Definition of Insanity

[boss hogg]

Just now, pillred said:

why did any fans clap, if I have been served with a disappointing meal in a restaurant I don't normally tip

some fans are just to nice or dont understand football, each to there own.

[Murraysrightplum]

50 minutes ago, billywedlock said:

Maybe we hire the wrong managers. SC proved to be outstanding at L1, turning a relegation threatened side into champions a year later. So the right man, right time works sometimes just as much as sticking for a long period. Eddie Jones with England rugby, Chris Hughton at Brighton, Conte at Chelsea, Dowie years ago at Palace. There are exceptions to the stability rule. In fact the club I most admire is Southampton as I believe they are the benchmark. Their system is less about the first team coach, more about the recruitment and approach to football. That is where the stability comes from. They hired people to get them to different stages of their development. Nigel Adkins got them promoted in 2012. Not sure they would look at him again now, much I guess like SC for us. They also have a list of coaches identified just like players for any change they may need to make. 

BCFC has too many people that have operated at the lower reaches of the game, so few understand what is needed if we wish to go to a higher level (only MA and Des, and look what an improvement they are making). I have no doubt we could build a L1 side rapidly now (some say we have just done it..) but who , if anyone knows about the Championship never mind the Prem . Of course you get rising stars, and indeed LJ may well have been better off spending a few years at Man City where someone said he was offered a role in their Academy. He seems a nice chap, clearly wanting to learn and is studying the game intently, but he did not achieve anything to get this job on merit, it was a huge gamble , and it has not paid off and we risk taking the club back to L1 which is bonkers with the money spent. After the start we had this year, with confidence instilled, we expected progress and improvement, not to win the league but as an overall playing proposition. What we have seen is the opposite, where we now look confused and lost. 

SC last 15 games - L8 D 5 W 3  so double the points compared to LJ over the same period, but without 15m spent on players. That was for a manger who gave us our first league championship  season in 60 years . You can hardly call any change a knee jerk. 

I don't disagree and I didn't disagree with the OP. I was just making the point that repeated hiring and sacking of managers could be described as doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome 

[Aaron-Bcfc]

Wouldn't really say we're trying the same thing over and over again. He's mixed up the formation a lot, last couple of league games against Reading and Cardiff we've played completely contrasting styles to try and get a win (which we would have in both games if the players didn't crumble).

Unfortunately for Lee the players are now at that point where their confidence is shot and they're very very fragile mentally. I don't think there's any chance of a turnaround for Lee now, it doesn't matter how dominant we could be in a game, the players WILL go to pieces. Same happened with Cotterill last season, they just kept letting him down. (MK at home, Charlton at home, Reading away etc etc..)

[nimrod]

I personally believe that LJ has a mini player-revolt on his hands, not a full-on 'lost the dressing room' yet. I can't help but feel Tomlin and GON have seen through the bullshit and realised their boss is, unfortunately, a chancer. As a last throw of the dice, 3 new players have been brought in, not so much to add quality, but to support LJ. This is doomed to fail.

   LJ is being excruciatingly exposed in this ruthless league, and who does he have to turn to? Dear old dad. No offence to Johnson Snr, but other young managers in this league have learnt their trade from the likes of SAF and by playing for international managers. I feel sorry for Lee. No way I would've turned down the opportunity he was given, the blame ultimately lies with SL (again).

  Pembo was the guy who steadied the ship. The more Lee has taken control, the more dire it has become.

[BobBobSuperBob]

2 hours ago, cidered abroad said:

Johnson is an inexperienced head coach, less than three years at League One level, a rookie coach in Holden, Jamie McAllister, a mate from his playing days, as U 23 coach with nil previous coaching experience. Sunday lunch every week with his family, his Dad will be saying the same old things, so nothing new to try the next week in training.

Football isn't much different to any other industry; if you are less experienced than some of the workers, they will pick pieces of flesh off you. But the big difference is that when a player who was an average League One player, without any trophies, international caps, becomes a manager and has no titles, cups, promotions under his belt, is working in the claustrophobic atmosphere of a football dressing room and with players who have achieved more than he ever did, any cracks in the armour of the manager/head coach become apparent very quickly.

This dressing room culture is deadly for those who are found out; English players are not necessarily noted for their intelligence (see some of the head to heads in City I-Player) but they are experts at destroying the authority of the manager.

I don't know if he has already lost the dressing room but it's pretty close if not.

