The Pearson Debate - Something Not Mentioned Yet…

[Mr Popodopolous]

6 hours ago, Oh Louie louie said:

Im afraid i see it diffrently mr pop.

You do recall how long it took us to get promoted back in the 00s under steve?

Every season was a dogfight to make the play offs.

Yes the fanbase might have grown the last few seasons.

But if we carry on to struggle, attendences will fall, always has historically.

We are much closer to where he found us then the prem.

Thats a fact.

I mean if we do go down mr pop, you expect 20k to turn up?

Mr kew took us from being bankrupt to being known as the richest club outside the first divsion.

And we were known as that in many circles,

He did that in 5 years mr pop on gates mostly from 6500 to 9000.

 

 

Bit before my time that. I know though that when I started, 1998/99, our attendances at this level ere lower than post the redevelopment at this level.

I also know that attendances fell away in football generally and took some time to recover, expand for a variety of reasons.

Ah when you say Steve, I was thinking of manager. SL of course, I remember Pulis through to GJ, 8 long seasons. 2 playoffs under Wilson, backwards to go forwards. Under Cotts we surged back within 18 months of his arrival, but maybe just his impact.

Would be interesting to know if the core fanbase has grown, surely now bigger than 6.5-9k. Wouldn't like to find out as it would be proof of the drop!

The only thing I do know for sure though. When did SL take over? Summer 2000?

1st 11 seasons of his tenure

2nd tier- 4 seasons

3rd tier-7 seasons

Up to the present,  the 2nd 11 seasons

2nd tier- 9 seasons

3rd tier- 2 seasons

The prior 20 years would be interesting but don't have time to look it up right now.

[Mr Popodopolous]

2 hours ago, Davefevs said:

I so agree.

There are very few of the 60+ LJ/MA signings that I thought were bad players on paper (of the ones I knew anything about), but several where I might’ve questioned a) how they’d fit in to the current or future planned playing system, or b) where they’d get minutes with 2/3 players in front of them.

I don't think the way we often set up at times under him in his latter stages helped either, decent of them got crocked for medium to long term periods. Largely agree with you and Nick though.

If only eh. We'd come across a formula of sorts that in theory could only improve.

         Bentley 

     Moore Kalas Baker

Hunt Nagy Brownhill DaSilva

             Palmer

      Weimann Afobe

Reserves...O'Leary, Maenpaa, Pereira, Williams, Rowe, Massengo, Diedhiou

Smith to come back from injury. Looks good eh!

When 4 of them get injured within the first 6-7 weeks of the season though, that's awful, awful luck!! Take one or two component parts out and the whole dynamic Jun  collapse. Rowe though full respect was less of an outlet than DaSilva, age of Williams makes him less suited to a high line than Kalas and we all know the difference between Afobe and Diedhiou. Nagy really good the 1st game and a half.

Edited October 26, 2021 by Mr Popodopolous

[Robbored]

4 hours ago, Phileas Fogg said:

Well, if that's the case then it's almost an impressive level of ignorance. Almost 40,000 posts yet doesn't recognise a very well known poster.

Harry is not a username I recognised - could be down to the quality of his posts. Who knows?  

[Davefevs]

53 minutes ago, JonDolman said:

Fair enough maybe Lansbury not the right example. Just that I read some very positive things about him, and that performance against us, which probably gave me a false impression as it is only a good game against us!

My general point is a good signing for one club would not necessarily be for us as we don't seem to get the best out of players with how we play. Direct from the back to Martin, generally when we get the ball in okay positions we cross from deep. And defensively becoming more and more all over the place.

LJ had us consistently top half. So I don't think the players were as bad as people seem to suggest. Or LJ had poor players fairly consistently doing better than they were.

Last season hard to really assess due to half our squad missing for months injured.

Every club is a bit of a mess when sacking a manager as they are most often playing poorly losing most games.

Pearson didnt have to make an instant impact like some other managers do, and I wouldn't have expected him to with the injuries. But he has had the advantage of managing us at the end of last season to assess the squad, keep players or let go of so many whose contracts were coming to an end.

It could have been a lot more tricky if many of those dozen or so we let go were still under contract. It was a perfect opportunity for him to change things.

With a transfer window where he said himself he could have looked to bring in loans late, which he doesn't seem keen on. And he only seemed to want a striker in after the signings he had made, but saying it would cost millions means he must rate the strikers he has available to him.

It is early but not been impressed so far. I would be saying the same whoever we brought in as manager.

We don't pass the ball and we look more and more unorganised defensively.

All those different managers we could have gone for would all do things very differently to Pearson and each other. They'd all have their own approach in who they would have offered new deals to, who we sign in the transfer market and most importantly in how they set up the team to play.

But of course stick with Pearson and lets see what he can do. We have to improve very quickly. Looking for a performance against a Barnsley team that are doing terribly.

If we lose against them and deserve to lose then that will be seriously worrying. If we manage an awful undeserved win against them then I'll be delighted to win the game, but still very concerned if see the same as we have recently in and out of possession.

I don't mind 2 up top if done well, I don't really have a preference of any system. Problem we have is we don't really have a pair that has worked so far imo.

Yeah not more attacking going 2 up top. Could be, but depends on how the team plays. 442 can often be a very defensive formation.

Jon. Very fair assessment.

Think we are suffering from chopping and changing. We played more “football” in the opening 6-7 games than we have in the last 4-5.

We were generally solid too. Until Luton we’d not conceded more than 11 shots in a game.

We looked like a team, a bit dour but a team.

We now look like individuals.

Start by going back to a back 4…and everything then stems from that. I don’t think Atkinson suits being “spare” in a three. Baker doesn’t suit being the outside CB either. 

[Davefevs]

6 minutes ago, Robbored said:

Harry is not a username I recognised - could be down to the quality of his posts. Who knows?  

Don’t be silly m. You know full well who he is from an otib point of view. 

[Robbored]

3 hours ago, Harry said:

You misunderstand Robbo. 
I’m suggesting that there are some fans out there who do take an interest in such things and regularly attend other games and they should be utilised. I’m not talking about an average Joe rocking up to any random game, having a few beers with their mates and then saying “yeah, I watched x and they were good”. But more nuanced than that, but I’m sure you knew that already. 

You may not know very much about football yourself but there are plenty of City fans who do grasp the intricacies of the game. 
 

I’m happy to acknowledge that my knowledge of the intricacies of the beautiful game are not as developed as some other posters and I one for one would not not feel comfortable if I were asked to scout a particular player - I don’t have the required skills.

[RedorDead BCFC]

6 minutes ago, Robbored said:

Harry is not a username I recognised - could be down to the quality of his posts. Who knows?  

Are you a lonely man that likes nothing other than playing a dimlow to get people commenting? 

[IAmNick]

9 minutes ago, Robbored said:

Harry is not a username I recognised - could be down to the quality of his posts. Who knows?  

Then why did you ask him where he'd been a few pages ago 

 

On 25/10/2021 at 08:33, Robbored said:

Where have you been Harry?     

