ray savino

And that, in essence, is what a lot of this fan reaction is all about. We have very little to have faith in the recruitment strategy of manager/coaches over the past 8 years or more.

Know very little about this guy but need to give him a chance obviously. Let’s hope the powers that be have really done their homework on this one and he is the real deal. I liked Nige for his forthright views and whilst the board probably won’t admit it, I reckon some of those things will have hit a nerve with them. They might show a bit more nous going forward. I always said in previous posts over the past year that I could see Nige being the person to steady the ship, put some foundations back into what was becoming a mess of a club after the Ashton / Johnson / Holden regimes. But it seemed more and more clear that he was never going to be able to work with the current ownership longer term. Over the last couple of weeks, despite liking and appreciating Nige, I was kind of glad he was going, more to do with that fact that it was plainly obvious that he was never to be given a longer term deal. What I am also glad is that this really puts the onus on the ownersip to own their decision and recruitment decision in this case. I don’t wish them to fail, quite the opposite I want it to be a blinding success. It might show that they have really thought about what they want for this football club for once. The proof as they say is in the pudding, so let’s hope it was all lip service to the fans. I was never a huge LJ fan. He was a decent coach, but the fact that with probably more financial backing and support than any manager since I started supporting City since 1966, his teams always seemed to blow up by the last third of the season when in promising positions. I was never convinced with his apparent man management particularly it appeared with some young players. Nige did appear good at this aspect. Also I got the impression that BT wasn’t particularly aligned with LJ and their views of young players development. So is this Manning guy another Johnson Mk 2? Well he’s young and can put a PPT deck together, and has a nice turn of “modern” football phraseology for a start. However, where I think it is very different at the moment is that he is not a known personality to Lee Johnson. It all felt a bit too comfy cosy with LJ and SL and to me, to the detriment of the professional decision making in the club. Manning is coming here with no Bristol City baggage and just the reputation as a promising coach. As someone else said, Eddie Howe had to start somewhere, likewise Corberan, McKenna, Carrick etc. Just maybe for once this bloke might be the fit for us at the right time. And that final thing is that classic saying, right person in the right place at the right time. With most managers at our level, there is a bit of hoping all the stars align at a club for them to be a good fit. Let’s hope this is the case with Manning because I want to get back to feeling like the club really does have a tangible plan. As much as I was disappointed about the nature of NP’s dismissal, I do think we’ve got to give the guy a fair chance. Has he got to get promotion this season? Don’t be daft, despite the stuff the board said, that was just a load of PR guff to justify the Board’s decision to the fans. I’ve actually come around to the idea that this might be an interesting appointment, and he’s got plenty of time this season to show what he can do with this squad of players. One final thing. What do people think of the chances of SL loosening the purse strings and getting in Twine as our playmaker on loan in Jan, with a view to a perm at the end of the season?

Ah, but that was all about communication and good PR with the punters. The fact that nobody from the board was available to comment on BBC tonight was appalling PR. It smacks less of cowardice, but more of lacking a credible reason/strategy for them to put to the fans/ punters/customers. This just leaves a void for conspiracies, fans theories, etc. Just be straight as possible with the punters (where employment legalities allow), front up and at least this might show a little bit of confident leadership to the fans. I just want to get back to enjoying the football side of things again, can’t tell you how much (like all of us on here, no matter what your views) that SL makes an inspired appointment even if it is more by luck than any great footballing foresight!

