Matty James - SIGNED - BCFC Twitter

[the1stknowle]

11 minutes ago, M.D said:

Every new signing is a risk of course but this one is well worth a go in my opinion, just what we need in midfield and a leader on and off the pitch.

Yeah - this exactly. Signings don't always work out as they are human beings. But on paper, exactly the player we have needed for about last 5 years. Really hope this happens. 

On a related note, this signing, combined with Simpson, would seem to suggest NP in complete control of transfer strategy going forward. Which given his eye for a player is also really encouraging. 

[ciderwithtommy]

This makes sense. If you look at Cotts first (half) season in charge it was all about “safe” and trusted signings, honest players who are at their level in this league. Back then it was Nosworthy, Gillet etc. I think this is similar, just the next level or two up. James will be solid, honest, set standards at training and give us the framework to build up from. Defo would like this to come off, and would give a benchmark for Scott, Bakinson and Massengo of where they need to be consistently to play at this level.

[glynriley]

22 minutes ago, BCFCGav said:

Sounds a good option on a free. My only reservation is, say we play a 442 or 4231 for most the season, that's only two midfield roles. Could Matty James block the development of Han-Noah and Tyreeq if he's paired with Williams? And where would that leave Nagy?

Not going to start every game though, are they? Quite feasible that if those were our 5 midfielders they could all play 25-30 games each when you factor in injuries and suspensions, and hopefully a cup run run or 2.

[The Bard]

2 hours ago, RedNachos said:

This was the sort of reaction to Brunt rumours I believe. Remember him at Leicster, but wouldn't fancy more than a 2 year deal at nearly 30.

Brunt was 7 years older.

[Jerseybean]

Coventry are clearly keen to secure him permanently....https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/leicester-city-transfers-matty-james-5395524

 

[pjg11]

1 hour ago, RalphMilnesLeftFoot said:

Matty James has had some career https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/sep/08/matty-james-pain-remember-rest-of-life-leicester-city-interview

However, He wasnt that good when at PNE (Darren/Alex Ferguson shenanigans a plenty) mind, he was just starting out

and I'm not keen on repeating a 'managerial' dynasty by signing all old Leicester players, because they have played for NP or Leicester or both before. 

Had a decent season this time, but I'm concerned it's not about the future and more about getting 'the band' back together, which does not sit well with me. 

Will see what happens

 

If the ship isn’t steadied the future is league one . To bring in a known quantity who had a good season last season is sensible and solid . No room for passengers or maybes next season had that for to long not about getting the band back together. About getting a championship player. He can trust 

[Sniper]

Just had a nose of the Coventry Forum.

https://www.skybluestalk.co.uk/threads/matty-james.132078/page-9

A few comments from the Coventry Fans:
I mean fair enough Bristol City can offer more money than us but how can Pearson be a factor? He'll be sacked by Christmas for nutting one of his own players.

Heard a whisper over the weekend about James, apparently we have offered him a 2 year deal and Bristol have offered 3 years.

They’ve got Danny Simpson there and also appointed the former Leicester physiotherapist. Pearson was scathing about the dressing room being soft so makes sense he wants characters who have served him well.

[Davefevs]

5 minutes ago, Sniper said:

Just had a nose of the Coventry Forum.

https://www.skybluestalk.co.uk/threads/matty-james.132078/page-9

A few comments from the Coventry Fans:
I mean fair enough Bristol City can offer more money than us but how can Pearson be a factor? He'll be sacked by Christmas for nutting one of his own players.

Heard a whisper over the weekend about James, apparently we have offered him a 2 year deal and Bristol have offered 3 years.

They’ve got Danny Simpson there and also appointed the former Leicester physiotherapist. Pearson was scathing about the dressing room being soft so makes sense he wants characters who have served him well.

Sensible Cov poster.

[Kodjias Wrist]

7 minutes ago, Sniper said:

Just had a nose of the Coventry Forum.

https://www.skybluestalk.co.uk/threads/matty-james.132078/page-9

A few comments from the Coventry Fans:
I mean fair enough Bristol City can offer more money than us but how can Pearson be a factor? He'll be sacked by Christmas for nutting one of his own players.

Heard a whisper over the weekend about James, apparently we have offered him a 2 year deal and Bristol have offered 3 years.

They’ve got Danny Simpson there and also appointed the former Leicester physiotherapist. Pearson was scathing about the dressing room being soft so makes sense he wants characters who have served him well.

