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Lansdown's Jobs For The Boys - The Famous Five


Boston Red

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LANSDOWN'S JOBS FOR THE BOYS. NUMBER 1. BRIAN TINNION.

Danny Wilson had lost us the play off final and had failed to get us promoted in four full seasons. Lansdown wanted to cut costs, so they parted company, and then, suddenly, without advertising the job or running interviews (unprofessional), he appointed Tinnion as player-manager. From nowhere. He had no experience. This would cost us one of our very best players. The fans were bemused. The dressing room was bemused. Tinnion always implied he did not have the support of the dressing room, and that there were bad eggs in there not playing for him. Lansdown had to come into the dressing room at times for teamtalks (eg Colchester at home). But the truth is, the dressing room
were probably just as confused as the fans. Lansdown came out fighting.

"Tinnion is not the cheap option. He is the right option"

It is arrogant of Lansdown to think that he is an alchemist who can just make a football manager out of anyone he pleases. You have to have certain talents. Brian Clough said "When you get success for a chairman, he is resentful, and thinks that anyone could have done what you did." But Lansdown was defiant.

"Judge me on Tinnion." He said, loudly and publicly.

OK Steve, I will. Tinnion is currently sat in the dugout in Swansea in an empty stadium 40 minutes after the final whistle. We have lost 7-1. He has a "Vietnam-Vet thousand yard stare" into the distance. He refuses to go back into the dressing room. He refuses to do the press, and Lansdown has to do it. "It could have been 10" Steve told the media. The next day Lansdown goes round to TInnion's house. Tinnion says he cannot face taking training on Monday. Let's be clear. He has not resigned. He has ABDICATED. He has remained in the post of manager while refusing to fulfill his duties. Lansdown has to sack him. I have never seen or heard of a manager ABDICATING like that in 30 years of
following football. Since that day, Tinnion has never tried to be a manager again. He wasn't a manager that failed. He wasn't a manager at all. That bad appointment meant BCFC wasted another 2 years in the third tier. It is the old business saying. "You spend 1% of the time recruiting badly, and 99% of the time dealing from the fallout of your bad recruitment." And this from a so-called business expert!!!

But Lansdown learnt from his mistakes, went through a lengthy search for his next manager, appointed Gary Johnson who had two promotions under his belt, and GJ took us up in his first full season, and then in the Championship, in our first season back, we were TOP with ten games to go. He took us from the bottom of the third tier to the top of the second tier in less than two and a half seasons. Brilliant. When GJ goes, Lansdown has learnt from his mistakes again, and appoints Coppell. But Coppell did not apply for the job. Lansdown headhunted him. Bad sign. Then Coppell won't take over because............he has a holiday in America booked. Clearly he did not really want the job. You can lead a horse to water.........etc etc. Coppell walks, and Lansdown looks silly. Coppell said on Talksport "I was a bit disappointed with the environment I found myself in." Yes Steve Coppell, we know. BCFC is run in an amateurish fashion. And now we come to..............................

LANSDOWN'S JOBS FOR THE BOYS. NUMBER 2. KEITH MILLEN.

You could not have sneezed in the time it took for Lansdown to appoint Millen after Coppell walked. Most Bristol City fans went to bcfc.co.uk and saw the headline "Coppell walks, Millen appointed." Many of them said "Hang on a minute, what just happened there? Why the haste?" Here we go again. Again Lansdown comes out publicly and says "Keith was second in the list behind Coppell. Did a great job as caretaker manager." True, but City now find themselves in a relegation battle. Millen gets us out of it. But the next season another one starts. Millen was on the radio last night. Anyone with half a brain can see he is not a leader of men. He has a voice like soggy cardboard and the manner of a primary school teacher talking gently to six year olds. But no!!! Steve Lansdown can make a football manager out of anyone!!! You just have to flatter his ego and be a thirty-something ex- Bristol City footballer with no experience at all. Under stress people revert to type, and the stress of losing Coppell had reverted Lansdown back into his old error of mediocre internal appointments.

Some of the things Millen said were embarrassing. After losing 3-0 at home to Ipswich on the opening day of the 2011/12 season, Millen said "I didn't see that coming!". By Jove, Keef, the ups and downs of being a football manager. And when we were 2-0 up at home to Reading with ten minutes to go and lost 3-2, Millen said, a few days later "I'm over it now." Well I'm glad you are over it now, Keef, because in a few days you are going to lead your team up to Blackpool, lose 5-0, and lose your job. There is a long delay while City appoint the next manager because..............................wait for it..............................our owner has gone to Africa. This is amateurish. McInnes has had his interview, wants the job, but is kept waiting (City now lose another two games) while Steve finishes safari. But he comes in, turns it round, wins 4 and draws 1 (away to West Ham) and gets us out of the relegation zone. Lansdown then goes on the radio.

