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SecretSam

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A fascinating read, raises some good points, but doesn't have the answers. 

Nigel Pearson isn't making it easy for Steve Lansdown as Bristol City's wait goes on

However, one point sticks out - would a "young", inexperienced manager have been given the same leeway at NP has been, and still have the overwhelming backing of the fans? Now, I'm not saying NP isn't the right choice - and there's an element of rock and hard place here - but although he's said the right things, he's still not been able to bring more out of the players.

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Ultimately, though, the reason he was brought in - and the reason fans overwhelmingly supported the appointment - was because of his vast experience, know-how, understanding of the game and previous success at this level. None of that has changed because we’ve lost a few games, so why would he suddenly now not be the right option?

I find it incredible, though not at all surprising, people have been seriously swayed by what’s happened in the past two months. A team that was losing prolifically has continued to lose prolifically.

It is giving them a headache in terms of the timing of any longer-term deal, though, I think that’s a really good point. It’s a difficult one to make a big song and dance about in the middle of a long winless sequence. But really that’s just aesthetics.

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This obsession with getting something out of the players here now. This insistence in the myth in football of one bloke sweeping in and single-handedly transforming a rotten team into the opposite. 

Why would this group of players - safe from relegation, not going for promotion, weeks from an injury free summer break, out of contract in the summer, playing in empty grounds, probably aware of the disdain of absent supporters - why would they up their game now? 

What's in it for them?

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22 minutes ago, SecretSam said:

A fascinating read, raises some good points, but doesn't have the answers. 

Nigel Pearson isn't making it easy for Steve Lansdown as Bristol City's wait goes on

However, one point sticks out - would a "young", inexperienced manager have been given the same leeway at NP has been, and still have the overwhelming backing of the fans? Now, I'm not saying NP isn't the right choice - and there's an element of rock and hard place here - but although he's said the right things, he's still not been able to bring more out of the players.

It's an interesting question but ultimately if any manager (novice or not) sang from the same hymn sheet as Pearson he would have the same leeway. Holden and LJ either couldn't spot the glaring issues within the club or were too afraid to speak out, which does nothing for our supposed PL ambitions. 

For all the talk of infrastructure within the club, SOD put it in place, SC benefitted from it and Ashton ripped it up. Now the rat is leaving a sinking ship and we're in a worse place on the pitch and in the boardroom than we were when we came up from L1. 

What NP is saying is what a lot of us have been saying for a long time -- SL's way is not working. To dispose of Pearson soon would be suicidal for next season, IMO, especially with no board to keep things (contracts, signings) ticking over. 

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@Davefevsshared a chart that showed how Nottingham Forest had improved under Hughton, especially after the last transfer window. 
NP gets a lot of leeway on results because he has been forced to work with this group of players and limits imposed by the injuries. He can be fairly judged on results and performances next season, if he gets the opportunity. 
As many others have said, if NP is not to continue, SL will need to move quickly to avoid exacerbating current problems.

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1 minute ago, Moments of Pleasure said:

This obsession with getting something out of the players here now. This insistence in the myth in football of one bloke sweeping in and single-handedly transforming a rotten team into the opposite. 

Why would this group of players - safe from relegation, not going for promotion, weeks from an injury free summer break, out of contract in the summer, playing in empty grounds, probably aware of the disdain of absent supporters - why would they up their game now? 

What's in it for them?

Gary Johnson once wisely said if you want to motivate footballers, sign footballers who want to be motivated & that is pretty much nail on head.

I do think that we are in the middle of a perfect storm though, we have uncertainty both on & off the pitch, the fiasco of Diedhiou’s contract & players who either know they won’t be here next season whatever happens or want to be but aren’t showing anything to suggest they should.

”What’s in it for them?” That should be a decent contract at a well paid club & for some (Hunt is my best example here) I honestly believe they are striving for that but are in horrible form & bereft of confidence.

As for Pearson I said it all yesterday, results have been awful but SL (& him alone, there is no board) is at make your mind up time, either he feels the circumstances are sufficient mitigation or he doesn’t, either way he needs to decide in the next few days.