Good bunch Cov fans thank god that SISU has restored some parity to that club. Ve chuffed if we got him however being NPs ex signing it was an easy link to write about.

[Simon79]

3 hours ago, billywedlock said:

I would have thought Andy King is also under consideration. 

Have thought something similar after hearing him in an interview a week or two ago. Last season didn’t go as planned in Belgium for him. Wouldn’t be surprised to see him in a similar trial type thing to Simpson over the summer. COYR 

[2015]

7 minutes ago, RalphMilnesLeftFoot said:

See my response to Phileas. 

Rinse, repeat, same issues, over and over and over. 

Squad we have is actually good, more than good enough to stay in this league, relegation isnt predetermined nor is the doom and gloom about them when managed and motivated properly. 

Bringing in another 'trusted' enforcer,  solidifies the rinse and repeat, and I'd rather we'd do something different. Itd make a nice change not to rely on aging and arguably less able player to do the thing that is expected in a league that has changed beyond all recognition since the last successes. 

 

I'm unsure about that one. I don't think many players would walk into other Championship sides. It's a team game and not an individual game and currently Barnsley, Coventry and the like are much better than us.

[Silvio Dante]

32 minutes ago, 2015 said:

I'm unsure about that one. I don't think many players would walk into other Championship sides. It's a team game and not an individual game and currently Barnsley, Coventry and the like are much better than us.

This. The GJ example above is just weird. Fontaine, Johnson, McIndoe, Jevons and to a lesser extent Williams/Weale were part of a team that went up from L1 and were within a hairs breadth of the prem. I don’t think anyone would say individually they were great players, but they clicked together and made a good team. Part of that is chemistry, part is character - DNA if you will. It went south under GJ when it had just reached a natural end, and maybe that core wasn’t as tight knit and didn’t fit as well together.

If Pearson wants James because firstly he trusts him and secondly knows his character that’s the most important aspect. He’ll know how he wants him to fit into the team, and understand how he can benefit the collective.

If you look at a lot of our problems under McInnes, Johnson, Holden etc it’s down to not having a well defined strategy and team that was better than the sum of its parts. First step on that is individuals with the right character 

[Phileas Fogg]

59 minutes ago, RalphMilnesLeftFoot said:

It's almost as if your post wants to ignore the rinse and repeat nature of this.  

Williams was a sicknote, Jevons, was just 'there', Fonts regressed massively, Nepotism with Lee and Mcindoes, financial scheme are hardly glowing endorsements. given the number of punch ups and violence and the utter mess that was uncle Pete's scouting etc, are you sure that that's a good example to use?? 

You're ignoring the relative value for money of the signings. Jevons was top scorer in our promotion season. Fontaine was a good signing relative to outlay and was on the cusp of a big money move to Southampton. Lee Johnson was a mainstay of the Promotion and Playoff sides, McIndoe was a really good signing for the time too and was one of our key players in 07/08.

What McIndoe may or may not have been involved with after he retired is neither here nor there - at the time he was a very good signing. 

Yes, those are good examples. They're all players who GJ had previously managed who came in and performed for us to various degrees. 

59 minutes ago, RalphMilnesLeftFoot said:

Post on Delboy on here from a times article 5 years ago, about management here nearly a decade ago.  What's changed exactly since then?? 

https://www.otib.co.uk/index.php?/topic/175160-mcinnes-on-city-uncomfortable-reading/

Then we've the list of Dels signings,article from 2017 awe inspiring, I'm sure you'll agree. 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/derek-mcinnes-bristol-city-signings-906438.amp

No one is saying that McInnes made loads of good signings. You used him as an example of a manager who came and made loads of 'jobs for boys' signings. As it happened, the only player he signed who he'd previously managed was Jody Morris. He was a poor signing, but it was just him. We aren't talking about the other players McInnes signed because it isn't relevant to the 'jobs for boys' point. 

59 minutes ago, RalphMilnesLeftFoot said:

Historically, the whole jobs for the boys thing has been a massive issue, from the mess of having too many ex players walking into cosy jobs which has been discussed ad infinitum on here over the years. 

And now we want to do it, yet again, despite it leaving massive legacy issues and messing about with continuity, something the club and fans have been vocal about over time about not repeating. 

We've signed Danny Simpson, appointed a former Leicester physio and are rumoured to be interested in Matty James. I don't think the three of them will collectively create "massive legacy issues" somehow. 

59 minutes ago, RalphMilnesLeftFoot said:

For a team that wants to do new and progressive, we arent half mired in the past and obsessed with other people's ex's

I'd love to see change, but cant see where that's coming from yet. 

