Jump to content
IGNORED

LJ’s post match interview: players I can trust


Fordy62

Recommended Posts

4 hours ago, And Its Smith said:

Who can he trust?

Before today’s game I would say I could trust Maenpaa, Pereira, Kalas, Dasilva, Smith, Afobe, Wells. 7 players. After today I’ve no idea. 

A lot of fans talk about how good the squad is. Personally I think because most players are much of a muchness it seems like a good squad but realistically it’s just full of average mid table players.  

Who from our squad would get in the top 4s first XI?  Kalas and Dasilva maybe. That’s probably it

Tbf, we just got beaten today by a team who brought on DANNY BLOODY GRAHAM and caused us problems

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, ChippenhamRed said:

You’d have thought after 3 months of sitting at home with nothing else to do he’d have come up with some new cliches.

Lee could've come up with plenty of new clichés sitting at home but we won't actually know they're clichés until a bit further down the line, clichés need repeating and embedding. Relax Chip, you'll get your new clichés soon enough. Give the man a break. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Moments of Pleasure said:

But Preston do?

Yes, Preston do have top 6 individuals. Ben Pearson & Daniel Johnson are certainly 2. 

 

4 hours ago, cidercity1987 said:

 

Do you think our squad man for man is better or worse than Preston's, Swansea's, Blackburn's, Millwall's?

My opinion is our squad is resoundingly better than these rivals for a play off place, not even close.

I’d rather have the midfields of all those :

Pearson, Johnson, Browne/Gallagher/Bayliss from PNE. 
Holtby, Travis, Dack, Johnson BBurn. 
Woods, Wallace Millwall. 
Grimes, Fulton, Celina Swans. 
 

Anyway, those aren’t top 6 sides (bar Preston). 
I look at Leeds, WBA, Fulham, Brentford, Forest & Preston and I can’t see who from our squad gets into their best 11. 
At a push, Afobe & Wells might get into 1 or 2. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, eardun said:

If a family member of a player went down with coronavirus symptoms, presumably that would also put the player out of the squad. 

E. Player household member test positive and
Player tests negative and pre or asymptomatic
        Exclude for 14 days from date of positive test
 Can continue with normal training activities during exclusion
 If becomes symptomatic – treat as A or B

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes it is concerning to hear that "players I can trust" line yet again. For me what makes it worse is that not for the first time he is using it to refer to a team that he has selected after a prolonged period on the training ground preparing. It was the same after pre-season versus Leeds and after the first international break when we got smashed at Luton.

What is it about the opportunity to prepare rigorously and dare I say over-think a fixture, that results in LJ selecting players that he ends up realsing he can't trust? It's either poor evaluation of talent, unrealistic training, or simple over engineering. And it keeps happening. What makes O'Dowda the "best player in training" and then not turn up in games? 

I did some analysis a year or two back and LJ had a terrible record coming out of international and other longer breaks. This isn't the first time I've asked this question. I haven't updated that analysis and I think statistically it's probably less significant now as Sheffield Utd away at a similar point last season was much better, and a few this season too.

But there is undoubtedly a trend of preparing rigorously for a single fixture only for LJ himself to be baffled by how poor the end product is. LJ is no fool and I have no doubt they will all pull themselves together again now, but this "mystery" of how days and weeks of training ground scheming produce spectacularly bad outcomes, is troubling to say the least.

It's also a worry that the last outing for "players I can trust" was after Huddersfield (not long ago in "games" terms!) and referred amongst others to loan signings like Henriksen and Benkovic. But neither played yesterday, in fact on balance we just played a much more traditional/established LJ set of players - these are normally the ones he turns to for trust!

So it has all the hallmarks of an excuse to deflect blame, because it's not the identity of the players he can trust that is consistent, it's only the existence of these sorts of coached/schemed failures that is consistent. And as an aside, what I saw yesterday was fairly consistent with the poor football lacking passing or fluidity, that I've seen much of this season.

Finally, also on Henriksen and Benkovic who had been the previous players he couldn't trust. He specifically talked up last week the fact this second pre-season had given them the chance to get the 30 days/sessions his complicated patterns of play require (yes, he emphasised this point again) but he then doesn't play either and one is off. Trust indeed.

Incidentally, someone asked me if I would be writing an away match report and my instinctive reaction was to say of course not because everyone will have seen the game for themselves. But when I thought about it, even if I had been there, I'm not sure what I'd have been reporting back on, we produced so little yesterday, it would have been a very short report. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Olé said:

Yes it is concerning to hear that "players I can trust" line yet again. For me what makes it worse is that not for the first time he is using it to refer to a team that he has selected after a prolonged period on the training ground preparing. It was the same after pre-season versus Leeds and after the first international break when we got smashed at Luton.

