An interesting piece posted by Gregor MacGreggor (Not written by him to be fair)

[SuperFly2002]

https://www.coachesvoice.com/lee-johnson-bristol-city-oldham-athletic/

[phantom]

Intriguing part.... 

In my first full season as Bristol City manager, we went through a really difficult spell. Results weren’t good. It was the worst run in the league in the club’s history.

We had some internal feud problems within the squad – the sort of stuff you can’t go public with at the time. 

[ScottishRed]

"Identity" gets a good number of mentions.............

I must be missing something.

[And Its Smith]

It's a fantastic read and re-ignites the confidence I have in Johnson to build something sustainable and long-term.  The problem is that a lot of fans want success tomorrow.  Sacking him now would be madness in my opinion.  

[Mr Popodopolous]

It's a good piece- LJ clearly talks well- very well at times.

I would query how much of his bright ideas and good stuff has always materialised however. He has gone learning about Barcelona, Russia, Latvia- all different coaching schools, football styles.

It also says he's immersed in football- with GJ being his dad etc, LJ having played etc. Said something in the piece about 'And importantly, how to gain slight advantages wherever possible.'

Well he knows- there's the football background 'But we're lucky: football runs in our blood. A lot of our family are in the game, whether as scouts, players, managers at non-league level and league level.' That means his knowledge is superb- has to be.

Yet we see little evidence of it, both tactically a lot of the time and more importantly in game tweaks- not necessarily substitutions in the first instance, can be a bit slow to react.

In short, I'm saying it is a good piece and he clearly has strong, deep knowledge but at the same time doesn't put it into practice so well for some reason. From a football family, taken in coaching methods abroad etc..yet hit and miss with transfers- which I can accept to a point as it's the hardest to get consistently right, tactics and man-management IMO.

[When the river runs]

Johnson for England after reading that !

[cidered abroad]

23 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

It's a good piece- LJ clearly talks well- very well at times.

I would query how much of his bright ideas and good stuff has always materialised however. He has gone learning about Barcelona, Russia, Latvia- all different coaching schools, football styles.

It also says he's immersed in football- with GJ being his dad etc, LJ having played etc. Said something in the piece about 'And importantly, how to gain slight advantages wherever possible.'

Well he knows- there's the football background 'But we're lucky: football runs in our blood. A lot of our family are in the game, whether as scouts, players, managers at non-league level and league level.' That means his knowledge is superb- has to be.

Yet we see little evidence of it, both tactically a lot of the time and more importantly in game tweaks- not necessarily substitutions in the first instance, can be a bit slow to react.

In short, I'm saying it' is a good piece and he clearly has strong, deep knowledge but at the same time doesn't put it into practice so well for some reason. From a football family, taken in coaching methods abroad etc..yet hit and miss with transfers, tactics and man-management IMO.

Good post Mr P.

He talks a very good talk and has now made a public acknowledgment of one of the reasons for the eight defeats in a row and the eleven points from sixty six, if my memory is correct.

But that was just one year and it happened at Barnsley and again the second half of last season.

And now we're on two points from fifteen. I know it could also be said as fourteen from twenty seven. But its the way we gained four successive wins followed by five games where we just haven't turned up in two and look like a leaking colander in two others.

Why can't we ever go WDLWDLWDL or similar?

[Davefevs]

12 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

It's a good piece- LJ clearly talks well- very well at times.

I would query how much of his bright ideas and good stuff has always materialised however. He has gone learning about Barcelona, Russia, Latvia- all different coaching schools, football styles.

It also says he's immersed in football- with GJ being his dad etc, LJ having played etc. Said something in the piece about 'And importantly, how to gain slight advantages wherever possible.'

Well he knows- there's the football background 'But we're lucky: football runs in our blood. A lot of our family are in the game, whether as scouts, players, managers at non-league level and league level.' That means his knowledge is superb- has to be.

Yet we see little evidence of it, both tactically a lot of the time and more importantly in game tweaks- not necessarily substitutions in the first instance, can be a bit slow to react.

