Lee had offers.

[Red Exile]

13 minutes ago, red panda said:

Why did we lose to lowly little Birmingham? Remember they also beat Forest in their previous league match.

I was responding to the suggestions that we ought to have confidence that we'll beat Derby because we are higher in the table...on the evidence of Friday Birmingham looked a darn sight better than us, better mentality, better players, better managed.

 

[LondonBristolian]

11 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

I think if LJ had done what he has on a shoestring, he’d be getting many more plaudits.  People say Cotts bought League One. He funded it with Baldock’s sale, kept a very small squad as the ground was developed. Deserved all the plaudits imho. Then he wasn’t backed in the summer.  Good eye for a player. But he did have a big strop. Can you imagine LJ getting promoted and MA /SL constraining him. LJ would have a strop too. 

 

He allegedly told SL to **** off out of the dressing room pre-game!  When Joe was mascot, he (Cotts) was nowhere to be seen in the dressing room. As we were ushered out, Cotts was waiting to go in. There’s no way he wanted any interference with his boys once he was in the room. Flint also went to a separate room when we walked in. No interaction with the mascots. Zoning in I suspect. 

I agree on the fact Cotterill kept wages down by having a small squad but I'm not convinced he funded it all with Baldock's sale. My memory was that Baldock decided to move quite late in the window and, by that time, we had already signed Smith, Little, Elliott, Freeman and, I think, Wilbrham and Ayling. I thought it was only Agard who came in after Baldock and I'm not convinced we knew Baldock was leaving when most of those signings were made.

On the other hand, we had already lost Fontaine, Elliott and Pearson, who I suspect were quite big earners and I'm not sure what Carey or Liam Kelly would have been on at that point. So I think a lot of our transfers were funded by player departures and keeping the squad small but I think Agard - and subsequent loans like Smith, Saville and Tavernier - were the only ones funded by Baldock's sale. 

[chinapig]

4 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

I think if LJ had done what he has on a shoestring, he’d be getting many more plaudits.  People say Cotts bought League One. He funded it with Baldock’s sale, kept a very small squad as the ground was developed. Deserved all the plaudits imho. Then he wasn’t backed in the summer.  Good eye for a player. But he did have a big strop. Can you imagine LJ getting promoted and MA /SL constraining him. LJ would have a strop too. 

 

He allegedly told SL to **** off out of the dressing room pre-game!  When Joe was mascot, he (Cotts) was nowhere to be seen in the dressing room. As we were ushered out, Cotts was waiting to go in. There’s no way he wanted any interference with his boys once he was in the room. Flint also went to a separate room when we walked in. No interaction with the mascots. Zoning in I suspect. 

These things are never black and white but was it not the case that Gray and Gayle turned us down despite SL being prepared to pay the fees? It seems to me that we have only now reached the point where we have sufficient credibility as a club to attract players like that - hence Wells joining.

In any event there seem to have been some odd things going on behind the scenes at the time when it came to potential transfers.

I still think Cotts was too stubborn in sticking to 3-5-2 when it wasn't working and insisting that good times were just around the corner after every defeat.

I have the opposite criticism of LJ for having no discernible tactical plan in the first place mind you so who am I to say?!

[BobBobSuperBob]

3 hours ago, Bar BS3 said:

Come on..! 
I loved Cotts and will always hold him in high regard for our league one success - but we we heading straight back to league one at the first attempt. No doubts whatsoever about that! 

 

21 minutes ago, Riaz said:

People seem to have dodgy memories. LJ was sat in the stands for Charlton, but your point still stands. LJ undoubtedly saved us from relegation - something Cotts was never going to do.

All for a debate , I’ll await the predictable few to start gathering ....

