Tough, but come on, stick with it...!

[PFree]

As much as I try to always be positive, I too left the ground yesterday feeling totally disillusioned. 
 
I can deal with a lack of quality on the pitch, as in football, you generally get what you pay for, and there are far better players and teams in this division. That said I agree some of our players for whatever reason are under performing and lacking consistency.

What I can’t deal with though, and I made my feelings very clear to the players as they walked around after the game, is the total lack of passion and effort - it’s a real privilege to be a professional footballer and nothing should be left on the pitch. Some hardly broke a sweat yesterday and it leads you to wonder if they actually care.

I am starting to get concerned about NP, as there is clearly something wrong, some players just don’t seem to be playing for him. What I would say though is that we all knew this was his first real season at the helm, and right from the start, we were aware it was a three year journey - it’s tough for him as we are broke and continue to face difficult trading times due to the inept (very well paid) people who have created this mess. As hard as it is to hear, I appreciate his honesty, we have all wanted this but some now seem uncomfortable with hearing it as it is.

I have renewed our ST’s as I am prepared to go with this and stick by NP. I would however say that if we continue to struggle well into next season, my opinion will have changed! I have been coming at AG for over 30 years, most of that as a ST holder, and believe me, there have been times worse than this, that’s for sure.

Tough, but come on, stick with OUR side - COYR!

 

[frenchred]

3 minutes ago, PFree said:

As much as I try to always be positive, I too left the ground yesterday feeling totally disillusioned. 
 
I can deal with a lack of quality on the pitch, as in football, you generally get what you pay for, and there are far better players and teams in this division. That said I agree some of our players for whatever reason are under performing and lacking consistency.

What I can’t deal with though, and I made my feelings very clear to the players as they walked around after the game, is the total lack of passion and effort - it’s a real privilege to be a professional footballer and nothing should be left on the pitch. Some hardly broke a sweat yesterday and it leads you to wonder if they actually care.

I am starting to get concerned about NP, as there is clearly something wrong, some players just don’t seem to be playing for him. What I would say though is that we all knew this was his first real season at the helm, and right from the start, we were aware it was a three year journey - it’s tough for him as we are broke and continue to face difficult trading times due to the inept (very well paid) people who have created this mess. As hard as it is to hear, I appreciate his honesty, we have all wanted this but some now seem uncomfortable with hearing it as it is.

I have renewed our ST’s as I am prepared to go with this and stick by NP. I would however say that if we continue to struggle well into next season, my opinion will have changed! I have been coming at AG for over 30 years, most of that as a ST holder, and believe me, there have been times worse than this, that’s for sure.

Tough, but come on, stick with OUR side - COYR!

 

Nope, completely fed up and dissallusioned that's it for me

[BCFC Rich]

19 minutes ago, PFree said:

As much as I try to always be positive, I too left the ground yesterday feeling totally disillusioned. 
 
I can deal with a lack of quality on the pitch, as in football, you generally get what you pay for, and there are far better players and teams in this division. That said I agree some of our players for whatever reason are under performing and lacking consistency.

What I can’t deal with though, and I made my feelings very clear to the players as they walked around after the game, is the total lack of passion and effort - it’s a real privilege to be a professional footballer and nothing should be left on the pitch. Some hardly broke a sweat yesterday and it leads you to wonder if they actually care.

I am starting to get concerned about NP, as there is clearly something wrong, some players just don’t seem to be playing for him. What I would say though is that we all knew this was his first real season at the helm, and right from the start, we were aware it was a three year journey - it’s tough for him as we are broke and continue to face difficult trading times due to the inept (very well paid) people who have created this mess. As hard as it is to hear, I appreciate his honesty, we have all wanted this but some now seem uncomfortable with hearing it as it is.

I have renewed our ST’s as I am prepared to go with this and stick by NP. I would however say that if we continue to struggle well into next season, my opinion will have changed! I have been coming at AG for over 30 years, most of that as a ST holder, and believe me, there have been times worse than this, that’s for sure.

Tough, but come on, stick with OUR side - COYR!

 

Yes and that is definitely disappointing - especially given how well the fans responded when we were losing/drawing but doing this earlier in the season. I think some of that is due to the fact we don't really have anything to play for in terms of promotion/relegation - I suspect if we were in a fight we would see more fight. However, I agree with you it's not a good excuse and we should expect better. 

