Thanks Steve

[Taunton_Red]

I'm gonna have to say you're looking for excuses, like the OP is trying to do.

If's and maybes in hindsight doesn't make it SL's fault.

Jesus Christ some are so fickle!

I wouldn't say I'm fickle, I'd rather play rubbish football and get results and we finished 10th 2 seasons in a row when Johnson got sacked, don't see why he deserves all this hate he got, no excuses, I was a fan of Gary Johnson and after the change Lansdown made, it all went downhill, that is how I see it, if Johnson was still manager the team would of changed a lot from what it once was, on the exception of Fontaine, Skuse etc.

He has been the best championship manager we've had and I don't see why SL had to change it.

So I feel it is his fault that we are in this mess, he comes out saying he cares about this club when yes he has put money into this club, but only on other players rejects, he doesn't go to other teams in our division and buy their better players, giving us a better chance of improving, he was trying to get as high as possible on as little as possible to spend, and if you want to get promoted to the Premier League you've got to buy the better players obviously.

[LondonBristolian]

I think SL has always done what he has thought is best for the club. Yeah this season may have been poor, but lets hope he works hard in the summer to put it right.

I think he already has been. Bringing SOD in, re-structuring the youth department, looking at ways to get better value for money on wages. All these things seem to me an acknowledgement of past mistakes and an attempt to fix them. It's not an overnight process and structures/changes time to kick in. I think this relegation is the result of mistakes we made over the past four years - I think over the year the club's been doing a lot of work behind the scenes to put things right and we will ultimately see the results of that.

[Threshersleftboot]

SL is obviously a very intelligent man when it comes to business but his judgement in anything football related is appalling im'e not disputing his intentions are for the good of the club but i can hardly think of one decision he's made which has been of benefit to our club even when he managed to appoint a decent manager he sacked him (GJ),and his most recent decision to make his son chairman as anybody who watched his interview will testify is probably the worst of all.I am sad to say it but he's proved that having lots of money means nothing if your judgement is flawed.

[Monkeh]

SL is obviously a very intelligent man when it comes to business but his judgement in anything football related is appalling im'e not disputing his intentions are for the good of the club but i can hardly think of one decision he's made which has been of benefit to our club even when he managed to appoint a decent manager he sacked him (GJ),and his most recent decision to make his son chairman as anybody who watched his interview will testify is probably the worst of all.I am sad to say it but he's proved that having lots of money means nothing if your judgement is flawed.

His son isn't our chairman

[Red-Robbo]

The biggest issue was Steve always backed his managers in the transfer market but opted to get young in-experienced managers in

A young inexperienced manager who most of us on here thought looked a great prospective and had guided a tiny club to third in the SPL.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but I am happy that Steve is there to underwrite our debts, I don't expect him to be a fortune teller.

Many here have said he "doesn't understand football". He's a stockbroker, not a former player, why should we credit him with greater knowledge than the average fan in the stands? Do the Glazers "understand football"? Doe Roman Abramovitch? Does Nick Higgs!?

The manager(s) and the players have to shoulder the vast share of responsibility for relegation. The board just choose managers, with guidance from some of the senior staff here.

[Threshersleftboot]

His son isn't our chairman

My mistake i stand corrected.

[reddoc]

yea,

Thanks Steve for funding johnson to get us in the championship in the first place

Thanks Steve for backing the manager every season with money dispite the fact we are in debt,

Thanks steve for funding the wages of the under performing players who got us relegated this season

Thanks steve for keeping this club a float

Thanks steve for trying to build us a new ground out of your own money

Thanks steve for trying to re-devlop ashton gate out of your own mone,

You sir are a cock of the highest degree **** off back tio the rock you crawled under

I can't, I'm already under it apparently. As passionate and inarticulate as ever Monk.

[bristolcity1981]

David James & Nicky hunt were signed by SL not coppell. Signed them under the nose of coppell. I met coppell a couple if times aldershot away & Blackpool home both pre season & he wasn't happy & made that clear to any questions he was asked. I got it from the horses mouth.

[bristolcity1981]

David James & Nicky hunt were signed by SL not coppell. Signed them under the nose of coppell. I met coppell a couple if times aldershot away & Blackpool home both pre season & he wasn't happy & made that clear to any questions he was asked. I got it from the horses mouth.

