Dr Balls Posted February 20, 2021 Report Share Posted February 20, 2021 So does Steve Lansdown really know what he wants for Bristol City FC? Does he want us to be financially stable? Given his background, the answer to that has to be yes. Hence the plans to develop players and sell them at a profit. Are we any good at that? Not bad, but we certainly aren’t great at identifying young talent elsewhere and quite a few locally from the South West seem to have slipped through our fingers. Plus we have recently bought a lot of older players on high wages for little resale value so part of that plan seems to have failed. Does he want us to achieve promotion to the Premier League? Yes on a number of fronts. Firstly it’s a route to actually making a profit, particularly through TV funds. Secondly it would maximise the match day returns from a likely full stadium plus charging higher prices. Thirdly it would reflect well on his ownership and makes us a more desirable commodity should he want to sell at any point. Does he crave success? No. Given his background, he has been cautious, invested in the infrastructure of the ground, where it’s far easier and less risky to reap the rewards, and has put in a place a structure that he believes is right, even if some of the evidence suggests otherwise. So far he also seems unwilling to try a different way to achieve his aims. The problem is that football isn’t quite like financial services. There are other owners who are willing to take bigger risks and who are more impatient in their desire for success (Vincent Tan for example) and so they are more dynamic and more demanding. The most important role at a football club is the manager, or as our structure seems to require a “Head Coach”. And it seems the most important requirement of this position at Bristol City is to fit into the club structure, rather than experience or previous success, which is perversive to the point of being self-defeating. If Steve Lansdown really wants success, both financial and sporting, he needs to appoint someone who is going to challenge him and is going to be demanding. Another “yes man” is not going to cut it. We are rapidly descending into a relegation battle and we need a manager who is going to lead us away from the bottom 3 and preserve the club at this level. Our last truly successful manager was Steve Cotterill, who was exactly that “difficult” kind of character, and that’s what we need right now, however uncomfortable that might seem for Steve personally, and also for his Chief Executive, who whatever he and Steve may think, is not the most important role in the organisation, especially right now, when we are so awful at playing football, and more so than ever, the focus has to be on what happens on the pitch. Sport is the ultimate results business, and they need to be achieved now, not some hypothetical point in the future. Relegation to League 1 may not be a financial catastrophe for Steve Lansdown, but it would be a public relations disaster with the fans, and I think he knows that. To have that occur once under your ownership might be unfortunate, but to have it happen twice suggests that you aren’t actually very good at running a football club and making the important decisions. And given that it took us nearly 10 years to get promoted after our relegation in the late 90s (again with a proven experienced and successful manager in Gary Johnson) the stakes are extremely high for this next appointment and it needs to be relatively quick, not weeks of deliberation. Otherwise by the time a decision is made, it may already be too late to turn things around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivorguy Posted February 20, 2021 Report Share Posted February 20, 2021 Give the bloke a break. He’s only been involved about quarter of a century. He needs time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Balls Posted February 20, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2021 Just now, Ivorguy said: Give the bloke a break. He’s only been involved about quarter of a century. He needs time. What about another 5 and a half weeks? Some rapid decision-making needed to appoint an experienced and successful manager, along with an enormous slice of humble pie would seem most appropriate. But will it happen? I wouldn’t bet on it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MATT BCFC Posted February 20, 2021 Report Share Posted February 20, 2021 He's very clear on what he wants and I think that's the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eastendboy1965 Posted February 20, 2021 Report Share Posted February 20, 2021 21 minutes ago, Dr Balls said: So does Steve Lansdown really know what he wants for Bristol City FC? Does he want us to be financially stable? Given his background, the answer to that has to be yes. Hence the plans to develop players and sell them at a profit. Are we any good at that? Not bad, but we certainly aren’t great at identifying young talent elsewhere and quite a few locally from the South West seem to have slipped through our fingers. Plus we have recently bought a lot of older players on high wages for little resale value so part of that plan seems to have failed. Does he want us to achieve promotion to the Premier League? Yes on a number of fronts. Firstly it’s a route to actually making a profit, particularly through TV funds. Secondly it would maximise the match day returns from a likely full stadium plus charging higher prices. Thirdly it would reflect well on his ownership and makes us a more desirable commodity should he want to sell at any point. Does he crave success? No. Given his background, he has been cautious, invested in the infrastructure of the ground, where it’s far easier and less risky to reap the rewards, and has put in a place a structure that he believes is right, even if some of the evidence suggests otherwise. So far he also seems unwilling to try a different way to achieve his aims. The problem is that football isn’t quite like financial services. There are other owners who are willing to take bigger risks and who are more impatient in their desire for success (Vincent Tan for example) and so they are more dynamic and more demanding. The most important role at a football club is the manager, or as our structure seems to require a “Head Coach”. And it seems the most important requirement of this position at Bristol City is to fit into the club structure, rather than experience or previous success, which is perversive to the point of being self-defeating. If Steve Lansdown really wants success, both financial and sporting, he needs to appoint someone who is going to challenge him and is going to be demanding. Another “yes man” is not going to cut it. We are rapidly descending into a relegation battle and we need a manager who is going to lead us away from the bottom 3 and preserve the club at this level. Our last truly successful manager was Steve Cotterill, who was exactly that “difficult” kind of character, and that’s what we need right now, however uncomfortable that might seem for Steve personally, and also for his Chief Executive, who whatever he and Steve may think, is not the most important role in the organisation, especially right now, when we are so awful at playing football, and more so than ever, the focus has to be on what happens on the pitch. Sport is the ultimate results business, and they need to be achieved now, not some hypothetical point in the future. Relegation to League 1 may not be a financial catastrophe for Steve Lansdown, but it would be a public relations disaster with the fans, and I think he knows that. To have that occur once under your ownership might be unfortunate, but to have it happen twice suggests that you aren’t actually very good at running a football club and making the important decisions. And given that it took us nearly 10 years to get promoted after our relegation in the late 90s (again with a proven experienced and successful manager in Gary Johnson) the stakes are extremely high for this next appointment and it needs to be relatively quick, not weeks of deliberation. Otherwise by the time a decision is made, it may already be too late to turn things around. Does he want us to achieve promotion to the Premier League? Yes ???? on a number of fronts. Does he ??