Owls v Bristol City Match Day Thread

[Holmowl]

SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY v BRISTOL CITY

          Saturday 24th Feb – KO 3pm

 

We welcome Bristol City to our magnificent stadium.

 

I love Bristol and in particular the Bristolian accent. Always have. I looked for some short video examples of the rich, warming accent, from the likes of Stephen Merchant or Ian Holloway, but instead, YouTube led me to something I never ever knew. Apparently, when speaking, the good folk of Bristol add an L onto the end of most words that end in a vowel. Bingo becomes Bingol, potato becomes potatol etc etc… I never knew that. Here’s a BBC interviewer asking Bristolians about it:

 

 

One of Bristol City’s most loved and most successful managers was a fella by the name of Alan Dix (not spelt with an x but if I spell it the correct way the swear filter isn’t going to play). He even took them to the Prem, or 1st Division in old money. There’s a lovely story about the latter days of his reign at City, early 80s, when they’d begun to decline, and the fans were falling out of love with him. Supposedly, City fans took banners to a home game, proclaiming “Dix Out”. 
 

Good eh? But wait, it gets better. Apparently, it was a game against Derby County, managed by Arthur Cox….you’ve guessed it; Cox was just as unpopular with the Derby fans (nothing changes there) so the Derby fans brought banners calling for “Cox Out”.  
 

“Dix Out” and “Cox Out” at the same match – brilliant!  Accrington Stanley have a new Goalkeeping coach called Neil Tietz. If ever he gets the Manager’s job, I’m getting a season ticket.

 

Let’s look at how City’s current manager, Liam Manning, is doing. My sincere thanks to City fan @Jerseybean who kindly sent me the following. Really appreciate that mate . Hope you lose of course, but please give Swansea, Plymouth, Huddersfield and Stoke a good spanking for us, if you’d be so kind:

 

“Liam Manning is settling as our new Head Coach after the hierarchy made the surprise decision, back in the autumn, to dispense with popular Nigel Pearson after defeat at Cardiff.

 

How's the season gone so far?

 

A right mixed bag. Beaten the teams below us, fared less well against the teams above us. Injuries haven’t helped. On our day we’ve looked good, and even when losing by the odd goal away at both Leeds and Leicester we gave a reasonable account of ourselves, but there was an undoubted quality gap. That’s parachute payments for you.

 

We are pretty solid defensively, but goals have been hard to come by at the other end. That is reflected by 38 goals for and 36 against from 32 matches.

 

We are about as mid-table as you can be - apart from being very slightly above average in the league table where we are 11th. I know most fans will say this, but we’ve probably left a few points out there on the pitch too. We are a tough team to play against when our better players are fit and available.” 
 

Thanks Jerseybean. Quality. Always welcome on here. 

 

 

“Mid-table”. Sounds amazing, doesn’t it? What we’d give to be mid-table. And yet, daft as it sounds, this is a game between two evenly matched teams. Here’s our respective form since we drew at home to Leicester:

 

            Wednesday P16 W7 D2 L7 Pts 23   

            Bristol City   P16 W5 D4 L7 Pts 19   
 

Whatever timeframe you look at over recent months, say the last 8 games, last 12 games etc…the two teams would be close. Our match would be a care-free game between two mid-table teams, had we not been handed a 15-point penalty by our very own kryptonite, Munõz the Magnificent.
 

Absolutely nothing to choose between the two sides. Maybe we go in with more desire, as surely City don’t really think they can overhaul the six teams they’d need to pass to make the play-offs. Nine games ago they were one point off 6th place but since then they’ve hit the buffers with only 9 points and two wins from nine games (we’ve 13 points and 4 wins – we don’t do draws do we?).

 

But they do have pretty decent recent away form:

 

                     Boro 2-1 W

                     Coventry 2-2 D

                     Preston 0-2 L

                     Birmingham 0-0 D

 

They also enjoyed a totally unexpected home beating of Southampton, but hopefully last Saturday’s defeat at home to QPR will have burst their balloon. Seemingly City were awful. 

 

And let’s not forget how tight the return fixture was. An undeserved 1-0 defeat, despite Bannan’s unjust red card in the 30th minute. That came from some suicidal playing out from the back. There were clear signs at Millwall that Danny might have tempered our use of playing out. I’m hoping we continue to see a bit less of it from now on.

 

City are largely injury-free. Scott Twine is back this weekend. (Is it just me or does he seem to be in every team we play?) They did lose a midfielder to injury this week, Sam Bell. It looks a potential season-ending one. If the Bristol Evening Post doesn’t run with the headline “Bell End?” the journo should be drummed out of the National Union of Journalists.

 

The bookies can barely call it. They’ve Wednesday as very slight favourites. I think that’s spot on at Hillsborough.

 

If we go behind, chill. Who can forget this come-back, courtesy of Kieran Lee? I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my son for persuading me to leave at 2-2. I’ll never forget the third goal cheer……..as we were walking down Leppings Lane towards the car. Thanks son.

 

 

Who will Danny pick? I wouldn’t change a thing. We’ve had a full week to recover from mauling the Lions, and if it ain’t broken…

 

                                  Beadle

           Pol  Palmer  Ihiekwel  Bernard  Marvel 

               Povedal  Vaulks  Bannan  Musabal

                                   Ugbol   

 

By the way, that’s 8 (eight!) changes from the side which started at Ashton Gate on 4th November. The bench could look a lot stronger too, with Iorfa back available according to Danny.  

