New signings needed for promotion?

[Michael McIndoe]

5 hours ago, BCFC_Dan said:

I don't know if that was the ceiling of Gary's ability, though Michael clearly feels that the signings made were inadequate and that ultimately lies at GJ's door.

I do think we're in a better place in terms of the age of the squad at the moment. The 07/08 squad was older than the current one and I don't believe any of them really went on to better things, with the possible exception of Orr, who was promoted with QPR. Time will tell how much the current batch can improve, but I'd say they've got more scope for getting better without new signings than the 07/08 lot were (that's not to say they don't need signings to maintain momentum and keep the standards up).

I have to completely agree with you there. 

[Michael McIndoe]

4 hours ago, FramptonRed said:

Hi Michael do you get much stick from Wolves fans.I seemed to remember when you signed for us in the play off season you said you'd joined a bigger club with better promotion chances.

that must have irked their fans but to be fair you were right about our promotion chances because i think Wolves finished 7th just missing out on play offs.

Hi @FramptonRed. When you get called a w***** for 90minutes by 20,000 people every time you touch the ball then something tells me there isn't much love there...it did have a lot to do with that particular article. 

[Michael McIndoe]

3 hours ago, Up The City! said:

To this day I'm convinced had LJ not got injured then we would have gone up automatically. No doubts about it at all.

LJ was just one of those players who never stood out but kept the side ticking over. Without him it was a huge loss.

I do apologise but I have to disagree with you. I don't think it mattered who dropped out the squad. The style of football we played from January in, did not suit the majority of the team. 

[handsofclay]

Great having you on here, Michael. Something I would like to ask regarding that great season of a decade ago that hasn't been mentioned on here yet was Gary Johnson's habit of not replacing an injured player quickly enough. I recall someone being off the pitch at Charlton for nearly ten minutes getting stitches when we were on top and against ten men Charlton came back into it. Then in the play-off Final Hull only came into the match when we were down to ten men with Orr off getting treatment. When he returned and obviously the worse for wear, the goal was scored. Not long afterwards Orr was substituted.

This all probably comes down to the fact we didn't push the boat out in January so didn't have the strength on the bench for Gary Johnson to just sub a player straight away. I have rarely seen this ploy used by other managers, unless all their subs have been used.

Did you think that had Orr been subbed straight away the outcome could well have been different?

[Michael McIndoe]

3 hours ago, Olé said:

Oh go on then, seems a shame not to ask a question too...

@Michael McIndoe - one player you haven't talked about from the 07/08 season is Steve Brooker. He was pretty much written off, but I often wondered if he had been fit for more of that season, would it have made a difference? I remember walking home in the sun after the last minute winner against Norwich, thinking he'd get us over the line. Probably wishful thinking, it was such a tiny part, but we went back into second, and suddenly it seemed possible we had a new weapon for the final few games.

You could always see that if fit, he was a classic finisher, which we didn't really have at all that season, Byfield ran off people, Adebola won everything, Trundle played from deep, but we didn't have an out and out finisher up front who really knew instinctively where the goal was. By the way, although it took a massive deflection, your goal at Colchester sticks in my memory, we were going well then but the match didn't start well but you turned it around in five minutes, tiny terrace at Layer Road and lots of fun.

I read your book before Christmas - one comment, the transition from football to nightclubs wasn't really justified or explained in the book in a way that is easy to believe. Clearly the experience at Coventry de-motivated you, but for fans like us, it's hard to understand giving up the opportunity to play professional football, and I didn't think your explanation was really convincing (not a criticism, just some feedback about how the book hung together). One minute you're on the way out of Coventry, the next minute you're all in on doing up nightclubs, simply saying you fancied a different challenge. I'm sure the rest of us would have clung onto the career of a professional footballer for as long as we could, but perhaps I'm being naive....... In any case, would be good to know who Mr. G is though, I'd like to avoid being shafted in business.

I think if Steve Brooker had been fit I think it would've made a difference. There's no doubting he knows where the back of the net is, but as Gary has proven time and time again if you're not superfit/injured a lot he tends to get rid. 

I remember that goal when it deflected and looped over the keeper's head. I think it's in that video posted somewhere on here. 