In short, I'm saying it is a good piece and he clearly has strong, deep knowledge but at the same time doesn't put it into practice so well for some reason. From a football family, taken in coaching methods abroad etc..yet hit and miss with transfers- which I can accept to a point as it's the hardest to get consistently right, tactics and man-management IMO.

Don’t know if this is an excellent post Mr P, it just because it matches my view too.

My general opinion is that I love listening to Lee both pre-match and out of match-context, e.g. on Twentyman.  He does understand tactics, the game etc.  He really draws you in, shares his love of the game well, apart from the odd jargon-crap, like “clutch” where I think he comes across a little superior, but I forgive him that.  He’s taken something from another sport and fitted it to football.  That’s ok in my book.

However, I think he really struggles in game, and this impacts his post-match interviews to a large extent.

The in-game stuff is rarely tweaks, it’s subs, multiple subs, total formation changes, etc.  It’s rarely (ever?) “Josh, just sit on their no10 for 5 minutes”, “Andreas, go and position yourself on their LB and make their CB bring it out into congestion”.  That is what other managers do.  Just doing something small for a few minutes, evaluate, reflect, might weather the storm / put us in the front foot, and avoid the overhaul we so often see....which there is no going back from.

I find that frustrating / disappointing for someone so highly regarded.  It’s a major flaw in his make-up....which has a lot going for it.

Most managers have their own flaws too.

This is where Holden and Macca need to compliment him, they always seem to be in unison, which I think is unnatural.  I guess this is one of the reasons Pemba went?

Gonna be a very interesting rest of October and November.

 

[Davefevs]

31 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Don’t know if this is an excellent post Mr P, it just because it matches my view too.

My general opinion is that I love listening to Lee both pre-match and out of match-context, e.g. on Twentyman.  He does understand tactics, the game etc.  He really draws you in, shares his love of the game well, apart from the odd jargon-crap, like “clutch” where I think he comes across a little superior, but I forgive him that.  He’s taken something from another sport and fitted it to football.  That’s ok in my book.

However, I think he really struggles in game, and this impacts his post-match interviews to a large extent.

The in-game stuff is rarely tweaks, it’s subs, multiple subs, total formation changes, etc.  It’s rarely (ever?) “Josh, just sit on their no10 for 5 minutes”, “Andreas, go and position yourself on their LB and make their CB bring it out into congestion”.  That is what other managers do.  Just doing something small for a few minutes, evaluate, reflect, might weather the storm / put us in the front foot, and avoid the overhaul we so often see....which there is no going back from.

I find that frustrating / disappointing for someone so highly regarded.  It’s a major flaw in his make-up....which has a lot going for it.

Most managers have their own flaws too.

This is where Holden and Macca need to compliment him, they always seem to be in unison, which I think is unnatural.  I guess this is one of the reasons Pemba went?

Gonna be a very interesting rest of October and November.

 

Sorry, got sidetracked.

The other bit I forgot to write is:

Despite all this being around a footballing family all of his life, none of them as far as I know ever played the game at any level.  LJ the highest I suspect, and although anyone should be proud to play hundreds of pro games, a lot at this level, he was never “the best player’ at this level, never the standout.  An efficient, keeping the ball moving player.  I rarely watched City in the period when he was a player, apart from on telly, so I don’t hold the marmite view of him as a player, therefore marmite as a manager.

Although being a top player is not a pre-requisite to be a top manager, I do think it is the second weakness (along with my first post quoted) that may ultimately hold him back, unless he finds some success.  There are too many examples of managers who didn’t play top-level, but I just have this gut feeling it is linked to his lack of in-game management, because he hasn’t got it to fall back on.  

[PHILINFRANCE]

1 hour ago, RedDave said:

It's a fantastic read and re-ignites the confidence I have in Johnson to build something sustainable and long-term.  The problem is that a lot of fans want success tomorrow.  Sacking him now would be madness in my opinion.  

They are probably the least of his problems; it is the fans who want success today he should fear most.

[Robbored]

Hmmm.....not really sure the article told us anything we didn’t already know. Not that interesting imv.

We know that he has visited different styles of coaching abroad. We also know that his time at Oldham and Barnsley have given him a greater insight into actually managing a club and significantly adding to what he’d picked up from his dad.