I could not believe my ears. I am expecting him to say "Didn't want to sack Millen but it had to be done, but what a great manager we have in Derek Mcinnes. With the same players he has dragged us up the league with 13 points out of 15. Great track record in Scotland, we are really looking forward to hitting the play off places next season."
Lansdown barely mentions McInnes once. Instead he launches into a passionate defence of Keith Millen. Voice quivering with emotion, he tells us how he did not want to sack Keith, and how he cannot wait to give him a glowing reference. How must McInnes have felt hearing that? Clearly if you are a nice-guy yes man like Lee Johnson or Keith Millen
then Lansdown feels a burning personal loyalty to you because you flatter his ego. A winner like McInnes or Cotterill? Not so much. They are discarded very quickly, as soon as possible. Note also that Millen, like Tinnion, never wanted another manager's job again. He was never a manager in the first place.

LANSDOWN'S JOBS FOR THE BOYS. NUMBER 3. JON LANSDOWN.

Do you know Jon Lansdown's job title without looking it up? I don't either.

Do you know what Jon Lansdown actually does at BS3? I don't either.

Do you know what thing Jon Lansdown has to do in the next 18 months otherwise he will get the sack? There isn't one.

Look, of course Steve wants his son to have a job, and Jon Lansdown is surely not the worst employee at BS3. And I am not blaming him. He seems a nice down-to earth guy. And why wouldn't you accept a good job if it was offered to you? But it is jobs for the boys.

LANSDOWN'S JOBS FOR THE BOYS. NUMBER 4. LEE JOHNSON.

So City plummet down the leagues and are back where they started. Facing relegation to the fourth tier. Where they were when Tinnion left. We have spent 50 million for nothing because we can't get a good manager. Lansdown now approves of Keith Dawe's suggestion of Cotterill, who has a good track record. You see, Steve Lansdown can appoint a good manager. We just have to be in the relegation zone of the third tier for him to do it.  His two successful appointments are Gary Johnson and Steve Cotterill, both of whom were appointed when we were facing relegation to the fourth tier. The Five Pillars goes out of the window and we sign 35 year old Wade Elliot. There isn't time for managerial mumbo-jumbo in a relegation battle. Cotterill saves us from relegation, gets us up, but Lansdown seems distant. He doesn't even attend the Wembley
final (Africa again). Cotterill identifies Harry Maguire and Andre Gray, who would have been brilliant signings whom we could have sold on for a King's ransom. But the club isn't interested, Cotterill loses his mojo, so Lansdown appoints Lee Johnson. His record at Oldham and Barnsley is W1 D1 L1. 46 (yes forty-six) signing later, and 25 million pounds
spent, LJ's record at BCFC is..........wait for it.....................W1 D1 L1. He only ever was an average football manager. We could have given the job and all that money to someone
better. But note how a bland Yes-man excites Lansdowns loyalty, like Millen. LJ was given a 3.5 year contract, from 2016 to summer 2019. Generous. He keeps us up in his first half season. Then he spends 11 million. In October City are in 6th. He still has almost 3 years of the contract to go. But Lansdown gives him an extension of another year, to summer 2020. Why? We can only conclude that Lansdown is blown away by the talk, and thinks LJ is much better than he is. Why doesn't he just leave him on his current contract? He's not going anywhere. You know when single women finally find a man and start ringing their friends and family after only two weeks, getting over-excited and over
hopeful? It ends and then they look stupid. Well Lansdown looked stupid when as soon as adding a year to LJ's contract City lost 13 out of 16 league games (including 8 in a row), and were in relegation danger.

Before the Man U game last season, Lansdown told the Sun he prefers Lee Johnson to Jose Mourinho. Excuse me? Yes, Jose is alienating everyone with his negative talk. But he has won over 20 major trophies, including the Champions League, across all of Europe while Lee Johnson has won the square root of diddly squitt. What can we conclude other than that the major requirement of Steve Lansdown's manager seems to be that you flatter his ego first, and win things second?

LANSDOWN'S JOBS FOR THE BOYS. NUMBER 5. JAMIE MCALLISTER.

City are in relegation danger. Lansdown has to do something. Can't sack Golden Boy!!! So he sacks John Pemberton. Then he goes on Radio Bristol. He tells Twentyman "We've appointed Macca...............er.......................er..........................I mean............................Jamie Mcallister." Jobs for the boys.

At some point in the next 5 years Lansdown will have to appoint a new manager. Let us face it, he will be pining and yearning and aching to appoint Jamie Mcallister. Mcallister is small. He has no managerial experience. He played for Bristol City. He is young. He is an internal appointment. He is the classic Lansdown appointee. Lansdown has shown he can appoint a good manager when he has to, like Gary Johnson and Steve Cotterill, but he prefers the Millen/Tinnion/Johnson style appointment. A businessman once said "I am intelligent enough to appoint men more intelligent than I am." Let us hope Steve Lansdown can do that. Socrates said "I know nothing. I am only wise because unlike everyone else, I know that I know nothing". Let us hope that Steve Lansdown can say to himself "I am rubbish at appointing football managers. But at least I know that, and therefore I need to get someone else to do it, or take bucketloads of advice as I do it."

City fans were bewildered when Tinnion got the job without a proper process. City fans were bewildered when Millen got the job without a proper process. City fans were bewildered when Lee Johnson got the job when his record at Oldham and Barnsley was so mediocre. Please Steve. Not again.

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Lansdown's Job for the Fans:

1)We are still Bristol City

2)We play in an amazing Stadium

3)We have a fantastic training set up and facilities

4) Our youth policy is actually working for the first time ever.

