Guardian article today on SL and Johnson

[Alessandro]

9 minutes ago, Kid in the Riot said:

And for the wrong reason IMO. ie friendship over actual  best man for the job.

I don't see this connection. Is LJ the best man for the job? Well no. They are more experienced and qualified managers out there. But are they available and affordable.

Picking a manager is like picking clothes. It will always be subjective, that is why a manger pretty much always divides opinions within a fan base to a certain extent.

The key word for me here is 'trust' and I think too many City fans overlook the real meaning of this word for SL. People are using it like a dirty word, like in SL's eyes LJ can do no wrong. I'm sure it's far from that.

For me you have to put yourself in SL's shoes. Trust in your manager - probably hard to find.

Trust they will put the club first, not leave as career steeping stone or pocketing the pay check. Trust they will be above board with agents and transfer dealings. Trust they don't have their hands in the honey pot. Trust they won't walk out ala Coppell. Trust they really have the ethos of the club at heart, I.E will they develop young players. Trust their daily motives are genuine. Trust they want to improve. Trust they aren't going to say something stupid in front of the press. 

I could go on. Employing someone you know and trust is often a sensible thing - it doesn't always have to be some sinister, jobs for the boys, Masonic style conspiracy.

 

[Jack Dawe]

1 minute ago, Alessandro said:

I don't see this connection. Is LJ the best man for the job? Well no. They are more experienced and qualified managers out there. But are they available and affordable.

Picking a manager is like picking clothes. It will always be subjective, that is why a manger pretty much always divides opinions within a fan base to a certain extent.

The key word for me here is 'trust' and I think too many City fans overlook the real meaning of this word for SL. People are using it like a dirty word, like in SL's eyes LJ can do no wrong. I'm sure it's far from that.

For me you have to put yourself in SL's shoes. Trust in your manager - probably hard to find.

Trust they will put the club first, not leave as career steeping stone or pocketing the pay check. Trust they will be above board with agents and transfer dealings. Trust they don't have their hands in the honey pot. Trust they won't walk out ala Coppell. Trust they really have the ethos of the club at heart, I.E will they develop young players. Trust their daily motives are genuine. Trust they want to improve. Trust they aren't going to say something stupid in front of the press. 

I could go on. Employing someone you know and trust is often a sensible thing - it doesn't always have to be some sinister, jobs for the boys, Masonic style conspiracy.

 

I was right with you 'sandro up until that bit! (Europa League.....)

[Private Cider(cider army)]

is the final day of the Championship campaign and Lee Johnson, Bristol City’s head coach, has just welcomed Steve Lansdown, the club’s owner, into his office at Ashton Gate, where a candid discussion about a rollercoaster season, including the need for “big balls” in the dugout, has strayed into a broader debate about a hire-and-fire epidemic in the second tier.

 

Twelve managers were sacked in the Championship between October and April, another two resigned, one departed by mutual consent and one returned to his academy role after his contract until the end of the season was cut short. They are depressing statistics from a chaotic league and for a time it looked as though Johnson would add his name to that list as City’s superb start to the season badly unravelled. Sitting fifth in the table at the beginning of October, City suffered eight successive league defeats at one stage and dropped like a stone, making for a winter of discontent at Ashton Gate.

 

 “There was a lot of noise in the middle of the season, very abusive, very aggressive,” Lansdown says. “But that element is always there. That element goes asleep when things are going well. And when they get an opportunity, they’re out with their knives.”

 

All the same Lansdown accepts that City were enduring a wretched run of results and admits that Johnson’s future was discussed at board level in March, when the threat of relegation started to loom. “Lee knows we had those conversations,” Lansdown says, looking across at Johnson. “We had a conversation after a game [the 0-0 draw with Burton Albion] where we were all sat around the table and Lee joined us. And I said to him: ‘Look, I’ve got to be honest with you, we’ve been talking about whether we should keep you or not.’”

 

The decision to stand firmly behind Johnson, who spent six years with City as a player, was brave. It also proved wise. City produced play-off form to pick up 20 points from their next 11 matches, climbing clear of the relegation zone to finish 17th, and it is tempting to wonder whether other clubs could benefit from adopting a similar approach in a time of crisis.

 

“The point is, we trust Lee,” Lansdown says. “The aim is to build and develop, and the relationship I have with Lee, the knowledge I have of his career so far, his philosophy, I want to continue. So I didn’t want to give up on what we know is so good. And I think more owners, more boards, should do that and take a longer-term view. But, unfortunately, if you get relegated, of course you get castigated. So that’s the pressure.”

