One Team

Just now, Barrs Court Red said:

Mr “Judge me on Tinnion” doesn’t do humility. 

No indeed and not expecting it mate. He lost me with the infamous “it’s my club” comment a few years ago. He’s just doubling down for me all the time now. 

6 minutes ago, mozo said:

To bring us closer to some sort of closure, I think Steve Lansdown should, and could easily, front up when the season's over, and just apologise for poor messaging around the Pearson sacking. That needs to be followed by a glowing appraisal of the work Pearson did (and best wishes to him).

That mea culpa and act of gratitude would make a world of difference to the relationship with the fans.

But unfortunately, I don't think many ludicrously wealthy people feel they have to apologise for anything, or accept other people's best interests. At least not this one.

Literally all we need is a couple of minutes of grace and selflessness, and then we can draw a line under it.

A bit of humility from Lansdown would go a long way, but personally I don’t see any coming back from this for him. 

33 minutes ago, petehinton said:

It’s odd how many people in football really are like that, maybe players more so than managers. I guess if you’re so involved, unless you play against them, you won’t look at football anywhere near as intently as a fan would 

Indeed Pete and to a lot of players it’s just a job.

@headhunter a shame in some ways this interview was done before Nige’s podcast with Allardyce! 

One thing is for sure it was an entertaining interview and podcast! 

“I learnt afterwards it was for results”. What a sly, snide thing to have done, exposing Lansdown further really. 

It does pose the question, what reason was he given?

His comment about “ask me in 12 months” was interesting, it’d be great to hear an interview after he’s bound by whatever he’s signed.

More than anything it was good to hear from him and that he’s getting better. 

Cheers Nige!

3 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Aye, that’s fine.  I can only go on what I know…and in this case it’s nothing.  Not that I doubt you, I just can’t jump on a bandwagon.

Tea

Absolutely mate you can only base things on what you hear and know yourself.

1 hour ago, Davefevs said:

And this is why I’ve always remained neutral on Tins re the sacking…mainly because I’d heard nothing about his involvement.  So I had no beef with Tins.

And I still don’t, although once sacked, Tins would’ve played a big role in choosing LM.  Again no issues with that per se…only the bits about whether it fitted the “front foot, high press…..” remit.  But I will argue (debate) with anyone who says Tins had nothing to do with LM’s appointment.  That’s kinda his role, innit?

I’ve said here before Fevs I heard he was involved in both the sacking and the appointment. I get your points but I’ve a different opinion based on I was told by an impeccable source. 

2 hours ago, petehinton said:

No shock one bit, we all knew it.
 

There’s not an ounce of class, real experience or professionalism between any of them, let’s be real. 

Spot on Pete. Confirms all we thought and feared really. 

2 hours ago, And Its Smith said:

Amazing that Pearson wasn’t told that he was sacked for results and he wasnt told about the fear the players were being de-conditioned.  Shows what slime balls we have running this club 

Absolutely incredible but depressingly believable all at the same time. This just confirms all we thought last October/November. This season has been unforgettable for all the wrong reasons, they need to go. 

1 hour ago, petehinton said:

I think this & a few other pointed comments have all been quite clearly aimed at ‘the board’ - along with the “not going to change things overnight” “the squad is weaker than last year (paraphrased)” “difficult to change anything mid season” as a bit of ‘it’s not me guv, it’s them’ from Liam & Hoggy, and that the squad isn’t as good as was shouted from the rooftops about back in the autumn. I still standby the fact I’d be amazed if the squad is 2 players bigger in August than it currently is, and that there won’t be much movement in/out. 
 

They’re not stupid, and know the pressure that’s been put of them by the comments in October & November, but the recent run of results has probably given them a bit of license that currently, in their mind, they’ve bailed JL/Tinns/GM out a bit of what was an extremely toxic situation. 

Great post Pete. 

It’s with comments like this I am actually starting to warm a little to Manning, and at the very least have some sympathy.

