Am I the only one?

[Lew-T]

1 hour ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

I don't think people realise what a good job he is doing and they won't do until he's gone. 

Any other manager in my opinion would have seen us get relegated. 

The majority do in fairness. It’s only this thread I’ve noticed and maybe one other…

 

[Nomad]

5 hours ago, Phil54 said:

We should be terrified of losing Nige because it would leave lansdown to pick another manager be afraid be very afraid. 

Why? We would draw up a short list, interview some great candidates and then offer the job to Curtis Fleming as.... clearly the best man for the job. 

[Fuber]

14 minutes ago, maxjak said:

"DON'T THINK IT MATTERS WHO'S IN CHARGE"   Sorry i have no intention of getting involved in a discussion about the merits of NP..........But really?     Your'e statement is just ludicrous?  Tactics, Recruitment, Motivation, Standard   of coaching, Analysing the opposition, Team selection, organising scouting, Dealing with the Chairman/Owner, Contact's & Contract's etc, etc.......Of course it doesn't matter who the manager is? Ha!    Tell that to Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham? 

I'm in no way saying NP is god's gift to management, but I'd argue he had earned some credit with the off pitch improvements to have a go this season with at least some of the money bought in.

My point is that if we go off of the fact we're at the declared upper echelons of our designated wage budget - and the noises SL has made recently - it points towards stagnation, which can greatly influence over-arching club culture.

Look at what happened under Millen through to O'Driscoll. It took significant (for League 1) investment from the Baldock sale and Cotts hauling this club by the scruff of its neck until that slide arrested.

[Davefevs]

11 minutes ago, ExiledAjax said:

You need three things to get promoted: resources, opportunity, and execution. We have the first two in this next FFP cycle, whether we have the third depends on the individuals involved.

We do, it appears that we don’t want to use that opportunity.

[And Its Smith]

Why don’t people just chill out and see where we are after 15 games?!  We will have much more info about Pearson’s ability to get the best out of his team. 

[Mr Popodopolous]

He is actually equal to or superior to a lot of middling to top Championship managers IMO, some lower half PL ones too.

Parker? Heckingbottom (who did okay at Barnsley tbh). Martin? Farke on some levels although he good on others. Do me a favour as far as top Championship managers go.

Carrick has had a good start, this season looks a challenge. Maresca and Kompany maybe although both very well resourced at this level. Let's see how Kompany does in the PL, let's see if Leicester remain FFP compliant.

Edited August 24, 2023 by Mr Popodopolous

[Davefevs]

17 minutes ago, ChrisBW said:

I get the impression Pearson would love to stay, realistically what other championship job is he going to get/be interested in?

None.

This is his last job imho.  That’s not to say his motivation is gone, far from it.  This is a big challenge, his last challenge.  

[Mr Popodopolous]

24 minutes ago, ChrisBW said:

The difference is they are all relatively new to their management careers, Pearson is the opposite end of the spectrum. Their stock will eventually fall but Pearsons already has.

I take your point and some are better than others but there are a lot of clueless owners around.

NP has that experience and lots of it to fall back on but there are quite a few unimpressive appointments these days.

NP is 60, could go on for years if he wanted. Look at some managers who go on and on.

Had Martin, Carrick, Parker, maybe Heckingbottom although as I say good job with poor resouces at Barnsley, Kompany, Maresca took over in late February 2021...we would be worse off in a host of ways.

Farke may also have seen us slide but who knows. Two Championship titles but two fails at PL level.

Cooper has kinda spawned his way forward a bit.

Edited August 24, 2023 by Mr Popodopolous

[Dr Balls]

12 minutes ago, ChrisBW said:

The difference is they are all relatively new to their management careers, Pearson is the opposite end of the spectrum. Their stock will eventually fall but Pearsons already has.

Part of this is optics. He’s not ranting and raving, therefore “he’s losing his edge”…?

With age hopefully comes wisdom. Nige is certainly a thoughtful individual and has interests beyond football. But if anyone takes that as not being ambitious or wanting to be successful, then think again.

I honestly believe if he has had enough he would walk away. There’s no sign of that just yet. He also knows SL isn’t a “hire ‘em and fire ‘em” owner, having been through the Watford manager mill in the past, so time has been on his side. He has another challenge ahead losing Scott, but with the.exception of maybe Guardiola and Ancelotti, every manager has to accept that they may lose their best player to another club (and even those 2 have each possibly lost their best in Gundogan and Benzena this summer) and get on with it as best they can.

And without doubt, Nige is one of the best managers we have had in the near 50 years I’ve been supporting City. The change in approach to developing the football side if the club and the professionalism he has brought may not always have led to stunning results on the pitch, but it has kept us up, when we far more likely to go down, plus laid far firmer foundations for success in the future.

[Red-Robbo]

2 hours ago, Davefevs said:

Give us some examples to go on, e.g. lack of goals, don’t create much, etc.

Its hard to discuss when it’s not given any reasoning.

I've seen us in lower leagues, I've seen us thrashed by more, I've seen us in a lot worse situations. 

But I don't think I've walked out down Winterstoke Road more pissed off, bored and thinking "why am I doing this" than the last two home games.

It isn't just me either. My neighbour in the Dolman said he thinks this might be his last season as a STH. He's been going for years. 

Given that we've had a lot worse sides than we have now, I've tried to justify my feelings. 

I think it's because we - the fanbase - had our expectations high this season and the AG results and the general atmosphere surrounding the club at present just seems as flat as ****.  Even Pearson's last interview after the Birmingham defeat sounded as boring and as uninterested as could be.

Entitled some might say. But my response is if you pay the best part of £600 + the travel, the time, the other expenses, to see your club, you are entitled to think those in charge of it at least give a shit. 