This is it precisely. Brighton, Brentford, Luton, etc., may all be a different beast to Man City, and different from eachother, but they had a plan. They knew where they were, what they were, where the wanted to go and most importantly put coherent plans in place to achieve this. By contrast, SL’s tenure has flip flopped from one thing to another. For a successful businessman he has shown a staggering lack of foresight in employing people to create the right structures to bring success. It really does beg the question, was Ashton not the complete tw*t after all, just not managed properly? Did he want Johnson, or was that SL’s own decision? For all the failures of the Managers, coaches, CEO’s, etc. there is only one person where the buck stops. And that’s with SL. I have heard that one of the key reasons for the success of Hargreaves Lansdown, was that they hit on good products for a gap in the financial sector and most importantly once they hit some success they got in really good people to grow the business. Yes, experts. This is the usual pattern for successful business. So how is it that SL in all the time he has been in the football industry now, has not applied the same values. Football is, as he acknowledges, unlike most businesses (bit of a basket case industry), but surely by now he would have the contacts to put him in touch with some seriously good CEOs or football people with real nous and vision. For all of his wealth and business experience, he appears to be presiding over a pretty amateurish structure. From what people have said over the years, it does appear that he really is acting like it’s his money and treating it like an expensive hobby or toy. SL has impressively set up the physical infrastructure and I don’t begrudge him getting his money back+, but sadly I think his tenure has become stale, lacking energy, ideas, and increasingly lacking credibility. I really hope we strike lucky and get in a clever coach now who will push us forward. Most importantly, I would hope that we get in some fresh owners with new ideas and wanting the club to get somewhere based on a solid plan with good people (not just mates) in all key areas. Not asking much is it...?

I always thought it would come to this. We’ll look back at Pearson as having huge significance in helping to steer the club through a complete mess without relegating the club - a scenario which has been the usual outcome over the past 30 years. What next? Who the **** knows with the track record the owners have of appointing managerial staff. That’s my biggest worry. But whoever it is, they better bring some real inspiration, because if SL gets this wrong he may just lose any good will and legacy that his tenure might have created. Sad to see Nige go for the honesty he told us as fans and owners about a club we love, but often can’t admit, that basically we’ve been a bit of a soft touch and we had to start to change our mindset. I hope the next coach/manager keeps banging this message home along with building on the foundations that NP has obviously started to build. Let’s hope that they come with real ideas instead of a load of fluff which SL and JL have seemed to lap up at times. People I would like. There aren’t that many. All are a chance. Robins might be good fit at Coventry, doesn’t mean he would be anywhere else. That goes for most managers at our level. Rowett? Ask Millwall, Derby, Stoke fans. Likewise Jones at Stoke, Southampton. I kind of like Eustace and what he seemed to do at Brum. Like Rosenior, Edwards at Luton. Don’t think they would want to move to be honest. Beale (QPR of early last season). All are much of a muchness. I just hope that they have had some serious football person input to help the board in their decision. Will I boycott the club? No chance, it’s been too much part of my life to ditch over this despite my frustration how this has been handled. SL has tried all sorts of appointments including CEO positions to help. They have all ultimately failed. I think this maybe the last major appointment he’ll make during his tenure. I hope he strikes lucky and finally finds the right fit for him, as well as one who’ll deliver success at last. We shall see indeed...

Again, absolutely this (run out of my likes quotas). We shall see whether it is a logical planned succession of course. I wait with anticipation for a club outline of it’s reasoning and strategy if this happens.

Absolutely this!

Nobody has said Neil Warnock till the end of the season?!!!!! .... Yet?

I wonder if this is all a big plan between SL, Downsey and NP to get all the fans fired up to actually create an atmosphere on Wednesday night?

Yep, you’ve expressed more clearly everything I’ve tried to say in my ramblings! This is probably the fear most of us fans have.

