RedRock

Surely things like ‘movement off the ball’ should be intuitive, not process driven. It’s the split-second in decision-making that makes a difference between winners and also-ranks at any decent level of football. Yes, obviously make sure those players without any common sense know they have responsibility to find space and angles for passes from players on the ball, but then give them the responsibility to do that on the pitch. Surely you don’t need to be pre-programmed. Once you’ve got 1) players thinking where should I be placing myself in accordance with my process - losing a split second - and 2) the opposition studying your patterns pre and during the match so closing those spaces down, the application of ‘process’ becomes a hinderance not a help.

Well, having watched years of a side pass, backwards pass, side pass, side pass, lump it or pass it to the opposition, LJ may well have jumped from idea to idea, but it would seem he didn’t tell the players. The game play post Man City match was consistent, with ‘zero’ entertainment value. Not sure I quite follow your FA driving reference, but it got me thinking of what sort of car the FA process would produce. I raise you a Fiat Multipla.

1) Musk does. Tesla have got robots to do manufacturing processes. 2) Our Private Sector, that was lorded as being the super-efficient delivery model by the Tories, is a massive fail. OK for them to say we followed processes and hide behind excuses of changing externalities, but a fail is a fail. Got to be SMART, adaptable and innovative today, not slavishly following ‘process’. The problem is everything is subject to external forces that frustrate delivery, no more so that on a football pitch. Every situation is unique, it’s about being smart to achieve your outcomes in a way your competitors have yet to discover - probably because they’re slavishly following ‘processes’. That what Tesla has done. 3) PRINCE2 has demonstrably failed to deliver either a successful public or private sector in the UK. If you haven’t been gifted natural common sense to run successful projects, then perhaps project management ain’t for you and reading a 386 page manual - as this Country’s performance over the last couple of decades has more than demonstrated - ain’t going to help. 4) Suspect that innovation and intuition had a lot more to do with improvements in medical science than the application of ‘processes’. 5) As with most things it’s a spectrum with extremes. In the realm of football you can treat it as a science and base the game on applied logic and ‘process’. The FA have driven us down that route .. whether it be VAR or encyclopaedic coaching manuals. LJ was an extreme example of ‘process’ driven football. Many would say, however, football is an art form and should be played as such. If LM is an extreme ‘process’ man then I fully anticipate we will go down the same route as LJ with ‘crab’ football and robotic players that may well nullify the opposition but in the process comatose’s the fans. I hope that our hierarchy have learnt lessons and the LM has a little more balance in his approach. Time will tell.

No. Musk doesn’t build his own cars. He leads a company by following an intuitive approach and encourages his managers to use their intuition. Is there any real difference between a work ‘method’ and ‘process’? I probably had a micro-sleep during that part of the training. If there is a difference, the ‘method’ in PRINCE 2’s case applied ‘processes’. I’m pretty sure that’s why their achingly boring, over-complicated 386 page manual set out detailed process diagrams. I can’t think of one big Government project that has been successfully delivered on-time, to budget and achieved its objectives without compromise in the past 20 years. Defence and NHS projects are managed as lamentably as they’ve always been and HS2 has made us the laughing stock of the World. Going back to what a previous poster said … ‘output’ should be the key focus. Yes, sub-consciously you have process, but the focus on delivery should be on output. An output that works, sells, is produced on-time and on-budget. The problem we have - and what led to LJs downfall - is that process to many managers has become the end, not an ‘assist’ to the end. Let’s hope we don’t repeat the mistakes of the past. I suppose, on another level, the difference as kids is between those who cobbled their Airfix models together in minutes and had hours of enjoyment playing with them while their mates slavishly followed the instructions over days and lost interest before they were completed. Key issue, for me, is whether the new incumbents, in delivery of the ‘output’, are ‘process obsessed’ or ‘process aided’. If the former, I suspect an LJ failing is on the cards.

Interesting one. Elon Musk is a total maverick, yet haven’t Tesla become the most successful global car company coming from nowhere to lead the market in around 10 years. Astonishing. I will also raise you PRINCE2, a project management ‘process’ the Government insisted that all projects comply with following their disastrous failures of IT and Defence projects in the 90’s. That’s gone well hasn’t it? Most Government projects since that time have been abysmal failures on all measures - costs, delivery, outputs et al.