I'm long in the tooth enough to know that this ennui could soon dissipate with a couple of lively results. 

But my point is that the OP is certainly not alone with feeling it. 

[Supersonic Robin]

4 hours ago, The hand of RO'D said:

I genuinely appreciate the job he’s done. But can you honestly hand on heart say we’ve progressed on the pitch under Pearson?

Respectfully, it's crazy to even ask the question. I think people forget just how bad we were before Pearson arrived.

We were the worst team in the Championship under Holden.
Worst at creating chances. Worst at stopping the opposition from creating chances. Least athletic. Lowest levels of effort.
We genuinely couldn't get out of our own half for the majority of most games.

Granted, this all says more about how bad we were back then, than how good we are now. Nevertheless, the improvement is significant.

[Mr Popodopolous]

9 minutes ago, Supersonic Robin said:

Respectfully, it's crazy to even ask the question. I think people forget just how bad we were before Pearson arrived.

We were the worst team in the Championship under Holden.
Worst at creating chances. Worst at stopping the opposition from creating chances. Least athletic. Lowest levels of effort.
We genuinely couldn't get out of our own half for the majority of most games.

Granted, this all says more about how bad we were back then, than how good we are now. Nevertheless, the improvement is significant.

Under Holden post the first 10-15 games IMO well 10 mainly but yes.

Some of our metrics were quite good first 10 but we have seen significant improvement the last 2 and a half years.

[Red-Robbo]

9 minutes ago, Supersonic Robin said:

Respectfully, it's crazy to even ask the question. I think people forget just how bad we were before Pearson arrived.

We were the worst team in the Championship under Holden.
Worst at creating chances. Worst at stopping the opposition from creating chances. Least athletic. Lowest levels of effort.
We genuinely couldn't get out of our own half for the majority of most games.

Granted, this all says more about how bad we were back then, than how good we are now. Nevertheless, the improvement is significant.

I don't want Hoden back, but we were 13th in the league table and he had a 44% win ratio when he was sacked. Just sayin'...

[SydneyCity]

6 hours ago, Davefevs said:

Just adding context.  Not adding conclusions yet.  But it feels we need to try to play our game not get dragged in to our opponents.

There was a bit in Cam Pring’s new contract video where he was alluding to this - that teams are sitting back and disrupting us.

The solution are those on-pitch leaders who adapt and organise. I feel Vyner has stepped up into that role defensively but we really need Naismith back in the team IMO to drive that further up the field.

[Davefevs]

43 minutes ago, Red-Robbo said:

I've seen us in lower leagues, I've seen us thrashed by more, I've seen us in a lot worse situations. 

But I don't think I've walked out down Winterstoke Road more pissed off, bored and thinking "why am I doing this" than the last two home games.

It isn't just me either. My neighbour in the Dolman said he thinks this might be his last season as a STH. He's been going for years. 

Given that we've had a lot worse sides than we have now, I've tried to justify my feelings. 

I think it's because we - the fanbase - had our expectations high this season and the AG results and the general atmosphere surrounding the club at present just seems as flat as ****.  Even Pearson's last interview after the Birmingham defeat sounded as boring and as uninterested as could be.

Entitled some might say. But my response is if you pay the best part of £600 + the travel, the time, the other expenses, to see your club, you are entitled to think those in charge of it at least give a shit. 

I'm long in the tooth enough to know that this ennui could soon dissipate with a couple of lively results. 

But my point is that the OP is certainly not alone with feeling it. 

All fair RR, we all view things different, different tolerances, different measurements of expectations, etc.  kinda what keeps this forum going.

I don’t think you’re response comes across as entitled either.

[Supersonic Robin]

22 minutes ago, Red-Robbo said:

I don't want Hoden back, but we were 13th in the league table and he had a 44% win ratio when he was sacked. Just sayin'...

We also had the worst xG in the league, the worst xGA in the league, a huge injury crises due to our dreadful/lack of pre-season, and we absolutely smashed the Championship record for least shots in a season.

Almost every single metric had us down as a bottom 3 standard team. A mildly fortunate start to the season, combined with the individual heroics of Bentley & Kalas, made our league position look a little healthier than we deserved at the point of Holden's sacking. Make no mistake though, results had started aligning with performance standard, and the primary goal of Pearson's initial appointment was to simply avoid relegation.

[Davefevs]

Just now, Supersonic Robin said:

and the primary goal of Pearson's initial appointment was to simply avoid relegation.

And we achieved that relatively early on in reality.  I still believe that he then started testing out the squad’s character (senior players) and who from the younger group were not just up for the journey but good enough too.

Had we not got those early wins I think he’d have gone - let’s get some nil-nils, get points the hard way, and go from there.

We didn’t need to.

[Mr Popodopolous]

22 minutes ago, ChrisBW said:

I’m not sure what your point is.

We would have done worse had many of those young managers taken over in March 2021.

I don't necessarily include e.g. Mark Robins as genuinely impressed at his Coventry work and he has had a varied career. A lot of these are silver spoon, promoted beyond their track record to Parachute bolstered clubs.

[BritAbroad]

For me, Nige has done a great job with what he's had to work with, and if he was given more, I have no doubt he'd do even better. Why should someone else be given a chance to have a free reign and spend as they like when they haven't earned it, when Nige has. For what it's worth, I don't think the problem is Nige - I think it's the club keeping his hands tied and not letting him have that free reign. I appreciate everything SL has done, but he seems to flip-flop on how he wants the club run.

[Dr Balls]

5 hours ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

We would have done worse had many of those young managers taken over in March 2021.

