Dw's Attitute

[Guest uncle john]

I know Edson has raised this point many times and many of you feel it's an irrelevance, but I can't help agreeing with him. I think it is significant.

Danny Wilson lives in Chesterfield. That is 180 miles from Bristol, over 2.5 hours away. Now he does have a flat in Bristol and stays over here in the week, but often won't travel with the team to away games, and won't travel back.

This seems significant in that it tells me something about his attitude. He signs for Bristol City 4 years ago. Does he say 'right, I'm going to give myself heart and soul to this club. Come on Mrs Wilson and all the Wilson offspring, we're moving to Bristol', or does he say 'Well, I've got a nice house where I am, I can drive to Bristol and back, can't be bothered really'

As a human being, 95% of his mind must be on Bristol City, and 5% of his mind must be on getting home to his family. He can't be fully focused on the job. At the school I work there is one teacher whom I will call Bob. He lives a 2 minute walk from school. He is always in an hour early, and he is always the last to leave. He does the job with his heart and soul. He chose a house so near so he could give heart and soul to the job. There is another teacher, whom I will call Bill. He drives 1 hour and a half to school, and 1 hour and a half back. He comes in every morning with some of his energy spent. At 3'o clock he starts to think not about what he's doing, but about getting home. He does less work because energy for the job is used up getting to and fro. He isn't really that bothered, in truth.

A manager has to demand 100% from his players. But he has to lead from the front, otherwise it's just empty talk. Alex Ferguson, after a night match, will get home at 1.00 am, watch an entire video of that game, and be in at training at 7.00 talking the players through all their mistakes etc etc. Now, when he shows that commitment, is it any wonder that his players always respond and show the same?

Our manager, on the other hand, sometimes isn't on the team bus to the match. Or, after a game, he'll say 'Off you go to Bristol, I'm off elsewhere'. That does send a message to the players, if you ask me. Even if it is one percent, then one percent is all that separates us from 2nd place, and all that separated us from second place last season.

It's got too easy for Wilson. It's too nice for him at Bristol City. Everyone says 'Ooooo you're a Premiership manager, aren't we lucky to have you' (forgetting 2 of his 3 Premiership seasons were relegation ones). He gets a fat salary from the club. Every time he wants to go spending in the transfer market the board back him again, even though most of his signings don't succeed. The crowd sing his name match after match after match. His home life is in Chesterfield, he hasn't put himself out to come to Bristol City, and he goes back to that most weekends. Season after season we just miss out and he says 'Oooo how unlucky, well, we'll give it go next season, more money for players please.' The academy is there to support him. What a lovely life. I wish I was Danny Wilson, milking all that, and not delivering in return. Brilliant. He's a nice guy, and obviously not the worst manager in the world, but it looks to me like he's a bit of a parasite on our club: taking more than he's giving back.

I'm torn really. I'll be thrilled if we go up and it's Elland rather than Layer Road, but worried because we will still have the wrong man in charge, in my opinion. If we stay down I'll be gutted, but if it means we appoint someone within who bleeds Bristol City and isn't just a big name (Fawthrop, Tinnion, Rosenior, even Lansdown himself), it may just be the best thing possible for the club in the long run. The Liverpool fans are saying the same thing, that Houllier is not the man for the job irrespective of whether they get 4th or not.

You'll all say: it's 3 games to go, get behind the team, get behind the manager, why on earth are you raking up all this old stuff now at such a crucial stage of the season? I will do that, at the games. I'll be cheering Bristol City on all match, extraordinary substitutions and all, and not saying any of this because it will adversely affect the team. But this is a forum, where we are allowed to air our views and say what we think in an environment set up for airing of opinions.

[jonnysummers]

from 1 john to another - think you're pretty spot on there mate. I am not a 'Wilson hater' but I would be quite happy if he left - too much about his managment of our Club is unacceptably poor.

[fRed]

There's a bit of a difference between the job longevity of a football manager and a teacher.

But you have a good point

[Guest jairob]

Brilliant post, could it be that he never made the move because, he thought he would work miracles at Ashton gate and be offered a "BIGGER" JOB UP NORTH SOMEWHERE. Hmm, yeah that's really funny Tarquin..

[bucksred]

Well put..........

His previous aint incredible either, promotion with Barnsley, basically..

I thought he was going to live in Bristol. OK fair do's Wardy living in Brum way, cos thats a quick blat down the M5, but Chesterfield?? It is strange to me, especially as he has a long contract.

I would suggest commitment to City is in question there?

Just might explain our persistant underperforming for the bulk of the season.

[Rule The Waves]

Totally agree. I don't think he is the man for the job and think it is time for him to go, whether or not we go up.

I've said it before, but if we go up, it will be an achievement of the board and the players, NOT the management.

[RedM]

I think you are spot on. He is a nice bloke and we are lucky to have him, but he is lucky to have us too. The board must have been very keen ( desperate) to have him and let him live away most of the time, as you say it cannot enhance team spirit and togetherness.

For us it's our team, our club, for him although he cares it is his job, and well paid he must be too. I expect we are too close, too emotionally attached. He can't be. I must admit I expected more from him when he signed 4 years ago. He maybe better in a higher division, but that is no good if we don't get there. Barnsley fans warned us he is stubborn, how right they were.