Thanks for reading the book. Always happy to hear feedback. In relation to your comment about the transition from football to my Oxford Street nightclub - I'd been playing regularly since my league debut at 18, so to sit for almost a whole season not being allowed to play infuriated me. It wasn't so much it demotivated me, it was probably more the fact that I fell out of love for the game because I wasn't being allowed to play. My Coventry City contract finished in July 2011 and in that same month I got involved in the nightclub, so there wasn't any real time in-between. Because I'd been playing my whole life I always knew I could come back into football at some stage but at that particular period in my life I did fancy a new challenge. The reason I didn't mention Mr G's name in the book, is because I don't want to be associated to him any further. Remember I'm in the process of getting fit to get back into the EFL/Scottish Prem. 

[Iron Acton Red]

17 minutes ago, Michael McIndoe said:

Hi @FramptonRed. When you get called a w***** for 90minutes by 20,000 people every time you touch the ball then something tells me there isn't much love there...it did have a lot to do with that particular article. 

Fair play

[BobBobSuperBob]

1 hour ago, Michael McIndoe said:

No I don't mind at all. Funnily enough I mentioned this on Twitter last night. I'm really glad you brought this up as it's something I've been banging on about. Premier League teams setting themselves up to see if they can possibly squeeze a draw out of a game, if I was a Hammers fan watching last night I'd be pulling my hair out. I think it can only ever have a negative affect on your players and teams in any division that set up like this inevitably will only ever be scraping near the bottom of the leagues. Also creative players in a dressing room who have been coached all their lives on how to break opposition defences down, almost feel like they are being kept on a leash and restrained from what they are, in theory paid to do. So you tend to find it will be the attacking players that start to moan in the dressing room through the week. Plus strikers' goals tend to dry up as they are getting very little opportunities. 

Interesting Michael and not surprising

Although we have rode our luck at times this season (and Lee was (wrongly IMHO) castigated to a fair degree on here post Wolves for remaining bold trying to win the game and going gung ho when 2-0 down at Villa ) I personally feel the approach to try and win every game has served us well , and it looks like the players buy into the approach and are enjoying the positive approach

Wege turned defeats into draws and the odd win and draws into wins

 

Now, if you could dust the boots off , I have you in on LHS in front of Joe Bryan (How good would that combo be) on Tuesday so Patterson can play behind Bobby Reid 

[JamesBCFC]

44 minutes ago, Michael McIndoe said:

Hi @FramptonRed. When you get called a w***** for 90minutes by 20,000 people every time you touch the ball then something tells me there isn't much love there...it did have a lot to do with that particular article. 

Being completely honest, did fans being like that spur you on, or ever put you off?

I know when Maynard played against us and we gave him some stick it put him right off his games, to the point I believe he got hooked fairly early on because he was so off the pace.

[Michael McIndoe]

1 minute ago, JamesBCFC said:

Being completely honest, did fans being like that spur you on, or ever put you off?

I know when Maynard played against us and we gave him some stick it put him right off his games, to the point I believe he got hooked fairly early on because he was so off the pace.

Honestly in a weird way I used to enjoy it. My old coach John Moore at Luton always taught us that if away fans start showing you too much attention it means that they think you're a threat so yes it used to spur me on. 

[Michael McIndoe]

22 hours ago, BobBobSuperBob said:

Interesting Michael and not surprising

Although we have rode our luck at times this season (and Lee was (wrongly IMHO) castigated to a fair degree on here post Wolves for remaining bold trying to win the game and going gung ho when 2-0 down at Villa ) I personally feel the approach to try and win every game has served us well , and it looks like the players buy into the approach and are enjoying the positive approach

Wege turned defeats into draws and the odd win and draws into wins

 

Now, if you could dust the boots off , I have you in on LHS in front of Joe Bryan (How good would that combo be) on Tuesday so Patterson can play behind Bobby Reid 

I know it sounds crazy after being out for 6 years  @Bob Bob Super Bob but I honestly believe I could still do a job in the Championship. Me and Bryan would be a left hand side to be reckoned with. I agree with your point regarding positive approach to every game because I believe doing that will get more accumulation of points over a season. 

[Michael McIndoe]

22 hours ago, handsofclay said:

Great having you on here, Michael. Something I would like to ask regarding that great season of a decade ago that hasn't been mentioned on here yet was Gary Johnson's habit of not replacing an injured player quickly enough. I recall someone being off the pitch at Charlton for nearly ten minutes getting stitches when we were on top and against ten men Charlton came back into it. Then in the play-off Final Hull only came into the match when we were down to ten men with Orr off getting treatment. When he returned and obviously the worse for wear, the goal was scored. Not long afterwards Orr was substituted.