 

In ‘your opinions’ I presume , as you both state it as fact

Neither of you, or anyone else in the living world knows whether he would or wouldn’t , and if anyone dares say something like ‘We won’t finish in the top six’ a certain clan jump all over him with the hilarious ‘Have you got next weeks lottery numbers’

Also worth considering that the new Head Coach with half a season to warm up has us flirting with relegation the following season , securing our safety , with one game spare

 

[REDOXO]

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/35319397

SC sacked on 14th

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/35421741

Lee Tomlin signed 27th Jan

https://www.google.com/search?q=bristol+city+results+2016/17&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari#sie=t;/m/01dtl;2;/m/0355pl;mt;fp;1;;

Results. Borough played on the 16th

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/35502568

Lee Johnson appointed speaks with players “on day before” Charlton game watched game from stands. Pemberton in charge of match

Pembo had began turning around our form without a doubt. We only just lost at Leeds and picked up points against Borough, Birmingham and Charlton playing much better...

Losing a cup tie to Shrewsbury recently got a shrug of the shoulders from many so losing a cup tie to WBA (were they in the PL at the time?) I’m not sure cuts much ice when we were in a relegation battle.

As for SC who the hell knows what happened. It seemed as if SL and SC had fallen out. 

There are a few that know the story there something to do with signings I believe.

 

 

 

[Riaz]

2 minutes ago, REDOXO said:

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/35319397

SC sacked on 14th

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/35421741

Lee Tomlin signed 27th Jan

https://www.google.com/search?q=bristol+city+results+2016/17&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari#sie=t;/m/01dtl;2;/m/0355pl;mt;fp;1;;

Results. Borough played on the 16th

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/35502568

Lee Johnson appointed speaks with players “on day before” Charlton game watched game from stands. Pemberton in charge of match

Pembo had began turning around our form without a doubt. We only just lost at Leeds and picked up points against Borough, Birmingham and Charlton playing much better...

Losing a cup tie to Shrewsbury recently got a shrug of the shoulders from many so losing a cup tie to WBA (were they in the PL at the time?) I’m not sure cuts much ice when we were in a relegation battle.

As for SC who the hell knows what happened. It seemed as if SL and SC had fallen out. 

There are a few that know the story there something to do with signings I believe.

 

 

 

Yep

[Kid in the Riot]

26 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

I think if LJ had done what he has on a shoestring, he’d be getting many more plaudits.  People say Cotts bought League One.

I wouldn't go as far as saying he "bought League One" however he had the first or second biggest budget that season IMO (Sheff U being the only club that had a larger wage bill) and some of our players were on 4-6 times as much as what some other L1 players were earning that season. I do think he had the best squad of players in the division that season but fair play he obviously won it with style

[BobBobSuperBob]

34 minutes ago, red panda said:

Why did we lose to lowly little Birmingham? Remember they also beat Forest in their previous league match.

They were also missing some key players through injury , a majority had played on Tuesday night in a Extra Time Cup replay slog , 

, a very slim even hope of play offs......whilst we , a side with a mammoth carrot dangling , a whole week to rest , train , plan and prepare and one assumes confidence and morale at a peak on the back of the four wins, at virtual full strength , at home , a buzz in the crowd , 

We then get an absolute golden dream start ........ and then piece by piece , some press, some don’t, confusion and arguments between players, we lose any form of control and run out of ideas almost immediately

Almost every individual losing their personal duels and we are outdone tactically and individually

We then go completely off the cuff tactically with the substitutions and thought process , Ashley Williams paying as a 8 , then a 10 , then a 9 and and at one stage we had six players stood in a flat line up front with Korey Smith and NAthan Baker pumping long balls at them ........quite incredible to witness to be honest

How can that be defended

What compounded it for me was LJ post match unable to explain why, so in game he clearly hadn’t 

 

people can think what they like of me and my opinions , I see some good and poor in LJ in all the various aspects required to be a good / top head coach but quite simply as I walked out Friday , and considering he’s had four years to build and tinker , we produce that ...... at a crunch point in our season....

