Gary Johnson & His Son

[Mr Mosquito]

Against Burnley today, Lee Johnson was always looking to pass back and put our defence under pressure, always looking to shirk a tackle and was quite content to trot around in midfield letting others carry his workload. His fellow ex Yeovile team mates in our midfield - Michael McIndoe and Gavin Williams were almost as poor but Lee Johnson's performance against Burnley was shocking.

.....BCFC 1 Burnley 2 was the result - get it sorted Gary Johnson.

[Will Rollason]

You serious Goblin or just fishing?

[Riaz]

Against Burnley today, Lee Johnson was always looking to pass back and put our defence under pressure, always looking to shirk a tackle and was quite content to trot around in midfield letting others carry his workload. His fellow ex Yeovile team mates in our midfield - Michael McIndoe and Gavin Williams were almost as poor but Lee Johnson's performance against Burnley was shocking.

.....BCFC 1 Burnley 2 was the result - get it sorted Gary Johnson.

Gobbers mate - think your totally wrong. LJ played well today. Obviously the whole sides confidence went once we conceded - but to pick out LJ is madness.

[bcfcmike]

Against Burnley today, Lee Johnson was always looking to pass back and put our defence under pressure, always looking to shirk a tackle and was quite content to trot around in midfield letting others carry his workload. His fellow ex Yeovile team mates in our midfield - Michael McIndoe and Gavin Williams were almost as poor but Lee Johnson's performance against Burnley was shocking.

.....BCFC 1 Burnley 2 was the result - get it sorted Gary Johnson.

Totally agree.......Awful.....but i think it maybe something we have to put up with for as long as GJ is manager

[bcfcmike]

Gobbers mate - think your totally wrong. LJ played well today. Obviously the whole sides confidence went once we conceded - but to pick out LJ is madness.

Riaz mate??? he was awful.......

[dezgimed]

Something I cannot understand for the life of me, which I hope someone has the answer to...

Is why LJ persistently has the ball in our half, and under no pressure passes it back to the defense, then trots off.

Jesus christ, all the defense then do is lump it upfield. LJ should be the player bringing the ball forward, or at least be the one doing the hoofing with a tad more accuracy.

Ridiculous situation.

[Riaz]

Riaz mate??? he was awful.......

In that case, how did we dominate for the first 60 minutes?

[Mr Mosquito]

Gobbers mate - think your totally wrong. LJ played well today. Obviously the whole sides confidence went once we conceded - but to pick out LJ is madness.

With respect Sir, I think Lee Johnson is taking the piss out of us. His performance today was awful, he only often needed to beat one player to be able to lay the ball on to Stern John or Maynard but always seemed to choose the pass back option. In contrast, his counterpart Eagles of Burnley was always taking the ball forward as was our very own Marvin Elliott.

[Riaz]

With respect Sir, I think Lee Johnson is taking the piss out of us. His performance today was awful, he only often needed to beat one player to be able to lay the ball on to Stern John or Maynard but always seemed to choose the pass back option. In contrast, his counterpart Eagles of Burnley was always taking the ball forward as was our very own Marvin Elliott.

To be fair, eagles is a winger - so its more natural for him to go past a player......

Do you not think we controlled the game until they scored?

[Mr Mosquito]

To be fair, eagles is a winger - so its more natural for him to go past a player......

Do you not think we controlled the game until they scored?

I remember a great many headed clearances from McCoombe before we and then they scored. I've got serious doubts about the three ex Yeovile players Johnson, McIndoe and Williams at Championship level. McIndoe was awesome last season but is now no more than Div 1 standard in my opinion as is Johnson and Williams.

[garlicbread]

I remember a great many headed clearances from McCoombe before we and then they scored. I've got serious doubts about the three ex Yeovile players Johnson, McIndoe and Williams at Championship level. McIndoe was awesome last season but is now no more than Div 1 standard in my opinion as is Johnson and Williams.

You talk more sense when you blow smoke up Josefs harris.

[Riaz]

I remember a great many headed clearances from McCoombe before we and then they scored. I've got serious doubts about the three ex Yeovile players Johnson, McIndoe and Williams at Championship level. McIndoe was awesome last season but is now no more than Div 1 standard in my opinion as is Johnson and Williams.

