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LJ :- It could be a difficult summer..


iamalagerdrinker

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1 hour ago, GrahamC said:

Re Baker, well unless we are LJ, Ashton or the player himself, none of us really know, but LJ has referred to him specifically recently with regard to his poor availability & starting games he wasn’t able to finish.

I know nothing but can’t see the definition of a “difficult summer” just being Reid leaving.

Most of us also understand we are not big hitters financially, but let’s face it, nor are Preston or Brentford, are they?

Final point, whilst our overall recruitment picture can best be described as “mixed” we have replaced Kodjia & then Tammy in the last 2 seasons.

This summer may be the one when we don’t succeed but until we know who goes, who stays and who arrives, we can’t even begin to have a clue.

Maybe the uncertainty comes from LJ leaving and taking players with him? 

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19 hours ago, Andy082005 said:

not really that bizarre

Its the classic 'throw someone under the bus'. Whether its someone leaving because they want to...or whether its someone leaving as they are not wanted...it doesnt matter. These type of comments  takes the spot light off of him and his shocking management...and gets the fans putting two and two together about certain players and reasons why we capitulated like we did

 

 

So rather than leave in January and cause fan uproar they signed “pre-agreements” with other clubs in the January window?

Well that would certainly explain the inexplicable capitulation since January.....”Don’t get injured son and don’t go busting a gut as you don’t want to spoil that big summer move eh? And I do want my agent fees you know?!”

7 minutes ago, BRISTOL86 said:

What people don’t seem to realise is that fans of 90% of clubs in the country will say the same about their club. 

3 into 24 does not go. Ergo nearly 90% of clubs don’t achieve anything every year

Because sadly....a lot of our fans but the corporate waffle and ‘believe’. Then they attack those who are ‘negative’ but who understand exactly what you have just stated above. We’re not living the dream and LJ isn’t the Messiah....he’s a very naughty boy!

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4 hours ago, BRISTOL86 said:

We, like everyone else outside the top handful of clubs in world football, are a selling club. 

Not really news is it? 

I’ve long stopped getting attached to individual players. It’s funny how for the last three months no ones had a positive word to say about anyone and then everyone goes batshit about the prospect of them being elsewhere. 

Funny old game. 

Personally I’m happy to see churn of players. Were it not for Tammy leaving, Reid wouldn’t have played etc. Were it not for us needing a centre back, Flint wouldn’t be here etc. If bigger clubs are in for our players it means we’re doing something right in either recruitment, academy or both.

More importantly, Uncle Steve and his magic bottomless wallet isn’t going to be here forever - we need to be able to sustain ourselves as a business. If that day comes when we need to live within our own generated means, then a few are in for a serious reality check about our place in the world....

Fair points although I don't quite get the singling out of Steve - as if we'd be on our knees without him. 

Unless he calls in his debts then presumably when he goes we'll do what many other clubs do to get by by cutting our cloth accordingly. 

Otherwise, how do those around us who don't have sugar-daddies survive? 

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8 minutes ago, CotswoldRed said:

Fair points although I don't quite get the singling out of Steve - as if we'd be on our knees without him. 

Unless he calls in his debts then presumably when he goes we'll do what many other clubs do to get by by cutting our cloth accordingly. 

Otherwise, how do those around us who don't have sugar-daddies survive? 

The point is as a fan base we’ve become very entitled and it’s become the norm for us to expect to be ‘kept’ beyond our means thanks to one man and his money. 

I.E when people say we should sign XYZ or should do this or that....there’s never any thought to how it would be financed given our relatively modest crowds and the infancy of our improved ability to generate non match day revenue. 

Case in point being the fuss on here over the wording of the Twitter account for the stadium. No recognition or gratitude of the fact that we now have another revenue stream - another step towards self sustainability -but just criticism over some wording. 

Same fans who want cheap season tickets also want us to sign a 40-50k a week striker.

As a fan base we live in something of an artificial bubble about our place in the food chain thanks to the endless cash of one man - the reality of if we had to live within our means would be a very stark eye opener. 

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1 minute ago, BRISTOL86 said:

The point is as a fan base we’ve become very entitled and it’s become the norm for us to expect to be ‘kept’ beyond our means thanks to one man and his money. 

I.E when people say we should sign XYZ or should do this or that....there’s never any thought to how it would be financed given our relatively modest crowds and the infancy of our improved ability to generate non match day revenue. 

Case in point being the fuss on here over the wording of the Twitter account for the stadium. No recognition or gratitude of the fact that we now have another revenue stream but just criticism over some wording. 

Same fans who want cheap season tickets also want us to sign a 40-50k a week striker.

