City Chat: Lacking width since McIndoe departure (From Gazette Series)

Bristol City fans’ panel by Will Collins

2:00pm Thursday 3rd December 2009 in Sport

SHEFFIELD UNITED boss Kevin Blackwell may well have been spot on when he said ‘only football can do that’ after an emotional rollercoaster of an ending to Saturday’s game at Ashton Gate.

Having been 2-0 down at half-time City got one back through Louis Carey before substitute Alvaro Saborio got what everyone in the ground thought was a late, late equaliser in the fifth minute of second half stoppage time.

But just as City supporters began jubilantly singing ‘2-0, and you messed it up’ to their Sheffield counterparts in the ground, United sealed victory through an excellent finish from Darius Henderson to complete his hat-trick.

City’s frustrating habit for conceding late goals has been running all year, much to the frustration of players, management and fans alike.

In truth though this was a game in which City were their own worst enemy, with a combination of poor finishing and sloppy defending being our downfall. City’s 14 shots on target to United’s 5 tells its own story.

Of perhaps wider concern at the moment though is City’s lack of width. Since Michael McIndoe departed in the summer, so far as I can tell City have just one recognised winger left in the squad - Ivan Sproule. As hard as Ivan works he is very hit and miss, although when he was introduced late in the game on Saturday he had a real impact and his pace and natural width provided the tiring Blades’ defenders with much to think about.

The bottom line is that City’s starting 11 on Saturday contained five central midfielders, four in midfield and Cole Skuse (some people’s player of the season so far) playing in an unfamiliar position at right back. That’s surely too many players playing out of position and it’s a real dilemma for manager Gary Johnson.

The January transfer window isn’t too far away and Johnson has said that a left winger is certainly on his shopping list.

It’s Roy Keane’s Ipswich Town up next for City on Saturday at Ashton Gate (3pm). A win now is quite important if City want to keep pace with the play-off positions. Prediction? A little more tepidly than last week, but a win for City.

Do you agree with Will’s views? Have your say below.