If he can continue to carefully craft a “it’s not me it’s them” narrative (carefully as Nige did this very well to his downfall) then he will get fans on side. We all saw October/November for what it was after all, FBCs latest podcast confirming it. 

To your other point I understand it’s two signings at the moment. 

7 hours ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

This stood out to me. We all know what was said by them all so no need to go over it again. 

But to hear them pretty much admit they lied is hilarious. 

6 hours ago, RollsRoyce said:

IMHO, he is lying in the interview. The season expectation was to be challenging top 6. They were not lying when they claimed that Pearson was failing to meet that aim. They are lying now because they expected Manning to easily improve on Pearson. That is not to criticise Manning, he was never equipped to perform such an improvement. Their expectation from the squad and a coach struggling to find his feet was unrealistic. Manning failed to meet their target. The expectation for the next season with the benefit hindsight is the more interesting question to ask. What target have they given Manning for next season? It was top 6 when he was hired, is it still top 6, or is it now mid table? Some clarity about how much money is needed to be generated from player sales in the next 12 months would also be welcome. Has the budget now changed? Is there still a need to create a significant transfer income to offset losses? If not , why not, what has changed Has Sl decided to start backing the club again? Or do we still need £10M plus  net transfer income? 

Marshall is another cog in the incompetent and amateur set up at BCFC. 

Agreed with you both. 

A big thank you to @headhunter and the FBC team for finally getting this interview, it is appreciated. 

I found it all a bit like our season in general; a couple of good bits, some disappointing bits and an overall sense of bullshit and lies. 

I think Dave and Ian did a pretty decent job. I appreciate you will want to keep a cordial relationship established for future opportunities, but I did think there were a few times he could’ve been challenged further. 

It was an opportunity for him to show a bit of humility, even some transparency, but I didn’t hear anything. Whilst the attendances were acknowledged, signing off with a positive message to the fans would’ve at least been something. 

More than anything it was a good reminder that for this season and potentially next Manning isn’t really the problem. 

Well done Dave and Ian though and thank you. 

13 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

So, as of last week, over 8,000 STs sold

That’s way down then Fevs? 

Many thanks @headhunter. Did you manage to do this in a typical FBC balanced style and ask some of the key questions of this unforgettable-for-the-wrong-reasons season? 

I appreciate it can be different when actually faced with a club employee but I think you are more GT than 3 Peaps! 

1 minute ago, TV Tom said:

Can't remember anyone moaning at the time, an ex-England keeper and a manager that won the Championship with a record points total that still stands today, hindsight is a wonderful thing 

Well quite. His previous game before playing his first for us was against Germany in South Africa at the World Cup. 

12 minutes ago, Silvio Dante said:

Coppell always struck me as a man who wasn’t necessarily in love with football, but when he was invested, he was all in.

I think that was one of the issues here - as I understand it SL pursued him and pursued him to a point where even though SC had reservations he said yes. There were major red flags though - IIRC he was to take over in the summer but rather than watch his new team he instead took in a Reading game.

It was a job he didn’t really want to do to start with, then when SL (and probably for the right reasons as he wanted to show us going for it) signed James over Coppells head it started getting even worse. We then have the horrible signings of Stewart and Hunt.

It was an awful appointment - not because of the manager, but because the manager didn’t want to do it. A part of me also thinks this is what has led to SL appointing lesser “names” other than Pearson subsequently- he got his fingers burnt. Maybe he feels we’re just not big enough to “buy” success to an extent and that’s driven a part of the strategy since.

A superb point Silvio, the Coppell situation may explain a lot of his decision making since. 

Whilst I agree with your points it’s a shame it didn’t work out as at the point of his appointment we really thought “this is it!”. 

Fourteen years ago today we appointed Steve Coppell. 

Perhaps of all Lansdown’s appointments this was the one where we all really thought we were kicking on to the next level, with someone of his experience of getting to and staying in the Premier League. 

I remember thinking when GJ was sacked how we must’ve have / should have someone good lined up, and on this occasion we actually really, really did. 

We never got to see it transpire of course as 4 months later he was gone before it’d ever really got started. 