As a fan base we live in something of an artificial bubble about our place in the food chain thanks to the endless cash of one man - the reality of if we had to live within our means would be a very stark eye opener. 

Indeed. So be it, if cashflow reduces. The Bristol public can have the club they think they deserve when they bother to turn up in adequate numbers. At least we're moving that way. 

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2 minutes ago, CotswoldRed said:

Indeed. So be it, if cashflow reduces. The Bristol public can have the club they think they deserve when they bother to turn up in adequate numbers. At least we're moving that way. 

It is funny how blinded people become to financial reality. Let’s say 15,000 season tickets and 5,000 POTD for a season. 

Thats probably around £7m in revenue. 

Three players on £40k a week and that’s gone. 

Before transfer fees 

Before wages of the rest of the squad

Before operating costs and depreciation

How on earth do people think we are capable of financing that sort of attitude towards wages?

Why should Steve Lansdown pay for it for you? 

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2 hours ago, RedRoss said:

Fans are so fickle especially on here. 

Every club has to sell players because they are driven by the money, the players ambition, the agent, ect.

Lee has been honest about this and is seemed to be chastised for doing so. 

To all you delusional fans that expect us to keep our best players and bat away bigger clubs, stay within FFP, Pay big wages to bring in so called 'established' players and all this with making the tickets cheaper need to get a reality check.

You all seem to forget Lee has essentially made us 10 million profit just on Bobby Reid if he is sold (which I think he will be) of course this is also down to Bobby's personal hard work but I struggle to think of another manager that would have taken the risk to develop Bobby into a striker.

And finally to all the comments talking about bad timing of the announcement - So what? If people are put off with buying a season ticket just because the board or LJ are not promising a spending spree and that we will keep our best players then sod off.

I will be a ticket holder for city regardless of our transfer activity because I'm a loyal fan foremost and not a blinded success hungry follower.

You are exactly the type of "customer " BS want.

Happy with anything they say and do.

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Playing Devil's Advocate a bit here but, over the last three seasons, we have endured three ongoing slumps. We usually only count the two under Lee Johnson because they came later in the season but we got 3 wins in 21 at the end of Cotterill's reign and surely that counts as a slump too, just one that came at the start of the season rather than the end of it.

We tend to think of one common denominator during those slumps, which is Lee Johnson, but actually five of our first team have been regulars during all three slumps, including some of the players we are concerned about losing.

I think the current team contains some of the best players we have had in years but I honestly don't think one manager alone - let alone two - can solely be responsible for frequent declines in form. Maybe there is something within the mentality of the club and some of the players and, following on from that, maybe it is not as big a disaster as we think if some of those players leave. 

I worry about Bobby as I think he would be hard to replace (and, as someone who has only been a regular this season, he escapes the blame in this scenario. But I do think we are in a strange place at the moment as supporters as we yearn for better results but don't want players in the first team to leave or lose their place. And, of course, players could leave and we could be a worse side as a result. But maybe, just maybe, some of the players involved in those slumps moving on COULD give us fresh impetus. Next season could be a disaster, especially if we lose key players. But it could not be...

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11 minutes ago, ScottishRed said:

You are exactly the type of "customer " BS want.

Happy with anything they say and do.

You are the exact epitome of a melodramatic unfairly critical and negative OTIB poster. That has big propositions to the way the club should be run but no real substance or logic behind it. 

See it's easy to be judgemental of other posters without any real debate brought to the discussion.

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Given our often quoted approach to signings where players are viewed on a number of occasions and dossiers prepared and reviewed by LJ and the management team, you would have to think our prime summer targets are already well on the boardroom table.

The question remains who goes, to pay for it all.

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4 hours ago, Ivorguy said:

Reminds me of. Napoleon

He advanced into Russia, took Moscow, failed to deal with the winter and guerrila resistance 

He ordered a retreat and three years later was on St Helena 

Moral if you don’t keep advancing, and order a retreat instead, then the endgame will be defeat

His Moscow was our Wolves game

His retreat was our January window

his Waterloo, our .......

 

 

All in the season ABBA changed the penalty shoot out. 

1 hour ago, Midlands Robin said:

A manager who is deeply unpopular with some fans, sells off the last vestiges of the promotion side and a fan cult hero then goes on to recruit a number of young and untested players to replace them.

Anyway, that described the situation under Osman in 94, what LJ will do in the summer is anyone's guess.

(But please, please don't let Pack go)

It’s not what I want to happen but I wonder if my tired post last night (pg4) was my resignation if that fact and trying to rationalise it. 

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5 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

All in the season ABBA changed the penalty shoot out. 