Pretty sobering and massive alarm bells IMHO

 

 

[Lrrr]

11 minutes ago, Kid in the Riot said:

I wouldn't go as far as saying he "bought League One" however he had the first or second biggest budget that season IMO (Sheff U being the only club that had a larger wage bill) and some of our players were on 4-6 times as much as what some other L1 players were earning that season. I do think he had the best squad of players in the division that season but fair play he obviously won it with style

I don't refer to it as 'buying' the league that year, more being allowed to assemble a fantasy league 1 side which we then managed to get for good value

[LondonBristolian]

5 minutes ago, Kid in the Riot said:

I wouldn't go as far as saying he "bought League One" however he had the first or second biggest budget that season IMO (Sheff U being the only club that had a larger wage bill) and some of our players were on 4-6 times as much as what some other L1 players were earning that season. I do think he had the best squad of players in the division that season but fair play he obviously won it with style

I actually think that was the other problem when we came up. In League On, we were brilliant tactically. And you could say we had the best squad of players but lots of managers don't get the best out of players and either fail or limp over the line. Cotts sets up brilliantly so we utterly dominated games and played amazing free-flowing football but our entire tactical approach was based on the idea we were the better side and could overwhelm the opposition. (To be clear, this really isn't a criticism or backhanded compliment - one very valid criticism of LJ is that we struggle to breakdown teams that set up to defend against us and the way that teams set up against the strongest teams in the division can often mean that teams that are strong on paper struggle to get results in practice whereas, under Cotts, we were very hard to defend against due to the sheer number of different attacking options we had players who could score).

By contrast, I think one of the reasons we struggled to adjust after promotion was that we were used to outclassing teams and struggled to come to terms with playing with teams who were equal to our better than our players and I think that was a big part of why the system did not translate. 

[bcfcredandwhite]

Everyone beats everyone else in this league. 
People may not think we will beat Derby, but who would have thought we would get 12 points in 4 games without conceding?

if we win a scrappy crap game 1-0 and get 3 points I’d be celebrating, whilst some would be moaning about the lack of pretty football and our failure to win every home game by 4 goals...

 

[Sturny]

Just a random thought. How do other clubs get in contact with Lee? Do they go through the club to get to him? Or reach him personally? How do they go about that?  

I imagine it's not totally similar to how agencies for regular jobs work when it comes to being headhunted. Can anyone shed some light? 

[Lew-T]

31 minutes ago, Kid in the Riot said:

I wouldn't go as far as saying he "bought League One" however he had the first or second biggest budget that season IMO (Sheff U being the only club that had a larger wage bill) and some of our players were on 4-6 times as much as what some other L1 players were earning that season. I do think he had the best squad of players in the division that season but fair play he obviously won it with style

You have to remember where we were before Cotts took over. What he did, in the time he did it was remarkable really.

Shame it didn’t work out at this level. Much more of a likeable bloke, but I don’t think he suits what Lansdown now wants.

[Red Exile]

15 minutes ago, bcfcredandwhite said:

Everyone beats everyone else in this league. 
People may not think we will beat Derby, but who would have thought we would get 12 points in 4 games without conceding?

if we win a scrappy crap game 1-0 and get 3 points I’d be celebrating, whilst some would be moaning about the lack of pretty football and our failure to win every home game by 4 goals...

 

I think we'd all be celebrating!

...might be picking over tactics and formations...but celebrating.

...but just an observation. Why set up some preposterous view of other supporters to justify what you clearly think is your superior position? Bully for you if you have confidence that we'll beat Derby. Great. But whilst there may be sceptics, faint hearts, call them what you will - supporters, myself included, who lack confidence in the side and are perhaps surprised at how well results have gone  - there is literally no one on OTIB arguing that we should win every game by 4 goals. 

We all want City to win.

[Nogbad the Bad]

35 minutes ago, Kid in the Riot said:

That's simply not true.

We beat Boro in the game after Cotterill's departure but then lost at home to WBA in the cup and Leeds away, before drawing 0-0 at home to Birmingham. So, one win in four.

LJ joined before the 1-0 win at Charlton and he went onto oversee four wins in our next seven and guide the club to safety.