5) Despite losing millions and millions and millions - he still covers the losses and invests in the club

 

I'm completely bewildered why he does it especially when the minute it's not going to the fan's plans or time frame - he and his family get contemptible abuse but please Steve.....

Do it again.

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Millen was understandable, he had done a decent job when called upon as caretaker. McAllister is an LJ appointment so not really Lansdown's 'job for boys'. 'Without advertising the job or running interviews (unprofessional)'  a lot of chairman headhunt a particular manager, is it unprofessional that Manchester City went for Pep without advertising the position?

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1 minute ago, Marina's Rolls Royce said:

Lansdown's Job for the Fans:

1)We are still Bristol City

2)We play in an amazing Stadium

3)We have a fantastic training set up and facilities

4) Our youth policy is actually working for the first time ever.

5) Despite losing millions and millions and millions - he still covers the losses and invests in the club

 

I'm completely bewildered why he does it especially when the minute it's not going to the fan's plans or time frame - he and his family get contemptible abuse but please Steve.....

Do it again.

It's not abuse, it's a fair analysis from a fan on his judgement in football matters. He should not be above that. This post does not question his undoubted commitment to the club and Bristol. Let's hope he reads it. We all want the best for BCFC.

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1 minute ago, hoxton casual said:

It's not abuse, it's a fair analysis from a fan on his judgement in football matters. He should not be above that. This post does not question his undoubted commitment to the club and Bristol. Let's hope he reads it. We all want the best for BCFC.

TBF- any criticism of SL rarely appears when the fan's are happy which they're definitely not at this  moment in time.

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3 minutes ago, hodge said:

Millen was understandable, he had done a decent job when called upon as caretaker. McAllister is an LJ appointment so not really Lansdown's 'job for boys'. 'Without advertising the job or running interviews (unprofessional)'  a lot of chairman headhunt a particular manager, is it unprofessional that Manchester City went for Pep without advertising the position?

I'm sorry...................but IMHO,  you cannot, No really! You CANNOT make a comparison between the appointments of  Mcallister, Millen, LJ  with Pep Guardiola it's just plain silly? ?

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Tins was a gamble that failed, Millen did well as caretaker (And did things improve when he left?), the amount SL has invested I can excuse nepotism, and Lee was far from the worst candidate at the time. Stability can very often be a good thing.

We sold our 3 best players, we are in transition, hardly merits criticising our benefactor. Look at the positives, O’Leary, Kelly, Morrell, Eliasson, maybe Ade... and Eisa, there are youngsters out on loan doing well. Fantastic stadium, holding our own in the Championship, developing our own players, decent owner. Things are not that bad

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Just now, maxjak said:

I'm sorry...................but IMHO,  you cannot, No really! You CANNOT make a comparison between the appointments of  Mcallister, Millen, LJ  with Pep Guardiola it's just plain silly? ?

The difference in level was supposed to highlight the original comment saying its unprofessional to headhunt a manager without advertising, if its unprofessional to do it at one level, its still unprofessional to do it at another, whether premier league, championship or league 2. 

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4 minutes ago, Chappers said:

Tins was a gamble that failed, Millen did well as caretaker (And did things improve when he left?), the amount SL has invested I can excuse nepotism, and Lee was far from the worst candidate at the time. Stability can very often be a good thing.

We sold our 3 best players, we are in transition, hardly merits criticising our benefactor. Look at the positives, O’Leary, Kelly, Morrell, Eliasson, maybe Ade... and Eisa, there are youngsters out on loan doing well. Fantastic stadium, holding our own in the Championship, developing our own players, decent owner. Things are not that bad

Last January?

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57 minutes ago, Boston Red said:

LANSDOWN'S JOBS FOR THE BOYS. NUMBER 1. BRIAN TINNION.

Danny Wilson had lost us the play off final and had failed to get us promoted in four full seasons. Lansdown wanted to cut costs, so they parted company, and then, suddenly, without advertising the job or running interviews (unprofessional), he appointed Tinnion as player-manager. From nowhere. He had no experience. This would cost us one of our very best players. The fans were bemused. The dressing room was bemused. Tinnion always implied he did not have the support of the dressing room, and that there were bad eggs in there not playing for him. Lansdown had to come into the dressing room at times for teamtalks (eg Colchester at home). But the truth is, the dressing room
were probably just as confused as the fans. Lansdown came out fighting.

"Tinnion is not the cheap option. He is the right option"

It is arrogant of Lansdown to think that he is an alchemist who can just make a football manager out of anyone he pleases. You have to have certain talents. Brian Clough said "When you get success for a chairman, he is resentful, and thinks that anyone could have done what you did." But Lansdown was defiant.

"Judge me on Tinnion." He said, loudly and publicly.

