Leaderboard

@Harry We are suffering the effects of the Ashton era and the pandemic. What grinds with me the most on the Pearson debate is that fans love him when we win and have ‘had enough’ when we lose. It was clearly evident when Nige joined the club that a lot of things needed changing. Nige eluded to this in one of his very first interviews. He had little time to prepare and we were still in the grip of the pandemic so he contacted players who he knew he could trust and hoped that their quality and experience of playing at the highest level would have helped to steady the sinking ship. Simpson was a straight up failure. Nowhere near Championship level. That was a punt that turned out to be a negative, but Nige hoped he could reignite the players passion after it was known that other clubs wouldn’t touch him because of what he had done in his personal life. Mentally I think that Simpson was shot and I feel sorry for Nige on that one. Where King was concerned I thought it was potentially a good signing at the time. This was a player who could score goals and who also was a City fan which was an added bonus. King hadn’t been playing to the standard of Championship level football but he has a great attitude and Pearson felt he would inspire the younger players in the team. Unfortunately King has ended up on the treatment table for a long time which is just unfortunate. Had he stayed fit I think we would have seen his influence as the season progressed and he became fitter. Matty James (although blighted a bit by injury) has proven to be a good addition. Although he’s not the quickest he is a good playmaker and his reintroduction to the team recently has helped us to create a few more goal scoring opportunities. Personally I think James was a decent signing. Rob Atkinson - Another decent signing in my opinion. Hit by Covid when already trying to get up to speed in the Championship, but who is a player that can bring the ball out of defence with his feet and in recent games is beginning to show the quality that Nige stated that he had. George Tanner - A young committed player who was sadly struck down by a long term injury. Just sheer bad luck on that one. Nige has struggled to plug that hole ever since. Andi Weimann - A pricey resign but also a priceless one. This is a player who earns every penny. Fitness and work rate is bang on. Nathan Baker - Potentially a great defender when fit, but will he ever remain fit? I doubt it. Again, this was a risky punt which has ended up backfiring as he ended up back in the treatment room for an entire season. The rest of the squad is what Nige inherited. Not ‘his own’ squad as many fans keep saying. Getting a consistent tune out of that mob is pretty much impossible. Quite a few will be shipped out when possible but that isn’t going to happen overnight, so when fans start questioning whether Nige is the right man for the job every time we lose a game they need to remember that a lot of these players won’t ever consistently cut it at Championship level. Someone said it was down to Nige being unable to motivate players. I’ll argue all day that if a player isn’t up to it standard wise then that fault doesn’t lie at the manager’s feet (unless he signed them in the first place). Ian Holloway managed Hanham Boys and they finished 4th from bottom. He took Blackpool into the Premier League. Motivation is just a piece of the jigsaw. We no longer win a few then lose 12 on the bounce like we did under Johnson and Holden. We have pretty much the same squad so there is a big shift in how we perform over all and at least we don’t spend large parts of the game passing the ball sideways across the back four waiting to get dispossessed. Massive improvement. SL/JL have a clear objective. Invest in the academy and get them into the first team for sustainability. Nige is following this objective. Blooding more youngsters in one season since Danny Wilson. Agents are self serving parasites who will bankrupt a football club by getting as much money as they can for their players. Once a player is paid handsomely their mindset is shot and you are managing egos. These players think they are too good for Bristol City and we don’t get our money’s worth. Bottom line is that we have to invest in our scouting network for young talent and we need to be operating in the lower leagues to find potential within a more realistic budget. However frustrating the structure of the club may appear we are lucky just to have a club to support at all. 1982 is the reason why we are still here, and without SL we wouldn’t have the improved facilities that we have today. Avoiding League One is where we are right now and clearing up the Ashton mess is going to take time. I hope that Nige gets the backing he needs in the summer to help us build on what we have. Hopefully once some of the dead wood has been shifted we will improve our position in the league. Nige is the most straight talking sensible man manager we have had since Alan Dicks. I’ve yet to see a single interview with him where I feel he is talking utter bollocks. If we keep him at the helm longer term I feel we will definitely improve (and within budget).

Happy to help.

I followed Partick Thistle home and away throughout the 80s and 90s - superb memories and great people! I’m still in contact most of them now. I used to drive up on a Friday lunchtime, dump my car and get into The Abbotsford Inn in Bearsden where I’d meet the boys and then chaos, and laughing until you choked, ensued for 48 hours. When EasyJet started flying from Bristol to Glasgow, it got to the point where the Partick manager would pick me up from Glasgow Airport when he knew I was coming up - what a club! The Scots know they are a relatively small country in the world of football, but wow, they certainly know how to get behind their teams. The passion of the Partick Thistle fans is unbelievable - especially away from home. Following Elgin sounds like it was a great time for you too, cheers ?