 

What about all the times it's worked? Cotterill did it very effectively with Wade Elliot. The ex-Yeovil contingent of the 06/07 and 07/08 sides were undoubtedly big contributors to our success at the time. 

[2015]

1 minute ago, Silvio Dante said:

This. The GJ example above is just weird. Fontaine, Johnson, McIndoe, Jevons and to a lesser extent Williams/Weale were part of a team that went up from L1 and were within a hairs breadth of the prem. I don’t think anyone would say individually they were great players, but they clicked together and made a good team. Part of that is chemistry, part is character - DNA if you will. It went south under GJ when it had just reached a natural end, and maybe that core wasn’t as tight knit and didn’t fit as well together.

If Pearson wants James because firstly he trusts him and secondly knows his character that’s the most important aspect. He’ll know how he wants him to fit into the team, and understand how he can benefit the collective.

If you look at a lot of our problems under McInnes, Johnson, Holden etc it’s down to not having a well defined strategy and team that was better than the sum of its parts. First step on that is individuals with the right character 

Exactly, and FWIW I am a critic of Gary Johnson of how he left our squad (bloated, average players) but you cannot argue that between 2006 and 2008 he did an excellent job at building a winning side. It's a team game, not a bunch of individuals who could get in other sides.

[Unan]

SkyBlue_Adam

Active Member

Today at 10:34 AM

• #313

Heard a whisper over the weekend about James, apparently we have offered him a 2 year deal and Bristol have offered 3 years

[Davefevs]

15 minutes ago, RalphMilnesLeftFoot said:

See my response to Phileas. 

Rinse, repeat, same issues, over and over and over. 

Squad we have is actually good, more than good enough to stay in this league, relegation isnt predetermined nor is the doom and gloom about them when managed and motivated properly. 

Bringing in another 'trusted' enforcer,  solidifies the rinse and repeat, and I'd rather we'd do something different. Itd make a nice change not to rely on aging and arguably less able player to do the thing that is expected in a league that has changed beyond all recognition since the last successes. 

 

Squad has good players in it, but it is not deep enough, more so if Weimann and Simpson don’t sign.  We can’t go in to next season on this group alone.

I think we have to look at M.James as “one of Pearson’s”….but equally, the fact that Barnsley wanted to keep him in January, Cov got him, and want him again, probably shows it’s not just jobs for the boys, but recognition that he’s a decent player.  If Holden is in charge with no relationship with James, then we stand little chance of getting him over Cov without paying more than them.  So this one is a bit of a mix of “signing your mate, but for the right reason”.  That’s my view anyway.

Then we go to Atkinson, Yates, Olusunde, Whatmough, etc, all players we’ve been linked with, with no Pearson connection.

So I don’t think it’s getting the band back together per se.  Time will tell as each deal is done / not done.

[redsquirrel]

there will also be players who have been a thorn in his side against any of pearsons teams

[GrahamC]

35 minutes ago, billywedlock said:

Maybe. But won the leagues 1 ,Champ and Prem. Will have the attitude and guidance NP is after and is available (no idea if injured though) . We don't have many winners at the club right now and he did at Leicester what many of our youth are dreaming to achieve. A good example. Someone who has done something rather than the never achieved bunch.

He and NP clearly talk. 

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/former-leicester-city-boss-nigel-4863272

I certainly wouldn’t rule it out, but just one sub appearance this season & only 6 starts last would make me far more cautious than I’d be re James.

[CyderInACan]

3 hours ago, GrahamC said:

Just Jody Morris, which seeing as he only ever started 2 games for us, wasn’t exactly like filling the side with his former players.

A legend in his own insta 

[CyderInACan]

1 hour ago, RalphMilnesLeftFoot said:

Williams was a sicknote, Jevons, was just 'there', Fonts regressed massively, Nepotism with Lee and Mcindoes, financial scheme are hardly glowing endorsements. given the number of punch ups and violence and the utter mess that was uncle Pete's scouting etc, are you sure that that's a good example to use?? 

Some heavy duty revisionism going on there if you ask me. 

[ciderwithtommy]

If you look at the squad above posted by @Davefevsand ask yourself “is he a proven player at this level” for each name, that squad starts to become alarmingly weak. Players like James who are proven, and who can take the “here and now” in there stride are imperative, and the fact he has a relationship with Pearson is for me, right now in the situation we are (thanks Mark Ashton), a benefit.