Some big wins at the end of that season, by the way. 6-0 v Bolton, 4-1 v Sheff Weds and 4-0 v Hudds. Just before SC departed we lost 3-0 to Rotherham, 4-0 Burnley, 4-0 Derby etc

So quite a significant turnaround in fortunes that almost certainly wouldn't have happened if SC had stayed.

Saying what I said is 'not true' is antagonistic and unnecessary.

In the 5 games between Cotterill leaving and LJ taking charge our record was W2 L2 D1 - the 2 defeats being narrow 0-1 losses against West Brom in the Cup, and Leeds.

The turnaround - with the help of 3 signings unavailable to Cotterill - had begun, and before LJ took over. 4 league games, 7 points out of 12.

It's irrelevant that LJ 'joined' before the win at Charlton. He had been announced pre match but LJ did no more than simply watch that game and said himself he could take no credit from the result, it was not down to him at all, so not sure why you might want to infer it was.

Once the 3 new players already signed under Pemberton and Elliott were quickly joined by several more - Odemwingie, Matthews, O'Donnell - LJ had a far stronger squad to pick from than SC.

Of course, had SC stayed he also would have had the benefit of half a new team - maybe the same players, maybe not - and I've no doubt a manager with his hugely impressive experience of keeping up struggling clubs, and never having been relegated, would have kept City in the Championship.

Always interesting to hear alternative opinions though.

[BobBobSuperBob]

58 minutes ago, Badger08 said:

I'm not running anywhere, @BobBobSuperBob is a big boy, but in the great oracles words "I’ve been reading aplenty, just can’t be arsed to get involved", so, what's good for the goose is good for the gander. 

Don't want to have a falling out with you @Nogbad the Bad as I think you are a really good poster, but I just can't deal with the negativity in what is one of the most promising seasons since I've been supporting the club.  I just don't get it.  
 

Now......

You........

Below is one of numerous posts I could have quoted going back months and months

Ive ignored most of them and chuckled at just how sharp you actually are , as you continued to bait poor old @Bob Bob Super Bob

 (whoever he is ) 

Well you’ve been goading for some sort of response for 6/8 months or so .........so here’s one

 

Anyway , the below post sums you up in an instant - It is laughably juvenile and really really pathetic - Whilst you cast your big opinions about me , have a serious look at yourself

In fairness in the last couple of years you havnt strayed into such posts as the pond life keyboard dweller last night did, but your repeated ‘goading’ posts are ....tbh...........all a bit pathetic really ....

 (I do have a clear memory of some of your more vile posts some 3 years back that you ended up grovelling to apology about)

So don’t paint yourself as something you’re not -

(And Yes I’m aware of what my strengths and faults are )

 

You come across as an obsessed fan boy who has a meltdown anytime anyone who OMG OMG  dares even criticise LJ 

As with a few you appear to be a supporter of LJ rather than the Club

Having said that , you’ve clearly recently stated that if he doesn’t finish top six he ‘has to go’........so you’re actually not that behind him.....or only until we don’t finish in the top six......and a very decisive cut off point .......interesting

FWIW I couldn’t care less if LJ, Chris Hughton , Paul Cook , Lord Lucan or Attila the Hun is our Head Coach , as long as they make the best of the opportunity and resources they are provided.

I want what’s best for the CLUB

 

Anyway .........For what it’s worth , when you are expressing big opinions about me as a supporter..

Ive trailed the country from Carlisle to Southend over the vast majority of my 49 years of supporting them

I also used the only savings I had to buy shares to help save the Club in 1982

In the 80 s and early 90s when the Club was struggling financially , I gave the Club , thousands of hours of time , for nothing Scouting, coaching schoolboys and setting up a regional set of coaching schools for schoolboys as we had absolutely nothing at the time, everything had gone, not one coaching school, let alone any idea academy or schoolboy system

Ive supported the Club from the road to Div One and to the bottom of the Football League, and back up again

how about you...............