 

Edited October 26, 2021 by IAmNick

[Lrrr]

9 minutes ago, Robbored said:

Harry is not a username I recognised - could be down to the quality of his posts. Who knows?  

[Robbored]

3 minutes ago, IAmNick said:

Then why did you ask him where he'd been a few pages ago 

 

Because he attempted to question my professional skills and that’s not been done before. 

[Oh Louie louie]

Mr pop cards on the table.

How many years have you enjoyed out the last 20.

3? 4?

Bottom 6 is beckoning at xmas at this rate.

 

[Davefevs]

33 minutes ago, Oh Louie louie said:

Mr pop cards on the table.

How many years have you enjoyed out the last 20.

3? 4?

Bottom 6 is beckoning at xmas at this rate.

 

Many expected us to be bottom 6 at the start of the season.  Could do with keeping the gap as large as possible to 22nd though!

I still say middle eight.

[ExiledAjax]

14 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Many expected us to be bottom 6 at the start of the season.  Could do with keeping the gap as large as possible to 22nd though!

I still say middle eight.

I went a little lower and said 17th with 53 points in @Nogbad the Bad's pre-season predictions game, and I stand by that (nothing to do with us currently being 17th and on a ppg that puts us on for 52.6 points though). I fully expect a flirtation with the relegation places though, possibly even a dip down to 21st or so if we play on a Monday or end up with a few games in hand due to a cup run or something like that.

Edited October 26, 2021 by ExiledAjax

[LondonBristolian]

5 hours ago, Davefevs said:

I so agree.

There are very few of the 60+ LJ/MA signings that I thought were bad players on paper (of the ones I knew anything about), but several where I might’ve questioned a) how they’d fit in to the current or future planned playing system, or b) where they’d get minutes with 2/3 players in front of them.

Exactly this.

Even with the squad now, I’d argue it is less that the players we have are “bad” so much as the squad lacks balance with players who don’t complement each other and a real absence of certain key attributes.

[weepywall]

36 minutes ago, ExiledAjax said:

I went a little lower and said 17th with 53 points in @Nogbad the Bad's pre-season predictions game, and I stand by that (nothing to do with us currently being 17th and on a ppg that puts us on for 52.6 points though). I fully expect a flirtation with the relegation places though, possibly even a dip down to 21st or so if we play on a Monday or end up with a few games in hand due to a cup run or something like that.

Probably won't have to worry about a cup run

[Mr Popodopolous]

1 hour ago, Oh Louie louie said:

Mr pop cards on the table.

How many years have you enjoyed out the last 20.

3? 4?

Bottom 6 is beckoning at xmas at this rate.

 

That's a different argument isn't it Louie?

The last 20...there were positives and negatives in most of them. There were also scenarios where 1st half of a season was significantly better than the 2nd half and vice versa. I've not really enjoyed the prior 2 full ones, was quite liking the improved fight, endeavour etc up until the last 3 games this time around.

It's a good question that but 2006/07 and 2007/08 were good. We had a good playoff tilt in 2008/09 but fell away towards the end- far too many late goals conceded and this was a theme that continued into 2009/10.

The Cotts double season had to be good, so too did the Cup run season, 2018/19 had good and bad points- but enjoyed or considered reasonable or okay, I'm leaning more towards the considered reasonable bit with a fair few. 

Ended badly for Cotts, shame how it ended but the final few months offered some fresh hope- with some genuinely good displays and fluid football, high scoring wins- there is an example of one that is neither good or bad. Going into August 2016, the idea of an (in-form) Tomlin, Tammy and Kodjia as a fluid front 3 looked really exciting for example. Of course Kodjia was bid for and we got a good price...bye bye excellent front 3. Odemwingie as well shone on loan in 2015/16.

IIRC 2015/16, we ended it quite nicely- the turnaround wins vs Notingham Forest and Fulham away, the thrashings of Bolton, Huddersfield and Sheffield Wednesday at AG in the Spring. Charlton away in Feb 2016 felt like a possible progression, new era.

Think there is a reasonable argument to suggest that the core fanbase has grown but time will tell, and we definitely have a lot more off the pitch revenue than we did 10 years ago. OTOH, the old Ashton Gate could be a bit of a fortress- the East End, the pre redeveloped Dolman, the bit of the Williams that faced the away end- all of them had something even if it's intangible- the redeveloped Ashton Gate can lack this. Home fans behind each goal helped as well.

Put in good and bad though, it's a bit binary...the first 4-5 months of GJ's first season and indeed Cotts' first half season contained a lot of tough times but there was a certain happiness to be taken in the revival from say February onwards in each season, hope for the future too etc.

Edited October 26, 2021 by Mr Popodopolous

[BigAl&Toby]

22 hours ago, Davefevs said:

I’m a Business Analyst….bit more to it than chucking it in a tool…..I’m offended!

I’m a gardener - now! Spent all day on my hands and knees.

Surface Pro later. Got a spreadsheet to update and invoices to do!

[Davefevs]

34 minutes ago, BigAl&Toby said:

I’m a gardener - now! Spent all day on my hands and knees.

Surface Pro later. Got a spreadsheet to update and invoices to do!

You finally did it then?  Good on you!

[TonyTonyTony]

The issue I have with this thread is a staff member of the club has been called out individually for doing a bad job in one posters opinion. He has even been named. That’s not cool IMHO.

Far better to criticise the role / job title than the actual name of the person. These are real people who read stuff and it effects them. All for a few internet points - utterly pathetic tbh

The organisational structure  of the club is under review and change, and yes it needs too - but don’t have a pop at individuals “stuck” in roles they didn’t sign up to. 

[redrob]

On 25/10/2021 at 09:13, tin said:

Major, we’re paying Simpson and Downing six-figure annual salaries. Freeing up one of those roles much earlier in order to pay a HoR would’ve been a far wiser strategy IMO.

Welcome back, @Harry

Surely if you sack one or both of those individuals you have to pay them off? 

[Harry]

3 hours ago, TonyTonyTony said:

The issue I have with this thread is a staff member of the club has been called out individually for doing a bad job in one posters opinion. He has even been named. That’s not cool IMHO.

Far better to criticise the role / job title than the actual name of the person. These are real people who read stuff and it effects them. All for a few internet points - utterly pathetic tbh

The organisational structure  of the club is under review and change, and yes it needs too - but don’t have a pop at individuals “stuck” in roles they didn’t sign up to. 

Not trying to score internet points Triple T. I’m simply very concerned at the way the summer recruitment was handled and it needs to change asap. I’m allowed to be concerned for the state of my football club, am I not? 
You’ve clearly spoken to Sean, who has clearly acknowledged to you that things haven’t been working fantastically. So I am right to be concerned then, yes? 
As for the naming of the individual - he works at a professional football club with Premier League ambition, in a major role within that organisation and has conducted public interviews with the press - are you suggesting that because he’s your mate he should be exempt from public scrutiny - the scrutiny of paying supporters of 40 years. Is it any different to calling out a manager, coach, player, owner, etc? 
Sounds very much like he doesn’t want the role he’s been ‘stuck’ in, as you say. 
Even more reason why my post carries more relevance. It’s clearly an issue. 
As I said in the opening post - I have no personal issue with Sean, and I’m sure he’s a nice guy and is a good data analyst. I hope he returns to the role he enjoys and has the skill set for as soon as possible. He obviously doesn’t want to be in the role he’s had to fulfil, which 100% backs up the main point of this thread - we need an experienced head of recruitment asap so that Sean can go back to what he’s comfortable doing. 
Your replies on this clearly suggest that both you, and Sean himself, know this to be true and I wish him all the best back in the role he is good at. 

