance data from these twenty games and you immediately see that whilst City have only scored a goal a game there has actually been no shortage of scoring opportunities.

A return of one goal for every 12+ shots taken in a total of 30 hours of football does not speak of a promotion quality attack (quite the opposite); you would need a defence like Fort Knox to go up striking at that rate and decent though our's has been (in open play) it isn't that good!

Now take a look at how those shots and goals were broken down per area of the team and ask yourself a few questions ... like ...

... shouldn't the midfielders have scored more than a couple especially as they tend to take the direct free kicks on the edge of the box? ... isn't it about time one of the full-backs nicked a goal? ... shouldn't the wingers need fewer than 18 shots to put the ball in the net? ... maybe some could have been more usefully squared to a better-placed forward so that more than 45% of the chances fell to them? ... maybe said forwards could make more effort to get on the end of things to increase their shot-count?

	Shots Per Goal
	Shots	Goals	SPG
Forwards	110	13	8.5
Wingers	55	3	18.3
Midfielders	52	2	26.0
Full Backs	12	0	-
Defenders	15	2	7.5

Anybody who has seen more than a couple of the games in question would doubtless answer yes to all of the above. Also, given that QPR (from whom we have nothing to fear remember) have scored 14 goals more than we have from almost exactly the same number of efforts on goal we know it can be done.

All of which begs a further question, one that only the players themselves can answer... do they want it? ... because promotion is there for those with the self-belief, self-discipline and self-motivation to truly achieve. It will mean stretching themselves beyond the cozy zone at times but the lifetime glory will be well worth it.

Personally, I believe that the odds would be shorter if we could somehow beg, steal or borrow the services of a class act to bolster the front line - where bright young rookies jostle for opportunities alongside Lee Peacock who struggles to achieve the week-in week-out consistency required of the seasoned pro. The bid for Goodfellow who would provide competition for either wing berth is also at least a sign that the management intends to step on the accelerator come the New Year.

DECEMBER 2003

Overview - see Half-time Report

December Diary

Goodfellow Effect Already? - City 2-0 Bournemouth

Sun 28th - with Tommy Doherty stepping effortlessly into the Tinman's shoes to supply the bullets and a live-wire performance from Aaron Brown catching the eye, this was a fine effort from City for a third win in a row. Third place tonight and rising!

A Star is Born! - Brentford 1-2City

Fri 26th - and so for an hour-and-a-quarter it went on - yet another goal conceded from a set piece after we'd missed a truckload of our own, this time against a team whose manager has been complaining that they are too soft!

Then enter Leroy Lita for his first and, sensationally, second goals of the season! Wahey!

Some Festive Cheer - City 1-0 Stockport

Sat 20th - most dominant performance since beating Grimsby by the same score back in August wins a very welcome three points despite further profligacy in front of goal.

Wimping-out - Barnsley 2-1 City (Cup)

Tue 16th - defence get all jealous of the attention the attack has been getting for being ineffectual so they fail to turn up for set pieces. Again. And Again.

Suspicion arises that City players think football is now a non-contact sport.

Maintaining the Norm - Rushden & Diamonds 1-1 City

Sat 13th - more than enough chances to have won the game despite playing catch-up from the fourth minute onwards, no change there then.

How Many Chances Do We Need? - City 0-0 Barnsley (Cup)

Sat 6th - for some months now, City's failure to take a fair share of their chances has been the story of the season as far as this site is concerned. Today (against a goalkeeping clown) was yet further evidence that it really doesn't matter who is selected or what formation is played, the name of the game is scoring goals ... and we're still waiting for someone to do it for us this season!

NOVEMBER 2003

Overview - Goal Matters

Only four league matches played this month, each in their own way offering an object lesson in BCL!'s oft-quoted principle - "its not how - or even how many - goals are scored that really matters but when." As a corollary, for all the hufflepuff from the stands about who should be playing and in what formation, what really counts is how well the players carry out their key role in the team on the day.

As it stands what City need most right now is for the strikers to start doing their job more consistently well. One of the things that let last season down was the odd fact that despite being the division's leading scorers City failed to score in eleven league and two play-off matches; the blanks fired at Blackpool mean that ratio (1 blank in 4) is no better this time round. Failing to score is an unaffordable expense for a team that has also developed the unfortunate habit of conceding a goal a game.

