Alessandro

For me Nigel is not the Messiah - but he has earned and deserves far more respect than he is getting from the club.

Why are we in a better/good position as a club, largely because of him. 

Why is our future looking optimistic again on the financial and playing side, largely because of him. 

For me he’s earned the right to continue in the role, be publicly supported through his recovery and, all being well on that front, be fully backed financially. 

However, if he goes, I’m a Bristol City, not Nigel Pearson fan - so…if we make an exciting appointment, get in a cracking CEO and even a new head of performance for example to work alongside Tinnion and use these foundations to go up another level, I’m ultimately happy with that.

My fear is that is not going to happen, I have absolutely no trust that we won’t see another Holden-esque appointment and so begins another failed SL experiment, decline and all these foundations NP has put in place will wash away in the tide. Why fix what’s not broken?

But maybe SL can prove us wrong…time will tell, maybe he will make the right appointment and actually seriously, I mean, top 6 seriously back them.

But we’ve been here before haven’t we?! New manager, same expectations, same average budgets, same old issues behind the scenes. Same old underachieving City with one common denominator holding on and holding us back…

52 minutes ago, Gabriella said:

He could lose the next 10 games and some people on here would be demanding a new 5 year deal.

Now who’s being over dramatic?

17 minutes ago, Gabriella said:

I think NP has done a good job, the restructuring of finances and bringing through of young players being the highlights. I think some of his signings have been poor, something we can’t afford I.e Mehmeti, Cornick.

I would be happy to see him get a rolling deal, but if his back is stopping him doing the basics then the club are well within their rights to do as they please, plus only a few bad results away from the usual…..nothing here is controversial.

I don’t know one fan whose expectation of Pearson is top 6 or bust - as you said earlier.

Regarding restructuring - I think ‘restructuring’ is far too soft a word and does huge discredit to the work he and RG undertook when they joined. We were well on course to fail FFP - that’s not a restructuring, that’s emergency surgery.

Regarding affording poor signings - well, where were you for the Ashton, Johnson, Holden era?!? Sorry, did you just sleep through the last 5 years? Two cheap signings that haven’t quite taken off is hardly a stick to beat him with when we were in a multimillion pound transfer hole. Nigel has had peanuts to work with relatively, developed and sold our biggest ever transfer, not to see the rewards?!

I think the back issue is an issue, absolutely, but as always - communication is key, not just the fans, but to NP himself. He deserves that as a minimum. Stay or go, he deserves that minimum courtesy of open discussions - instead he’s met with disdain and no public support from the club.

All with the threat of “a few bad games” and you’re sacked over his head - when frankly I would bet quite heavily that is in 8th are outperforming our wage and transfer budget league position. 

14 minutes ago, GrahamC said:

Interesting “new” poster, wonder who you were before?

Been a couple of very fishy posts on this thread in defence of the club…..

I mean, rather than making up faceless profiles on here…you know, you could always….I don’t know, maybe, do a little bit of, what do you call it?!…PR at the club? Talk to the fans a little bit and maybe speculation would calm down….

But SL and JL clearly feel above talking to the nasty City fans these days…

A few thoughts on Ipswich/Mark Ashton.

1) I don't doubt he has learnt from some of his mistakes, of which there were no doubt many. I'm sure his experience (read 'failures') here will be of benefit to Ipswich.

2) McKenna and promotion momentum.

3) Waaaay too early make judgements on any team in the league. 2, 3 games without a win and you drop very quickly from the top 6.

4) Hard to know what his exact involvement in transfers at Ipswich is vs. what it was here. Could be much less in terms of player identification for example. Likewise we don't know how much he is 'supervised' or not by his now bosses vs. what SL did here.

5) We don't know what budgets/expectations are at Ipswich. Will a season or 2 in the championship push them towards FFP limits for example with an overloaded squad? Remember it took several years for his mess to unfold here and almost a year after he left for us to fully appreciate the full picture/shit show of his time here. 

We know the Ipswich fans love him, TBF he has seemingly delivered, so far. But don't forget, he was always loud and proud when things were good here, less so when it got tough....

6 minutes ago, Son of Fred said:

Conway unlikely to start as yet.....sadly!

Yeah I did wonder that. Wells Cornick and Weimann then - maybe not a natural front 3 balance but vs. Leeds could work. 

I’d like to see TGH in for Williams if Tanner is fit. Maybe even James, Williams and TGH as the 3. Knight in and out of games at moment. 