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clevedon Red Posted February 20, 2021 Report Share Posted February 20, 2021 Just now, MATT BCFC said: He's very clear on what he wants and I think that's the problem. And sticking with the used car salesman doesn’t help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Balls Posted February 20, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2021 2 minutes ago, Eastendboy1965 said: Does he want us to achieve promotion to the Premier League? Yes ???? on a number of fronts. Does he ??? Personally I don’t think he wants it because he is a football fan if that’s what you mean. It would put us on a better footing financially and reflect well on him, but is he in it to see us playing the best teams in the country and to try to make us one of those for the love of the game? No not really. His son, our chairman, is the biggest fan in the Lansdown family, and he’s the one who is probably closest to us in wanting promotion just for the sake of us being a successful club and team, playing good football that’s enjoyable to watch at the highest level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spudski Posted February 20, 2021 Report Share Posted February 20, 2021 To save Pangolin's apparently...which according to my email was something he retweeted about during the game. Apologies is not correct about the time...but according to my email it said he retweeted about it at 4.01. From a tweet that had been posted hours earlier. Now forgive me again if my email notification on time is wrong...I don't even follow him, so I have no idea as to why I had an email notification about the retweet. Love the cause...and conservation. But if that was the time, during the game... slightly I'll advised if true? Again...for the third time... apologies if incorrect on the time...I just found it very odd when I got the email notification. TBF...I'd be more interested in saving such wildlife and our planet, than a football club. So hats off to him. But if true...the timing!!!??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eastendboy1965 Posted February 20, 2021 Report Share Posted February 20, 2021 9 minutes ago, Dr Balls said: Personally I don’t think he wants it because he is a football fan if that’s what you mean. It would put us on a better footing financially and reflect well on him, but is he in it to see us playing the best teams in the country and to try to make us one of those for the love of the game? No not really. His son, our chairman, is the biggest fan in the Lansdown family, and he’s the one who is probably closest to us in wanting promotion just for the sake of us being a successful club and team, playing good football that’s enjoyable to watch at the highest level. SL has been backing off the chance of premier league promotion since 2008, being positively relieved at narrowly losing the Hull final. My own suspicion is that I doubt that he wants to deal with the big money agents and everything that goes with it. He is more comfortable staying in the championship, hence the managerial appointments he makes. Mark Ashton is the guy buffering this stance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Balls Posted February 20, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2021 8 minutes ago, spudski said: To save Pangolin's apparently...which according to my email was something he retweeted about during the game. Apologies is not correct about the time...but according to my email it said he retweeted about it at 4.01. From a tweet that had been posted hours earlier. Now forgive me again if my email notification on time is wrong...I don't even follow him, so I have no idea as to why I had an email notification about the retweet. Love the cause...and conservation. But if that was the time, during the game... slightly I'll advised if true? Again...for the third time... apologies if incorrect on the time...I just found it very odd when I got the email notification. TBF...I'd be more interested in saving such wildlife and our planet, than a football club. So hats off to him. But if true...the timing!!!??? Which is more endangered? The pangolin or our survival in the Championship?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chinapig Posted February 20, 2021 Report Share Posted February 20, 2021 He knows what he wants he just doesn't have a clue how to achieve it. And he employs people who don't have a clue either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monkeh Posted February 20, 2021 Report Share Posted February 20, 2021 Yes he wants to be in the prem, that way he doesn't have to keep the club afloat from his own personal fortune Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Isewater Posted February 20, 2021 Report Share Posted February 20, 2021 3 minutes ago, Dr Balls said: Which is more endangered? The pangolin or our survival in the Championship?! The pangolin has had better results than us since December. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Wood Posted February 20, 2021 Report Share Posted February 20, 2021 To be fair to Lansdown he's getting exactly what he deserves to appoint holden was always likely to be a mistake, downing and Simpson have really disappointed me they proved with there chance today how inept they are and they have improved nothing, sadly I've seen better City sides than this relegated but this lot are devoid of effort talent ability and sadly bottle really shameful, for Steve L you sometimes get what you deserve and you and Ashton deserve this completely Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvio Dante Posted February 20, 2021 Report Share Posted February 20, 2021 I believe the answer is that what he really wants is to zig-a-zig-ah. With good humans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Balls Posted February 20, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2021 Just now, Silvio Dante said: I believe the answer is that what he really wants is to zig-a-zig-ah. With good humans. Slaloming down the table at speed with the relegation finishing line appearing all too quickly... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harvey54 Posted February 20, 2021 Report Share Posted February 20, 2021 He could quite easily spend another £100million over the next couple of years and still not get promoted. Unfortunately throwing money at managers and players doesn't guarantee success. Lots of clubs have tried and failed. But I would like him to try. Just this once. Please Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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