This all probably comes down to the fact we didn't push the boat out in January so didn't have the strength on the bench for Gary Johnson to just sub a player straight away. I have rarely seen this ploy used by other managers, unless all their subs have been used.

Did you think that had Orr been subbed straight away the outcome could well have been different?

@handsofclay In my book I mention exactly this point about Brad Orr. And if you watch the Windass goal back, we had 5 defenders against 2 attackers and I have no doubt if Brad hadn't have been concussed he would've just marked Windass on the edge of the box and Fraizer Campbell wouldn't have had anywhere to go. Instead as you know Brad was in no man's land leaving Windass completely free.

In relation to Gary's habits of not replacing injured players quickly enough, I think that was because he liked to give every player the best chance to stay on the pitch IMO particularly in positions where he felt there wasn't enough alternative strength. 

[Michael McIndoe]

23 hours ago, Owl Visiting said:

Hands off our Gary! Would take a really big offer for us to part with him, probably our best player. 

Yep you're right there. He has an extremely good eye for goal. It's never a bad thing if other Championship club's want to buy your players. It means they're doing something right! 

[Michael McIndoe]

On 05/01/2018 at 19:53, CyderInACan said:

It's great to see an ex player on here prepared to use their real name and tell it how it is (and was!) in their eyes. Certainly a genuine doff of my cap in @Michael McIndoe 's direction for having the cojones to get involved and engaging with openness  and candour. THAT season will hopefully no longer be remembered as our "last big chance" at the end of this season but it's fascinating to read this thread; must genuinely be one of the best discussions on OTIB. Thanks for getting involved. Book sales have just gone up by one! 

I've always been known to speak my mind even though in the past it used to get me in hot water but I do appreciate you saying that @CyderInACan! Make sure you let me know how you get on with the book when you've finished it. 

[Michael McIndoe]

On 05/01/2018 at 19:29, Red Exile said:

Respect to @Michael McIndoe for coming on here and making a real contribution. The analysis of ex-players is something that the local media - Radio Bristol in particular - haven't made as much of as they might, Geoff apart. The analysis, as opposed to match commentary, is usually from the reporter. Travel up north and local radio often has an ex-player who is prepared to tell it like it is. I've enjoyed reading your perspective Michael...we travelled all over the country to watch the side you were part of...happy days.

I must say @Redexile the first half of that 07/08 season were some of my happiest football career memories. And coming from my background I'm probably more appreciative than most players from a fan's perspective on how much it costs week in week out travelling up and down the country to follow your team, especially if you've got a family! Some of my family are mad Hearts fans and travel all over the world with the Tartan Army and I appreciate the sacrifice it takes.   

[Michael McIndoe]

On 05/01/2018 at 19:00, Chappers said:

Good to hear some honest views from an Ex-City player, and totally agree on the type of signings needed. For me, the key this season has been the work rate and unity of the team, with players covering for each other, and apart from Leko, rare to see a player standing still for long when the ball in play. Would be interesting to hear your thoughts on Frankie, get stick on here, but personally, I think he is one of the better Championship keepers, and for all the efforts to bring in new keepers, none have been anywhere near as good as him.

Thanks for your contribution to BCFC, been watching nearly 40 years, and you were here during some entertaining times. I stull maintain that Basso had a direct link to above, as our rise and fall coincided with his arrival, then his falling out with Gary. Was the issue there just that Basso was holding back on signing a new contract? Always seemed petty to me.

Regarding the Basso situation I think it was as simple as Gary offered him a new contract, and for whatever reason Basso didn't sign it. After a period of time Gary took the contract off the table so Basso moved on. It was sad really because Basso should've been there a lot longer.  He is one of the only other footballers I've met in my whole career that didn't drink too. What with me being quite a spiritual person we shared a unique bond while at the club and he is one of the most down to earth guys you'll ever meet. 

[steviestevieneville]

On 05/01/2018 at 12:47, Michael McIndoe said:

I would try to sign Gary Madine from Bolton Wanderers, Gary Hooper from Sheffield Wednesday, Martyn Waghorn from Ipswich Town.

