Stop Blaming The Manager...

[Aizoon]

Don't forget that Fergie only kept his job because of a lucky FA cup win. So, for that manner did Alan Dicks.

I say stick with Del, for all the reasons you've given.

[TRL]

you will always blame the top as you have an agenda against steve lansdown just like robbo did against Johnson,

I pointed out that the board have given the fans what they wanted at the time,

If you can find a multi millionaire with football knowladge willing to fund the club paying its debts while never getting everything wrong

then by all means buy out lansdown

until then don't bite the hand that feeds you as if you get your way and he walks wave good bye to the club you support

I don't think spudski has an agenda, he talks a lot of sense.

Bite the hand that feeds us? We he bought the club and put it in debt to him without once consulting the fans. This club had been on a pretty good road to recovery from the early 80's in financial terms. Boards had said never again to the overspending that got us in trouble all those years ago. Steve L has come in spent spent spent and has 1 promotion to show for it. He has put the club back years in terms of debt.

I will not pander to the view he is a messiah. Most of his tenure in charge has been one cock up to another, with 2 good seasons chucked in to the mix. Steve is a clever man, full of sound bites and telling you what you want to hear. In reality, his choices as chairman and owner have been pretty poor.

Sacks Wilson, goes cheap with tin man. Judge me he says on Tinnion. We do, the bloke was a blithering buffoon in appointing him.

Appoints Johnson for at last some experience. Good appointment.

Appoints Coppell, says Millen was good but not ready to be manager. Clearly did not do his homework on Coppell, who was a disaster waiting to happen, as pointed out by a minority including me at the time.

Appoints Millen, who only 3 games previous was not ready for the job (Steve's own words). Didn't even interview or advertise the job (is that even legal?) Cheap cheap option.

Appoints Mcinnes, has so say done his homework, we were looking at him before Coppell, hmmmm if that is so, why appoint Millen when he left? Anyway, he appoints Mcinnes, then Buggers off and basically tears the board out which was in place when hiring Mcinnes, including Sexton by all accounts, the man that did most in getting Mcinnes here. Leaving Mcinnes looking after a team with a whole new setup behind the scenes.

I won't get started on the shafting of fans over the years, which is my biggest bug bear, or the slow erosion of the public facing customer service side of things which he has decimated over the years. Or the stadium fiasco, which he could have ended in one fencing project, if he had bothered doing his homework correctly.

The bloke has invested lots of money in the club, fair play to him for that. But apart from that, and 2 good seasons under Johnson, almost everything he has done for the club turns to shite. I for one do not and will not see his tenure at the club as anything to shout home about.

1 promotion, we always come up then go back down, we have always been a big fish in old div 3 with gates to being in the revenue to get promoted, but not the gates to sustain us or push on at a higher level. And with all Steve's debt, with nothing to show for it, we look to be pretty much well in the position we were in when he came in, a champ div 1 yoyo club. So much for his huge investment, that has really paid off....

[marmite]

I don't think spudski has an agenda, he talks a lot of sense.

Bite the hand that feeds us? We he bought the club and put it in debt to him without once consulting the fans. This club had been on a pretty good road to recovery from the early 80's in financial terms. Boards had said never again to the overspending that got us in trouble all those years ago. Steve L has come in spent spent spent and has 1 promotion to show for it. He has put the club back years in terms of debt.

I will not pander to the view he is a messiah. Most of his tenure in charge has been one cock up to another, with 2 good seasons chucked in to the mix. Steve is a clever man, full of sound bites and telling you what you want to hear. In reality, his choices as chairman and owner have been pretty poor.

Sacks Wilson, goes cheap with tin man. Judge me he says on Tinnion. We do, the bloke was a blithering buffoon in appointing him.

Appoints Johnson for at last some experience. Good appointment.

Appoints Coppell, says Millen was good but not ready to be manager. Clearly did not do his homework on Coppell, who was a disaster waiting to happen, as pointed out by a minority including me at the time.

Appoints Millen, who only 3 games previous was not ready for the job (Steve's own words). Didn't even interview or advertise the job (is that even legal?) Cheap cheap option.

