Kid in the Riot

Two fighters in their prime going toe-to-toe. Love it

Just realised "Esteban" is of course Spanish for Stephen, so that's obviously a nod as to who is really behind that company. I've just checked the planning application forms and Esteban (Stephen!) had to serve notice on two other landowners - Bristol City Council and Ashton Gate Limited. So, I would guess Stephen bought the Sporting Quarter land through Ashton Gate Ltd...

Esteban lists Griffiths, JL and Gavin Marshall as directors. Just wondering, as you may know, does this mean they purchased/own the land? What I'm getting at is how come SLs name isn't involved, when he presumably purchased the land? Also, not sure if you knew, but Pula (Guernsey) is owned by another company named Pula, based in Bermuda.

Bristol City Holdings owns the club and ground, so it could be that company which is for sale... Whether that article refers to us or not, the fact is we are "unofficially" for sale.

Pearson chooses his words very carefully and I don't see how a test of "moral fibre" refers to playing with an injury. Far more likely he is referring to players that are very likely to be leaving in January/the summer still putting a shift in when needed. I remember LJ criticising some of our players for not being committed to playing when only carrying minor knocks. Allegedly, of course, Marley Watkins was booted out of the club by Pearson in record time for ruling himself out "injured", when he was nothing of the sort. So I assume that particularly issue at Bristol City cosy club has been sorted...

Watched it last night and was a little underwhelmed, but still thought it was good and interesting enough. Probably the least "Bond" Bond film ever. Didn't top Skyfall or Casino Royale for me in terms of Craig's best outings as 007.

I don't see any problems in calling out a poster that claimed no more than two weeks ago that there was a big split in the dressing room, and insinuating the manager was to blame. If you come on here telling porkies then you need to be called out on it. It's funny how some of the players rumoured to be "not on the bus", "unhappy", "wanting out" or all three, were involved last night: Vyner, Bakinson, COD, and Wells was on the bench too. In fact they've all been brought back into the side. Tactically, we have just abandoned starting Weimann, Martin and Wells together and gone back to a system seen more in the first couple of months of the season. So, no, nothing has been torn down and started again. We went through a bad run of form which coincided with two periods of absence from the manager, and in which the period in between he was very unwell. That's a more likely explanation to what has happened, of late.

Two ex-Castle School, Thornbury players Charlie Powell and Matt Jones too. Looking forward to Friday night rugby at the Gate, have to say it has become a class experience, and with mates rates it should be a bumper crowd.

Was surprised to look back and see I hadn't started one of these threads since 2018, apparently. I'd like to mention and remember @One Team In Keynsham who sadly passed away this year, and was always a regular contributor to music threads, and had a fine taste in music. I actually think it's been a pretty strong year for music, certainly in respect of the type of music I like. Particularly strong for British artists too. So, some recommendations to get us started: Black Country, New Road - For The First Time Wolf Alice - Blue Weekend Squid - Bright Green Field Little Simz - Sometimes I Might Be Introvert St Vincent - Daddy's Home Gruff Rhys - Seeking New Gods Mogwai - As The Love Continues Dry Cleaning - New Long Leg Low - HEY WHAT Lana Del Rey - Chemtrails Over The Country Club Been lucky enough to see Squid and Gruff Rhys live in the past few months and have Black Country, New Road to look forward to next week. What have been earworms for you this year?

Reckon you are correct ?

Nige is off scouting a game tonight. Don't know which one, but encouraging that he feels healthy enough to be out two nights on the trot ?

The problem was the culture and environment created by Holden was just too...cosy. He unfortunately falls into the old stereotype of being a good no. 2 that gets on well with the players, but does not have that ruthless, or even mean streak that a confident, assertive manager and leader needs to be successful. It even came across clearly in his interview last night, saying how he tried to lead by example, and naming all the "lovely" staff at the club. Sorry, but as manager of a Championship club you shouldn't be leading by example, you need to be a bit more dictatorial and take the reigns. Kick some arses and tear a strip of paint off the changing room walls as HT, if you need to. He was Keith Millen mk II. Lovely, lovely bloke but not a no. 1. Huge mistake by SL that he couldn't see history repeating, when nearly everyone else could. It's surely no coincidence that the only success we've had in the last 20 years has been delivered by two men who were prepared to bang a few heads together if they needed - GJ and SC. They set standards and were winners. Let's hope Pearson, who is a similar type, can also succeed given time.