[Selred]

47 minutes ago, Phileas Fogg said:

What about all the times it's worked? Cotterill did it very effectively with Wade Elliot. The ex-Yeovil contingent of the 06/07 and 07/08 sides were undoubtedly big contributors to our success at the time

And even under LJ, Brownhill is a good example, and he had Reid at Oldham which probably meant he had a better shot under LJ here too.

For me the bigger issue was of overpaid players with big contracts; Hunt, Stewart, James, Kilkenny etc. None of those have previous with the managers who signed them.

[GrahamC]

20 minutes ago, CyderInACan said:

Some heavy duty revisionism going on there if you ask me. 

Remarkable that a squad with McIndoe, Fontaine & LJ all such big parts of it got much closer to Premiership football than any since then!

What utter nonsense.

[KegCity]

1 hour ago, RalphMilnesLeftFoot said:

See my response to Phileas. 

Rinse, repeat, same issues, over and over and over. 

Squad we have is actually good, more than good enough to stay in this league, relegation isnt predetermined nor is the doom and gloom about them when managed and motivated properly. 

Bringing in another 'trusted' enforcer,  solidifies the rinse and repeat, and I'd rather we'd do something different. Itd make a nice change not to rely on aging and arguably less able player to do the thing that is expected in a league that has changed beyond all recognition since the last successes. 

 

He's 29. In what world is that an ageing player?

[Sturny]

2 minutes ago, KegCity said:

He's 29. In what world is that an ageing player?

29yo midfielders can still be considered in their prime years.  Could easily have 2 more years of his best years in him 

[Phileas Fogg]

Just now, Sturny said:

29yo midfielders can still be considered in their prime years.  Could easily have 2 more years of his best years in him 

Quite easily, even more than that in many cases. It seems that in the past few years some of our fans have started to turn their noses up at any player older than 26. In 07/08 Lee Trundle became our record signing at 30! I firmly believe in a squad you need a good blend of experience and youth. Matty James will bring that - a player in his prime with experience at the top level.

[Supersonic Robin]

35 minutes ago, ciderwithtommy said:

If you look at the squad above posted by @Davefevsand ask yourself “is he a proven player at this level” for each name, that squad starts to become alarmingly weak. Players like James who are proven, and who can take the “here and now” in there stride are imperative, and the fact he has a relationship with Pearson is for me, right now in the situation we are (thanks Mark Ashton), a benefit.

I think we have to be a bit cautious when applying the "proven" idea to assess players. Don't get me wrong, experience can be important within a squad, but I do think people can get a little carried away with the "is he proven?" mantra.

There's lots of players who are "unproven" at this level who do very well very quickly (e.g. Toney), and lots of players who are "proven at this level" who struggle (e.g. Brunt, Lansbury).

Perhaps "Has he recently shown traits that suggest he'll do well at this level?" would be more accurate. Such thinking is why I feel more positive about us signing Matty James than I did about Lansbury, for example. It's also why, although our squad may lack depth and cohesion, I think it may be a little harsh to say we're "alarmingly weak" on a player-by-player basis.

[Sturny]

9 minutes ago, Phileas Fogg said:

Quite easily, even more than that in many cases. It seems that in the past few years some of our fans have started to turn their noses up at any player older than 26. In 07/08 Lee Trundle became our record signing at 30! I firmly believe in a squad you need a good blend of experience and youth. Matty James will bring that - a player in his prime with experience at the top level.

Indeed, though I somewhat understand this in some ways. If you look over the past 5 seasons a good chunk of our stand out performers have been mostly that age or under, so a concern of a quantity of players outside that age bracket I guess has legs if that's how you view things. But then again could those "non-ageing" players achieve what they did without senior experienced team mates?

[Phileas Fogg]

22 minutes ago, KegCity said:

He's 29. In what world is that an ageing player?

Unfortunately anything Pearson does will be viewed negatively by RMLF, even if it means bending the truth a tad. They've already decided they don't like him so will always view anything he does through this frame.

It happens with every single manager - there's always one or two who make up their mind early doors.

[Bristol Oil Services]

2 hours ago, RalphMilnesLeftFoot said:

 

I'd love to see change, but cant see where that's coming from yet. 

 

Turn this place off, then, and look out of the window. There you find change aplenty. On the face of it, not much is going to change in BS3 until we start playing again, or winning again, should I say (when we start winning again, the positive change will be there for all to see).

Forget about otibs and Bristol City until August. Neither appear to be bringing you much cheer. Unless I'm very much mistaken?