Appoints Mcinnes, has so say done his homework, we were looking at him before Coppell, hmmmm if that is so, why appoint Millen when he left? Anyway, he appoints Mcinnes, then Buggers off and basically tears the board out which was in place when hiring Mcinnes, including Sexton by all accounts, the man that did most in getting Mcinnes here. Leaving Mcinnes looking after a team with a whole new setup behind the scenes.

I won't get started on the shafting of fans over the years, which is my biggest bug bear, or the slow erosion of the public facing customer service side of things which he has decimated over the years. Or the stadium fiasco, which he could have ended in one fencing project, if he had bothered doing his homework correctly.

The bloke has invested lots of money in the club, fair play to him for that. But apart from that, and 2 good seasons under Johnson, almost everything he has done for the club turns to shite. I for one do not and will not see his tenure at the club as anything to shout home about.

1 promotion, we always come up then go back down, we have always been a big fish in old div 3 with gates to being in the revenue to get promoted, but not the gates to sustain us or push on at a higher level. And with all Steve's debt, with nothing to show for it, we look to be pretty much well in the position we were in when he came in, a champ div 1 yoyo club. So much for his huge investment, that has really paid off....

Some interesting views here especially the bit about being a div 1 yoyo club. Most on here said they would take promotion to the prem even if it meant coming straight back down. Is that really true? Fact is, we don't want to get beat week in week out by any side be it Man U, Man C, Chelsea, Asenal etc or Huddersfield, Hull, Burnley, Millwall etc. I think the Prem is a money driven football cesspit and if we got up it would demand even more investment than we could manage. We are in fact, as highlighted, a.yoyo club for Champ/Div1. Time we stopped setting the bar so high.

[BCFC_Dan]

Something is seriously wrong at this Club.

Is it? Or is it just easier to assume that than to accept that we're probably about where a club of City's size should be and that we're in the middle of a particularly wretched run of form and luck at the moment?

We can't afford to throw money at promotion so that way is barred and whilst it's possible to look at the likes of Blackpool, Burnley and Hull and ask why we can't be where they are, they all had a good chunk of luck at the right time (Hull's in particular, as it was exactly when we needed the luck our way.)

For every Blackpool, Burnley or Hull, there is a S****horpe, a Colchester, a Luton, who have all spent time in this division, even flirted with promotion but didn't get luck at the right time and fell away again.

I don't want to use luck as an excuse. Lots of hard work and correct decisions are needed too and I don't doubt that those have been lacking at times. It's important, however, to recognise that luck does play a large part and there's no sense in blaming good people for their bad luck, whether they are at playing, coaching or board level. We should ride it out and see where it takes us. In comparison to other clubs we have a pretty good owner because he's (a) clever, (b) local and © putting money into the club rather than taking it out.

[spudski]

I don't think spudski has an agenda, he talks a lot of sense.

Bite the hand that feeds us? We he bought the club and put it in debt to him without once consulting the fans. This club had been on a pretty good road to recovery from the early 80's in financial terms. Boards had said never again to the overspending that got us in trouble all those years ago. Steve L has come in spent spent spent and has 1 promotion to show for it. He has put the club back years in terms of debt.

I will not pander to the view he is a messiah. Most of his tenure in charge has been one cock up to another, with 2 good seasons chucked in to the mix. Steve is a clever man, full of sound bites and telling you what you want to hear. In reality, his choices as chairman and owner have been pretty poor.

Sacks Wilson, goes cheap with tin man. Judge me he says on Tinnion. We do, the bloke was a blithering buffoon in appointing him.

Appoints Johnson for at last some experience. Good appointment.

Appoints Coppell, says Millen was good but not ready to be manager. Clearly did not do his homework on Coppell, who was a disaster waiting to happen, as pointed out by a minority including me at the time.

Appoints Millen, who only 3 games previous was not ready for the job (Steve's own words). Didn't even interview or advertise the job (is that even legal?) Cheap cheap option.

