Jacki

Nige is having back surgery and will miss the next few games apparently. All the best to the fella for a quick recovery. 

13 hours ago, ChippenhamRed said:

The acoustics thing is so overstated. Were the acoustics a problem when Korey’s winner hit the net?

Having the singing section in the corner between the two most vocal stands is perfectly adequate to make large amounts of noise. The corner should even give a megaphone effect, compared to being in the middle of a stand with open sides, if we ARE going to obsess about acoustics. The main reason the atmosphere is so flat is because we’ve had very few games that have really mattered since the stadium was redeveloped. Generally we’ve played fairly inconsequential mid table games. We haven’t had a play off game, a must-win relegation decider or a Bristol derby. We’ve had little to get excited about. And on the odd occasion when we have, the atmosphere has been excellent.

Putting fans in the Atyeo will just disperse our vocal support over a wider area.

Also, we’re kidding ourselves if we think the Atyeo was “our kop”. That’s a bit of an embarrassing comparison frankly. It wasn’t even our traditional home end.

We need to stop pretending the only reason Ashton Gate isn’t like the Istanbul derby every week is because of the acoustics or the layout of the ground. It’s a nonsense.

I couldn’t agree more with this post and have been saying it for years. The atmosphere at AG, or lack of it, is nothing to do with acoustics or the layout of the stadium. The place can be absolutely bouncing when it gets going.

When there’s a string of poor refereeing decisions, when we pile forward and get some momentum going, when there’s a real edge to a game, or when we’re playing a big cup tie the fans get fully engaged and there are no problems with acoustics at all. It’s just that none of those things have happened often enough over the past few years (apart from poor officiating). It’s an extreme example but, Bristol derbies aside, I’ve never heard a better atmosphere than the  big Man United game because everyone was bang up for it, the game was huge and we played magnificently against one of the biggest clubs in the world. There were problems with acoustics that night. To say there are at other times is a convenient line and a load of nonsense imo. 

13 hours ago, ChippenhamRed said:

13 hours ago, ChippenhamRed said:

13 hours ago, ChippenhamRed said:

As many others have said, this interview really didn’t tell us a lot that we didn’t already know, or at least suspect. SL has had enough of funding huge losses and isn’t going to do it anymore. That has seemed obvious from everything Pearson has been saying in his press conferences for a long while. It’s absolutely his right to stop doing this, but it doesn’t tally up at all with the repeatedly stated (in this interview) aim of us pushing for the top 6 this season. SL is asking Pearson to perform a miracle which he knows isn’t going to happen and, when we’re predictably falling short, will bin him off saying his failed and bring in the next yes man. If Nige achieves a top 10 finish under these constraints it will be remarkable. 

One thing I’ve not seen commented on that Alexander said more than once was his keenness to get it out there that he was ‘honoured’ to lead on the Alex Scott negotiations. Lansdown had implied in his own interview that he’d overseen it and I read that as Alexander trying to prove his credentials and show that he’s the boss on the football side of things. A small detail but I thought that was telling.

Other than that I thought the interview was exactly what I would have expected. A defence of Lansdown’s record and a load of fawning about the money he’s put in, a reiteration of budgets, a load of rubbish about how expect to finish top 6 like Luton and a load of corporate waffle about cash flow.

Overall I’m in the same camp as most others on here now. SL appears to be slowly pulling the plug and wants out. I think we need a new owner but it’s so important we get the right one. I’d hate for us to become a sports washing project like Newcastle or be bled dry like Cardiff or Birmingham. The next year or two will be very interesting as we see which way it all goes. 

Can’t see this on here so thought I would post. There’s an extended interview with Phil Alexander on Sound of the City tonight. Hopefully this should address the concerns that many of us were talking about last week, particularly around lack of communication. Should be a really interesting chat 

https://x.com/bbcbristolsport/status/1698682471317946508?s=46

Ha ha haaaaaaaaaaa this is bloody magic.

What a stain in the city of Bristol they really are. 

I have a feeling that there may be some brown stuff hitting some fans soon…

Another poor performance. We are so pedestrian in possession, passing sideways and backwards far too much and doing it slowly. When we finally get the ball into dangerous areas the final ball and/or decision making is consistently atrocious in the home games I’ve seen. We’re at our best when we move the ball with pace and we’re just not doing it. Norwich were a good side but my god we made it easy for them.