I keep thinking take Pearson out of the scenario for a minute. I keep coming back to this whole situation which bothers me. It’s the apparent handling of this whole situation which feels familiarly so shambolically typical of this club. The biggest fear is the previous decisions taken by the board over he last decade have appeared done so more in hope rather than planned. I will be disappointed if Pearson is forced out at this stage. Not because I think he is some sort of Pep or Klopp, but because with the reality of our apparent financial situation, I think he is the best person to deal with this at this time. If, however, I had confidence in our Directors to have a savvy, intelligent plan to recruit a new manager then I might feel a bit more relaxed about this. Yes, I feel that Nigel would have been shat on, but if he were replaced with a new coach that had logic to it’s succession planning, I could maybe understand it. But given the track record of our so called “Board" (i.e. let’s face it SL), I always feel that we will only get the right manager through a matter of luck than foresight. And I suppose SL has to pick lucky soon with his managerial appointments tombola. What we can say though is that if SL does appoint a new man, then the pressure will be immense on his appointment to prove SL right. For me it would be SL’s last throw of the dice in his position, if it backfires he would definitely turn any goodwill the fans had against him, despite providing nice stadium and training facilities. FWIW I think Pearson should stay. This seems increasingly unlikely now. Who do I think will take over? The obvious ones have been mentioned, Jones, Rowett and Eustace. Quite honestly none of them excite me much. Eustace the most out of that lot. I like the way Rosenior, Corberan teams have played although the latter has been struggling with WBA injuries. Maybe something a bit left field? Who knows, but when we have extensive searches with proven applicants from around the world to end up with Dean Holden (like the guy, but so out of his depth at the time), I don’t have much faith in who we end up with. As Ipswich is here next, let’s piss off Mark Ashton and poach McKenna on Wednesday night. Which brings me onto another thing (I’m rambling hoping I might find some sense in this football club - much like our owner randomly looking for that elusive successful manager), how do you explain the apparent success of Ashton at Ipswich since his period here left such a mess? Was LJ not that great a bright young coach? Was SL and JL too incompetent in their overseeing of MA/LJ? Ultimately who was responsible for messing up during this time?

I think this is the most relevant aspect of this whole conversation. Like Pearson or not, there has seemed to be a method or plan to what he(or the football management side of the club, Tinnion, closer ties to the Academy, etc., attempting to create a playing identity, therefore a more focused style of identifying players to recruit, etc. All under financial constraints. And trying to change the comfy mentality of the club. It’s not perfect, but it has kind of worked so far. To this end, I believe Pearson has achieved the main part of his brief. Build a foundation, introduce a plan to stabilise the football side and to grow again, all with financial constraints and crucially without being relegated. In the past we have attempted to do this after a relegation. History also shows us that the current ownership have seemingly changed direction in terms of coaches, management, transfer/financial policy many times over the past two decades. And this is my worry. I think that the lack of a real plan comes back to the lack of expertise and leadership in the board of directors. SL does not appear to have a clear plan anymore about how to achieve his vision of premier league sport for Bristol. We need to have the same type of planning and succession planning as the Brightons, Brentford’s, etc. That doesn’t mean trying to copy their model. But at least have a consistent and coherent plan. It seems to me that SL has clearly lost enthusiasm and needs to sell up to allow new impetus and a board with a focused plan to take over. The fact that he has not wanted to put in a new CEO and has been pretty frugal with the Scott money compared to his support for the manager when money was around, makes me think he is clearing the decks for a new investor asap. So my feeling is that Pearson or no Pearson, unless there is some resolution to what is happening to the overall direction of this club in terms of long term planning, then we await yet another haphazard reactive team manager appointment without much logic beyond “this one might do it, we haven’t tried this style of management yet!” And hope that SL strikes lucky. SL has been a great financial benefactor and a vital one too, make no mistake. But he has been a poor decision maker in implementing a team around him to help him put together a plan to achieve his very laudable vision of giving Bristol much needed sporting success. As for Pearson, I like him overall. You can see what he’s trying to do under the constraints. But whoever is at the helm, there has to be a plan and afeeling of overall direction from the top - and I mean the board of directors, ownership. If SL has run out of steam then a change in the ownership is a must. Even if that means SL stays but allows new dynamic investors onto his board.

Hero of mine in a very good Man City team. RIP.