Spot on

[Warwickshire Red]

1 hour ago, billywedlock said:

Maybe we hire the wrong managers. SC proved to be outstanding at L1, turning a relegation threatened side into champions a year later. So the right man, right time works sometimes just as much as sticking for a long period. Eddie Jones with England rugby, Chris Hughton at Brighton, Conte at Chelsea, Dowie years ago at Palace. There are exceptions to the stability rule. In fact the club I most admire is Southampton as I believe they are the benchmark. Their system is less about the first team coach, more about the recruitment and approach to football. That is where the stability comes from. They hired people to get them to different stages of their development. Nigel Adkins got them promoted in 2012. Not sure they would look at him again now, much I guess like SC for us. They also have a list of coaches identified just like players for any change they may need to make. 

BCFC has too many people that have operated at the lower reaches of the game, so few understand what is needed if we wish to go to a higher level (only MA and Des, and look what an improvement they are making). I have no doubt we could build a L1 side rapidly now (some say we have just done it..) but who , if anyone knows about the Championship never mind the Prem . Of course you get rising stars, and indeed LJ may well have been better off spending a few years at Man City where someone said he was offered a role in their Academy. He seems a nice chap, clearly wanting to learn and is studying the game intently, but he did not achieve anything to get this job on merit, it was a huge gamble , and it has not paid off and we risk taking the club back to L1 which is bonkers with the money spent. After the start we had this year, with confidence instilled, we expected progress and improvement, not to win the league but as an overall playing proposition. What we have seen is the opposite, where we now look confused and lost. 

SC last 15 games - L8 D 5 W 3  so double the points compared to LJ over the same period, but without 15m spent on players. That was for a manger who gave us our first league championship  season in 60 years . You can hardly call any change a knee jerk. 

Yes, Southampton's a good shout and I agree.

We hear a lot about recruiting younger players to develop (e.g. O'Dowda, Engvall and others) but is the club doing as much as it can to ensure the coaches we have in place have the ability to really develop the players to their potential or as well as other coaches that may be available that the club could recruit?

Our current coaches may (or may not) be excellent coaches (I've no idea) but I've wondered too if we do the same due diligence on our coaching recruitment that we now do for our players. It seems our scouting approach and recruitment has improved but we need to ensure the quality of coach also is as good as we can get to ensure we develop the younger players as much as possible to the benefit of the club/first team. I sincerely hope that coaching recruitment is part of MA's master plan for improving the club's professionalism/processes.

 

 

 

 

[BCFCinNW6]

3 hours ago, cidered abroad said:

Johnson is an inexperienced head coach, less than three years at League One level, a rookie coach in Holden, Jamie McAllister, a mate from his playing days, as U 23 coach with nil previous coaching experience. Sunday lunch every week with his family, his Dad will be saying the same old things, so nothing new to try the next week in training.

Football isn't much different to any other industry; if you are less experienced than some of the workers, they will pick pieces of flesh off you. But the big difference is that when a player who was an average League One player, without any trophies, international caps, becomes a manager and has no titles, cups, promotions under his belt, is working in the claustrophobic atmosphere of a football dressing room and with players who have achieved more than he ever did, any cracks in the armour of the manager/head coach become apparent very quickly.

This dressing room culture is deadly for those who are found out; English players are not necessarily noted for their intelligence (see some of the head to heads in City I-Player) but they are experts at destroying the authority of the manager.

I don't know if he has already lost the dressing room but it's pretty close if not.

What he said - all day long. THIS is the core issue with LJ. 

[Guest]

Is there another club in the land who would put up with the pathetic set of results LJ has produced ? I look at the fixtures coming up and cant see where the next points are coming from.

Will SL really just stand by and watch LJ take us down? his posh new ground is going to look a bit sick in the 1st Div.......we can talk and moan as much as we like but unless Steve acts and fast, we are gone.

[EnclosureSurge]

10 hours ago, robin_unreliant said:

Sadly I think SL has gone for broke in Jan by bringing in the players that Lee thinks we need. What we lack is width and pace. What we are getting is height and experience. Not saying they aren't good players but I worry about the type of game we will end up seeing. Also how the hell can we exploit the height when we get ZERO crosses into the box.

Given he has backed Lee this month I suspect if we lose our next 3 away games he still won't sack him.