 

From Johnson’s perspective the season has been “an unbelievable learning curve for us all”. At the age of 35 he is the youngest manager operating in the top two divisions and it says much for his resilience, as well as his ability, that he came through what he describes as a “horrendous spell”.

 

Football consumes Johnson, as is the case with his father, Gary, who has been desperate to return to his job as Cheltenham Town manager after a triple heart bypass. Johnson’s thirst for knowledge is taking him to Manchester City this week, he was on a scouting trip in Verona last week and he has already gone through a process of self-reflection to work out where he can improve, starting with trying to find some more “life balance”.

 

By his own admission he is “obsessed” with management, to the point that his desire to succeed means he has “probably over-coached a little bit at times”. Johnson also recognises the need to do a better job of keeping a lid on expectations during the good times. “That’s probably a lesson for me – I went with it, rather than saying: ‘Hold on a minute, calm down a little bit,’” he says, recalling the excitement that accompanied City’s excellent early results.

 

Yet some things are out of his control in an industry where there is no middle ground. “Before I signed my [new] contract here, I was named the eighth best manager in the world under 40 [in FourFourTwo magazine]. A few months later I’m having death threats and there’s a banner being put up. What other job does that happen in?” Johnson says, breaking into laughter. “It’s crazy. And the truth is that neither is right – I wasn’t the eighth best manager under 40 but I wasn’t the world’s worst, and that’s my point.”

 

Lansdown’s unwavering faith in Johnson, who was appointed in February last year, is part of a wider vision that is taking City down a different route from the past, when the billionaire’s chequebook was often seen as the solution to any problems on the pitch. That approach never worked, ended with City returning to League One in 2013 and wasted a lot of Lansdown’s money.

 

A lot of people in football want to go back to the good old days – or bad old days. And we’re progressing.

Steve Lansdown

City are still heavily dependent on their 64-year-old benefactor, who has spent £45m transforming Ashton Gate into an impressive 27,000 all-seat stadium, yet they are moving towards developing a self-sufficient model by investing in the infrastructure. The club now place greater emphasis on bringing through their own players as well as signing youngsters with potential, such as Callum O’Dowda, the 22-year-old Republic of Ireland international who joined from Oxford United, rather than the high-earning underachievers of the past.

 

Mark Ashton, the chief operating officer, is heavily involved in a recruitment process that has led to money being spent on analysts, on sourcing data on players in other European leagues to widen City’s reach and leaving Lansdown full of enthusiasm about the overall picture. “We have a club here at the moment where everyone is focused on the right thing, 100% behind what we’re doing. And I’ve never had that feeling before,” he says.

 

Yet it is not easy to convince every supporter that the club is on the right track, especially when results start to fall away and the critics find their voice. Lansdown, whose Bristol Sport group also owns the rugby club that lost its Premiership status this season, genuinely believes that some fans would like to see him fail. Asked why that would be the case, Lansdown replies: “Maybe because we’ve broken some of their traditions, or they haven’t got the bar they used to drink in, or whatever it may be – people don’t like change. A lot of people in football want to go back to the good old days – or bad old days. And we’re progressing. The fact we’re sitting here now, having turned the season around, having finished very strongly with promotion-type form, with a full house for the last game of the season … there are more fans coming to watch Bristol City than for a long time and I think that shows there’s that belief in the club and what we’re doing. And that’s the thing you’ve always got to fall back on.”

 

For Johnson the pressure he has worked under in his first full season in charge at City has been unforgiving. “I don’t think anybody will ever realise what it’s like in that hot seat until you’re in it, because it is relentless,” he says. “It [the criticism] comes from all angles. You’ve got the massive boom in social media, you have your kids at school, you have your wife walking down the road, you have the board questioning things – rightly so. You have players’ agents kicking off. It’s all happening and you have to be the calmest man in the room, really.

 

“You have to focus and dig really deep. Sometimes it’s making sure you see the wood for the trees, thinking about everything and going with that gut instinct. I think I’ve been quite brave with certain decisions. I remember one game at home [against Rotherham United] where I made a triple substitution and took off Lee Tomlin and Tammy Abraham, and I absolutely knew we were going to get it from the crowd.”

