Silvio Dante

And also, if he thinks the squad is good enough assumedly the puppet that comes in won’t be given any of the “nest egg”. Of course he will. Total bull and just because they didn’t like Nige standing up to them. A two minute “interview” on club TV. Spineless. Gutless. I understand now why Jon feels at home with the jellyfish in Bermuda.

“Wanting to get to the premier league” “Gives us the best chance of success” ”Think the squads good enough” Absolutely nothing of note. The only comment worth highlighting is when he says that this is the first time they’ve had an idea of what they’re looking for. If you’ve been in charge for 20 plus years as a family then that just shows how incompetent you really are. Get the **** out of our club

See, I always struggle with the narrative that Cotts had a lack of investment - he didn’t. We had a title winning squad that needed a couple of additions - people point to Andre Gray but we got Kodjia as an alternative so that’s moot. The other one that’s pointed to Maguire - we got Nathan Baker and I think Liam Moore in. We also added Callum Robinson and Ryan Fredericks, notwithstanding that the latter didn’t last long after Little lamped him. Cotts was backed in assembling the title winning squad and if you look at who came in (acknowledging some were loans) and their quality proven since it’s hard to argue he wasn’t backed in the championship - harsh truth is he probably had reached his limits with us and couldn’t kick on. This is one of the things that makes the Nige situation so infuriating- he is singularly the only manager who hasn’t been backed by Lansdown and has delivered the veritable silk purse from a sows ear but still gets the push.

There was one real sliding doors game in 1998/99 for me - I think around March time we played WBA at the Hawthorns and drew 2-2 with them equalising late on, after we’d lost Bell and Testimitanu (great Benny signing, think we had to include a piano?) to broken legs. We hang on in that game I’m sure we stay up. Nevertheless I think he was onto something, and the ripping it up just felt like an abysmal decision.

Ward left IIRC because he wanted help and his choice was Ray Harford but the board brought Benny in. I didn’t hold a great torch for Ward - nothing to do with ex Rovers but more that I thought he took Joes team up. It’s fair to say that if Shaun Taylor wasn’t injured it may have ended differently. There were only a couple I was truly gutted by - Joe obviously but surprisingly for some, Benny. I could see what he was doing; bringing youth through and wanting to play good football. I could see a plan, I could see shoots. I hated Pulis coming in because I knew what anti football he played but also because I knew it was a complete 180 and it would screw up what Benny was working towards. It’s no shock that in the first post Pulis game at Bournemouth several younger players came back in - Benny started the Hill, Brown, Burnell generation and it’s a shame he didn’t get a chance to finish.

…and as an aside, can I thank the OP for putting this in the general football forum where it has been seen and engaged with by many, as opposed to the ex players forum where it would have been missed by people.

Yep, we could do with another £10-£20m not to give to the manager.

This is spot on to me. Tinnion doesn’t touch my best city team (watching since 1984). It may be sacrosanct, but I don’t think he was exceptional - just good, nothing more. I don’t recall there being serious interest in him from elsewhere which does tell a tale. Great passer with his left foot but not above good at anything else, and that was largely division 3. He’s seen as he is for two reasons - longevity and moments (Liverpool, Cambridge etc). I might be wrong here but I believe it was reported in the 90s that there was a personal life reason why he never moved on.

Possibly financially in the plans but not as any planning condition would be my thinking. From a planning perspective, i can’t see one is contingent on the other. Therefore it’s totally plausible for SL to take the money from the Longmont development and sell off the land proposed for the sporting quarter with planning to let any new owner do what they wish

Yes. What he - or anyone - would want though (in respect of the rugby) would be a long lease, continued branding etc, club shop space at AG, ability to take the Bears matchday revenue and so on. That probably won’t marry with a new owners plans. He’d also want a pre contract for the Flyers to use the arena if built. Basically it’s feasible but the Bears are a nightmare logistically to split out.

Cotterill isn’t favourite anywhere that I can see. Eustace and Rowett are leading the betting. Cotts is a total non starter and is only in the betting due to prior connections/nostalgic punts.

The Rugby to me is the elephant in the room - the flyers are easily hived off elsewhere as, absent the arena being built, they aren’t based at the same place/using the same facilities. The issue is that if you don’t include the Rugby in a sale, then what value does it have? It has no home of its own and as said, is in an industry where even at the top level, there isn’t money or kudos. Almost by default we have to include it and that makes a sale more difficult. The holding out for money I think is based on the hope value of the sporting quarter. However, I’m not sure Lansdown will survive long enough to see that developed with how toxic things are. Possible he waits for the housing planning to secure his money there, then sells AG etc with planning permission and a new owner does what they wish.

Rowetts an odd one for me, and almost feels “Right man, wrong time”. He’s a decent manager at this level and one I’d have taken in the past. The nagging point is that I think he seems Pearson less 20% - I think he’d sort a situation out and work to a budget, but I’d have doubts over him being a man that kicks a team on. Put it this way - had he been in the frame post Holden I’d have probably been amenable. I’m just not sure how he moved us forward.

More seriously, business wise it’s a horrible transaction for purchasers. Rugby is, and will always be, a minority sport - it’s not played by many countries and investors won’t be falling over themselves to buy a club in a sport where two top division teams have gone bust this year. Basketball is also minority in this country. It’s not a money maker, and has to be seen as a side interest. The real value is the stadium (with ancillary income), the men’s football and also, now, the ladies team as something with a lower cost base and a growth industry. The value is essentially Bristol City and potential access to Premiership Mens and ladies football. So, he needs to sell as a package AG and the BCFC teams. (edit: including the HPC) Nobody wants the rest.

A shitshow. He’d be selling a shitshow.

To be fair, part of Tinnions job should be identifying available players and presenting them as options so I’m not against that per se. I also think that short term signings may have made sense in view of our injury list, so I can see the logic. It’s not like Nige hasn’t done it before (Klose). That doesn’t get it away from the summer having been a monumental cock up and communication being awful, or that Nige has been shit on royally. On Tinnion generally, it seems to be that ambition, not for the first time, has outstripped ability. It’s the bloody Peter principle writ large - people being promoted to a level above their competency. That we’ve done it with him twice indicates just how much he is subservient to the Lansdowns. If he had stayed doing what he was good at then I wonder if we’d actually be here…

Absolutely not. Nobody can deny what Cotts gave us, but he’d reached his limits and we were in danger of going down. It’s symptomatic of a few people putting money on as a nostalgic move and moving the odds down.

To be fair, it was quite a big hole so I think you’re underegging things there.

I ended up, as Robins TV video was unavailable, getting Cardiff TV. So I have the joy of the Welsh commentary team…

A partial agree here - Sykes (especially) and Dickie the pick for me, followed by Cornick and Knight who’s getting through a boatload of work. Anis I think is taking up good positions but is understandably hesitant and the productivity Vs opportunity isn’t quite there. He needs to relax a bit more and play his game because he seems to be overthinking things to me.

Brave move not playing Matty James

When the fixtures came out, I was gutted to be missing the game as on holiday. However, tuning into Robins TV with the all inclusive bar may be the best option today. No slating of them please. Anyone.

Well…

I don’t think there’s any doubt he could and should have been closed down quicker but it was an xG of 0.05 and straight at Max. Had Broadhead wanted to pick his spot, it wouldn’t have been there. We should call it what it is - a save that should have been made and although Max was fine overall, trying to absolve him of blame for the goal is stretching a point a bit.