Also wouldn’t mind a more compact/experienced front 3 of Wells Conway and Weimann.

Think Sykes and Bell could do with a rest, but also Nige doesn’t do big changes, so expect similar line up TBH.

13 hours ago, Betty Swallocks said:

TGH hasn’t been signed to play RB long term. 
He looks a tidy footballer, looking forward to seeing him play in his more favoured position. 

Exactly this - people have probably got used to a more defensive RB in Tanner and TGH is much more dynamic going forward, which of course will leave him exposed at the back, especially with Sykes perhaps too used to a conservative RB behind him, so not covering as well as he should.

As you say I think TGH's best position is not RB and seeing his technicality on the ball, engine and range of passing (see the highlights for 2 excellent cross field passes in the second half) - think there is much more to come and we'll see in CM soon IMO.

Brilliant goal - lovely technique. 

Bell running with the sprint button held down there, clean out of play, in a great position!

Well that was about the worst start to a half from us all season, very very untidy. 

All at sea at times - equal amounts of poor play on the ball and excellent energy and pressing from Rotherham. Sykes in particular having a bad half and TGH looks exposed at RB. They’ve certainly looked the more likely to score and a last ditch Naismith tackle kept us at 0-0.

Managed to build our way back into the half, but still couldn’t create any real chances, our best being a penalty inexplicably turned down when Bell was rugby tackled in the box. Knight and Williams sloppy and James and Bell quiet. Cornick working hard and having a few decent moments, but found myself wanting him to get himself in the box more but perhaps due to the lack of service he’s had to drop deep too much - not quite as quick as Nahki getting into dangerous positions in that respect. 

Referee - poor. For both teams TBF. Yes let the game flow, but you have to make decisions. Seems to hope if he keeps a low profile no one will notice him. 
 

Big improvement needed 

Tough game, would be happy with a draw.

I think one of the things that has concerned me defensively is the ease at which teams have been able to play through the middle of us at times this season - players sitting on the shoulder of the CB’s, not enough cover in CM and one pass splitting Vyner and Naismith open. Saw it vs. Plymouth, Hull, WBA, Swansea even.

Felt like we’ve been getting away with it though: Max with good saves, massive last ditch challenges or the player missing the target.

Vardy and Leicester will be all over that today if we let them.

Action packed first half - Plymouth, looking like a team that’s made 7 changes, all over the place and we start hard and fast to get 2 early goals, Bell could well have made it 3.

Then it’s own worse enemy stuff from City. First Vyner gets caught in possession and Naismith needs to make another last ditch tackle. Then Tanner is half clumsy/half unlucky with the ball dropping to Randall who slides it in the bottom corner from 20 yards - again where was the marking, Randall had far too much time and space.

Luckily Plymouth are even more sloppy in defence than us and they leave Sykes completely free run 1 on 1 onto a super Knight switch and slot into the corner. 2 goal cushion restored.

But then it’s Max’s turn to let Waine’s press get too close before he scuffs a poor clearance straight to Randall, who plays in Waine free in the middle, played onside by a slow to react Naismith, luckily blasts over under pressure from Vyner.

So, very happy to be 3-1 up but just need to tidy up at the back and keep that concentration because they will bring on Hardie no doubt and we could well get a hatful tonight. 

1 minute ago, mozo said:

I was expecting no change just because the performance on Saturday looked like we were on to something.

Agreed - surprised how many people wanted to make 2 or 3 changes - just back off international break, they can play 3 games in a week.

I'd prefer to go out strong, look to get ahead in game then sub to see the game out if needed.

A clear ‘falling out’ otherwise the statement would give us more detail…will be interesting to find out why…

11 hours ago, Davefevs said:

And a defender sliding in on him too.

Can’t believe it took 4 pages for someone to say this….

If Cornick went to the keepers right, the defender blocks it.

The keeper closed the gap, made himself big and covered the middle and left.

1) It’s a great first touch from Cornick.

2) A good recovery from the defender.

3) Top quality positioning and a top quality reaction save from the keeper.

Yes maybe maybe on another day Messi in his prime curls that in the bottom left hand corner but personally think Cornick couldn’t have done much more.

My problem with Maguire and that own goal is not that he shouldn’t have gone for it, it’s the execution.

A) Positionally poor

B) Technically poor, the execution is clumsy and laboured.