No disrespect MM  but glad you’re not our manager picking those three. 

[Michael McIndoe]

1 minute ago, steviestevieneville said:

No disrespect MM  but glad you’re not our manager picking those three. 

Between those three they've set up and scored 44 goals. 4 more than your entire squad. If I was your manager, you'd be sitting above Wolves right now looking forward to playing the big guns next season. And one day you can hold me to that. 

[AppyDAZE]

Madine looked pretty decent in a side that were really struggling when they played us at ours. Think Johnson would be worried about the extras that seem to follow him though.

[steviestevieneville]

3 minutes ago, Michael McIndoe said:

Between those three they've set up and scored 44 goals. 4 more than your entire squad. If I was your manager, you'd be sitting above Wolves right now looking forward to playing the big guns next season. And one day you can hold me to that. 

Admittedly I’ve not seen enough of hooper but waghorn’s never seemed to have cut it at this level really . There must be more to madine than goals then because he’s hardly prolific. Bit unfair to compare strike forces as well. Djuric hasn’t been fully fit more or less since he’s been here and famara has been out the last 10 weeks or so , just as he was finding his feet. He’s a massive part of how we play having runners like bobby and pato playing off him and also O’dowda . Not really a fair reflection as we are missing so many important players. 

[Michael McIndoe]

33 minutes ago, AppyDAZE said:

Madine looked pretty decent in a side that were really struggling when they played us at ours. Think Johnson would be worried about the extras that seem to follow him though.

Big Gaz has his head screwed on now. And it's the extras that you need to be able to manage to help get your club into the PL. 

[Michael McIndoe]

31 minutes ago, steviestevieneville said:

Admittedly I’ve not seen enough of hooper but waghorn’s never seemed to have cut it at this level really . There must be more to madine than goals then because he’s hardly prolific. Bit unfair to compare strike forces as well. Djuric hasn’t been fully fit more or less since he’s been here and famara has been out the last 10 weeks or so , just as he was finding his feet. He’s a massive part of how we play having runners like bobby and pato playing off him and also O’dowda . Not really a fair reflection as we are missing so many important players. 

Ten years ago City sat in a very similar position. I felt that transfer window we should've gone out and bought 2-3 top Championship players. As you just said @steviestevieneville

a lot of your players are either not match fit or injured. You haven't got the time to get them back firing. You need people ready to score next week who know the division, who are scoring and competing well in sides that are not in the top half of the table. And the topic of this thread was new signings needed for promotion...so the questions I would ask you is do you think you need 2/3 top Championship players right now or would you go with what you have? 

[headhunter]

Michael, going back to that play off final day it was clearly a blow when Jamie McCombe was ruled out through sickness on the morning of the game but for me the game was lost by GJ's substitution choice when Bradley went off.

Rather than move Carey to right back [a position he was accustomed to] and bring on Vasko to partner Fontaine in the middle he moved Elliott to right back and bought LJ on. That disrupted the midfield and saw Elliott play a position that by my recollection he had only played once for Millwall in the 2004 Cup Final!!

Was that how you saw it?

[steviestevieneville]

1 hour ago, Michael McIndoe said:

Ten years ago City sat in a very similar position. I felt that transfer window we should've gone out and bought 2-3 top Championship players. As you just said @steviestevieneville

a lot of your players are either not match fit or injured. You haven't got the time to get them back firing. You need people ready to score next week who know the division, who are scoring and competing well in sides that are not in the top half of the table. And the topic of this thread was new signings needed for promotion...so the questions I would ask you is do you think you need 2/3 top Championship players right now or would you go with what you have? 

I agree to a point yes and do agree that jan 08 we should have strengthened better than we did. I'm just not sure of the players you've mentioned. The facts are though the club is run completely different to 10 years ago. The philosophy of bringing player s in young , hungry and with lots of potential is much more appealing to me than chasing the dream that lansdown tried in 08\9 09\10 that ended up with crippling wage bill and a inflated squad of players that quite honestly couldn't give a shit about the shirt. I know this thread was hypothetical i'd just rather do it the way we are

[Mr Popodopolous]

With regards Madine, while I don't necessarily think it's the way forward but...

Goals isn't the whole picture is it. 5 assists on top of his 9 goals and in a struggling side at that. Assist is basically as good as a goal as it's the creative pass that leads to it, that unlocks the door.