 

Fifteen minutes later Matty Taylor released Jamie Paterson, whose shot was turned in by Milan Djuric for the only goal of the game. They were the three players Johnson had brought off the bench to a chorus of “You don’t know what you’re doing” from City supporters. “You have to make big decisions,” says Johnson. “You need big balls. And I would rather fail bold than fail timid.”

 

Where City go from here is anyone’s guess after such a strange season. The bad news is that they will no longer have the services of Abraham, who has returned to Chelsea after scoring 26 goals during a season-long loan that was a spectacular success. The good news, in Johnson’s eyes, is that City have “shown the world that we can be trusted with top young players”, opening the door potentially to another high-profile loan deal.

 

Either way, the bigger picture for this football club is all about reaching the Premier League, which City came within 90 minutes of doing when Johnson was part of the team that lost to Hull City in the 2008 play-off final. At the start and end of the season that has just finished, they were on course for the Premier League again. The problem, as everyone keeps reminding Johnson, was that period in between.

 

“This is a big club being built in flight and any advance is never like that,” Johnson says, gesturing with his hand straight upwards. “We had our little dip. And now I’m almost starting to get the hump with it,” he adds, with a chuckle. “This is the last interview on that. Let’s move on. We’re decent here. And now we’re through it all, everything’s positive.”

[Tipps69]

46 minutes ago, BS4 on Tour... said:

Yep a good article. Not sure the little dig by SL at critical fans was needed though ...'they go asleep (sic) when things are going well..'

Compared to other clubs (e.g. Newcastle fans hounding out Pardew with a sustained campaign) LJ and SL have had it easy on that front this season.

But good to see us getting national media coverage all the same...

But SL is correct, this place for example was toxic, the hate that was being directed at SL & LJ at times was nothing short of criminal.

Is LJ telling the truth about death threats? Because if he is then my above statement is wrong as it actually is criminal!!

For what SL has done for this club, off his own back, he doesn't have to invest millions of his own money into what amounts to a hobby for everyone else but just about everything about the man has been questioned!! Is that acceptable? I'd say not or not to the extremes that it has been.

Where would we be without SL? My view is that that question doesn't bare thinking about because we could be in a hell of a lot worse of a position than we currently are.

[lenred]

Really good article. Couple of bits I'd change that will get picked over elsewhere I'm sure but I wouldn't be pernickety me if that wasn't the case! But overall both LJ and SL come across very well as our clubs main representatives. Maybe that says more about the level of journalism being provided here as well. Good work. 

[Alessandro]

13 minutes ago, Jack Dawe said:

I was right with you 'sandro up until that bit! (Europa League.....)

Is it too late to edit?!? 

Forgot about that, that was a stupid, ill advised thing to say!!

At least he hasn't threatened to slap a reporter yet! 

[Port Said Red]

1 hour ago, BobBobSuperBob said:

Good article

Couple of  bits I found interesting

By his own admission he is “obsessed” with management, to the point that his desire to succeed means he has “probably over-coached a little bit at times”. Johnson also recognises the need to do a better job of keeping a lid on expectations during the good times. “That’s probably a lesson for me – I went with it, rather than saying: ‘Hold on a minute, calm down a little bit,’” he says, recalling the excitement that accompanied City’s excellent early results.

For Johnson the pressure he has worked under in his first full season in charge at City has been unforgiving. “I don’t think anybody will ever realise what it’s like in that hot seat until you’re in it, because it is relentless,” he says. “It [the criticism] comes from all angles. You’ve got the massive boom in social media, you have your kids at school, you have your wife walking down the road, you have the board questioning things – rightly so. You have players’ agents kicking off. It’s all happening and you have to be the calmest man in the room, really.

 

 

I would also highlight this part, Johnson also recognises the need to do a better job of keeping a lid on expectations during the good times. “That’s probably a lesson for me – I went with it, rather than saying: ‘Hold on a minute, calm down a little bit,’” he says, recalling the excitement that accompanied City’s excellent early results.

I think he realised quite quickly that the "Europa Cup in 3 years"  quote was coming back to bite very hard on the arse. It was a dumb statement to make and he seems to admit that he got caught up in all the hype. 

[Son of Fred]

2 hours ago, Nongazeuse said:

Not a paper I buy as too irritating politically but a good article today on Landsown and Johnson.

I expect someone can find a link to the on-line version but here are some highlights:

• Owner's vision intact after backing manager and sealing survival in sack-happy second tier.
• After Burton game SL told LJ that "we've been talking about whether we should keep you or not".
• SL "more owners should take longer term view..But unfortunately, if you get relegated, of course you get castigated. So that's the pressure".
• LJ : "an unbelievable learning curve for us all...You have to make big decisions .. you need big balls .. and I would rather fail bold than fail timid".
• 11 Championship clubs changed manager during season (four of them twice).

