The Exiled Robin

The second fantastic performance in four days at Ashton Gate, last night's win was about as comfortable cup upset as you can get against a Premier League team. Here are my thoughts on the eleven who played, plus Lee Johnson. Luke Steele, 7: Had a surprisingly quietish debut but did everything he was asked. There were one or two moments of uncertainty when balls fell in the dead zone between him and the back four, but that's to be expected on his first appearance. Zak Vyner, 6: May seem harsh, but whilst he mainly did ok there were three moments where he misjudged his positioning, leaving Stoke with chances to capitalise. But largely did well against quality opposition. Aden Flint, 9: Almost faultless. The fact that Peter Crouch shook his hand and applauded him when he was substituted after a completely fruitless evening said it all. No real pace or trickery to threaten his usual weaknesses and made a superb clearance off the line at 0-0. He was the one shouting and ...

With memories of a 6-0 drubbing, amongst other Portman Road defeats, still relatively fresh in the memory, as well as Ipswich’s pedigree at this level, then Suffolk is probably one of the last places City would choose to head towards to right the wrongs of a difficult start to the season. Saying that, a win at Middlesbrough earlier in the season should give them confidence that, on their day, they can go anywhere in this division and get a result. A game that at the start of the season where many might have thought “ah, we’ve got ‘x’ points, it’s not been a bad start and we never do well there. A loss may not be too hard to take” has suddenly into another critical test of City’s credentials at this level. Given the start to the season and our inexperience at this level, many managers of many sides would head into this match considering a 4-5-1 formation to bolster the hitherto porous defensive record. Get ten men behind the ball, keep it tight and if we can snatch a b...

Last week an email popped into my inbox from my Dad, who had decided to pick up the virtual pen and key some thoughts on the start to City's season.  Unfortunately I haven't had a chance to upload this until now, so some comments (especially those on the transfer window) are a touch out of date, albeit, ultimately prophetic!  Over to Mr Binning Snr... "Gary Johnson always used to say that you have to wait for ten games to assess how you are  doing in a new season, and then reassess in ten game blocks. Well as we are fans we don't  need to wait ten games, do we?  We now have an international break after five games and I am  off to the sun (hopefully!) for a week, so that I don't miss a City match. Having seen every minute of every League game so far, I think that four points from five games is  harsh, when set against our performances so far. I suppose it could be a bit of a  reality check that in this much tougher D...

Ahead of the new season, Lee Molland www.twitter.com/Molls28 has written a short-pre-season opinion and issues a rallying call, reminding us all of why we should be so excited about this new season and new adventure "We’re now hours away from the start of the Championship season, and for the first time since his perhaps slightly controversial arrival, Steve Cotterill has City fans split. Not because of results (nobody could doubt that incredible record he has) but due to the lack of transfer activity. Although, let's not forget that we have spent £2.1 million on Jonathan Kodjia. I broke my own rule of getting excited over a YouTube clip! It looks like the boy can get behind defences, but more importantly, finish. Pre-season has been full of speculation over incomings to Ashton Gate, but as time has ticked on, only Kodjia has arrived. Some fans are nervous, some relaxed, some even angry.  Me? I’m backing whatever Mr Cotterill perceives as the right decision f...

It wasn’t Luke Freeman’s skill, Joe Bryan’s crosses, or Aden Flint’s heading. It wasn’t the goals of Aaron Wilbraham or Matt Smith and it wasn’t the agility of Frankie Fielding. It wasn’t even the astute summer purchases, tactical nous and tremendous man management from the gaffer, Steve Cotterill. Hell, it wasn’t even Steve Lansdown’s millions. Nope, the reason Bristol City have had such an incredible season, such success, is down to my lucky purple and lime loom band bracelet! Football people are funny folk, “queer as”, they might have said in the olden days, before it became so politically incorrect. Tales of superstition amongst sportspeople are commonplace, not least with Bristol City’s own manager. Steve Cotterill revealed more than a shade of belief in old gypsy tale style stories in this tremendous Guardian blog http://www.theguardian.com/football/football-league-blog/2014/oct/30/bristol-city-chelsea-steve-cotterill-jose-mourinho-unbeaten and it is clear he is the...

Amidst all the celebrations on the pitch at Wembley last Sunday, and as closely bonded a team as this bunch most evidently are, one player seemed to take a little bit of a lead, be the one who got the fans cheering the loudest. One man seemed to take on the mantle of being the leader of the pack. It wasn’t club captain, Wade Elliott, or the vastly experienced Aaron Wilbraham. It wasn’t even boss Steve Cotterill, who generally allowed his players their well-deserved moment in the sun on their own. No, this figure was a man maligned by many during his first year at the club. A still young player who suffered a torrid time full of own goals and gaffes that threatened to end his City career before it had really started with the blame of relegation ready to be heaped around his shoulders moreso than any other. Indeed, before the start of the season there were considerable question marks over whether he would even be in the first-team squad. But on Sunday evening, Aden Flint m...