Regardless of any previous, Southgate needs to give more credit to the now and the future. Maguire isn’t that right now - so tonight was the chance to give others a chance. The pressure on him now will be massive. 
 

EDIT apart from that England excellent tonight and Bellingham is the type of talent that carries teams to trophies.

1 hour ago, Kid in the Riot said:

I’m pretty sure there are several billion people in the world who would argue that sentence is a load of airy fairy bollox.

Summary of original post - the world is what it is - it might be shit for you. It might not. Luck of the draw.

You can work to improve your chances, but you have to have been generally lucky to start with.

Those people who are more lucky tell people who are less lucky, just roll with, **** all you can do about it anyway. 

(My interpretation as one of the luckily generally lucky ones)

38 minutes ago, Nogbad the Bad said:

Most threads will be boring to some but if you find LJ chat so pointless there's a big clue in the title of the thread to help you to avoid it.

It’s a forum isn’t it - came, saw there was nothing new being said, left my opinion and left thread - being pulled back in with quote replies!

Please no need to reply to prove my point that no one is changing their minds. But you feel free to keep banging your heads against that brick wall, enjoy!

I know it’s international break - but am I the only one completely bored to shit by all this LJ bollocks?!

Listen: you either hate or you don’t hate him - save your energy trying to persuade your opposite who is NEVER going to change their opinion - regardless of how you paint the past or any future success or failures.
 

Very boring, even by this forums standard, going round in circles year after year - LJ is living rent free in too many heads 

Absolutely mental to think - after just fielding a team with only 2 LJ/Mark Ashton era signings - the rest all but gone from the squad bar Weimann (all 3 also with virtually no sell on value now too) - that it's taken 2 home developed academy players to balance the books from that whole period of signings. 

Imagine how much SL would have been down to cover if it wasn't for Scott and Semenyo - no wonder he was keen to sell them. 

35 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Andi will be back after the break

Tommy and Ayman in October, assume after the next break

Rob November, although might take a while to be really ready

Ross new year

The dates were from Nige.

Thanks Dave - that’s fairly positive news.

Ayman another to add to my list - possibly who SL referred to as the player we have within the club to replace Alex Scott.

Let’s hope he has a big impact as the season goes on.

32 minutes ago, Red Exile said:

Excellent post, and I'm certainly not a 'disciple'.

The missing bit for me is communication. If that is the strategy let's hear someone at the top shout about it...very happy for them to take the credit when it pays dividends. All along in the Lansdown years the missing piece has seemed to me to be taking the fan base on the journey. With very rare exceptions - think Cotts and the recruitment in the summer of 2014 - when there has been a tale spun - think '5 pillars' or Mark Ashton's offerings - there have been too many gaps in the narrative, gaps that can easily be filled by speculation and conspiracy theory.

I know that OTIB can descend into daftness at times but the people I know in the real world who post on here are all thoughtful, intelligent and well respected in their professional lives. Having worked in the media all my life I don't think any of this is all that hard to deliver, but it requires engagement with supporters beyond amusing social media posts and post match interviews, engagement which treats them like intelligent stakeholders with a contribution to make.

 

29 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Great post.  Middle para is spot on.  There appears to have been a change in strategy and nobody seems to be aware, Nige included!

I admit this is where my argument falls down - communication. It’s so poor. And as you say Red Exile, pretty disrespectful at times.

But reading between the lines, as I said in my original post, quotes like those along the lines of these that he’s made:

”if we want premier league football we need a cash investment from outside”

”building a nest egg”

”letting this squad develop”

So the official line is always going to be “we’re going for the play offs” isn’t it, because the club need to sell season tickets and create some hope in the fan base, business wise. Annoying as that is.

But reading between the lines, the private policy could be one of building up to the point where we can have a go, rather than buying our way, which failed under LJ.

Again, I admit it’s hopeful speculation, but it kind of makes sense when you look at the squad - but as you say Dave, when NP comes out and says some of the things he says it does contradict what I’ve outlined. 
 

I do agree we’re a few more injuries away from danger, but that’s the downside of NP wanting a smaller squad than before I suppose. I thought we’d get more in though, obviously we got TGH in, I suspect we tried and failed for another - but I still think we have decent cover in most areas and a lot of versatile players. With 2 weeks now, hopefully a chance to see some others getting a chance to get closer to fitness too.
 

Do we know how far off Tommy, Andi and Rob are for example, because they’d make a huge difference to the depth?