I can’t believe they ripped off the baseline from Start by The Jam. Shocking

I assume you mean what do I think of him as a man rather than his coaching ability? I kind of liked him as a player, there have been plenty of players who mix it up a bit and I don't really have a problem with that, but stubbing a cigar in someone's eye is pretty ******* despicable stuff. the French accent was pretty cringy and when he went to Rangers ( I go to Celtic as well as Rovers) I took a real dislike to him after he started giving it 'the big un' before a derby match. It was very enjoyable watching Celtic score 5 that day I didn't particularly want him at Rovers but I think you start to get on dodgy ground if you start objecting to footballers and managers based on things they have done away from football,. So he had my support from day one, but then he presided over the most gutless relegation I have ever seen and I don't buy the 'they weren't my players' line, we went down with a whimper and he stood back and let it happen, This season we had an awful start and I wasn't impressed with his 'I guarantee promotion' stuff he was spouting in the bars after games and told him so. However, the improvement in the second half of the season is undeniably impressive, we are actually a good side to watch , there seems to be a team spirit within the players which I haven't seen for years and going to games is actually fun again. But that's football, good times and bad times and even if we do go up, we will be back to where we started . A few players leaving and a few poor results will see all the goodwill out the window, because football fans are fickle *****

Peter's picture is out of date. This is the new one.

So it will favour the richest clubs? I'm shocked I tell you, shocked.?

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

Andi has just been called up for the Austrian international team. What a man, fully deserved.

Imo, it should not only be lauded but, when you understand our historical travails at this level and then factor in our current financial position plus the mess of a squad he inherited, be acknowledged as a near miraculous achievement. Scandously, imo, that acknowledgement seems unlikely - judging by the opinion of the suits above him (who seem to think he's "under performing") and the know-nothing gobshites of social media and local radio. More fool them. Personally, I'm happy to carry Nige shoulder high to the nearest hostelry at season's end to celebrate, although I appreciate this honour is usually reserved for fake sheikhs, fake messiahs, fake football clubs. Nige is no messiah, and he may even be a very naughty boy, but fake he is not.

No, that is the Trattoria Al-Quidi

Sloe...

@firstdivision Lies, damn lies and statistics! Ignoring the tail end of last season when Pearson took over a sinking ship and kept us up, where is any part of this seasons results within a country mile of LJ's super record of 11, yes ELEVEN, points from 72 available? Yes we have squandered too many by conceding in the last five minutes of matches, especially at home, but in the opinion of many supporters, we are at lest now trying to play as a team and to actually attack the oppostion goal a helluve lot more than your little hero did!

Agree 12.30 just a no no no no no !!!!!

5:30 KO is far better than 12:30.

Superb! I gained some sort of notoriety too when following The Jags - I remember a freezing cold 0-0 draw away at Celtic - it was a dreadful game, then about five minutes from the end, someone from within the 6,000 Partick following shouted “well, at least I haven’t travelled up from Bristol for this shite” - happy days!

I agree. The digs at LJ are tedious. He wasn’t perfect. He made mistakes. But he helped to give us some good times as well as some frustrating times. He had some cash but the players sold while he was manager generated plenty of cash too - and weakened the team. We should move on. I find the notion that LJ caused NP’s problems - and somehow makes him immune to questioning - increasingly laughable. And a cop out. Surely he’s been more hamstring by COVID-19 than LJ.

Also, if anyone trawled back 6 months they would be able to find posts where we have all got it wrong. Plenty on here thought Liam Walsh was the answer in midfield & how’s his career going?(really awful) & personally I certainly thought we would be able to get by with a combination of Vyner & Simpson competing for the RB slot, nope.

Same as every year!

Let's be honest, the free kick was the officials cop out because they actually didn't have a clue what was going on. There was no foul in the build up. They scored a fair goal and I agree that if the boot was on the other foot we would be moaning and bitching about it for ages and rightfully so..... .....However..... Warnock and Jordan were on the receiving end of the decision which makes this the exception to the rule and the correct outcome on the day!!!!

Hold my hands up. In previous seasons/ pre-injury I questioned his ability. Never his desire. There were times where I argued, “well what if I run around for 90 minutes and look like a grafter, will I get a game?” However, this is why I’m not in football and probably never should be. He has had an absolute stormer of a season thoroughly deserves an international start let alone a call up, and I for one stand corrected. I also feel the coaching staff and Nige should get some praise as well, for getting the best out of him where others did not. Well done Andi.

Just saw that you can buy a centre dolman adult ticket for £18 , Bc are taking the Micky out of loyal season ticket holders because their ticket works out at about £ 23 per game

The word "deadline" has lost all meaning in terms of the Derby matter. It now lies in a grave alongside the word "imminent". The English language is the real victim in all of this.