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The only person putting SL between a rock and a hard plaice is himself.

By far the easiest option is to appoint NP as the majority of fans are behind it and if it failed the backlash would be minimal as responsibility is in everyone’s shoulders.

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If LJ or DH had overseen the last few months how many fans would be clamouring for SL to appoint Pearson, as being just the proven, experienced manager we have needed for a long time? 

My feeling is that the culmination of issues this season - injuries, ooc players, DH's inexperience, Ashton's "legacy" - gave us momentum headed in one direction only, that even King Canute Gaurdiola would have struggled to reverse. 

Pearson's experience will be necessary when it comes to the massive squad rebuild in the summer and the club rebuild off the pitch, that must surely follow Ma's departure. 

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6 minutes ago, Simon bristol said:

I was delighted with the appointment, but sometimes its just a case of wrong place wrong time. If he gets appointed full time and nothing changes lansdown would be castigated yet again for appointing the caretaker manager with the worst record in known history to have then got the job full time.

Really? 

Does anyone blame him for Coppell? O'Driscoll? 

I dont as realistically you could understand the reasoning.

In regards to Nige. Conway geeing up the team at Luton should tell all fans all we need to know about the state of the playing staff currently. 

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7 minutes ago, GrahamC said:

Gary Johnson once wisely said if you want to motivate footballers, sign footballers who want to be motivated & that is pretty much nail on head.

I do think that we are in the middle of a perfect storm though, we have uncertainty both on & off the pitch, the fiasco of Diedhiou’s contract & players who either know they won’t be here next season whatever happens or want to be but aren’t showing anything to suggest they should.

”What’s in it for them?” That should be a decent contract at a well paid club & for some (Hunt is my best example here) I honestly believe they are striving for that but are in horrible form & bereft of confidence.

As for Pearson I said it all yesterday, results have been awful but SL (& him alone, there is no board) is at make your mind up time, either he feels the circumstances are sufficient mitigation or he doesn’t, either way he needs to decide in the next few days.

Yes, so recruitment is an essential element in "motivation." 

With Weimann and Brownhill (and Korey and Flint, for example) we had intrinsic motivation. Sign enough like them and - voila - we look motivated.

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5 minutes ago, downendcity said:

If LJ or DH had overseen the last few months how many fans would be clamouring for SL to appoint Pearson, as being just the proven, experienced manager we have needed for a long time? 

None. Because Lee and Deano have yet to do what Pearson has done. We've been over this!!!

When you've done what Pearson has done, or been a part of, you are afforded a bit of leeway, trust and faith, in the hope/belief that you can do good work again.

When you are as desperate as us, and when we have already been down the "no CV to speak of, but great bloke" route, then trying a bloke with some serious success at the level we are at, is worth a try. If only because we have never tried it before. 

When this goes tits up, I hope SL will try the Johnny Foreigner route, perhaps the last untried way left to him.

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5 minutes ago, Moments of Pleasure said:

Yes, so recruitment is an essential element in "motivation." 

With Weimann and Brownhill (and Korey and Flint, for example) we had intrinsic motivation. Sign enough like them and - voila - we look motivated.

Completely.

For reasons I cannot explain Jamie McCombe popped into my head the other day, a pretty limited but hugely effective centre back that Uncle Pete signed for £5k (forget getting Mickey Bell “cheap”, that was a truly unbelievable deal). Exactly what qualities we don’t have now.

He was instrumental in us reaching a Championship playoff final, our greatest achievement since the 70s & gave all he had, Marvin Elliott (£100k!), Bradley Orr, Jamie McAllister were all in that side, too.

GJ had a point, didn’t he?

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Does anyone else get the feeling that this is Steve Lansdown’s last role of the dice?

Whether or not you consider his decisions to be part of the problem or not, you must agree that for however tiring this is for us as fans, it must be ten times more tiring for him. 

I think Pearson could be his last hurrah. 