 

After that superb win at Millwall, and with Rotherham and Plymouth to follow, 3 points against City would put us in unbelievable shape to pass a few rivals over the next 10 days. We can do this!!

 

I can’t wait for 3pm, and yet I’m expecting to sit there hating every single minute of it. I can’t see there being more than one goal in it, so I’m guaranteed 95 minutes of anguish, stress and pain. Extra statins and alcohol on stand-by. 

 

Who’d be a football fan, eh? 

 

COYOL

 

Danny, Danny Röhl

[Owls_fan_since_1983]

We could do with three points tomorrow and others slip up 

[thewookieisdown]

The Bristol "l" was quite rare even forty or fifty years ago when I was growing up there (we moved there when I was six). But you did occasionally hear it in the wild. An old boy who talked of his friend Monical springs to mind

[A47Owl]

I thought it was Saturday when I saw the thread title. 

Don't do that to us old and confused. It's hard enough keeping up with the days without getting thrown a curve ball on OT.

Anyway great MDT . I'll read all of it tomorrow on match day so I get in the mood.

[WalthamOwl]

It’s another must win. My daughter’s first game tomorrow. Feel quite cruel taking her to be honest, could be years of Wednesday heartbreak ahead for her. 

[Costello 77]

13 minutes ago, WalthamOwl said:

It’s another must win. My daughter’s first game tomorrow. Feel quite cruel taking her to be honest, could be years of Wednesday heartbreak ahead for her. 

What position is she playing?

[Drewswfc]

Earlier every week. It'll be here on Thursday by the ime we play QPR.

Need to win this one. 2-0 Wednesday 

UTO

[Morepork]

When I hear that accent my thought process goes like this.......Bristol accent = West Country = Fred & Rose West. 

 

Thanks @Holmowl appreciating your work. 

 

3 points please. 

[REDOWL]

Thank you @Holmowl once again for an excellent thread,this must be the longest job interview you've ever had.

WAWAW 

 

[Lowry]

3-0 

 

Ugbo hat trick

 

NAIL3D 0N

 

 

[doubleo]

Thanks Holmowl. Really need this one. I’m hoping our need and home advantage might just tip the scales in our favour.

[REDOWL]

1 hour ago, WalthamOwl said:

It’s another must win. My daughter’s first game tomorrow. Feel quite cruel taking her to be honest, could be years of Wednesday heartbreak ahead for her. 

You wont regret it mate, just think of all those years ahead when your daughter is taking you as mine does now.

[31Dec1966]

Before the 3-2 game we were trapped in the Rawson Spring by torrential rain.   It abated a bit so made a run for the ground but were still soaked when we got there though we expected it to be postponed.  At half time we wished it had been called off !  At full time we were glad it wasn't.

Brilliant game, lets hope for the same result tomorrow.

Great match day thread.

[BrizzleOwl]

'Ow bist me babber! The 'l' thing made oi larf when I first moved down. Used to crack me up when the mother-in-law would go to Asdal's to do her shopping. Used to have plenty of fun with it, and they'd give it back with an "eyup" or "eh bah gum" (though I don't think I ever heard that when up in Sheff). Stereotypes innit. All good harmless fun though. My all time favourite was "Thee's gott'n where thee casn't back'n hasn't" which translated to "I'm afraid, good sir, that you have gotten yourself into a rather difficult predicament from which you will have great trouble extracating yourself from". Think it came from a Wurzels song.

I'm going 1-0 Wednesday, fancying a bit of Poveda(l)  action.

[sternlad]

Nicely done Holmey! It’s the early bird that catches the owlstalker (is that owl stalker, or owls talker?) fooktifarknow!

[New Zealand Owls]

That record as OMDT author must be improving now @Holmowl? 

 

First goal vital tomorrow me thinks.

 

We have a striker in form and you know what I think that might make the difference:

 

2-1 Tugboat and Neymarv. 

 

Also will be great to have Big Dom back, we need to ease him in as he will be vital for the run in.

[debram]

3 hours ago, Owls_fan_since_1983 said:

We could do with three points tomorrow and others slip up 

Too good to be true if that happens. 

[kilnhurstowl]

After SWFC produced a win @Holmowl was given a life line. 

Are the team behind @Holmowl match day threads or was it a one off. 

Some fans are still discontent. 

Come on let's get the win otherwise we will be searching for yet another match day threader 

[sternlad]

29 minutes ago, New Zealand Owls said:

That record as OMDT author must be improving now @Holmowl? 

 

First goal vital tomorrow me thinks.

 

We have a striker in form and you know what I think that might make the difference:

 

2-1 Tugboat and Neymarv. 

 

Also will be great to have Big Dom back, we need to ease him in as he will be vital for the run in.

Is big Dom back or only on the way back? I know he’s training, but has he had any U21 minutes?

[Belgradeowl]

I reckon Owls fans are right behind you Holmowl.  Another excellent MTD and time you made it ‘Official’.  Your timing gives (most of) us time to read, smile, laugh a bit and digest your  content and then enjoy the luxury of going to sleep knowing that all is in place in the football world, where we giddily  dream of another three points!!  Thank you!