Appoints Mcinnes, has so say done his homework, we were looking at him before Coppell, hmmmm if that is so, why appoint Millen when he left? Anyway, he appoints Mcinnes, then Buggers off and basically tears the board out which was in place when hiring Mcinnes, including Sexton by all accounts, the man that did most in getting Mcinnes here. Leaving Mcinnes looking after a team with a whole new setup behind the scenes.

I won't get started on the shafting of fans over the years, which is my biggest bug bear, or the slow erosion of the public facing customer service side of things which he has decimated over the years. Or the stadium fiasco, which he could have ended in one fencing project, if he had bothered doing his homework correctly.

The bloke has invested lots of money in the club, fair play to him for that. But apart from that, and 2 good seasons under Johnson, almost everything he has done for the club turns to shite. I for one do not and will not see his tenure at the club as anything to shout home about.

1 promotion, we always come up then go back down, we have always been a big fish in old div 3 with gates to being in the revenue to get promoted, but not the gates to sustain us or push on at a higher level. And with all Steve's debt, with nothing to show for it, we look to be pretty much well in the position we were in when he came in, a champ div 1 yoyo club. So much for his huge investment, that has really paid off....

Cheers for that mate...and what you have posted is pretty much how i feel.

It certainly looks like that from my perspective.

There is no doubt SL is like us, a fan of BCFC...and he has put money into the Club and wants to make us successful.

As owner...he will do it his way...his priviledge.

As fans...we either go along with it or not.

Regardless of all this... however liked....he and the board shouldn't be immune from constructive criticism.

There doesn't have to be any agenda involved.

And for me....the biggest mistakes this Club makes, continually, is the appointment of managers with little or no experience at this level...with few exceptions. We have a history of it.

What annoys me the most, is people hark back to Alan Dicks...times have moved on, football is different and although he put an average DIv 1 squad together, the long contracts they were given almost killed us.

My personal belief is, that SL got carried away with our play off final appearance and tried to run before we could walk in this league. That final, imho, was the worst thing that could have happened to this club at that moment in time.

Personally... I really do hope Del can turn this season around, and that the infrastructure being rebuilt behind the scenes ( Acadamy, Coaching and scouting etc ) grows into a positive and we reap some rewards.

If however, it all goes t its up, and the board deem it necessary to appoint a new manager, then i for one, would hope they would employ a manager with vast experience and knowledge of this league.

[spudski]

Is it? Or is it just easier to assume that than to accept that we're probably about where a club of City's size should be and that we're in the middle of a particularly wretched run of form and luck at the moment?

We can't afford to throw money at promotion so that way is barred and whilst it's possible to look at the likes of Blackpool, Burnley and Hull and ask why we can't be where they are, they all had a good chunk of luck at the right time (Hull's in particular, as it was exactly when we needed the luck our way.)

For every Blackpool, Burnley or Hull, there is a S****horpe, a Colchester, a Luton, who have all spent time in this division, even flirted with promotion but didn't get luck at the right time and fell away again.

I don't want to use luck as an excuse. Lots of hard work and correct decisions are needed too and I don't doubt that those have been lacking at times. It's important, however, to recognise that luck does play a large part and there's no sense in blaming good people for their bad luck, whether they are at playing, coaching or board level. We should ride it out and see where it takes us. In comparison to other clubs we have a pretty good owner because he's (a) clever, (b) local and © putting money into the club rather than taking it out.

As Gary Player once said... The harder you work, the luckier you get

Or you could use this one...

''As long as we are lucky we

attribute it to our smartness;

our bad luck we give

the gods credit for."

[BCFC_Dan]

As Gary Player once said... The harder you work, the luckier you get

Or you could use this one...

''As long as we are lucky we

attribute it to our smartness;

our bad luck we give

the gods credit for."

Or as Napoleon said: "In war, luck is half in everything."

Sometimes people like to over-analyse things, looking for a root cause that simply may not be there.

[TRL]

Or as Napoleon said: "In war, luck is half in everything."

Sometimes people like to over-analyse things, looking for a root cause that simply may not be there.

