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Reputational Damage


Supersonic Robin

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One thing I haven't seen mentioned so much on here is the damage this season may do to our reputation and status.

In recent years, we'd developed the status of an "outside chance at top 6" side. (Admittedly, some degree of that status had come from “talking the talk” as oppose to “walking the walk”). This season we've firmly established ourselves as a club who are nowhere near promotion. We are looking much more likely to be relegated than promoted next season.

Furthermore, the nature of our season hasn’t been a slow, semi-respectable, underwhelming affair. Rather, it has been an absolute implosion, filled with far too many embarrassing moments to list here. I really do feel that we’ve lacked dignity at times this season.

In terms of our footballing brand and identity, we have again been calamitous. Metrics like xG show we’ve been battered week after week, more so than any other team. We’re also on course to comfortably set a new record for the least shots in a championship season.

  •  Should we have concerns about the damage this season does to our reputation?
  •  Are Bristol City now seen as a much less enticing prospect than we were a year ago?
  •  Perhaps most importantly, to what extent might this impact our ability to attract players in summer?
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Historically we haven't had a massive amount to shout about.However I would expect most casual outside observers will be interested to see how we progress with an established, proven manager.I think NPs appointment will enhance our profile.

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I really hope NP does well but fear he might be too little too late... this run and last couple of years has a familiar feel about it that ends in relegation. 
Hopefully NP bucks the trend, rebuilds and gets us pointing in the direction... it’s not going to be an overnight job! 

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12 hours ago, Supersonic Robin said:

One thing I haven't seen mentioned so much on here is the damage this season may do to our reputation and status.

In recent years, we'd developed the status of an "outside chance at top 6" side. (Admittedly, some degree of that status had come from “talking the talk” as oppose to “walking the walk”). This season we've firmly established ourselves as a club who are nowhere near promotion. We are looking much more likely to be relegated than promoted next season.

Furthermore, the nature of our season hasn’t been a slow, semi-respectable, underwhelming affair. Rather, it has been an absolute implosion, filled with far too many embarrassing moments to list here. I really do feel that we’ve lacked dignity at times this season.

In terms of our footballing brand and identity, we have again been calamitous. Metrics like xG show we’ve been battered week after week, more so than any other team. We’re also on course to comfortably set a new record for the least shots in a championship season.

  •  Should we have concerns about the damage this season does to our reputation?
  •  Are Bristol City now seen as a much less enticing prospect than we were a year ago?
  •  Perhaps most importantly, to what extent might this impact our ability to attract players in summer?

It's an interesting point, but I don't think one poor season would ruin our reputation in isolation.

The new training ground will be a big draw, the ground is impressive and we now have a manager with a big reputation. I'd say that the sum of the parts would indicate a reputational improvement rather than decline.

It's a huge summer for recruitment though. He has to get this right. 

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It’s an interesting suggestion, and it might have some affect on recruitment, but I don’t thinks it’s too big a problem. Some of the clubs in the top half of the league aren’t a big draw - eg who wants to live in Reading? 

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11 minutes ago, pongo88 said:

It’s an interesting suggestion, and it might have some affect on recruitment, but I don’t thinks it’s too big a problem. Some of the clubs in the top half of the league aren’t a big draw - eg who wants to live in Reading? 

I doubt many of Reading’s higher earners live in the town.

Very easy to live in London and play for Reading or alternatively, there are many lovely places to live in Berkshire.

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19 minutes ago, Mendip City said:

I really hope NP does well but fear he might be too little too late... this run and last couple of years has a familiar feel about it that ends in relegation. 
Hopefully NP bucks the trend, rebuilds and gets us pointing in the direction... it’s not going to be an overnight job! 

I called it around November time that we'd be back in League 1 by 2023. Maybe I underestimated how bad we were

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13 hours ago, Supersonic Robin said:

One thing I haven't seen mentioned so much on here is the damage this season may do to our reputation and status.

