Not just Johnson's fault!

[Mr Popodopolous]

Benkovic is a ball carrying CB- in the right setup. He was quite sought after.

Henriken, though I don't put in same class as Brownhill- should have been a solid addition. In the right setup.

Even with these players, there are flaws with how we were setup, managed and coached often- they usually were- and that's on LJ tbh.

Weimann can press- different to Reid but he can press- made those good early runs.

LJ is stubborn as hell. Stubborn and won't or can't see how his gameplan is fatally flawed at this level.

[Spud55]

10 minutes ago, ProfitInMyPocket said:

Okay thats two cases. Blackburn still said no to selling Dack for 8 figures.

This sell at all costs for value does not set the right precedent for the club.

How are our players meant to take this "project" seriously when they know they're going at the first sight of Lansdown sniffing dollar bills to cover his costs.

I would want something to believe in but if I'm a player and I know my teammates are all going to jump ship every year to earn better money at other clubs. Why would I care? 

The players dont buy in to LJ because they dont have to buy in.

And we said no to selling Webster until Brighton reached our Valuation of 20 million quid, had the only offered 15 million we would have said sod off, we said no to selling Kelly until Bournemouth offered 14/15 million plus add ons that I believe could take the fee above that of Webby. 

There is not a team on earth that can turn down the sale of any player if the price is right, I would argue that not one of our players has been sold below what anyone would consider too good to turn down. 

Until we are winning the Premier League and Champions league on a regular basis we will be selling our best players year on year. 

If we had kept Webster this season would we suddenly be top of the league? Of course not as its the ******* manager that is the problem and not the players. But we would have 20 million quid less in the coffers. 

We are extracting the maximum value out of our best players and that is one of the few things that we have done right over the past 2/3 years, to try and blame Johnsons in ability to manage at this level on that is just mental. 

[Knapperz]

Yes I completely agree, he has to go. But like you say, the point I was trying to make was about the timing of sales, not the inevitability that we will need to sell at some stage, and if LJ does go (it's a big IF) will whoever comes in have to face the same issues and have any say over this?

I'm not disputing that LJ has done poorly with what he's got  and doesn't seem to know his best team/formation and how to get players playing to their ability, but that's been discussed to death and I wanted to make the point that the club has to answer for some of this season's issues too.

[Aberdeen Pete's Dad]

6 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Bentley, Konsa, Sawyers, Maupay- next?

4 players. Ayling, Flint, Reid, Bryan, Kelly,Webster, Pack, Brownhill- 8 players. I agree with the OP- we can’t keep selling every one of our best players. We have not bought well enough. Aside from Webster replacing Flint, every one of the others I have mentioned has been replaced by players who are not , or not yet , as good.

We are weak in midfield. Korey Smith is not as good as he was. Nagy is not as good as Korey Smith was. Dasilva is not (yet) as good as Bryan was. Reid’s goals have not been replaced ( although he may have been a one season wonder). Tammy also made a massive contribution in the season he was with us. We have not had a right back as good as Ayling. We are missing Brownhill ( and Pack) badly. I suspect Ellison and Dediieu will go this summer.

Obviously, all clubs are vulnerable to their best players being wanted by bigger fish, but I don’t think anybody , not even Brentford, have sold as many of their best players as we have.

We have , obviously, have big transfer fees coming in. The point is we have not spent that money well enough. It is likely that Massengo and Dasilva will improve and become very good players. Hopefully, Moore, Walsh and Morrell will do the same, but that is some way down the line. I think Bentley is a good goalkeeper, and we have other good player (Kalas, Baker) but overall too many players we have bought have been inferior to the ones we have replaced.

[Mr Popodopolous]

9 minutes ago, Aberdeen Pete's Dad said:

4 players. Ayling, Flint, Reid, Bryan, Kelly,Webster, Pack, Brownhill- 8 players. I agree with the OP- we can’t keep selling every one of our best players. We have not bought well enough. Aside from Webster replacing Flint, every one of the others I have mentioned has been replaced by players who are not , or not yet , as good.

We are weak in midfield. Korey Smith is not as good as he was. Nagy is not as good as Korey Smith was. Dasilva is not (yet) as good as Bryan was. Reid’s goals have not been replaced ( although he may have been a one season wonder). Tammy also made a massive contribution in the season he was with us. We have not had a right back as good as Ayling. We are missing Brownhill ( and Pack) badly. I suspect Ellison and Dediieu will go this summer.

Obviously, all clubs are vulnerable to their best players being wanted by bigger fish, but I don’t think anybody , not even Brentford, have sold as many of their best players as we have.

We have , obviously, have big transfer fees coming in. The point is we have not spent that money well enough. It is likely that Massengo and Dasilva will improve and become very good players. Hopefully, Moore, Walsh and Morrell will do the same, but that is some way down the line. I think Bentley is a good goalkeeper, and we have other good player (Kalas, Baker) but overall too many players we have bought have been inferior to the ones we have replaced.

Oh we're gong back to 2016/17! Had a quick look because why not?

Button, O'Connell, Bidwell in summer 2016- oh and Hogan as well January that year.

Dean, Colin, Jota and Vibe in 2017/18.

Egan and Woods last season.

Forgot about Mepham as well!

Pack who can't get in the Cardiff side much? Diedhiou who isn't necessarily our IMO best or first choice striker. I'd like to have retained a few more though.

We could do this all day. Our system, our setup is terrible though. Much more important news however!

[Banjo Red]

Coaching staff need looking at as well.

[La Plage]

1 hour ago, Knapperz said:

Something I'm getting more and more annoyed and concerned by, is the club's ability to sell our best players at the worst times, without properly replacing them!

I'm in the camp where I believe Johnson has taken the club as far as he can, but it cannot be ignored that the sale of Webster (very close to the season starting), and in particular (timing-wise) Brownhill, has had major effects on our season. Brownhill was sold at a time when our only other options were Smith (just returning from 2 long-term injuries), Nagy (hadn't properly recovered from being injured earlier in the season) and Massengo (too young to have played as much as he had this season).

I appreciate the need for the club to be self-sufficient, and to do that there has to be a certain amount of cashing in on players, but Bristol City are a club who are telling their fans that they are aiming for Premier league, so the timing of the Brownhill sale in particular was very very poor, and the amount of points we have gained since the beginning of February says alot about that, so whatever happens with Lee Johnson between now and the start of next season, the club (Mark Ashton and the Landsdown's) have alot to answer for in terms of what's happened to our season!

It’s an excuse that’s been used for too long, we’ve a bigger more expensive squad than most if not all above us, LJ was always given money to replace unlike clubs above us. Fresh blood, new MANAGEMENT/COACHING TEAM PLEASE, who can efficiently and effectively manage 20-25 first team/good young players like the rest of the F*UCKING footballing world.