Gratifying as it was to see the floodgates open at the Withdean Stadium (four goals from eight shots), how much better things would look for just one more goal against Luton and one at Blackpool? - its not as though we didn't have chances with 16 shots logged in each case.

Pos	CITY	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts	PPM
9	2003/04	20	7	9	4	25	17	+8	30	1.50
4	2002/03	19	12	2	5	40	23	+17	38	2.00

Ten of the seventeen goals conceded have come from set pieces whereas the difference in finishing efficiency compared to last season is now getting painful to look at:

First Goal Scored				Shots Per Goal
	For	Nil	Agin	Shots	Goals	For	Shots	Goals	Agin
2003/04	11	2	7	229	25	9.2	173	17	10.2
2002/03	12	0	7	211	40	5.3	196	23	8.5

November Diary

Roller Coaster - Blackpool 1-0 City

Sat 29th - dominant City left to rue a host of missed chances as yet another goal is conceded at a set piece

Quick Thought

With the shareholders' AGM this week, it is sobering to realise that the cumulative loss for the last six years is 10.5m!

Of that sum, it is possible to isolate a net loss on transfers involving senior players of ~£4.0m (incl agent/signing fees), whereas academy costs offset by dealings in players recruited in their teens is ~£2.0m

The other ~£4.5m would mainly comprise wages, with senior players again taking the lion's share.

Compare those sums to the current squad and wonder where we'd be without the academy!

What a Difference a Goal Makes! - City 2-1 Barnsley

Sat 22nd - Such has been the pattern of intolerance at the Gate this season that manager Wilson was probably accurate in his post-match comment that the "boo-boys" were warming up to do their stuff for when the players left the pitch - despite the selection being the one most of them had been clamouring for and despite a lively second period on switching to 3-5-2 and finally 3-4-3.

Then Lee Miller soured to meet Brian Tinnion's quickly whipped-in corner in injury time and two points City had looked like chucking away we regained, his second of the game and fair reward for his all-round effort. Good to see the forward line contributing more as the first was set up by strike partner Christian Roberts, his third assist in as many games.

As with Brighton last week the passages of play that turned the game City's way owed little to any formational masterplan but everything to an individual player seizing the initiative to raise the tempo by speed of thought and deed. Just as Tinman's corner was taken so quickly the Barnsley defence were still getting organised, so the first goal came about at the end of a short spell of pressure created initially by a strong burst out of defence by Louis Carey towards the end of an otherwise pedestrian first half. It must also be recorded that Kevin Amankwaah is starting to look more at ease with the right-wing role which could be bad news for second division left-backs.

The one real blackspot was the goal conceded, once again, from a set piece where the uncleared ball was rolled into the unprotected acres on the edge of our box.

Barnsley proved themselves one of the better sides to visit the Gate this season, particularly well-organised in defence; how satisfying then that the second goal that has proved so elusive in 1-1 draws against lesser sides (despite having more and better chances) should have arrived against a team who will surely stay near the top for longer than the likes of Hartlepool, Luton, Port Vale, etc.

Maybe, just maybe there are signs this young team of our's is starting to gain in self-confidence.

Goals Change Matches (and Seasons as Well?) - Brighton 1-4 City

Sat 15th - it remains to be seen to what extent this match, almost alone of those so far this season, has provided more answers than questions.

A 4-1 away win to a higher-placed side is a big win in anybody's language but - as always with a big win (e.g. City 5-0 Notts Co) - you have to consider the possibility that it says more about the losers than the winners. Form team Barnsley at the Gate on Saturday will surely provide a stiffer test of whether City's new-found confidence in front of goal heralds a genuine turning point in this season's fortunes.

Much was made of the manager's selection of Tinnion and Wilkshire in midfield without the services of a holding midfielder. It remains to be seen whether this was a case of him choosing a horse for the Brighton course, or if it represents a sea-change in his strategy. In this regard it must be acknowledged that the crucial opening goal owed nothing to the formation but everything to the energy, enthusiasm and self-belief of Luke Wilkshire who's long-overdue but richly deserved first league goal it was.