I don't necessarily include e.g. Mark Robins as genuinely impressed at his Coventry work and he has had a varied career. A lot of these are silver spoon, promoted beyond their track record to Parachute bolstered clubs.

Agreed. Nige was tasked of making a silk purse out of a sow’s ear - cut wages, sell players for a profit, bring on academy prospects, boost the team, and improve our league position at the very least (and avoid relegation when first appointed), if not even getting promotion to the Premier League.

Of the things that he can control, he has achieved all of those, plus he has each year improved our league position, despite the contradictions inherent in the various tasks (I.e. boasting the team while cutting wages and selling players at a profit). We are again a solid and established Championship club for whom relegation is unlikely rather than a constant threat. And that has been achieved without the Ashton technique of spending money like water, or the Johnson “clubs in the bag” approach.

However, we do have a problem playing counter-attacking football at pace against teams who sit back and let us keep possession. Our midfield without Scott is built on players who provide cover, sit in and tackle, rather than have much in the way of creativity. I am sure Nige appreciates that but unearthing the next Scott or Maddison is far easier said than done, especially when the budget you are being given would make the average Aldi shopper baulk at what you could really get for the money. Scouring Leagues 1 and 2 and Scotland for top Championship level talent at bargain prices or even no fee at all is extremely difficult, and doesn’t always come off e.g. Kane Wilson.

Remember after the first 2 games last season, we had more goals but no points. And we can only hope for a better refereeing performance against Hull tonight than what we suffered last season.

[ralphindevon]

When we have these discussions I’m always struggling to think who we might get in as manager.

I see people mention Robins and Schumacher but if they carry on being successful there’s no way they’re going to come here as their next club. 

[IAmNick]

11 hours ago, firstdivision said:

Under Lee Johnson, Bristol City finished in three of their five highest league positions since 1980.  8th in the Championship (2018-19), 11th (2017-18) and 12th (2018-19)

Also in the top five: Gary Johnson - 4th in the Championship 2007-08, Jimmy Lumsden 9th in the 'Championship' 1990-91. 

Not quite - Gary finished 10th twice after his 4th place!

So it'd be Gary 4th, Lee 8th, Lumsden 9th, Gary 10th, Gary 10th.

[firstdivision]

53 minutes ago, IAmNick said:

Not quite - Gary finished 10th twice after his 4th place!

So it'd be Gary 4th, Lee 8th, Lumsden 9th, Gary 10th, Gary 10th.

So three of the top seven, not five, Nick, for Lee.

I somehow overlooked those two seasons for Gary - still getting over the disappointment of Wembley. 

Edited August 25, 2023 by firstdivision

[prankerd]

8 hours ago, Red-Robbo said:

I've seen us in lower leagues, I've seen us thrashed by more, I've seen us in a lot worse situations. 

But I don't think I've walked out down Winterstoke Road more pissed off, bored and thinking "why am I doing this" than the last two home games.

It isn't just me either. My neighbour in the Dolman said he thinks this might be his last season as a STH. He's been going for years. 

Given that we've had a lot worse sides than we have now, I've tried to justify my feelings. 

I think it's because we - the fanbase - had our expectations high this season and the AG results and the general atmosphere surrounding the club at present just seems as flat as ****.  Even Pearson's last interview after the Birmingham defeat sounded as boring and as uninterested as could be.

Entitled some might say. But my response is if you pay the best part of £600 + the travel, the time, the other expenses, to see your club, you are entitled to think those in charge of it at least give a shit. 

I'm long in the tooth enough to know that this ennui could soon dissipate with a couple of lively results. 

But my point is that the OP is certainly not alone with feeling it. 

There is no chance in hell that the last 2 home games have been the worst you have ever seen at city, stop being so dramatic, theres fans like southend who have just got a 10 point deduction and dont know whether they will be a club in the future and your neighbour is thinking of ending his season ticket because of a boring 1-1 draw and a loss to Birmingham i guess he doesnt watch away games then, didnt like millwall or oxford? 

We have lost our best player, got countless injuries to important players and your panicking and moaning after 3 games!

 

[Northern Red]

1 hour ago, ralphindevon said:

When we have these discussions I’m always struggling to think who we might get in as manager.

I see people mention Robins and Schumacher but if they carry on being successful there’s no way they’re going to come here as their next club. 

Fully expecting it to be Jason Euell and I'll be pleasantly surprised if it isn't.

[And Its Smith]

30 minutes ago, prankerd said:

There is no chance in hell that the last 2 home games have been the worst you have ever seen at city, stop being so dramatic, theres fans like southend who have just got a 10 point deduction and dont know whether they will be a club in the future and your neighbour is thinking of ending his season ticket because of a boring 1-1 draw and a loss to Birmingham i guess he doesnt watch away games then, didnt like millwall or oxford? 

We have lost our best player, got countless injuries to important players and your panicking and moaning after 3 games!

 

I’m not sure what you read but he didn’t say they are the two worst games he’s ever seen at Ashton Gate. 

[ExiledAjax]

10 hours ago, Davefevs said:

We do, it appears that we don’t want to use that opportunity.

Which would be a damn shame, as it will be a rare occasion that we again have the resources we have now. 

10 hours ago, And Its Smith said:

Why don’t people just chill out and see where we are after 15 games?!  We will have much more info about Pearson’s ability to get the best out of his team. 

I can only speak for myself but ultimately my musings on Pearson's future come from the musings in the interviews and my impression of the personalities involved rather than the three league performances so far.

Broadly those performances have been ok. Full and a bit lacklustre, and low on true chance creation, but other than that broadly ok. I don't think we're looking like promotion contenders at this stage, but I'll concede that our defensive figures are decent, probably just about good enough that with a firing attack we'd be in with a shout of the top 10 finish that seemed to be the popular prediction in pre-season.