Yep. We’re in danger of losing our intuitive players, the magicians and entertainers. Replaced with well-drilled robots. Think even George Best might have struggled in modern day football, with demands to track back, keep possession, discipline and keeping the shape etc. You look modern-day, at the likes of Rashford, when he first burst on to the scene as compared to the shadow of his former self he is now. In our case, Mehmeti. All about striking the right balance admittedly, and we got it right with Scott, but we are at risk of losing flair players with over-drilling them. Hopefully, the new management team will encourage a bit of intuitive, high risk/high reward play within their game plans.

The ‘Science vs Art’ argument. Totally against my entire training and what should have underpinned my whole professional life - I’m an advocate of the free-spirit ‘art’ approach. ‘Process’ tends to stifle individual problem-solving, imaginative and creative solutions. Risk that a focus on ‘process’ becomes an end in itself, rather than the means to an end. As with everything, a matter of balance, but would light-touch ‘process’ if I were a manager and emphasise the need for players to be creative and quick in their on-field decision making.

Had enough of watching that. Cardiff far better individually and collectively. Poor from us, pretty toothless. Bit like the first team, no semblance of playing partnerships, no triangles with any real buzz, energy or intellegence employed to create space, just a bunch of what looked random players strolling around trying to look busy. Would have thought our players might have tried a bit harder to make an impression on the new manager.

Goalkeeping has not be a strong point for us over a number of Seasons. Sure he’s a nice chap but we’ve signed some right duffers, Bents and O’Leary form both plateaued, then started to regress and we don’t seem to have a back up keeper, despite there being - I think - 4 on the books. The chap must have other strings to his bow which he is excellent at, as just measured on our keepers, the performance doesn’t shout out to me at least ‘exceptional at his job’.

‘Premier League facilities and infrastructure‘ and the age-old ‘big club, can’t wait to get started, exciting future and an enthusiastic and supportive Chairman’ sort of stuff.

On the South Coast with my binoculars directly beneath the Jersey to Bristol flight path. Nothing yet, bar a few sea gulls.

Got a flight back from Lanzarotte last night in order to welcome the new incumbent and watch the meltdown on here. In OTIB I trust.

Think you may not be far off. I've had a similar line of thought. Clever people always try and maneuvere themselves into a win-win situation. Think he was trying to protect his mates though and that part of Nige's plan has possibly gone a bit pear-shaped. Didn't join the major Lansdown/Tins 'pile on', in part, because of these thoughts although they clearly have played a bad hand in dealing with this developing situation. Unfortunate that it came to this as I generally really liked what Nige was doing.

Not been able to listen to the interview but picking things off here:- Club communication post-Gould has been lamentable, Nige stepped into the breach and dictated the narrative. Hence, why the hierarchy are on the back foot now. Shared BS CEO and media has been disasterous for the football club, despite what we were assured. Needs sorting now, particularly as we know JL and BT are not good public communicators. The injuries are what did it for Nige. You don't need to be a sports scientist to determine that 12 injured out of a squad 24 odd players is a massive fail by any measure. So with JL on this one - assuming the pitches are ruled out as the reason. Nige's defence of bad luck and all bar one are impact injuries didn't wash with me either. What is undoubtedly an absolute fail is not having anyone lined up to replace Nige. Frankly that is amateur beyond belief. What a total shambles this has been from the start to the current point of this messy saga. When we look back to having the best CEO in the Championship to a now a deleted post, the best shirts to the worst, one of the best managers to none, one of the best media teams to something that appears to have gone mute... it would appear things can only get better. But this is Bristol City so we may yet have a way to go.

I couldn't understand the only one player non-impact injury comment. Wasn't Tommy a hamstring coming on late in a game? If so, Mccorrie's was an impact? Benarous too? We also 'broke' Scott before he left. I have no idea what went or is going on...but to blame the fact that 50% of the squad is injured on 'bad luck' is just ducking a serious issue(s) imo.

No thanks.

Better not be! They've had months to plan this appoinement. Patently obvious Nige was not going to survive given the 'nest egg' comment - so appointment of the new man should be seamless. If we haven't appointed within next 24 hours I shall be gobsmacked. That would mean we were effective pushing and prodding Nige to leave with no one lined up to replace him. While that would be classic Bristol City of the past, I can't believe in this day and age it would happen.