It’s not what I want to happen but I wonder if my tired post last night (pg4) was my resignation if that fact and trying to rationalise it. 

I don't know if you are right or wrong mate or if it could happen but I've always liked Pack. He's the sort of player every team needs. He gets on with the job. Not too flashy but really hard working. Does all the stuff no one really notices until he's not in the side. A good attitude and solid. Players like that are an absolute bugger to replace and when spotted by a good scout, are always in demand.

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13 minutes ago, RedRoss said:

You are the exact epitome of a melodramatic unfairly critical and negative OTIB poster. That has big propositions to the way the club should be run but no real substance or logic behind it. 

See it's easy to be judgemental of other posters without any real debate brought to the discussion.

There certainly are a small number of posters on here whose posts make me think that they have probably won the Champions League with Bristol City on Football Manager and are genuinely perplexed as to why the club cannot replicate their achievements in real life...

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53 minutes ago, LondonBristolian said:

Playing Devil's Advocate a bit here but, over the last three seasons, we have endured three ongoing slumps. We usually only count the two under Lee Johnson because they came later in the season but we got 3 wins in 21 at the end of Cotterill's reign and surely that counts as a slump too, just one that came at the start of the season rather than the end of it.

We tend to think of one common denominator during those slumps, which is Lee Johnson, but actually five of our first team have been regulars during all three slumps, including some of the players we are concerned about losing.

I think the current team contains some of the best players we have had in years but I honestly don't think one manager alone - let alone two - can solely be responsible for frequent declines in form. Maybe there is something within the mentality of the club and some of the players and, following on from that, maybe it is not as big a disaster as we think if some of those players leave. 

I worry about Bobby as I think he would be hard to replace (and, as someone who has only been a regular this season, he escapes the blame in this scenario. But I do think we are in a strange place at the moment as supporters as we yearn for better results but don't want players in the first team to leave or lose their place. And, of course, players could leave and we could be a worse side as a result. But maybe, just maybe, some of the players involved in those slumps moving on COULD give us fresh impetus. Next season could be a disaster, especially if we lose key players. But it could not be...

Good thought provoking post that

:clap:

the players you refer lo are my favourite players in the side as the ones I rate  and respect most

BUT

I had thoughts about this off the back of the dressing room harmony discussion and recent (3 yrs or so) history re acceptance / integration of new signings and particularly loanees , and on top of that , Its uncomfortable to read your points and thoughts above and fail to disagree or dismiss them

:whistle:

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10 minutes ago, BobBobSuperBob said:

Good thought provoking post that

:clap:

the players you refer lo are my favourite players in the side as the ones I rate  and respect most

BUT

I had thoughts about this off the back of the dressing room harmony discussion and recent (3 yrs or so) history re acceptance / integration of new signings and particularly loanees , and on top of that , Its uncomfortable to read your points and thoughts above and fail to disagree or dismiss them

:whistle:

Was saying the other day about the wailing and gnashing of teeth about the prospect of Flint and Bryan going - but both have been mainstays in what for three years has been a terrible defensive unit. 

Only one side in the top half has conceded more and the two seasons prior were disastrous for goals conceded - and in all three seasons we’ve had one of the top goal scorers in the league, even during two relegation scraps. 

Not holding them personally responsible but you have to ask is it the end of the world to get some fresh blood in? It’s only Bryan’s departure that will lead to Kelly getting a prolonged run for example. 

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38 minutes ago, Midlands Robin said:

I don't know if you are right or wrong mate or if it could happen but I've always liked Pack. He's the sort of player every team needs. He gets on with the job. Not too flashy but really hard working. Does all the stuff no one really notices until he's not in the side. A good attitude and solid. Players like that are an absolute bugger to replace and when spotted by a good scout, are always in demand.

I really rate Pack 

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4 minutes ago, BRISTOL86 said:

Was saying the other day about the wailing and gnashing of teeth about the prospect of Flint and Bryan going - but both have been mainstays in what for three years has been a terrible defensive unit. 

Only one side in the top half has conceded more and the two seasons prior were disastrous for goals conceded - and in all three seasons we’ve had one of the top goal scorers in the league, even during two relegation scraps. 

Not holding them personally responsible but you have to ask is it the end of the world to get some fresh blood in? It’s only Bryan’s departure that will lead to Kelly getting a prolonged run for example. 