OK Steve, I will. Tinnion is currently sat in the dugout in Swansea in an empty stadium 40 minutes after the final whistle. We have lost 7-1. He has a "Vietnam-Vet thousand yard stare" into the distance. He refuses to go back into the dressing room. He refuses to do the press, and Lansdown has to do it. "It could have been 10" Steve told the media. The next day Lansdown goes round to TInnion's house. Tinnion says he cannot face taking training on Monday. Let's be clear. He has not resigned. He has ABDICATED. He has remained in the post of manager while refusing to fulfill his duties. Lansdown has to sack him. I have never seen or heard of a manager ABDICATING like that in 30 years of
following football. Since that day, Tinnion has never tried to be a manager again. He wasn't a manager that failed. He wasn't a manager at all. That bad appointment meant BCFC wasted another 2 years in the third tier. It is the old business saying. "You spend 1% of the time recruiting badly, and 99% of the time dealing from the fallout of your bad recruitment." And this from a so-called business expert!!!

But Lansdown learnt from his mistakes, went through a lengthy search for his next manager, appointed Gary Johnson who had two promotions under his belt, and GJ took us up in his first full season, and then in the Championship, in our first season back, we were TOP with ten games to go. He took us from the bottom of the third tier to the top of the second tier in less than two and a half seasons. Brilliant. When GJ goes, Lansdown has learnt from his mistakes again, and appoints Coppell. But Coppell did not apply for the job. Lansdown headhunted him. Bad sign. Then Coppell won't take over because............he has a holiday in America booked. Clearly he did not really want the job. You can lead a horse to water.........etc etc. Coppell walks, and Lansdown looks silly. Coppell said on Talksport "I was a bit disappointed with the environment I found myself in." Yes Steve Coppell, we know. BCFC is run in an amateurish fashion. And now we come to..............................

LANSDOWN'S JOBS FOR THE BOYS. NUMBER 2. KEITH MILLEN.

You could not have sneezed in the time it took for Lansdown to appoint Millen after Coppell walked. Most Bristol City fans went to bcfc.co.uk and saw the headline "Coppell walks, Millen appointed." Many of them said "Hang on a minute, what just happened there? Why the haste?" Here we go again. Again Lansdown comes out publicly and says "Keith was second in the list behind Coppell. Did a great job as caretaker manager." True, but City now find themselves in a relegation battle. Millen gets us out of it. But the next season another one starts. Millen was on the radio last night. Anyone with half a brain can see he is not a leader of men. He has a voice like soggy cardboard and the manner of a primary school teacher talking gently to six year olds. But no!!! Steve Lansdown can make a football manager out of anyone!!! You just have to flatter his ego and be a thirty-something ex- Bristol City footballer with no experience at all. Under stress people revert to type, and the stress of losing Coppell had reverted Lansdown back into his old error of mediocre internal appointments.

Some of the things Millen said were embarrassing. After losing 3-0 at home to Ipswich on the opening day of the 2011/12 season, Millen said "I didn't see that coming!". By Jove, Keef, the ups and downs of being a football manager. And when we were 2-0 up at home to Reading with ten minutes to go and lost 3-2, Millen said, a few days later "I'm over it now." Well I'm glad you are over it now, Keef, because in a few days you are going to lead your team up to Blackpool, lose 5-0, and lose your job. There is a long delay while City appoint the next manager because..............................wait for it..............................our owner has gone to Africa. This is amateurish. McInnes has had his interview, wants the job, but is kept waiting (City now lose another two games) while Steve finishes safari. But he comes in, turns it round, wins 4 and draws 1 (away to West Ham) and gets us out of the relegation zone. Lansdown then goes on the radio.

I could not believe my ears. I am expecting him to say "Didn't want to sack Millen but it had to be done, but what a great manager we have in Derek Mcinnes. With the same players he has dragged us up the league with 13 points out of 15. Great track record in Scotland, we are really looking forward to hitting the play off places next season."
Lansdown barely mentions McInnes once. Instead he launches into a passionate defence of Keith Millen. Voice quivering with emotion, he tells us how he did not want to sack Keith, and how he cannot wait to give him a glowing reference. How must McInnes have felt hearing that? Clearly if you are a nice-guy yes man like Lee Johnson or Keith Millen
then Lansdown feels a burning personal loyalty to you because you flatter his ego. A winner like McInnes or Cotterill? Not so much. They are discarded very quickly, as soon as possible. Note also that Millen, like Tinnion, never wanted another manager's job again. He was never a manager in the first place.

LANSDOWN'S JOBS FOR THE BOYS. NUMBER 3. JON LANSDOWN.

Do you know Jon Lansdown's job title without looking it up? I don't either.

Do you know what Jon Lansdown actually does at BS3? I don't either.

Do you know what thing Jon Lansdown has to do in the next 18 months otherwise he will get the sack? There isn't one.

Look, of course Steve wants his son to have a job, and Jon Lansdown is surely not the worst employee at BS3. And I am not blaming him. He seems a nice down-to earth guy. And why wouldn't you accept a good job if it was offered to you? But it is jobs for the boys.

LANSDOWN'S JOBS FOR THE BOYS. NUMBER 4. LEE JOHNSON.