I think LJ gets more than his average share of flack because he was part of what became a hugely disappointing and wasteful period from which we are still suffering the effects. I thought he was an okay player that played a decent role in our promotion year and play-off season, but as time went on lacked the development in his game to go further. With the fact that his dad was manager obviously didn’t endear him to the crowd when his playing days became stale. I do think he had a decent football brain but feel his abilities were ultimately suited to a lower league. As for a head coach, he too suffered for me similar issues as he did as a player. Seen to have favourable treatment by what appeared to be a family friend and pet project in the owner, given the time and considerable budget to deliver. Again he appeared to have a decent football understanding but was guilty of over thinking, chopping and changing, and seemed to have questionable man management skills. Much of this may be gossip, although there seems to be a number of people who appear to back this up that have crossed his path professionally. For me undoubtedly, the first half of the 2017-18 season, has been the best since Cotts promotion year, in terms of at its best an entertaining team, style and results. I actually thought LJ had cracked it. And for me that’s where it ended. Since that time all his seasons promised so much but ended in real disappointment. I never had the confidence that he had that extra to get us over the line. Partly down to selling his best players and replacing with scattergun recruitment (not all his fault - but he should have made a stand if he didn’t want some of the signings) and partly because he seemed to tear up the playing strategy/style behind that 17-18 successful period and recruit to that successful “identity” to replace the players he lost. Yes, think Brentford, Brighton, etc. Of course this was not all his fault, others (Ashton) also involved. The result of his tenure was sadly an overpaid, over-bloated squad with lack of motivation and direction. Such a wasted opportunity after 2017-18. I think that’s when LJ started to struggle with his talk to the fans, it became muddled and full of jargon, okay when things are flying but bullshit when you’re struggling. In contrast, Nige has told us and the club a few home truths about our mentality. Things that deep down we all knew. Nice part of the world, bit comfortable, need to build a different culture. The things that are fundamental to the building of any club. I think what NP might be seen to lack of perceived modern tactical skills, he has brought together a sense of comaraderie, team ethic, individual and team responsibility. And has built foundations within this league. On it’s day the football can be as exciting as that brief 2017-18 period (when at its best) but still has a way to go to make it consistent. He might not deliver it in full, but if we get a successor, then let that be someone who can carry on the strategy to make it even better rather than our usual action of ripping everything up and starting again. LJ is an okay coach, might become a very good one, gave us a great first half of 2017-18, but didn’t develop that opportunity at considerable expense which we’re still feeling. Really think he might have beniffited working under a few top managers/coaching set ups before he came here. All the best to him, but what’s happened is done and has been done to death. Feel very frustrated at this period of supporting City as promised so much, as we look to be 2 or 3 good/effective signings to be a proper play-off challenger. Just hope we can get a bit of consistency and feel as positive as we all seemed to after the Swansea performance. There are some signs of real promise... let’s hope in might start to come to fruition this time.

Double Barrel - I had that single - David and Ansil Collins, Trojan Records. Top record.

I always get the impression he doesn’t like criticism. Guess no one does. But it seems a trait of many who make a success get this. Football isn’t like most business models. And it’s harder now than ever. The days of local boy made good bankrolling success are being superseded by huge overseas consortiums and state funded projects. SL is in a bit of a no man’s land. Wealthy yes. But no longer in the same league as many investors now. Don’t blame him for wanting out despite him ultimately responsible for sanctioning the key recruitment decisions. The biggest worry appears to be the lack of concrete interest in our ‘premier league ready’ club and potential. One things for certain is we could do with it soon before we start to stagnate again.

