Quick Point

[dangerjones]

Spending £1.5m on a player doesnt make a club huge, it perhaps makes them an average CCC club?

I am behind him, why does every topic that questions something revert back to one that slates the board/manager??

we have been a ccc for 1 season....and what a great season that was!!

But take out The Birmingham , Derby and wolves....

who else has splashed 1.5m?

I'm sure I'm wrong but i don't think a great many have!

[Andy Horsman]

Maybe instead of having a go at GJ, SL and each other we should consider the value of the gaffer relaxing his view on loan signings.

Last season, Hull, Stoke and West Brom were helped immensely by canny loan deals, as were Birmingham the season before.

The likes of Bendtner and Campbell were hungry to prove they were worth a shot at the big boys and proved it at Championship level We could offer managers like Wenger, Sir Alex etc a platform for young players to play at a decent level at a club where the style of play is important.

Theres nothing wrong with a plan B, after all!!

[Atlanta_Red]

In all seriousness, as we are finding it very difficult to fill in those missing few players to mount another serious challenge this year, think how hard it would have been to rebuild a larger part of the squad if we had made it to the Premier League.

[Eddie Hitler]

Team spirit got us promoted and then to the play-off final.

Buying at great expense lots of players, without concern whether they're right or wrong, is why Wolves still sit in the Championship despite spending tens of millions.

Both Meteb and Mifsud had the talent but not the character to go with it.

I'd like us looking a little closer to home. Basso may be Brazilian but he was already in the country grafting in the lower leagues.

If there genuinely is nobody suitable then that's it until January.

In football if you chase the dream you end up in the dumper with Bradford, Leeds and Leicester.

[easton boy]

In all seriousness, as we are finding it very difficult to fill in those missing few players to mount another serious challenge this year, think how hard it would have been to rebuild a larger part of the squad if we had made it to the Premier League.

2 points

- Hull have a week longer than us to prepare for the start of the season

- bet your ass its a damn sight easier to attract players of any league to go to play for Hull than it is us at the mo - just because of the prem

[Jimmy]

In all seriousness, as we are finding it very difficult to fill in those missing few players to mount another serious challenge this year, think how hard it would have been to rebuild a larger part of the squad if we had made it to the Premier League.

don't forget that then you are looking at a different list of targets, with players far more enthusiastic to join us while we have significantly more money.

[Atlanta_Red]

don't forget that then you are looking at a different list of targets, with players far more enthusiastic to join us while we have significantly more money.

But the point I'm making is that we would still be an unfashionable club, still probably wary of splashing out money unnecessarily, and also trying to get players to gel with our dressing room who most likely - being Premier League quality - would have even more of an ego.

[Seend Red]

Trundle and Adebola are both proven goalscorers........They will both be there on Aug 9th........and i don't doubt after a full pre season With Gary Johnson both of them will be leaner and fitter than before!...

Oh dear you really do have the red tinted glasses on don't you, Trundle scored 5 in 35 and you feel he'll be good enough to fire us to the next level, Adebola is a good target man but he has never been prolific in his career, Do you honestly believe these two will score enough goals?

Numpty?....I'm no numpty...Just live in the real world.....and support my team through good and bad.....wether 5-0 or 5-0 down i trust in my team...Unlike u....who i think u will find from 90% of people on here.....would agree u are the numpty!

I have no interest in getting in to a slanging match with you but please don't tell me I'm not a real fan just because I'm open to discussion on a forum. Why do people like you always pull that one out the bag just because someone questions Johnsons actions.

[lou-peters-dive]

we have been a ccc for 1 season....and what a great season that was!!

But take out The Birmingham , Derby and wolves....

who else has splashed 1.5m?

I'm sure I'm wrong but i don't think a great many have!

Exactly. If Mifsud is,nt right for us Quote GJ, who on this forum is qualified to say otherwise ?. Transfers must be done for the benifit of our club and if he thinks someone is,nt going to gel we can wait until he finds those that will. But he had better bloody well hurry up. :noexpression:

[GrahamC]

Probably because the criticism sees to have no perspective on how far we've travelled so fast under the guy you're slagging off.

[Alex_BCFC]

Probably because the criticism sees to have no perspective on how far we've travelled so fast under the guy you're slagging off.

Exactly. Sometimes I think people want Johnson out and we will return back to the bottom of League 1.

[Collis]

We need to get maynard i know its a gamble but we are left with no choice.

SL has ruled Maynard out.....too expensive. He has already made a bid.