In recent years, we'd developed the status of an "outside chance at top 6" side. (Admittedly, some degree of that status had come from “talking the talk” as oppose to “walking the walk”). This season we've firmly established ourselves as a club who are nowhere near promotion. We are looking much more likely to be relegated than promoted next season.

Furthermore, the nature of our season hasn’t been a slow, semi-respectable, underwhelming affair. Rather, it has been an absolute implosion, filled with far too many embarrassing moments to list here. I really do feel that we’ve lacked dignity at times this season.

In terms of our footballing brand and identity, we have again been calamitous. Metrics like xG show we’ve been battered week after week, more so than any other team. We’re also on course to comfortably set a new record for the least shots in a championship season.

  •  Should we have concerns about the damage this season does to our reputation?
  •  Are Bristol City now seen as a much less enticing prospect than we were a year ago?
  •  Perhaps most importantly, to what extent might this impact our ability to attract players in summer?

It’s not ideal, but we start the new season with a blank slate & what should be a new team & culture.

We always struggle to attract higher end champ players or anyway so I don’t think it alters the external perception but to us fans we rightly see this season as huge step backward.

The only people who think we’re a Prem club in waiting is our board & marketing dept.

I believe most players & fans out there still see us more as a Champ/L1 club so not much really changes after this seasons collapse.

Players will see us as a good stepping stone in their journey & that will be the only reason they sign for us.

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I really hope NP is given all the tools he requires - bring in his own coaching team, and recruitment team!

Then we can really see what his coaching can do - that said we do have some quality players - they just need better coaching and direction.

The next 6 months will very interesting!

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13 hours ago, Supersonic Robin said:

One thing I haven't seen mentioned so much on here is the damage this season may do to our reputation and status.

In recent years, we'd developed the status of an "outside chance at top 6" side. (Admittedly, some degree of that status had come from “talking the talk” as oppose to “walking the walk”). This season we've firmly established ourselves as a club who are nowhere near promotion. We are looking much more likely to be relegated than promoted next season.

Furthermore, the nature of our season hasn’t been a slow, semi-respectable, underwhelming affair. Rather, it has been an absolute implosion, filled with far too many embarrassing moments to list here. I really do feel that we’ve lacked dignity at times this season.

In terms of our footballing brand and identity, we have again been calamitous. Metrics like xG show we’ve been battered week after week, more so than any other team. We’re also on course to comfortably set a new record for the least shots in a championship season.

  •  Should we have concerns about the damage this season does to our reputation?
  •  Are Bristol City now seen as a much less enticing prospect than we were a year ago?
  •  Perhaps most importantly, to what extent might this impact our ability to attract players in summer?

However, we do have superb facilities and a well respected manager. Probably pay pretty decent wages as well.

Spending most of 2015/16 in the bottom 3 didn’t prevent us from signing Brownhill, Tomlin and Magnússon amongst others in the Summer as well as bringing in Abraham on loan. 

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I dont think people other than us pay that much attention to our results and they will still see us an established championship club .  

Barnsley almost went down last season and were still able to attract players good enough to get them in the playoffs this season. 

 

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13 hours ago, Supersonic Robin said:

One thing I haven't seen mentioned so much on here is the damage this season may do to our reputation and status.

In recent years, we'd developed the status of an "outside chance at top 6" side. (Admittedly, some degree of that status had come from “talking the talk” as oppose to “walking the walk”). This season we've firmly established ourselves as a club who are nowhere near promotion. We are looking much more likely to be relegated than promoted next season.

Furthermore, the nature of our season hasn’t been a slow, semi-respectable, underwhelming affair. Rather, it has been an absolute implosion, filled with far too many embarrassing moments to list here. I really do feel that we’ve lacked dignity at times this season.

In terms of our footballing brand and identity, we have again been calamitous. Metrics like xG show we’ve been battered week after week, more so than any other team. We’re also on course to comfortably set a new record for the least shots in a championship season.

  •  Should we have concerns about the damage this season does to our reputation?
  •  Are Bristol City now seen as a much less enticing prospect than we were a year ago?
  •  Perhaps most importantly, to what extent might this impact our ability to attract players in summer?