But, as you say, I agree that 10 games, or the international break, is the time to really assess our chances.

[And Its Smith]

1 minute ago, ExiledAjax said:

Which would be a damn shame, as it will be a rare occasion that we again have the resources we have now. 

I can only speak for myself but ultimately my musings on Pearson's future come from the musings in the interviews and my impression of the personalities involved rather than the three league performances so far.

Broadly those performances have been ok. Full and a bit lacklustre, and low on true chance creation, but other than that broadly ok. I don't think we're looking like promotion contenders at this stage, but I'll concede that our defensive figures are decent, probably just about good enough that with a firing attack we'd be in with a shout of the top 10 finish that seemed to be the popular prediction in pre-season.

But, as you say, I agree that 10 games, or the international break, is the time to really assess our chances.

Ultimately he will be judged by league position alone. No excuses on injuries or what if we had won that game etc.   if we are 20 games in and we are top 10 then carry on. If we are 11-16th then the calls to sack him will be growing.  If we are below 16th then he will be sacked and even his biggest fans won’t be able to complain about that really.  This is the season we need to show progress.  Until there is proof he’s not the man to give us that progress then we need to get behind him.  

[ExiledAjax]

Just now, And Its Smith said:

Ultimately he will be judged by league position alone. No excuses on injuries or what if we had won that game etc.   if we are 20 games in and we are top 10 then carry on. If we are 11-16th then the calls to sack him will be growing.  If we are below 16th then he will be sacked and even his biggest fans won’t be able to complain about that really.  This is the season we need to show progress.  Until there is proof he’s not the man to give us that progress then we need to get behind him.  

And as I've said time and time and time again - objectively judging a manager on league position alone is stupid, shortsighted, and leads to knee-jerk decisions.

He, and every manager, should be judged on performance, indicative stats and figures, and trends in those areas, with mitigating factors taken into account. 

My judgement, based on that second paragraph, is that we have stalled, plateaued, are coasting, whatever language you want. I come to the same conclusion as you though: this is the season we need to show (more) progress. 

[Nogbad the Bad]

5 minutes ago, And Its Smith said:

Ultimately he will be judged by league position alone. No excuses on injuries or what if we had won that game etc.   if we are 20 games in and we are top 10 then carry on. If we are 11-16th then the calls to sack him will be growing.  If we are below 16th then he will be sacked and even his biggest fans won’t be able to complain about that really.  This is the season we need to show progress.  Until there is proof he’s not the man to give us that progress then we need to get behind him.  

Why would anyone expect us to be top 10, and why would there be growing calls for him to be sacked if we're in mid table?

Your expectations for the season are unrealistic.

[supercidered]

17 hours ago, The hand of RO'D said:

Excited with the prospect of Nige potentially leaving after this season?

Controversial post I know. Now, don’t get me wrong, the job he has done to this point has been great. He has trimmed the wage bill and has had limited funds at his disposal since he’s arrived which could be detrimental to how his success will be perceived in years to come. Look at when Leicester won the premier league, a lot of credit came Niges way from the players who were involved who said if it wasn’t for Nige sorting issues behind the scenes they wouldn’t have had that success. Are we at a similar crossroads?

The football since he’s taken over hasn’t been great. We had terrible form at home for a long time, struggled to take the game to the opposition and have treaded water in mid table for his reign. Has Nige sorted the club out off the pitch but has subsequently ran his course with the club? Is SL ready to take the plunge in another manager with fresh ideas who will bring, in my opinion, a much needed footballing identity to the club? Perhaps why we’re seeing the purse strings tightened after the sale of Scott & Semenyo?

Entitely my opinion but I feel we need a new coach, not a manager, with a clear footballing identity and style of play to take us to the next level.

This Post smacks of, I'm a bit bored and could do with some notifications and a reaction. 

Congratulations. It worked!

[And Its Smith]

1 minute ago, Nogbad the Bad said:

Why would anyone expect us to be top 10, and why would there be growing calls for him to be sacked if we're in mid table?

Your expectations for the season are unrealistic.

All I’ve commented on is what will happen if we are in those positions. I’ve not commented on my expectations.   Pearson himself said we are aiming for the play offs though so maybe talk to him about unrealistic expectations! 

11 minutes ago, ExiledAjax said:

And as I've said time and time and time again - objectively judging a manager on league position alone is stupid, shortsighted, and leads to knee-jerk decisions.

He, and every manager, should be judged on performance, indicative stats and figures, and trends in those areas, with mitigating factors taken into account. 

My judgement, based on that second paragraph, is that we have stalled, plateaued, are coasting, whatever language you want. I come to the same conclusion as you though: this is the season we need to show (more) progress. 

I don’t disagree but most fans are stupid, short sighted and knee jerks! 

[Nogbad the Bad]

5 minutes ago, And Its Smith said:

All I’ve commented on is what will happen if we are in those positions. I’ve not commented on my expectations.   Pearson himself said we are aiming for the play offs though so maybe talk to him about unrealistic expectations! 

 

You've no idea what will happen in those circumstances so can only assume your comments to be based on your own thoughts.

If you're saying you know this is how SL will view things I'd say his expectations are totally unrealistic.

As things stand, without bolstering the squad, we're a mid table team and that's the best SL can expect. 