Whilst the Nige situation is jarring, Coppell is perhaps the biggest missed opportunity of them all during Lansdown’s tenure, such a shame it didn’t get a chance. 

His first goal, very nice too.

Never have I once deliberated over getting a season ticket over the last 26 seasons. Until now. 

Against perhaps my better judgment I’ve renewed now, but it feels truly odd to do so after what has been a truly appalling and unforgettable for the wrong reasons season. I feel more disconnected from our club than at anytime I’ve been supporting them, and if it wasn’t for the non-football aspects of match day I’d have binned it off years ago. 

We live in hope of course, as a City fan that’s what we do. Perhaps it will all come together under Manning.

Perhaps he will be gone by Christmas and we will go around the Lansdown roller coaster yet again. 

I thought it was time to get off it to be honest. 

But to quote Michael Corleone, just when I thought I was out, they pulled me back in. 

11 hours ago, ExiledAjax said:

I'll be honest and say that in addition to the factors you point out - sight lines, comfort, tight to the pitch -  a huge part of it for me is the area surrounding the ground.

Stadiums that are set in the heart of a city, surrounded by characterful pubs and bars, a variety of food options, within an interesting walk from a railway station, those are special. Places like the old Griffin Park, Kenilworth Road, St James Park (both Exeter and Newcastle), the City Ground, even somewhere like Stamford Bridge or the Emirates. The atmosphere at these grounds begins outside the gates and it's often wonderful.

Absolutely this! Doesn’t matter about the size or facilities this is the most important thing. Some of the new grounds have great facilities but they are miles from anywhere and have no community feel or soul. 

Great to have Pompey back in the Championship with us, proper football clubs and fans. 

Great to see some of the Cotts lads getting promoted again!

3 hours ago, Sir Geoff said:

Took an age for the players to come out for their end of season lap of honour, last season. Thousands gave up waiting and went home. Let's hope its all a bit quicker this season or there could be an embarrassingly low number staying for the Wurzels.

Surely would have been better pre match. Get everyone up for the game.

Much better pre match, don’t get the after match idea at all, lots of people have to get back for various commitments or travel arrangements.

2 hours ago, Toffee dog said:

My favourite season watching City out of many, thought we were going to have a really good season in our return to the Championship, but typical City we blew it! Looked like we had 2 good players signed up & the club pushed the self destruct button. Oh well at least we’re consistent in that!

What a night that was!

Agreed, best season of my City supporting life without question. To see us get promoted, win the title and get the JPT was just incredible. I believe I am correct in saying Cotts is the only manager in our history to win two trophies in a season too. 

A decent social media post by the club on it TBF, including the great man who so often seems airbrushed from Lansdown’s Bristol City. 
 

1 hour ago, Loco Rojo said:

I think the booing was a culmination of the stops/pass backwards/slow performance from the whole team today (complete contrast to the much improved performances recently when we've stopped playing Mannings horribly boring style). - I don't think the booing was just because of that 1 moment or aimed personally at Pring.

Agreed. We’d regressed to the pre international break shite we’ve come to hate from Manning. I thought he’d moved on from that the last few games, but it was back and the crowd didn’t like it. Credit where it’s due though he changed it second half and it was much better.

1 hour ago, GrahamC said:

Fair enough.

How often are you going to post saying this?

I didn’t want Pearson sacked & definitely don’t think Manning is the second coming, but he certainly deserves a summer to bring in a couple of his own players.

You keep posting balanced sensible points Graham. 

Likewise I didn’t want Nige sacked and don’t think Manning is all that either.

For me though he’s never been the key issue at our club, but I’ve seen enough in the last (prior to today at least) few games to think that we need to see how his assured reign will pan out without fighting each other every week. 

2 hours ago, BS3_RED said:

No, not the team. The ref. I thought she pretty much got every call correct. 

She was certainly one of the best we have had this season. 

When I read the post title I thought “WTF?!”, you hooked me in you tinker!

Everyone around us was saying the same. She was superb, one of the best referees we’ve had this season IMHO.