What is it about the opportunity to prepare rigorously and dare I say over-think a fixture, that results in LJ selecting players that he ends up realsing he can't trust? It's either poor evaluation of talent, unrealistic training, or simple over engineering. And it keeps happening. What makes O'Dowda the "best player in training" and then not turn up in games? 

I did some analysis a year or two back and LJ had a terrible record coming out of international and other longer breaks. This isn't the first time I've asked this question. I haven't updated that analysis and I think statistically it's probably less significant now as Sheffield Utd away at a similar point last season was much better, and a few this season too.

But there is undoubtedly a trend of preparing rigorously for a single fixture only for LJ himself to be baffled by how poor the end product is. LJ is no fool and I have no doubt they will all pull themselves together again now, but this "mystery" of how days and weeks of training ground scheming produce spectacularly bad outcomes, is troubling to say the least.

It's also a worry that the last outing for "players I can trust" was after Huddersfield (not long ago in "games" terms!) and referred amongst others to loan signings like Henriksen and Benkovic. But neither played yesterday, in fact on balance we just played a much more traditional/established LJ set of players - these are normally the ones he turns to for trust!

So it has all the hallmarks of an excuse to deflect blame, because it's not the identity of the players he can trust that is consistent, it's only the existence of these sorts of coached/schemed failures that is consistent. And as an aside, what I saw yesterday was fairly consistent with the poor football lacking passing or fluidity, that I've seen much of this season.

Finally, also on Henriksen and Benkovic who had been the previous players he couldn't trust. He specifically talked up last week the fact this second pre-season had given them the chance to get the 30 days/sessions his complicated patterns of play require (yes, he emphasised this point again) but he then doesn't play either and one is off. Trust indeed.

Incidentally, someone asked me if I would be writing an away match report and my instinctive reaction was to say of course not because everyone will have seen the game for themselves. But when I thought about it, even if I had been there, I'm not sure what I'd have been reporting back on, we produced so little yesterday, it would have been a very short report. 

I also think LJ has problems when he has too many options/a fully fit squad. He has frequently commented that it has been difficult to select. Possibly goes to the over-engineering/over-thinking point. That may be why we were so good at the start of 17-18 season (before we burnt out) - few options then; the team picked itself. Can then focus on one way of playing and keep it simple. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, lenred said:

10 years since Hartley played for us. Incredible we haven’t had a player of his ilk since because god knows we’ve needed one. 

Can we please remember Paul Hartley with more balance.

He had some terrible games when he went missing.

I was there when we lost 6-0 at home to Cardiff so was Paul Hartley - he was not the player at the time you remember now.

Good but not enough to still cite as the leader we missed form 10 years

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Johnson is trying his best. Let's be honest, with the players we have now and where we should be going as a club, he is completely out of his depth. When we finish 12th I have a feeling he will be gone, SL clearly has a good relationship with the Johnsons but he will only put up with so much. Particularly if performance continues as they have. There is no way he is even getting 70% out of this current group, which is the most talented I've seen in 22 years of watching city. That cant continue. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, Olé said:

Yes it is concerning to hear that "players I can trust" line yet again. For me what makes it worse is that not for the first time he is using it to refer to a team that he has selected after a prolonged period on the training ground preparing. It was the same after pre-season versus Leeds and after the first international break when we got smashed at Luton.

What is it about the opportunity to prepare rigorously and dare I say over-think a fixture, that results in LJ selecting players that he ends up realsing he can't trust? It's either poor evaluation of talent, unrealistic training, or simple over engineering. And it keeps happening. What makes O'Dowda the "best player in training" and then not turn up in games? 

I did some analysis a year or two back and LJ had a terrible record coming out of international and other longer breaks. This isn't the first time I've asked this question. I haven't updated that analysis and I think statistically it's probably less significant now as Sheffield Utd away at a similar point last season was much better, and a few this season too.

But there is undoubtedly a trend of preparing rigorously for a single fixture only for LJ himself to be baffled by how poor the end product is. LJ is no fool and I have no doubt they will all pull themselves together again now, but this "mystery" of how days and weeks of training ground scheming produce spectacularly bad outcomes, is troubling to say the least.