Therefore I think we need to start planning a mass boycott of the Sheff Wed game. As a ST holder who goes to every home game I can't bring myself to boo or demonstrate at a game. That will only make it worse for the players. I think staying away en masse would send a clear message which is what is needed to bring SL back to reality.

Didn't we score two goals from two crosses yesterday, in the first competitive game in which these players with height played?

[EnclosureSurge]

10 hours ago, samo II said:

The point for me is that in playing poor teams around us (though credit where it is due; Preston and Brentford have both kicked on since playing us) and narrowly losing, we are heading for some very hard games against genuine in form and quality teams later on, which is now when we're going to most need results.

 

This is the trouble with a lot of us (not you, samo the second, necessarily) - we don't recognise/acknowledge we are and have been further down the food chain than clubs like Brentford and Preston for a while. The former since about 2012/13, the latter since we both got promoted. These are just two examples of clubs who plan better than us, hire better than us, fire better than us, scout better than us, negotiate better than us, sell better than us, integrate better than us, perform better than us. People will start mouthing off at me about ambition but we need to aim to be the next Brentford before we think about anything else. Size of attendances/population has absolutely nothing to do with it. The people in charge of these two poxy clubs are infinitely wiser and more clued up than the idiots in charge of us.

I love the way Johnson is getting the blame for all this (he deserves some, I agree), yet bemoan all our other recent failed managers (Coppell, McInnes, SOD et al) and even Cotts at this level. The missing link? Lansdown and the board. They're to blame, almost wholly in my opinion. Can't remember the last time Brentford or Preston appointed such a continual list of ultimately rubbish managers. They're our benchmark, whether or not we think we're a 'big' club/potential/£48m stadium blah blah disappointment......

[reddoh]

definition of insanity

being a gas head

[ScottishRed]

11 hours ago, cidered abroad said:

Johnson is an inexperienced head coach, less than three years at League One level, a rookie coach in Holden, Jamie McAllister, a mate from his playing days, as U 23 coach with nil previous coaching experience. Sunday lunch every week with his family, his Dad will be saying the same old things, so nothing new to try the next week in training.

Football isn't much different to any other industry; if you are less experienced than some of the workers, they will pick pieces of flesh off you. But the big difference is that when a player who was an average League One player, without any trophies, international caps, becomes a manager and has no titles, cups, promotions under his belt, is working in the claustrophobic atmosphere of a football dressing room and with players who have achieved more than he ever did, any cracks in the armour of the manager/head coach become apparent very quickly.

This dressing room culture is deadly for those who are found out; English players are not necessarily noted for their intelligence (see some of the head to heads in City I-Player) but they are experts at destroying the authority of the manager.

I don't know if he has already lost the dressing room but it's pretty close if not.

Nail....head.....on

Once it goes there is little chance of turning it around and to me it looks like it has gone.

interestingly, the players still appear to be together,witness the celebration after the first goal yesterday.

When LJ goes, and it is only a matter of time now, whoever steps in has a decent chance of keeping us up if he taps into that spirit.

[exAtyeoMax]

11 hours ago, Murraysrightplum said:

Doing the same thing over and over... like sacking the manager every season...

Not saying LJ is the right man per se but we keep doing it and it doesn't work for us

perhaps it's not the sacking but the hiring that is the problem

[exAtyeoMax]

10 hours ago, boss hogg said:

some fans are just to nice or dont understand football, each to there own.

perhaps I'm too nice, and possibly don't understand football but I felt that some of the players needed some recognition (rightly or wrongly) for their efforts.

[Silvio Dante]

To be honest...

The thing we (Lee) keep doing over and over again is overthinking. We look how the oppo play, and set up to counter that as opposed to win the game. Not saying we shouldn't be aware of how the oppo play, but if we solely set up to counter it, 9 times out of ten we'll lose - because they play that way every week and therefore know how to best play it, and best a system that counters it. 

Case in point - Cardiff. Marlon Packs strength is passing range. Yet we play a system that allows him no opportunity to use because the game is too compact. So why's he in the side? Because he's 6'2" and we want to play to counter Cardiff and an attritional game. They're used to that, we aren't - so we lose. If you look at Saturday, there was no width, no quick passing and it was Warnock v Warnock - the original in those cases tends to win...

[Jack Dawe]

Insanity is more to do with the inability to distinguish fantasy from reality, rather than doing the same thing over and over. LJ's team rotation, tactics, substitutions and post match comments might be starting to indicate that his emotions are "so impaired that contact is lost with external reality." Poor bloke.

