If they're being honest, I don't think many Bristol City fans will feel that Cardiff City didn't deserve something out of the Severnside derby game. Once again on Saturday lunchtime, us Robins fans were left with a feeling of déjà vu and another case of what might have been. It was another game that we let a lead slip late on and poor substitutions, game management and tactical awareness cost us.

In his post-match press interviews frustrated head coach Liam Manning felt the congested Championship schedule had a part to play in his side not coming away with the all-important victory. Manning said, "I feel for the lads a little bit because they left it all out there. When you look at it the schedule is just ridiculous this week, I don't get why we have to play at 12:30 today.

"We've had a day less and I just think it becomes a little bit neglectful on the players when you cram in so many games unnecessarily. I don't get why we've done this week. We played Sunday, we played Wednesday night, and we've played early on a Saturday. It's just unnecessary for me, I don't understand why they do it."

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I agree with Liam on the scheduling, however, I don't agree that to a player, the "lads" left it all out there. There were several poor performances from Manning's side and only a few of the team really put everything into it. The Championship is relentless but it's the same for all teams in the league and it was the head coach himself that opted to name an unchanged starting line-up. If Liam was concerned about the congestion and the impact that it would have then why not change it?

That's what a squad is for and with all the analysts and information available you should know the loads that players can cope with. Ross McCrorie left the field with what looked to be another hamstring injury in the 57th minute and was that down to the load placed on him? We wish Ross well and a speedy recovery.

On Wednesday night Mark Sykes played right wing-back and delivered a superb cross into the box from for Anis Mehmeti to open the scoring. McCrorie was many fans' man of the match playing as a left wing-back against Stoke City and yet Liam opted to switch them both around on Saturday and I would love to understand why. Similarly, the head coach opted to switch Anis Mehmeti and Scott Twine around. Why?

In various pre-match interviews, a few players referenced the importance of the Severnside derby game but perhaps only Zak Vyner and Max O'Leary are aware of just how much it means to us fans. Certainly, for the opening period of the game or in fact the first half you wouldn't have known that this was a derby game. Where was the blood and thunder? Where was the absolute determination to win the battle?

It was one of the most abject displays I've seen in that first half. It was nowhere near the levels that I would expect in a game of this magnitude and in a game that had we won, would have seen us occupy the final play-off place, even if only for a couple of hours. I can't help but wonder if this squad truly believe that they can make the play-offs this season. Two weeks running we have been presented with an opportunity to get into the top six and on both occasions we have failed to rise to the occasion. I wonder if the never getting too high and never getting too low emotions displayed by Manning have an impact. Do we need more emotion?

As I said, the first half was pretty much a non-event. The switch of Sykes and McCrorie didn't work and was obvious from early on. Why not change it back? Mehmeti, who was good on Wednesday night and scored twice, couldn't get into the game and Twine was anonymous.

There is no doubting our marquee summer signing's ability to unlock opposition defences with a clever pass or his dead-ball prowess, but he must give us more than that. I get the argument that Twine can score a goal out of nothing but is that enough at the business end of the season? I expect more from a player of Twine's ability and I'm assuming by his halftime substitution that Manning feels the same. Twine was booked for dissent, having been denied a free-kick which looking back on the TV, possibly should have been given. Again the number 10's reputation perhaps goes before him. Referees almost expect him to simulate a foul and don't award a free-kick even when Twine has been fouled. I think that's six bookings for Twine and I reckon four or five of them have been for dissent.

Sykes, who received treatment in the pre-match warm-up, was also withdrawn at halftime, with Yu Hirakawa and Sam Bell coming on. I'm sounding more and more like a broken record, but you have a ready-made left wing-back in Elijah Morrison on the bench but choose once again to ignore him. Does Manning just not trust Elijah? Haydon Roberts isn't playing to the levels needed, with the exception of the Stoke City game, so just give the lad a chance.

The second half did improve and there were some positives. Sinclair Armstrong put in another strong performance, giving the Bluebirds' backline something to think about. You just feel that the big man needs a goal to give him greater confidence and he could push on from there. It was another dominating game from Rob Dickie. Following the season-ending ACL injury to Luke McNally, Rob has picked up the baton as the first ball-winning centre half and headed pretty much everything away, rarely looking flustered.

The second-half showing from Hirakawa caught the eye and on another day, the popular wide man could have got himself a goal, with only a brilliant save from Jak Alnwick denying him. It was from a fantastic dead ball delivery from Yu, that captain Jason Knight opened the scoring. Knight gave his all and it was a well-timed run and a good header that gave us the lead.

Minutes after the opener, Cardiff City boss Omer Riza rolled the dice and brought on former Arsenal and Wales midfielder Aaron Ramsey. It was Ramsey who dragged his team back into the game. Whilst he may be injury-prone and may no longer have the legs to get around the pitch as he once did, he still has an intelligent football brain and he started to dictate the game. With Ramsey's growing influence, I was amazed that Manning opted to replace Mehmeti with George Earthy and continue with two number 10s when surely we needed to get on Ramsey and shore things up. Marcus McGuane had to be the call. We reverted to just aimlessly hoofing the ball upfield and lost all composure. Having substituted Armstrong for Wells, the ball just kept coming back and the 8/1 for Cardiff City to score in the last ten minutes seemed to be a nailed-on banker.

Manning could argue that had we defended better and kept our shape we could have and perhaps should have seen the game out. The goal we conceded was because of too many players making mistakes. George Tanner was too far forward and wide, Zak Vyner got dragged out, Knight lost his man and Roberts was just too weak in his challenge with goal scorer Yousef Salech. At that stage of the game, you must protect your lead and know where the opposition players are. It was such a disappointing goal to concede and a disappointing last 15 minutes from the team.

Manning talks about the progress the team is making and yet his team still show the same fragilities and make the same mistakes, as does the head coach himself, which ultimately I fear will cost us. We are still in the mix, but you can't keep wasting these opportunities and dropping points. We haven't won in the last nine games away from home and that must improve, whilst still picking up wins at home.

Our 3 Peaps in A Podcast player ratings were: Max O'Leary 6, Ross McCrorie 5.5, Zak Vyner 5.5, Rob Dickie 7, Haydon Roberts 5, Mark Sykes 5, Jason Knight 6, Max Bird 5.5 Scott Twine 4.5, Anis Mehmeti 5 and Sinclair Armstrong 7 *MotM.

For the substitutes who must play a minimum of 20 minutes (including injury time), we went: George Tanner 5.5, Yu Hirakawa 6.5, Sam Bell 5 and Nahki Wells 5. A game average player rating of 5.60. That's an overall season-to-date average player rating of 6.14.

For Liam Manning it was 5. In my opinion, the starting formation was strange, and we sat too deep and made the wrong substitutions.

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