[maxjak]

Gas, Electricity, Fuel, Council Tax, Groceries"?...........the only thing that won't be going up in the next few years is Bristol City?  I have stuck with it through thick, and mostly thin for 30 years, so I do not intend to continue squandering my income on the awful level of football on offer at Ashton Gate........until something changes.....either ownership or management, or both?  Football is a sport, but also entertainment and a  product, and what is on sale at the moment at the Gate?....... is  sub-standard and not worth the price of admission.  

Edited April 10, 2022 by maxjak

[GrahamC]

Worst thing for me is I did think in the main they were trying, just really poor.

No energy, no one looking to run at the opposition or grab the game by the scruff of the neck.

Really dismal display.

[Kingswood Robin]

5 hours ago, PFree said:

As much as I try to always be positive, I too left the ground yesterday feeling totally disillusioned. 
 
I can deal with a lack of quality on the pitch, as in football, you generally get what you pay for, and there are far better players and teams in this division. That said I agree some of our players for whatever reason are under performing and lacking consistency.

What I can’t deal with though, and I made my feelings very clear to the players as they walked around after the game, is the total lack of passion and effort - it’s a real privilege to be a professional footballer and nothing should be left on the pitch. Some hardly broke a sweat yesterday and it leads you to wonder if they actually care.

I am starting to get concerned about NP, as there is clearly something wrong, some players just don’t seem to be playing for him. What I would say though is that we all knew this was his first real season at the helm, and right from the start, we were aware it was a three year journey - it’s tough for him as we are broke and continue to face difficult trading times due to the inept (very well paid) people who have created this mess. As hard as it is to hear, I appreciate his honesty, we have all wanted this but some now seem uncomfortable with hearing it as it is.

I have renewed our ST’s as I am prepared to go with this and stick by NP. I would however say that if we continue to struggle well into next season, my opinion will have changed! I have been coming at AG for over 30 years, most of that as a ST holder, and believe me, there have been times worse than this, that’s for sure.

Tough, but come on, stick with OUR side - COYR!

 

Tough is when you're in division 4, minutes from disappearing with a team of individuals who are mainly just happy to get a game, but giving it everything.

What we have now isn't tough, it's crap. 

[grifty]

4 hours ago, GrahamC said:

Worst thing for me is I did think in the main they were trying, just really poor.

No energy, no one looking to run at the opposition or grab the game by the scruff of the neck.

Really dismal display.

I agree, our performance didn't look down to a lack of effort, it's just they can't do basics right. Simple passes are just constantly mis-hit or to the wrong player. No football knowledge of moving about to create space behind.

[BS4 on Tour...]

7 hours ago, frenchred said:

Nope, completely fed up and dissallusioned that's it for me

Blimey - you obviously weren’t around in the early 1980s - the incredibly loyal Bristol City fans back then would have given anything to be in the position we are in now - yet we kept turning up, home and away. We never contemplated saying “that’s it for me” like the entitled ones say today ...

[PHILINFRANCE]

7 hours ago, PFree said:

As much as I try to always be positive, I too left the ground yesterday feeling totally disillusioned. 
 
I can deal with a lack of quality on the pitch, as in football, you generally get what you pay for, and there are far better players and teams in this division. That said I agree some of our players for whatever reason are under performing and lacking consistency.

What I can’t deal with though, and I made my feelings very clear to the players as they walked around after the game, is the total lack of passion and effort - it’s a real privilege to be a professional footballer and nothing should be left on the pitch. Some hardly broke a sweat yesterday and it leads you to wonder if they actually care.

 

4 hours ago, GrahamC said:

Worst thing for me is I did think in the main they were trying, just really poor.

No energy, no one looking to run at the opposition or grab the game by the scruff of the neck.

Really dismal display.

I would not try to dispute what you are saying, as you both watched the match live, whereas I watched it online where, as we all know, it is not possible to see off the ball movement - assuming there is any .

What does intrigue me, however, is which players you consider weren’t trying, were poor or showed a lack of passion or effort.