It's also a worry that the last outing for "players I can trust" was after Huddersfield (not long ago in "games" terms!) and referred amongst others to loan signings like Henriksen and Benkovic. But neither played yesterday, in fact on balance we just played a much more traditional/established LJ set of players - these are normally the ones he turns to for trust!

So it has all the hallmarks of an excuse to deflect blame, because it's not the identity of the players he can trust that is consistent, it's only the existence of these sorts of coached/schemed failures that is consistent. And as an aside, what I saw yesterday was fairly consistent with the poor football lacking passing or fluidity, that I've seen much of this season.

Finally, also on Henriksen and Benkovic who had been the previous players he couldn't trust. He specifically talked up last week the fact this second pre-season had given them the chance to get the 30 days/sessions his complicated patterns of play require (yes, he emphasised this point again) but he then doesn't play either and one is off. Trust indeed.

Incidentally, someone asked me if I would be writing an away match report and my instinctive reaction was to say of course not because everyone will have seen the game for themselves. But when I thought about it, even if I had been there, I'm not sure what I'd have been reporting back on, we produced so little yesterday, it would have been a very short report. 

Congratulations Rob. You’ve officially become one of those people who’s written word I can’t help but read in their voice!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Perfect preparation? Clearly not Lee as we got hammered. Kalas looks 10 percent of the player he was last season, Bentley has lost it. Massengo was kicking lumps out of players and he picked totally the wrong team. Nothing perfect about that preparation. Time.is.up

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Major Isewater said:

Great motivational skills , ‘ I can’t trust you ‘ 

Where do these players go from here ? 
The gaffer doesn’t have confidence in me .

Would you give everything to a bloke who doesn’t trust you ?

 

Exactly. In effect he has lost those players who believe he doesn't trust them. That sort of atmosphere of suspicion must spread like Covid 19 through the squad.

Yesterday should have been like the start to a new season with the players fired up and bursting with what they have learnt from our Head Coach in the last three weeks of training and preparation. Instead , bar one act of brilliance by Elliason, we had insipid hesitation. 

If there is one on-field explanation could it be they players don't trust Bentley after yet another howler?

But as someone said above, his "not trusting" has become one of his old chestnuts, and by now must refer to most of the players. Seems to be a pattern. He has signed more players than any manager we have ever had (?) and lots of them become players he cannot trust. Why is this? Trust is a two-way street. 

Part of the reason players come to us seems to be that they are initially impressed by Johnson (his line of bull?) Then it seems they lose trust in him because they start to see that he doesn't know what he is doing.  He is found out.

Well Mr Lansdown, having listened to the excuses of your latest mediocre/yes man managerial appointment, you surely cannot agree with him that Bristol City FC have signed a squad full of players that are untrustworthy characters.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 21/06/2020 at 02:08, Olé said:

Yes it is concerning to hear that "players I can trust" line yet again. For me what makes it worse is that not for the first time he is using it to refer to a team that he has selected after a prolonged period on the training ground preparing. It was the same after pre-season versus Leeds and after the first international break when we got smashed at Luton.

What is it about the opportunity to prepare rigorously and dare I say over-think a fixture, that results in LJ selecting players that he ends up realsing he can't trust? It's either poor evaluation of talent, unrealistic training, or simple over engineering. And it keeps happening. What makes O'Dowda the "best player in training" and then not turn up in games? 

I did some analysis a year or two back and LJ had a terrible record coming out of international and other longer breaks. This isn't the first time I've asked this question. I haven't updated that analysis and I think statistically it's probably less significant now as Sheffield Utd away at a similar point last season was much better, and a few this season too.

But there is undoubtedly a trend of preparing rigorously for a single fixture only for LJ himself to be baffled by how poor the end product is. LJ is no fool and I have no doubt they will all pull themselves together again now, but this "mystery" of how days and weeks of training ground scheming produce spectacularly bad outcomes, is troubling to say the least.

It's also a worry that the last outing for "players I can trust" was after Huddersfield (not long ago in "games" terms!) and referred amongst others to loan signings like Henriksen and Benkovic. But neither played yesterday, in fact on balance we just played a much more traditional/established LJ set of players - these are normally the ones he turns to for trust!  It’s basically an excuse.  The correlation of players used in the next game and the next time he has to go back to it is non existent.

So it has all the hallmarks of an excuse to deflect blame, because it's not the identity of the players he can trust that is consistent, it's only the existence of these sorts of coached/schemed failures that is consistent. And as an aside, what I saw yesterday was fairly consistent with the poor football lacking passing or fluidity, that I've seen much of this season.  I counted 10 other games this season in which I thought we played pretty shit.  In some we actually got a result, because we played for 10-15 minutes in the 90 and scored.  That is unacceptable.  The lack of effort Saturday was worrying.