 

I feel I absolutely ive earned  the right, as many have on here , on all ‘sides’ , to have an opinion on aspects of our Club and if I wish to I will and the handbag swatting ,  ‘see no evil’ , little Wolfpack is almost a good reason to keep posting, though tbh , I again feel I can’t really be bothered......

Im lucky enough to have seen my Club in the top division , and tbh I’m far from excited at the thought of a return , although the ‘achievement’ great and long overdue

What the Wolfpack of LJ Chanting Superfans like you May want to consider, is although he’s no disaster , he’s ok / decent in many respects.........but he also may be blowing the chance , SLs best chance , the Clubs chance , and your chance of seeing City in the all singing all dancing Premier League....just a crumble of food for thought

Doesnt bother me so much , but as a Supporter of the Club , and in support of those that desperately want to see the Club in or back in the top flight, and the future for the Club ,  I will question and challenge

So .. when some drama queen like you has such big opinions about me as a supporter , continually tries to bait me in the most pathetic and childish way , , I find it all rather laughable to be honest

 

a final thought ..... as per your exasperated ‘I just don’t get it’ above it would make a really good tag line for you

You don’t do you.......

7 hours ago, Badger08 said:

Oh, I see @BobBobSuperBob has crawled out of the woodwork again after a loss.  I've never know a poster so happy to see us lose so he can start his vitriol. Where were you when we went on a 4 game unbeaten run conceding zero goals. 

I bet you were fuming... 

We lose a game of football, which happens, and you come snaking back in. Really is pathetic.

Its great when city win, as we get 3 points and you disappear.  Which that in mind, give LJ  another 4 years. 

 

[cidered abroad]

41 minutes ago, bcfcredandwhite said:

Everyone beats everyone else in this league. 
People may not think we will beat Derby, but who would have thought we would get 12 points in 4 games without conceding?

if we win a scrappy crap game 1-0 and get 3 points I’d be celebrating, whilst some would be moaning about the lack of pretty football and our failure to win every home game by 4 goals...

 

Yes, we'll all be happy with 1-0.

But that doesn't mean that many of us expect that to happen. If the team, including Johnson, dish up the same crap, we will lose again. Inconsistency all the time and absolutely awful at home.

[cidered abroad]

8 minutes ago, BobBobSuperBob said:

Now...........

Below is one of numerous posts I could have quoted going back months and months

Ive ignored most of them and chuckled at just how sharp you actually are , as you continued to bait poor old @Bob Bob Super Bob

 (whoever he is ) 

Well you’ve been goading for some sort of response for 6/8 months or so .........so here’s one

 

Anyway , the below post sums you up in an instant - It is laughably juvenile and really really pathetic - Whilst you cast your big opinions about me , have a serious look at yourself

In fairness in the last couple of years you havnt strayed into such posts as the pond life keyboard dweller last night did, but your repeated ‘goading’ posts are ....tbh...........all a bit pathetic really ....

 (I do have a clear memory of some of your more vile posts some 3 years back that you ended up grovelling to apology about)

So don’t paint yourself as something you’re not -

(And Yes I’m aware of what my strengths and faults are )

 

You come across as an obsessed fan boy who has a meltdown anytime anyone who OMG OMG  dares even criticise LJ 

As with a few you appear to be a supporter of LJ rather than the Club

Having said that , you’ve clearly recently stated that if he doesn’t finish top six he ‘has to go’........so you’re actually not that behind him.....or only until we don’t finish in the top six......and a very decisive cut off point .......interesting

FWIW I couldn’t care less if LJ, Chris Hughton , Paul Cook , Lord Lucan or Attila the Hun is our Head Coach , as long as they make the best of the opportunity and resources they are provided.

I want what’s best for the CLUB

 

Anyway .........For what it’s worth , when you are expressing big opinions about me as a supporter..