Thats a very fair opinion. But if i was to pick out someone who was poor today it would'nt have been LJ - I don't feel he was amazing, but not the worse on the pitch...

Webster for instance was alot worse......well, he made two mistakes - two mistakes which cost us the goals and we might have been discussing a win if fonts or carey was playing I think.

[Mr Mosquito]

You talk more sense when you blow smoke up Josefs harris.

Whatever, but unless Gary Johnson gets that midfield sorted we're relegation fodder.

[bh_red]

Whatever, but unless Gary Johnson gets that midfield sorted we're relegation fodder.

agreed.

Gavin Williams is NOT a winger

Lee Johnson is not a championship footballer.

Marvin Elliott is not superman and can't carry the central midfield on his own (despite doing it pretty well last season)

[Nibor]

LJ was poor again today. One decent forward pass from a quickly taken free kick, no effort at winning the ball, no marking, no tracking back, no supporting the forwards and totally one paced.

He wasn't the only one who was poor but in the middle of the park we need much more than he is capable of giving.

[Mr Mosquito]

LJ was poor again today. One decent forward pass from a quickly taken free kick, no effort at winning the ball, no marking, no tracking back, no supporting the forwards and totally one paced.

He wasn't the only one who was poor but in the middle of the park we need much more than he is capable of giving.

I just hope Steve Lansdown is taking note and gives Gary Johnson a bollocking about his three ex Yeovile midfielders - most noteably his son - or else we really will be relegation fodder.

[ThePartTimer]

Against Burnley today, Lee Johnson was always looking to pass back and put our defence under pressure, always looking to shirk a tackle and was quite content to trot around in midfield letting others carry his workload. His fellow ex Yeovile team mates in our midfield - Michael McIndoe and Gavin Williams were almost as poor but Lee Johnson's performance against Burnley was shocking.

.....BCFC 1 Burnley 2 was the result - get it sorted Gary Johnson.

Totally agree with you. The ratio of back or sideways passes vs. forward passes was 2:1 today. If LJ is supposedly the creative element of our midfield then he should be big enough to take responsibility himself and look to get us moving rather than pass the buck on to our defenders. And as for those ineffectual dinked free-kicks in to the penalty area - get some pace on the delivery and look to force the opposition defenders into making mistakes. Despite it being our regular free kick routine, the "dink" has not, and will not, ever work for us.

[Mr Mosquito]

Totally agree with you. The ratio of back or sideways passes vs. forward passes was 2:1 today. If LJ is supposedly the creative element of our midfield then he should be big enough to take responsibility himself and look to get us moving rather than pass the buck on to our defenders. And as for those ineffectual dinked free-kicks in to the penalty area - get some pace on the delivery and look to force the opposition defenders into making mistakes. Despite it being our regular free kick routine, the "dink" has not, and will not, ever work for us.

I certainly hope Gary Johnson didn't sell Nick Carle to make way for Lee who was useless against Burnley today in always shirking the tackle and always passing back to put our defence under pressure while trotting off. There's been many other games this season where Lee Johnson has played in the same fashion - most noteably against Reading.

[si_aston]

LJ is a bystander. He doesn't stroll around the park like he owns the place, but he doesn't sprint around actually owning the shop. Therefore, he's a passenger.

Once or twice I'll go "well done Lee" during a match and praise the little fellow for his endeavour and determination. But does once or twice justify a ninety-minute long selection? No.

Quite fankly, he's a passenger. Does he offer anything defensively? No. Does he offer anything offensively? No. Does he maintain possession? Half the time. Thanks mate, but I watch you jog backwards chasing the ball, trot towards ball boys and spray the ball wide to our wingers who don't exist and wonder what the **** advantage you bring to the pitch.

I'm fed up of standing by him against the nepotism brigade and can't wait until January rolls around.

[Mr Mosquito]

LJ is a bystander. He doesn't stroll around the park like he owns the place, but he doesn't sprint around actually owning the shop. Therefore, he's a passenger.

Once or twice I'll go "well done Lee" during a match and praise the little fellow for his endeavour and determination. But does once or twice justify a ninety-minute long selection? No.

Quite fankly, he's a passenger. Does he offer anything defensively? No. Does he offer anything offensively? No. Does he maintain possession? Half the time. Thanks mate, but I watch you jog backwards chasing the ball, trot towards ball boys and spray the ball wide to our wingers who don't exist and wonder what the **** advantage you bring to the pitch.