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30 minutes ago, Simon bristol said:

I was delighted with the appointment, but sometimes its just a case of wrong place wrong time. If he gets appointed full time and nothing changes lansdown would be castigated yet again for appointing the caretaker manager with the worst record in known history to have then got the job full time.

Agreed.  NP has almost made it impossible - based on results (and arguably performances) - for SL to give him the job.

I want NP to get the job, but he's hardly made it an easy call for SL. 

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6 minutes ago, Moments of Pleasure said:

None. Because Lee and Deano have yet to do what Pearson has done. We've been over this!!!

When you've done what Pearson has done, or been a part of, you are afforded a bit of leeway, trust and faith, in the hope/belief that you can do good work again.

When you are as desperate as us, and when we have already been down the "no CV to speak of, but great bloke" route, then trying a bloke with some serious success at the level we are at, is worth a try. If only because we have never tried it before. 

When this goes tits up, I hope SL will try the Johnny Foreigner route, perhaps the last untried way left to him.

That was the DNA check that we used. We've appointed a load of players who are nice blokes. And the genuinely are nice blokes. But they're quite simply weak. I listed 13 reasons why in another thread. 

We actually need a proper football man to put in a proper football structure.

And with the departure of Ashton, we can put in proper business people to manage the business.

The two are linked (obviously) but we can't have a CE who is a wannabe football person running the football side of the club, as we've seen with Ashton, it goes tits up after 5 years.

The board can't talk about progress any longer. They need to take some serious, meaningful, short, medium and long term actions to put the club on an even keel.

If Barnsley and Brentford can do it, so can Bristol.

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Think anyone expecting any more from the current squad is delusional, the best players are injured and the ones that are fit either are youth players, not good enough or not interested. The entire season has shown we are in dire need of a rebuild, both on and off the pitch, who else is available and better qualified to lead this rebuild than NP? Results have been poor, but performances have generally been better (hardly an achievement) and individual players have progressed significantly. Give him a chance to build a team, Simpson is the only player Pearson had any involvement in bringing to the club.

It would be extremely short-sighted to write off Pearson given the circumstances of his appointment. I don't know how the club turns themselves around without appointing him.

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What we are seeing as manifested itself over a number of seasons now, largely through mismanagement and lack of strategy in anything over than name.

Holden had a lucky start with very few injuries. I saw nothing to say he could've sustained us in the Championship let alone the Ashton-touted improvement in league position compared to LJ.

This faffing around is becoming tiring now. NP has the credentials to do the job we want and so badly need, it just seems that maybe the overall aim of the club doesn't align with having to admit they've made big and very costly mistakes.

Get on with it, appoint NP and lets all get on the journey to an exciting new direction - the club is stale at present.

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1 hour ago, The Journalist said:

I find it incredible, though not at all surprising, people have been seriously swayed by what’s happened in the past two months. A team that was losing prolifically has continued to lose prolifically.

Just a couple of points on my, for one, ‘incredible, though not at all surprising’ feelings about Nigel Pearson.

1.  While Holden was in charge, he and the coaches were held entirely responsible for the team’s shortcomings; the players were absolved from all responsibility.  Since Pearson was appointed the reverse has consistently been true: nothing that has happened since Holden was sacked appears to be Pearson’s responsibility, all of it is down to the players.  Pearson, it would appear, can do no wrong.

2.  Holden’s final dozen games in charge yielded a similar number of points to what Pearson has accrued.  However, interestingly Holden’s last five games were against Reading, Watford, Sheff Utd, Cardiff and Brentford.  In our last five games we have failed to beat Luton, Wycombe, Sheff Wed, Forest and Coventry.  We were losing no more prolifically under Holden, but his was the more difficult run of matches.  What’s worse, to surrender a two goal lead against Luton or to lose 6-0 to a premier league team in waiting?