If I could choose one to sacrifice it would be Joe Bryan for me

As much as I rate Flint and hold him in the very very highest regard I’d try and keep Bobby first and foremost

Then Flint followed by Korey Smith 

After that no one would be impossible to replace

As much as I rate Pack now I think there are others around than can do that job 

 

Think if Flint goes we may move for Roberts at Birmingham 

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Time for some slick salesmanship

Dyche’

’Hello Mark , I wanted to speak about Bobby Reid , what would the Clubs response be I’d we were to make a formal offer of £7million’

 

MA

’Bobby ..... £7 million .... not really Sean ..................but while you’re on the phone ... and Il let you in on this one ...... have you heard of a very exciting Swedish U21 striker we have on the books .....we’ve had to hide him back in Sweden away from prying eyes ... but as we like you , now we could talk at £7m  here.....’

 

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1 hour ago, BRISTOL86 said:

It is funny how blinded people become to financial reality. Let’s say 15,000 season tickets and 5,000 POTD for a season. 

Thats probably around £7m in revenue. 

Three players on £40k a week and that’s gone. 

Before transfer fees 

Before wages of the rest of the squad

Before operating costs and depreciation

How on earth do people think we are capable of financing that sort of attitude towards wages?

Why should Steve Lansdown pay for it for you? 

Good point.

You haven't factored in revenue from transfers, TV money or TV appearances, corporate hospitality, matchday advertising , shop , food sales ... 

All clubs should be self sufficient but as long as billionaires want toys they won't be .

 

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3 hours ago, Loon plage said:

Conversely players costing millions when we bought them are worth jack shit now.

Oh really? Which ones? O'Dowda? Diedhou? Baker?  I might give you Engvall, but he might raise his value during the summer. Taylor Moore? Not even 20 yet so too early to tell. I would say that generally his failures have been loans, it makes me wonder whether they put the same effort into those signings, I'd like to think they did, but timescales may effect that.

 

3 minutes ago, Major Isewater said:

Good point.

You haven't factored in revenue from transfers, TV money or TV appearances, corporate hospitality, matchday advertising , shop , food sales ... 

All clubs should be self sufficient but as long as billionaires want toys they won't be .

 

 A conservative estimate would suggest that SL has put over £100m into Bristol Sport and for a long time it was only Bristol City that benefitted from that. I wont be buying my grand daughter any toys like that!

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18 minutes ago, Major Isewater said:

Good point.

You haven't factored in revenue from transfers, TV money or TV appearances, corporate hospitality, matchday advertising , shop , food sales ... 

All clubs should be self sufficient but as long as billionaires want toys they won't be .

 

Clubs in the Championship won't make a profit by and large- I think Burton made one but they have very limited aims and are punching well above their weight. All told, I don't think Championship clubs generally will make a profit.

Our wages last year (16/17) were some 98% of Turnover- which is the best in years actually!

DafJzEjWkAArAFB.jpg:large

Unless we are in League One and content bobbing along as a big fish in a small pond using a fair number of youth players, or we make the PL- or even become a yo-yo club, the idea of us being self-sufficient or profitable is IMO a long long way off, and tbh unsure it's even possible.

This chain of tweets is also good on us!

 

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24 minutes ago, Major Isewater said:

Good point.

You haven't factored in revenue from transfers, TV money or TV appearances, corporate hospitality, matchday advertising , shop , food sales ... 

All clubs should be self sufficient but as long as billionaires want toys they won't be .

 

No it wasn’t meant to be exhaustive, just an illustration about just how far detatched we become from reality as fans when we talk about it ‘only being another £10k a week’ or ‘only being another few million’.

We talk about signing big players on big wages without a second thought as to how we have no chance of affording it if we didn’t have a billionaire with an open chequebook backing us. A lot of people would probably be surprised to learn that our annual gate receipts is equivalent to two or three high wage players.

It’s all a generation has ever known and it’d be very interesting to see what happened if you could press ‘reset’ and go to a world where clubs genuinely had to live within their means. 

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2 minutes ago, BRISTOL86 said:

No it wasn’t meant to be exhaustive, just an illustration about just how far detatched we become from reality as fans when we talk about it ‘only being another £10k a week’ or ‘only being another few million’.

We talk about signing big players on big wages without a second thought as to how we have no chance of affording it if we didn’t have a billionaire with an open chequebook backing us. A lot of people would probably be surprised to learn that our annual gate receipts is equivalent to two or three high wage players.

It’s all a generation has ever known and it’d be very interesting to see what happened if you could press ‘reset’ and go to a world where clubs genuinely had to live within their means. 

Definitely would be...in quite a way.

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19 minutes ago, bristolcitysweden said:

Life has been difficult for 121 years. 

Sorry to hear that Tommy

but whatever they feed you on over there it’s certainly good in terms of life longevity

:yawn:

(I bet ‘Liz’ looked positively spritely when you had your telegram from her , back in 97)

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