I always used to get very frustrated with our own, homegrown Joe Bryan, who, having lost the ball on one of his many adventurous forward forays, would always seem to be simply jogging back casually in some halfhearted attempt to recover it.

Nevertheless, Fulham (and Aston Villa), both better judges than me, were prepared to pay £millions to sign him.

[frenchred]

23 minutes ago, BS4 on Tour... said:

Blimey - you obviously weren’t around in the early 1980s - the incredibly loyal Bristol City fans back then would have given anything to be in the position we are in now - yet we kept turning up, home and away. We never contemplated saying “that’s it for me” like the entitled ones say today ...

Not entitled at all. I sure was around in the 80's started following city late 70's. Been turning up since thanks!

If your happy to continue to support this shit fest fair play to you, I'm not.

[steveybadger]

If yesterday was in isolation I’d say it was a classic case of team with something to play for puts more effort in than team that doesn’t. But the real problem is you just don’t know what’s likely to happen with this City team, other than they’ll concede at some point. 

[exAtyeoMax]

5 hours ago, GrahamC said:

Worst thing for me is I did think in the main they were trying, just really poor.

No energy, no one looking to run at the opposition or grab the game by the scruff of the neck.

Really dismal display.

I was saying the same to the lady next to me, it isn’t for the want of trying, we’re just shit 

[BS4 on Tour...]

27 minutes ago, frenchred said:

Not entitled at all. I sure was around in the 80's started following city late 70's. Been turning up since thanks!

If your happy to continue to support this shit fest fair play to you, I'm not.

Fair play French, I appreciate the reply. I guess I’ve always tried to look at the bigger picture - rather than just zoning in on the minutiae of individual performances right now, I think it’s worth remembering the LJ and MA years left a legacy that would impact the freedoms of any incoming head coach - and the fact we managed to attract a new manager of the calibre of Nigel Pearson given all the apparent restrictions is simply amazing - I choose to support him and the chaps through this very difficult time - you choose to walk away, that’s fine - we are probably both wrong!!

Edited April 10, 2022 by BS4 on Tour...

[GrahamC]

38 minutes ago, PHILINFRANCE said:

 

I would not try to dispute what you are saying, as you both watched the match live, whereas I watched it online where, as we all know, it is not possible to see off the ball movement - assuming there is any .

What does intrigue me, however, is which players you consider weren’t trying, were poor or showed a lack of passion or effort.

 

I think I said it yesterday, I thought Joe Williams was truly awful, both Cundy & Atkinson struggled first half for me, Scott looked like it was a game too many for him & Wells just didn’t get into the game, James was ponderous in possession. I also thought none of the subs covered themselves in glory though aside from one ridiculous shot by Semenyo when he should have passed, at least he gave us some pace up front.

As for running off the ball, I only saw one player doing that, but then he always does, which is one of the reasons he’s scored 19 so far..

[cidered abroad]

On Thursday I renewed my ST but moved to a seat in W16 at more than a £100 dearer.

On Friday, our very ill dog want to the vets at didn't return home.

So on Saturday I went to Ashton Gate hoping for some entertainment to cheer me up with some goals for us and a clean sheet.

I saw sideways and backward football, misplaced passes a plenty, a minimal number of shots on the Peterboro' goal (were there any except our goal?). One team that passed the ball well and worked hard and another that looked like the shambles of a year ago.

 

 

[DaveF]

As bad as it sounds to admit as a fan... If you're not enjoying it as much as many on here seem to be... don't renew your season ticket... save your money and take a break. You might be breaking the habit of a lifetime but you might enjoy it more watching from home or going occasionally rather than buying a season ticket...

[NcnsBcfc]

As bad as Saturday was, i was reminded last night that Peterborough in their previous 3 games had drawn at home to Luton; and beaten QPR away.

Yes, we should have won, particulary after they went down to 10 men. But bizarrely Peterborough decided to sit back, and play for the draw?

The way they celebrated at the end left me completely confused, what use eas a point to them, rather than 3?

Anyhow onto Stoke.

[NcnsBcfc]

11 hours ago, PHILINFRANCE said:

 

I would not try to dispute what you are saying, as you both watched the match live, whereas I watched it online where, as we all know, it is not possible to see off the ball movement - assuming there is any .

What does intrigue me, however, is which players you consider weren’t trying, were poor or showed a lack of passion or effort.

