BrizzleRed

are you sure? Someone else was quite recently.

Absolutely crazy. If the owners saw that manager’s record as a failure, what the hell were they expecting from him to consider him successful??? That’s really taking madness to another level.

Particularly when you have a pitch invasion to celebrate reaching ‘safety’ and pushing your hosts into the relegation spots, only for them to leapfrog you the next week, after you’re beaten at home by a team wearing your spare kit. That’s a gift that will be savoured for ever, as I can’t see something so unbelievable and totally hilarious ever happening again! We should be forever thankful to the 15ers for that absolute gem.

Is it bollux ..... its relevant and is pointing out how history repeated itself over a 9 year period. That '14/15 season was absolutely brilliant and we had that same sort of momentum as we'd had under GJ in our Play-Off season, or more recently you could look at the likes of Ipswich this season. Shows the big difference when a manager is backed by the owner, compared to one who isn't. Shall I just also point out the sale of Alex Scott and not allowing it to be reinvested in the squad and instead, creating a very large nest-egg as another comparison?

I bet it didn't and I'd have paid good money to be there and witness that ..... and then shake Cotts's hand afterwards!

I went down to the Lloyds Amphitheatre where the team were appearing after the promotion. I couldn't believe it When Steve Lansdown got on the mic to speak to the fans, when he was spouting about our wonderful season, but somehow managed to avoid giving any credit or acknowledgement to Cotts for his part in it. I thought at the time it was really odd and classless how Cotts was blanked, and the events of the subsequent season showed Lansdown's actions were definitely no accident. It seemed pretty obvious Lansdown couldn't stand him and it seems to be a very similar situation with Nigel Pearson. Ironic how two of the most popular managers with fans for decades, were actually so thoroughly disliked by the owner.

If we’re playing poorly most of the time, we’re statistically far more likely to be “walking away after a match at Ashton Gate” having lost, rather than won. If we’re more often playing well, the win to defeat ratios are likely to be reversed, so in fhe longer term, better performances are likely going yield better results. One ugly win game taken in isolation doesn’t make a season, does it.

Oh, I’m right with you on everything you’ve said there. We’ve clearly got Manning for the forseeable, so although he’s saved himself with a couple of ugly wins lately, I’d like to see some performances that would at least hint at something better next season. As you say, giving someone a stuffing would be great but equally, if we aren’t up for it, I can see Rotherham nicking a win as a passing shot to the Championship, to just cap a really shit season!

But without the performance, that’s much less likely to happen. Scraping a few more points to finish the season is all very well. I think it’s even more important to be putting in some decent performances over the final matches. Surely that will give far more reasons for optimism for a more sustained improvement next season, than just points alone?

…… well, we’re certainly consistent, but unfortunately, it’s just consistently dull.

That’s certainly what we’ve witnessed so far and I’d hoped that was just while we transition to Manning’s proposed style. Unless I’m misinterpreting Hogg’s comment, having our attacking style dictated by the opposition is an awful indictment of our passive tactics and lack of ability to impose ourselves on the opposition. Can’t see it ending well if that’s an indication of the extent of Manning’s ultimate ambition and tactical prowess.

Really, why's that??

Amazing how many occasions Lansdown has tried to copy what another club is doing. Trouble is, he seems oblivious to how to actually achieve it, or if it’s even possible in our circumstances. Yet more money spunked on a fatally flawed plan.

I’d really like to know what Lansdown’s original plan for BS was, as I’d always thought he wanted to create a sporting legacy for south Bristol. That doesn’t look to be the case any more, as he’s cut off the funding and a feeling of neglect is starting to creep in. It’s not difficult to work out what’ll happen to any sporting organisation where cash has been pulled, or greatly reduced, so there could be some very difficult times ahead for all the teams within the BS group. Lansdown now appears to have completely lost interest in his sporting project and as he’s made the group pretty unattractive to potential investors, he seems to have painted himself right into a corner. I can’t imagine his original plan involved presiding over a group of stagnant, loss making clubs under the Bristol Sport banner, where even his flagship new stadium still manages to make a loss. The fact he has shackled all these teams together into a pretty unattractive package is looking like really poor judgement on his part and not leaving him a way out without a big financial hit. I wonder what he privately thinks of what he’s achieved, when balanced against his investment. I can’t imagine he’s exactly glowing with pride, though if he’s somehow convinced himself he’s done well, that’ll surely provide conclusive proof of where our problems really lie!

Spot on NU Regarding the anti Nige mob, I always try my best to view them just as people who have a different viewpoint to me and have completely bought into the bullshit put out by the club hierarchy. The problem for me is, they so closely mirror the official club line, I can't help questioning if some of them are actually club employees. It's sad when you get to the point of being suspicious of what may actually be genuine fellow fans, but that's just how bad things have become. As you say, the fanbase has been divided and polarised and that is clearly down to the shit put out by the club. The biggest issue for me is my complete breakdown of trust in the club and specifically Stephen Lansdown. Whilst the club could regain that trust with the right appointments, for me, that can only ever be achieved with Lansdown gone. We've all witnessed the constant churns of various plans, managers, head coaches and players at this club over the years, with the same outcome ....... mediocrity. As we all know, the only constant is Lansdown himself. I've long accepted he couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery, let alone a football club, and his ego and stubbornness will always hold us back. The cynical, vindictive and downright disrespectful way Nige was treated really was the final straw with me though and finally confirmed this club is in far from safe hands. At that point, Lansdown went from being just a massively underachieving and misguided, egotistical owner, to being a creeping, controlling disease that is gradually killing this club. As has been said many times, we've witnessed City in infinitely worse positions on the field over the years, but in my 60 years of following the club, I've never felt remotely close to the total lack of trust and despair in the hierarchy and I'm ashamed to say, my feelings towards Lansdown are now bordering on hatred for being responsible for that.