[greenun]

Gary Johnson hasn't got many signings wrong, certainly not expensive ones, and his record is better in that respect than most so you have to credit his methods. I don't think it's concern over protecting the dressing room that led him to can the Mifsud deal, reading the comments I'd guess that Mifsud couldn't agree a payoff with Coventry so came back asking for more money and probably a release clause.

However, I think what GJ might have a problem with is an attitude that a player is doing us a favour by coming here. Well, yes, that's a bit disrespectful but actually in some cases they've got a point. Despite a fantastic season last time around and a willingness to invest, we're still going to find it hard to compete for signings with the big clubs in the division. He might have to be a bit more flexible than he's used to for the bigger signings.

I still think we'll see at least one signing before the season starts and I'm hoping for 2-3 before the window shuts.

Your theory about Mifsud possibly pursuing a payoff from Coventry is highly credible Nibor. Especially when you condsider that there has already been a precedent this summer when the Freddy Eastwood transfer from Wolves to Coventry look dead and buried due to the forward's demands, as the following article illustrates: http://www.expressandstar.com/2008/06/30/s...astwood-switch/

Returning to Gary Johnson, our manager wants players 'who get it' and share his vision of a total team ethic and high work rate. Attacking and defending together. No fancy dans or players that go missing are going to remain regular fixtures in a Johnson team and it's a strategy thats served him well thus far.

However, most forwards are selfish sods who stray from their manager's instructions in their thirst for glory and I believe that its this complexity that has made it difficult for Gary to accept certain players and find a consistent goalscorer at Yeovil or City.

Footballers eh?

[lugger]

These top guys do work a bit differently and whats wrong with that, GJ just needs to work out if he sticks to his guns or signs one up and takes a gamble. Yes he has to be responsible with our money but he paid a mill for LT who had never played at this level so he's clearly not adverse to a punt!. Not sure I'd be too bothered if Mifsud was to fire in 30 goals, get us promoted and then went on to play for a good Premier League club as this is reward for his performance. Presumably if he'd done a good job and with 2 years left on his contract we'd get a tidy profit and go buy another one. Players do not stay at clubs for life anymore = end of story, they are a commodity. We do need to remember that GJ hasn't operated at this level, not to say he can't but he just hasn't - not a criticism. Fair play for saying it Deg!

[Jordan Tansley]

Oh dear you really do have the red tinted glasses on don't you, Trundle scored 5 in 35 and you feel he'll be good enough to fire us to the next level, Adebola is a good target man but he has never been prolific in his career, Do you honestly believe these two will score enough goals?

dele's goal scoring record is respectable, trundles record is fantastic(albeit in a lower division!)i have every confidence should these be our ain strikers they will be good enough to score goals in this division. otherwise why would GJ have bought them???

I have no interest in getting in to a slanging match with you but please don't tell me I'm not a real fan just because I'm open to discussion on a forum. Why do people like you always pull that one out the bag just because someone questions Johnsons actions?

the same reason you and others jump on people for "looking through rose tinted spectacles" or just being positive. its swings and roundabouts to be honest. and you actually started a slanging match by getting personal with name calling! was this the irony you spoke of before??? :noexpression:

[LSR]

yur right who is right for us...we should have brought in at least 5 top qual players I'm sorry but loyaty in football doesnt get you promoted..meteb was a good deal and should have gone through no matter what ..he was bound to want to play one last tiume why did we say he couldnt? trundle was right for us for 1m and look whatr he gave us?

[Zider_I_Up_Landlord]

yur right who is right for us...we should have brought in at least 5 top qual players I'm sorry but loyaty in football doesnt get you promoted..meteb was a good deal and should have gone through no matter what ..he was bound to want to play one last tiume why did we say he couldnt? trundle was right for us for 1m and look whatr he gave us?

I agree with your statements well said!

We have two weeks left and have made no proper signing's! Wats going on?

Ziul

[Spud55]

But the 'big' players may all have a swagger about them, and air of arrogance. Perhaps GJ doesn't like it, but it may be the case with all of em as they ultimately know we need them more than they need us.

We just need a player or two of that higher quality to get us where we want to be.

I think the thing is that he has no beef with arrogance on the pitch as frankly you need it, Look at McIndoe and Trundle, on the pitch both have an air of arrogance about them, but they seem much more level headed off it. Look at Henry, impossibly arrogant on the pitch, but always seemed a very humble man off the pitch, same with Ronaldo, remember reading an interview with him a while ago when he was talking about his life and growing up at Sporting Lisbon, and he seemed despite all his tallent and money still seemed a very humble man, recent events seem to have tainted this a bit but he still seems like a decent bloke.