This is it entirely. Of course who knows, we may be trying to implement this. But I have a feeling that we are incredibly lacking in ideas from board level on this. We like to publicly portray ourselves as a progressive club, yet I sometimes feel we are far from this. Tins doesn’t need changing, he’s needed because he is a real football enthusiast, passionate about talent and all things Bristol City. I daresay we’ve got some decent analysts. But when you mention Brighton and Brentford they had owners with real data insight and vision. I’ll come back to saying that I believe that SL’s is long gone and JL has never had it. If they did they should have partnered with some real credible investors to be innovative with a determination to take a plan, implement it, develop it (with some inevitable flexibilty that the football world demands), stick to it and make it succeed (maybe make a couple of play offs and still be sustainable). Oh and not be impressed with a cut price version like Mark Ashton (okay he seems to be doing alright at Ipswich, but will he get found out, or more likely his new bosses can see his use but ultimately won’t fall for any of his extra bullshit to which SL seemed to sleepwalk through, evidenced by the state we found ourselves in after his tenure). We don’t make enough of the international market, just look at the growing Japanese, Korean central American markets, let alone the established Scandinavian leagues. Okay, the ones we’ve had may have not worked. Or perhaps it was because our recruitment was not targeted enough previously and we didn’t know what we really are looking for. This has to change surely when you see some of the talent in clubs we’re competing with. The Brentford and Brighton stories all took time as well, but we just seemed to observe and get the feeling that we just thought we could do it our way instead (after all I think we all got carried away sometimes thinking we might be bigger and better by them. Perhaps we were bigger relatively but I aint so sure we’ve been cleverer. SL has made it clear they have been actively looking for investors, don’t blame him, he’s done a lot with his own dosh, but I think he’s run out of ideas and energy and certainly publicly, enthusiasm. I repeat, we need new leaders at the owner/strategic board level. Yep I know, be careful what you wish for, etc. But surely not every bunch of investors has to be a bunch of cowboys. It’s got to happen soon anyway as Steve has said he can’t go on for ever. I think at the moment, SL must be constantly evaluating what he’s prepared to sell and at what price. He won’t want to do this on thw way down again both for the price he could demand and for his own legacy. Whatever happens, SL should definately (I hope he is) looking for innovative investors that can see the potential in the club in area of potential such as Bristol, with the kind of foresight that has helped Brighton and Brentford.

Run out of likes unfortunately, but nail on head for me. I think Pearson has made mistakes. Perhaps his biggest one has been telling the owners a few home truths. In fact he’s the only manager I remember telling us we are a bit of a strange club (mentality) and our recruitment policy had been bonkers. I’ve never seen Pearson as the man to take us to the promised land. But he might have been the one to kick us up the arse and tell it like it is. LJ was an okay coach, but he was too cosy for Lansdown. He was afforded far too much resource for the return and SL can’t admit the mistakes. Lansdown has done masses financially for the club. I’m not so convinced all the Bristol Sport stuff has been so negative. No doubt the football side has been diluted a bit, but the concept is solid enough in a massively underachieving sports backwater that is Bristol. And yes he has leaned towards being stable rather than reckless, particularly after getting his fingers burnt by the likes of Ashton. However, I’ll say it again, for me the club feels stale and in limbo in terms of ideas and real planning, ambition and crucially public leadership from the owners now. We really need that injection of a credible investor to bring that ambition and forward thinking to take us to the next level. I think SL knows and wants this. To be fair to him, the least he does deserve is a good financial and dignified exit from the top seat after all he has done for the club. Meantime in this limbo he and we might strike lucky and do a Luton. We have a half decent squad which shouldn’t be written off after 3 games (on reflection I say that in the cold light of a new day, after seething with anger and frustration leaving the Gate yesterday!) But unless we get a sprinkle of much missing stardust with some significant investment, then on the evidence of yesterday we’re in for adding yet another season of mediocrity to our mediocre filled history. Yes, I will continue to support them, I find it impossible now not to. The danger is that we don’t take the opportunity to grow again in this division by treading water for too long. I hoped for as most fans, that we would mount a decent challenge for a playoff place this year. I didn’t expect it, thinking top ten would be great. Then next year… I think that doing the ground work while still staying in this division has bucked the trend since I started supporting 57 years ago. And I think Alan Dicks was the last to do that for me back in the late 60’s and early 70’s. There’s less time to build in the modern game before you stagnate without investment. We could really do with that injection arriving over the next season. Sorry bit of a frustrated ramble. Bottom line, SL totally respect for modernising, stabilising and building foundations for our club, but need new energy and ideas as were injected into the likes of Brighton and Brentford 10/15 years ago. So not just money, but a totally backed plan with football business nous having a seat at the top table (no not the version of Mark Ashton that turned up at Ashton Gate 7 years ago - perhaps he’s got owners who will temper his more reckless traits this time, hmmm we’ll see!)