Edited October 26, 2021 by Harry

[TonyTonyTony]

54 minutes ago, Harry said:

Not trying to score internet points Triple T. I’m simply very concerned at the way the summer recruitment was handled and it needs to change asap. I’m allowed to be concerned for the state of my football club, am I not? 
You’ve clearly spoken to Sean, who has clearly acknowledged to you that things haven’t been working fantastically. So I am right to be concerned then, yes? 
As for the naming of the individual - he works at a professional football club with Premier League ambition, in a major role within that organisation and has conducted public interviews with the press - are you suggesting that because he’s your mate he should be exempt from public scrutiny - the scrutiny of paying supporters of 40 years. Is it any different to calling out a manager, coach, player, owner, etc? 
Sounds very much like he doesn’t want the role he’s been ‘stuck’ in, as you say. 
Even more reason why my post carries more relevance. It’s clearly an issue. 
As I said in the opening post - I have no personal issue with Sean, and I’m sure he’s a nice guy and is a good data analyst. I hope he returns to the role he enjoys and has the skill set for as soon as possible. He obviously doesn’t want to be in the role he’s had to fulfil, which 100% backs up the main point of this thread - we need an experienced head of recruitment asap so that Sean can go back to what he’s comfortable doing. 
Your replies on this clearly suggest that both you, and Sean himself, know this to be true and I wish him all the best back in the role he is good at. 

I’d politely suggest you stop getting personal. The back office team in the club really don’t deserve to be dragged through the dirt because of your angry wankfest. Yes there are issues and we all acknowledge that. Also sure the club do, but calling out individuals by name is not appropriate and you should rewind a bit tbh. At the end of the day it’s a bloke doing his best and you are calling him useless in the most public way. Not fair at all

We all know that recently @TomF and the forum went through pain dealing with Mashton going to Ipswich posts, and threads were deleted. Don’t assume this won’t end the same way as you can’t just make up theories about individuals to suit some theory you may have. 

 

Edited October 26, 2021 by TonyTonyTony

[johnwilkinson]

1 hour ago, Harry said:

Not trying to score internet points Triple T. I’m simply very concerned at the way the summer recruitment was handled and it needs to change asap. I’m allowed to be concerned for the state of my football club, am I not? 
You’ve clearly spoken to Sean, who has clearly acknowledged to you that things haven’t been working fantastically. So I am right to be concerned then, yes? 
As for the naming of the individual - he works at a professional football club with Premier League ambition, in a major role within that organisation and has conducted public interviews with the press - are you suggesting that because he’s your mate he should be exempt from public scrutiny - the scrutiny of paying supporters of 40 years. Is it any different to calling out a manager, coach, player, owner, etc? 
Sounds very much like he doesn’t want the role he’s been ‘stuck’ in, as you say. 
Even more reason why my post carries more relevance. It’s clearly an issue. 
As I said in the opening post - I have no personal issue with Sean, and I’m sure he’s a nice guy and is a good data analyst. I hope he returns to the role he enjoys and has the skill set for as soon as possible. He obviously doesn’t want to be in the role he’s had to fulfil, which 100% backs up the main point of this thread - we need an experienced head of recruitment asap so that Sean can go back to what he’s comfortable doing. 
Your replies on this clearly suggest that both you, and Sean himself, know this to be true and I wish him all the best back in the role he is good at. 

250+ posts spread over eight pages in two days  suggest this is a matter of genuine concern and widespread interest.

Edited October 26, 2021 by johnwilkinson
blank post

[johnwilkinson]

.

Edited October 26, 2021 by johnwilkinson
double post

[Fiale]

 

Brentford's money all recruitment

 

https://youtu.be/mrwwVoD1RQQ

Edited October 27, 2021 by Fiale

[Oh Louie louie]

In the man city doc, pepe says forget all the clip boards and data.

Sometimes it comes down to heart.

We have a few who are lacking in that.

[Davefevs]

8 hours ago, billywedlock said:

So we have a random group of players, who on their own , in the right team, could possibly be ok. So without a clear direction, we had, or have this unbalanced group. We now how some input from Pearson

The first bit is something I mentioned in an earlier post, i.e. there are very few of the 60+ players signed I thought were bad players, but some I questioned how they’d fit in, and some I questioned how much game time they’d get with a plethora of players in their position already (clubs in the bag).  A few I worried they’d block pathway.

The second bit, I take comfort from this bit of the Gregor interview:

Recruitment meetings and what Nige wants

"It starts with Nige," says Gilhespy. The recruitment team works to find players that Nigel Pearson wants, focusing on what a player can bring to the team rather than what they can't do..

"He sets the criteria for what he wants: positionally, at what point he wants certain players. He's really well planned in what he wants to do, and it's so underrated the clarity of the message that comes into us, it's important, because if it's not quite right or it waivers then you get further away from what's needed as the filtering develops.

"It's all part of a plan over a few windows where we can get to a place where he's got what he wants.”

As a business analyst, if the person who wants something can’t articulate the need / requirement properly, or I can’t understand / interpret it correctly, then we build the wrong thing.  Almost everywhere I’ve seen something written about Nige, the word clarity is used.  It’s so important.

I can’t comment on the agent stuff, but whatever we think about going back to Leicester for players, Tanner and Atkinson have come in and got up to speed very quickly.  None of this “it’s takes 6 months to learn the system” rubbish.  That suggests the system is too complex….and then it changed every week!

[Kid in the Riot]

9 hours ago, TonyTonyTony said:

I’d politely suggest you stop getting personal. The back office team in the club really don’t deserve to be dragged through the dirt because of your angry wankfest. Yes there are issues and we all acknowledge that. Also sure the club do, but calling out individuals by name is not appropriate and you should rewind a bit tbh. At the end of the day it’s a bloke doing his best and you are calling him useless in the most public way. Not fair at all

We all know that recently @TomF and the forum went through pain dealing with Mashton going to Ipswich posts, and threads were deleted. Don’t assume this won’t end the same way as you can’t just make up theories about individuals to suit some theory you may have. 

You must have been pissed when you wrote this, Tone. There is nothing in Harry's post which is "personal". On the contrary he wishes Sean all the best. 

As for naming Sean, specifically. The guy has just done a back page article with The Post!! He allowed the local press to come into his office, take photographs of him and his team and do a comprehensive interview with him. 

If he wanted the team to be "back office" then maybe don't agree to do the interview. 