 

 

 

If he wanted to be bold just why did we spend months banging long ball up to the lonely & isolated Tammy??..not a bold move..

Lee devotes too much time with his head buried in techno/stats,figures-we could rename him "Data"..

[BobBobSuperBob]

Just now, Port Said Red said:

I would also highlight this part, Johnson also recognises the need to do a better job of keeping a lid on expectations during the good times. “That’s probably a lesson for me – I went with it, rather than saying: ‘Hold on a minute, calm down a little bit,’” he says, recalling the excitement that accompanied City’s excellent early results.

I think he realised quite quickly that the "Europa Cup in 3 years"  quote was coming back to bite very hard on the arse. It was a dumb statement to make and he seems to admit that he got caught up in all the hype. 

I do think he's had a few 'home truths' put his way over this season , from supporters , players and other advisors

Some of his quotes do give me some hope that he realises he's made some (basic IMHO) errors and will move forward somewhat wiser

Long term , the dire mid season and what happened , the reaction to it ,might actually have opened a few eyes and be beneficial all round long term

[Port Said Red]

Whatever you think of the content, isn't it nice to see that there is still some proper journalism in the press? 

[The Dolman Pragmatist]

12 minutes ago, BobBobSuperBob said:

I do think he's had a few 'home truths' put his way over this season , from supporters , players and other advisors

Some of his quotes do give me some hope that he realises he's made some (basic IMHO) errors and will move forward somewhat wiser

Long term , the dire mid season and what happened , the reaction to it ,might actually have opened a few eyes and be beneficial all round long term

I'm not sure that I can feel that the level of vitriol he experienced from some supporters will ever be beneficial in the longer term.  My own (humble) view is that supporters have as much (if not more) to learn from this season as Lee Johnson does.  The way that social media enables the casual observer to believe that they know more than the professionals is going to be a problem in the game for a long time, I fear.  I admire Lansdown for rising above it and sticking to his guns.

[ExiledAjax]

16 minutes ago, BobBobSuperBob said:

I do think he's had a few 'home truths' put his way over this season , from supporters , players and other advisors

Some of his quotes do give me some hope that he realises he's made some (basic IMHO) errors and will move forward somewhat wiser

Long term , the dire mid season and what happened , the reaction to it ,might actually have opened a few eyes and be beneficial all round long term

Got to say I think much might have to do with the fact that "At the age of 35 he is the youngest manager operating in the top two divisions".  I hadn't realised that this was the case.  It doesn't excuse his mistakes, nor does it absolve him of responsibility.  However, perhaps it does serve as a reminder that he's still very young.  

Running a business of that size, with that pressure, at that age is no easy task.

['Orns]

55 minutes ago, ExiledAjax said:

You see my counter to that is that the relationship between boss (SL) and employee (LJ) is just as, if not more, important than pure qualifications.  The number of times I've seen an Oxford grad come into my office with a stunning CV and all the credentials to be a huge success...two months later they've not gelled with anyone and are scrapping for work, no one trusts them and they leave within months.

It isn't purely about the best man on paper.  You have to have the trust - which you highlight as the "key line" in your other post.  That trust can create stability and stability goes a hell of a long way towards success.

Strong and stable leadership innit.

So true, Exiled. I'm sure we've all seen exactly that same story play out in offices, factories, shops etc 

It's obvious LJ is here to stay, so as much as I'm still to be convinced, it's time to enjoy the sunshine and come back in August fully behind the whole club

39 minutes ago, Tipps69 said:

Where would we be without SL? My view is that that question doesn't bare thinking about because we could be in a hell of a lot worse of a position than we currently are.

Some Sheik could have bought us all those years ago, pumped billions in and we could be 10 points in front of Chelsea with three games to go, and a second leg of a European Cup semi at home to Real Madrid tonight.....

[BobBobSuperBob]

4 minutes ago, The Dolman Pragmatist said:

I'm not sure that I can feel that the level of vitriol he experienced from some supporters will ever be beneficial in the longer term.  My own (humble) view is that supporters have as much (if not more) to learn from this season as Lee Johnson does.  The way that social media enables the casual observer to believe that they know more than the professionals is going to be a problem in the game for a long time, I fear.  I admire Lansdown for rising above it and sticking to his guns.