I always used to get very frustrated with our own, homegrown Joe Bryan, who, having lost the ball on one of his many adventurous forward forays, would always seem to be simply jogging back casually in some halfhearted attempt to recover it.

Nevertheless, Fulham (and Aston Villa), both better judges than me, were prepared to pay £millions to sign him.

Defensively Bryan was poor, not only for the points you raise, but he also used to switch off at the back post for his marker on multiple occasions.

Luckily for him, and in the modern game of wing backs; being sound defensively is seen as a poor second to offensively being good; and he certainly stood out in that regard. 

I think Fulham have had their worth from him (playoff final double at least). But no other club of any standing has come in for him, even though he's not really a first team regular for them. I think that tells us everything about how he is regarded.

[Nogbad the Bad]

8 hours ago, DaveF said:

As bad as it sounds to admit as a fan... If you're not enjoying it as much as many on here seem to be... don't renew your season ticket... save your money and take a break. You might be breaking the habit of a lifetime but you might enjoy it more watching from home or going occasionally rather than buying a season ticket...

If fans 'break the habit' by not buying a season ticket the chances are they'll find POTD prices are so off putting that unless City are doing so well that disenchantment is completely overturned by a burst of renewed enthusiasm they're not likely to go at all.

Are we likely to do so well next season that those fans will be clamouring to get back down there? We all know the answer to that.

The writing was on the wall for the club last Summer when over 1700 fans who'd held a ST for 7 years or more did not renew. 

What have the club done since then, on or off the pitch, to tempt them back, and, after yet another wearisome season - I make that 4 in a row - how many more will follow them now? 

 

[Red Exile]

1 hour ago, Nogbad the Bad said:

The writing was on the wall for the club last Summer when over 1700 fans who'd held a ST for 7 years or more did not renew. 

What have the club done since then, on or off the pitch, to tempt them back, and, after yet another wearisome season - I make that 4 in a row - how many more will follow them now? 

 

We will I'm afraid. We've given up our STs before, when Millen was entrenched and the club slipped to a similar level of mediocrity. What did we miss? Most of McInnes and all of SOD bar the Rovers cup match...so not much! Of course we've returned, I don't mind paying good money to be entertained - I was POTD home and away for the 2014/15 season and was more than happy to fork out. But it doesn't make any sense to have a pair of STs, as we do, when a trip to the match is a full day round trip and what's on offer isn't merely dispiriting but downright frustrating! It's supposed to be an entertainment...as you say several seasons have passed since that was a word associated with watching City.

Edited April 11, 2022 by Red Exile

[glynriley]

1 hour ago, Nogbad the Bad said:

If fans 'break the habit' by not buying a season ticket the chances are they'll find POTD prices are so off putting that unless City are doing so well that disenchantment is completely overturned by a burst of renewed enthusiasm they're not likely to go at all.

Are we likely to do so well next season that those fans will be clamouring to get back down there? We all know the answer to that.

The writing was on the wall for the club last Summer when over 1700 fans who'd held a ST for 7 years or more did not renew. 

What have the club done since then, on or off the pitch, to tempt them back, and, after yet another wearisome season - I make that 4 in a row - how many more will follow them now? 

 

True this. I was telling a couple of mate's in the pub last night how crap it was on Saturday, when my Mrs piped up "why have you just renewed your ST then..?!"

I thought for a second and replied "If I never had one I'd probaly never set foot in AG ever again"...!!

[Robbored]

12 hours ago, BS4 on Tour... said:

Blimey - you obviously weren’t around in the early 1980s - the incredibly loyal Bristol City fans back then would have given anything to be in the position we are in now - yet we kept turning up, home and away. We never contemplated saying “that’s it for me” like the entitled ones say today ...

I was about to post the same but then I saw this post. 

I can remember when City considered 6k a decent attendance…….jeez……..…

How times have changed. 

[Bedred31]

17 hours ago, maxjak said:

Gas, Electricity, Fuel, Council Tax, Groceries"?...........the only thing that won't be going up in the next few years is Bristol City?  I have stuck with it through thick, and mostly thin for 30 years, so I do not intend to continue squandering my income on the awful level of football on offer at Ashton Gate........until something changes.....either ownership or management, or both?  Football is a sport, but also entertainment and a  product, and what is on sale at the moment at the Gate?....... is  sub-standard and not worth the price of admission.  