[chinapig]

14 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

As a business analyst, if the person who wants something can’t articulate the need / requirement properly, or I can’t understand / interpret it correctly, then we build the wrong thing.  Almost everywhere I’ve seen something written about Nige, the word clarity is used.  It’s so important.

Yes, key skills for the analysts above and beyond their technical skills. Not always taken into account when recruiting.

The client may know their business so well that, paradoxically, they find it hard to explain their requirements to an analyst. If Nigel can explain with clarity that's a boon. Others may have so many ideas in their head they can't do that easily.

You might still need to probe further though. For instance if Nigel says he wants players in a particular position to be energetic you may need to get him to define what that means in a way you can quantify.

In the absence of a football expert as head of recruitment though both Nigel and the analysts have a hell of a lot on their plate. I hope it's not false economy and we bring someone in Nigel trusts.

[exAtyeoMax]

6 hours ago, billywedlock said:

This topic remains for me the single biggest issue. Recruitment. We still have no head of recruitment (what happened to the ex WBA rumour) and yet we are entering another summer of huge complexity. We have no funds unless we sell or have resale add ons. Have clear gaps to fill in defence and midfield. A few over paid players that we want to move on . A few players we would hate to lose. So a complex situation . Will the recruitment team be up to the task ? Maybe Klosse, Atkinson and Tanner suggest yes . Nige will not be signing his ex Leicester players this summer, so maybe we are in the right direction. But without a stated specialist in the role , it personally concerns me as the turnover needed is vast, the real world flexibility (players under contract/no money/few OOC) is limited. I had rather hoped by now, we would a lot clearer in this area. Or do the club, as suggested, not feel the need. 

That does concern me.  

[tin]

6 hours ago, billywedlock said:

This topic remains for me the single biggest issue. Recruitment. We still have no head of recruitment (what happened to the ex WBA rumour) and yet we are entering another summer of huge complexity. We have no funds unless we sell or have resale add ons. Have clear gaps to fill in defence and midfield. A few over paid players that we want to move on . A few players we would hate to lose. So a complex situation . Will the recruitment team be up to the task ? Maybe Klosse, Atkinson and Tanner suggest yes . Nige will not be signing his ex Leicester players this summer, so maybe we are in the right direction. But without a stated specialist in the role , it personally concerns me as the turnover needed is vast, the real world flexibility (players under contract/no money/few OOC) is limited. I had rather hoped by now, we would a lot clearer in this area. Or do the club, as suggested, not feel the need. 

Good post. This is also the elephant in the room for me, too. It’s not like a transfer window is stopping SL from hiring a sporting director, head of recruitment etc. That appointment could’ve been made at any time and should’ve been done last summer, but still nothing.

A reoccurring theme with SL, which is also a major blind spot, is that he tends to put all his eggs in one basket as he did it with Ashton. I struggle to recall a manager having to carry the weight Pearson has on his shoulders. We have no structure off the pitch and with finances as tight as they are, we need to get every signing right this summer and ideally in as early as possible. 

[CliftonCliff]

7 minutes ago, tin said:

Good post. This is also the elephant in the room for me, too. It’s not like a transfer window is stopping SL from hiring a sporting director, head of recruitment etc. That appointment could’ve been made at any time and should’ve been done last summer, but still nothing.

A reoccurring theme with SL, which is also a major blind spot, is that he tends to put all his eggs in one basket as he did it with Ashton. I struggle to recall a manager having to carry the weight Pearson has on his shoulders. We have no structure off the pitch and with finances as tight as they are, we need to get every signing right this summer and ideally in as early as possible. 

Absolutely. Despite our obvious deficiencies on the pitch, I am, and have been for as long as I can remember, less concerned about the occupants of the dressing room or the manager’s office than I am about the boardroom. We simply don’t have the right balance of senior executives, with appropriate knowledge and expertise in the football industry, to steer us consistently in the right direction. There is a massive leadership vacuum, which makes the club appear directionless and rudderless, and it’s dangerous.

[The Swan and Cemetery]

18 minutes ago, CliftonCliff said:

Absolutely. Despite our obvious deficiencies on the pitch, I am, and have been for as long as I can remember, less concerned about the occupants of the dressing room or the manager’s office than I am about the boardroom. We simply don’t have the right balance of senior executives, with appropriate knowledge and expertise in the football industry, to steer us consistently in the right direction. There is a massive leadership vacuum, which makes the club appear directionless and rudderless, and it’s dangerous.

Broadly agree with the last few posts in this thread. Think there’s an argument that SL can learn lessons, but learns them incredibly slowly. Eg he’s now got more experienced folk running both the football and rugby (CEO roles and team/coaching), but hasn’t inserted the DoF role we need to ensure the football side has the right support/challenge. Men’s football is the most difficult and most important for supporters of the 5 Bristol Sport teams (given costs/competitiveness and number of supporters), so therefore getting the right leadership critical and does throw into question SL’s, at least unconscious, motives, given JL has role without appropriate experience. Rather than fantasise about Steve Cooper et al, we appear to have a manager with decent experience, prepared to work under difficult conditions, therefore having someone to take some of the burden of of the footballing side (transfers, contracts etc) away seems like a relatively cost effective (/obvious) approach. That would also be the right role to decide when/if the manager needs changing, as better able to assess underlying progress or lack of and whether the current incumbent is right for the next phase etc, than non-footballing folk. 

[RedRock]

How many of us were banging on about a Director of Football under the MA/LJ/DH era? How many saying we needed a decent scouting network under an experienced, qualified Head Scout.

Would love to say it’s just a case of ‘false economy’ but it seems to run far deeper than that. 
 

What I don’t get is one year on into NP’s reign we are still hopelessly weak in this area. I fully get that purse strings have been tightened, but the cost of say Simpson, spent on a decent scout who can have at least started to build the foundations of professional scouting system would have been money far, far better spent. 

Beyond bizarre. 

[Davefevs]

27 minutes ago, billywedlock said:

It also risks being a very fluid summer, with external factors changing our plans (interest in a player, a sell on of Webster/Brownhill/Kelly) , factors not in our control. I expect a couple of senior players on free transfers (OOC) similar to Klosse, but others ? It is going to take something inspired if we want more consistent Championship players. But when you go that route, you  realistically are taking on players who have little upward career movement left. I guess it needs to be a balance. With Baker maybe retiring (Klosse to replace ?) you still have King/Simpson/COD as senior players you potentially replace, with Palmer/Wells related to the ability to move them on with their wages so high. Wells certainly easier . Our defence maybe needs a bigger makeover than we think, certainly this year it has been all over the place, and full backs/wing backs are a prized commodity these days. So the complexity and the permutations are vast. To manage that it needs a strong recruitment team and a clear vision . 

“Very fluid” might also equal “very reactive”.  I don’t think we can do much proactive stuff until we know the fate of several players.

Centre Back is still the big one to resolve, and especially the desire to go to a back 4.  Atkinson proved himself capable of playing in a four early season imho.  We know Kalas can, but will he still be here?  Klose has played most of his football career in a back 4.  Ideally I’d like to see us move to that now for the rest of the season, but I don’t think it will happen.