[Jack Dawe]

11 hours ago, Murraysrightplum said:

Doing the same thing over and over... like sacking the manager every season...

Not saying LJ is the right man per se but we keep doing it and it doesn't work for us

This is an interesting point. There is an irony here. I do think SL & co are desperate to stick with someone, to create some continuity/stability and not be a sacking club, but that "someone" needs to do better than LJ is currently doing. He is putting SL in a bloody terrible position (hence my 'rock and a hard place' thread elsewhere). 

40 minutes ago, exAtyeoMax said:

perhaps it's not the sacking but the hiring that is the problem

or it might be both?

[downendcity]

45 minutes ago, Silvio Dante said:

To be honest...

The thing we (Lee) keep doing over and over again is overthinking. We look how the oppo play, and set up to counter that as opposed to win the game. Not saying we shouldn't be aware of how the oppo play, but if we solely set up to counter it, 9 times out of ten we'll lose - because they play that way every week and therefore know how to best play it, and best a system that counters it. 

Case in point - Cardiff. Marlon Packs strength is passing range. Yet we play a system that allows him no opportunity to use because the game is too compact. So why's he in the side? Because he's 6'2" and we want to play to counter Cardiff and an attritional game. They're used to that, we aren't - so we lose. If you look at Saturday, there was no width, no quick passing and it was Warnock v Warnock - the original in those cases tends to win...

Agree with this Silvio.

It's something I've bemoaned for a long time, and before LJ. Why do we seem always to have managers who set us up to counter the opposition, rather than set us up to play to, and maximise, our strengths? Can't see that Barcelona would leave out Messi because the opposition would be playing fuor defenders all over 6 foot and replace him with a very tall striker to compete with them in the air, but we probably would. 

He might be a bit of a maverick, and probably hasn't done himself any favours, but I suspect that with any other Championship team Tomlin would be the first name on the team sheet, and would be played where he can do the most damage to the opposition, not where he can be fitted in ( out wide)  in order to accommodate 3 other central midfielders we need to keep things tight and narrow to stop the opposition playing!

Early in the season Lj won plaudits for his ability to make substitutions that changed games. Has he taken this a step to far and is now overthinking, as you put it, or more simply overcomplicating the selection process. I listened to the MOTD pundits earlier in the season commenting on Man City and saying that Pep needed to start fielding a settled side so that players could develop playing relationships with teammates, and that this only comes from playing matches alongside them. I think this is something we are missing because we have had so many changes almost every game.

With where we are now I think he should determine what he thinks his best side and run with it. He's tried all the other options so it might just be worth trying the one option he hasn't given a go.

 

 

[boss hogg]

9 hours ago, exAtyeoMax said:

perhaps I'm too nice, and possibly don't understand football but I felt that some of the players needed some recognition (rightly or wrongly) for their efforts.

totally agree with you theres still a few that are putting a shift in but that should be the minimum they do anyway.

[samo II]

9 hours ago, EnclosureSurge said:

This is the trouble with a lot of us (not you, samo the second, necessarily) - we don't recognise/acknowledge we are and have been further down the food chain than clubs like Brentford and Preston for a while. The former since about 2012/13, the latter since we both got promoted. These are just two examples of clubs who plan better than us, hire better than us, fire better than us, scout better than us, negotiate better than us, sell better than us, integrate better than us, perform better than us. People will start mouthing off at me about ambition but we need to aim to be the next Brentford before we think about anything else. Size of attendances/population has absolutely nothing to do with it. The people in charge of these two poxy clubs are infinitely wiser and more clued up than the idiots in charge of us.

I love the way Johnson is getting the blame for all this (he deserves some, I agree), yet bemoan all our other recent failed managers (Coppell, McInnes, SOD et al) and even Cotts at this level. The missing link? Lansdown and the board. They're to blame, almost wholly in my opinion. Can't remember the last time Brentford or Preston appointed such a continual list of ultimately rubbish managers. They're our benchmark, whether or not we think we're a 'big' club/potential/£48m stadium blah blah disappointment......

Just to clarify my point from the post you quoted; I was more referring to Brentford and Preston in the limited scope of results this season, not large scale strategy or direction of the club's.

My reference to "poor teams" was more about how in both cases Brentford and Preston were around-and-about on the same points as us and not in great form when the visited the Gate, and have since improved, heading further up the table.

