A Sense Of Realism...

[PFree]

I've just checked the odds for the season and have found City available at 100-1 to win The Championship, according to the bookies we are likely to be relegated in otherwards. It's worth noting that this isn't based on a gut feel but has been set based on a number of facts including investment in the playing squad.

We aren't investing heavily to chase the dream and we have substantially cut our wage bill and squad numbers, this is on the back of last season when we just survived with a larger squad and far more expensive wage bill.

My concern knowing City fans is simply that expectancy once again seems to be raised, just look at the reaction after one cup game? If there are people on here expecting a promotion push or for us to finish into the top half of the table, I am not sure why?

It's also easy for fans to ask SL to throw more millions in but in reality, he is no longer where he was several years ago in being happy to accept significant annual losses.

Put simply, the club now has to be pay it's way, it has to be run commercially. I am sorry but we don't have a strong side compared to many other Championship sides who are still chasing the dream and we must accept we aren't watching top quality football every week?

On a personal basis I still purchased three season tickets but I am mindful that this season will be tough and if we finish mid table, as I hope we will, we must see that as a positive result? The confidence I do get is in DelBoy as I feel in him we have a strong, honest manager who can hopeful gets a team that plays ahead of potential.

The only way this club can now go places and move back to a challenging position is on the back of a new stadium, and sadly, that seems a long way away.

[sglosbcfc]

I've just checked the odds for the season and have found City available at 100-1 to win The Championship, according to the bookies we are likely to be relegated in otherwards. It's worth noting that this isn't based on a gut feel but has been set based on a number of facts including investment in the playing squad.

We aren't investing heavily to chase the dream and we have substantially cut our wage bill and squad numbers, this is on the back of last season when we just survived with a larger squad and far more expensive wage bill.

My concern knowing City fans is simply that expectancy once again seems to be raised, just look at the reaction after one cup game? If there are people on here expecting a promotion push or for us to finish into the top half of the table, I am not sure why?

It's also easy for fans to ask SL to throw more millions in but in reality, he is no longer where he was several years ago in being happy to accept significant annual losses.

Put simply, the club now has to be pay it's way, it has to be run commercially. I am sorry but we don't have a strong side compared to many other Championship sides who are still chasing the dream and we must accept we aren't watching top quality football every week?

On a personal basis I still purchased three season tickets but I am mindful that this season will be tough and if we finish mid table, as I hope we will, we must see that as a positive result? The confidence I do get is in DelBoy as I feel in him we have a strong, honest manager who can hopeful gets a team that plays ahead of potential.

The only way this club can now go places and move back to a challenging position is on the back of a new stadium, and sadly, that seems a long way away.

I am sure that nobody will complain if Del Boy achieves a mid table finish. I have not met one City fan who expects us to win promotion this season.

[bs3]

Good post , I do agree . However you may be accused of being negative and a moaner for giving a honest view of what is going on at the club.

I do fear for the future if we can't build on Ashton Vale.

[Guest]

I think, it was either 1967 or 68 when I first watched us play in the 2nd div; around that time Man Utd and the gas were also in the same div; we have been down a bit and even up a bit since then but mostly at this level which is where we are today.

Man utd have since had a few good managers spent loads and since been around the top of the tree;

Gas have had gawd knows how many managers spent next to nothing and find themselves in deep do-do.

Us too, have had countless managers spent a bit but find ourselves unable to make that step to the next level. Although I think we now have a good manager imo he must have a bigger budget to entice better players here.We seem to be doing just enough to get by and I believe SL will do what it takes to keep us here.

Cannot see any change in this in the future and it would be foolish to rely on a new stad, which may never happen, to get us to where we all want to be.

No its not throat cutting time but cant get too excited anymore either.

[redeye]

I've just checked the odds for the season and have found City available at 100-1 to win The Championship, according to the bookies we are likely to be relegated in otherwards. It's worth noting that this isn't based on a gut feel but has

been set based on a number of facts including

investment in the playing squad.

We aren't investing heavily to chase the dream

and we have substantially cut our wage bill and

squad numbers, this is on the back of last

season when we just survived with a larger

squad and far more expensive wage bill.

My concern knowing City fans is simply that

expectancy once again seems to be raised, just

look at the reaction after one cup game? If there

are people on here expecting a promotion push

or for us to finish into the top half of the table, I

am not sure why?

It's also easy for fans to ask SL to throw more

millions in but in reality, he is no longer where

he was several years ago in being happy to

accept significant annual losses.

Put simply, the club now has to be pay it's way, it has to be run commercially. I am sorry but we

don't have a strong side compared to many

other Championship sides who are still chasing

the dream and we must accept we aren't

watching top quality football every week?