Good too, to see Chris Roberts register another assist for the forwards, Lee Miller take the one chance that came his way, Kev Amankwaah providing a couple of telling crosses, and Aaron and Matty showing the required hunger and vision to get on the end of things for their goals - more of the same please!

Quick Thought

Are we seeing the birth of the "Third Way"?

Much concern since the opening day goal-glut has focused on City's 'Goals For' column and how come Lee Peacock was converting chances from the same service that others hadn't?

Having waited long enough for a change of luck, thoughts then turned to a dose of what Mark Robins once provided - a lift and a good example. Yet, it could be that the Bradford and Brighton games have pointed to a third solution, i.e. midfielders grabbing a greater share of goals than we've been used to?

Or do we just have to play all our matches on pitches in the middle of a running track?

Shooting Boots Located - Bradford PA 2-5 City

If You Want to Win a Raffle, You Have to Buy a Ticket! ... City 1-1 Luton

Sat 1st - two games of football today - City and City U/17s - both should have been won handsomely but both both finished 1-1 thanks to what can only be described as our dithering in attack.

Against Luton this afternoon I can think of no fewer than five occasions when all that was required was a first time shot on goal but the player either wanted one touch too many, or looked to pass, or otherwise reacted slowly to the situation. Yes, a change of luck is needed but for gawd's sake you've got to make your own and not just wait for something to happen!

Quick Thought

... you would think that Joe Burnell (of all people) scoring a second-minute, first-ever league goal against a team who'd conceded ten in their last two games would be the cue for the floodgates to open, wouldn't you?
Then you are obliged to remember this is Bristol City we're talking about and the players had clearly not read the script.
Instead of taking confidence from his carefully placed, first-time effort, no fewer than fifteen subsequent shots failed to trouble the keeper never mind the net.

City U/17 1-1 Fulham U/17

Sat 1st - in what was to prove a foretaste of things to come at Ashton Gate later in the day, City's U/17s outplayed their Fulham counterparts for long periods (especially in the first half) without being able to find the killer blow. As substitute Leroy Lita (but for referee Leake's aberration) so nearly provided the spark for the senior team, so late substitute Aaron Legister did for Keith Millen's team ... line-ups & action log.

City (4-3-3) - Sam Pearce - Griff Jones, Nathan Best, Mike Taylor, Scott Golbourne - Tom Osman, Danny Wing, Sean Lamb - Elliott Benyon, Shaun Rivers, Dave Cotterill. Subs - Frankie Artus, Willem Puddy, Aaron Legister, Kyle Shallcross, Dean Grubb.

Fulham (4-4-2) - Mark Davidson, Nick Murtagh, Robert Milsom, Aouled Miguil, John Quigley, Adam Watts, Nick Bagley, Callum Legate, Ismael Kouadio, Chris James, Yinka Casal. Subs - Matt Mann (GK), Saeed Sankoh, Wayne Brown, Andrew Ottley, Edwin Twesigomwe.