I wish him well when and if he leaves, he hasn't been our worst manager, but not our best either. Maybe he is better suited to another club as 4 years is a long time in football, and a lot of money has been spent too. Maybe the solution to Bristol City lies in another mans hands?

[Why?]

Can't really blame him for not moving down here, too many Moaning Southerners!

At least he can escape back oop north when the pressure gets too hot!

[Simez]

Great post, I've just dug out an old interview with Danny back from July 2000 where he was asked " You are currently based in the north of the country, will you be moving south?"........" Yes of course we will. It's no great hardship moving down to Bristol. It's a beautiful area, a lovely part of the world. It will be easy to come down"

[Red Sinjen]

I know it has been said before but you have hit the nail on the head. He does not have the ability to motivate these players out of this league because he can not motivate himself!!!

'?"........" Yes of course we will. It's no great hardship moving down to Bristol. It's a beautiful area, a lovely part of the world. It will be easy to come down"'

I remember that quote and thought at the time fair play, he is moving. Regardless if his children are at school etc (thousands of families move home to different parts of the country every week in normal jobs) the fact that he has not moved is not on!!!

[Milo]

The situation you describe sounds to me like he's made a compromise between his work and family. Danny will look back on the past 4 years with a great deal of regret at how much of his children's growing up he's missed.

I don't know much about his family other than one son at Sheff Weds who is breaking in to the team at about 17 / 18 years of age. Danny's appointment in Bristol therefore came around 2-3 years before his son's GCSE's - a time when many people will argue disrupting your child's education can cause irreversible damage. Presumably his son was also on Wednesday's books at that point too?

I've worked in sales for the past 7 years and the most prolific and successful sales people I've known work flat out in their working day and are home by 5.30 to help the family. Getting the right balance between work and family is important. Workaholics tend to get respect for their work rate but few people respect the contributions they make to the people around them.

It takes all sorts - different strokes for different folks. A successful manager does not have to risk messing up his children's education to prove his commitment to the club he works for.

This thread leaves me with a pretty unpleasant taste - it's subjective guess work and it's really personal. His family life shouldn't be open to debate unless he's caught out misbehaving. This is a man working hard, doing his best, and if you really must bash him because its your right then I think you should stick to football matters.

[edson]

The situation you describe sounds to me like he's made a compromise between his work and family. Danny will look back on the past 4 years with a great deal of regret at how much of his children's growing up he's missed.

I don't know much about his family other than one son at Sheff Weds who is breaking in to the team at about 17 / 18 years of age. Danny's appointment in Bristol therefore came around 2-3 years before his son's GCSE's - a time when many people will argue disrupting your child's education can cause irreversible damage. Presumably his son was also on Wednesday's books at that point too?

I've worked in sales for the past 7 years and the most prolific and successful sales people I've known work flat out in their working day and are home by 5.30 to help the family. Getting the right balance between work and family is important. Workaholics tend to get respect for their work rate but few people respect the contributions they make to the people around them.

It takes all sorts - different strokes for different folks. A successful manager does not have to risk messing up his children's education to prove his commitment to the club he works for.

This thread leaves me with a pretty unpleasant taste - it's subjective guess work and it's really personal. His family life shouldn't be open to debate unless he's caught out misbehaving. This is a man working hard, doing his best, and if you really must bash him because its your right then I think you should stick to football matters.

I am determined to bite my tongue on issues such as this until the end of the season. However, claptrap like this makes it intensely difficult to do so.

If you really want people to support the manager until the end of the season, Milo, I suggest you stop posting things about him that will draw people out into an argument, at least until the end of the season.

[Robbored]

This old chestnut of where Wilson lives is complete nonsense and a weak excuse to slate Wilson by those who don't rate him.

It matters only that he does the job to the best of his ability.Now whether he's doing a good job or not is not the point of this post and so I won't pass comment on that issue here.

The players know that Wilsons' home is in Chesterfield and so it makes perfect sense to them and almost everyone else if he doesn't travel with the team coach for matches around his home area.What matters is that he works with them during the week and makes sure that they know what particular job/role is expected of them come matchday.

Martin O'Neill - considered by some to be the best manager in Britain - hardly ever sees his players other than on matchdays.He rarely goes to the training sessions and runs the team largely from his office taking note of his coaches opinions and so on..

Thankfully Wilson doesn't work in the same way because if he did his detractors would see that approach as even more "evidence" thats he's a no-good waste of space.

I wish these Wilson critics would get a real arguement.

[bucksred]

I'll try-O Niell is a discipliarian..no body #### him around. In contrast I "hear" alleged stories of players out on the town, ####### over the last two-three years, one in particular before that gobbing 5-1 at Blackpool. True or not, the stories are there.

Now I know Briz has changed since I lived there, and there are plenty of things for players to er amuse themselves with, but I didnt hear of anything under O Niell at Wycombe (I live nearby), or Leicester (A bit of a change there too!), nor Celtic. Now sunny Glasgae, has a wee bit more temptation than Briz, I think, and there are young players there too.