Andy King I reckon will be Assistant Coach, with Eustace (or similar) as Head Coach. The King appointment would tick many boxes, including 'reaching out' to the many Pearson lovers.

It's the injuries that have killed us together with the small squad. Where does the manager's responsibility start and stop with injuries? I assume given as historically we seem to have a higher injury rate than other Club's one of the first issues that Nige must have addressed is why? Take it that the pitches have been ruled out...so that starts to point back to the manager in terms of recruitment - age, fitness levels, past injury records, squad size, training, diet, match strategies et al. Frankly, I don't know why we seem so injury prone. Struth, we even 'broke' Alex before he left us! Anyhow, playing a bit 'devil's advocate' to try and understand SLs thinking...as I said in my original post I'd have kept Nige on myself, but he's not above ny criticism.

That's assuming Nige would have been happy to do that. It's a harsh world. Football is about results and entertainment. Don't think Nige scores more than average on either of those. That said, I would have kept him, but then I'm not having to manage him

The wave of mass hysteria has hit here in deepest Lanzarotte! Firstly, if it were my Club I would have supported ‘our Nige’ after the sale of Scott with the promise of more to come in January’s window. He was a cracking manager with many managerial values and principles akin to my own. Even during the ‘dark days’ last Xmas - bar a little wobble - I resolutely supported him. He became entwined into the soul of the Club in a way no other manager - bar Cotts, Dicks, Cooper - has achieved. I find it difficult to accept he will manage another Club, he became the ‘beating heart’ of Bristol City in a very short time. However, I am not totally dismissive of SLs decision. I’m sure towards the end many of the likely agreed ‘performance indicators’ were blazing red. While 100% supportive of the small squad, team is greater than the sum of its parts approach you really have to be built from men of granite, not glass. Our injuries have destroyed us. The injury list is far worse than the worst of pre-Nige. You also need playing partnerships. There are none - as none are in the team sufficiently long enough to forge partnerships before they get injured. You also need to spend wisely. We haven’t. The Club also need to be united, and Nige’s job is to manage up as well as down, and clearly there have been many issues up the line…probably starting with the Danny Simpson saga. So while personally I really, really like Nige as a manager and a person, if I were pumping £20 million plus a year into the Club I can see that an investor might take a different view. The decision to terminate Nige’s contract has also to be seen in the context of the new appointee. Nige has set a very high bar. It will be interesting to see how far above that bar the new man is. I would hope the new man is in place today or tomorrow and frankly, for me, that will be ‘judgement day’. Desperately sad though to see Nige go though, and hope for a few months he focuses on his health, rather than football.

Gutted.

Oh, I do so hope not. A more perfect fit for them you couldn’t find. Loving it.

I fully get that, I really do. Yes, we’re only hearing one side of the story and it could be - and I wouldn’t put it beyond Nige - that he’s playing a canny ‘game’. It could be there is something else going on in the background with Nige that is causing angst in the Organisation, but the powers that be - possibly for very good reason - don’t want to break their silence. However, if the Organisation doesn’t communicate well with its fan base, then it isn’t a complete leap in the dark to think that culture might extend to its employees. So, yes, you draw your own conclusions - but that isn’t based solely on what Nige says. The Club could have easily dealt with this matter before it became an issue. They choose not to. Why?

I find it all absolutely baffling, bordering on the bizarre. OK I’m just drawing an inference from what Nige has said, but it appears a COO who has been in post for what, 4-6 weeks, couldn’t find the time in that period to have a meaningful chat to the second most important person - after Steve - in his organisation? Particularly odd given Nige’s recent health issues, contractural situation, the top level staffing upheavals and changing messages from the owner on availability of finance et al. Then add to that, the Media Department doesn’t have a prepared press release available after the Nige ‘incident’. If that is all correct, I can only draw one of three conclusions; that our COO/Head of Media are either 1) Incompetent 2) Unclear on their responsibilities or 3) Directed by Steve/legal advisor to ‘blank’ all things Nige. I somehow doubt it would be 1 or 2 as I know we’re bad at lots of things off the field, but we can’t be that bad. So it must be 3 for me. Little wonder that Nige became exasperated and wouldn’t be surprised if he’s totally disillusioned. It’s truly remarkable for me that he’s keeping himself together and providing clear, sound and positive leadership in such circumstance.