Min	Action
1	Ref stops game for what seems like hours to talk to City's Taylor about an innocuous challenge on the left touchline.
4	Lovely through ball from Wring to Benyon(?), fouled on centre edge of area; Fulham player lucky not to be booked, not even spoken to. FK wasted.
7	Cotterill skins full back and puts in great cross from left byeline, not met.
16	Best exposed as Kouadio seizes on error but shoots wide.
22	Mazy run from Cotterill, cutting in for right foot shot, superbly tipped round by Davidson.
24	Wring puts Cotterill clear, leads to period of pressure including two good close-range saves by Davidson and a lovely cross by Golbourne
26	Sublime cushioned header from Rivers plays Benyon in but not enough loft on his attempted lob.
27	Mistake on right of City defence lets Fulham in; Pearce parries shot onto post and Golbourne clears off the line.
32	Cotterill creates a couple of chances for himself but overplays things, eventually shooting wide.
36	Lamb plays Cotterill in, squared to Benyon on 6yds who turns it into keeper's hands.
37	Cross from Golbourne nodded over by Rivers
38	Best missed his tackle on right, Pearce blocks header from resulting cross
39	Cotterill plays Benyon in, halted by fine covering tackle
40	Cotterill through ball to Benyon, again chips into keeper's hands
41	Lamb beaten in midfield, Osman booked for bringing James down on edge of area (cf minute 4 above). FK deflected for corner which Benyon clears at near post.
43	Superb work by Wring before freeing Cotterill, leads to a well-stuck shot by Golbourne being blocked.
H/T	0-0 City all over the Londoners but not taking their chances and showing signs of vulnerability at the back
46-50	Scrappy period of play notable for City being caught offside three times as Fulham seek to play a higher line.
54	Ref goes into tilt as he awards two fouls against Osman - the first of which certainly wasn't, the second shoulder-to-shoulder if a fraction late - Artus on for Osman
60	0-1 - soft goal to visitors as Pearce fumbles a dolly cross from James FK and the ball is eventually scrambled over the line.
63	Cotterill bursts through, holds his man off well and produces a fine save from Davidson diving left.
64	Fulham's Casal booked for a foul. Legister on for Benyon
67	Spiteful hack through the back of Cotterill completely ignored by ref, subsequent 50-50 awarded to Fulham
68	Pearce puts earlier handling error behind him with two good catches
69	Possession conceded in midfield, Best does well to put striker off at expense of corner
72	Best misses cross to leave Kouadio a free header which he puts wide
73	Crowded own penalty area at corner leaving ball to break to Fulham player on edge who shot wide
77	1-1 - Legister freed down the right by Artus, cut inand delivered a cracking shot deflected off defender for a good parry by Davidson but Cotterill poaches the rebound
81	Wring trips Brown 25 yds out. Fulham take it quickly as ref still lining up wall, First shot saved, retake wasted.
83	Another good ball from Artus to Legister leads to corner which no City player attacks.
85	Wring booked for dissent following yet another pernickity decision by the ref (who's interpretation of the laws of the game throughout seemed better suited to girl guides than young men) - Wring subbed by Grubb
88	Fulham FK fumbled over for a corner, cleared
90	Rivers shoots wide but offside anyway. Legister almost wins the day with a fine driving run from the left ending in a good shot tipped onto post and out for a corner by the useful looking Davidson. Again no challenge from City for the corner.

City Eyecatchers: Wring (combative, good touch and vision), Cotterill (pacy, tricky and will surely learn to release when necessary), Legister (rescued the game and nearly won it, watch this space!)

OCTOBER 2003

Overview - Five Goals Adrift

There is good news as well as bad so we may as well start by getting it out of the way - it won't take long ... we've conceded fewer goals and lost fewer matches than at the same stage last season. There that's done!.

Pos	CITY	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts	PPM
11	2003/04	16	5	8	3	18	13	+5	23	1.47
4	2002/03	16	11	0	5	31	15	+16	33	2.06

Oh, and the goals conceded is also just better than the pro rata allowance derived from the 2pts/game target (defined in Squadfacts); sadly, nothing else is but that doesn't mean the situation is irretrievable. It would have needed just five more goals scored in four of the drawn games and one of the odd goal defeats to have set the record on track ...

	CITY	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts	PPM
	2003/04	16	5	8	3	18	13	+5	23	1.47
Target		16	9	5	2	24	14	+10	32	2.00

... anyone who saw matches like Hartlepool, Peterborough, Sheff Weds and Port Vale, for example, will know the chances have been there but not been taken. In fact the same number of shots have been taken as last season but only 18 have been rewarded compared to 31 in 2002/03.

If you consider a promotion team should need no more than 6 shots per goal then how frustrating is it, as shown in Matchfacts, that in a dozen of the games so far enough shots have been taken to score twice but it has only been achieved on three occasions?

First Goal Scored				Shots Per Goal
	For	Nil	Agin	Shots	Goals	For	Shots	Goals	Agin
2003/04	8	2	6	176	18	9.8	143	13	11.0
2002/03	11	0	5	176	31	5.7	164	15	10.9

BCL! Player of the Month:Craig Woodman - versatilty, poise and intelligence.

