It’s sometimes quite hard working out what to write in this blog, each week. Who to blame for the loss, what needs to change? Which depressing adjectives are suitable for the most recent performance? How much longer can we all put up with this? There’ll be none of that this time around. A week is a long time in football, ahead of the Blackburn game most fans would’ve been nervously looking at our next three fixtures. I know I was. Suddenly we’re going into Sunday’s game after two good performances, against two very good sides.
I doubt I’ll be alone in thinking we should’ve been two or three down at half-time against Stoke. They dominated possession, dominated play and had much better chances than us for the first 45. When Bakinson’s goal went in, I was in slight disbelief. How have we managed this? Surely this isn’t fair… I certainly wasn’t complaining – the celebrations were brilliant in Section 82. I know that many fans around me were expecting a backs against the wall job in the second half. Stoke had a team with immense quality, players a real knack for grinding teams down. A midfield able to control the game and pick apart defences at will.
Electric Atmosphere at Ashton Gate
I’ll admit I was surprised by our second half performance, I wasn’t expecting it. I knew it would be a tough task to hold on, I wasn’t sure we would do it. When that ‘9’ came up on the fourth official’s board, I think many fans inside Ashton Gate feared the inevitable late equaliser was coming. In the end it didn’t and we all left feeling more than content with what we had all seen. I don’t know anyone who didn’t enjoy that second half. The fans’ enjoyment was audible throughout the game, the atmosphere was excellent.
Considering how little we had of the ball, there were rarely murmurs of discontent or frustration from the crowd. Whenever noise arose from the stands, it was supportive. Rather than shouting aimed at the players, it was chanting. Section 82 are often alone in their constant positivity, I could discuss the atmosphere at Ashton Gate for hours. Wednesday night was different, you got a sense that everyone was desperate to see City get over the line. There was a clear general consensus that they needed our support in that moment. I think the final moments of the Barnsley game a few weeks ago have made the fans realise what sort of impact they can have on the team’s performance. In particular late on in games.
Benarous and Scott: Reasons to Get Excited
Sometimes you need a catalyst for the atmosphere to get going: a big tackle, a poor refereeing decision or someone kicking a boot down the pitch. There were all lots of reasons to make noise in the second half. Two of them are just 18 years old. Benarous and Scott were immense. We’ve never had two 18 year olds playing at the same time as exciting as those two. I’d be interested to know the last time we had two young academy players with as much potential on our books.
You get young players who show brilliant technical ability, like those two have. You get young players who have brilliant physical attributes, like they both have. You rarely get young players so street-wise, so adept at the dark arts. They were drawing fouls, wasting time, running the clock down, getting us throw ins and dragging the team up the pitch. Alex Scott will not be a right wingback for long. He’s far too talented. His two performances in a new, alien position are more a reflection of his all-round game. Rather than his suitability for that position.
It was Ayman Benarous’ first start for us, he took to it like a duck to water. He did the sort of things someone in the twilight of their career may still not know how to do well. He fouled players when they needed to be fouled, he kicked the ball away when it needed to be kicked away and he won free kicks whenever we needed a breather. His tenacity late on that lead to the Joe Allen sending off epitomised his game. Brilliant hard work from a tenacious, technical talent. I doubt we’ll get a huge amount of success this season, I’m certainly not going to be looking at the difference in points between us and 6th anytime soon. I am however looking forward to seeing our two young exciting talents flourish over the next 25 games. Who knows what sort of level they’ll be performing at come the end of the season.