So City plummet down the leagues and are back where they started. Facing relegation to the fourth tier. Where they were when Tinnion left. We have spent 50 million for nothing because we can't get a good manager. Lansdown now approves of Keith Dawe's suggestion of Cotterill, who has a good track record. You see, Steve Lansdown can appoint a good manager. We just have to be in the relegation zone of the third tier for him to do it.  His two successful appointments are Gary Johnson and Steve Cotterill, both of whom were appointed when we were facing relegation to the fourth tier. The Five Pillars goes out of the window and we sign 35 year old Wade Elliot. There isn't time for managerial mumbo-jumbo in a relegation battle. Cotterill saves us from relegation, gets us up, but Lansdown seems distant. He doesn't even attend the Wembley
final (Africa again). Cotterill identifies Harry Maguire and Andre Gray, who would have been brilliant signings whom we could have sold on for a King's ransom. But the club isn't interested, Cotterill loses his mojo, so Lansdown appoints Lee Johnson. His record at Oldham and Barnsley is W1 D1 L1. 46 (yes forty-six) signing later, and 25 million pounds
spent, LJ's record at BCFC is..........wait for it.....................W1 D1 L1. He only ever was an average football manager. We could have given the job and all that money to someone
better. But note how a bland Yes-man excites Lansdowns loyalty, like Millen. LJ was given a 3.5 year contract, from 2016 to summer 2019. Generous. He keeps us up in his first half season. Then he spends 11 million. In October City are in 6th. He still has almost 3 years of the contract to go. But Lansdown gives him an extension of another year, to summer 2020. Why? We can only conclude that Lansdown is blown away by the talk, and thinks LJ is much better than he is. Why doesn't he just leave him on his current contract? He's not going anywhere. You know when single women finally find a man and start ringing their friends and family after only two weeks, getting over-excited and over
hopeful? It ends and then they look stupid. Well Lansdown looked stupid when as soon as adding a year to LJ's contract City lost 13 out of 16 league games (including 8 in a row), and were in relegation danger.

Before the Man U game last season, Lansdown told the Sun he prefers Lee Johnson to Jose Mourinho. Excuse me? Yes, Jose is alienating everyone with his negative talk. But he has won over 20 major trophies, including the Champions League, across all of Europe while Lee Johnson has won the square root of diddly squitt. What can we conclude other than that the major requirement of Steve Lansdown's manager seems to be that you flatter his ego first, and win things second?

LANSDOWN'S JOBS FOR THE BOYS. NUMBER 5. JAMIE MCALLISTER.

City are in relegation danger. Lansdown has to do something. Can't sack Golden Boy!!! So he sacks John Pemberton. Then he goes on Radio Bristol. He tells Twentyman "We've appointed Macca...............er.......................er..........................I mean............................Jamie Mcallister." Jobs for the boys.

At some point in the next 5 years Lansdown will have to appoint a new manager. Let us face it, he will be pining and yearning and aching to appoint Jamie Mcallister. Mcallister is small. He has no managerial experience. He played for Bristol City. He is young. He is an internal appointment. He is the classic Lansdown appointee. Lansdown has shown he can appoint a good manager when he has to, like Gary Johnson and Steve Cotterill, but he prefers the Millen/Tinnion/Johnson style appointment. A businessman once said "I am intelligent enough to appoint men more intelligent than I am." Let us hope Steve Lansdown can do that. Socrates said "I know nothing. I am only wise because unlike everyone else, I know that I know nothing". Let us hope that Steve Lansdown can say to himself "I am rubbish at appointing football managers. But at least I know that, and therefore I need to get someone else to do it, or take bucketloads of advice as I do it."

City fans were bewildered when Tinnion got the job without a proper process. City fans were bewildered when Millen got the job without a proper process. City fans were bewildered when Lee Johnson got the job when his record at Oldham and Barnsley was so mediocre. Please Steve. Not again.

Condensed version.........SL is shit at picking managers!

Copyright @BigTone

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16 minutes ago, Unan said:

Last January?

I put second half of last season down to a combination of fatigue, distraction and teams sussing us out. Sometimes in the doom and gloom of what was always going to be a tough season, the many positives get overlooked. I forgot to mention Walsh amongst the positives too.

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15 minutes ago, hodge said:

The difference in level was supposed to highlight the original comment saying its unprofessional to headhunt a manager without advertising, if its unprofessional to do it at one level, its still unprofessional to do it at another, whether premier league, championship or league 2. 

It's not unprofessional at all; it's better and i agree with you.

Our most successful recent appointment - Gary Johnson - was identfied as the manager we wanted because of his record and (most of us think) that was a great appointment.  Took us to the Championship play off final.

Vincent Tan offered Neil Warnock the job Cardiff without an interview because his record spoke for itself and NW was so pleased by this he immediately accepted.  Currently managing them in the Premiership.

Managers' records, training methods, ability to improve players, tactics are all public record so you, as with GJ and NW, identify which one is best for you and offer them the job.

If you appoint by interview then you appoint a yes man who will say whatever is required in interview but that is meaningless if they can't then deliver with results on the pitch.

You do an interview when you are not otherwise able to differentiate between suitable candidates; it's a waste of time for appointing a football manager and only serves as an ego boost for the panel "Wow, it's Steve Coppell and he's trying to persuade me to make him manager.  Steve Coppell, wow just think, Steve Coppell." 

And that went well.

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1 hour ago, Boston Red said:

LANSDOWN'S JOBS FOR THE BOYS. NUMBER 1. BRIAN TINNION.

