Davefevs

Chipping in, might we have done things in a different order, achieve promotion then build? (I know promo wasn’t guaranteed either way)

Better football structure fit for the needs of modern day football, succession planning of key people, critical analysis of recruitment, better budget control, etc.

Watching the game on Tuesday night, my first thought before they scored their opening goal was, OMG that’s a really bad press by Semenyo on their keeper. @Harry here is what I referred to on the WhatsApp group. Nige has talked quite a bit recently about how to defend when we have the ball, and how good defenders are worth their weight in gold because they are switched on, anticipating having to defend if we lose the ball. This goal epitomises it. It’s effing awful. The fact that Nige has talked about this, makes me pretty confident he’s not coaching us (nor are Flem and Euell either) to defend like this, his acute awareness of this proven by coming out and telling us in media interviews. pic 1, Lincoln RCB3 under pressure from Martin goes back to keeper. Semenyo looks to press keeper. First question, who is marking the CM and LCB3? Maybe they’re just out of picture, in-touch, ready to pounce! Pic2 - ball almost with keeper. Martin turning to split RCB3 and CB3. Semenyo continues towards the keeper, rather than blocking passing lanes to either Lincoln player. Maybe there are players out of picture? Pic3 - introducing the WTAF zone! The keeper has passed to CM who’s come short to receive. Where are City’s players. Oooh, look there’s Weimann on their other CM, bottom right of pic. How can there be that much space? Pic 4 - midfielder moves forward into 20 acres of space (more like 43 acres ?). Sykes no man’s land, King, no man’s land. Kadji doing nothing. Long ball about to be launched, although they could be easily built through the LWB too. Pic 5 - ball on its way (yellow circled). My questions, why didn’t Sykes go the LWB and everyone else move across one man, Low to the receiver, Klose to Low’s man, Atkinson to Klose’s? Atkinson impacts nothing where he is. Or alternatively, King engages the CM and Sykes covers the left winger / receiver? Although this leaves Kadji on his own, albeit he’s marking nothing. We weren’t caught in transition, so no reason why we should be so out of shape, not close to men. Very, very bad.

You could read my posts in this thread (some in response to others)? It’s all there.

You beat me to it. Massengo actually played there once or twice under LJ, albeit for final periods of games as subs were made. Don’t recall how he did. But he has the ability to do both aspects of the role imho.

Yes, it was a shin injury…pretty sure it was along the lines of shin splints or even a slight break / crack.

I think if we look at the 17/18 team, several have gone on and played at a higher level / better clubs, or were from pedigree. Flint - went to Boro who were bigger / better than us at the time Baker - had come from PL pedigree Villa Magnússon - went to CSKA Moscow (CL team) Brownhill - went to PL Burnley Bryan - went to PL Fulham Reid - went to PL Cardiff I didn’t include Fielding / Steele, Wright, Pack, Smith and Paterson from the cup nor others like O’Dowda, Diedhiou, etc. But Paterson was a top player at that time too, so that’s 7 bloody good players. Diedhiou had come from Lg1 in France. When I look at this, we obviously over-achieved in the League Cup, and for a period we were flying in the Champ, but we finished 11th. So, I wouldn’t say he over-achieved with that set of players. That was the squad to get to the play-offs and sneak up with. We blew it. The 18/19 side on a similar basis: Webster - went to PL Brighton Kalas - had come from PL Chelsea Kelly - went to PL Bournemouth Brownhill - went PL Burnley Weimann - had come from PL pedigree Add in Paterson, Baker and Diedhiou (as per 17/18). We went closer, finishing 8th. Id say that that was a better achievement than 17/18 in some respects…but it was starting to rack up in terms of £££s spent….and when we did lose Webster, Kelly and Brownhill eventually we used the money poorly, and are counting the cost now. Although in 19/20 I though Johnson managed to get good results over performance, but that was the worrying sign, that it would catch up with us. But those two sets of seasons and the players are chalk and cheese to what we have now imho. It’s a good debate no less.

No, it’s not, but that’s football.

I’ve noticed the last couple of games he’s wearing a black strapping on his shin / leg during the warm-up. He took a whack versus West Brom (a) and then was subbed off a few mins later. I think he’s not fully fit.

I had to read that twice. ??????

Yep…but there is still a view that there are many clubs in the same boat as us re FFP. There aren’t. That’s not to say others weren’t impacted by covid, but clubs like Cardiff who looked like basket cases, weren’t when I reviewed several years account, e.g we forget they were getting PPs and that meant they were fine. Clubs like Cov have Cashflow issues, not FFP issues. I put us in a small group of Us, Reading and Stoke. Reading of course under embargo anyway. Add- backs look like they saved us!

Sorry, no I was just hoping / being silly!

Not being facetious, which of the various groups of players do you think he overachieved with? If you wanna equate “groups” with seasons, e.g. the 17/18 group versus the 20/21 group as an example, that’s fine. I’m just interested.

Some flipped on the Danny Simpson signing. That was it for them. I have no problem with that, but I do think is shrouds their opinion on everything else about him. Human nature maybe. But you are right, there is hiding behind “I want Nige to succeed, but I’ve taken the safety off the gun ready for a defeat” though.

I’d class Simpson and King as compromises, Simpson especially. Last season’s injuries for King were frustrating because I thought he showed he was good enough…but it depends on what level of Chsmpionship player you’re expecting. He wasn’t gonna be top 6 was he? He was a free transfer, accepting an alleged low wage. This year he’s stayed on as a coach contract boosted by appearance money. In many respects you get what you pay for, and we can’t afford diddly-squat. What Nige wanted from “Kingy” wasn’t all about what he did on the pitch. Simpson was offered another year, again on a low wage in the hope he could cover Vyner’s transition to RB. It didn’t work out. It cost us peanuts really, and Nige remedied by signing Tanner for £300k which injuries aside looks like a reasonable purchase with growth in him. For me, James, when fit has been one of our best and consistent performers this season. But it’s all about opinions. But what isn’t opinion is that we can’t afford to bring in the quality we need. Naismith was our “one” this summer and that was because he was free.

Mr P, forecasts are forecasts. They’re made on projections (probably several scenarios to form a likely case) of what is gonna happen in the future…the unknown. He can’t say “we are definitely ok”. What if attendances plummeted and revenues drop as a result? What if a supplier or sponsor or whatever go bust owing us money, we’d have to write it off. Thats why he’s using the words he is.

Good post ??????

I pretty much always enjoy his press conferences. But dependent on your opinion you may not see it that way and hear excuses. Each to their own I guess. I find his comments balanced and fair in the main, and I sometimes wonder what some are expecting him to say any differently. I liked a lot LJ’s pre-match press interviews too, didn’t enjoy his post-match ones as much. LJ’s pre-match ones were a bit more technical, Nige’s are more management based…no real surprises there.

Abraham

Bollocks have you

@Silvio Dantedoes a far better job of explaining / mirroring my thoughts. I don’t think it’s been bad but I don’t get the “he’s put £214m he’s beyond criticism” stuff. That’s what I’m trying to convey.

That’s the Big Tone Condensed version!!!

That would make you…. FRANCIS: Whatever happened to the Popular Front, Reg? REG: He's over there.

And… Yep…I am talking about making poor decisions throughout his time here. Appreciate his investment into infrastructure, don’t really think he should be praised for the other millions he’s wasted / allowed others to waste. He could’ve kept tighter reigns / reins / rains on the budgets / spending.

There were other ways to run Bristol City. ??