Don’t get me wrong, I felt that Holden’s time was probably up and was excited by Pearson’s appointment, but I can’t ignore that Pearson’s record is no better than Holden’s, in an easier run of games on paper, and while I admire the confidence people have in him, what is ‘not at all surprising’ (and hardly incredible) is that not all people are presently sharing that confidence, given the shockingly awful results under his management.

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I think that the appointment of NP is intrinsically linked to further appointments around the CEO/DOF; and the coaching team.

As such, rather than just announcing NP of his own; the club are lining up the complete new structure, and will announce all of it at the same time.

Of course, the lack of communication around this mind set leads to confusion; and in true Bristol City fashion, complete inertia.

For an astute Businessman, who has been up a vast fortune through decisive decision making; SL doesn't half plod his way through the mess than Bristol City becomes every few years. I get the feeling that the whole world of football is in some ways an uncomfortable one for him. I'm sure he doesn't enjoy it, in the way in which his demeanour around the rugby demonstrates.

He obviously wants to pass his role onto JL. But he has proved inept at the best of times; and now shows no enthusiasm for doing it. As such, the search for new investment/co-owners has begun.

As others have said, this decision feels like the last major one that SL is going to do; before retiring to his other interests; and with no MA around to discuss things with; SL is probably having to drive it himself. 

I'm sure we will get a decision shortly, but boy; does it feel unnecessarily drawn out?

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31 minutes ago, cityloyal473 said:

Agreed.  NP has almost made it impossible - based on results (and arguably performances) - for SL to give him the job.

I want NP to get the job, but he's hardly made it an easy call for SL. 

I don't think it's a hard call for SL, mainly because he has a trackrecord of appointing managers with a lack of pedigree at this level, and if he doesn't find that difficult then I struggle to see why he would find it difficult to appoint one with a track-record at this level...unless, he doesn't want to cede power to that extent, and would prefer to use this awful run of form as a facade.

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5 minutes ago, The Dolman Pragmatist said:

Just a couple of points on my, for one, ‘incredible, though not at all surprising’ feelings about Nigel Pearson.

1.  While Holden was in charge, he and the coaches were held entirely responsible for the team’s shortcomings; the players were absolved from all responsibility.  Since Pearson was appointed the reverse has consistently been true: nothing that has happened since Holden was sacked appears to be Pearson’s responsibility, all of it is down to the players.  Pearson, it would appear, can do no wrong.

2.  Holden’s final dozen games in charge yielded a similar number of points to what Pearson has accrued.  However, interestingly Holden’s last five games were against Reading, Watford, Sheff Utd, Cardiff and Brentford.  In our last five games we have failed to beat Luton, Wycombe, Sheff Wed, Forest and Coventry.  We were losing no more prolifically under Holden, but his was the more difficult run of matches.  What’s worse, to surrender a two goal lead against Luton or to lose 6-0 to a premier league team in waiting?

Don’t get me wrong, I felt that Holden’s time was probably up and was excited by Pearson’s appointment, but I can’t ignore that Pearson’s record is no better than Holden’s, in an easier run of games on paper, and while I admire the confidence people have in him, what is ‘not at all surprising’ (and hardly incredible) is that not all people are presently sharing that confidence, given the shockingly awful results under his management.

For me, it comes down to the fact that the current squad simply isn't good enough. If we hadn't been ravaged by injuries we might've made mid table, but either way the team isn't good enough to get anywhere near the top 6. Holden, as Lee's assistant, was at least present when the current squad was put together, so knows the players and had no real excuse for not getting performances other than a lack of management ability.

Pearson has to deal with a squad that's not good enough, with even more injuries arising, that he had no influence in putting together. He's accurately summed up where the club and playing squad is going wrong, these problems can't be fixed without access to the transfer market. I'm not making excuses for the results, just contextualising them. I don't really know what anyone expected Pearson to do on arrival? He's in charge of a group of players that have been far too comfortable for far too long and many of them need to leave the club ASAP. The players that do care and do want to fight for their place have shown signs of improvement, focus on them and go again next season with a rejuvenated squad imo.