Danny Wilson had lost us the play off final and had failed to get us promoted in four full seasons. Lansdown wanted to cut costs, so they parted company, and then, suddenly, without advertising the job or running interviews (unprofessional), he appointed Tinnion as player-manager. From nowhere. He had no experience. This would cost us one of our very best players. The fans were bemused. The dressing room was bemused. Tinnion always implied he did not have the support of the dressing room, and that there were bad eggs in there not playing for him. Lansdown had to come into the dressing room at times for teamtalks (eg Colchester at home). But the truth is, the dressing room
were probably just as confused as the fans. Lansdown came out fighting.

"Tinnion is not the cheap option. He is the right option"

It is arrogant of Lansdown to think that he is an alchemist who can just make a football manager out of anyone he pleases. You have to have certain talents. Brian Clough said "When you get success for a chairman, he is resentful, and thinks that anyone could have done what you did." But Lansdown was defiant.

"Judge me on Tinnion." He said, loudly and publicly.

OK Steve, I will. Tinnion is currently sat in the dugout in Swansea in an empty stadium 40 minutes after the final whistle. We have lost 7-1. He has a "Vietnam-Vet thousand yard stare" into the distance. He refuses to go back into the dressing room. He refuses to do the press, and Lansdown has to do it. "It could have been 10" Steve told the media. The next day Lansdown goes round to TInnion's house. Tinnion says he cannot face taking training on Monday. Let's be clear. He has not resigned. He has ABDICATED. He has remained in the post of manager while refusing to fulfill his duties. Lansdown has to sack him. I have never seen or heard of a manager ABDICATING like that in 30 years of
following football. Since that day, Tinnion has never tried to be a manager again. He wasn't a manager that failed. He wasn't a manager at all. That bad appointment meant BCFC wasted another 2 years in the third tier. It is the old business saying. "You spend 1% of the time recruiting badly, and 99% of the time dealing from the fallout of your bad recruitment." And this from a so-called business expert!!!

But Lansdown learnt from his mistakes, went through a lengthy search for his next manager, appointed Gary Johnson who had two promotions under his belt, and GJ took us up in his first full season, and then in the Championship, in our first season back, we were TOP with ten games to go. He took us from the bottom of the third tier to the top of the second tier in less than two and a half seasons. Brilliant. When GJ goes, Lansdown has learnt from his mistakes again, and appoints Coppell. But Coppell did not apply for the job. Lansdown headhunted him. Bad sign. Then Coppell won't take over because............he has a holiday in America booked. Clearly he did not really want the job. You can lead a horse to water.........etc etc. Coppell walks, and Lansdown looks silly. Coppell said on Talksport "I was a bit disappointed with the environment I found myself in." Yes Steve Coppell, we know. BCFC is run in an amateurish fashion. And now we come to..............................

LANSDOWN'S JOBS FOR THE BOYS. NUMBER 2. KEITH MILLEN.

You could not have sneezed in the time it took for Lansdown to appoint Millen after Coppell walked. Most Bristol City fans went to bcfc.co.uk and saw the headline "Coppell walks, Millen appointed." Many of them said "Hang on a minute, what just happened there? Why the haste?" Here we go again. Again Lansdown comes out publicly and says "Keith was second in the list behind Coppell. Did a great job as caretaker manager." True, but City now find themselves in a relegation battle. Millen gets us out of it. But the next season another one starts. Millen was on the radio last night. Anyone with half a brain can see he is not a leader of men. He has a voice like soggy cardboard and the manner of a primary school teacher talking gently to six year olds. But no!!! Steve Lansdown can make a football manager out of anyone!!! You just have to flatter his ego and be a thirty-something ex- Bristol City footballer with no experience at all. Under stress people revert to type, and the stress of losing Coppell had reverted Lansdown back into his old error of mediocre internal appointments.

Some of the things Millen said were embarrassing. After losing 3-0 at home to Ipswich on the opening day of the 2011/12 season, Millen said "I didn't see that coming!". By Jove, Keef, the ups and downs of being a football manager. And when we were 2-0 up at home to Reading with ten minutes to go and lost 3-2, Millen said, a few days later "I'm over it now." Well I'm glad you are over it now, Keef, because in a few days you are going to lead your team up to Blackpool, lose 5-0, and lose your job. There is a long delay while City appoint the next manager because..............................wait for it..............................our owner has gone to Africa. This is amateurish. McInnes has had his interview, wants the job, but is kept waiting (City now lose another two games) while Steve finishes safari. But he comes in, turns it round, wins 4 and draws 1 (away to West Ham) and gets us out of the relegation zone. Lansdown then goes on the radio.

I could not believe my ears. I am expecting him to say "Didn't want to sack Millen but it had to be done, but what a great manager we have in Derek Mcinnes. With the same players he has dragged us up the league with 13 points out of 15. Great track record in Scotland, we are really looking forward to hitting the play off places next season."
Lansdown barely mentions McInnes once. Instead he launches into a passionate defence of Keith Millen. Voice quivering with emotion, he tells us how he did not want to sack Keith, and how he cannot wait to give him a glowing reference. How must McInnes have felt hearing that? Clearly if you are a nice-guy yes man like Lee Johnson or Keith Millen
then Lansdown feels a burning personal loyalty to you because you flatter his ego. A winner like McInnes or Cotterill? Not so much. They are discarded very quickly, as soon as possible. Note also that Millen, like Tinnion, never wanted another manager's job again. He was never a manager in the first place.