In terms of some individual performances, Tanner was very poor again and is really struggling this season at both ends of the pitch. I’ve really tried to give Cornick a fair chance in the hope that there’s a player in there but, other than honest endeavour, I just don’t see what he brings. He’s not quick, can’t beat a man, doesn’t look to be a great finisher…. I just don’t see it. And Mehmeti looks like he has something but his decision making is dreadful at the moment. He takes far too many touches… it’s like he’s the most talented kid in the school team and can’t resist trying to beat his man numerous times before he actually tries to pass the ball.

Overall another really disappointing night for us. 
 

Just to add to this, our academy sides have been playing for a month now and still don’t have any home kit to wear. They’re playing in either that horror show of a third kit or the light blue training shirts at the moment. No idea when the home kits will be ready but there are no sign of them yet. 

57 minutes ago, sludge said:

If he was Alex Scott level he wouldn't be signing for us would he?

Of course he wouldn’t, which is why I said it’s no surprise that he’s not in that class. Clearly whoever we bring in is either going to be a downgrade or a project with potential. 

Just passing on what I was told by someone who’s watched Garner-Hickman a lot more than most of us have. 

A guy I work with is a Baggies ST holder and said he’s not bothered to be losing Gardner-Hickman. He said he could make it but that he would be surprised if he did, and that he’s nowhere near Scott level which is no surprise.

I wouldn’t prejudge this one though, he looks like a logical signing of the type I’d expect us to make. Let’s hope we get him in and we can see the best of the lad. 

12 minutes ago, petehinton said:

That’s my thoughts too. Next few weeks that’ll become clearer.

Was racking my Brains earlier, have we ever had a manager have less than a year left on his contract like this before? The fact that’s not been addressed one way or another, SL never mentioning him in interview etc says to me this is only going to end one way sadly.
 

NP will be very cheap to get rid of, Should SL wish, and I think that’s a factor too.

 

 

Again I was saying the same last night. Pearson is demanding and has an edge to him that SL doesn’t like. He doesn’t want people who question him in the way Pearson will have done and it won’t take more than a decent run of poor results for it all to come crashing down. It suits him for Pearson to be on a short contract for exactly the reasons you mention.

I was really optimistic for this season until these first two home games but I’m already having the ‘here we go again’ feeling. I don’t think we’ll ever truly achieve anything under Lansdown. 

9 hours ago, Davefevs said:

This is the continuation of the “SL thread” in reality.

Interesting to see how this plays out.

I am definitely 2+2=5 but this would be typical Lansdown to let Nige sort out the shit and then want someone else.

I was saying exactly this last night. I can already foresee Pearson being allowed to fail through a lack of backing and then being replaced by a Johnson style yes man who will be given the money that Nige should have been provided with. We’ll push FFP again and end up pretty much exactly where we were when Pearson was brought in, with the new yes man being a borderline disaster. It’s what Lansdown does. This is my prediction anyway. 

One thing seems highly likely to me. If we don’t sign a player or two and we rely on what we have, on yesterday’s evidence it’s hard to foresee a particularly positive season. Scott was just so many levels above anyone we watched yesterday, which we knew anyway but it’s still hard to watch it actually play out. So disappointing after the optimism of summer. 

Just now, maxjak said:

Trying not to be too bitter?  But it is hard to take, that after 40 or so years supporting Bristol City FC  .......we have now become merely a pheckin feeder club for Bournemouth.  So much for ambition ?  Ha!               y

This is exactly how I feel about it right now. Totally understand that it’s the modern world/game and that players want to further their careers and play in the PL. Doesn’t make it any easier to accept that we keep losing players to a sh1tty little club like Bournemouth though.  

2 minutes ago, downendcity said:

 

Alex is under contract, which means that as long as he does not sign the new contract we've offered he continues to be bound by the present contract that runs for another 2 years.

Being under contract means that even if we accept a bid from another club Alex does not have to agree to go there.

By the same token,  the club do not have to sell if they do not receive an acceptable offer, even if it is a club that Alex would love to play for.

Alex could "make life difficult" and put the club under pressure to make the move but the only way that can really happen is for him to run his contract down, but that would be self-defeating, as it would guarantee him being stuck here for 2 more years - years that he could be building his career in the premier league. 

It does seem to me that there has been an open dialogue between the club and Alex/his agent and that there is mutual agreement about the way forward, in order that both club and player end up with the best outcome.