This in fact seems a theme recently, what with Wolves and Ipswich also 'leap-frogging' us thanks to picking up three points in victories against us.

Otherwise I agree with the broad thrust of your post; both Brentford and Preston have found approaches that suit their needs in a practical sense, and help support the broader development of their infrastructure, but additionally allow them to be competitive on match days.

Preston in particular are an example of a team who are able to develop players who have been deemed surplus to requirements elsewhere, and get them performing at a higher level - Callum Robinson, Greg Cunningham and Neil Kilkenny are just three examples in recent years taken from us alone.  

They've also picked up lower league and young players, and rather than simply horde them until 'ready' (this nebulous state we seem to be waiting for many of our own specifically young players to reach) have thrown them in to great reward; Jordan Hugill being the most recent example.  There is much to laud about their approach from my perspective - and they do it on a budget too.

I just wanted to make clear I'd not been calling Brentford and Preston "poor" teams in a big picture sense, more that they are two of several examples where we've met side on similar points tallies to us this season and had them kick on after beating us.

A worrying thought when you consider the Forest game next week, and the potential scenario a loss there would leave us in...

[sh1t_ref_again]

23 hours ago, Olé said:

"doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results"

 

Guess i'm insane, keep going to AG and expecting a win under LJ

[Red Grovesy]

9 hours ago, downendcity said:

With where we are now I think he should determine what he thinks his best side and run with it.

I've said this before. Back in September we won 0-4 away at Fulham (probably one of the best City performances I've seen this season) and followed this up with a 1-0 home win against Leeds. Both games had a settled line up and formation.

We kept two clean sheets.

It's got to be worth a try for a run of games..

[MarkRed!]

23 hours ago, billywedlock said:

Last 15 league games, 7 points from 45 . There is no hiding, he is not able to use the resources available in a manner to deliver results, he has had huge money huge support more time than any other City coach would have had as the club seemingly try to justify the appointment. No not looking at promotion, but a non relegation sign of recovery . This is not a blip, that is a catastrophic failure of someone totally out of his depth. Job came far too early. Just take yesterday, out of the blue we now have 3 at the back and wingbacks, when we know we do not have the quality of wingbacks at this level to compete, and the player signed to add experience to central midfield (as GON seems to have failed) is played at CB. That is the coach, not the players, creating a platform of instability and confusion. I have gone from "hope" that a win might come, just to give the club a breath of fresh air,  to a need for change. It is now blatantly clear we have the wrong person in place for our "project" . We are in need of urgent change, but, whatever we do we must allow the structure of the club and the work of MA to continue as at least there we now seem able to identify and sign players. We need someone to put them on the field with a plan and direction and motivation that works for the players available or we risk relegation, we certainly do not look up for a relegation scrap. 

This nails it for me.... sums up all the posts. 7 points from a possible 45 is relegation form and is not good enough for any club. SC actually performed better with far less resources to work with. LJ is out of his depth but sadly are we really surprised. He aint won nothing and does not have the pedigree to take on BCFC (which lets not forget was a double winning side)..... the building blocks were there.....

[Red Grovesy]

1 hour ago, samo II said:

My reference to "poor teams" was more about how in both cases Brentford and Preston were around-and-about on the same points as us and not in great form when the visited the Gate, and have since improved, heading further up the table.

Also, there is this example of two teams pushing on after we beat them. Following on from my previous post, I have noted how well Fulham and Leeds are currently doing. Two teams we beat 'back to back' when we played them earlier in the season (and beat Fulham well, away from home).

[City Ben]

OK just for the sake of putting across the other side of the argument... 

What if the action that the definition of insanity is to be considered against isn't LJ attempting the same tactics etc, but in fact Lansdown's decision to sack his manager/ coach when he hits a dreadful run of form? That's what he/ BCFC has a history of doing. And what has happened? Each time - apart from Cotts - the same... we recover temporarily, and then get drawn back to mediocrity. 

What if the real break from doing the same things over and over is to have the nerve to back the plan? Stick with LJ as there are underlying qualities that SL and MA see in him which don't change with a bad run? (i.e. LJ wasn't the messiah earlier in the season and he's not the devil incarnate now - he's the same person and it is that person that the upper management had faith in.) 