I'm fed up of standing by him against the nepotism brigade and can't wait until January rolls around.

Basically Lee Johnson trots around like a carthorse because he is a carthorse. Or in maritime terminology he's a barnacle leaching to the hull of the good ship BCFC and slowing our progress back to the top flight.

[si_aston]

Basically Lee Johnson trots around like a carthorse because he is a carthorse. Or in maritime terminology he's a barnacle leaching to the hull of the good ship BCFC and slowing our progress back to the top flight.

Certainly a novel way of putting it. You can't go far wrong with the nautical analogies Goblin: put simply, he doesn't influence the game in any way, shape of form. The only counter-argument I can think of is that he brings a calmness in possession, but does he? No. Because, when he passes it to our defence, they lump it forward to a static Stern John who doesn't challenge and we surrender possesion. Pray tell me, what is Johnson's role?

[bransonmo]

With respect Sir, I think Lee Johnson is taking the piss out of us. His performance today was awful, he only often needed to beat one player to be able to lay the ball on to Stern John or Maynard but always seemed to choose the pass back option. In contrast, his counterpart Eagles of Burnley was always taking the ball forward as was our very own Marvin Elliott.

I don't post often, but write here in support of my fellow Cotham GS man.

I am currently in Australia but commute between there, Branson Missouri and Bristol. This calender year I have seen 12 home matches and 4 away matches. When younger I played a the same level as Nick Carle. IMO we need the forward thrust of a midfielder that can run at the opposition, sometimes beat a man or put a defence splitting pass or stop lob to our strikers. He could also run at the opposition, stop and switch the play to our flankers if in position. These options are all about attack, I mentally groan when I see supposed attacking creative midfielders stop the teams progress and pass to the rear or the side. All that does is shift the pressure to another player, who is not supposedly a creative midfielder and allow the opposition time to regroup at the back. Not just at City but other teams not scoring goals.

This appears to be about LJ, again ! Imo he was better than average in our promotion year and scored 5 goals. Last year he scored just 1 goal and this season just 1 with half the season gone. Those 2 goals with the benefit of most of the dead ball situations. I have not noticed any tackling ability as employed by Elliot, covering or backtracking as employed by Skuse, forward movement or striking ability as employed by Noble. All I have noticed is LJ's ability to put in an average shift for the 90 minutes, but does he meet GJ's requirements and affect a game ?

At this level........Not in the slightest !

[CiderSomerset]

I certainly hope Gary Johnson didn't sell Nick Carle to make way for Lee

And that is exactly why he was sold RG - nothing to do with making a quick (mediocre) profit.

I just hope Steve Lansdown realises what is going on and has the balls to confront Gary Johnson about it. We have come to the time (IMO) where one Johnson has to be sacrified for the sake of the other, and the club.

[Tunley Legend]

LJ is a bystander. He doesn't stroll around the park like he owns the place, but he doesn't sprint around actually owning the shop. Therefore, he's a passenger.

Once or twice I'll go "well done Lee" during a match and praise the little fellow for his endeavour and determination. But does once or twice justify a ninety-minute long selection? No.

Quite fankly, he's a passenger. Does he offer anything defensively? No. Does he offer anything offensively? No. Does he maintain possession? Half the time. Thanks mate, but I watch you jog backwards chasing the ball, trot towards ball boys and spray the ball wide to our wingers who don't exist and wonder what the **** advantage you bring to the pitch.

I'm fed up of standing by him against the nepotism brigade and can't wait until January rolls around.

Nibor and yourself sum up my feelings quite well. Unfortunately, Lee Johnson is no more than a back-up squad player and just isn't good enough for a long term stint at this level. Yes he played in a fourth placed Championship team LAST SEASON but so did one or two other who are now showing up as not being good enough for this level. People really have to realise that we are in EIGHTEENTH place in the table, have not won in our last EIGHT and have only won one in our last ELEVEN. That is relegation form by anyone's standards. We cannot just sit there and hope that the same players who managed to over-achieve massively last season will turn things around again. It is becoming patently obvious to me that we have THE WEAKEST MIDFIELD DEPARTMENT (including wingers) in the entire Championship despite possessing one of the better players in Marvin Elliott. Just look at the lack of clear cut chances we create and lack of goals we score - it literally tells you everything. Gary Johnson has to swallow some pride, show he is a big man, accept that his son IS NOT CAPABLE of dominating a game at this level with any regularity whatsoever and sign a decent replacement in January. And while he's at it perhaps he can get some decent competition in for the teams other undroppable player, McIndoe.