 

[Baba Yaga]

A lot will depend for Nige on how the next few months go but at the moment I hope he extends and stays a couple more years even if there is more mid table football this year. The strategy they have adopted I support and want to see it embedded more, ideally with the same manager to oversee it as one worry is that the next person won't and it falls away. Really not buying this narrative that Lansdown has it in for NP and is reluctant to renew the contract due to his strong personality. Also not convinced that spending big in the last 2 weeks of the window now that Scott has been sold is a smart idea that will shoot them up the table and possibly to the prem. I am quite happy to moan about Nige for certain things such as team selection after a loss but I still back him as the right manager for City who is working with the bigger picture in mind.

[And Its Smith]

3 minutes ago, Nogbad the Bad said:

You've no idea what will happen in those circumstances so can only assume your comments to be based on your own thoughts.

If you're saying you know this is how SL will view things I'd say his expectations are totally unrealistic.

As things stand, without bolstering the squad, we're a mid table team and that's the best SL can expect. 

 

I’ve supported City for over 30 years and been on this forum for well over 10 years.  I think it’s pretty easy to predict the mood by league position for the season ahead.  So I’ve got a good idea what will happen in those circumstances. 

[Jeez]

13 hours ago, redkev said:

as I see it at the moment we’re not gonna be troubling the play off positions this year but things by the end of this season should all really be in place to have a right go of it next year , if we haven’t reached that place by the end of the season I think Nige will be under great pressure ,

I would be keeping my eyes on how Steven Schumacher does with Plymouth this year

Kev - What things will be in place by the end of this season that will mean we can have a right go next season?

 

[BasSavage88]

 

 

[Davefevs]

22 minutes ago, And Its Smith said:

All I’ve commented on is what will happen if we are in those positions. I’ve not commented on my expectations.   Pearson himself said we are aiming for the play offs though so maybe talk to him about unrealistic expectations! 

I don’t disagree but most fans are stupid, short sighted and knee jerks! 

I guess every team’s aim is to get promoted.

Then comes a set of expectations / targets / measures of achievement.

Im not saying it’s anywhere near as basic as this, or that these are the right categories, but if I put it into our job type objectives:

Autos - top performer 

POs - exceeded expectations

Top 10 - above 

Top 14 - met

Top 18 - below

Below - did not meet

if this was Nige’s appraisal, I think below 14th starts to get Steve twitchy.

Of course, these objectives should be multiple, inc things like financial performance too, e.g. did he stick to the wage bill, did he generate transfer revenue.

If it truly was just league position driving Nige’s position, then I think we’d see different decisions made on selling Alex, or the tightness of the wage budget.

 

[And Its Smith]

4 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

I guess every team’s aim is to get promoted.

Then comes a set of expectations / targets / measures of achievement.

Im not saying it’s anywhere near as basic as this, or that these are the right categories, but if I put it into our job type objectives:

Autos - top performer 

POs - exceeded expectations

Top 10 - above 

Top 14 - met

Top 18 - below

Below - did not meet

if this was Nige’s appraisal, I think below 14th starts to get Steve twitchy.

Of course, these objectives should be multiple, inc things like financial performance too, e.g. did he stick to the wage bill, did he generate transfer revenue.

If it truly was just league position driving Nige’s position, then I think we’d see different decisions made on selling Alex, or the tightness of the wage budget.

 

I think most fans look at it in quite a basic way. Nige has said we are aiming for play offs, which is fair enough. Fans have been asked to be patient over the last two season, again fair enough.  But as of today, the expectations are now higher amongst fans, which is shown by the overreaction to the last game.  Most fans, in my opinion, now want/expect to see a top half finish with a bit of a glimmer of hope of play offs this season, at times.   Anything less than that and the knives will be sharpened, rightly or wrongly 

Edited August 25, 2023 by And Its Smith

[Davefevs]

True.

 

And I guess it looks a bit shit if you come out and say - we are aiming to do a tinsy-winsy but better than last season, but with a good wind behind us we might give it a good go!

I’m not suggesting that’s what they really think, but just imagine the fans if that was the message.

Ifs, buts and maybe, but should we win tonight, 7 points from 4 games.  Personally I don’t work like that, but it’s certainly a game we can win.

Edited August 25, 2023 by Davefevs

[Red-Robbo]

9 hours ago, Supersonic Robin said:

We also had the worst xG in the league, the worst xGA in the league, a huge injury crises due to our dreadful/lack of pre-season, and we absolutely smashed the Championship record for least shots in a season.

Almost every single metric had us down as a bottom 3 standard team. A mildly fortunate start to the season, combined with the individual heroics of Bentley & Kalas, made our league position look a little healthier than we deserved at the point of Holden's sacking. Make no mistake though, results had started aligning with performance standard, and the primary goal of Pearson's initial appointment was to simply avoid relegation.

It has to be said, performances actually got worse in that initial period Pearson took over. We finished 19th, kept up by the fact others were even worse than us. 

However, he's pulled it around and we've actually got season-on-season improvements, so please don't think I'm criticising NP or saying Dean Holden is a better manager. 

Without extra recruitment I just think that slight upward slope of finishes might start to slope downwards, so am feeling slightly trepidatious and disconnected from the club this season so far. Would love it if my fears prove premature. 

[Shauntaylor85]

9 hours ago, Davefevs said:

All fair RR, we all view things different, different tolerances, different measurements of expectations, etc.  kinda what keeps this forum going.

I don’t think you’re response comes across as entitled either.

It depends if you are a local fan or not I feel. I travel 6 hours round trip to every city home game, every game is therefore an away game which doubles the frustration rather than a 20 min drive back to Clevedon. 

[Red-Robbo]

1 hour ago, prankerd said:

There is no chance in hell that the last 2 home games have been the worst you have ever seen at city, stop being so dramatic, theres fans like southend who have just got a 10 point deduction and dont know whether they will be a club in the future and your neighbour is thinking of ending his season ticket because of a boring 1-1 draw and a loss to Birmingham i guess he doesnt watch away games then, didnt like millwall or oxford? 

