Alessandro

Do you know what - I’m sick of this kind of reply. Lemming ‘it is what it is’ attitude. Sorry not for me anymore. Not after years of the same mistakes made by the Lansdowns - constantly going around in circles. I supported them for years but they’ve lost me. We as fans have a voice and I intend to use it - not just fall in line ‘because’. Why? Because I aspire for so much for this club.

You’re talking like you have an idea how it works? Do you? With respect, unless that’s you Luke, you’re not a championship manager - so you have no clue in reality. If it is you Luke, well it’s not working. So it’s all opinions and other opinions, backed up by performances and more importantly results - suggest you’re wrong. But as you say, it’s the championship - exactly why you don’t rip up the process and experiment

I think that’s my point - if promotion is the aim - and we’re realistically ‘writing off this season’ - Look at the squad, we look 4,5,6 players short of Manning-Ball levels for a top 6 push IMO (as detailed in other thread) If they’re not coming from the academy ready for next season… We’re going to have to increase the wage budget restrictions and open the wallet fairly considerably to fill the gaps AND lift performance levels needed. Maybe the cash is there already (held back, we now know why)…maybe we have 10/15 mill set aside from Semenyo and Scott. Spent wisely that’s 4 good players at least - we’ll see.

I've got to say, i'm feeling a tad more pessimistic about the squad since Manning came in. In terms of how he wants to play and who can play like that. Looking at squad evolution, taking performances into account (I might be being harsh, but) you would want to build a team around: Vyner/Dickie Knight/Sykes Add in Pring and Conway. (Atkinson and McCrorie to return, left out the debate) So for me doubts over our whole midfield, James and Williams OOC in summer - TGH in and out team (does Manning rate him?) So who do you build around there? Anyone coming through academy ready for next season? Bell, Mehmeti and Tanner - again question marks - need to lift levels. Weimann, Naismith and Cornick - what top pros, but top 6 material anymore? Again, interesting times.

Is anyone else questioning the depth of the academy right now? Tinnion has talked it up massively....if you thought Alex Scott was good, wait till you see the next lot... But the pathway looks like it's slowed down to me - feels that way. Who is next? I'm not saying it's stopped, just slowed. We started were only 4 academy products - which one is the next big sell? Max, Zac, Sam and Tommy. I could see Zac being poached and if Conway goes on a run of goals rest of season, he'd be looked at. Bell, putting it diplomatically, still finding his feet at this level. Max? Can't see big money spent of him. Then 3 more on the bench that feel quite a long way off the first team and under ironically Manning he seems more reluctant to throw them on than under NP. I can see new signings (if allowed..another debate) pushing Bell and potentially even Conway down the pecking order. Not great for the pathway/nest egg. Then to the next crop - next season too soon for real impact? They're not getting any game time.....interesting times.

Under Pearson - he clearly built a squad and playing style built around the budget he was given. A pragmatic style for a pragmatic budget. Not spectacular, but neither did we give away many goals, let alone soft goals. Solid mid table stuff. Under Manning - he has come in and highlighted this - our squad was built for that style, so the possession based approach is having limited success, and for me, despite some good glimpses, has the potential to continue to have limited success under Manning. Yes maybe we’re seeing more possession and now chances - but what it is doing is highlighting the deficiencies in the squad, in terms of quality and ability, to play this style. Hence, the many bad decisions, lack of composure and missed chances up top and the now every match mistakes that are costing us goals and games. So the changes are not bringing the results…yet. What will bring the results? More of the same? More time?? I’m not convinced. So for me all he’s doing is highlighting what we knew - you want this style, you want top 6? Well you’re going to need to spend money.

I'm sure the Lansdowns are lovely people and the intentions are good and honest. But simply put they just seem not to know how to run a successful football club. There is absolutely no vision. No innovation. They are reactionary in a world where your reactions are usually too late. Add in the inability to recognise that and bring in top people with vision to work in the top positions instead and have voices that challenge them, means we're stuck in a perpetual cycle of yes men appointments like Tinnion, Holden, Millen, LJ. People the Lansdowns "can work with"....and so the pattern repeats. Of course it's not impossible we go up under SL, but I can't see it this year or next, so it will have taken nearly 20 years longer than it could and should have done to get there. Crazy really and a shame for Steve Lansdown that, after all this time and money, what looks like stubbornness from the outside will mean his legacy will probably be that he failed to get BCFC to the premier league.