There is a difference between arogance and belief in your ability and blatantly disrespecting a prospective employer, thats what Meteb did, and it seems as if it's what Mifsud has done.

[red and breakfast]

I fully back GJ 100% in this decision. As someone who does the hiring and firing at a pretty big organisation, I take a lot of time getting to know the person and making sure they will fit with the others in my successful organisation. Regardless of who the new egg is and at what level of the organisation, they can set things backa long way - years even.

It is like fitting pieces of a jigsaw together - you wouldn't go onto ebay to buy a top left corner of a Thomas the Tank Engine puzzle to complete your Button Moon classic now would you?! :noexpression:

Stick to your guns GJ and the right stuff will shine through.

[Bristol Boy]

Gary Johnson hasn't got many signings wrong, certainly not expensive ones,

I think the opposite applies.His sub £250k signings have been excellent in the main apart from those loans in his early career at City.Trundle & Sproule were expensive and neither, to be kind, have been 100% convincing.......like I said, that's being kind and we'd struggle to get the same fee for either of them now.

However, I think what GJ might have a problem with is an attitude that a player is doing us a favour by coming here. Well, yes, that's a bit disrespectful but actually in some cases they've got a point. Despite a fantastic season last time around and a willingness to invest, we're still going to find it hard to compete for signings with the big clubs in the division. He might have to be a bit more flexible than he's used to for the bigger signings.

That's spot on.The same applies when employing top quality people.They know they're quality and that, in turn, doesn't make them loveable-However, it's a vital part of their DNA and if you need them, you have to live with it if they bring benefit and a return on your investment.Like I said, you don't have to love them or even like them.

I still think we'll see at least one signing before the season starts and I'm hoping for 2-3 before the window shuts.

My concern is that a shaky start will push up the price and another is that we've left it to late in the day in terms of integrating them.

This attitude really annoys me. On what grounds do any of us question the decisions gj makes?

We are all entitled as paying customers.No arguments with GJ's record, however that doesn't make him omnipotent and as long as it doesn't turn into personal abuse, that focus and criticism goes with the territory.

You could well have a case if we had been in this division for 5 years, signed no-one who the fans consider 'quality' and maintained an un-inspiring mid table finish season on season. Ffs look at where we are now and where we were when Johnson took over. We have been in the season 1 year. We started that year hoping to stay up and finished the year the better team in a play-off final, losing only to a fantastic goal. All this big player stuff is nonsense, it's about professionalism. I'm as frustrated as the next person but am able to see the wider picture that this club is much better off 'lacking quality' with gj at the helm than having a team of 'talent'.

Then you must be able to see that the two things of whch you speak aren't, in any way, mutually exclusive.

Of course that's true but if Mifsud had jumped ship to another club after having a release clause met and Meteb didn't settle and went AWOL sulking back to Egypt that would be £3m down the drain with nowt to show for it and the criticism would be far higher.

We're not in a position where we can afford to get seven figure transfers wrong.

Actually we're probably better placed to do it now than ever and it's arguable that we got it wrong with LT.That doesn't mean we should and if GJ doesn't think the deal's right for the club, he's the man in the box seat, however, one would hope that his declared policy of checking out the player would be in place before we publicly commit £3m.

Let's hope that he brings in the strikers before Blackpool and doesn't stop there.Now is the hour and cometh the hour cometh the man-or men.

Hope GJ can get the right ones because a lot of the frustration being displayed comes from expectations that's he's been responsible for raising with success, as ever, a double edged sword

[milo1111]

don't get me wrong, its good we have standards and principle as a club, but it wont fire us to promotion.

If Meteab and Mifsud had signed, the entire fanbase would be rocking with excitement, fact.

just like they were when stewart and bridges signed. we were going to tear the division apart......

[internetjef]

....oh lets just give crewe 2m for maynard with a respectable sell on fee.

yeah its 500k over the odds but i would suspect he would join on at least 5k less p/w than mifsud/meteb. that would save us roughly 250k a year in wages by my calcs.

[Chivs]

Gary Johnson hasn't got many signings wrong, certainly not expensive ones, and his record is better in that respect than most so you have to credit his methods.