Ive trailed the country from Carlisle to Southend over the vast majority of my 49 years of supporting them

I also used the only savings I had to buy shares to help save the Club in 1982

In the 80 s and early 90s when the Club was struggling financially , I gave the Club , thousands of hours of time , for nothing Scouting, coaching schoolboys and setting up a regional set of coaching schools for schoolboys as we had absolutely nothing at the time, everything had gone, not one coaching school, let alone any idea academy or schoolboy system

Ive supported the Club from the road to Div One and to the bottom of the Football League, and back up again

how about you...............

 

I feel I absolutely ive earned  the right, as many have on here , on all ‘sides’ , to have an opinion on aspects of our Club and if I wish to I will and the handbag swatting ,  ‘see no evil’ , little Wolfpack is almost a good reason to keep posting, though tbh , I again feel I can’t really be bothered......

Im lucky enough to have seen my Club in the top division , and tbh I’m far from excited at the thought of a return , although the ‘achievement’ great and long overdue

What the Wolfpack of LJ Chanting Superfans like you May want to consider, is although he’s no disaster , he’s ok / decent in many respects.........but he also may be blowing the chance , SLs best chance , the Clubs chance , and your chance of seeing City in the all singing all dancing Premier League....just a crumble of food for thought

Doesnt bother me so much , but as a Supporter of the Club , and in support of those that desperately want to see the Club in or back in the top flight, and the future for the Club ,  I will question and challenge

So .. when some drama queen like you has such big opinions about me as a supporter , continually tries to bait me in the most pathetic and childish way , , I find it all rather laughable to be honest

 

a final thought ..... as per your exasperated ‘I just don’t get it’ above it would make a really good tag line for you

You don’t do you.......

 

I duplicate everything you say Bob, including every penny I had for shares in 1982.

Plus missing only one home game in 12 years living in Shrewsbury, one again living in Livingston plus shed loads of away matches.

We are throwing away, the best opportunity we've had to get back to the top league in the forty years since we were last there.

@BobBobSuperBob

@Bob Bob Super Bob

[CotswoldRed]

1 hour ago, Davefevs said:

... allegedly told SL to **** off out of the dressing room pre-game!  When Joe was mascot, he (Cotts) was nowhere to be seen in the dressing room. As we were ushered out, Cotts was waiting to go in. There’s no way he wanted any interference with his boys once he was in the room. Flint also went to a separate room when we walked in. No interaction with the mascots. Zoning in I suspect. 

I can very much believe the bit about Flint. 

In our first season back in the Championship it was quite easy to get autographs as they all warmed up at the Atyeo end. 

Flint's autograph? No chance. 

[Red Exile]

@BobBobSuperBob - respect is due.

But then again in doubting Lee Johnson you sound to me just like 'some on here' who are 'entitled' and aren't happy if we're not winning by 4 clear goals each week.  

I can't match your commitment but in raising 3 City fans and following the club from a distance for the best part of four decades I feel I've done a bit.

I spent my first proper pay packet - from Sun Life - on a ticket to Carlisle - the cup tie in January 1981. Football special. 1-1 draw, Beardsley played for them. We had a decent side. Before the club went into freefall. Sat next to a man who told his wife he'd just popped out for the paper...

[Phileas Fogg]

2 minutes ago, CotswoldRed said:

I can very much believe the bit about Flint. 

In our first season back in the Championship it was quite easy to get autographs as they all warmed up at the Atyeo end. 

Flint's autograph? No chance. 

I've heard before about him being fairly rude/unwelcoming. This wasn't pre-game either so no excuse of being 'in the zone'. 

[Davefevs]

1 hour ago, LondonBristolian said:

I agree on the fact Cotterill kept wages down by having a small squad but I'm not convinced he funded it all with Baldock's sale. My memory was that Baldock decided to move quite late in the window and, by that time, we had already signed Smith, Little, Elliott, Freeman and, I think, Wilbrham and Ayling. I thought it was only Agard who came in after Baldock and I'm not convinced we knew Baldock was leaving when most of those signings were made.