[Jerseybean]

Thank you Harry for starting this back in October and billywedlock for revitalizing the discussion. Finding this thread both informative and disturbing. With no inside knowledge I can only reflect on the points raised.

What occurs to me:

1) NP has spoken about the need for cultural change, in any organisation the culture (the way things are around here) is determined by the people and typically (although not always) by those with most power/influence. Recruitment is therefore a key lever for achieving cultural change.

2) NP was bold enough to dispense with lots of players last closed-season and manage a much smaller squad. We all recognise our financial constraints when it comes to new signings but equally we all recognise the need to strengthen the squad this summer and if possible off-load more players who aren’t part of the future. 

3) Alex Scott is one of or arguably our biggest gems. How did we come by him (a genuine question) was it purely by chance given SLs Guernsey connections?

4) Recruitment in any set up is fundamentally important, as much as football agents and their fees / tactics maybe disliked they are interwoven into the fabric of the recruitment process and to ignore them seems insane.

5) The fan-based scouting network, which has recently been instigated, excites me and although it has great potential should be an adjunct to a professional recruitment team rather than a substitute for such a team.

Lets hope (forever an optimist) that the Club are actively addressing the matter. 

 

[The Journalist]

1 hour ago, CliftonCliff said:

Absolutely. Despite our obvious deficiencies on the pitch, I am, and have been for as long as I can remember, less concerned about the occupants of the dressing room or the manager’s office than I am about the boardroom. We simply don’t have the right balance of senior executives, with appropriate knowledge and expertise in the football industry, to steer us consistently in the right direction. There is a massive leadership vacuum, which makes the club appear directionless and rudderless, and it’s dangerous.

This is why I don’t want Pearson sacked while we’re safe from relegation regardless of how we’re performing.

The club structure has been and is in such a mess that we really do need a manager, at this point, with both the experience and confidence to challenge the owner/board to make the necessary behind-the-scenes changes to ensure sustainable long-term success. Pearson WILL do this, even if there’s a better coach out there to get a bit more out of the players. 

Pearson’s job spans far beyond what happens on the pitch and is why - and I know @Davefevs shares this view - even though I don’t necessarily think he’s the manager to move us towards the Premier League I believe he’s the the right man to set us on the right course.

[Sheltons Army]

25 minutes ago, The Journalist said:

This is why I don’t want Pearson sacked while we’re safe from relegation regardless of how we’re performing.

The club structure has been and is in such a mess that we really do need a manager, at this point, with both the experience and confidence to challenge the owner/board to make the necessary behind-the-scenes changes to ensure sustainable long-term success. Pearson WILL do this, even if there’s a better coach out there to get a bit more out of the players. 

Pearson’s job spans far beyond what happens on the pitch and is why - and I know @Davefevs shares this view - even though I don’t necessarily think he’s the manager to move us towards the Premier League I believe he’s the the right man to set us on the right course.

Excellent post , with very good reasoning 

I’m with you

[Davefevs]

10 minutes ago, The Journalist said:

Pearson’s job spans far beyond what happens on the pitch and is why - and I know @Davefevs shares this view - even though I don’t necessarily think he’s the manager to move us towards the Premier League I believe he’s the the right man to set us on the right course.

In many respects we should be grooming Pearson’s replacement.  Maybe we are.  Maybe we evolve from Manager (Pearson) today to “General Manager” Pearson (a role upstairs) and Head-Coach tomorrow.  I posted ages ago that wouldn’t it be great if Alex Ball was being groomed for that.  Not sure he is, but just a thought.

I see Pearson in the Sir John Harvey-Jones “Troubleshooter” role, albeit he gets to pick the team too.  For me it’s about stabilising us, building the foundations.

He has become unpopular amongst the fan base.  How wide that lack of popularity is can’t be gauged by OTIB or BBCRB, but it is individual prerogative.  Who was the last manager that wasn’t?  Cooper, Jordan?  Kinda goes with the territory of Bristol City doesn’t it?

If Pearson decided to go at the end of the season (or it was decided for him) for me you’d still need someone new to continue to build the foundations…they aren’t built yet.  It’s such an important summer, it would likely change recruitment plans, turn them on their head.  You’d like to think we are already sounding out agents about their players.  Does that process re-start.  We moaned last summer that Pearson wasn’t appointed permanently early enough.  We’d be repeating that this summer, but later.  That’s not to say we shouldn’t not do it if it’s the right thing to do, but board and fans would need to fully understand the risks of doing so.

Going to be an interesting couple of / few months as player decisions are made.  Perhaps bringing in a coach to succeed Pearson might be the more important decision?

[Jerseybean]

27 minutes ago, The Journalist said:

This is why I don’t want Pearson sacked while we’re safe from relegation regardless of how we’re performing.

The club structure has been and is in such a mess that we really do need a manager, at this point, with both the experience and confidence to challenge the owner/board to make the necessary behind-the-scenes changes to ensure sustainable long-term success. Pearson WILL do this, even if there’s a better coach out there to get a bit more out of the players. 

Pearson’s job spans far beyond what happens on the pitch and is why - and I know @Davefevs shares this view - even though I don’t necessarily think he’s the manager to move us towards the Premier League I believe he’s the the right man to set us on the right course.

Thank you TJ, my sentiments exactly. Both for those representing us on and off the pitch NP’s football experience is IMO exactly what we need at this time. I hope (and actually believe) he will be given the time to turn things around. 

[Henry]

I wonder what @Harry’s views are now with having a link to the club.

Do you feel anything has changed? Are we better set up for this next window?

[Sheltons Army]

For me , the choice of Chief Scout as was , now a ‘head of recruitment’ and the team , he assembles (I personally feel the analytics side has too much weight these days compared to eyes on)

is virtually , if not as important , as the choice of head coach / manager IMHO

Other than Keith Burt ,in my lifetime , certainly post Dicks,  I can’t think of a time when we’ve had the recruitment ‘department’ in good hands 

TC , Joe Jordan , Gary Johnson did ok on recruitment 

Certainly TC and JJ watched a hell of a lot of games themselves racking up thousands of miles , and also using their friends and contacts in the game for recommendations.

Nail the recruitment employees and the Head Coach / Manager has More than a racing start.

IMHO we’ve never recognised the importance of this and never prioritised it sufficiently, if at all 

Lays at the core of our struggles to really progress for decades 

Edited March 21, 2022 by Sheltons Army

[Richard Head]

I think the difference in the club that hasn’t been mentioned in the recent posts is the role of the CEO. It seems to me that we now have a grown up in the role who doesn’t have Mark Trashton’s hugely inflated ego, is more able to work constructively with the manager and happy to operate behind the scenes. Richard Gould has been in post less than a year and  I wouldn’t be surprised if he is in discussions about some of the issues mentioned above in readiness for the close  season.

Edited March 21, 2022 by Richard Head

[ray savino]

2 hours ago, CliftonCliff said:

We simply don’t have the right balance of senior executives, with appropriate knowledge and expertise in the football industry, to steer us consistently in the right direction.