I totally agree. As I’ve said, Scott has behaved impeccably from what I can see and I have absolutely no reason to think he would make life difficult. I was just saying that he could. And if he does, the dynamic changes. 

2 minutes ago, KegCity said:

By doing what? Refusing to play?

Who knows? Putting in a transfer request, refusing to play, making it obvious to all and sundry that he doesn’t want to be around… Scott doesn’t seem the type to do any of those things, at all, but under pressure from an agent and with the carrot of his dream move being dangled in front of him with untold riches on offer you just never know.

I’d be surprised if it came to any of that with Scott but I’m just saying it’s a possibility. It is football after all. 

This is going to drag on and on but I hope (and believe) that we will drive a hard bargain and end up getting somewhere close to the £25m we are seeking for Alex.

The only way I can see this changing is if the player starts agitating for a move. Scott, from what we know, has behaved impeccably so far and he seems a great kid. But it’s not impossible to imagine that him and his agent could really start to put the club under pressure to make the move if the club he wants to join come in with a bid. When that happens, the whole dynamic changes and we may be backed into a bit of a corner. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out over the summer. 

I haven’t been too bothered about the new ONeill’s thing up to now, I saw it all as pretty trivial. I have now seen the training kit up close though so thought I’d chuck my two pennies worth in.

The kit seems to be good quality from what I can see, and although I don’t understand why it’s that electric blue colour it actually looks quite nice, and is far enough away from that horrible royal blue colour of the G*s for me not to be too bothered about that.

I just don’t get the badge though. The ‘splat Robin’ is in no way identifiable as Bristol City and the training top doesn’t have any branding on it that looks like us at all. All very strange. The training shorts actually look quite nice, but the zip up tops only have our actual badge on the sleeve and the main crest on the front is that new monstrosity which nobody seems to know where it originated from. I do think the club (probably JL) should come out and explain why they’ve done this and what that Robin is supposed to represent, because I have no idea  

Latest rumour I’ve heard, and I have no idea whatsoever if there’s any truth in it, is that we’ve offered Derby £1.5m plus Kane Wilson for Knight. Will be an interesting one if true. 

I’ve said this before on here and I’ll say it again.

Alex Scott is the best young player I’ve seen play for City in the 40 years I’ve been watching. He’s sublime on the ball and, in his quiet games, does his job very well defensively. His positional awareness and reading of the game is unbelievably good for a 19 year old.

Are there things he can improve on? Of course. He needs more to score more goals, and as many have set his dead ball delivery can improve. There’s no doubt in my mind he will nail both of those relative weaknesses.

He’s the real deal and will go to the very, very top of the game. 

I’m pretty relaxed about this.

I was (and still am) all for us signing Bryan if we can get it done. He’s proven, a top lad and a good player at this level. On the flip side, he hasn’t played much recently but I would be happy for us to take the risk on him, given the history.

However… having said all of that, assuming Pring doesn’t leave this summer we have a fantastic player in Joe’s best position already and this Brighton lad we’re in for is more the kind of singing I would expect us to be making. Young, up and coming, excellent season for Derby in League One and he would have far greater resale value.

I trust Pearson and Tinnion to do the right thing and will be happy either way. We’d all love to see Joe come back but sometimes the past is best left behind… 

COYR

1 minute ago, Port Said Red said:

Wrong thread?

Yep sorry  

That second one looked more of a pen than the one that was given. Absolute joke

Ludicrous decision. How can he avoid handling that? He’s not even looking at the ball. The handball rule is a proper joke these days. 

This is worth a listen… it’s an interview with Richard Gould. It’s mostly about cricket and his new role at the ECB but they do talk about his background and there are a couple of mentions of City in there as well.

As I say, probably one for the cricket fans but I enjoyed listening to it and Gould, as ever, comes across really well. 

https://twitter.com/final_word_pod/status/1664158589764657153?s=46

I’ve really enjoyed this season in the main, the second half of it in particular. We now have a clear way of playing and threats all over the place and we’re exciting to watch. We have homegrown players performing well and developing quickly and it’s great to feel like we’re heading in the right direction. A bit more ruthlessness in both boxes, which will hopefully come with some new signings, and we can be there or thereabouts next season. 

There’s a real sense of togetherness between players and fans that we haven’t had for some time as well. I’m really looking forward to seeing what this group, with a few additions, can achieve.

COYR