You can never claim some of the levels of vitriol can be beneficial

I was more thinking of the general strength of feeling and the reasons / issues for them , insomuch they certainly seem to have registered and may have just got them to re-evaluate and look inwards

[Tipps69]

Just now, Woodsy said:

So true, Exiled. I'm sure we've all seen exactly that same story play out in offices, factories, shops etc 

It's obvious LJ is here to stay, so as much as I'm still to be convinced, it's time to enjoy the sunshine and come back in August fully behind the whole club

Some Sheik could have bought us all those years ago, pumped billions in and we could be 10 points in front of Chelsea with three games, and a second leg of a European Cup semi at home to Real Madrid tonight.....

Or more likely we could be owned by some Indian chicken breeders who ran us into the ground & we'd have an aging stadium with no training ground & staving off relegation into non-league football.

As it is, we have a Bristol City fan who is willing to pump millions of his own money into the club he loves to improve every facet of that club.

Given the choice of a chicken breeder or a fan of our club, I know who I'd prefer to have in charge & it isn't someone with no connection with our club.

[RumRed]

Feeling positive after reading that!  Seems like maybe there's hope.  I really hope it works.

Just goes to show I'll never learn, always easier to be excited in the off season, I do it every year. 

[Monkeh]

1 hour ago, Kid in the Riot said:

And for the wrong reason IMO. ie friendship over actual  best man for the job.

I think he's 1 bad run away from the sack, if he found some consistency over the course of a season then who know's, his manager record isn't bad, with a 37.7% win rate currently (40 is normally a great win rate),

He does seem to be a good coach but his man management appears to awful,

New season new slate for me, I still don't think he's right but he can prove me wrong again

 

[ExiledAjax]

3 minutes ago, Monkeh said:

I think he's 1 bad run away from the sack, if he found some consistency over the course of a season then who know's, his manager record isn't bad, with a 37.7% win rate currently (40 is normally a great win rate),

He does seem to be a good coach but his man management appears to awful,

New season new slate for me, I still don't think he's right but he can prove me wrong again

 

40% gives you 19 wins over a Championship season. 57 points just from wins. Assume maybe 12 draws and losses in the remaining 15 games and you finish up on  69 points.  Good enough for top ten this season.

[Monkeh]

Just now, ExiledAjax said:

40% gives you 19 wins over a Championship season. 57 points just from wins. Assume maybe 12 draws and losses in the remaining 15 games and you finish up on  67 points.  Good enough for top ten this season.

his current gives him 52 points and say 8 draws would be 60,

If he did it over a season and not just the start and finish, we'd all be having very different conversations, well accept Thatch

[Offside]

Very interesting article. I think SL and LJ come across well in it.

As a club we are now in an interesting position. SL's decision to keep faith with LJ (despite huge pressure from fans and also City's appalling form) was brave and we retained our Championship status, something that looked very unlikely at times. The club seems to have a good reputation for trying to buck the hiring and firing trend so prevalent in the game and which didn"t work for us in the past (e.g. the SOD fiasco). Whether or not this strategy works in the long term or even in the medium term with a clear sense of progress on the pitch next season remains to be seen. I really hope it does.

I was one of the ones calling for LJ to be sacked (and still have doubts about whether he's the right man to take us forward), but I'm also quite proud that the club took a different approach and is being recognised for it.

[Septic Peg]

1 hour ago, Northern Red said:

It was after that Burton game that Pemberton was let go.

Anyone else reckon that board meeting where SL said to LJ "we've thought about giving you the boot" was the beginning of the end for Pembo?

LJ possibly saying "not my fault Gov, it's Pembo. Can't organise a piss up in a brewery. It's him you need to get rid of. Oh and can I have Macca as my new no. 2?"

1 hour ago, ExiledAjax said:

You see my counter to that is that the relationship between boss (SL) and employee (LJ) is just as, if not more, important than pure qualifications.  The number of times I've seen an Oxford grad come into my office with a stunning CV and all the credentials to be a huge success...two months later they've not gelled with anyone and are scrapping for work, no one trusts them and they leave within months.

It isn't purely about the best man on paper.  You have to have the trust - which you highlight as the "key line" in your other post.  That trust can create stability and stability goes a hell of a long way towards success.

Strong and stable leadership innit.

Ah, so you are one of Theresa's minions? Is Larry the Cat always scrapping with t'other cat from across the road?