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8 minutes ago, The Dolman Pragmatist said:

Just a couple of points on my, for one, ‘incredible, though not at all surprising’ feelings about Nigel Pearson.

1.  While Holden was in charge, he and the coaches were held entirely responsible for the team’s shortcomings; the players were absolved from all responsibility.  Since Pearson was appointed the reverse has consistently been true: nothing that has happened since Holden was sacked appears to be Pearson’s responsibility, all of it is down to the players.  Pearson, it would appear, can do no wrong.

2.  Holden’s final dozen games in charge yielded a similar number of points to what Pearson has accrued.  However, interestingly Holden’s last five games were against Reading, Watford, Sheff Utd, Cardiff and Brentford.  In our last five games we have failed to beat Luton, Wycombe, Sheff Wed, Forest and Coventry.  We were losing no more prolifically under Holden, but his was the more difficult run of matches.  What’s worse, to surrender a two goal lead against Luton or to lose 6-0 to a premier league team in waiting?

Don’t get me wrong, I felt that Holden’s time was probably up and was excited by Pearson’s appointment, but I can’t ignore that Pearson’s record is no better than Holden’s, in an easier run of games on paper, and while I admire the confidence people have in him, what is ‘not at all surprising’ (and hardly incredible) is that not all people are presently sharing that confidence, given the shockingly awful results under his management.

I think there's a simple reason: benefit of the doubt.

It's very difficult to give a rookie manager benefit of the doubt. 

Conversely, it's foolish not to give the benefit of the doubt to a manager that has a wealth of experience and a proven track record of success.

So that's where we are. Every managerial appointment comes with a certain degree of 'leap of faith'. SL has to take that leap, not based on results, but based on other reliable assumptions, such as 'a manager that has succeeded before, can do so again', and 'experience at this level and above gives a manager an advantage' etc.

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1 hour ago, SecretSam said:

However, one point sticks out - would a "young", inexperienced manager have been given the same leeway at NP has been, and still have the overwhelming backing of the fans? Now, I'm not saying NP isn't the right choice - and there's an element of rock and hard place here - but although he's said the right things, he's still not been able to bring more out of the players.

I think it is pretty safe to say that 99% of other Managers that would have been on such a terrible run would have been on the end of much worse abuse and feedback, NP has been given a massive break by our support. I'd say mainly because for once we all realise that the vast majority of the players aren't fit to wear the shirt

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1 hour ago, Fuber said:

Conway geeing up the team at Luton should tell all fans all we need to know about the state of the playing staff currently. 

Spot on. This is just the attitude NP and all of us want to see in the players, and I'm sure NP will have that high on his list of priorities when researching and deciding who he wants to sign. The attitude of all the newly introduced academy lads has been spot on.

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Bottom line is what ever happens next is a gamble. Whether we stick with the proven manager who isn't getting results or try someone else again, there is no guarantee of success and either move could be a disaster.

For me, I'm less worried about whether or not Pearson gets the job as to whether the club can quickly settle on its direction and strategy and make the moves necessary to make it work as well as possible. Pearson's results cannot be separated from the drift the club is in at the moment but, at the same time, those results cannot be ignored either. 

But, whichever way we go, we need to pursue it wholeheartedly and move quickly. That might mean hiring Pearson and supporting him in the transfer market or it might mean shaking Pearson's hand, wishing him well and ensuring the replacement is ready to start by the end of the season. But we need to know what players we want and target them. We need to decide which players we want to offer new contracts to and agree that. And the club need to decide on a post-Ashton structure and make those appointments too.

We cannot afford to get into post-season with no idea what is happening next or whatever decision we make is doomed to fail. 

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5 minutes ago, phantom said:

I think it is pretty safe to say that 99% of other Managers that would have been on such a terrible run would have been on the end of much worse abuse and feedback, NP has been given a massive break by our support. I'd say mainly because for once we all realise that the vast majority of the players aren't fit to wear the shirt

Not just that but there seems to be a collective understanding that the project of the last few years has failed and that we need a new direction. 

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