On the other hand, we had already lost Fontaine, Elliott and Pearson, who I suspect were quite big earners and I'm not sure what Carey or Liam Kelly would have been on at that point. So I think a lot of our transfers were funded by player departures and keeping the squad small but I think Agard - and subsequent loans like Smith, Saville and Tavernier - were the only ones funded by Baldock's sale. 

Yes, I should’ve been clearer on the timeline and what I meant.  Yes, he’d done bulk of recruitment earlier that summer, Agard came after.  One might argue that the best way to bring in these players at best price was before other clubs realised there would be £1.5-2.0m sat there from Baldock.  But that’s speculation from me.  Agree with Kid about budgets, but in fairness I think that’s why he had such a small squad.  He gambled on small numbers / high quality.  The only player (from memory) earning good money who wasn’t a regular starter was JET, who then came in and did a job when required.  He utilised loan market well for injury cover.

I don’t remember what us fans thought the objectives were in 14/15....i was hoping for a play-off push, but thought it might be a tough season....there were some pretty decent teams - Preston, Sheff Utd, Swindon (sorry), MKD...surprise packages like Fleetwood and Rochdale too.

He certainly delivered (JPT too).  He didn’t do it in the cheap admittedly, but not easy to recruit as successfully as he did.

1 hour ago, chinapig said:

These things are never black and white but was it not the case that Gray and Gayle turned us down despite SL being prepared to pay the fees? It seems to me that we have only now reached the point where we have sufficient credibility as a club to attract players like that - hence Wells joining.

In any event there seem to have been some odd things going on behind the scenes at the time when it came to potential transfers.

I still think Cotts was too stubborn in sticking to 3-5-2 when it wasn't working and insisting that good times were just around the corner after every defeat.

I have the opposite criticism of LJ for having no discernible tactical plan in the first place mind you so who am I to say?!

Perhaps it was Pelling (rather than SL) who let him down.

Totally agree re stubbornness.  I’d like to think he regrets it.

[Phileas Fogg]

3 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Yes, I should’ve been clearer on the timeline and what I meant.  Yes, he’d done bulk of recruitment earlier that summer, Agard came after.  One might argue that the best way to bring in these players at best price was before other clubs realised there would be £1.5-2.0m sat there from Baldock.  But that’s speculation from me.  Agree with Kid about budgets, but in fairness I think that’s why he had such a small squad.  He gambled on small numbers / high quality.  The only player (from memory) earning good money who wasn’t a regular starter was JET, who then came in and did a job when required.  He utilised loan market well for injury cover.

I don’t remember what us fans thought the objectives were in 14/15....i was hoping for a play-off push, but thought it might be a tough season....there were some pretty decent teams - Preston, Sheff Utd, Swindon (sorry), MKD...surprise packages like Fleetwood and Rochdale too.

He certainly delivered (JPT too).  He didn’t do it in the cheap admittedly, but not easy to recruit as successfully as he did.

Perhaps it was Pelling (rather than SL) who let him down.

Totally agree re stubbornness.  I’d like to think he regrets it.

If I remember correctly the mood around the club that summer was that Baldock's departure was inevitable, was just a case of when. You might well be right about letting him go later in the window because we didn't want to overpay, interesting idea. 

I think the general fan feeling was that we wanted a playoff push. I remember people thinking Sheffield United would run away with the league. 

[Red Exile]

9 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

I don’t remember what us fans thought the objectives were in 14/15....i was hoping for a play-off push, but thought it might be a tough season....there were some pretty decent teams - Preston, Sheff Utd, Swindon (sorry), MKD...surprise packages like Fleetwood and Rochdale too.

I have a photo of my two sons taken just outside the station at Paestum in Italy, taken as we'd just read the news that we'd won the first game at Sheff Utd. We'd just got off the train. We were amazed and delighted. Wanted to capture the moment!

What a great season that was! 

[Bristol Oil Services]

2 hours ago, LondonBristolian said:

I don't think he was messing around or not trying but I do think that he ultimately let his relationship with the board and a desire to let everyone know he wasn't happy get in the way of actually doing the job. 