Not sure there is much to analyze. SL has overspent on mediocrity, where previous promotions have cost us far far less. And with it the club seems to have got worse.

[spudski]

Or as Napoleon said: "In war, luck is half in everything."

Sometimes people like to over-analyse things, looking for a root cause that simply may not be there.

I don't think it's a case of over analysing at all.

Just look at the list of managers we've had since Dicks. It's not rocket science to see we've failed in that department...with a few exceptions. GJ was a good manager for his purpose, but even SL has admitted, he became too close and maybe should have let him go sooner.

Having spoken to ex players and managers who have been employed by City...all have said this Club could do with an experienced manager at this level. Being privvy to these conversations on the golf course and club house has been quiet eye opening on how certain things behind the scenes were run.

[BCFC_Dan]

Not sure there is much to analyze. SL has overspent on mediocrity, where previous promotions have cost us far far less. And with it the club seems to have got worse.

We've only had two previous promotions from this level and they've not been at times where costs can be compared with now.

I don't believe the current manager has overspent on mediocrity. I think he's largely spent quite wisely but been dealt a raw deal. I'm also not sure previous managers in recent history have overspent on mediocrity. I can only think of a few examples of overpriced mediocrity. I can think of a few examples of them not getting the best out of players, and not buying players for the correct positions (possibly a managerial failure, possibly circumstances) but I can't think of many where they've bought especially badly.

[TRL]

We've only had two previous promotions from this level and they've not been at times where costs can be compared with now.

I don't believe the current manager has overspent on mediocrity. I think he's largely spent quite wisely but been dealt a raw deal. I'm also not sure previous managers in recent history have overspent on mediocrity. I can only think of a few examples of overpriced mediocrity. I can think of a few examples of them not getting the best out of players, and not buying players for the correct positions (possibly a managerial failure, possibly circumstances) but I can't think of many where they've bought especially badly.

I am struggling to think of players which have been any better than average. Apart from Maynard, in the past 5 years, who has been sold on to a higher level (even he wasn't, and not for a profit either)

That would suggest to me we are signing mediocre players, or players on the wane, but with a bit of experience.

You are right to say we haven't bought many that are particularly bad, flip side, we haven't bought many that are good. And most if not all are released. If we were purchasing well, 1 we would be playing better, 2 we would not be losing as much money as we would sell good players on for profit. 3 good players and player progression encourages good players who want to progress to join.

We do none of the above on a regular basis, we sign average Joes on high wages,

In fact if you can, because I am really struggling now. Name some players who we have signed (not come through the youth system) that have gone on to better things due to their quality or been sold for more than they were bought for.

I'll start..

Carle. 500k profit, didn't go on to better things

Bolasie profit, jury is out, so far looks like a good career choice.

[Esmond Million's Bung]

We've only had two previous promotions from this level and they've not been at times where costs can be compared with now.

I don't believe the current manager has overspent on mediocrity. I think he's largely spent quite wisely but been dealt a raw deal. I'm also not sure previous managers in recent history have overspent on mediocrity. I can only think of a few examples of overpriced mediocrity. I can think of a few examples of them not getting the best out of players, and not buying players for the correct positions (possibly a managerial failure, possibly circumstances) but I can't think of many where they've bought especially badly.

I agree in general with all of your post. My real problem is firstly we had a reasonable start to the season, but the warning signs re-central defence were already there (in fact they were there when DMC took over 12 months earlier) so why did he wait until that reasonable start had fallen apart and all round confidence was at a low ebb before bringing one in and again I have to ask the same question, how can he really believe that he could turn Skuse and Elliott into a good central midfield pairing when the previous 2 managers had failed.

[BCFC_Dan]

Basso, Orr, Maynard. I'll admit the list isn't huge and it's an area that seems to be being worked upon. I'd hope that at least one of Del's summer signings can be sold for a profit as they're largely young and of decent quality.