This is absolutely bang on! In fairness to SL, he thought he probably had that with Mark Ashton, but put his whole trust in what appears to have turned out to be a wrong’un! I hope this hasn’t put SL off from the logical need for board representation with specialist experience and knowledge of the football world. He has sometimes appeared to show (and probably understandanbly) a reticence to employ a certain type of role or manager profile when his fingers have been somewhat burnt. (Think reticence and change from experienced to inexperienced coach/manager then back again. The difference this time compared to Ashton’s time and role, is that you have a CEO in Richard Gould who would hopefully provide a rational head between the owners and a football/recruitment director type of role. Ashton appeared to dictate the football narrative to SL, far more than he should have it would seem. It would be interesting to know the true feelings of LJ, DH, etc. They were party to big mistakes no doubt, but ultimate blame has to go to their management, i.e. Ashton.

I have always believed we need a representative at director level on the board with a street-wise, progressive, business-like knowledge of the football world to input, advise direction in the structure of the football club with a long term strategy that the club has the confidence and courage to stick to. All other recruitment from Head coach/Manager to players, medical, fitness, etc. would follow the criteria for the football strategy. We have seemed to change far too much over the years, particularly since the last real (noticeable on-field) plan which was pre-season to the end of season 2014 -2015. 

[Davefevs]

11 minutes ago, billywedlock said:

But ideas of bringing in a coach as his replacement to work under him, sorry that is never going to happen, Pearson works with players, is creating a different mind set and mentality. You do not do that from distance. He may want to change the coaching set up, well that s a different matter.

Yeah, wasn’t thinking of distancing Pearson.

[Red Skin]

When Richard Gould was appointed CEO it was clear he would not be involved in player recruitment so my hope was that we would appoint someone competent pronto.   The fact that we have not is extremely concerning especially if we can believe what these agents are telling you.  For such a successful businessman it's astonishing that SL has not addressed this issue.   

Edited March 21, 2022 by Red Skin

[Red Skin]

1 minute ago, billywedlock said:

I think based on what he has said,  RG does get involved in the financial and contractual aspect of recruitment, but not player identification. As it stands it looks like it is Sean Gillespy (head of technical recruitment) with Pearson with no head of recruitment in the sense discussed. 

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/unseen-figure-heart-bristol-citys-5409108

Yes, I wasn't clear.  I would expect this to be part of his remit but not player identification or decisions on what players to sell and when.  

Still feel DoF needs to own the vision of what vision we have for the club and the footballing philosophy we recruit to.   Head of Recruitment - should be ever get one - will need this strategic view to follow.  

[Rocking Red Cyril]

1 hour ago, billywedlock said:

I am not sure I feel anything unpopular with Pearson outside of the forum. I have seen some of the most entertaining football since our cup run a few years ago. I can see where we could be without so many self inflicted errors. It is not like the drudge of the LJ last 2 seasons, there are some genuine hot spots. So going from this seasons struggles to a top 10 side , in theory could be rapid. But, the issue is recruitment, and that is going to be the same for any manager. There are few in the game that will be jumping through hoops to take on our mess right now, certainly not the type of names that get fans excited. When Holden was decided upon, it was not as if we had a list of world class managers chomping at the bit. It was Cook or Houghton if I recall. Fans have a weird sense of perspective sometimes. I would give Pearson 3 seasons, he is step one in , 2 years to go. he has created a get out for the club for FFP by developing a group of young players with value. He needs proper backing and patience. When City are playing well this season , we play really well. So it is back to recruitment, the last thing we need right now is a change of manager , it is fantasy to think there is a golden god waiting in the wings to scoop us up. It is classic football fan fantasy . We are a club in a total mess and transition, we will avoid relegation, we have some amazing young talent and are in many games entertaining (bit frustrating with errors) to watch. We are very close to a top 10 side with a few select and well guided adjustments. Getting to the Prem is another step .  But ideas of bringing in a coach as his replacement to work under him, sorry that is never going to happen, Pearson works with players, is creating a different mind set and mentality. You do not do that from distance. He may want to change the coaching set up, well that s a different matter. Blackburn, QPR, Luton, Coventry have stuck with their managers and have made progress. If we were playing LJ dross football (final 2 seasons), then it might be a different perspective , but we have played some wonderful stuff. Saturday saw 2 great goals.We cannot keep throwing the balls in the air every time there is a blip, more so when we are following a new plan, otherwise we do risk total chaos. If we finish 1 place outside of the relegation places or one outside the playoffs, in terms of absolute result it matters not one bit . What matters is, are we working to a plan, and dealing with the issues. It seems we are . So....

IMHO we need a balanced, capable and hungry squad not a new manager. So back to recruitment. 

 

Still think it a 5 season job 

[Davefevs]

41 minutes ago, Red Skin said:

Yes, I wasn't clear.  I would expect this to be part of his remit but not player identification or decisions on what players to sell and when.  

Still feel DoF needs to own the vision of what vision we have for the club and the footballing philosophy we recruit to.   Head of Recruitment - should be ever get one - will need this strategic view to follow.  

Think Pearson is setting that part.

[Rocking Red Cyril]

I remember what some Leicester fans said when NP first came. Stick by him . The firm and style if play Will seem odd at times and he will take a while to make any sense on the field . But stick with him give him players he needs and it will work .

My worry is our financial problem with players

[redsquirrel]

im sticking by him  for his contract time and maybe a new one too. im still excited about what might lie ahead once ashtons mess is cleared and finances get back to normal but that is going to take a long time. mid lower championship for another few years wont hurt us, already above where we have been since day one on average

[The Bard]

33 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Think Pearson is setting that part.

Exactly. His role is very similar to Pat Lam's at Bristol. In charge of the whole thing.  Not just the team.

Fact Lam is called a Director of Rugby and Pearson Manager is a reflection of the different cultures of the sports. Manager in rugby literally makes sure the coach and hotel is booked for away games. Director in football is an indication you're not a football man.

[Merrick's Marvels]

1 hour ago, Red Skin said:

Still feel DoF needs to own the vision of what vision we have for the club and the footballing philosophy we recruit to.   Head of Recruitment - should be ever get one - will need this strategic view to follow.  

Nigel Pearson previews Bristol City vs Birmingham City | Press Conference - YouTube

See at 36:15:

Q: "A Head of Recruitment... is that something you're looking to fill this summer?"

Pearson: "No. We're looking to tweak how things work but that's not on the agenda at the moment"

[The Bard]

5 minutes ago, Merrick's Marvels said:

Nigel Pearson previews Bristol City vs Birmingham City | Press Conference - YouTube

See at 36:15:

Q: "A Head of Recruitment... is that something you're looking to fill this summer?"

Pearson: "No. We're looking to tweak how things work but that's not on the agenda at the moment"

'At the moment' clearly the operative phrase in that answer

[Merrick's Marvels]

30 minutes ago, The Bard said:

'At the moment' clearly the operative phrase in that answer

"Not until our finances allow"?

"Not until I move upstairs and do it myself"?!

"Not until Harry gives up the day job" 

Who knows.