You can also rarely accuse an O Niell team of bottling, or under-performing, nor can you accuse O Niell of strange team selections, or baffling substitutions.

Finally O Niel, wears his heart (and currently passion) on his sleeve, and always has, which is why he is a popular manager, among fans (Rangers fair play you guys wont!), players, and other managers.

He also has a track record.

Er then we have Danny, Barnsley promoted to the Prem (and relegated again), Sheffield Wednesday, and what an inspiration there, and now at Ashton Gate, and er- have we set a poor Div 2 on fire?? We've threatened too, but then it fades. Loads spent, and he still dont know his team,stupendous team selection Burnell/Docherty anyone, outstanding use of players in their wrong place- Clist/Wilkshire/Roberts- right wing, outstanding substitutions- Robbo, on Saturday, for Goodfellow, blind faith for Peacock even when Leapy is clearly out of form.

Yes there may be a difference in players between Divisions, but DW has been a Prem manager, and knows how to keep players fit..so I dont buy that arguement, especially in a team aiming for promotion (Thats the team, manager, board and fans all saying thats our aim, unanimous then!). He cant motivate the players like O Niell, indeed, I reckon the players decided it was ###### or bust before the QPR game, and on their own, put additional effort in, co they want promotion too.

Despite almost the same team as last year, we've stagnated, there is little freshness there...and thats down to DW.........

If I have any Celtic facts wrong I apologise......for not rating DW THIS season, I sure as hell dont

[elko]

O' N E I L L

Not 'o niell' or 'o niel'

[Mr Mosquito]

Excellent post Uncle John. Not forgetting that Mr Wilson was sacked from Sheffield Wednesday before joining BCFC, it seems that Danny Wilson was the second choice manager after Peter Taylor. GreenUn maintains that Peter Taylor was offered the Leicester job when Scott Davidson expected him to join BCFC Imagine where we'd be now had we signed Peter Taylor or better still Paul Sturrock instead of Wilson - Oh for the benefit of hindsight. I'm now off to consult the oracle in my Goblin grotto for this weeks winning lottery numbers

[bucksred]

O' N E I L L

Not 'o niell' or 'o niel'

I stand corrected !

[Guest DANBOY_BCFC]

Who cares where he lives? If we're going to be like that then I'm sure I read in the programme recently that one of our boys (Matty Hill I believe it was) lives across the bridge in Wales as does Robbo - thats another country! Do we question their attitude or committment etc??? No cos its cr*p.

So Wardy lived up Brum way? Only down the M5 eh? Who cares its still a drive no matter if it is closer to Brizzle.

I dont care where he lives, as long as he gives his all for BCFC - Something in my opinion he does. It does seem to only be the people with reservations about DW posting all this boll*cks on here, just get behind him for god sake, we're 3 games away from possible auto promotion.

There's only one Danny Wilson.

[Guest wishbone]

What an excuse....

City are not fulfilling thier potential beacuse DW lives in Chesterfield!

What a load of #######!

[Guest Rob]

Alex Ferguson, after a night match, will get home at 1.00 am, watch an entire video of that game, and be in at training at 7.00 talking the players through all their mistakes etc etc.

Have you seen the bags under his eyes. No wonder.

[Milo]

I am determined to bite my tongue on issues such as this until the end of the season. However, claptrap like this makes it intensely difficult to do so.

If you really want people to support the manager until the end of the season, Milo, I suggest you stop posting things about him that will draw people out into an argument, at least until the end of the season.

"I am determined to bite my tongue on issues such as this until the end of the season."

I respect you for this comment.

"If you really want people to support the manager until the end of the season, Milo, I suggest you stop posting things about him that will draw people out into an argument, at least until the end of the season."

In return for your tongue biting I'll also endeavour to avoid initiating posts that might upset the anti-Wilson campaigners. However, I reserve the right to respond to threads such as this where 9 of the first 10 respondents all seemed to think that placing a value on your family is a sackable offence.

[edson]

In return for your tongue biting I'll also endeavour to avoid initiating posts that might upset the anti-Wilson campaigners. However, I reserve the right to respond to threads such as this where 9 of the first 10 respondents all seemed to think that placing a value on your family is a sackable offence.

Well, if you insist on entering into debate on topics such as this and, consequently, generating even more anti-DW responses, then I would say you are as guilty of creating a negative and unsupportive attitude as those who reply to your posts.

You can't expect to put your opinion of DW forward and then complain about people being unsupportive of the manager if they hold a differing view and dare to respond to you.

It takes two to tango and all that.

[SimplyRed]

It's all very well criticising Wilson's personal arrangements but doesn't this border on being personal abuse? One might be able to make a case because of the tentative link to team motivation and away travel, but it's a fine line.

Criticise his abilities and knowledge but leave the personal abuse at home.

The people whose opinions matter are those that employ him. If they feel that his personal living arrangements are not affecting his ability to do his job then that should be the end of it.

If they felt that they weren't getting their money's worth out of him or team performances were suffering as a result of his personal life, I'm sure they would have made it plain to him by now.

On the contrary, they seem perfectly happy because they offered him a new 3-year contract.

edit: grammar!