If Lansdown has a fault it's that he gets carried away like a fan and forgets about the plan. If we're going to adopt the plan of buying young and selling on then we need a manager who'll do it and to stick with that plan. We've got the manager in place now but the plan has to be stuck to and that means no panic buys and no changes in staff. No matter how unhappy the fans get.

[BCFC_Dan]

I agree in general with all of your post. My real problem is firstly we had a reasonable start to the season, but the warning signs re-central defence were already there (in fact they were there when DMC took over 12 months earlier) so why did he wait until that reasonable start had fallen apart and all round confidence was at a low ebb before bringing one in and again I have to ask the same question, how can he really believe that he could turn Skuse and Elliott into a good central midfield pairing when the previous 2 managers had failed.

What we don't know is what the manager *can't* do and what he *won't* do. If the likes of Amougou and Cisse won't come for the wages we offer then too bad. If players who will come are worse than players here then there's no point in signing them.

Personally I think signing a solid, determined lower league centre half along the lines of Jamie McCombe would not be a dreadful move right now because it's the attitude we're missing, not the ability, but if McInnes feels otherwise then that's his choice. He knows better than I do.

[TRL]

Basso, Orr, Maynard. I'll admit the list isn't huge and it's an area that seems to be being worked upon. I'd hope that at least one of Del's summer signings can be sold for a profit as they're largely young and of decent quality.

If Lansdown has a fault it's that he gets carried away like a fan and forgets about the plan. If we're going to adopt the plan of buying young and selling on then we need a manager who'll do it and to stick with that plan. We've got the manager in place now but the plan has to be stuck to and that means no panic buys and no changes in staff. No matter how unhappy the fans get.

Yep, it ain't good, and that is the direction a club of our stature should be moving in.

I think only Orr got us more than we paid for and played at a higher level.

Maynard we lost money and he went to a club a the same level, and sold back to a club at the same level.

Basso was released, did he get a game in the prem, for the life of me I can't remember.

We really should be going down the Crewe route, but at a higher level. At the moment we just stumble into the next average signing, the next overpriced average loan.

I think adomah, Cunningham and Taylor, could have slightly broken the mould, and maybe Heaton, but he is on a 1 year deal, so he could walk.

I want us to go after fresh young ambitious types, not your trundles, adebola's McManus, foster Wilsons and stead's of the world.

[Esmond Million's Bung]

What we don't know is what the manager *can't* do and what he *won't* do. If the likes of Amougou and Cisse won't come for the wages we offer then too bad. If players who will come are worse than players here then there's no point in signing them.

Personally I think signing a solid, determined lower league centre half along the lines of Jamie McCombe would not be a dreadful move right now because it's the attitude we're missing, not the ability, but if McInnes feels otherwise then that's his choice. He knows better than I do.

Amougou and Cisse played a high risk game and only one of them is currently employed. I actually applaud the club on it's stance here.

As for Cisse let us not forget this is a guy who came back to us last season overweight, unfit and uninterested and yes by the end of the season some of his better performances were instrumental in our survival, but we cannot ignore the other performances last season that were poor and ended in defeat (some heavy) Cisse is not as good as many people are saying he is and is not the answer to our midfield woes.

As for your last paragraph I couldn't agree more, after all that is where DMC's no.1 target Dawson came from originally, I believe there are young hungry players out there in the lower divisions.

[spudski]

It is of course an assumption that both players turned down contracts because of money.

[Esmond Million's Bung]

Yep, it ain't good, and that is the direction a club of our stature should be moving in.

I think only Orr got us more than we paid for and played at a higher level.

Maynard we lost money and he went to a club a the same level, and sold back to a club at the same level.

Basso was released, did he get a game in the prem, for the life of me I can't remember.

We really should be going down the Crewe route, but at a higher level. At the moment we just stumble into the next average signing, the next overpriced average loan.

I think adomah, Cunningham and Taylor, could have slightly broken the mould, and maybe Heaton, but he is on a 1 year deal, so he could walk.

I want us to go after fresh young ambitious types, not your trundles, adebola's McManus, foster Wilsons and stead's of the world.