In addition to his 7 goals in 21 starts and 3 sub appearances, Waghorn has 5 assists...though less convinced about him for some reason.

Hooper 10 goals and 3 assits, 22 starts and 2 subs.

So of all of them, Madine would be the best of those 3 based on stats. Also Hooper will be 30 soon, another reason to discount him perhaps.

Or put another way, when you tally up goals and assists, in a worse side, Madine has almost as many as Reid this year in the League.

Indeed, to illustrate my point further. Taylor last season...2 goals only. Pretty poor yeah? 9 starts and 6 sub...but 5 assists. Like I say, these days strikers can't be judged really purely on goals can they?

[CyderInACan]

18 minutes ago, steviestevieneville said:

I agree to a point yes and do agree that jan 08 we should have strengthened better than we did. I'm just not sure of the players you've mentioned. The facts are though the club is run completely different to 10 years ago. The philosophy of bringing player s in young , hungry and with lots of potential is much more appealing to me than chasing the dream that lansdown tried in 08\9 09\10 that ended up with crippling wage bill and a inflated squad of players that quite honestly couldn't give a shit about the shirt. I know this thread was hypocritical but if just rather do it the way we are

 Presume you mean hypothetical!?

[steviestevieneville]

1 minute ago, CyderInACan said:

 Presume you mean hypothetical!?

Bloody predictive text

[Kingswood Robin]

Hi Michael, great to read your comments and thanks for sharing them.

Was there a virus going through the team before that 2008 Final? I remember hearing the team being read out at Wembley and my heart sank a bit when Jamie McCombe was missing. He had an unbelievable season, how much do you think that and the virus affected us on the day?

[AppyDAZE]

1 hour ago, Michael McIndoe said:

Big Gaz has his head screwed on now. And it's the extras that you need to be able to manage to help get your club into the PL. 

I've heard he has but we don't want too many good looking players at The Gate, Hörður Magnússon will do for now (ps i'm not a woman or gay not there's anything wrong with being etc etc  :laugh:)

[handsofclay]

2 hours ago, Michael McIndoe said:

@handsofclay In my book I mention exactly this point about Brad Orr. And if you watch the Windass goal back, we had 5 defenders against 2 attackers and I have no doubt if Brad hadn't have been concussed he would've just marked Windass on the edge of the box and Fraizer Campbell wouldn't have had anywhere to go. Instead as you know Brad was in no man's land leaving Windass completely free.

In relation to Gary's habits of not replacing injured players quickly enough, I think that was because he liked to give every player the best chance to stay on the pitch IMO particularly in positions where he felt there wasn't enough alternative strength. 

Having been concussed while playing football I know that it took all my reserves of determination just to give the impression that I was OK and convey an impression that I was able to function normally, whilst in reality I couldn't even remember the name of a single teammate for a good five minutes and, scarily, had I thought of it, I doubt I would have remembered my own name! So, I have every sympathy for Bradley Orr. And, yes, he was in no man's land through no fault of his own.

It's great to be able to question a former player in this manner and mine your thoughts. I considered you an integral part of our successful period anyway, but this has enhanced my appreciation of your input. Respect to you, Michael and I will be buying your book.

[Tomo]

On 1/3/2018 at 18:29, Michael McIndoe said:

I said earlier today on Twitter that, in my opinion, Lee needs to sign 2/3 massive signings to secure promotion to the Premier League. I don't mean foreigners that are unknown or do not know the division. And I don't mean Premier League fringe players who have hardly kicked a ball all season. I mean top Championship players that SL can prise away from other Championship clubs and who of course will fit into Lee's style of play! When looking to sign new players I always ask two simple questions...which opposition players have caused us the most problems this season? And can we pay them more than their current club? 

If you don't think Lee needs any new players then ask yourselves one question - if you were a Premier League manager who out of the current squad would you want to sign this transfer window? If you can only think of two then your squad definitely needs more strength and more quality.

I remember 10 years ago when Gary was sat in a very similar position and we signed a foreigner who didn't know the division and someone who didn't suit our style of play. Surely this is the time to invest into the squad in order to get to the promised land!

 

Good on You MM - Great that you are staying on the forum! As mentioned in your 1st thread, hang in there and ignore any idiot posts!

Tomo