[Red-Robbo]

David James & Nicky hunt were signed by SL not coppell. Signed them under the nose of coppell. I met coppell a couple if times aldershot away & Blackpool home both pre season & he wasn't happy & made that clear to any questions he was asked. I got it from the horses mouth.

Ah, the old chestnuts are the best.

So, he was unhappy about Hunt and Jammo before they'd even signed?

[Son of Fred]

So which player are you?.

Did SL make Fontaine score an own goal on saturday?.

Did SL make Baldock miss all those chances tonight?.

Did SL tell Fontaine to get knocked off the ball numerous times during the season which led to goals?.

The PLAYERS are 75% responsible for the mess we are in.

have the board made one ludicrous decision after another in the recruitment stakes?..Millen,Del-chosen by the board,nobody else...why would you go any route other than "proven"?..they did,and its the fans that are at their mercy in this respect.same as any buisiness,if its run by people who do not know their market place ultimately it will go pear-shaped.it starts at the top...

[LondonBristolian]

have the board made one ludicrous decision after another in the recruitment stakes?..Millen,Del-chosen by the board,nobody else...why would you go any route other than "proven"?..they did,and its the fans that are at their mercy in this respect.same as any buisiness,if its run by people who do not know their market place ultimately it will go pear-shaped.it starts at the top...

Again all this is really easy to say in hindsight. Pep Guardiola wasn't proven when he got the Barcelona job, nor was Keegan when he first took over at Newcastle. Poyet at Brighton and Steve Clarke at West Brom weren't proven. Ditto Di Canio at Swindon. Brendan Rodgers and Michael Laudrup had sketchy track records when each of them were appointed by Swansea. Hell, even Alex Ferguson started at Man Utd having got a team to overachieve in the SPL but with no Premier League experience.

Danny Wilson looked a better bet on paper than Gary Johnson. Steve Coppell had a very impressive track record and we know what happened there.

It's easy to say the board made poor decisions after the event but the idea only "proven" managers work is absolute nonsense.

[Monkeh]

Again all this is really easy to say in hindsight. Pep Guardiola wasn't proven when he got the Barcelona job, nor was Keegan when he first took over at Newcastle. Poyet at Brighton and Steve Clarke at West Brom weren't proven. Ditto Di Canio at Swindon. Brendan Rodgers and Michael Laudrup had sketchy track records when each of them were appointed by Swansea. Hell, even Alex Ferguson started at Man Utd having got a team to overachieve in the SPL but with no Premier League experience.

Danny Wilson looked a better bet on paper than Gary Johnson. Steve Coppell had a very impressive track record and we know what happened there.

It's easy to say the board made poor decisions after the event but the idea only "proven" managers work is absolute nonsense.

Ian Dowie is a proven manager having taken Crystal Palace to the prem so is paul Jewel having done it with wigan what about dennis wise or graham taylor?

Proven in the past doesn't mean sucess in the future

[Pickle Rick]

I wouldn't say I'm fickle, I'd rather play rubbish football and get results and we finished 10th 2 seasons in a row when Johnson got sacked, don't see why he deserves all this hate he got, no excuses, I was a fan of Gary Johnson and after the change Lansdown made, it all went downhill, that is how I see it, if Johnson was still manager the team would of changed a lot from what it once was, on the exception of Fontaine, Skuse etc.

He has been the best championship manager we've had and I don't see why SL had to change it.

So I feel it is his fault that we are in this mess, he comes out saying he cares about this club when yes he has put money into this club, but only on other players rejects, he doesn't go to other teams in our division and buy their better players, giving us a better chance of improving, he was trying to get as high as possible on as little as possible to spend, and if you want to get promoted to the Premier League you've got to buy the better players obviously.

Going back to Johnson's time, I think he took us as far as he could and it 'dried out'. Johnson will always be in high regard - great manager and footballing person. I think one thing that he didnt have was a high enough profile to attract established championship players.

We have since signed some bigger name players (or whatever way you want to say it), not that it's done us a great deal of improvement!

[Son of Fred]

Again all this is really easy to say in hindsight. Pep Guardiola wasn't proven when he got the Barcelona job, nor was Keegan when he first took over at Newcastle. Poyet at Brighton and Steve Clarke at West Brom weren't proven. Ditto Di Canio at Swindon. Brendan Rodgers and Michael Laudrup had sketchy track records when each of them were appointed by Swansea. Hell, even Alex Ferguson started at Man Utd having got a team to overachieve in the SPL but with no Premier League experience.