Great post mate, I think that the problem is this as the current and the past 2 managers have proved, when things start going wrong (and boy in the past 4/5 years we've have plenty to choose from) and younger players constantly let them down, managers panic and then start to bring in older pro's, who they know and just say 'do this', 'do that' and know that these older pro's will follow those orders for 90 minutes, the pay off is often loss of pace and greater chance of injury, it is yet another failed fetish that DMC has followed the past 2 managers in doing.

[Rowley Birkin]

I agree 100% with Spudski's original post, and it seems more and more people are opening their eyes to it, at last.

Certain clowns on here called for a cull of all existing staff, which they did, and manged to rip the heart out the club, dismissing people who cared passionately for BCFC, and then replaced them with a bunch who probably had to have Bristol pointed out to them on a map, only here to further their own carrer's, and a healthy pay check.

Well done, what a raging success that's been!

Now we have a club completely cut adrift from it's fans, going down quicker than George Michael in a public convienience!

Someone said on here that it's better than being run by a bunch of Indian chicken farmers?

Is it?

Yes it must be murder being up the other end of the table!

Who cares who runs the club as long as we're competing at the highest level possible, and don't feel completely isolated as now?

I'd love to see Steve Lansdown appoint someone like big Joe Royle as director of football, who I think would be ideal, and has a massive affection for the club. (Looks like Joe Jordan will probably get the Scotland job)

I would also flood the club behind the scenes with people like Gerry Sweeney, Cheese, Clive Whitehead, Walshy, Scotty etc any other ex ledgend still around willing to help reconnect the club with the fans, and give the players drive and a sense of what it means to us all.

I'm talking here of match days mainly, which should be obvious to anyone with any sense of history and passion.

I fail to see by doing any of this would hurt in the slightest to City's future prospects, and without sacking the current manager, who's crying out for a father figure to help him out surely?

With so many new faces at the club, they must spend most of the time being introduced to each other, hardly suprising they are where they are currently.

[spudski]

I agree 100% with Spudski's original post, and it seems more and more people are opening their eyes to it, at last.

Certain clowns on here called for a cull of all existing staff, which they did, and manged to rip the heart out the club, dismissing people who cared passionately for BCFC, and then replaced them with a bunch who probably had to have Bristol pointed out to them on a map, only here to further their own carrer's, and a healthy pay check.

Well done, what a raging success that's been!

Now we have a club completely cut adrift from it's fans, going down quicker than George Michael in a public convienience!

Someone said on here that it's better than being run by a bunch of Indian chicken farmers?

Is it?

Yes it must be murder being up the other end of the table!

Who cares who runs the club as long as we're competing at the highest level possible, and don't feel completely isolated as now?

I'd love to see Steve Lansdown appoint someone like big Joe Royle as director of football, who I think would be ideal, and has a massive affection for the club. (Looks like Joe Jordan will probably get the Scotland job)

I would also flood the club behind the scenes with people like Gerry Sweeney, Cheese, Clive Whitehead, Walshy, Scotty etc any other ex ledgend still around willing to help reconnect the club with the fans, and give the players drive and a sense of what it means to us all.

I'm talking here of match days mainly, which should be obvious to anyone with any sense of history and passion.

I fail to see by doing any of this would hurt in the slightest to City's future prospects, and without sacking the current manager, who's crying out for a father figure to help him out surely?

With so many new faces at the club, they must spend most of the time being introduced to each other, hardly suprising they are where they are currently.

Very interesting views and something i've not thought about tbh.

I think it's a catch 22... The folks you mentioned are City Legends.

I think Scotty, Sweeny and Cheese are still attached to the Club in some form or other.

But we definately needed a kick up the backside so to speak...

It's quality coaching and scouting as well as management that we've been lacking imho.

Finding that quality isn't easy...but others with less seem to manage.

On a side thought...didn't Liverpool have a cull of ex players from their backroom staff as well?

[TRL]

I agree 100% with Spudski's original post, and it seems more and more people are opening their eyes to it, at last.