October Diary

Peacock - Proudlock Deadlock ... City 1-1 Sheff Weds

Sat 25th - after earlier frustration before the visitors were allowed to take the lead, Lee Peacock finally found the net from Craig Woodman's measured left wing cross; City had the better chances to take all three points in the closing minutes but again struggled to hit the target.

The start had been bright enough but City had started to put pressure on themselves with wayward passing in the minutes leading up to Wednesday's opener.

No team is as bad as its worst performance or as good as its best.

The problem is that once the best and worst have been disregarded, this season's stats are distinctly mid-division - particular the ratio of shots to goals scored.

Also, one of the matches thus discarded is Notts Co. where all five were scored by front men - underlining that the subsequent poor creativity and finishing is actually shared throughout the team.

Let's hope our representatives on the field get it together soon.

"El Motor" becomes "El Moron" ... Wycombe 3-0 City

Tue 21st - captain Tommy Doherty's dreadful disciplinary record plumbed new depths tonight and took away any chance of nicking the points ... another "performance" without a single shot on target and this against a team who are bottom and with a caretaker manager ... yet another "test of character" failed ... too peed off and too busy in the day job to write any more. Like my old grannie used to say "fine words butter no parsnips", it's time for ACTION from this lot!

Stalemate in North Wales ... Wrexham 0-0 City

Sat 18th - nothing ... much ... to .. say! (in the style of Phil ... Tottle). U/17s on a roll. Goals and assists pages updated.

City Take a Dive in Devon ... Guzz 4-0 City

Tue 14th - no Millenistad distractions this year then! Pity Jer again who had to go all the way there just to start the bike ride to Wrexham.

Petering Out - Slack City Chuckaway Chance to go Third ... City 1-1 Posh

Fri 10th - for the fourth time this season already, City failed to fully capitalise on taking the lead, thereby allowing the opposition to steal another two points from our bag. The total number of points dropped in this way is now only one point behind the whole of last season and is despite being far meaner in defence ... more

The finger therefore points to the attack again for failing to consolidate a good start; this game was a classic example of the problem as we were completely dominant for all but the first four minutes of the first half, i.e. after Phillips' penalty save from Arber. Several chances went begging but, more to the point, numerous good crosses from both flanks particularly from Luke Wilkshire didn't even lead to an effort on goal because nobody got on the end of them. It was disconcerting to see the forward pairing of Miller and Peacock either both making the same run or not making the run at all on so many occasions; on one break four players all made the run into the box and no one hung back on the edge of the area - oh for a specialist goalscoring coach!

Going in 1-0 at half-time must have felt like 2-0 because of the missed penalty but was no reason for the strangely subdued second-half performance; Peterborough clearly took heart and applied themselves to their task while too many of our counter-attacks faded to nothing. Their equaliser in the end was no less than they deserved and while questions must be asked as to how Kanu was allowed so much space to cross, Logan's finish was a classic example of what our forwards have not being doing.

Bad Day for the Moonies ... City 2-1 Swindle

Sat 4th - spirited display secures the points to see the Pride of the West leapfrog near neighbours from the Thames Valley.

SEPTEMBER 2003

Overview - Trilateral Thinking

One place higher than we were at the end of Sept 2002 with one point fewer, although Sheff Weds are playing their game in hand as I write and may leap-frog over us. A very similar first quarter of the season this time then, except for the tellingly fewer number of goals conceded from the same number of opposition shots - fine testament to the extra attention the coaching staff have focused on this area in the aftermath of Murray's departure.

Pos	CITY	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts	PPM
7	2003/04	11	4	5	2	14	7	+7	17	1.55
8	2002/03	11	6	0	5	17	13	+4	18	1.63

If the defence has shown great improvement, unfortunately, things have proved more difficult at the sharp end of the pitch where the finishing has been somewhat less than clinical. Moreover, the second strand of the post-Murray strategy echoes the problems encountered during his 14-match barren spell in Jan/Feb which is to try and share the goals around the team more. So far the midfield/flank players have come up short to the tune of around a goal each but there are signs that they are starting to get into scoring positions more often ... fingers crossed!

