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Am I the only one with doubts?


SecretSam

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7 minutes ago, cidered abroad said:

No, you are not the only one. The initial buzz and gratitude that we aren't going to be lumbered with another with a football manager age of three weeks, has been tempered by actual happenings.

Rather than say that I have lost confidence in Nigel, it's just a realisation that he has a mammoth task in front of him to put right about four years of poor player recruitment and a pattern of negative playing style that is now permanently engraved in the minds of most of the squad.

Rome wasn't built in a day and we can just hope that it will not take a hundred or so years. 

So we must believe in Nigel Pearson to turn us around but it will not be today or next month. Keep the faith @SecretSam with all the rest of us.

An excellent point that’s probably lost on many.

The positive spin (assuming Nige stays) is that he has 17 OOC players this summer most of which he’ll happily let go and that opens up opportunities to bring in the type of player he thinks we need. He’ll have a full pre season to impress his methods as well.

Add to that the fact that fans should  be allowed to attend AG by then every thing will be rosy in the City garden............:whistle:..

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Way too early to make any judgement.

Most of us wanted Chris Hughton last summer; it's only really in the last few months that there have been definitive signs of him turning Nottingham around.

I expect them to perform much better next season (as I expect us too, as well).

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1 hour ago, Phileas Fogg said:

I think a big factor is that there isn't a huge amount to discuss. No transfer speculation, people aren't physically going to games so I suspect not that many are actually watching (thus less discussion on performances). It's partly why the Danny Simpson debate became such a hot topic on here. Now the mood has shifted to questioning Pearson.

Which is ok, better to lower expectations now and start next season with some doubts, then, ideally, do better than expected.

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There's no guarantee he's going to do the business for us. However, we have someone whose had successes before, which I'd take over no success at all. We have someone who will have had 3 months to assess the squad and there is a big opportunity to revamp the squad in the summer. That's exactly the situation I've been hoping we'd be in for ages. Mid season appointments where we've been crap, followed by a summer clear out have gone well in the past. John Ward, Gary Johnson and Steve Cotterill were in this position and were successful the very next season. Fingers crossed!

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Some people seem to have a belief that a manager possesses some sort of ‘miraculous’ power to turn a crap team into a good one simply by virtue of their sheer presence. They would have us believe that those players who have demonstrated consistently that they are below the average championship standard should somehow be ‘magically’ transformed (overnight) into winners or contenders. This is a complete fantasy. The real problem we have had in recent years is essentially that our recent managers have been totally unable to find decent players (with a FEW exceptions), who might also fit into some kind of coherent system.

NP’s value is not his ability to produce miracles and transform Bas Savage into Pele, it is his proven ability to identify decent players and incorporate them into something resembling a football team. Hopefully we will see this become more evident in the summer when the mass expiry of contracts will give him some freedom to build us that football team (finally) which we have been deprived of now for the last few years. 

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I've long felt that the biggest problem affecting performance is the mentality that has been allowed to prevail at the club. Whether that is one that gives players too easy a ride, complacency or whatever, but it does seem to have created a squad that seems unable to cope with any sort of pressure. The opposition score and there seems only one way the game will go and in game after game we are bullied ( physically, tactically and mentally) by even so called lesser teams. Even when we were in the top 6 in the last couple of seasons under  LJ, we seemed unable to cope with the pressure that created and fell away when well placed.

Pearson took over a team completely lacking confidence, beset with injuries throughout the season and , as a result, with many players struggling physically, so to expect an immediate turnaround would be asking for a miracle.

However, what I think he can and will do primarily, is to change the mindset of not just the players, but coaches and, dare I say, those above him, as to what is acceptable and what isn’t in terms of attitude, application and mental fortitude, for a club that aspires to challenge at the top end of the championship. The summer transfer activity will be revealing, as it will surely show which of the current squad fit the bill and incoming players will, I suspect, be a reflection as to the type of player needed and which we have lacked for too long.