We know he’s a deep thinker about the game as well.

We know he’s articulate and communicates well with us fans and the media.

 

 

 

[RumRed]

10 minutes ago, Robbored said:

Hmmm.....not really sure the article told us anything we didn’t already know. Not that interesting imv.

We know that he has visited different styles of coaching abroad. We also know that his time at Oldham and Barnsley have given him a greater insight into actually managing a club and significantly adding to what he’d picked up from his dad.

We know he’s a deep thinker about the game as well.

We know he’s articulate and communicates well with us fans and the media.

 

 

 

Agreed, we’ve constantly been told how good he is, how young and exciting, how he’s studied the game and high pressure jobs away from football.

I can play corporate bullshit bingo on my CV , and in an interview, doesn’t necessarily make me any good at the actual job.

[Davefevs]

40 minutes ago, Robbored said:

Hmmm.....not really sure the article told us anything we didn’t already know. Not that interesting imv.

We know that he has visited different styles of coaching abroad. We also know that his time at Oldham and Barnsley have given him a greater insight into actually managing a club and significantly adding to what he’d picked up from his dad.

We know he’s a deep thinker about the game as well.

We know he’s articulate and communicates well with us fans and the media.

 

 

 

Yep, lot of regurgitated stuff.

To give some balance to my earlier posts, I do think he’s a good training ground coach.  The stuff we saw in the summer showed that, even if a bit contrived / cleverly edited in some places.

[exAtyeoMax]

I was wondering how old the interview was? Just because of the line towards the end referencing the academy playing the same pressing game as the first team...

 

[phantom]

9 hours ago, RumRed said:

Agreed, we’ve constantly been told how good he is, how young and exciting, how he’s studied the game and high pressure jobs away from football.

I can play corporate bullshit bingo on my CV , and in an interview, doesn’t necessarily make me any good at the actual job.

Very true, the real question is how much longer can he be referred to as an. Young and exciting upcoming manager? 

Sooner or later someone needs to see all this hard work and different thinking translate into where it really matters... ON THE PITCH! 

[spudski]

Cmon guys...think it through. There are managers with far more experience than LJ at bigger clubs doing far worse than him. 

We are an average club in this division. We sit mid table...average.But only a few points off play offs.

Be reasonable...give the guy a break. If our chances had gone in against Wednesday...we would be sat in the play offs.

Fine margins. We created chances...an inch either way and it would all be different. 

The misses and errors on Sunday weren't tactical. Individual errors. And our match day squad pretty much picks itself at the moment.

The division is riddled with odd results. Anyone can beat anyone.

The players have said he's a good coach and you can see they are trying to play his way. Sometimes it doesn't always go to plan.

Just try and enjoy the ride..it's just football. We could do far worse. 

Enjoy what we have...so many teams in so much disarray. 

We've come a long way in a short time compared to what we had not so long ago.

 

[The hand of RO'D]

12 minutes ago, spudski said:

Cmon guys...think it through. There are managers with far more experience than LJ at bigger clubs doing far worse than him. 

We are an average club in this division. We sit mid table...average.But only a few points off play offs.

Be reasonable...give the guy a break. If our chances had gone in against Wednesday...we would be sat in the play offs.

Fine margins. We created chances...an inch either way and it would all be different. 

The misses and errors on Sunday weren't tactical. Individual errors. And our match day squad pretty much picks itself at the moment.

The division is riddled with odd results. Anyone can beat anyone.

The players have said he's a good coach and you can see they are trying to play his way. Sometimes it doesn't always go to plan.

Just try and enjoy the ride..it's just football. We could do far worse. 

Enjoy what we have...so many teams in so much disarray. 

We've come a long way in a short time compared to what we had not so long ago.

 

Mods can you pin this to be shown before anyone starts a negative thread in the future?

Bloody well said Spudski.

[DaveInSA]

17 minutes ago, spudski said:

Cmon guys...think it through. There are managers with far more experience than LJ at bigger clubs doing far worse than him. 

We are an average club in this division. We sit mid table...average.But only a few points off play offs.

Be reasonable...give the guy a break. If our chances had gone in against Wednesday...we would be sat in the play offs.