This thread for me, is why the Lansdowns have completely shot themselves in the foot. IMO there has been an uneasy, unspoken truce between the board and the fans following the financial shit show of the LJ/MA era and awful appointment of Holden. The fans would accept the re-build, the cost cutting, selling of best players, the reduced transfers - because we had a manager in place who has a track record of building and creating success and promotions. He be left to do that job, a job which he was already doing very well, albeit with one hand behind his back. The expectations were in check, mid table, outside chance of play offs. The fans broadly happy with that while they felt we were building in trusted hands and Pearson would be given chance to see his project through to a natural conclusion. Then suddenly the board moves the goal posts, top 6 expectations are talked up, Pearson is sacked and we appoint another novice at this level. Truce is over very quickly and I wonder if the board have underestimated the feeling from a lot of fans, are they out of touch again? Well they’ll soon be facing an atmosphere turning very sour quickly if results don’t stabilise soon.

Thanks @Davefevs - just interested to see those as I’ve been amazed at quite a few comments on here and social media that have concluded the “football is better” under Manning. I said on another thread it’s certainly different, but is different better? On goals scored, attacking football/chances created - all things we want to see and were sold by the board, it’s currently trending down. Perhaps people being deceived by increased possession (at times)…but I guess that as you say QPR skewed the stats a bit - let’s see after next few games

Interesting @Mr Popodopolous - I said in the match day thread, feels like we’re starting games slower than under NP..stats look that way too. @Davefevs - so despite Tinnion and Lansdown talking, how many times?!, about front foot attacking football, we’re pressing less and getting less high turnovers, and we’re less direct football than under Pearson. Out of interest Dave, do you have access to a sample of XG/chances created and conceded over pre and during Manning?

Don’t necessarily disagree mate - it’s a bad answer but perhaps he needs some time to find his feet, on and off the pitch. Interview’s always hard for any manager when you lose, easy when you win. Fair enough for you to point it out and discuss calmly, but feel he is start to get some unfair stick from some, too soon, IMO.

I’ve got to say, much as I’m pissed off with this whole situation: I would urge a bit of caution not to pile on Manning so soon. I agree, some badly chosen words there - it’s not culture holding us back - but the reality is if he says it’s quality holding us back, that is directly critical of the players and board by default. He is not the reason we are where we are. Still feel he ‘deserves’ more time to install what he wishes before the knives are completely out - given he is here and Nigel ain’t coming back. Reality is, if it’s not working, the players will let us know first, and therefore the results… Just my opinion.

For me we had a plenty of half chances. We no way looked like scoring 3 or more IMO. (Edit - just read our XG for 2nd half was 0.02 so my gut feeling wasn’t wrong…) Clear chances - Conway maybe first half, decent save from Knight’s header. Norwich had the clearer chances first half. Second half, they were happy to give us the possession - but for me we did nowhere near enough…Wagner will be laughing himself to sleep to have drawn Manning in like that and knocking him out with a late sucker punch. Concern for me is the individual errors creeping back in, the basics slipping too often and the fact that it looks like Manning might be undoing all the hard work Pearson put in place to make us a tough team to beat….for me we don’t lose that game today under NP. Yes Manning is doing it differently - it’s clear to see. But different doesn’t always mean better and the jury’s very much out for me that it is better yet.

Fair enough, my post isn’t aimed squarely at you - I don’t know your posting history - but there’s been a lot of comments along this line recently….’it is what it is’ whilst still being in support of the board or new managerial change. I just want a bit of hope and belief - something the Lansdowns seem inconsistently incapable of bringing.

In which case, what’s the ******* point? And why do you let the club take you for a fool, taking your time, commitment and money, telling you we’re going for top 6 when we’re nowhere near? Not bothered but you’re on here during a game. What’s the point of fans even turning up and getting excited if you don’t think we have a hope? Honestly this sort of sheep attitude, apathy, is why we’re still where we are and the club get away with the stunts they pull.

Nothing surprises me. This squad is nowhere near top 6, felt that all season, laughable that the club try and sell that line. Looks like Nige had us playing as a sum greater than our parts. Feels a step backwards on the whole with Manning so far - championship showing again it’s not a place to find your way and test the waters as an inexperienced manager and he’s finding out the hard way. I’m not angry with him, although he’s got to take huge responsibility for that today - he’s going to have to find his feet very, very quickly with a big December coming up.

Under Pearson felt like we were more likely to start fast and settle. Under Manning again, like Boro, we settle then start moving through the gears. A good half, rode our luck with 2 very good Norwich chances before we scored, then it was all City. Another goal for us kills this game, they look like they’ve little confidence. I hope we see that and actually come out faster this second half to do exactly that. No repeats of Boro after half time please!