Especially when none of those individual entities manage to show a profit. In spite of the stadium upgrade and the massively increased matchday and corporate revenues coming from that, we still can’t even produce a profit in that area It’s little wonder Lansdown can’t find a buyer!

I think its pretty clear now that unless they’re exceptionally stupid, they’re deliberately ignoring the facts. There also seems to be a complete denial of the awful state this club had got into and the sheer scale of the job Pearson had, just to keep us in this division, let alone mid table. Some of our fanbase really depress me at times and makes you wonder if they can actually see past their noses.

So FGR and Watford are run by idiots and Luton are run by someone who actually knows what they’re doing? Sadly our own owner regularly demonstrates he’s pretty much as useless as the people running FGR and Watford. I think you’ll find the majority of your ‘moaners’ have way more of an issue with how this club is run, rather than with Manning himself, even though he’s far from inspiring.

Funny isn’t it. For all the accusations of some supporters being ‘Nige fanboys’, it’s ironic that those making those accusations are a very vociferous group who are in a distinctly ‘anti Nige’ cult, who refuse to admit to it. They have refused to give him any credit or understanding of the size of the task he had to deal with and the restrictions he was working under. They have been crying out for his sacking at every possible opportunity, then pathetically claiming it’s the whole fanbase who wanted him out, not just their cult group. In spite of their selective myopia, we are now supposed to cut LM a load of slack and ignore some really shite performances with a solid squad, unlike their treatment of Nigel Pearson with a makeshift squad of crocks and Academy rookies. ******* priceless!!!

I’ll tell you what’s wrong with that statement. This is OUR club and collectively, the fanbase have invested way more into this club than he has during their lifetimes. The big problem is, he’s made sure that he’s the only one with the power to make the important decisions, which usually involve pissing away £millions and he doesn’t take any responsibility for his huge mistakes along the way. Being run by a control freak certainly isn’t doing us any favours and we’re still no closer to on-field success after two decades of his ownership.

It’s like chalk and cheese. They’ve gone from struggling with ground sharing, then that awful Withdean Stadium and look where they are now. In contrast, what have we done over the same period? Other than stadium and training ground improvements and a bit more focus on the academy, we’ve done next to bugger all, except piss away £millions, lose ownership of our ground and massively increase our debts. I think it was Bloom who spoke up for us at one of the planning meetings for Ashton Vale at the Council House and I was massively impressed with him then. He had a clear plan and has stayed focussed and carried it through. For me, he’s a brilliant example of what a great owner looks like and what we totally lack.

Absolutely with you Chief and just trying to see some positives in the shit situation we’ve been put in by SL, as we are where we are My own opinion is we’ve dumped a vastly experienced and qualified manager for a complete rookie and if that isn’t bad enough, we’ve been saddled with a right pair of jokers for Chairman and Teckie Director, so not a great combo. Hopefully Manning grows into the job, as that’s probably the only hope we have. In the long term, I’m convinced this club is going nowhere until we get an owner who values experience and ability, over yes men who won’t question him and his massive ego. Feels like we’re stuck in limbo at the moment and sadly, my sights are set on just surviving in the Championship next season and we should really be looking for higher than that. Wouldn’t it be great to actually support a professionally run club, rather than some extraordinarily wealthy but delusional blokes part-time plaything?!!!

For one thing, if they’d dumped NP earlier, how many potential managers would have been crazy or brave enough to take on the shambles that Pearson was tasked to sort out? As for lack of consistency, did you really expect anything else, with our injury crisis and small squad, meaning a number of young, inexperienced players having to be thrown in the deep end, hoping they would be able to swim, rather than sink?? The last two games under Manning have thankfully shown a bit of promise, but nobody is going to convince me that NP’s sacking was anything other than for personal reasons by those above.

Funnily enough, you weren’t actually one of the posters I had in mind, though you do have your moments! From what I’ve see, you give your opinions and while I may often disagree, that’s healthy and got no problem there. It’s people who are being deliberately provocative and have a deliberate aim to just start an argument and cause general conflict that boil my piss. Don’t think there’s anything crazy about that tbh.

Absolutely this. I detest cancel culture and totally believe everyone should have a right to express their views, whether popular on not. That’s a very different thing to tossers who keep reappearing on here under a variety of different names, with the sole purpose of winding people up and trying to ruin what is a great forum. Maybe they get a twisted satisfaction that they’ve achieved something, but it detracts from many more peoples enjoyment of this board.