Finally, also on Henriksen and Benkovic who had been the previous players he couldn't trust. He specifically talked up last week the fact this second pre-season had given them the chance to get the 30 days/sessions his complicated patterns of play require (yes, he emphasised this point again) but he then doesn't play either and one is off. Trust indeed. Very good point....the chance to build upon partnership building in training, but no Henriksen, Benkovic or Wells in starting eleven.  Ok, Henriksen now off, Wells a muscle injury, but okay for bench and looks fine when he comes on.

Incidentally, someone asked me if I would be writing an away match report and my instinctive reaction was to say of course not because everyone will have seen the game for themselves. But when I thought about it, even if I had been there, I'm not sure what I'd have been reporting back on, we produced so little yesterday, it would have been a very short report. 

Comments above Rob, although you cover most of it. ⬆️⬆️⬆️

On 21/06/2020 at 08:35, eardun said:

I also think LJ has problems when he has too many options/a fully fit squad. He has frequently commented that it has been difficult to select. Possibly goes to the over-engineering/over-thinking point. That may be why we were so good at the start of 17-18 season (before we burnt out) - few options then; the team picked itself. Can then focus on one way of playing and keep it simple. 

My gut feel was to think we’ve got a bunch of similarly skilled players, that it doesn’t really matter who we pick, and then I compared to Blackburn.  Lenihan, Holtby, and Downing are “names”, but others were in the bench, Armstrong, Graham and Johnson on the bench, Dack unfit.

Then I reflect again on ours, and how opposition fans might look at our squad.

They'd probably list:

Wells, Afobe, Palmer, Kalas, Baker, Weimann.

We have easily enough “names”, enough players of pedigree to make us better than mid-table, certainly enough to be challenging for play-offs.  However I think the balance of the squad is poor.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wonder if Trust is the issue, but not in the way LJ suggests.

Far too often, the players seem fearful and anxious on the pitch and never play with any flow or freedom and I do wonder whether LJ has inadvertently got the players to a point where fear or making a mistake kicks in which inhibits performances and also means that, once a mistake is made, several more can follow.

I honestly wonder what difference it would make if, rather than continually publicly pontificating on whether or not he can trust the players, LJ instead reassured the players that he does trust them and encouraged them to get out and show what they can do. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 20/06/2020 at 19:27, Fordy62 said:

So this old chestnut got wheeled out again today... It’s an excuse that he uses for years on end. I just wish he’d stop signing players he can’t trust. 

Another good one is “we've gotta win the inches a little bit more.” What does that mean?

I challenge anyone to watch that video and not see David Brent when he says “win the inches”. That’s just management talk Lee.

Must be so great to be so comfortable in a job knowing that you can seriously underperform and no one will do a single thing about it!

https://twitter.com/BristolCity/status/1274390818321772544?s=20

 

 

Bored with his crap Blames everyone but himself. One trait he inherited from his dad unfortunately who actually appears however a more accomplished football manager / coach than the bluffer . 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We really do need to get rid of Lee this summer. Surely no one thinks Ashton Gate has been a hotbed of entertainment and good value the past few years. He’s not kicked on in a way anyone would have hoped and is out of his depth.  Its time to move on.  Is there anyone who could argue that it makes sense to give him one more season apart from Steve Lansdown?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Trust is a two way street, with the constant chopping and changing of personnel and formation how can his player build any trust of confidence. 
 

Despite all the bravado and bluster, I wonder whether Lee trusts himself or has much confidence right now.... to me he seems to have completely lost his way. We’re miles away from the team that beat Man Utd in terms of quality of player, commitment, style, consistency of selection and formation.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, General Zod said:

 Is there anyone who could argue that it makes sense to give him one more season apart from Steve Lansdown?

A big plus point for him staying for me would be what standard manager would we attract in the current financial situation? Probably unlikely to have much to spend to put their stamp on the squad, LJ still has 3 years on his contract we’d need to be paying out until he found a new job, would a new manager demand their own back room staff? More contracts to be paying out on. Under the current financial situation it could make more sense to stick with LJ for another season.

when football finances recover we may be a bigger package as a club with training ground finished etc as well much better prospect.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Mendip City said:

Despite all the bravado and bluster, I wonder whether Lee trusts himself or has much confidence right now.... to me he seems to have completely lost his way.

It must be the name 'Johnson'.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...