 

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Pearson is our best chance of finally beginning to address the numerous problems at the club :-

scouting 

physical fitness

medical services

coaching

consistency on the field of play

short term tactics and long term strategy

Ashton’s role

etc etc

 

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3 hours ago, big dosser said:

he is deffo the man to take us forward, his attitude is spot on he only wants players that give 110% for are club are badge and us fans. Many of the players have been stealing a wage for years and to be brutally honest many are a bunch of lightweight pansies which i got no doubt he we clear-out. We have always struggled against big hard physical sides and that needs to change, we are weak in a challenge and many players are not mentally strong or hard enough to represent are proud club. He knows what he wants we know what we want so i feel this could be a exciting summer with a new fresh side for next year which puts bride in that shirt.

We are weak in effort too.  The intensity of what we do is miles off what’s required to compete consistently.

3 hours ago, ralphindevon said:

I’d love to hear his true thoughts and that of the players come to that.

At the end of Holden’s reign we were all saying, get a Nigel Pearson type manager in, he won’t put up with how they’ve been playing, he’ll get the best out of them. 
The fact he hasn’t must be more worrying for the players than him I guess.

An interesting summer ahead.

I think he’s in a delicate position.  Got to suss out who the influencers are, some of them might be quiet influencers.  Pull the wrong levers and the players won’t play.  I think we are seeing some of that playing out, hence some of his softly, softly approach, whilst forming his opinions.

In a perverse way I’m glad results haven’t been great, and performances worse in some respects, as he’s getting to see Bristol City “warts n all” and enable him to judge properly.

I think he wants to sort it out quickly but he can’t be going in too strong whilst his position is insecure.  Get him signed properly and then see him go to work.

3 hours ago, The Gasbuster said:

Way too early to make any judgement.

Most of us wanted Chris Hughton last summer; it's only really in the last few months that there have been definitive signs of him turning Nottingham around.

I expect them to perform much better next season (as I expect us too, as well).

Yep, CH came in after the window closed and it takes time to change things with a squad built by Lamouchi (who I thought was unlucky to lose his job).  He’s started to get them going.  They are 4 points behind us.

Back to the OP....no problem having doubts, but there’s a bigger picture at play here, bigger than results and performances.  We have a squad, a weak squad mentally, who are unsure of their futures.  That was caused by last summer’s decision to put contract discussions on hold.  Come Xmas and still no idea about their futures, talks still on hold, yet a big contract being offered to one player.  I suspect it’s a pretty dispirited camp, despite what we are told.  Kalas’s interview told me a lot.  NP’s calling out of HNM on Friday to get his critical point across to others tells me more.

Ultimately no guarantee that NP will be a success, but reasons to be positive.  I really don’t care too much about results over the next 7 games.  I’m sure NP would like a home win, to get that monkey off his back, but he’s been given a lovely little spread of games to get his head around this squad.  Those 3 (2 under him) wins put to bed relegation and gave him the blank canvas.

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8 hours ago, Leveller said:

Personally I think we’ve got a mid table squad and at least expected NP to organise them rapidly to achieve mid table form.

Hes got those away wins, but i would have hoped his team would have gone out at home with at least some passion and will to win? Instead we are still seeing the likes of hunt and wells putting in spineless performances and being picked regularly.

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12 hours ago, westonred said:

No you can't please everyone but we have been crying out for an experienced Chamionship proven manager for years we now have one and still some people don't seem happy

Judge him after he has assembled his own squad. Picking up the pieces of a previous manager is ever easy. 

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13 hours ago, SecretSam said:

...about Pearson...our results haven't been THAT great, and if it were a lesser manager...

For me it's not about having doubts that Holden needed to go and Pearson should be a great replacement. 

I'm not yet sure it'll work here. NP hasn't had the time to show what he can do, plus there are other variables that could hobble any progress he might make.

So, I think Pearson might be a great success here, but I don't share the quasi-religious belief of some posters that he definitely will be. 

We have to wait and see, but I suppose on balance I'm more optimistic than I was at the end if last year, because we can see a potential route out of the morass of mediocrity Bristol City have become.

 

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14 hours ago, SecretSam said:

...about Pearson...our results haven't been THAT great, and if it were a lesser manager...