On a personal basis I still purchased three

season tickets but I am mindful that this season

will be tough and if we finish mid table, as I hope

we will, we must see that as a positive result?

The confidence I do get is in DelBoy as I feel in

him we have a strong, honest manager who can

hopeful gets a team that plays ahead of

potential.

The only way this club can now go places and

move back to a challenging position is on the

back of a new stadium, and sadly, that seems a

long way away.

Great post. It's good to see so many of us believe in Del whilst accepting and discussing the realistic situation.

There are some on this forum who wish to forbid others acknowledging our limitations - instead

they call it moaning. I prefer to call it constructive criticism.

And with that in mind - why, when local football in Bristol is vibrant, do we not have numerous, talented, accomplished young players in our first team squad?? There must be dozens of Bucklands out there!

This would certainly solve the financial underdog discrepancy if the club took nurturing young talent seriously, instead of allowing youth players to 'believe' they are the future, only for them to end up in lower leagues - and leaving fans bewildered.

[Jon atyeo is my dad]

Sounds like a £10 should be a placed bet tommorrow! Stranger things have happened!

[bs3]

I think, it was either 1967 or 68 when I first watched us play in the 2nd div; around that time Man Utd and the gas were also in the same div; we have been down a bit and even up a bit since then but mostly at this level which is where we are today.

Man utd have since had a few good managers spent loads and since been around the top of the tree;

Gas have had gawd knows how many managers spent next to nothing and find themselves in deep do-do.

Us too, have had countless managers spent a bit but find ourselves unable to make that step to the next level. Although I think we now have a good manager imo he must have a bigger budget to entice better players here.We seem to be doing just enough to get by and I believe SL will do what it takes to keep us here.

Cannot see any change in this in the future and it would be foolish to rely on a new stad, which may never happen, to get us to where we all want to be.

No its not throat cutting time but cant get too excited anymore either.

Man U won the Leauge in 67 and the European cup in 68. They did get relegated in 74 and spent one season in Div 2 and went straight back up.

[Lack of Action Man]

My biggest gripe now is that ambition is rapidly being eradicated from this club by a board happy to accept mediocrity for the sake of "good morals and good practice" regarding FFP. I'm really concerned that it is making this club into an uncompetitive participant in the league.

I'm confident the manager has ambition for the club but I'm also concerned that we are a stepping stone in his career.

I am not confident the board have ambition to improve our club to higher standards, or the best interests of the most important part of the club - the fans - at heart.

[Kibs]

I am of the opinion that if Derek McInnes didn't think we were ambitious enough, he would pack up and leave rather than risk his hard earned reputation as a good "up and coming" manager with us.

He seems a pretty honest bloke and I genuinely don't think he'd hang around if he thought the board weren't up for it.

P.S - he almost certainly sees us as a stepping stone. Surely all managers have an ambition to manage at the very top of the game and the likelihood of us being there is very slim!!

[Lack of Action Man]

I don't ever think he would walk out a la Coppell, but I do think we're heading for a tough time ahead. I don't trust the board at all currently.

[Lack of Action Man]

Ps. Why can't we aim high? I'm getting really pissed off by being told we can't compete with X, Y and Z for so many reasons...

I'd rather we aimed high, fell short but gave it our best go than resigned ourselves to small club mediocrity. And this doesn't mean breaking the bank it's about a serious change in mentality possibly starting with us the fans.

[Kibs]

Ps. Why can't we aim high? I'm getting really pissed off by being told we can't compete with X, Y and Z for so many reasons...

I'd rather we aimed high, fell short but gave it our best go than resigned ourselves to small club mediocrity. And this doesn't mean breaking the bank it's about a serious change in mentality possibly starting with us the fans.

I would hope that's what we are doing? The players (listening to the interviews) and the manager will be else what is the point?

You still need a sense of realism though and not over-react when you dont reach the dizzy heights that you aimed for.

[Chappers]

Spending money we don't have on established players won't get us anywhere, other than into debt. City can compete, but it requires youth development, shrewd purchases, and the occasional bigger purchase to fill a specific need. If you look at the last few years, youth development has been non-existent, we have wasted a lot of money on poor value signings, and signed a lot of players who have added numbers, but done little to improve the quality of the squad. It's going to take time to turn things around.

[MrVinta8]

Sky sports 66-1 so we should finish 4th from bottom! As I said in previous post predictions mean fck all!

[LondonBristolian]

I've just checked the odds for the season and have found City available at 100-1 to win The Championship, according to the bookies we are likely to be relegated in otherwards. It's worth noting that this isn't based on a gut feel but has been set based on a number of facts including investment in the playing squad.