We have lost our best player, got countless injuries to important players and your panicking and moaning after 3 games!

 

I didn't say they were the worst home games I've seen. I watched Cardiff tonk us 0-6. I've seen us lose to the Gas many times. I've seen us struggle against lower and non-league clubs in cups.

It isn't that "we're the worst we've ever been", it is the fact my expectations were high but now they are not. They say it is the hope that kills you, and by the same logic the lack of hope for a Top 6 challenging season after two seasons of bouncing around mid-table leaves me (and I know I'm not alone) feeling flat and uninspired. Alex Scott out and Taylor Gardner-Hickman in sort of sums up the blah, I feel currently about City.  Not living in Bristol, myself and the guys usually make a day out of it when we come to games. The last two, we've just come up, watched the match, driven straight back. No one felt like a pint.

It's a long season, so hopefully we'll all be feeling differently before long.  I'm not pancicking. Just explaining why I and others aren't feeling much excitement currently. The hushed tones at AG tell the story as well. 

[Nogbad the Bad]

1 hour ago, And Its Smith said:

I’ve supported City for over 30 years and been on this forum for well over 10 years.  I think it’s pretty easy to predict the mood by league position for the season ahead.  So I’ve got a good idea what will happen in those circumstances. 

OK, if it means anything I've been a City fan over 50 years and on this forum since it started 20 years ago, and it's predecessors before that.

There will always be a percentage of fans who don't like a particular manager, or whose expectations are unrealistic, who are just waiting for the moment to start threads calling for his head.

Though perhaps relatively few in number these posters may flood the forum with threads calling for a sacking if we are mid table after 20 games, however that doesn't mean they are right or that the majority will support them. 

 

[The hand of RO'D]

1 hour ago, supercidered said:

This Post smacks of, I'm a bit bored and could do with some notifications and a reaction. 

Congratulations. It worked!

I was many cocktails deep on a cruise!

My post still rings true this morning however.

[The hand of RO'D]

I can’t say I’ve seen us booed off the pitch twice in our 2 opening homes games at any point before. Guess I’m not in the minority in regards to Pearson when it comes to fans at the gate as much as I am with people on this forum it seems.

Interesting that…

Edited August 25, 2023 by The hand of RO'D

[Baba Yaga]

Just now, The hand of RO'D said:

I can’t say I’ve seen us booed off the pitch twice in our 2 opening homes games at any point before. Guess I’m not in the minority in regards to Pearson when it comes to fans at the gate as much as I am with people on this forum it seems.

Interesting that…

Were they booed off the Preston game because of the performance or was it for the referee? Genuine question I wasn't entirely sure... 

[Nogbad the Bad]

11 hours ago, Red-Robbo said:

 

But I don't think I've walked out down Winterstoke Road more pissed off, bored and thinking "why am I doing this" than the last two home games.

It isn't just me either. My neighbour in the Dolman said he thinks this might be his last season as a STH. He's been going for years. 

Given that we've had a lot worse sides than we have now, I've tried to justify my feelings. 

I think it's because we - the fanbase - had our expectations high this season and the AG results and the general atmosphere surrounding the club at present just seems as flat as ****. 

I think expectations were justifiably quite high for this season, not for play offs imo but at least for a far more enjoyable season.

But the football God's do seem to be against us as just at the moment of well founded optimism we suffer a series of below the belt sucker punches that completely deflate us.

Fans favourite and likely top scorer Tommy picks up a long term injury, big new signing McCrorie's completely unexpected and unusual long term absence, Scott sold with no sign of a reasonable amount of that money being given to the manager, just as thing's seem to be coming together nicely one big deflationary blow after another, resulting in a dull season in prospect.

The bigger problem is many of us have been uninspired by SL's City for years, maybe since Cotts, having sat through so many seasons of mostly boring football and poor results at AG, and having our hopes to actually enjoy ourselves at AG again seemingly dashed so quickly has left little enthusiasm for the season ahead, and in some cases for BCFC at all.

SL needs to pull his finger out, and quickly, or this disenchantment will turn to anger.

 

[And Its Smith]

32 minutes ago, Nogbad the Bad said:

OK, if it means anything I've been a City fan over 50 years and on this forum since it started 20 years ago, and it's predecessors before that.

There will always be a percentage of fans who don't like a particular manager, or whose expectations are unrealistic, who are just waiting for the moment to start threads calling for his head.

Though perhaps relatively few in number these posters may flood the forum with threads calling for a sacking if we are mid table after 20 games, however that doesn't mean they are right or that the majority will support them. 

 

Let’s see when the booing starts! 

[Nogbad the Bad]

Just now, And Its Smith said:

Let’s see when the booing starts! 

Yep, and if it does let's see who the booing is directed at.

 

[Mr Popodopolous]

I didn't think the Preston game was especially boo worthy. Was a bit uninspiring and we were lucky to get the point granted.

[Northern Red]

1 minute ago, Nogbad the Bad said:

Yep, and if it does let's see who the booing is directed at.

 

It'll be at the manager. It shouldn't be, but I'm dubious about how many see any further than "team not performing well, must be the bloke who picks them".

[Mr Popodopolous]

17 minutes ago, Nogbad the Bad said:

I think expectations were justifiably quite high for this season, not for play offs imo but at least for a far more enjoyable season.

But the football God's do seem to be against us as just at the moment of well founded optimism we suffer a series of below the belt sucker punches that completely deflate us.