I wish you were. Because if we fail to sign Pearson permanently it will be a lesser manager we get. A mess 5 years in the making and he has been here for a couple if months. A little realism and patience please.

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7 hours ago, Redrascal2 said:

I wish you were. Because if we fail to sign Pearson permanently it will be a lesser manager we get. A mess 5 years in the making and he has been here for a couple if months. A little realism and patience please.

This.

Fans: `We must have an experienced manager, no more rookies`

Club appoints an experienced manager

Some fans (after five minutes): `Not that experienced manager, he`s no good, we need a different one`

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22 hours ago, The Gasbuster said:

Way too early to make any judgement.

Most of us wanted Chris Hughton last summer; it's only really in the last few months that there have been definitive signs of him turning Nottingham around.

I expect them to perform much better next season (as I expect us too, as well).

Probably find out Saturday when forest beat us at fortress Ashton gate

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Good Easter morning to you all.

As our own carefree period of happiness & joy with Nigel appears in the main to be on the wane,the vast majority of us,opinion seems to suggest,still wish for Nige to be signed (or consigned!) for extended tenure...

As currently we're looking almost Holden'esque in our approach with a wonder where even the next 'net bulging moment (at the other end) will come, let alone the next point.

The question is how many of you would be supportive of retaining Nigel were we to complete this season without chalking even one (more) winning performance on the board???...

Hoping post Coventry this scenario is 'null & void!!

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The things that were used as, I'll say explanations rather than excuses, for Holden also ring true for Pearson.

No time between games to set things up, little time to implement strategies and styles.

Just as you can't hold Pearson accountable for the state of things as they stand, you can't give him too much praise for those away wins, well apart from the fact some players would have felt they needed to put in more that 50%.
We have seen more effort, a little more organisation and ATM it feels like NP is working through the squad to see who falls into his "vision".  It looks like Pearson has had 2 full weeks free to get the team on the training ground, even then the last one was missing all the one on International duty. He can't bring players in, he can't really get rid of players, come to that he can barely see the players we have, due to injury.
I must admit, I'm close to not bothering with the Live feeds, TBH I'm not sure about a season ticket either. Have not enjoyed the football for some time, I doubt anyone has. I felt sorry for Holden, we needed a new broom and a real change of mindset, Holden was the wrong man and COVID made it the wrong time.
I really think that Pearson can shake it up and start something, it really needs Lansdown to come out now and give him the job and back him. 

We will have space, if not all the funds to rebuild. We have a man who can do that job, what he needs now is time. Usually SL does give managers time, but until he is given the job full time he can't really start. If Steve waits until the summer to appoint him, we will be massively behind other clubs. We have/had an opportunity for a new man to assess the squad on the run, to potentially get rid of a lot of players without much fuss and for him to be ahead of the game.

Clocks ticking on that now.

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12 minutes ago, Son of Fred said:

Good Easter morning to you all.

As our own carefree period of happiness & joy with Nigel appears in the main to be on the wane,the vast majority of us,opinion seems to suggest,still wish for Nige to be signed (or consigned!) for extended tenure...

As currently we're looking almost Holden'esque in our approach with a wonder where even the next 'net bulging moment (at the other end) will come, let alone the next point.

The question is how many of you would be supportive of retaining Nigel were we to complete this season without chalking even one (more) winning performance on the board???...

Hoping post Coventry this scenario is 'null & void!!

No disrespect but you could of just posted this in the “am I the only one with doubts thread” as it’s about the same subject . 

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22 hours ago, Rossi the Robin said:

He’s kept us up by winning 3 times away, scoring 3 goals each time - first challenge completed ✅ 

Lots of work to be done but he’s got a patient boss, that will be the key 

Lose today, certainly not impossible, & it's the beginning of us being dragged limply into the mire.

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8 minutes ago, Son of Fred said:

Lose today, certainly not impossible, & it's the beginning of us being dragged limply into the mire.

So you have posted twice this morning.

The bottom four average a point a game at best & have to play each other, so cannot both win.

You seem to think we are on course to lose every game we have left whilst the likes of Wednesday & Rotherham (who have 4 games in 8 days coming up) go on unprecedented winning runs.

It isn’t going to happen.

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