The third strand of the management's strategy is not a new one: it is simply to make sure that the players on the pitch at all times pass and move the ball (and themselves) at the higher tempo that so many teams in this division find it so difficult to cope with.

First Goal Scored				Shots Per Goal
	For	Nil	Agin	Shots	Goals	For	Shots	Goals	Agin
2003/04	7	1	3	130	14	9.3	108	7	15.4
2002/03	6	0	5	117	17	6.9	106	13	8.2

The good news is that the results achieved against Watford, QPR and Plymouth in the last week of this month have gone a long way to restoring a positive mental attitude in both the squad and, hopefully, the Ashton Gate crowd. Nothing worthwhile was ever achieved without it because the first step to doing it is to believe that you can.

This isn't to be confused with wishful thinking, it goes far deeper than that, it is about self-belief - the sort of self-belief that makes Joe Burnell physically and mentally tough enough to go out there and face down those big ugly second division heavers on our behalf despite the unmitigated carp that has been hurled at him recently. That is why he is hereby named the Bright Cider Life Player of the Month!

September Diary

Measured Progress Against Pilgrims ... Plymouth 0-1 City

Tue 30th - for the first time in most fans' lifetimes City ave gone down to Guzz and come away with all the points ... rejoice!

Set Piece Jinx Strikes Again, So Does Windy, So Does Ref ... QPR 1-1 City

Sat 26th - great character shown to come from behind then hang on for a point with ten men at a difficult place to visit.

Plus - bring on the Saints! (Carling Cup Rnd 3)

"Windy" Gives 'em What For! ... City 1-0 Watford (Carling Cup R2)

Tues 23rd - Lee Miller got his just deserts for some unlucky recent performances by heading home a real confidence booster four minutes into extra time. This victory over higher league opposition may prove to be the turning point and let's hope for a good showing at Loftus Road on Saturday.

Consistently Inconsistent? ... City 0-1 Port Vale

Sat 20th - last season I didn't actually see City lose for myself until the Wigan game in January; I don't get to many aways and the only home game I'd missed was the 1-3 defeat at the hands of QPR. That was on the same weekend corresponding to this reverse ... what we wouldn't give for it to trigger a similar trot of form through this Autumn and early Winter! ... more

By all accounts, City turned in a bright enough first half against Vale but disappeared in the second. Only one selection was different to that which convincingly beat Tranmere on Tuesday night with Matthews coming in for the injured Peacock; bearing in mind he's only completed two reserve matches after missing almost a year through back trouble, it was only natural that he'd find things tough. But can that really explain the team's collective lack of drive? ... of course not.

Otherwise, it seems the same old story with our best chances eluding the net, the Ashton Gate crowd all too quickly losing its patience (Joe Burnell being this year's target for the self-indulgent morons who'd rather turn on their own than support the team) ... and then we concede, once again from the second-ball at a set piece.

Toughen up City and get going!

Tempo, Tempo, Tempo ... City 2-0 Tranmere

Tues 16th - after a shaky first few minutes where Tranmere shaped the better, City's necessary high tempo was set by a surging run through the midfield by Aaron who then found Matt H outside him. Their partnership down the left then became a feature of the night, often instigated by a quick throw from Phillips; the second half also saw Lou Carey take the chance to make one or two surging runs in support of Roberts on the other flank ... more

Whenever possible City moved the ball quickly, encouraging (or encouraged by) better running off the ball than in some previous matches; this, note, mirrors the criticism Wilson expressed of Wilkshire's involvement. It doesn't mean that Luke is "brown bread" it just means that if he saw last night's performance he'll have a better idea of what to work on in training ready for his next match day involvement.

Only so much of the tempo is your own hands though, viz. the quick movement of the ball, and the running on and off it. What you can't legislate for is officialdom of the monumental incompetence displayed by Mr Tomlin - pedantically holding play up to make needless bookings (while ignoring elbows) then changing the configuration of both teams as a natural consequence of the "standard" he'd set for the evening.

Through all the changes of personnel and formation (voluntary and forced), City showed great character and a determination to dictate tempo and thereby control the game. If this attitude can be carried through the rest of the season, irrespective of who plays or where (since injuries/suspensions will make calls on the whole squad), then we'll be laughing.