Fans favourite and likely top scorer Tommy picks up a long term injury, big new signing McCrorie's completely unexpected and unusual long term absence, Scott sold with no sign of a reasonable amount of that money being given to the manager, just as thing's seem to be coming together nicely one big deflationary blow after another, resulting in a dull season in prospect.

The bigger problem is many of us have been uninspired by SL's City for years, maybe since Cotts, having sat through so many seasons of mostly boring football and poor results at AG, and having our hopes to actually enjoy ourselves at AG again seemingly dashed so quickly has left little enthusiasm for the season ahead, and in some cases for BCFC at all.

SL needs to pull his finger out, and quickly, or this disenchantment will turn to anger.

 

I think your post is a bit glass half empty if I'm honest although I totally agree that SL needs to act and act fast in backing NP this final week of the market. Championship seasons have been hit and miss IMO and the injuries you are very right. We all need a bit of a lift.

Nothing knee-jerk, no crazy spending spree but two or three well financed yet sensible additions in priority positions should be the goal. If it is loans so be it.

Edited August 25, 2023 by Mr Popodopolous

[glynriley]

8 minutes ago, Nogbad the Bad said:

I think expectations were justifiably quite high for this season, not for play offs imo but at least for a far more enjoyable season.

But the football God's do seem to be against us as just at the moment of well founded optimism we suffer a series of below the belt sucker punches that completely deflate us.

Fans favourite and likely top scorer Tommy picks up a long term injury, big new signing McCrorie's completely unexpected and unusual long term absence, Scott sold with no sign of a reasonable amount of that money being given to the manager, just as thing's seem to be coming together nicely one big deflationary blow after another, resulting in a dull season in prospect.

The bigger problem is many of us have been uninspired by SL's City for years, maybe since Cotts, having sat through so many seasons of mostly boring football and poor results at AG, and having our hopes to actually enjoy ourselves at AG again seemingly dashed so quickly has left little enthusiasm for the season ahead, and in some cases for BCFC at all.

SL needs to pull his finger out, and quickly, or this disenchantment will turn to anger.

 

Nail on head.

The final 18 months of LJ's reign were utter tedium, when he went, it was the opportunity to kick the club on. Then we all know what happened with the lengthy process to appoint Deano.

That was the point that I lost any faith in SL and his desire to acheive his often stated ambition to reach the Premier League. It's all hot air, and it now looks like another season of mediocrity, due to not backing the manager, unless NP can pull a rabbit out of the hat.

Hopefully a final throw of the dice by Nige until he gets to enjoy a well earned retirement.

[The hand of RO'D]

29 minutes ago, Baba Yaga said:

Were they booed off the Preston game because of the performance or was it for the referee? Genuine question I wasn't entirely sure... 

If you weren’t sure then, surely the chorus of boos at FT in the Birmingham game would stamp home fans aren’t happy with how the team have played in the opening 2 home games?

[Davefevs]

20 minutes ago, The hand of RO'D said:

I can’t say I’ve seen us booed off the pitch twice in our 2 opening homes games at any point before. Guess I’m not in the minority in regards to Pearson when it comes to fans at the gate as much as I am with people on this forum it seems.

Interesting that…

I guess result (loss v Brum) or change in result (win to draw v Preston) has a big influence on the post game reaction, just like at Millwall, where I think most people will have gone away happy with a point and felt a tad disappointed we didn’t get all three points, to then get an injury time winner suddenly changes to euphoria.

Also, it’s not like everyone was booing, but enough to make it noticeable.  It was probably the minority booing on Saturday, just feels like more.

Personally I don’t think it helps one bit, but fans are perfectly entitled to voice their opinion.

Don't get me wrong, we made too many mistakes / Birmingham forced us into too many mistakes, so I’m not suggesting we deserved anything.  But just imagine, down to 10-men, we get an equaliser with Wells chance.  The mood changes.  Birmingham, like Preston were cramping up.  We are at least fit.  What was the game where Fam got sent off, 1-0 down and we went into win 2-1 with a great Brownhill goal late on (Charlton?.

Fine margins as an expression is a bit bollox, but it does have some truth!

The good thing is we have the chance to try to put some of the wrong things right tonight.  I want to see progress / improvement.  Just because I’m not saying it’s piss-poor (which is extreme imho) it doesn’t mean I’m satisfied either.  Sometimes there is so much criticism / negativity / moaning, I feel a duty to present some balance.

To me it makes no difference if I’ve got a short round trip to Downend or others have much longer, i still feel it after a defeat.

[Red-Robbo]

1 minute ago, Davefevs said:

Also, it’s not like everyone was booing, but enough to make it noticeable.  It was probably the minority booing on Saturday, just feels like more.

Personally I don’t think it helps one bit, but fans are perfectly entitled to voice their opinion.

 

 

Yeah, only a few 'on the boos', and tbh you always get that after a loss.  Even in the double season, there were a few when we lost that one game at home to Preston. Maybe they were being ironic.

I don't really see that sort of booing as directed at anyone. More sort of general disgruntlement at having watched a loss. And you get it all clubs.

When folks turn on the manager - or owner - the booing is far more widespread, louder and is peppered with shouts of abuse.

We're not at that stage here yet. Nowhere near. 

[fisherrich]

18 hours ago, milo1111 said:

Everything about the club last few years has been screaming a relegation season a la McInnes and SOD. The fact nige has done all the dirty work and had us well safe last season is a bloody miracle in my eyes. 
 

 

Try telling that to the Lansdownes

[firstdivision]

12 hours ago, Red-Robbo said:

I've seen us in lower leagues, I've seen us thrashed by more, I've seen us in a lot worse situations. 

But I don't think I've walked out down Winterstoke Road more pissed off, bored and thinking "why am I doing this" than the last two home games.