From the way he answered the question, I certainly don't expect us to have a Head of Recruitment any time soon.

[Red-Robbo]

Although I agree with much of the OP, I can't agree that Weimann "should be gone".

Where the f- would our season be without him? Bottom three perhaps. 

Maybe there might be a chance that we could have landed some cheaper lower league forward who might have stepped up a level and scored 18 goals by mid- March,. But that's one hell of a maybe. 

Unfortunately,  you have to pay a premium for goalscorers. They are the most expensive part of a team. 

The list of "handsomely paid" players who shouldn't be here is long, but it doesn't include AW. 

 

 

[Lrrr]

2 hours ago, Davefevs said:

Think Pearson is setting that part.

Should he be?

Managers last on average 18 months to 2 years, why do you let someone who may only be there for 2 seasons dictate your club philosophy rather than have one in place and hire your managers accordingly.

[Davefevs]

1 hour ago, Merrick's Marvels said:

Not until Harry gives up the day job

How do you set up crowdfunding.

[Davefevs]

15 minutes ago, Lrrr said:

Should he be?

Managers last on average 18 months to 2 years, why do you let someone who may only be there for 2 seasons dictate your club philosophy rather than have one in place and hire your managers accordingly.

In the normal manager’s remit, probably not.  But if he’s the best person in the football club to do that bit as well, then so be it.  Conflict of interests? Yep.  But better than nobody doing it at all.

[Merrick's Marvels]

1 hour ago, Davefevs said:

How do you set up crowdfunding.

The day job might pay better!

[Harry]

3 hours ago, Red-Robbo said:

Although I agree with much of the OP, I can't agree that Weimann "should be gone".

Where the f- would our season be without him? Bottom three perhaps. 

Maybe there might be a chance that we could have landed some cheaper lower league forward who might have stepped up a level and scored 18 goals by mid- March,. But that's one hell of a maybe. 

Unfortunately,  you have to pay a premium for goalscorers. They are the most expensive part of a team. 

The list of "handsomely paid" players who shouldn't be here is long, but it doesn't include AW. 

 

 

and to be fair to the OP (me), the post was made 6 months ago. 
I will happily hold my hands up and say that Weimann has been a success this year. 

[Harry]

9 hours ago, Henry said:

I wonder what @Harry’s views are now with having a link to the club.

Do you feel anything has changed? Are we better set up for this next window?

Having to remain neutral on the subject now to be honest Henry. Sorry. 
All I’d say is that I am aware of exactly how things work now, what we’re looking for and how, and whilst some of it makes a certain sense I still think there are some major flaws. But they will be kept firmly under my hat. 
Suffice to say, I do think Richard Gould is trying his best to head things in the right direction. But it won’t be a quick or easy fix. 

[Gert Mare]

@Harry We are suffering the effects of the Ashton era and the pandemic. What grinds with me the most on the Pearson debate is that fans love him when we win and have ‘had enough’ when we lose.

It was clearly evident when Nige joined the club that a lot of things needed changing. Nige eluded to this in one of his very first interviews. He had little time to prepare and we were still in the grip of the pandemic so he contacted players who he knew he could trust and hoped that their quality and experience of playing at the highest level would have helped to steady the sinking ship.

Simpson was a straight up failure. Nowhere near Championship level. That was a punt that turned out to be a negative, but Nige hoped he could reignite the players passion after it was known that other clubs wouldn’t touch him because of what he had done in his personal life. Mentally I think that Simpson was shot and I feel sorry for Nige on that one.

Where King was concerned I thought it was potentially a good signing at the time. This was a player who could score goals and who also was a City fan which was an added bonus. King hadn’t been playing to the standard of Championship level football but he has a great attitude and Pearson felt he would inspire the younger players in the team. Unfortunately King has ended up on the treatment table for a long time which is just unfortunate. Had he stayed fit I think we would have seen his influence as the season progressed and he became fitter.

Matty James (although blighted a bit by injury) has proven to be a good addition. Although he’s not the quickest he is a good playmaker and his reintroduction to the team recently has helped us to create a few more goal scoring opportunities. Personally I think James was a decent signing.

Rob Atkinson - Another decent signing in my opinion. Hit by Covid when already trying to get up to speed in the Championship, but who is a player that can bring the ball out of defence with his feet and in recent games is beginning to show the quality that Nige stated that he had.

George Tanner - A young committed player who was sadly struck down by a long term injury. Just sheer bad luck on that one. Nige has struggled to plug that hole ever since.

Andi Weimann - A pricey resign but also a priceless one. This is a player who earns every penny. Fitness and work rate is bang on.

Nathan Baker - Potentially a great defender when fit, but will he ever remain fit? I doubt it. Again, this was a risky punt which has ended up backfiring as he ended up back in the treatment room for an entire season. 

The rest of the squad is what Nige inherited. Not ‘his own’ squad as many fans keep saying. Getting a consistent tune out of that mob is pretty much impossible. Quite a few will be shipped out when possible but that isn’t going to happen overnight, so when fans start questioning whether Nige is the right man for the job every time we lose a game they need to remember that a lot of these players won’t ever consistently cut it at Championship level. Someone said it was down to Nige being unable to motivate players. I’ll argue all day that if a player isn’t up to it standard wise then that fault doesn’t lie at the manager’s feet (unless he signed them in the first place). Ian Holloway managed Hanham Boys and they finished 4th from bottom. He took Blackpool into the Premier League. Motivation is just a piece of the jigsaw.

We no longer win a few then lose 12 on the bounce like we did under Johnson and Holden. We have pretty much the same squad so there is a big shift in how we perform over all and at least we don’t spend large parts of the game passing the ball sideways across the back four waiting to get dispossessed. Massive improvement.

SL/JL have a clear objective. Invest in the academy and get them into the first team for sustainability. Nige is following this objective. Blooding more youngsters in one season since Danny Wilson.

Agents are self serving parasites who will bankrupt a football club by getting as much money as they can for their players. Once a player is paid handsomely their mindset is shot and you are managing egos. These players think they are too good for Bristol City and we don’t get our money’s worth.

Bottom line is that we have to invest in our scouting network for young talent and we need to be operating in the lower leagues to find potential within a more realistic budget. However frustrating the structure of the club may appear we are lucky just to have a club to support at all. 1982 is the reason why we are still here, and without SL we wouldn’t have the improved facilities that we have today. 

Avoiding League One is where we are right now and clearing up the Ashton mess is going to take time. I hope that Nige gets the backing he needs in the summer to help us build on what we have. Hopefully once some of the dead wood has been shifted we will improve our position in the league.

Nige is the most straight talking sensible man manager we have had since Alan Dicks. I’ve yet to see a single interview with him where I feel he is talking utter bollocks. If we keep him at the helm longer term I feel we will definitely improve (and within budget). 
 

 

[Guest]

Theres a job going back at Leicester for a new "right hand man" for B. Rogers as the current one L Congerton leaves, then again cant see NP being anyones righthand man. Bit of a fire and fire combo with those 2 together.