Some 50 years ago, there was a song by Christie called Yellow River - a few older ones on here might remember it, although there is no need for anybody to look it up if they don’t know it, as it wasn’t really a classic. A popular playground question (in my school anyway) was to ask who wrote it. The answer was I P Daily. The follow up question was to ask who wrote the sequel, Rusty Bedsprings, the answer being I P Nightly. Honestly, it was really funny at the time. As Mary Hopkin and our Ipswich fans might say, Those Were The Days.

No. I came up with a really crap Titanic based joke, which, when the threads were merged confused @Super This is definitely one of those scenarios where you wish you hadn’t done something because you’ve spent many more hours explaining it than you spent laughing. Not my finest moment.

Can you always replace players with ones of similar quality or similar attributes though? Webster and Brownhill, for example. Plus, a manager can be hampered by selling players he doesn’t want to sell. As NP will probably experience this summer. The other thing is that NP - and most other EFL clubs - are/will be operating in a market that has changed radically, one in which the bottom has fallen out. There could/should be some relative bargains compared to LJ’s time. So not easy to compare like for like. We were spend happy in the ‘good times’ before COVID-19 changed quite a bit and when MA was ‘in control’. I guess my overall point is that I find the constant and general snide remarks about LJ a bit tedious. Let’s move on. Face reality now. It’s reasonable to question NP as we discussed recently about comparative squad strength between the first half of last season and this season.

Wouldn’t want NP’s job. Extremely tricky and also dependent on bids coming in, offers to existing players accepted, and our bids not being gazumped. Then there is the problem of injury prone players and players staying who don’t want to be here Add an owner putting his oar in. But wouldn’t want anyone other than a tough and intelligent guy like NP in charge In Nige I trust

If we sold Kalas for £2 million and bought a replacement for £1 million on a 4 year deal paying £10k per week, we'd be over £2 million better off wouldn't we? So it could boil down to whether Pearson wants Kalas long term.

Russia have put in a late expression of interest in hosting the next Euros , or the one after that Yeah good luck with that Now f *** off And when you’ve done that **** off again

I think the pandemic has had a real impact here. Firstly there are SC holders who for health reasons don’t feel able to attend on a regular basis. Secondly a number miss a fair few games through either testing positive or having someone else in the household who does. Finally I think the culture of going to every game has been lost with the opportunity to see games online, either legally or not. I know a few SC holders who live some way away who can afford their SC but are infrequent attenders. A bit like the red button decimating midweek away support, this is a cultural shift.

By my estimates, and these are heavily caveated, because I’m not the CFO of Bristol City (???) so can’t know the real numbers, I think that if we made no changes to our squad, i.e. re-contracted those players expiring (Klose, Cundy, O’Dowda etc) on existing terms and made no new contract offers to those expiring the summer after (Kalas, Bentley, Massengo, etc) then we are looking at a FFP Cycle loss of £44.5m. The numbers take account of the recently allowed covid losses of £5m, £5m and £2.5m. There is no transfer profit baked into my estimates. Therefore we need to find £5.5m to get inside FFP threshold of £39m. Some of that deficit will be reduced by not extending those players OOC. Some will be by extending the likes of Kalas, where either his wages come down, his amortisation gets smoothed over a long period, or a bit of both. Some will be by selling players like Bakinson, receiving a fee and not having to pay his wages.. The hope is Webster, Kelly or Brownhill make us some sell-on dough. The hope is we don’t have to sell Semenyo, Scott or Massengo. Its like a big see-saw, with a big £5.5m weight that either needs balancing on the other side, or by reducing the size of the £5.5m. I don’t believe we will go for a points deduction. Nor do I necessarily know why people keep quoting 6 points on twitter? Does that make sense? Shout if any other questions. Finally, to use Kalas as an example on £25k p.w, imagine he signed a new deal until 2025 on £15k p.w. That would reduce that £5.5m weight to £3.5m, i.e. saves us £2m next season.

Already have !!!

Thing is, if we can get through next season maybe with a better finish and with signs of progression we will be in a good position. Rid of the overpaid dross and hopefully with a young group of players ready to push on. He said 3 years for a reason. He knew the contract lengths and the impact this would have. The 2 years are an opportunity to blood players and work out who is in for the long run.

J R Hartley I think it was. Its in yellow pages.

‘We no longer win a few and lose 12 on the bounce like we did under Johnson and Holden.’ A bit of fact checking wouldn’t go amiss here. Lee Johnson W84 D54 L79 Dean Holden W19 D5 L19 Nigel Pearson W14 D12 L29 There was a season when we lost six in a row under LJ and we also lost six in a row under DH before he was sacked. NP lost four in a row in a run of two points from nine matches.