LANSDOWN'S JOBS FOR THE BOYS. NUMBER 3. JON LANSDOWN.

Do you know Jon Lansdown's job title without looking it up? I don't either.

Do you know what Jon Lansdown actually does at BS3? I don't either.

Do you know what thing Jon Lansdown has to do in the next 18 months otherwise he will get the sack? There isn't one.

Look, of course Steve wants his son to have a job, and Jon Lansdown is surely not the worst employee at BS3. And I am not blaming him. He seems a nice down-to earth guy. And why wouldn't you accept a good job if it was offered to you? But it is jobs for the boys.

LANSDOWN'S JOBS FOR THE BOYS. NUMBER 4. LEE JOHNSON.

So City plummet down the leagues and are back where they started. Facing relegation to the fourth tier. Where they were when Tinnion left. We have spent 50 million for nothing because we can't get a good manager. Lansdown now approves of Keith Dawe's suggestion of Cotterill, who has a good track record. You see, Steve Lansdown can appoint a good manager. We just have to be in the relegation zone of the third tier for him to do it.  His two successful appointments are Gary Johnson and Steve Cotterill, both of whom were appointed when we were facing relegation to the fourth tier. The Five Pillars goes out of the window and we sign 35 year old Wade Elliot. There isn't time for managerial mumbo-jumbo in a relegation battle. Cotterill saves us from relegation, gets us up, but Lansdown seems distant. He doesn't even attend the Wembley
final (Africa again). Cotterill identifies Harry Maguire and Andre Gray, who would have been brilliant signings whom we could have sold on for a King's ransom. But the club isn't interested, Cotterill loses his mojo, so Lansdown appoints Lee Johnson. His record at Oldham and Barnsley is W1 D1 L1. 46 (yes forty-six) signing later, and 25 million pounds
spent, LJ's record at BCFC is..........wait for it.....................W1 D1 L1. He only ever was an average football manager. We could have given the job and all that money to someone
better. But note how a bland Yes-man excites Lansdowns loyalty, like Millen. LJ was given a 3.5 year contract, from 2016 to summer 2019. Generous. He keeps us up in his first half season. Then he spends 11 million. In October City are in 6th. He still has almost 3 years of the contract to go. But Lansdown gives him an extension of another year, to summer 2020. Why? We can only conclude that Lansdown is blown away by the talk, and thinks LJ is much better than he is. Why doesn't he just leave him on his current contract? He's not going anywhere. You know when single women finally find a man and start ringing their friends and family after only two weeks, getting over-excited and over
hopeful? It ends and then they look stupid. Well Lansdown looked stupid when as soon as adding a year to LJ's contract City lost 13 out of 16 league games (including 8 in a row), and were in relegation danger.

Before the Man U game last season, Lansdown told the Sun he prefers Lee Johnson to Jose Mourinho. Excuse me? Yes, Jose is alienating everyone with his negative talk. But he has won over 20 major trophies, including the Champions League, across all of Europe while Lee Johnson has won the square root of diddly squitt. What can we conclude other than that the major requirement of Steve Lansdown's manager seems to be that you flatter his ego first, and win things second?

LANSDOWN'S JOBS FOR THE BOYS. NUMBER 5. JAMIE MCALLISTER.

City are in relegation danger. Lansdown has to do something. Can't sack Golden Boy!!! So he sacks John Pemberton. Then he goes on Radio Bristol. He tells Twentyman "We've appointed Macca...............er.......................er..........................I mean............................Jamie Mcallister." Jobs for the boys.

At some point in the next 5 years Lansdown will have to appoint a new manager. Let us face it, he will be pining and yearning and aching to appoint Jamie Mcallister. Mcallister is small. He has no managerial experience. He played for Bristol City. He is young. He is an internal appointment. He is the classic Lansdown appointee. Lansdown has shown he can appoint a good manager when he has to, like Gary Johnson and Steve Cotterill, but he prefers the Millen/Tinnion/Johnson style appointment. A businessman once said "I am intelligent enough to appoint men more intelligent than I am." Let us hope Steve Lansdown can do that. Socrates said "I know nothing. I am only wise because unlike everyone else, I know that I know nothing". Let us hope that Steve Lansdown can say to himself "I am rubbish at appointing football managers. But at least I know that, and therefore I need to get someone else to do it, or take bucketloads of advice as I do it."

City fans were bewildered when Tinnion got the job without a proper process. City fans were bewildered when Millen got the job without a proper process. City fans were bewildered when Lee Johnson got the job when his record at Oldham and Barnsley was so mediocre. Please Steve. Not again.

******* superb post 

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I don’t have a problem with a billionaire employing who he wants and in Citys case he employed people he thought he a) were capable b) knew the club c) men he trusted.

It didn’t work out with Tinnion as manager but he’s still working at the club. Millen has moved on. 