Fixed

Anyone else not able to see who is being quoted in replies?

Doesn't Pearson deserve some credit for achieving better squad availability thus far, by appointing Rennie, a guy who is one of the best in his field?

All the more impressive given the changing room is "split", eh? Or maybe you were chatting bollox. ?

He said he may have to, due to lack of options. It isn't too difficult to understand. Are you standing by your opinion of Pearson having a "bullying management style"? It's a strong accusation so it'd be useful if you could clarify. You also haven't told us who the "6 or 7 players" are that are on the wrong side of a supposed dressing room split. Look forward to your reply

I think like many managers, Pearson has gone away, reassessed and changed some aspects of his management style though. "Bullying" is a significant accusation, which I don't believe is tolerated in the modern dressing room. No doubt he had fallings out at Leicester with existing squad members (was Mills the one he allegedly punched in the stomach?!) but that was many years ago. Some of my info comes from your former journo up there - Ian Baker - the man responsible for your username. He told me that the players at Leicester overwhelmingly spoke highly of him and felt great loyalty to him. Bullying certainly wasn't mentioned as a trait, more firm and fair. But if you are not with him and where he wants to go, then it's true to say you will not last long.

Without doubt one of City's biggest Twitter nauses.

Why isn't the net spend argument a legitimate one? It is surely true to say that he recouped a large amount of the money he spent. I won't disagree that the approach was scattergun and has ultimately contributed to the position we now find ourselves in, where we are having to cut costs and have very little resale value in the squad. However, when LJ was here our wage bill was still not in the top half of the Championship. There is a very direct correlation between wage bills and finishing position- look at the Premier League, for example. Therefore, I think it's unfair to suggest he should "at the very least" of been finishing top 6. Challenging for it, yes, but even when LJ was here we weren't paying that top dollar you need to get the best in the division to the club.

This is a thread about Nigel Pearson, so who else were you referring to? You responded to a poster saying they didn't think Pearson was a shouty type or a bully by saying "I disagree". You have said he is using "divide and conquer tactics" and that the dressing room is split with "6 or 7 players" not on board with the manager. You think he's a bully, don't you? At least have the balls to stick up for your convictions...

Quite a risky game insinuating that Pearson is a bully @VT05763 A nasty accusation in this day and age We see him in the image above being embraced with a hug by Baker, he was loved by his players at Leicester and Watford, but yes I am sure you know best...

As you can be so specific as to know it's 6 or 7, perhaps you could name them for us... Even if there are 6 or 7 players that don't "get on" with Nige, which is entirely possible, then I don't think that equates to a split dressing room. To my mind, a split dressing room would be one where there is a clique or divide between the players (an obvious example which springs to mind is the England squad from 2002-2010 ish with its Liverpool/United/London clubs divide). I don't believe that it's the case at City currently. Worth mentioning as well that there have been at least several "unhappy" players at City inherited by Nige I.e. the problem definitely existed before he arrived.

It doesn't sound like a split dressing room at all. It sounds like there are a couple of players that don't want to be at Bristol City, for whatever reason, and that as a result they will be moved on at the earliest opportunity.

Both sites won't be completed for many years, probably 5+ years from now. And given SL is already on record as looking for outside investment and The Athletic are now even muting a full takeover, then I think things will likely happen before the projects are built out. Don't forget that in practice Ashton Vale technically as nothing to do with Bristol Sport/City, and even the sporting quarter is technically a separate site to Ashton Gate (though clearly will be intrinsically linked to the stadium). Any deal could easily be done on the proviso that the sporting quarter development is built-out. The Lansdowns may well want to retain ownership of the arena and hotel elements.