That's just plain wrong. [Leaving aside the early stream of woeful loan signings]

His expensive signings (I believe as it's all "undisclosed") are Trundle, Carle and Sproule. Carle is no longer a City player!!!!!! It seems that after a few months GJ noticed that Carle wasn't the player he had signed.

Both Trundle and Sproule were not picked for some games last season when fit. I don't have a problem with these signings as Trundle (especially) and Sproule can really excite and if played to their strengths can unpick Championship defences. Nevertheless, it seems that GJ occasionally had a problem with his own signings.

GJ has said about Mifsud and Meteb "Both situations proved, given certain incidents during the negotiations with the players that they weren't right."

Well, why the hell did you recommend that we sign them then????!!!??? Did these players attitude change right after we'd made an agreement to sign them? This doesn't seem credible. Is it not part of the management teams responsibility to work out who is around these players, what their agent is like, what "baggage" they bring with them?

If I was SL, round about now, I would be questioning the professionalism of GJ, not the players he wants to (err, sorry, doesn't want to) sign.

I'm not suggesting we should get rid of the best manager I've known at AG but you can't make bald statements as quoted when the facts are contrary.

[Nibor]

That's just plain wrong. [Leaving aside the early stream of woeful loan signings]

His expensive signings (I believe as it's all "undisclosed") are Trundle, Carle and Sproule. Carle is no longer a City player!!!!!! It seems that after a few months GJ noticed that Carle wasn't the player he had signed.

Both Trundle and Sproule were not picked for some games last season when fit. I don't have a problem with these signings as Trundle (especially) and Sproule can really excite and if played to their strengths can unpick Championship defences. Nevertheless, it seems that GJ occasionally had a problem with his own signings.

GJ has said about Mifsud and Meteb "Both situations proved, given certain incidents during the negotiations with the players that they weren't right."

Well, why the hell did you recommend that we sign them then????!!!??? Did these players attitude change right after we'd made an agreement to sign them? This doesn't seem credible. Is it not part of the management teams responsibility to work out who is around these players, what their agent is like, what "baggage" they bring with them?

If I was SL, round about now, I would be questioning the professionalism of GJ, not the players he wants to (err, sorry, doesn't want to) sign.

I'm not suggesting we should get rid of the best manager I've known at AG but you can't make bald statements as quoted when the facts are contrary.

Perhaps I should have been clearer - I'm talking about attitude and mentality.

Trundle, Sproule, McIndoe, Adebola - the expensive signings - all have first class professional attitudes. Carle is alledgedly the exception (what I've heard is only rumour but it leads me to believe there were other reasons to sell) but we made a big profit on him. The players he's turned away, Easter, Meteb and Mifsud were expensive ones where GJ wasn't convinced the attitude was right.

Look to the less expensive signings and the loans and you see more variance, Enoch, Noble etc. There's not as much at stake so you can take a bit of a gamble. Some of them pay off - Elliott for example was rumoured to have a dodgy attitude at Millwall, some don't - Enoch didn't live up to what GJ wanted and Noble seems to have fitness problems for example.

The point I'm trying to make is that when he's spending a lot of money GJ works very hard to be absolutely sure the player is the right fit personality wise and by and large gets it right.

Oh and as for the "why recommend we sign them?" question - you don't get to meet a player until you've agreed a fee and with both Meteb and Mifsud he found flaws as part of negotiating with them. Many managers would have just pressed on anyway lacking the backbone to call it up and risked ending up with uncommitted or unhappy players.

His record in the transfer market is IMO very successful overall and speaks for itself.

[PhatWill]

Well, why the hell did you recommend that we sign them then????!!!??? Did these players attitude change right after we'd made an agreement to sign them? This doesn't seem credible. Is it not part of the management teams responsibility to work out who is around these players, what their agent is like, what "baggage" they bring with them?

If I was SL, round about now, I would be questioning the professionalism of GJ, not the players he wants to (err, sorry, doesn't want to) sign.

I'm not suggesting we should get rid of the best manager I've known at AG but you can't make bald statements as quoted when the facts are contrary.

Questioning GJ's professionalism? Why exactly?

We're the ones that have acted with dignity and professionalism during both the Meteb and Mifsud transfers.

[Chivs]

Questioning GJ's professionalism? Why exactly?

We're the ones that have acted with dignity and professionalism during both the Meteb and Mifsud transfers.

Did you read http://www.bcfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,1...1343848,00.html ?