I'm deliberately not putting forward a view as I don't feel well enough informed to have one - I don't live in the UK, so haven't seen us play. So these are genuine questions. Maybe it's insane for Lansdown to think that he can sack his manager, engender a turnaround this season, and at the same time hope for long term progress for the club as a whole and eventually the team? 

[bearded_red]

1 hour ago, Red Grovesy said:

I've said this before. Back in September we won 0-4 away at Fulham (probably one of the best City performances I've seen this season) and followed this up with a 1-0 home win against Leeds. Both games had a settled line up and formation.

We kept two clean sheets.

It's got to be worth a try for a run of games..

I've posted something similar on here a couple of times. It's genuinely remarkable that we haven't picked that midfield at all since those two games. It's difficult to name too many formations and line ups we haven't given a go since and yet that remains untouched.

 

[Fat Cigar]

On 1/15/2017 at 09:31, Olé said:

"doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results"

I realise that Albert Einstein's supposed quote is one of the most overused cliche's on football forums but I can't think of a more apt one. I don't start new threads if I don't need to, so apologies but please indulge me on this one.

One thing that has really wound me up for a couple of months is being told that this is a blip and we were on a good run and now we are on a bad run, or that players are somehow undermining what LJ was personally getting right earlier in the season, or that views like mine and other peoples are knee-jerk and automatically blame the manager as the first resort or conclusion.

NOT TRUE.

I would like to make this an evidence-based thread to show that the problems have been there continually all season, and that in the first instance LJ was given the benefit of the doubt that he was a good manager and would fix them, but that ultimately after over five months we are still doing exactly the same, with whatever players we play.

 

Wycombe (A) - August 10th

"Poor game and LJ is spot on that we were tactically naive. We started well enough but in the end I think over 90 minutes Wycombe were the better team and certainly did a far better job of finding room and creating opportunities. Apart from Abraham's constant movement and willingness, I thought our lot today did nowhere near enough to affect the game and were half hearted in their attacking. At 1-0 up I just think they didn't really go for it and on another day we could have paid for it"

"We surrendered the initiative and rarely threatened second half."

"We didn't once get beyond defenders to the byline and get a decent cross in. The few times we might have taken the final man on to find room for a cross, we turned back inside and passed back. It was typical of how we played, hesitant, lacking confidence, apparently happy not to create chances. In most cases we invariably gave the ball away after deciding to pass up opportunities to get the ball in the box. I think this is typical of what LJ will describe as naive."

(time check - this was August folks)

"I'm deeply suspicious about the lack of tempo or real attacking intent against a 4th tier team, the two things LJ has been preaching but have been in short supply so far this season."

Burton (A) - August 13th

"That's three games in a row we've played like that and today we've literally mugged Burton despite being outplayed for most of it. The tactics are poor with no width, a real premium on creating chances (dependent on killer balls through the middle mainly) and losing out in midfield most of the time.

Been same all three games, happy days 3 wins but let's not be complacent, the tactics have not worked for most of the 270 minutes and LJ needs to sort it out"

Norwich (A) - August 16th

"Tactics still very compact with few crosses which for me still limits the number of chances that we create and puts pressure on clinical passing through the middle"

"We faded last 20 and they started picking us apart and could have had more"

"I'd rather see tactics that were less reliant on doing a Spain through the middle and gave the strikers more to work with"

Newcastle (H) - August 20th

"More of the same. More compact supposedly attacking formation, seemingly on instructions not to get wide and continually trying to cut inside and thread a through ball. Same striker(s) totally isolated getting no real support. Only difference today was that our bouts of possession around the box seemed to result in low probability shots from stupid positions. So that's the game we are playing. Hoping to win with low probability threadneedle passes through the middle and long distance shots.

We are playing the most attacking side I can ever remember and generating fewer chances than I can ever remember. It has been the same every game this season"

Aston Villa (H) - August 27th

"The narrowest 4-5-1 ever played. Two incredibly deep lines of players" (but mostly positive stuff, obvs)

Rotherham (A) - September 10th

"with our Arsenal away kit we are in danger of trying to pass the ball in"

Derby (H) - September 17th

"at times it was "Can't Pass Won't Pass", our biggest impediment is the quality or care in our short passing and our players decision making"

"for gods sake KEEP IT SIMPLE" (but my comments largely defending LJ and congratulating him on his intentions)

QPR (A) - October 18th

"It is becoming a feature of performances when we are closed down quickly and pressed that we do not maintain composure and cannot play the sort of passing game LJ sets us out to play."

