Reputations

[GrahamC]

I’ll just start by saying this isn’t a thread defending LJ but is just a few thoughts;

I took a break from this forum for a couple of years but will bet if I had been on it a year or so ago 2 names that would have been mentioned as replacements for LJ would have been the Cowley brothers at Lincoln & Michael O’Neill at Norn Iron.

However after last night they could conceivably both be in L1 next season, despite Huddersfield having parachute payments & Stoke having a top 3 wage bill (rumour is that Afobe is on £35k a week, yet is still by no means their highest paid player).

So what does this mean? O’Neill is still an excellent manager, Rowett (2 before him at Stoke) has done well elsewhere & Nathan Jones (the last “failure” in that job) has gone back to Luton & just look at their results post lockdown compared to ours..

I suppose my conclusion is twofold, some clubs (& in this case Stoke look to me a lot like Sunderland at present) are just on a downward spiral at times that it seems no one can stop & secondly a failure on someone’s CV does not necessarily make them a poor manager, which might be worth bearing in mind for whoever does eventually replace LJ.

[1960maaan]

TBH I can't remember anyone calling for either of those two, although I think both could be a success in the future. Personally I think it was too early for the Cowleys, as for O'Neil , that could be a case of right time right place in his previous job. The Stoke job looks a mess right now.

I , more now than ever, am willing to give any manager a chance. Our own recent history should prove that should be the case, in the cold light of day each and every manager's signing can be explained and makes sense to a point. The big change I think, comes with Cott's, many were completely underwhelmed and yet .....
Where as others were popular and failed miserably (literally SOD), LJ did the Job he was brought in to do, it's been rocky but we have been in a good position for a while. I believe we are now seeing the cracks, and the signs are he has lost his way, but my say means nothing.

What I hope is our owner doesn't leave it too long to call it a day. We have the chance to give a new man a good look at the squad ready for a push next year. I fear that giving LJ another year, to see where it goes, would result in an inevitable summer clear out, more money spent and the same roller coaster eventually missing out again next year . 

Who next? Who knows, it's a good job for someone though , hopefully the right someone.

[CyderInACan]

5 minutes ago, 1960maaan said:

TBH I can't remember anyone calling for either of those two, although I think both could be a success in the future. Personally I think it was too early for the Cowleys, as for O'Neil , that could be a case of right time right place in his previous job. The Stoke job looks a mess right now.

I think sometimes it really is as simple as this. The problem with fate, serendipity, or call it what you will is that you just don't know until it happens! 

[Rudolf Hucker]

It's great to see you back on here, Graham - you've been missed.

Apart from those capable of building dynasties, eg Shankly, Paisley, Ferguson, managers generally have an unwritten 'best before' date -  they're fine up until a point in time but thereafter, begin to smell a little and when they do, it's time to throw them out. They blossom at some clubs and as a consequence move to others where they fail to achieve any equivalent level of success whatsoever, eg Moyes post West Ham, Allardyce post Bolton, Mourinho post Chelsea. It's horses for courses.

I think that LJ has run his course at AG and it's time for him to move on. If he's honest, he probably knows that but rightly won't walk away of his own volition but he will likely feel relieved when he's eventually replaced. SL will no doubt be very reluctant to do this but, he's a very successful businessman who will have had to make tough, unwelcome decisions throughout his career and doubtless he'll do that again soon. He'll see Lee achieving diminishing returns where despite working as hard, he's achieving less and he'll know that it's right for Lee and for us to part ways. Steve will also know from his experience at the Bears, that bringing in a top coach, who possesses the right values, then giving him the right facilities and investment will pay dividends.

I'm sure that SL sees Bristol Sport as an evolution. LJ has played a part in that evolutionary process for City and I'm grateful to him for that but it's time for the next phase to unfold.