Certain clowns on here called for a cull of all existing staff, which they did, and manged to rip the heart out the club, dismissing people who cared passionately for BCFC, and then replaced them with a bunch who probably had to have Bristol pointed out to them on a map, only here to further their own carrer's, and a healthy pay check.

Well done, what a raging success that's been!

Now we have a club completely cut adrift from it's fans, going down quicker than George Michael in a public convienience!

Someone said on here that it's better than being run by a bunch of Indian chicken farmers?

Is it?

Yes it must be murder being up the other end of the table!

Who cares who runs the club as long as we're competing at the highest level possible, and don't feel completely isolated as now?

I'd love to see Steve Lansdown appoint someone like big Joe Royle as director of football, who I think would be ideal, and has a massive affection for the club. (Looks like Joe Jordan will probably get the Scotland job)

I would also flood the club behind the scenes with people like Gerry Sweeney, Cheese, Clive Whitehead, Walshy, Scotty etc any other ex ledgend still around willing to help reconnect the club with the fans, and give the players drive and a sense of what it means to us all.

I'm talking here of match days mainly, which should be obvious to anyone with any sense of history and passion.

I fail to see by doing any of this would hurt in the slightest to City's future prospects, and without sacking the current manager, who's crying out for a father figure to help him out surely?

With so many new faces at the club, they must spend most of the time being introduced to each other, hardly suprising they are where they are currently.

Oh I don't think it is suddenly dawning. there have been a minority of us banging on about this for a few years.

I still can't believe that there was allowed to be such a colossal upheaval at board, managerial and academy level all at the same time! Now in the long term it may work, but in the short term, where our first thought is survival, whose bloody brilliant idea was this. too much change in a relatively short period of time.

[spudski]

Oh I don't think it is suddenly dawning. there have been a minority of us banging on about this for a few years.

I still can't believe that there was allowed to be such a colossal upheaval at board, managerial and academy level all at the same time! Now in the long term it may work, but in the short term, where our first thought is survival, whose bloody brilliant idea was this. too much change in a relatively short period of time.

Sort of putting all your eggs in one basket and hoping it works out!!!

This is why i'm assuming...which is always dangerous...that if Del were to go, then a lot of the infrastructure would be disturbed as well?

As for it dawning...like you say, it's been going on for years. Most of us were slagged off for daring to speak...which is fair enough...it is a forum and good for venting the spleen... but lets hope all fans see it as Constructive criticism. We are after all loving the same football club.

As for whether any of us could do any better... I doubt it.

[TRL]

Sort of putting all your eggs in one basket and hoping it works out!!!

This is why i'm assuming...which is always dangerous...that if Del were to go, then a lot of the infrastructure would be disturbed as well?

As for it dawning...like you say, it's been going on for years. Most of us were slagged off for daring to speak...which is fair enough...it is a forum and good for venting the spleen... but lets hope all fans see it as Constructive criticism. We are after all loving the same football club.

As for whether any of us could do any better... I doubt it.

Well i certainly couldn't I'm skint. But I like you prefer to look past the rose tinted look on Steve.. I have always said fair play for investing, but he just does not ever seem to learn from his mistakes. And it is going to cost him and us

[spudski]

Well i certainly couldn't I'm skint. But I like you prefer to look past the rose tinted look on Steve.. I have always said fair play for investing, but he just does not ever seem to learn from his mistakes. And it is going to cost him and us

Which is a shame...but I think when he stepped down he alluded to mistakes and that was one of the reasons he walked away from day to day activity. Fair play to him for seeing that...too many in his position would never admit to such.

However... I wonder if a 'Director of Football' within the club has ever been considered?

Someone with immense knowledge of how a Football Club should be run successfully.

Just throwing it out their.

[BCFC_Dan]

Well i certainly couldn't I'm skint. But I like you prefer to look past the rose tinted look on Steve.. I have always said fair play for investing, but he just does not ever seem to learn from his mistakes. And it is going to cost him and us

I do wonder why it so rarely works for us, though.