I think this will happen. I still can’t help but think we are not going to ever move on until SL moves aside for new energy, ambition and crucially investment. I admire Nige for clearing the crap, but the overall ownership of the club is stale. I love City and always will, but we are so so bloody average. One step forward two steps back. Never mind we’ll have another cup upset soon we can commemorate on Radio Bristol every 10 years. Sorry, I should no better by now, but bloody hell, yes a cliche, but painfully hit home to me today, it really is the hope that kills you!

I do think that this can be a trait of a lot of very successful people in business, who seem to find it difficult to acknowledge criticism. SL has undoubtedly done a huge amount and spent a huge amount for the infrastructure of the club, not forgetting the Rugby club and basketball. We can all be grateful for that, however there seems no doubt some awful football decisions/strategy(or lack of) and key appointments under his tenure have been awful in many cases. I obviously don’t know the bloke personally, he seems a decent enough fella, but he does seem to bristle somewhat when challenged with the more negative perceived decisions he has been associated with. I can certainly recall a few slightly spikey responses when Geoff Twentyman confronted him with some more critical questions. Some responses have sometimes seemed a bit “it’s my money I’ve put in, I know best”, etc. I think he undoubtedly wants to do well, he deserves to with the amount of money he has put in, in what is an increasingly abnormal operating industry. However, certainly on a PR level it would be encouraging to the fans if he could admit his mistakes and that he acknowledges the efforts of the people trying to put it right it on the right path again. I can understand if he’s exasperated at the slow or lack of on-field success over the years, but a lot of the key decision making has appeared ultimately down to him and his ability to choose the right managers and key club managerial staff at the right time. I really do think it would be great if we could find and expand investment in the club now, not only in money terms, but with ambitious, street-wise, football-world savvy people who can bring a bit more new found energy and ideas to the club at Board/Director level.

As above, but emailed the ticket office as stated in the booking confirmation and to be fair they got back within the hour and sent the PDF ticket to print, etc.

Hi Jerry, Can you or the club explain to me why there is a limit that has been placed on the amount of times that a season card holder can forward their season card during the season. This appears to have been just added to the FAQs comms concerning digital ticketing this season. I do not remember this being shown on the original set of FAQs comms emailed to me (the original page of which appears now to be unavailable) and also in the T&Cs on the ticketing site when I renewed my ticket for this season. My son and I want to go to all matches where possible, but sometimes circumstances may make this impossible. We therefore like to be able to give a friend or family member the opportunity to go. Obviously the people we select are traceable, accountable, etc. by being on our digital friends & family group listing. That’s fine. By why restrict this to only 5 matches, when quite unforseen circumstances (work, illness, change of match date/time commitments) can and have cropped up during the season. We have legitimately paid for the use of the seat during that particular event. So I ask again, what do the club say is/are the reason(s) for these apparently newly publicised limitations? Many thanks for your/the clubs answer in anticipation.

Where is this stated @Redtucks?

Hi Jerry, I’m unable to attend the first match v Preston next Saturday and wondered when information is coming out from the club , as promised in earlier comms, on how to forward individual tickets from your season card to friends or family. Would be good to know asap obviously as to organise getting the person to set up Bristol Sport account and adding to my group. Many thanks in anticipation of your help with this.

As above, unfortunately misssing first game v Preston. Want to transfer to friend, so obviously hope this info comes out pronto.