Mendip City

I think they’re having too much time off…. By the way, where is JL? Thought we were going to see improved communication? Not heard anything from him, Tinnion or anyone senior.

Before experimenting with a young up and coming video disc….

Do you have any evidence of that? Don't tell me, give it time, 3 or 4 transfer windows, maybe a relegation (where he’ll be nice and experienced). Then we’ll eventually get back to where we were 6 weeks ago! I’m fed up with trainee managers, sorry head coaches, at Ashton Gate. We’ve tried them plenty of times and not one has achieved anything.

Could be

It’s really changed a bit recently. I find us apathetic by and large. Willing to take almost any old rubbish on the chin. Hard to see where it goes from here, in the old days it would have been “sack the board” chanted behind the grand stand after the game. Not really an option now! If it turns poisonous, the Lansdowns may be encouraged to get a move on with any sale. They’ve talked about it for ages which has coincided with a real stagnation on the field.

Less than 3 points (in total) from these next two games and I dread to think what the atmosphere will be like at Ashton Gate.

But that’s that point. LM has bought into whatever they have said. If you felt the squad was mid table at best (as I do) would you take a job where your boss has told the world the squad is much better than that? LM is surely not that naive? Is he?? Whatever anyone thinks JL and BT’s cowardly way of sacking NP (blaming results) has set an expectation on them and their new man. Ashton Gate is going to be an angry place in the New year if we’re playing dead rubbers and not challenging at the right end of the table.

Spot on!!!!! By the way listening to LM, to me, is exactly the same as listening to LJ…. All the buzz words. Only difference is that Lee had a bit of charisma/personality about him. This guy is robotic by comparison.

With respect, I think it is on Manning… Surely he read the press release after NP’s sacking? Surely, at interview, he asked about it and what the expectations are?? We have to assume he’s completely bought into the JL / BT thinking/project (top end squad now etc). If he isn’t bought in, he’s a fool and will fall foul of the hierarchy. If he didn’t get clear direction of the objectives at interview then he’s a fool. I don’t believe he’s a fool. I do think he’s jumped at a job up the pyramid and I also wonder whether he’ll regret it and regret leaving Oxford so early. Massive gamble on his part coming to a club that’s not achieved more than this in 40+ years and with significantly restricted resources/commitment from on high.

Great post. Taking NP out of it slightly, one of my biggest frustrations is the inevitable amount of ripping up of this good work we will see. You can bet your life the squad will be bigger soon… no doubt not increased by players better than we have but by squad fillers. In turn, there will be fewer opportunities for young players (which has already started, where’s Yeboah gone? Not filling the bench with kids but choosing to leave spaces…. Strange).

Agree about Sykes but presumably you meant “long term signing…. for Bournemouth”???

I’ve a feeling Liam could be our Liz Truss…. Has he done 40 odd days yet??? I’ll pop out and get a lettuce later

Agree with all of that but I’d add that we hold the board AND Liam Manning to account. He’s bought into it, believes it… otherwise why take the job. We need to hold them all to account when the inevitable “rebuild”, “mentality”, “fitness”, “3 window” stuff starts getting spouted. This is a top end squad or so we’re told… a comfortable top half finish will be easily achieved, surely???? I’m not letting it go either!

Popular with the fans, done a good job, it would be as mad as when Birmingham sacked Eustace or Sunderland sacked Mowbray. There’s another example….. struggling to think who

The question misses the target for me NP’s team was doing whatever it was doing…. Would probably have finished better than last year and somewhere in mid-table. That was not good enough, rubbish even - or so we are told. This is a top-end Championship squad, JL says do, LM believes it (or why take on the job?) and presumably so does JL’s voice of football BT. I’m expecting a decent run of results now and charge towards the play-offs. If not JL, BT and LM deserve all the criticism they get.

Agree with all that. But he isn’t young and up and coming and easy to manipulate so doesn’t fit the (latest) mould.

And the one above appears to be a generic design with Bristol City written on it…… a template!

I found myself on the list. what’s the plan??? Are we buying SL out???

I’ve given that a like…. It deserves much more. I’m a bit younger but also bought shares… it was OUR club back then.

Yes, and I have wonder what those people who saved the club would have said if you’d told them the club would plod between the second and third level of football for the next 40 years with no tangible success….

Good points re City Group. You don’t need to look as far as Michael Appleton…. our very own up and coming coach LJ being a serial bouncer!

I’m surprised this isn’t getting mentioned more. He’s jumped around a lot. In his head it’ll be ambition but unless he’s successful here he’s going to look a bit patchy. Massive gamble to “kick on” with a permanent mid table club that’s spent 40 years in the middle two divisions….

I think we didn’t have enough time off over the international break….

If we’re doing worse than when he took over and we’re playing a series of dead rubbers the atmosphere will be poisonous towards JL and SL. They’ll hate that and do the honourable thing…. sack their latest golden boy. I feel for Manning a little…. Only a little. It’s a stupid decision to jump from high-flying Oxford (so soon into his time there) on the bluff and bluster of JL to join a club that’s been trapped in the second or third level off English football for 40 years.

No need to worry, he’s been brought in to improve things with a play off quality squad. If things aren’t better he’ll be gone. Surely?