Butter Fingers - City Let it Slip Again ... Oldham 1-1 City

Sat 13th - the good news is that City have taken the lead in five out of seven league matches so far. The bad news is the opposition have already been allowed to reclaim a point as many times as in the whole of last season and we're now four consecutive wins off the 2pts/match pace ... time for the players to get their fingers out!

Rezzie's Still Knocking 'em In ... City 4-4 Cheltenham Town

Weds 10th - but they leave the back door open this time! ... Rezzies

Sky's Limited ... Bournemouth 0-0 City

Sat 6th - on a day when City fan Marcus Trescothick was setting up a potential series squaring victory with his maiden Test double-century, the objects of his devotion were performing with rather less quality on the South coast. The video of one particularly dangerous cross from the left by Roberts that nobody could be bothered to attack should be required viewing at the training ground ... Matchfacts

AUGUST 2003

Overview - Feeling Our Way

Providing Notts County manage to stay in business, August's results show a marginal improvement on a year ago. Looking for patterns, last year we were giving away penalties and/or getting men sent off away from home ... then losing. This term it is more like we're conceding from set pieces ... then drawing!

Pos	CITY	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts	PPM
7	2003/04	5	2	2	1	9	4	+5	8	1.60
10	2002/03	6	3	0	3	7	5	+2	9	1.50

Big scorelines invariably say more about the vanquished than the victors and City's 5-0 win over Notts County is probably a case in point. Apart from that game City have only scored four league goals from 60 attempts (which is poor) while conceding the same number from 39 shots makes it look even worse. However, none of the goals conceded were from open play and with no shortage of chances created, a change of luck and resolve in each box may be all that's needed to see the season really lift off.

First Goal Scored				Shots Per Goal
	For	Nil	Agin	Shots	Goals	For	Shots	Goals	Agin
2003/04	4	0	1	77	9	8.6	49	4	12.3
2002/03	3	0	3	65	7	9.2	61	5	12.2

It is not uncommon for teams beaten in play-offs to suffer some reaction. In City's case I believe there are no mental scars with the squad viewing last season's showing as a springboard for better things this season. It could be that the extended end of last season has seen a low-key pre-season in physical terms which will work its way through as players continue to get games under their belts. Also the departure of Scoot and the arrivals of Miller and Wilkshire will take time to accommodate into the team's dynamic.

BCL! Player of the Month: Lee Peacock

August Diary

Cardiff Express Sinks Grimsby Fleet ... City 1-0 Grimsby

Sat 30th - for 45 minutes of a highly absorbing but frustrating second-half it seemed that the only ingredient missing from City's performance was to be luck. Much credit goes to Grimsby's defence for the number of crucial last-ditch blocks they managed to get in but their keeper would be the last person in the ground to know how the ball didn't go in on at least two occasions when it simply hit him! ... more

Once again those selfless types who leave early so the rest of us can drive home after the traffic were left to rue missing the final drama. Stoppage time had just been called as Christian Roberts latched onto a ball over the top and cooly slotted home to cap a non-stop high tempo 90 mins for the Welshman. Ashton Gate held its breath as former favourite Darren Barnard lined-up a free kick but there was to be no cruel twist.

A very much improved showing which owed much to the injection of pace from both Roberts and Aaron Brown returning from suspension. Referee Mr Armstrong (Berks)? - the most competent official seen thus far but then he's had zero competition.

Also - superb result for U/19s, darwing 1-1 against Man Utd courtesy of a Joe Anyinsah goal (and I don't mean Mangotsfield!), U/17s went down 1-3.

On Yer Bike City! ... Colchester 2-1 City

Tue 26th - pity poor Jer Boon who has set himself the target of cycling to every City match this season, any more of this soft defending and wanton finishing and every mile of his journey is going to seem like a marathon.

Pedestrian Display ... City 1-1 Monkey-Hangers

Sat 23rd - For all that it is possible to point to three top-class saves by the visiting keeper in the first-half, the truth is this was a lack-lustre performance from a City team who never reached anything like the tempo required to bury workmanlike teams like Hartlepool ... more

Even the superb individual effort from Lee Peacock that opened the scoring shortly after half-time was not enough to spark the game to life. Most noticeably, with Scoot gone, Aaron still suspended and Christian Roberts warming the bench there is a distinct lack of pace in the side.