It isn't just me either. My neighbour in the Dolman said he thinks this might be his last season as a STH. He's been going for years. 

Given that we've had a lot worse sides than we have now, I've tried to justify my feelings. 

I think it's because we - the fanbase - had our expectations high this season and the AG results and the general atmosphere surrounding the club at present just seems as flat as ****.  Even Pearson's last interview after the Birmingham defeat sounded as boring and as uninterested as could be.

Entitled some might say. But my response is if you pay the best part of £600 + the travel, the time, the other expenses, to see your club, you are entitled to think those in charge of it at least give a shit. 

I'm long in the tooth enough to know that this ennui could soon dissipate with a couple of lively results. 

But my point is that the OP is certainly not alone with feeling it. 

'Bored' hits the nail on the head. I thought the atmosphere before the Preston game was great. Then, absolutely nothing to get excited about for 42 minutes (until Sam missed his chance). I can't remember a home game like this. We were all sitting there thinking 'really? Is this seriously it?' Then it happened again, but worse, last Saturday.

I suppose that's what happens when you sell Antoine and AS, and TC is injured, and the players you bring you in are limited willing runners. 

Room for improvement...and a little bit of excitement. Please.

Edited August 25, 2023 by firstdivision

[fisherrich]

If the Lansdownes keep interfering, I reckon Nige will be gone. Lansdown has a history of meddling in football matters at Bristol City FC. Nige P has done a great job when you remember the shitshow he inherited. Lansdown, Ashton & Johnson screwed it up.

People need to remember just how bad Bristol City FC has been run - it has been a shambles for years. Richard Gould should take a lot of credit for the job he did with Nige P in sorting out the finances, players and staff.

Lansdown should keep out of the running of the football club and leave those who know what they are talking about to run it. Time for a new owner IMO.

[BasSavage88]

59 minutes ago, And Its Smith said:

Let’s see when the booing starts! 

They've been booked off 3 of the 4 Halfs so far in the league 

Edited August 25, 2023 by BasSavage88

[Davefevs]

13 hours ago, Red-Robbo said:

But I don't think I've walked out down Winterstoke Road more pissed off, bored and thinking "why am I doing this" than the last two home games.

 

The solution is try a different route, Winterstoke Road is boring!

[The Dolman Pragmatist]

55 minutes ago, fisherrich said:

If the Lansdownes keep interfering, I reckon Nige will be gone. Lansdown has a history of meddling in football matters at Bristol City FC. Nige P has done a great job when you remember the shitshow he inherited. Lansdown, Ashton & Johnson screwed it up.

People need to remember just how bad Bristol City FC has been run - it has been a shambles for years. Richard Gould should take a lot of credit for the job he did with Nige P in sorting out the finances, players and staff.

Lansdown should keep out of the running of the football club and leave those who know what they are talking about to run it. Time for a new owner IMO.

Good luck in finding an owner who keeps out of the running of his or her business!!

[eardun]

18 hours ago, The hand of RO'D said:

I genuinely appreciate the job he’s done. But can you honestly hand on heart say we’ve progressed on the pitch under Pearson?

Yes.

We were decent and enjoyable to watch in the second half of last season. We are much more defensively solid now. We look fitter and more mobile. We’ve introduced various younger players into the team, who are doing well and have more experience. Some players have improved significantly under Pearson, e.g. Vyner. We are attracting and acquiring decent young players. We are only 3 games into this season - having won, lost and drawn one; we’ve had worse starts to seasons. 

[Red-Robbo]

27 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

The solution is try a different route, Winterstoke Road is boring!

I agree.  Walking across the park is more aesthetically pleasing. But then I'd be walking in the opposite direction to the car.

Might try the bus again for WBA. Anything might seem better with a few pints on board. 

[Davefevs]

28 minutes ago, Red-Robbo said:

I agree.  Walking across the park is more aesthetically pleasing. But then I'd be walking in the opposite direction to the car.

Might try the bus again for WBA. Anything might seem better with a few pints on board. 

That’s the spirit.  Wear your lucky socks too.

[JP Hampton]

I won’t pretend to understand all the minutiae around what’s available financially for Pearson, but I think we can all agree he’s had to get by with a much reduced budget. He appears to have trimmed everything and stuck to the brief financially. So why have we never heard SL say anything in support of NP about the job he’s done. 
 

SL will not have taken kindly to the home truths NP has let slip now and again, about the running of the club and I can’t help but feel he’s far happier with younger managers that he can throw more money at to try and prove a point (LJ being one). 
 

I understand the thought that there could be someone else who could do a better job, but there are absolutely no guarantees.
 

Personally the idea of getting rid of NP scares me much more than holding onto him. Given the clubs track record in recent years doesn’t fill me with any confidence at all, that they’d choose wisely in replacing him and we’d be going through the whole process all over again.

Edited August 25, 2023 by JP Hampton

[Clutton Caveman]

On 24/08/2023 at 16:37, The hand of RO'D said:

Not writing it off but something feels unnervingly stagnant with the club at the moment.

If we sell our best and recruit from league 1 and Ireland mid table looks like an achievement

[Sheltons Army]

5 hours ago, BasSavage88 said:

They've been booked off 3 of the 4 Halfs so far in the league 

Yes ,

By clowns like you

’ I’ve watched City for nearly 5 years and we still haven’t got to the Premier League Mwahhhhhhhh Mwahhhhhhh’

[BasSavage88]

27 minutes ago, Sheltons Army said:

Yes ,

By clowns like you

’ I’ve watched City for nearly 5 years and we still haven’t got to the Premier League Mwahhhhhhhh Mwahhhhhhh’

The only clowns are the ones happy with this shit.