Selling Andi Wiemann would make no sense. At his age there is no selling value, and we would struggle to recoup the £2m we paid for him, plus we couldn't replace him for £2m. If there is 7 figures on the table for Semenyo, he has to be sold. He is not a prolific striker yet, and whilst he has good vision, movement and has a lot of promise, he is only a marginal improvement on what Bobby Reid was. Selling him for 10-12m with a sell on clause makes perfect sense, as he could be replaced with a good youngster on loan, an experienced free agent, or on a player proven at League one, who is young and could make the transition to Championship Football, and would probably only cost 2-3m. Its financial sense to sell Semenyo, it makes no sense to sell Andi.

So you’re saying they need the Loan Arranger and Pronto, kemosabe.

The reason I say it'll stretch into the off-season is that we have to assume that their proof of funds is valid and correct, and so they do have enough cash to see out this season. That does take some pressure off of the administrators, and does mean that for all their bluster about sorting it out 'imminently', they presumably are good until the end of May? At that point there does come a bit of pressure to sort it before the 2022/23 season kicks off, as at that point I believe they suffer a -15 point deduction for commencing a season whilst in Administration. They will also likely be without Rooney and will have a threadbare squad of kids and possibly the tea lady in goal. I suspect there would also be an EFL requirement to show proof of funds for the 2022/23 season. Would they be able to do that? I doubt it unless they can sell their players for serious millions. Sorry, I forget what the 18 month rule is.

Good write up, fair as (almost) always. I see they are 5/2 to go up. I shall put some of my ill gotten Cheltenham dosh on that. But don't think for a moment that I want to pick up.......well, you know the score ! ? BTW, how long did you have to wait in casualty after you dissed Joey bag ?

My all time favourite album cover, and my favourite Beatles LP. Closely followed by The White Album

Take it away George!!!!! 1,2,3,4 Hrmm! 1,2... 1,2,3,4. Let me tell you how it will be There's one for you, nineteen for me Cos I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman Should five per cent appear too small Be thankful I don't take it all Cos I'm the taxman, yeah I'm the taxman If you drive a car, I'll tax the street If you try to sit, I'll tax your seat If you get too cold I'll tax the heat If you take a walk, I'll tax your feet Taxman! Cos I'm the taxman, yeah I'm the taxman Don't ask me what I want it for (Aahh Mr. Wilson) If you don't want to pay some more (Aahh Mr. Heath) Cos I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman Now my advice for those who die Declare the pennies on your eyes Cos I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman And you're working for no one but me Taxman!

Great article...which has changed my opinion on the 'Pearson debate'. If the actions of Pearson (and Gould) in reducing our costs to below FPP limits and subsequently save us a points deduction for next season (whilst still keeping us in the Championship) then that is an achievement that should be lauded. Although we may have to sell the family silver, Pearson has given that silver a good polish and we may get a better price even in a depressed market (the family silver being the likes of Scott, Massengo etc). My expectations for next year have been managed however!

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

This is a great summary. Wanting someone to blame is a very natural reaction when things are going badly but if you decide it's at the manager's door, who is going to come in and perform a miracle? It's not like this is anywhere near a Premier League squad, in terms of quality or mentality. We have got to a point where we are publicly contemplating a points deduction because our finances are so bad. We've been spoiled in the past 20 years. We've either been pushing for promotion in League 1 or telling ourselves we should be doing the same in the Championship. Sometimes it just ain't gonna happen and I think this is where we are. We shouldn't let the way the finances have been allowed to get to this stage just pass by though. It was a big risk even before the pandemic and it's been horribly exposed.

The fact that Dicksy was offered the financial director post tells you everything about how chaotic the admin of the club was at that time. Might as well have appointed Gerry Gow as club dentist.

Not really read many of the details yet but it appears that it will be reformed or overhauled!! Took long enough to get the message out there about it in general! Now it sounds like a new version is on its way. ? Unsure how this will impact domestic Leagues, let alone the Championship? https://sempremilan.com/ffp-overhaul-new-york-times Saw something online earlier about a) A 70% limit on Football Expenditure and b) 3 seasons for transition. God knows in short...may look it up in more depth in the coming days. Plus seen reference to in-season monitoring by UEFA, with possible sanctions listed as Points deductions and relegation from the Champions League!

I know, what happened to those seasons when we were chasing a play off spot and the April/May fixtures came thick and fast? The season’s kind of appropriately going out with a whimper. Never mind, next season’s season cards go on sale very soon!

Did Palace also cheat in the same game by not telling the referee that Hartleys disallowed goal was clearly onside?

It's a friendly tournament not a league match. Nothing to see here. These tournaments happen all the time