Gaffer Talk - Bristol City Welcomed Fans to Watch the Match on TV

Every word Dean Holden said on Bristol City's draw with Swansea City and injuries
Head coach's take following 1-1 result at Ashton Gate.

Are you happier than you were after the Middlesbrough game?
Happier that we’ve got a point, of course, we always go into every game trying to get three points, that’s what we want. Given the circumstances that they were, late on, we take the point and move on, you try not to lose two games on the spin of course. It was important, more than anything, that we got a response after Tuesday and I think we got that.

We dominated the game up until we got to their box, and we created some decent-ish chances without hurting them as much as we'd have liked. But like I say, it’s important that you manage to find a way back into it, and we did that. Pleased with the point and it’s a very big game on Wednesday and I can’t wait for it.

Swansea seem unhappy with the penalty decision, did you get a clear view of it?
I did yes, I’d have been disappointed if it was given against us I have to say, but having said that, we had a stonewall penalty on Tuesday night on Tyreeq Bakinson which wasn’t given, and they do say it evens itself up, but I didn’t expect it to even out four days later I have to be honest! It is what it is.

We kept pushing, we went with four strikers on the pitch at the end of the game to try and win, I’m not going to try and protect a 1-0 defeat and get away with it, we needed to get back into it and I’m pleased that we did.

You made five changes Dean, what does that tell you about the squad you’ve got, that you came out with a result despite the five changes?
I think that apart from the Coventry game, we made two changes after that, we’ve kept the same system and the same players in the preceding games. It just felt that with the three games in one week, and the ones that we’ve got on the horizon, it was the right thing to do to get some energy into the team in key areas on the pitch.

I’ve seen today on the earlier game, Bournemouth vs Watford, that they’ve made four or five changes each and it’s part of the job, you have to make the right call in terms of freshening up the team.

We saw a response, certainly from the game the other night, we still need to be better, we have high standards and we still want to improve of course, but it was good to get a response and the minimum of a point today.

I was impressed by Semenyo in pre-season, and he seems a lot stronger than he was last season, again today he was a handful.
He is a handful, and he deserves his opportunity for his work in pre-season and the impact that he’s made from the bench. Him and Chrissy obviously had a good partnership in the Northampton game, and we saw good signs again today from Antoine.

It’s not easy when you’re coming in and out of the team, but he showed some good signs today. I thought he grew into the game and put in a positive display so I’m happy with him.

What can you tell us about the Alfie Mawson injury and the two new ones today?
Nothing more on Alfie until he sees the specialist on Monday, of the two guys today it looks like Sess has picked up a hamstring and Andi a knee injury. The extent of them, we won’t know for probably 24/48 hours.

Was Weimann a knee injury did you say?
Yes.

What positives can you take out of today Dean, what pleased you most?
We saw a response from the previous game which was hugely important, and then we were up against some adversary with them getting the first goal. We had to show some character, and all the spirit I keep talking about comes out at different times, and we saw that.

We made a positive change when Sess went off, it would’ve been easy to bring Hunty on and go like for like, but we threw an extra striker in there.

Callum O’Dowda ended up at right-wing-back, Jay Dasilva has got minutes under his belt when he hasn’t played for the last few games and did well for 96 minutes. Chris Brunt the same, some minutes, Antoine Semenyo some minutes so there’s plenty of positives to take. We always try and get the three but today it was about ensuring we got the one, we now move on with some confidence.

Was their goal preventable in your eyes?
Yes, it was. We have to look to defend that better, I’ve seen it back. We’re a new team so to speak, and this is the job of coaching, you have to improve as you go, whether you win, lose or draw. Swansea are a good team, they have some Premier League players.

Look at Ayew up top, he’s a handful for anybody, and they’re 12 months ahead of us in terms of their development, this is their second season as a group. I think they’re a really good team who will go close this season, and a point apiece, we take it and move on.

A big game for Taylor Moore after what happened on Tuesday night, how did you feel he came through?
Again it was a game for Tayls to get back onto the bike and he did that so to speak, and the only reason I took him off towards the end was to get an extra striker on, so I went with Zak and Tomas purely because they’re the two quickest centre-backs to guard against their counter-attack. That was the only reason I took him off, I thought he had a positive display.
https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/every-word-dean-holden-said-4638336

 

Not a lot said but not to tecky and you can understand what the bloke is getting at, still played 7, won 4, drawn 2, lost 1, gf 11, ga 6, points 14, 2nd place, I'm not complaining.

 

Bristol City lead cries for fans to be allowed back into stadiums after supporters were welcomed to Ashton Gate... to watch the match on TV

• Teams across the football league are pleading for fans to be allowed to return
  
  • Bristol City's chief executive Mark Ashton has questioned current logic
  • Ashton says it's unfair for fans to be kept away when theatres can now reopen

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/f...sides-issue-desperate-plea-fans-stadiums.html