And now milk up by 50%,apparently. Having grown up in N Somerset where there are more black and white cows than people, this is a particular bummer.

[AG City]

I am also taking a year off next year after many years a ST.
It isn't so much the price increase, it is more I am not actually enjoying going anymore.  I don't have that pre-match anticipation and with parachute payments effectively creating a glass ceiling at the top there doesn't seem to be any real purpose apart from trying to tread water in a league we have probably not been good enough to be in for the last 2 seasons.

[GrahamC]

1 hour ago, Nogbad the Bad said:

If fans 'break the habit' by not buying a season ticket the chances are they'll find POTD prices are so off putting that unless City are doing so well that disenchantment is completely overturned by a burst of renewed enthusiasm they're not likely to go at all.

Are we likely to do so well next season that those fans will be clamouring to get back down there? We all know the answer to that.

The writing was on the wall for the club last Summer when over 1700 fans who'd held a ST for 7 years or more did not renew. 

What have the club done since then, on or off the pitch, to tempt them back, and, after yet another wearisome season - I make that 4 in a row - how many more will follow them now? 

 

Agree with that Noggers (& good to see you back), the only thing I would add re the 1700 is sadly as the montage before the Blackpool game showed, COVID meant some of them didn’t even have the option.

However I do think for the reasons you have said this summer will see a further (& this time completely unconnected) fall in ST sales.

The disconnect between the suits (maybe not Gould) & the manager is probably even wider than the one between the players & supporters.

Not a good place to be in at all.

[Davefevs]

1 minute ago, GrahamC said:

Agree with that Noggers (& good to see you back), the only thing I would add re the 1700 is sadly as the montage before the Blackpool game showed, COVID meant some of them didn’t even have the option.

However I do think for the reasons you have said this summer will see a further (& this time completely unconnected) fall in ST sales.

The disconnect between the suits (maybe not Gould) & the manager is probably even wider than the one between the players & supporters.

Not a good place to be in at all.

Better hope Reg Dwight sells out then

[GrahamC]

Just now, Davefevs said:

Better hope Reg Dwight sells out then

And Russell Brand..

[TonyTonyTony]

For me it was a typical got nothing to play for performance. Players already planning their summer holidays. No excuses mind, but yes - had enough now of this season. It has been a real slog, and apart from the emergence of the young lads and Andi Weimann we havent progressed at all.

[Silvio Dante]

I think that, although there are certainly a few for whom the “entertainment” is a factor in not renewing, they tend to be the minority group in non-renewal.

Football is unlike any other “entertainment” industry where the loyalty to the club is hard wired, it’s part of peoples identity (yes, as the PR said, it’s a way of life). For most people, if you have a bad meal at a restaurant you don’t go there and there is an alternate you’ll enjoy as much. For football fans - it’s not that much of an option (I enjoy going to Yate Town but I don’t get the same feeling at Lodge Road as I do at City). So, despite at times lack of entertainment we keep coming back.

The biggest factors around non renewals are, and always will be, cost or stage of life. With the first, I have no doubt with the COL crisis that many people will have to forego season tickets (and I hope that the club do some inventive POD pricing to allow them to attend at least some games). With the second, I remember my spell of no S/T - it was for c4 years (Millen and McInnes era), and I’d just had my first kid. For me, at that time, I couldn’t justify the time away from the family and leaving the OH on her own every Saturday. There will be others who forego for similar reasons each year.

What I’m saying is the club know and expect a certain number of non renewers. And this year, they’ll expect that to be higher due to the economy. The renewal number being down will not be seen as being down to dissatisfaction with the “product” - and that’s probably correct.

[pillred]

12 hours ago, DaveF said:

As bad as it sounds to admit as a fan... If you're not enjoying it as much as many on here seem to be... don't renew your season ticket... save your money and take a break. You might be breaking the habit of a lifetime but you might enjoy it more watching from home or going occasionally rather than buying a season ticket...

A membership is a good idea at £5 off every game you do attend, any more than 5 games and you start saving money then at least you still feel part of the club without severing your ties completely.