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6 minutes ago, harrys said:

Do you honestly believe that Cole should of stayed instead of quadrupling his pay and playing in front of 50,000 people with a team on the up?

Team on the up? 

I think the fact we’re talking about Newcastle reinforces the point. Just to give this context City come up as defacto champions in 89-90 ( the Taylor injury costs us 1st) and we are flying. Joe Jordan leaves (a separate thread in its own right) but still city play great and finish just 1 point outside of the playoffs and 8 points ahead of Newcastle.

Bristol City struggle in 91-92 but finish safe in 17th whilst Newcastle avoid the bottom 3 by just 4 points and finish 20th.

City sign Cole permanently in the summer of 1992 after joining on loan.

If as you say Cole was always allowed to leave for the ‘bigger club’, the fact that Newcastle are the team in 92-93 and not City just reenforces my point about the club never ever being brave enough or believing in themselves 

3 hours ago, AshtonGreat said:

Problem is, there always seems to be a 'project' going on at City, without there ever really being any tangible results

Absolutely.

We never believe in ourselves. It’s almost as if the club enjoy Div 2

2 hours ago, BTRFTG said:

That's not why he came to us. As he himself described he came on loan to keep us up and get a chance to display his talents. Job done he signed on the basis we'd be a stepping stone to greater things and that as soon as a decent offer came for him he'd be off. We and he agreed that. We were lucky to get him when we did.

Doesn’t mean you couldn’t have tried.

Also sad that we were the stepping stone to a team who were battling relegation and hadn’t really done anything for 20 years.

Always the shitty bridesmaid.

1 hour ago, Davefevs said:

I’ve said for a good while we have players that press without intelligence.  Some make that doubly worse by not actually engaging, whilst someone like Massengo can do it without discipline.  We lack intensity, we need a few more “George Tanner” tackles.  We need to make our opponents feel uncomfortable.  I suspect a lot of sides accept we might have a “few” moments in the match, but currently they know it’ll peter out and they’ll get more opportunity.

Thats the worrying trend, and as @GrahamCsays above we need to stay in games.

I think what many find disappointing is that of all the candidates post Holden, I thought Nige would bring this.

I know that rebuilds take time, but the things we are talking about are not born, technical gifts as such. You should be able to coach into pros 

I’m spoilt for choice on ways to save our season now

In summary nobody knows the answer?

Andy Cole.

What blinkered leaders we must have had who couldn’t see how we literally had somebody who could single handed lead us to promotion.

Just invest in the team around him and reap the rewards of Div 1 later.

Prior to that super Bob. Again just lacking a board who truly wanted the club in division 1.

9 hours ago, AshtonGreat said:

Cotts?

Wasnt his appointment.

He didn’t want him, so the story goes.

By either mismanagement or foolishness, this is the squad we have. We are unlikely to add to it in any major way due to the financial pickle we have created for ourselves.

Irrespective of who the manager is, what do they have to do with this threadbare squad to create a turnaround?

I’m no expert in the field of modern day tactics, but I can see a team lacking application. Whether there is a plan or not, it clearly isn’t being executed.

Lots of bright people on the forum (plenty of dullards like me), so what could be done to help sort this out?

Its not a Pearson thread as I personally believe the challenges are deeper and any incoming manger will probably struggle.

Positive and constructive posts if possible

Martin needs a rest (being polite) and we really need to figure out how to inject pace and energy into the side.

We have pretty much reached the point where anything we try cannot be any worse.

I don’t know if Louis Britton can’t cut it at this level, but it simply cannot be any worse than our current efforts.

38 minutes ago, Herbsley said:

This has been like watching the days of O Driscoll. Makes me laugh when I read on here people blaming LJ for all our current travails. Bring me back his style of football any day. 

Who blames Johnson?