[Tales From The Front]

LJ is a bystander. He doesn't stroll around the park like he owns the place, but he doesn't sprint around actually owning the shop. Therefore, he's a passenger.

Once or twice I'll go "well done Lee" during a match and praise the little fellow for his endeavour and determination. But does once or twice justify a ninety-minute long selection? No.

Quite fankly, he's a passenger. Does he offer anything defensively? No. Does he offer anything offensively? No. Does he maintain possession? Half the time. Thanks mate, but I watch you jog backwards chasing the ball, trot towards ball boys and spray the ball wide to our wingers who don't exist and wonder what the **** advantage you bring to the pitch.

I'm fed up of standing by him against the nepotism brigade and can't wait until January rolls around.

In the sorry and long drawn out debate that is the selection policy of Lee Johnson, your post in my view is the most accurate and succinct...fair play.

Yes I congratulated several passes that he acomplished yesterday, but you are so right in the bigger picture what is he bringing to the team.....the answer is very little. Centre of midfield, as we are seeing most weeks is where games are won and lost at Championship level and City are just not cutting it.

I have see most commets on this issue, some say he is a defensive player...clearly he is not. Some say he is a creative player, OK some mileage in that view, but again not at this level. The manager has regulalry stated players must impact a game. He for my money does not....and the problem is, he is currently not alone. But he is a passenger to many I'm afraid. And the manager must face this fact...sooner rather than later.

[Mr Mosquito]

I don't post often, but write here in support of my fellow Cotham GS man.

I am currently in Australia but commute between there, Branson Missouri and Bristol. This calender year I have seen 12 home matches and 4 away matches. When younger I played a the same level as Nick Carle. IMO we need the forward thrust of a midfielder that can run at the opposition, sometimes beat a man or put a defence splitting pass or stop lob to our strikers. He could also run at the opposition, stop and switch the play to our flankers if in position. These options are all about attack, I mentally groan when I see supposed attacking creative midfielders stop the teams progress and pass to the rear or the side. All that does is shift the pressure to another player, who is not supposedly a creative midfielder and allow the opposition time to regroup at the back. Not just at City but other teams not scoring goals.

This appears to be about LJ, again ! Imo he was better than average in our promotion year and scored 5 goals. Last year he scored just 1 goal and this season just 1 with half the season gone. Those 2 goals with the benefit of most of the dead ball situations. I have not noticed any tackling ability as employed by Elliot, covering or backtracking as employed by Skuse, forward movement or striking ability as employed by Noble. All I have noticed is LJ's ability to put in an average shift for the 90 minutes, but does he meet GJ's requirements and affect a game ?

At this level........Not in the slightest !

For Virtue and Industry bransonmo. In my honest opinion, Lee Johnson is a 'one trick pony' at this level. That one trick being a nicely 'dinked' free kick into the opposition box. The only person that can get this situation sorted is Steve Lansdown. If I was Steve Lansdown I'd get Gary Johnson into my office and get an explanation as to why we have a midfield composed of 3 dysfunctional ex Yeovil players that are now no where near up to Championship standards.

McIndoe was alright last season running down the left wing at speed and putting in good crosses from the byeline. This season he's trying to be too clever in trying to dribble past players and is losing possession. I don't rate Gavin Williams at all and he's certainly no where near good enough to be a Nick Carle replacement. All is not 'ship-shape and Bristol fashion' on the good ship BCFC and if the midfield isn't sorted in the January transfer window we'll be well up for a relegation battle.

[rockin-robin]

Firstly, I would like to say that yesterday was by no means a bad performance by LJ - not amazing, but not terrible either. In fact, I thought it was one of his better games this season where a lot of his play was more direct and less backwards and sideways.

However, what I do find funny is that countless times this season he has played far worse but has been defended vigorously by many on here. A few (myself included) have dared to stand up and say what LJ really is - an average L1 player, and poor Championship player - but have time and time again been shot down for even hinting at the suggestion that even the slight bit of nepotism comes into play or that he generally is not the best of footballers. It seems many are now having a rapid change of heart as the team struggles at the wrong end of the league?