"We want interplay and incision but have gone several games now with different midfield and attacking groups, none of whom have settled or got hold of the game and got to keep possession or build any passing rhythm."

"This isn't alarm bell time but it might be time to dust it off for standby. Either tactics didn't work or players cannot execute the tactics, and don't have a Plan B besides adding a striker and going more direct. We did not have many quality crosses and did not create any situations where we worked clear chances"

"We did not affect or deserve anything from the game."

Barnsley (A) - October 29th

"Zero width and players needing too many touches or thinking time to pick a pass, by which time there were no options besides hopeful punts forward."

Brighton (H) - November 5th

"We tried to slow it down by moving inside more than 40 yards out before giving the ball away in central midfield. None of those things achieve any attacking possession or shape, nor cause any problems, nor offer an incentive for our other players to get forward."

 

I could go on, but I can't be arsed (metaphor for our season). Looking back it was after Preston (H) a month ago I started to see the Emperors New Clothes. And I don't need to repeat what I said about Preston (H), Wolves (A), Ipswich (A), Reading (H) etc as you've all seen it and you can just perm any sentences from those shared above from as far back as August. This is what, for me at least, makes defence of LJ so untenable - doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

And if anyone thinks I've been anti-LJ the whole time, I could link to my threads after Fulham, Leeds and Forest this season, when I was purring about him, and having searched, as a matter of record even on December 14th when his contract extension was announced, I was defending him. But it's a further month now and we're doing the exact same things we've been doing since the first week of the season, whatever players we play. The things I praised LJ for were clearly the exception, not the rule.

The bloke is not up to it. Has been given months and months and more money than every other Bristol City manager put together, and has either failed to address or is too stubborn to change, simple deficiencies that have been there since the heady, sunny days of August. Not knee jerk, all there in prior threads as a matter of record.

@Olé, your posts are always worth reading. And everything you say is spot on. I remember your comments after Burton and Rotherham well. I was at both games and similarly felt embarrassed leaving Burton with 3 points. 

This issue with width has now become more pressing with a new striker who we're told thrives on crosses. In a team of players who can't cross. 

And you're right re: this obsession with passing it through the middle. This only works if your players are good enough. The best teams use the whole pitch, and at pace. We waste so much energy passing and passing and getting absolutely nowhere.

An important thing to note: even after a supposedly good summer, it's become pretty obvious that a lot of our players are still nowhere near good enough. Or in certain cases (O'Dowda, Brownhill), learning the ropes. Brownhill has started to impress. Yet to see anything in O'Dowda that warrants a start. But, young lad, playing in league 2 last season, needs time. Looks a bit lightweight though and I have doubts (already) he's going to feature heavily for us in the short or medium term.

Two things sum up Johnson's confusion: 1. new starting XI almost every game. 2. The constant tinkering at LB: Bryan or Golbourne. How many times do you need to watch Bryan to know he's not good enough as an out and out LB? At present, he barely warrants a place on the bench, let alone the starting XI.

Tomlin: drop him when he's had a couple of poor games. Bruise the ego more than anything. But, he remains our best player. Even when doing very little for 75 mins. Anyone with a footballing brain can see that he can do what most (in this division) can't. He should have started on Saturday.

Who is actually good enough to command a start? Tomlin, Flint, Mags, Tammy, O'Neil, Reid (yes, he really is), Hegeler (by the look of things), Djuric (for now. Did a job Wils at his peak would have been proud of on Sat), maybe Wright, and maybe Brownhill, who's starting to play well. That's 10 players. And no full backs or keeper. With a new keeper and new LB and RB, that's a decent starting XI in there. Pack possibly also in with a shout. 

What we lacked on Saturday was a leader. The Korey role. Although he's clearly unfit/lacking in confidence right now. Considering his presence, I don't actually see Flint as a leader. Which has surprised me. I think he needs to concentrate on his own game which is still a work in progress.

Until Saturday, I was still behind Johnson, but the team selection just irritated me, and the predictable squandering of the lead is indicative of a directionless squad beset by low morale. Even at 2-1 we didn't look at ease.

I honestly believe we will get relegated as things stand because I just can't see where our next win's going to come from. Even Rotherham are picking up points. Under Johnson, we have forgotten the art of drawing. It's all or nothing. Usually nothing. Time for a change. And quick.