I have an opinion on his tenure but I don’t blame him for where the club is now. Far more culpable candidates

2 minutes ago, Marina's Rolls Royce said:

Genuinely- no I don''t. If you mean that he didn't get us to the Prem then I'd agree- he failed slowly 

We’ll always agree to disagree on Lee Johnson. It’s okay.

We both love City for some unknown reason

3 minutes ago, JonDolman said:

Holden had us 8th going into February, with injury numbers ranging from 5 players to over half the squad throughout the whole season.

Otib: 'He is clueless, sack him!'

Pearson loses 3-0 away at Birmingham and has us 18th. Looking like a team heading for relegation.

Otib: 'Pearson has such a difficult job.'

I thought Dean Holden had a lot of sympathy from many. 

I think Pearson has also taken on a difficult job.

2 minutes ago, JoeAman08 said:

The problem is, it feels like it is getting a lot worse real quick. Bad enough where this is a bottom 3 side. And while a mess, this isn’t close to a bottom 3 squad. We should be seeing decent performances at the very least. That isn’t happening. We are regressing and it is a serious worry. 

I think this the concern for many now.

Just now, Marina's Rolls Royce said:

He failed to relegate us- you are right.

He slowly failed and you know it. 

4 minutes ago, paul_fox said:

Did Lee Johnson make a remark about the stories he could tell in an autobiography if he did one? 

I wish he would.

Id have far more sympathy for yhff we situation of there was more honesty.

Just now, Marina's Rolls Royce said:

I dont agree. Lee was one of our better managers. 

Blame Lee, blame Ashton , blame the owners but just dont blame the poor old manager.

 

I’ll happily blame Pearson.

Lee wasn’t that great he failed and failed and failed again with everything at his disposal.

As for Steve, 20 years of kickining around Div 2 and 3. Much like the previous 20 years.

15 minutes ago, BasSavage88 said:

Been fun again lads. 2 and a half more years

 

I’ve already put up with 35, the last 20 of which we’ve had a billionaire in charge.

2 and half years isn’t going to make much difference.

17 minutes ago, Marina's Rolls Royce said:

Enough of the Ashton Johnson Lansdown blame triangle.

I've been supporting City long enough to get the feel- and the feel is that we are fodder. NP has been a top manager in his day but his day has gone- just look at the stats.

Is it Nige's fault? Probably not but , imo, a different solution is needed sooner than later. It was much much better with Lee but that's not part of the NP messiah narrative.

We will go down unless SL/JL take financial and coaching action now.

It was going nowhere under Lee Johnson, a much slower decline I’ll grant you. 

Poor old uncle Steve the only ray of sunshine was somebody he didn’t even want

I wish that when Pearson goes he’s allowed to be honest with us and just tell us how it is. Years of bullshit and spin and going backwards slowly have sucked the life out of the club.

I want him to tell us exactly what he thinks of the club and the ‘Pillars’ put in place.

I’m sure Pearson will be gone if it continues.

Then Steve can oversee another ‘era’ in the clubs history.

Hopefully Pula Sport will build something shiny to make us all feel better

I’ve stopped watching for and am just catching up on some Crystal Tipps and Alistair

I’m still looking for ‘Crystal’s Christmas’

Just now, CotswoldRed said:

Pearson building a team that is less than the sum of its parts. Highly disappointing. 

I’ve heard that before about this club.

Still a whole half to go!

Let’s see what we can get our of it.

COYR!

8 minutes ago, Calculus said:

Win % over 40, multiple promotions. No arguing with his record. Always quite liked the pantomime villain act. I know of a couple that live near him - very good guy by all accounts.

He is supposed to be a great guy.

He just had a persona in his job.

My uncle is the reason I’m a city fan and is like a second father to me, a wonderful human.

In his career he was a director at a well know national building company. Whilst at city once, he met me for a chat. When I went back to my mates, one recognised him from went he was a contracts manager somewhere, his response was “is your uncle ***** ******? What a ball breaking bastard he is. He was a complete ******* to deal with” 

I felt such pride

Yep.

You have to respect the achievements.