That's it. He "got in the way" of himself being able to do the job. He wasn't trying. Not "110%." He didn't give himself the best possible chance, he "let" things "get in the way of doing the job."

I think so too.

[Fordy62]

Can we have a guess at what percentage of Cotts’s squad’s salary is now being earned by LJ’s?

 

Im saying 300%. 

[chinapig]

7 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Yes, I should’ve been clearer on the timeline and what I meant.  Yes, he’d done bulk of recruitment earlier that summer, Agard came after.  One might argue that the best way to bring in these players at best price was before other clubs realised there would be £1.5-2.0m sat there from Baldock.  But that’s speculation from me.  Agree with Kid about budgets, but in fairness I think that’s why he had such a small squad.  He gambled on small numbers / high quality.  The only player (from memory) earning good money who wasn’t a regular starter was JET, who then came in and did a job when required.  He utilised loan market well for injury cover.

I don’t remember what us fans thought the objectives were in 14/15....i was hoping for a play-off push, but thought it might be a tough season....there were some pretty decent teams - Preston, Sheff Utd, Swindon (sorry), MKD...surprise packages like Fleetwood and Rochdale too.

He certainly delivered (JPT too).  He didn’t do it in the cheap admittedly, but not easy to recruit as successfully as he did.

Perhaps it was Pelling (rather than SL) who let him down.

Totally agree re stubbornness.  I’d like to think he regrets it.

And on the budget point, we had a big wage budget by League 1 standards: not so by Championship standards of course.

I fear Cotts may be too stubborn to admit he was too stubborn!

[LondonBristolian]

9 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Yes, I should’ve been clearer on the timeline and what I meant.  Yes, he’d done bulk of recruitment earlier that summer, Agard came after.  One might argue that the best way to bring in these players at best price was before other clubs realised there would be £1.5-2.0m sat there from Baldock.  But that’s speculation from me.  Agree with Kid about budgets, but in fairness I think that’s why he had such a small squad.  He gambled on small numbers / high quality.  The only player (from memory) earning good money who wasn’t a regular starter was JET, who then came in and did a job when required.  He utilised loan market well for injury cover.

I don’t remember what us fans thought the objectives were in 14/15....i was hoping for a play-off push, but thought it might be a tough season....there were some pretty decent teams - Preston, Sheff Utd, Swindon (sorry), MKD...surprise packages like Fleetwood and Rochdale too.

 

My vague memory - and it is hard to remember exactly what I thought, or what the general consensus was on here - was that I thought Sheffield United were far and away the favourites to win the division but that I thought we were amongst three or four teams that could challenge. I don't remember for sure after the event but a mate of mine is a Sheffield United fan and I'm pretty sure we both went into that first game of the season feeling we were up against one of our main challengers. 

[Davefevs]

2 minutes ago, Phileas Fogg said:

If I remember correctly the mood around the club that summer was that Baldock's departure was inevitable, was just a case of when. You might well be right about letting him go later in the window because we didn't want to overpay, interesting idea. 

I think the general fan feeling was that we wanted a playoff push. I remember people thinking Sheffield United would run away with the league. 

I wasn’t even on OTIB until summer of 2015!!!

Summer of 2014:

Wilbraham - free

Little - free

Ayling - out of contract (Tribunal or fee agreed with Yeovil)

Smith - £750k (but got £250k for Kelly)

Freeman - £500k

Elliott - free (having been on loan)

Agard - £750k (having sold Baldock)

not one duffer.

Sheffield Utd had just brought in Brayford and Higdon for £3m+ combined, but had sold Maguire!

 

 

[Davefevs]

15 minutes ago, Fordy62 said:

Can we have a guess at what percentage of Cotts’s squad’s salary is now being earned by LJ’s?

 

Im saying 300%. 

Wages:                   Amortised fees / contracts

15/16 - £15m           £2m

18/19 - £24m           £8m

Both seasons in Championship for fair comparison.