38 minutes ago, Port Said Red said:

Whatever you think of the content, isn't it nice to see that there is still some proper journalism in the press? 

This is why I personally read The Guardian. £2 but worth it for decent, well written and factual articles.

Makes the Daily Mail look like chip shop paper.

[054123]

My heart bleeds for the torrid time they have had to endure. Guess us simple folk just don't get it.

Shit season, again, but I will be over the moon when Lansdown finally gets it right. 

[Robin1988]

45 minutes ago, BobBobSuperBob said:

Some of his quotes do give me some hope that he realises he's made some (basic IMHO) errors and will move forward somewhat wiser

The Europa League stuff yeah, that was basic (Although I'm still booking every Thursday in late 2020 off). But when you're a player, you don't often have to think about the impact a statement like that would make. And probably not too often when you're Oldham or Barnsley manager either.

It was a stupid thing to say, but he won't say it again.

[Kala Taro]

40 minutes ago, ExiledAjax said:

Got to say I think much might have to do with the fact that "At the age of 35 he is the youngest manager operating in the top two divisions".  I hadn't realised that this was the case.  It doesn't excuse his mistakes, nor does it absolve him of responsibility.  However, perhaps it does serve as a reminder that he's still very young.  

Running a business of that size, with that pressure, at that age is no easy task.

Not as young as this guy though: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37888868

Up to date BL table: http://www.skysports.com/bundesliga-table

So age has little to do with success but probably everything to do with failure (relatively speaking). I think that it's the things that have gone wrong this season that will ultimately benefit LJ, as he himself has at least intimated.

I think that fans forget sometimes just what an unforgiving league the Championship is, with nearly all the teams potentially capable of getting into the play offs at least. It doesn't take much for things to spiral out of control for any manager regardless of their age.

I trust LJ has learnt from his mistakes and will be in no hurry to repeat them but we should always keep in mind that a potential banana skin is just around the corner. Next season will, I believe, be an even bigger test of the Head Coach, COO and Owner.

Interesting times ahead.

[Monkeh]

7 minutes ago, 054123 said:

My heart bleeds for the torrid time they have had to endure. Guess us simple folk just don't get it.

Shit season, again, but I will be over the moon when Lansdown finally gets it right. 

No one should have to put up with personal abuse and if true death threats over a game of football

[ChippenhamRed]

1 hour ago, Kid in the Riot said:

And for the wrong reason IMO. ie friendship over actual  best man for the job.

It's far too simplistic to describe it as "friendship".  You don't know that - it's a lazy criticism that fits your preferred narrative.  It's about a good working relationship, a shared vision, and faith that they have the ability to do the job.  Lansdown has made that point in this article and in the past.  The recovery this season has justified Lansdown's faith in Johnson, to an extent, and the challenge now is for Johnson to repay that faith with genuine progress and a top half finish as a minimum next season.

There is no getting around the fact that this season has been a disappointment and an underachievement.  But it may still be the case that the benefits of continuity and consistency into next season could prove to our advantage in the medium-to-long term, rather than the usual hire-and-fire approach.  It strikes me that many bemoan the lack of faith in managers or any application of a long-term strategy to a football club - yet as soon as we buck that trend, that draws criticism too.

[MichaelRobartes]

I still don't think that LJ is the man for us. Of course I hope he proves me wrong.

[JamesBCFC]

1 hour ago, Jack Dawe said:

I was right with you 'sandro up until that bit! (Europa League.....)

Because a non serious comment made at an event with a relaxed atmosphere should always be taken completely seriously.

[Bar BS3]

2 hours ago, Kid in the Riot said:

And for the wrong reason IMO. ie friendship over actual  best man for the job.

Do you really, seriously, honestly believe that..?!

I can sort of understand the concern being raised amidst the dire run, but it is childish, bordering on ignorant to claim LJ is only in (still in) the job because he's Lansdown's buddy. 

That probably means he trusts him more than if "Mr A.N. Other" was our manager, but you seem to completely ignore the fact that either side of that (granted, horrendous) LJ's record here had been pretty decent. 

If we can reduce, if not eradicate the bad period next season, we should be pushing easily into mid table. If he struggles/fails to take us to comfortable consolidation next season, then I'll agree that he's not the man to take us forward, however last season + the start and end of this season, certainly indicate that he COULD be!

[054123]

37 minutes ago, Monkeh said:

No one should have to put up with personal abuse and if true death threats over a game of football

And that's the lead.