Good first half. Second awful. Absolutely awful. Bar doing well to keep it down to 1, that was the only positive - that was as devoid of ideas and quality a half of football from City I can remember for a while. Never looked like scoring. Barely get the ball at times. 2 breaks ending in complete lack of composure and quality - and one penalty shout (seen them given, not by Keith f ing Stroud though) Didn’t expect much from that game but that second half has left me very deflated - especially as for the first time with this squad there was a sense of tension between the players, little agro’s, a lot of frustration coming through IMO…maybe it was just the game but the morale didn’t seem quite right somehow…

Yep, may not be a complete controlling of tickets, but it was certainly well “stage managed” in their favour. R.E draw of tickets - what I mean is, if it was a bit more organised on here, we could all apply and give any tickets to those who might be good at asking the right questions in advance.

I hope OTIB will not let this happen again - next time, as a group, the forum will have to be more organised and make sure there are going to be enough of the ‘right’ people there, to ask the ‘right’ questions. Maybe the club intervened or maybe it was taken for granted by the fans this time that the club would face the right questions but instead we were left with a missed opportunity for some accountability. As others have said though, if you’re not there, you can’t really complain.

Said it at half time and I’ll say it again - seemed noticeable how much braver the CB’s were on the ball, lovely to see and both Vyner and Dickie very capable of stepping out and it helps so much with keeping the opposition press guessing - good improvement. Also seen a bit of stick for Tanner…think he did seemed to often be more one of three CB’s as we moved the ball across the pitch looking for space and his instructions were to be less expansive than Pring going forward. Also felt he/his area of the pitch was targeted for the overlap/overloads as Sykes got caught upfield - so was perhaps made to look to struggle more than he actually did, defensively. I enjoyed the game - felt like had we not made those couple of mistakes beginning of the second overloads, we were generally in control for large parts of the game. Obviously the second half got a bit hectic and open, from both teams. Manning’s comments make sense - it’s not going to be high press/front foot/exciting football all the time - as JL and Tinnion banged on about before he was appointment - but knowing when to attack. Feel like we’re beginning to see that in that game there. Dickie brilliant - TGH in his rightful spot at CM and looks undroppable now. Still want much more end product from Bell and Mehmeti - interesting to see Bell having to drop off a lot more.

Well what an interesting half that was, well done lads. Felt second best for large parts - you can see the Manning changes but there was a feeling of, it’s different, but is it better? One shot in 35 mins or so wasn’t promising - despite us feeling better in possession, more options, with Vyner and Dickie especially excellent stepping out from the back. Then a real moment of magic for TGH. Curling in from distance - cue an implosion from the otherwise organised and calm Boro. A bad back pass put Conway in who should have scored - then seconds later he’s in again after a Fry fumble, who takes him out, and should have been sent off. Only a yellow. From the ensuing free kick, Fry again clumsily takes out James and some justice is served as a penalty is awarded that Conway slots away. Positive stuff on the whole, despite us looking a little too open out of possession at times, our set up, often three CB’s, Tanner - Vyner - Dickie with Pring and Sykes pushed up were allowing Boro big space in the channels. Good start for Manning so far though…

Amazing read this thread - there's been some re-writing of history over the years on here and people like to re-frame the facts after the event. It's happening already after only a few short weeks.... Also the thing that strikes me is there are one or two posts here that could have been copy and pasted from discussions around the appointments of our last 4 or 5 plus managers - amazing how history seems to be repeating itself. I want City to succeed and I'd be very happy for that to be under Manning - and i'll give him a fair crack of the whip...but as other's have said, Pearson was sacked in large part for the fact that they want us challenging for the top 6 and they believe we have a squad good enough for it and a better chance with Manning. So with that in mind; I believe a game like today, home to Boro, close to us in the table - is a game we should be at a minimum very competitive in, and if top 6 is the aim, winning. Under Pearson i'd expect a close game with us being competitive and a draw or goal either way would be normal. I don't expect miracles from Manning after a few weeks, and he's got the rest of the season, in my mind, to show what he can implement - but that's my minimum expectation today - pretty low bar TBH, don't lose by more than 1 and be in the game/tough to break down for large parts.

No i’m joking really - but just very ironic that Rennie was fired and the club briefed they were annoyed the players were left under conditioned after an international break as they’d been given rest time - and the following international break, they’ve clearly done the opposite and in a closed doors 11 v 11 we hear this news…non contact injuries - just rather…ironic and very Bristol City

So looks like Rennie might have known what he was talking about, after all…dear oh dear - the first international break after the club sacks DR for giving players the last one sometime to rest and they thought they knew better and we now have this mess…. Take a bow Tinnion!