Hartlepool's efforts were restricted to set plays but unfortunately we've developed a habit of conceding from them too easily; Strachan hit the post from a free kick in the first-half and their equaliser duly arrived in this fashion with a quarter of an hour to go. Perhaps we should concentrate on not giving the likes of referee Mr A.Hall (W.Midlands) the excuse to blow his whistle quite so much?

Also - the academy programme got underway with defeats for both the U/17 and U/19 teams at home to Sheff Utd - unfortunately, M4/M32 congestion prevented my attendance.

There's No 'I' in TEAM ...

Fri 22nd ... but there is in Lee-I-AM! (City shafted by sour Rosenior)

Copy-cat Scoreline in Rezzies' Opener ... City 5-0 Oxford Utd Res

Wed 20th - No "Lees" among the U/21's scorers but a bright start anyway.

Season-on-Season Progress ... Chesterfraud 1-1 City

Sat 16th - This result makes us a point better off than at the same stage last August, as well as being a point better off in rematches against last season's results.

That'll do Nice Lee! ... City 5-0 Notts County

Sat 9th - We will certainly play far better sides than County who offered little resistance other than a couple of long range efforts and a string of niggling fouls, curiously few of which resulted in yellow cards ... more

It was pleasing to see:

successful debuts for Miller and Wilkshire,
solid evidence of more routes to goal than hitherto,
a cleansheet.

It was less pleasing to see that the standard of officiating remains dismally low, in particular, Lee Peacock twice and Mickey Bell once were "sawn-off" by linesman Mr A.J.Horton from W.Midlands.

2003/04 Preview - BR1STOL EXPECTS!

Thurs 7th August - Last season saw Danny Wilson's young and predominantly Bristolian City squad take another step forward, as they have done in each successive year of his tenure.

The third place league finish was just an out-of-place goal or two away from glory and has set the standard for the season ahead.

Importantly, landing the LDV Trophy showed the team could also live with the burden of favoritism. This should stand us in good stead as perennial hopes of automatic promotion have turned to expectation for 2003/04.

The target, however, should be pitched rather higher - nothing less than the club's first Championship since 1955 should be this season's aim ... bring it on! ... more ...

The nucleus of the team will doubtless see little change from last season with only Scott Murray having moved on for 600k (good money for a 30yo). In return, two good young players in Lee Miller and Luke Wilkshire have been recruited and will between them be expected to find a fair proportion of the 18 league goals Scott scored last year.

More important though will be the different dimensions they can bring to our attack. Hopefully, we will see fewer blanks fired than in 2002/03; it seems odd that the division's leading goalscorers with 79 in total (also the team with the best shots per goals scored ratio, should have failed to score in 11 league matches (13 when you include the play-offs).

If we are looking to draw first blood in around 30 matches then with the departures of Scoot, Beadle and Mark Robins there are 15 left in the team. Lee Peacock looks fitter for the purpose than for some time and can surely grab an improved share.

At the other end of the pitch a few too many soft goals were let in, particularly damaging were the number of penalties conceded away from home when scores level (red cards didn't help either). A more familiar back-line should see an improvement in that department and it would be better, I feel, if they left the far-post crosses to the goalkeeper.

A tighter defence and a more varied attack sounds alright to me ... Onward BristolCity!

CONTACT

LAST UPDATE:

17 Nov 2008

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2003/04 Season

League Record

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Quick Facts

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The Road to 92pts

Points Per Match (PPM)

W

D

L

F

A

Pts

PPM

So far:

To go:

First Goal Scored (FGS)

No

Mins

W

D

L

F

A

Pts

For

0-0

Agin

Cleansheets 17 - 10 Blanks Fired

Shots Per Goal (SPG)

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Net Effect: 0pts

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PPM

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46

Apr (44)

Mar (39)

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Jan (28)

Dec (24)

Nov (20)

APRIL 2004

MARCH 2004