SL didn't employ Macca directly, that was LJ.

I dont have an issue with a bit of nepotism either.......I doubt LJ has either.....

Can’t  see what the big deal is.

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2 minutes ago, Eddie Hitler said:

It's not unprofessional at all; it's better and i agree with you.

Our most successful recent appointment - Gary Johnson - was identfied as the manager we wanted because of his record and (most of us think) that was a great appointment.  Took us to the Championship play off final.

Vincent Tan offered Neil Warnock the job Cardiff without an interview because his record spoke for itself and NW was so pleased by this he immediately accepted.  Currently managing them in the Premiership.

Managers' records, training methods, ability to improve players, tactics are all public record so you, as with GJ and NW, identify which one is best for you and offer them the job.

If you appoint by interview then you appoint a yes man who will say whatever is required in interview but that is meaningless if they can't then deliver with results on the pitch.

You do an interview when you are not otherwise able to differentiate between suitable candidates; it's a waste of time for appointing a football manager and only serves as an ego boost for the panel "Wow, it's Steve Coppell and he's trying to persuade me to make him manager.  Steve Coppell, wow just think, Steve Coppell." 

And that went well.

Agree, you advertise for the position if you can't attract what/who you want or you don't know. A club should always have a shortlist of managers who they would ideally like to bring in.

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38 minutes ago, Bristol Rob said:

You have missed out Scott Murray!

I'm sure there was a SL quote years back along the lines of 'as long as I own the club, there will always be a job here for Scotty!'

Makes ya sick. Sick I tells ya.

Yes its awful to have someone of Scott's personality and attitude as kitman

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1 hour ago, Boston Red said:


LANSDOWN'S JOBS FOR THE BOYS. NUMBER 3. JON LANSDOWN.

Do you know Jon Lansdown's job title without looking it up? I don't either.

Do you know what Jon Lansdown actually does at BS3? I don't either.

Do you know what thing Jon Lansdown has to do in the next 18 months otherwise he will get the sack? There isn't one.

Look, of course Steve wants his son to have a job, and Jon Lansdown is surely not the worst employee at BS3. And I am not blaming him. He seems a nice down-to earth guy. And why wouldn't you accept a good job if it was offered to you? But it is jobs for the boys.
 

Became Managing Director in 2011, and maybe worthwhile putting it out there that this was at the age of about 27, following a short stint after University at Hargreaves Lansdown.

Also Chairman of Bristol Sport.

Like you I don't blame him and a nice enough lad, but if his role is in reality as important as the job titles would suggest, it more than any other calls SL's judgment into question.

 

 

 

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46 minutes ago, Chappers said:

Stability can very often be a good thing.

We sold our 3 best players, we are in transition

Chelsea don’t do too bad out of regular management  changes, so stability can work, but so can change.

All clubs are in a transition period at all times, can anyone think of an example where a club has made no signings or loans in a season?

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35 minutes ago, hodge said:

The difference in level was supposed to highlight the original comment saying its unprofessional to headhunt a manager without advertising, if its unprofessional to do it at one level, its still unprofessional to do it at another, whether premier league, championship or league 2. 

Sorry but if a footballer of average ability came to a club, more than likely he would be given a trial to assess his standard?......however if 25 year old Pele, at the peak of his powers turned up, I don't think he'd be requested to play in a trial match!?  That's what Sheffield Wednesday asked Cantona to do, which is why he said F Off and went to Leeds.  Ha!  .............IMHO  Your argument isn't valid.

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25 minutes ago, Robbored said:

I don’t have a problem with a billionaire employing who he wants and in Citys case he employed people he thought he a) were capable b) knew the club c) men he trusted.

It didn’t work out with Tinnion as manager but he’s still working at the club. Millen has moved on. 

SL didn't employ Macca directly, that was LJ.

I dont have an issue with a bit of nepotism either.......I doubt LJ has either.....

Can’t  see what the big deal is.

Well that's us well and truly f****d; he's going to appoint Maggie next !

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5 minutes ago, NickJ said:

Like you I don't blame him and a nice enough lad, but if his role is in reality as important as the job titles would suggest, it more than any other calls SL's judgment into question.

What!?   “Calls SLs judgement into question”. Jeeez............:facepalm:

If you were a billionaire owner of any business you wouldn’t make a space for your own son?  Of course you bloody would......bugger all to do with judgement......it’s called looking after your family. 

I have absolutely no problem with that at all..

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1 minute ago, maxjak said:

Sorry but if a footballer of average ability came to a club, more than likely he would be given a trial to assess his standard?......however if 25 year old Pele, at the peak of his powers turned up, I don't think he'd be requested to play in a trial match!?  That's what Sheffield Wednesday asked Cantona to do, which is why he said F Off and went to Leeds.  Ha!  .............IMHO  Your argument isn't valid.

You're on about players coming to a club though, the point is the club going to the person. I'm not making a point about an individual which you seem to be getting hung up on. The original post stated that any headhunting without advertising a position is unprofessional so the point applies at all levels whether appointing a league 2 manager or premier league manager. Take away Pep then, was Cardiff appointing Warnock without advertising the position unprofessional? Its the same point.

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