We aren't investing heavily to chase the dream and we have substantially cut our wage bill and squad numbers, this is on the back of last season when we just survived with a larger squad and far more expensive wage bill.

My concern knowing City fans is simply that expectancy once again seems to be raised, just look at the reaction after one cup game? If there are people on here expecting a promotion push or for us to finish into the top half of the table, I am not sure why?

It's also easy for fans to ask SL to throw more millions in but in reality, he is no longer where he was several years ago in being happy to accept significant annual losses.

Put simply, the club now has to be pay it's way, it has to be run commercially. I am sorry but we don't have a strong side compared to many other Championship sides who are still chasing the dream and we must accept we aren't watching top quality football every week?

On a personal basis I still purchased three season tickets but I am mindful that this season will be tough and if we finish mid table, as I hope we will, we must see that as a positive result? The confidence I do get is in DelBoy as I feel in him we have a strong, honest manager who can hopeful gets a team that plays ahead of potential.

The only way this club can now go places and move back to a challenging position is on the back of a new stadium, and sadly, that seems a long way away.

As someone would quite happily call a lot of the negative people on here 'moaners' because that's exactly what they are, I completely agree with you. That's a realistic and sensible assessment. Personally I think we can (and will) finish lower-to-mid table and I'll see that as a good season if we do. But we have to be mindful of the fact that we aren't spending the money (and aren't in a position to do so) to start pushing for promotion without a miracle and, whilst we're making progress at clearing out the deadwood, we haven't been able to do enough over one close season to get to a position where we're getting value for money on all the wages we do pay.

The bit that frustrates me isn't this kind of realistic assessment but the ludicrous levels of exaggeration that accompany every minor setback. We lost one cup game so we're the worst team in the division; we've not signed all the players we need yet so nobody wants to join us and so forth.

I have confidence in McInnes and he doesn't strike me as a man who suffers fools. If the board were making it impossible to survive in the division, I'm sure he'd be out of here and I'm sure there'd be subtle nuances in the interviews to suggest as such. In the interviews (bar Wednesday, quite correctly) he generally seems focussed but relaxed and I'm sure that means he knows what he's trying to do and believes he can do it.

It's going to be a long season; it's going to be a tough season and I'll be very happy if we finish ten-to-twelve points from safety. But I'm nonetheless fed up with people reacting to each minor setback as though it's the onset of Armageddon. It's no more 'realistic' to see everything as purely negative as to see everything as purely positive. This club has curbed its excessive spending, spent the Summer reorganising how things are fun behind the scenes and has a manager who seems to want to build for the long-term. There are positives even if we need to accept the days of play-off challenges may be behind us until attendances improve and the stadium issue is resolved.

[Snufflelufagus]

Sky sports 66-1 so we should finish 4th from bottom! As I said in previous post predictions mean fck all!

Last season Leicester were bookies favorites to get promoted and we all know what happened there.

[downendcity]

My biggest gripe now is that ambition is rapidly being eradicated from this club by a board happy to accept mediocrity for the sake of "good morals and good practice" regarding FFP. I'm really concerned that it is making this club into an uncompetitive participant in the league.

I'm confident the manager has ambition for the club but I'm also concerned that we are a stepping stone in his career.

I am not confident the board have ambition to improve our club to higher standards, or the best interests of the most important part of the club - the fans - at heart.

I've posted in detail about this on another thread. FFP is not about "good morals and good practice" so a club can feel good about itself. FFP is a set of rules imposed on all championship clubs by the football league - it's not an option that clubs can chose to adopt if they wish.

In 2/3/ years time if we, or any other club, fail to meet the financial targets required then a transfer embargo will be imposed. There are plenty moaning about players we should be signing now, but imagine the moaning if in the future the club were to be prevented from making any signings at alI. That is the reality we have to face up to unless the club gets it's financial act together now.

We might not like it, but that's the way it is.

[Cider red]

I've posted in detail about this on another thread. FFP is not about "good morals and good practice" so a club can feel good about itself. FFP is a set of rules imposed on all championship clubs by the football league - it's not an option that clubs can chose to adopt if they wish.

In 2/3/ years time if we, or any other club, fail to meet the financial targets required then a transfer embargo will be imposed. There are plenty moaning about players we should be signing now, but imagine the moaning if in the future the club were to be prevented from making any signings at alI. That is the reality we have to face up to unless the club gets it's financial act together now.

We might not like it, but that's the way it is.

Exactly this. Now is the time for people to really get behind the team and start coming to games, the more revenue we have the better players we can get in. We need bigger gates to be able to compete in this division, when the team was doing well a few seasons ago we were getting 17k every game, if we get back to that we can become more competetive!