There are a few parallels to be drawn between Lansdown and John Madejski at Reading. The significant difference is that Madejski managed to get his stadium built whilst Lansdown didn't, but in other ways they're similar men in charge of similar-sized clubs.

So why is it that when Reading gave former player Alan Pardew his first management job, he led them to promotion and went on to forge a great career, yet when Lansdown did the same for Brian Tinnion it ended in disaster?

How come Reading managed to appoint their chief scout as manager and he took them to the Premier League, yet when City appointed highly-rated assistant manager Keith Millen, it ended in disaster?

Even Reading's most notable failure of recent years, Brendan Rodgers, has done alright for himself since.

Perhaps Madejski is better at recognising which existing members of staff on the books would become good managers. Maybe if we'd had better staff in place 10 years ago we'd have had better luck appointing managers from within.

I do still think we've suffered some bad luck where other clubs have been more blessed but the last time we appointed a decent manager from within was Joe Jordan. I suppose Tony Fawthrop might have succeeded but we never got to find out.

[TRL]

Which is a shame...but I think when he stepped down he alluded to mistakes and that was one of the reasons he walked away from day to day activity. Fair play to him for seeing that...too many in his position would never admit to such.

However... I wonder if a 'Director of Football' within the club has ever been considered?

Someone with immense knowledge of how a Football Club should be run successfully.

Just throwing it out their.

Well I am glad he does admit to mistakes, but, he seems to still have full power of major decisions at the club, I guess that is his right as owner, So even though he has a back seat, I wonder how much he has a say on, in terms of the big decisions.

It may work, I think it is something that seems more successful abroad, or with foreign manger coaching here. I don't think the mindset of the British manger lets them get past the fact they are supposed to run the whole show

[TRL]

I do wonder why it so rarely works for us, though.

There are a few parallels to be drawn between Lansdown and John Madejski at Reading. The significant difference is that Madejski managed to get his stadium built whilst Lansdown didn't, but in other ways they're similar men in charge of similar-sized clubs.

So why is it that when Reading gave former player Alan Pardew his first management job, he led them to promotion and went on to forge a great career, yet when Lansdown did the same for Brian Tinnion it ended in disaster?

How come Reading managed to appoint their chief scout as manager and he took them to the Premier League, yet when City appointed highly-rated assistant manager Keith Millen, it ended in disaster?

Even Reading's most notable failure of recent years, Brendan Rodgers, has done alright for himself since.

Perhaps Madejski is better at recognising which existing members of staff on the books would become good managers. Maybe if we'd had better staff in place 10 years ago we'd have had better luck appointing managers from within.

I do still think we've suffered some bad luck where other clubs have been more blessed but the last time we appointed a decent manager from within was Joe Jordan. I suppose Tony Fawthrop might have succeeded but we never got to find out.

Not sure, maybe it helps, for reading, being so close to London, enabling them to attact better players. It seems footballers go with the whole lifestyle choice thing nowadays.

If that is the case, then we would really need megabucks Saudi or Russian owner to make the money seem more glamourous

[spudski]

Didn't SL appoint SC as he had amired the Reading way?

That's what i remember reading/hearing.

Didn't SC allude to not being able to run the Club in the same way he did at Reading?

Perhaps that's where we went wrong?

Not trusting 100% in the manager?

Who know's...

[BCFC_Dan]

Not sure, maybe it helps, for reading, being so close to London, enabling them to attact better players. It seems footballers go with the whole lifestyle choice thing nowadays.

If that is the case, then we would really need megabucks Saudi or Russian owner to make the money seem more glamourous

Well that's plausible, but Bristol's a pretty decent place to live and it's no more than a couple of hours to London by Range Rover or Bentley.

They might be able to get better young players who've been released by Premier League clubs nearby, but that cuts both ways as we should have the pick of West Country youngsters.

[spudski]

Well that's plausible, but Bristol's a pretty decent place to live and it's no more than a couple of hours to London by Range Rover or Bentley.

They might be able to get better young players who've been released by Premier League clubs nearby, but that cuts both ways as we should have the pick of West Country youngsters.

Probably to do with our considered poor scouting system in the past.