Fine margins. We created chances...an inch either way and it would all be different. 

The misses and errors on Sunday weren't tactical. Individual errors. And our match day squad pretty much picks itself at the moment.

The division is riddled with odd results. Anyone can beat anyone.

The players have said he's a good coach and you can see they are trying to play his way. Sometimes it doesn't always go to plan.

Just try and enjoy the ride..it's just football. We could do far worse. 

Enjoy what we have...so many teams in so much disarray. 

We've come a long way in a short time compared to what we had not so long ago.

 

I’m enjoying this zen approach to BCFC. Thanks. And yes I agree with all of what you and @Davefevs have said.

At some point in the not too distant future, I think it will click for LJ, and we will punch well above our weight.

[bpexile]

15 hours ago, SuperFly2002 said:

https://www.coachesvoice.com/lee-johnson-bristol-city-oldham-athletic/

A great read, thankyou. A very precise & positive person is our LJ, I really hope he can deliver his dream .

[reddogkev]

7 minutes ago, DaveInSA said:

I’m enjoying this zen approach to BCFC. Thanks. And yes I agree with all of what you and @Davefevs have said.

At some point in the not too distant future, I think it will click for LJ, and we will punch well above our weight.

We might already be punching well above our weight, in my time we've mostly been a top League One team / terrible Championship team.

I reckon quite a few fans (not aimed at you specifically) have a false expectation about how big City are / should be.  Mid-table Championship is at the moment impressive for City.

[And Its Smith]

30 minutes ago, spudski said:

Cmon guys...think it through. There are managers with far more experience than LJ at bigger clubs doing far worse than him. 

We are an average club in this division. We sit mid table...average.But only a few points off play offs.

Be reasonable...give the guy a break. If our chances had gone in against Wednesday...we would be sat in the play offs.

Fine margins. We created chances...an inch either way and it would all be different. 

The misses and errors on Sunday weren't tactical. Individual errors. And our match day squad pretty much picks itself at the moment.

The division is riddled with odd results. Anyone can beat anyone.

The players have said he's a good coach and you can see they are trying to play his way. Sometimes it doesn't always go to plan.

Just try and enjoy the ride..it's just football. We could do far worse. 

Enjoy what we have...so many teams in so much disarray. 

We've come a long way in a short time compared to what we had not so long ago.

 

Apart from the 'its only football' bit, completely agree with this.  

Some people are starting to worry about relegation.  There are easily 8 worst teams than us in this division so I will sit back and enjoy the rollercoaster.  

[DaveInSA]

9 hours ago, reddogkev said:

We might already be punching well above our weight, in my time we've mostly been a top League One team / terrible Championship team.

I reckon quite a few fans (not aimed at you specifically) have a false expectation about how big City are / should be.  Mid-table Championship is at the moment impressive for City.

I have zero delusions of grandeur

i’ve followed this club since 83-4. I would agree that mid table in the championship represents stability and progress.

[DingleRed]

13 hours ago, spudski said:

Cmon guys...think it through. There are managers with far more experience than LJ at bigger clubs doing far worse than him. 

We are an average club in this division. We sit mid table...average.But only a few points off play offs.

Be reasonable...give the guy a break. If our chances had gone in against Wednesday...we would be sat in the play offs.

Fine margins. We created chances...an inch either way and it would all be different. 

The misses and errors on Sunday weren't tactical. Individual errors. And our match day squad pretty much picks itself at the moment.

The division is riddled with odd results. Anyone can beat anyone.

The players have said he's a good coach and you can see they are trying to play his way. Sometimes it doesn't always go to plan.

Just try and enjoy the ride..it's just football. We could do far worse. 

Enjoy what we have...so many teams in so much disarray. 

We've come a long way in a short time compared to what we had not so long ago.

 

Yep, and shouldn't forget that 9 of the last 11 seasons we have been a Championship team. We are going in an upward direction, both on and off the field, whereas the likes of Hull, Ipswich, QPR and Reading maybe are not. Takes time and patience to  build a challenging and sustainable football club if you can't buy success (Wolves) - ask Brighton, Burnley.