Players will still have the following priorities, in the following order.

Money.

Money and the possibility of game time.

Money, the possibility of game time and the chance of some team success.

Nothing has changed.

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47 minutes ago, Red Alert said:

It’s not ideal, but we start the new season with a blank slate

Yep - stay in this division and individual season ineptness is forgotten. Remember that Hull City finished 21st the season before they beat us to promotion from the Championship, but even more stark comparison, this is Brighton's run to promotion after winning League One:

60887ADD-B2D4-44F2-A7EC-B5BA6F880753.thumb.jpeg.5d0176a867ee7b7451b3e86019bb0bf4.jpeg

Notice the season where they temporarily imploded and finished 20th despite being upwardly mobile  - there were reasons for it and they returned to form relatively quickly.

I'm not suggesting we've come close to their play off level form in this division but the point is they had a bad season and I don't remember them being written off long term. 

They also radically improved their infrastructure (stadium, training ground) and transfer spending in that period - it wouldn't be the first time people see parallels between us.

That season in 20th they put Sami Hyppia in charge who was relatively inexperienced, Chris Hughton took over by January and still finished 20th but got going next season.

 

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4 minutes ago, Olé said:

Yep - stay in this division and individual season ineptness is forgotten. Remember that Hull City finished 21st the season before they beat us to promotion from the Championship, but even more stark comparison, this is Brighton's run to promotion after winning League One:

60887ADD-B2D4-44F2-A7EC-B5BA6F880753.thumb.jpeg.5d0176a867ee7b7451b3e86019bb0bf4.jpeg

Notice the season where they temporarily imploded and finished 20th despite being upwardly mobile  - there were reasons for it and they returned to form relatively quickly.

I'm not suggesting we've come close to their play off level form in this division but the point is they had a bad season and I don't remember them being written off long term. 

They also radically improved their infrastructure (stadium, training ground) and transfer spending in that period - it wouldn't be the first time people see parallels between us.

That season in 20th they put Sami Hyppia in charge who was relatively inexperienced, Chris Hughton took over by January and still finished 20th but got going next season.

 

I think people are caught up in the here and now, are letting it cloud their judgement of the future and are hugely underestimating:

i) the positive effect a total rest from this shitshow of a season will have on those who are under contract and do want to be here

ii) the effect of having a large number of injured players fit for selection and raring to go next season

iii) the impact that new players we bring in will have on the squad

iv) the huge learning that a number of our youngsters have made this season on the job

v) a manager that is staying calm and knows he will sort it out in due course

vi) the release of certain staff from the club who have been poisonous in their actions this season

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2 hours ago, Red white and red said:

We will always be a soft touch because that’s what the owner is comfortable with. 

Fingers crossed that one of the home truths that NP has given SL is that if he wants us to get to where he wants, then he and we can no longer be a soft touch owner or club.

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If I was a professional footballer looking to sign for new club I'd be far more concerned about the medical and conditioning team and the manager's standing in the game than what it did last season.   

On th positive, it's a far easier sell for Pearson to convince me to sign when we have a threadbare squad than a full one.  I could see I was needed and where I'd for into his plan. 

Obviously my wages would be my first consideration.  ?

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Our selling points really atm are. A decent new manager, top facilities, and a high chance of regular game time due to a high amount of players being released. 
current form will no doubt affect current thinking but at season reset, it will be like a fresh start and I’m sure we could do well to convince some decent players to join. Especially if we bring on a DOF with good contacts and strong recruitment/scouting capabilities

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On 02/05/2021 at 11:43, Phileas Fogg said:

It's an interesting point, but I don't think one poor season would ruin our reputation in isolation.

The new training ground will be a big draw, the ground is impressive and we now have a manager with a big reputation. I'd say that the sum of the parts would indicate a reputational improvement rather than decline.

It's a huge summer for recruitment though. He has to get this right. 

Sunderland built a great training ground.. but...

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