I also think you'd be deluded to think that LJ will be sold, dropped or loaned out this season or anytime in the near future. For a start, I'm not sure many teams in this league and League 1 would want him. The fact that he has only played two games for teams that have not be under GJ says it all really. Its not going to happen so we might aswell accept it and try and play to our strengths with him in the side.

Having said this, we have had a lot of success with him in the team. Yet IMO, this has come about from us playing a five man midfield and ultimately a defensive formation where LJ has had more protection from the other midfielders. Therefore, if LJ must play, this is what we must revert back to avoid a relegation battle or being sucked into a relegation battle. I.e. swamp the midfield, keep it tight at the back and try to knick goals on the break or from set pieces. Thats pretty much how we played last year, how we managed to scrap better results, and ultimately managed to play better football.

I also don't believe January is the right time make a wholesale changes either. We need a right back to replace Orr, a right winger and perhaps another midfielder, but thats about it. This season is about staying up and bringing in players for the short term who will help us achieve this. The summer is about making big changes and looking to rebuild, but it is definately not now as I fear too many changes will only unsettle the team further. Essentially, I believe that the majority of players that we have at the moment are good enough to keep us up, but are not good enough to take us forward.

As for the ongoing debate regarding the sell of Carle. Well, I was baffled by it at the time and I'm still baffled by it now. Everyone will reach their own conclusions to why he was sold, but to me it was painfully obvious. Nevertheless, it is done now and we have to move on. Palace will make the play-offs again this season. But what do you expect if you have the quality of Carle and Watson in the midfield. And if Noble does go to Palace as rumoured, I will really begin to question GJ management capabilities in this league and to whether a five year contract was really the right thing to do for this football club in the long term.

[bs3]

I was saying last that LJ is not good enough, but because we made the play offs it was over looked.

The situation with LJ makes me very very angry, in all my 30 years of supporting I can never remember a situation like this.

SL needs to get a grip of this, he should force GJ to get rid of LJ in the window.

I know LJ being picked every week is causing a lot of bad feeling in the squad. THIS IS A FACT. And that is why the team is not playing like a team and why GJ has lost the dressing and we are going down.

STEVE LANSDOWN ACT NOW.

[Mr Mosquito]

As for the ongoing debate regarding the sell of Carle. Well, I was baffled by it at the time and I'm still baffled by it now. Everyone will reach their own conclusions to why he was sold, but to me it was painfully obvious. Nevertheless, it is done now and we have to move on. Palace will make the play-offs again this season. But what do you expect if you have the quality of Carle and Watson in the midfield. And if Noble does go to Palace as rumoured, I will really begin to question GJ management capabilities in this league and to whether a five year contract was really the right thing to do for this football club in the long term.

At the time we were 1-2 down to Burnley, Nick Carle scored with the last kick of the game with a searing left-footed volley to earn Crystal Palarse a 2-2 draw against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane. If we had Nick Carle and Ben Watson along with Marvin Elliott in our midfield we'd storm this division. The Burnley player - Eagles - looked quality as well. If oi were a Zummerset Zider £billionaire I'd buy Carle, Watson and Eagles for the City.

[Tales From The Front]

I was saying last that LJ is not good enough, but because we made the play offs it was over looked.

The situation with LJ makes me very very angry, in all my 30 years of supporting I can never remember a situation like this.

SL needs to get a grip of this, he should force GJ to get rid of LJ in the window.

I know LJ being picked every week is causing a lot of bad feeling in the squad. THIS IS A FACT. And that is why the team is not playing like a team and why GJ has lost the dressing and we are going down.

STEVE LANSDOWN ACT NOW.

Whilst your post will not be liked by a sizable number on this forum and you will in all likelyhood will get some flak. The reality is we have waited and seen and if good strategic signings are not made in January, we are in trouble no question. The difference in the two terams yesterday was in the attacking third of the pitch. Burnleys movement off the ball was very good, whilst we struggled to make any consistant passing patern of play work other than the predictable route one approach.

I've posted before, this slide has been allowed to happen beacuse the squad was not enahanced enough in the summer and Gary Johnson must shoulder the responsibility for that. You can not be up one minute and down the next you have got to take a long term view, but becuase of the inactivity of the manager I can see this becoming a panic.