[robin for life]

Selling Andi Wiemann would make no sense. At his age there is no selling value, and we would struggle to recoup the £2m we paid for him, plus we couldn't replace him for £2m.

If there is 7 figures on the table for Semenyo, he has to be sold. He is not a prolific striker yet, and whilst he has good vision, movement and has a lot of promise, he is only a marginal improvement on what Bobby Reid was. Selling him for 10-12m with a sell on clause makes perfect sense, as he could be replaced with a good youngster on loan, an experienced free agent, or on a player proven at League one, who is young and could make the transition to Championship Football, and would probably only  cost 2-3m. 

Its financial sense to sell Semenyo, it makes no sense to sell Andi.

[firstdivision]

22 hours ago, Gert Mare said:

@Harry We are suffering the effects of the Ashton era and the pandemic. What grinds with me the most on the Pearson debate is that fans love him when we win and have ‘had enough’ when we lose.

It was clearly evident when Nige joined the club that a lot of things needed changing. Nige eluded to this in one of his very first interviews. He had little time to prepare and we were still in the grip of the pandemic so he contacted players who he knew he could trust and hoped that their quality and experience of playing at the highest level would have helped to steady the sinking ship.

Simpson was a straight up failure. Nowhere near Championship level. That was a punt that turned out to be a negative, but Nige hoped he could reignite the players passion after it was known that other clubs wouldn’t touch him because of what he had done in his personal life. Mentally I think that Simpson was shot and I feel sorry for Nige on that one.

Where King was concerned I thought it was potentially a good signing at the time. This was a player who could score goals and who also was a City fan which was an added bonus. King hadn’t been playing to the standard of Championship level football but he has a great attitude and Pearson felt he would inspire the younger players in the team. Unfortunately King has ended up on the treatment table for a long time which is just unfortunate. Had he stayed fit I think we would have seen his influence as the season progressed and he became fitter.

Matty James (although blighted a bit by injury) has proven to be a good addition. Although he’s not the quickest he is a good playmaker and his reintroduction to the team recently has helped us to create a few more goal scoring opportunities. Personally I think James was a decent signing.

Rob Atkinson - Another decent signing in my opinion. Hit by Covid when already trying to get up to speed in the Championship, but who is a player that can bring the ball out of defence with his feet and in recent games is beginning to show the quality that Nige stated that he had.

George Tanner - A young committed player who was sadly struck down by a long term injury. Just sheer bad luck on that one. Nige has struggled to plug that hole ever since.

Andi Weimann - A pricey resign but also a priceless one. This is a player who earns every penny. Fitness and work rate is bang on.

Nathan Baker - Potentially a great defender when fit, but will he ever remain fit? I doubt it. Again, this was a risky punt which has ended up backfiring as he ended up back in the treatment room for an entire season. 

The rest of the squad is what Nige inherited. Not ‘his own’ squad as many fans keep saying. Getting a consistent tune out of that mob is pretty much impossible. Quite a few will be shipped out when possible but that isn’t going to happen overnight, so when fans start questioning whether Nige is the right man for the job every time we lose a game they need to remember that a lot of these players won’t ever consistently cut it at Championship level. Someone said it was down to Nige being unable to motivate players. I’ll argue all day that if a player isn’t up to it standard wise then that fault doesn’t lie at the manager’s feet (unless he signed them in the first place). Ian Holloway managed Hanham Boys and they finished 4th from bottom. He took Blackpool into the Premier League. Motivation is just a piece of the jigsaw.

We no longer win a few then lose 12 on the bounce like we did under Johnson and Holden. We have pretty much the same squad so there is a big shift in how we perform over all and at least we don’t spend large parts of the game passing the ball sideways across the back four waiting to get dispossessed. Massive improvement.

SL/JL have a clear objective. Invest in the academy and get them into the first team for sustainability. Nige is following this objective. Blooding more youngsters in one season since Danny Wilson.

Agents are self serving parasites who will bankrupt a football club by getting as much money as they can for their players. Once a player is paid handsomely their mindset is shot and you are managing egos. These players think they are too good for Bristol City and we don’t get our money’s worth.

Bottom line is that we have to invest in our scouting network for young talent and we need to be operating in the lower leagues to find potential within a more realistic budget. However frustrating the structure of the club may appear we are lucky just to have a club to support at all. 1982 is the reason why we are still here, and without SL we wouldn’t have the improved facilities that we have today. 

Avoiding League One is where we are right now and clearing up the Ashton mess is going to take time. I hope that Nige gets the backing he needs in the summer to help us build on what we have. Hopefully once some of the dead wood has been shifted we will improve our position in the league.

Nige is the most straight talking sensible man manager we have had since Alan Dicks. I’ve yet to see a single interview with him where I feel he is talking utter bollocks. If we keep him at the helm longer term I feel we will definitely improve (and within budget). 
 

 

‘We no longer win a few and lose 12 on the bounce like we did under Johnson and Holden.’ A bit of fact checking wouldn’t go amiss here. 
Lee Johnson W84 D54 L79

Dean Holden W19 D5 L19

Nigel Pearson W14 D12 L29

There was a season when we lost six in a row under LJ and we also lost six in a row under DH before he was sacked.

NP lost four in a row in a run of two points from nine matches. 

[Unan]

On 25/10/2021 at 18:08, BigAl&Toby said:

Data analysts.

Business analysts.

All about simply gathering data and chucking it in whatever business tool you choose to use. Dare I say that anyone with time on their hands and a laptop could do it? If they’re so inclined.

 

I used to think, somewhat, similarly. After starting to learn data science I can’t even begin to explain how wrong this is.

[cidered abroad]

1 hour ago, firstdivision said:

‘We no longer win a few and lose 12 on the bounce like we did under Johnson and Holden.’ A bit of fact checking wouldn’t go amiss here. 
Lee Johnson W84 D54 L79

Dean Holden W19 D5 L19

Nigel Pearson W14 D12 L29

There was a season when we lost six in a row under LJ and we also lost six in a row under DH before he was sacked.

NP lost four in a row in a run of two points from nine matches. 

@firstdivision

Lies, damn lies and statistics!

Ignoring the tail end of last season when Pearson took over a sinking ship and kept us up, where is any part of this seasons results within a country mile of LJ's super record of 11, yes ELEVEN, points from 72 available?

Yes we have squandered too many by conceding in the last five minutes of matches, especially at home, but in the opinion of many supporters, we are at lest now trying to play as a team and to actually attack the oppostion goal a helluve lot more than your little hero did!

[TBW]

They can pay me to play Football Manager and identify players if they want. That's how all the best analysts do it nowadays anyway right?

[GrahamC]

On 21/03/2022 at 19:27, Harry said:

and to be fair to the OP (me), the post was made 6 months ago. 
I will happily hold my hands up and say that Weimann has been a success this year. 

Also, if anyone trawled back 6 months they would be able to find posts where we have all got it wrong.

Plenty on here thought Liam Walsh was the answer in midfield & how’s his career going?(really awful) & personally I certainly thought we would be able to get by with a combination of Vyner & Simpson competing for the RB slot, nope.