It states that we have signed Meteb. We then subsequently unsign Meteb. You call that acting with dignity and professionalism??? GJ stated that one reason he cancelled the Meteb deal was that he wasn't convinced he would settle in Bristol. Did he not think to ask this question of a foreign player at the outset? You call that acting with dignity and professionalism???

GJ states that the reason the Mifsud deal has been cancelled is that the agent and lawyer started asking things that he had never come across before. What exactly? Presumably GJ told SL about the Saturday text that Mifsud had sent him thus provoking SL to announce the signing for Monday at the Open Day. By Tuesday, the deal was off. You call that acting with dignity and professionalism???

I don't know any more than GJ is feeding us but I feel there is a lot more to this that we aren't being told. You call that acting with dignity and professionalism???

[Chivs]

Oh and as for the "why recommend we sign them?" question - you don't get to meet a player until you've agreed a fee and with both Meteb and Mifsud he found flaws as part of negotiating with them. Many managers would have just pressed on anyway lacking the backbone to call it up and risked ending up with uncommitted or unhappy players.

His record in the transfer market is IMO very successful overall and speaks for itself.

I understand that a manager can't (officially) meet a player until after a fee is agreed. However, GJ reversed his decision on both these players after he had recommended to SL that we sign them (and after the negotiations had finshed). Strange.

[bigbadbonkingbob]

we have been a ccc for 1 season....and what a great season that was!!

But take out The Birmingham , Derby and wolves....

who else has splashed 1.5m?

I'm sure I'm wrong but i don't think a great many have!

Forest - Earnshaw, £2.65M

Sheffield United - Henderson, £2M

Barnsley shelled out £1.2M for Ian Hume and another £1M for Chris Eagles, while Coventry paid £1.2M for Eastwood. Forest have also paid £1.14M for Joe Garner.

[maidenheadred]

Meteab, Mifsud and Lita has too been mentioned...

Why arent they 'right'?

Is it because they're a level above what Johnson is used to working with?

We have an entire squad that is used to grafting hard to get places so have a decent attitude, but ultimately aren't Prem quality and have spent most their careers at a lowish level, so are we ever going to find a top end quality player who IS right for us?

The 2 we have now missed out on, could well have fired us to the Premier League. Would anyone really give a shite if they did and were a tad arrogant?

There's protecting your dressing room (which if is as strong as we're led to believe shouldnt be influenced by the minority), and there's being fussy for being fussys sake!

Tad worried about who is left for us now?

:noexpression:

Tony Thorpe

Lee Peacock

Tony Dinning

Martin Khul

Ray Atteveld

Danny Coles

Tommy Docherty

Ian Baird

Steve Jones

Carl Hutchings

Julian Watts

... few names of players i came up with very quickly who at the time were amongst the highest earners, and in some cases highest transfer fees - but who largely took the piss out of City, and delivered medicocre football in exchange for our cash. They dragged a number of the young uns down too - only leaving a few true pros like Tinman, Murray and Louis remaining. i'm sure there's more others can come up with.

you don't think having the "right" player is important? didnt we just get to within 90 mins of the prem with a team that basically performed well beyond the sum of their parts, and with a professionalism and 95 min fitness we've never seen before?

doesnt get that way without a consistent dressing room - and way i see it, after watching 20 years of crap the old city way (sign expensive players, pay loads of wages, put some joker in charge and see what happens) and a couple of "New City" seasons (spend months researching the player, sign him only if his character fits as well as skills, be really good at football), i think i'm with GJ on this one.

when i went out the world cup a few seasons ago, met a bloke who used to be right back for a few lower league clubs (Bury, Cambridge - under John Beck and GJ), and we got talking about Gary Johnson once he knew i was a city fan. As well as the usual accolades you normally get about the boss, he also told me about Jamie McCombe who we had just signed - and how Gary knew he player with him at Lincoln, and how we called up this chap to get a detailed summary of what kind of bloke he was before signing. And that was for a £5k player!!!

GJ's approach is working - long may it continue. Footballers earn too much as it is - would hate to see one take over £10k a week home with him and take us back to the dark days.

[maidenheadred]

I understand that a manager can't (officially) meet a player until after a fee is agreed. However, GJ reversed his decision on both these players after he had recommended to SL that we sign them (and after the negotiations had finshed). Strange.

but why is strange when you have been given the explanations on the OS? Mifsud took the piss and brought in laywers once he had verbally/textually agreed - the egyptian played a game against manager's will. What is your point? where is this conspiracy?