Danny Wilson looked a better bet on paper than Gary Johnson. Steve Coppell had a very impressive track record and we know what happened there.

It's easy to say the board made poor decisions after the event but the idea only "proven" managers work is absolute nonsense.

see that point for sure,maybe would be more accurate for me to say "done on the cheap"..especially with Millen!

[Monkeh]

see that point for sure,maybe would be more accurate for me to say "done on the cheap"..especially with Millen!

it was hardley cheap, sacking Millen and McInnes would of cost the club alot of money, just because they aren't big household names doesn't make them cheap

[Rowley Birkin]

Meanwhile over the City, Walshy's Gas under 18's have just completed the league and cup double, as there was no position for this City legend with 40 years football experience at Ashton Gate, as a female PE instructor was the obvious choice to run the Academy.

Brilliant, you can't make it up!

[LondonBristolian]

Meanwhile over the City, Walshy's Gas under 18's have just completed the league and cup double, as there was no position for this City legend with 40 years football experience at Ashton Gate, as a female PE instructor was the obvious choice to run the Academy.

Brilliant, you can't make it up!

I don't think you can possibly blame our current plight on the academy. Or argue that a sports teacher is an inappropriate person to teach young people sports.

Frankly our academy had been failing for years and the coaching clearly wasn't working because our players looked disorganised and as though they didn't have a clue what to do on the pitch. Okay, things didn't improve under McInnes but it's pretty hard to argue that things were working well whilst Walsh was here. Not sure whether he needed to go as I'm not close enough to what goes on behind the scenes but something definitely needed to change and I reckon the academy is running a lot better than it used to.

[dezgimed]

He's loaning the money.

And it's tax deductable (even against the tiny amount he has to pay living in Guernsey)

He's worth 1 billion.

40 mil isn't even one years interest on that lot.

The equivalent would be a factory worker losing 500 quid over 6 years.

Youst sayin'

Yes, because SL's wealth isnt in the equity of his company, its sat in his bank accruing interest. Over £40m a year in fact.

[Monkeh]

Meanwhile over the City, Walshy's Gas under 18's have just completed the league and cup double, as there was no position for this City legend with 40 years football experience at Ashton Gate, as a female PE instructor was the obvious choice to run the Academy.

Brilliant, you can't make it up!

You do know that they compete with forest green whats left of yeovil and the other lower league teams, and its not a academy its a YTS thing,

Where as we compete with Cardiff Birmingham Southampton etc in the high levels and ours is an acadmeny

[Rowley Birkin]

Of course a sports teacher is an appropriate person to teach sports, not to run a professional football clubs academy though!

If you want to give them the proper schooling you need people who know what they are talking about, and have been there, seen it done it, and the kids will look up and respect that.

Walshy would've been a shoe in for the Academy and just proved it with what he's achieved over there.

Unfortunately we had hysterical cries from Championship managers on here bleating for a cull of everyone with a passion for Bristol City, or jobs for the boys, as they called it, well that's worked a bloody treat hasn't it?

Surely to God he should be passing on his knowledge to our future players, but wasn't given that respect?

We must have continuity at Ashton Gate, like every other successfull club does, people like Louis, Scott need to be involved, would love to have Basso back as goalkeeping coach, real charachters that connect with the fans with their passion, and is the link between yesterday and today, which is why it's a CLUB not just another business.

[Monkeh]

Of course a sports teacher is an appropriate person to teach sports, not to run a professional football clubs academy though!

If you want to give them the proper schooling you need people who know what they are talking about, and have been there, seen it done it, and the kids will look up and respect that.

Walshy would've been a shoe in for the Academy and just proved it with what he's achieved over there.

Unfortunately we had hysterical cries from Championship managers on here bleating for a cull of everyone with a passion for Bristol City, or jobs for the boys, as they called it, well that's worked a bloody treat hasn't it?

Surely to God he should be passing on his knowledge to our future players, but wasn't given that respect?

We must have continuity at Ashton Gate, like every other successfull club does, people like Louis, Scott need to be involved, would love to have Basso back as goalkeeping coach, real charachters that connect with the fans with their passion, and is the link between yesterday and today, which is why it's a CLUB not just another business.

Walshey was a coach of the acadmney for a while under johnson and it produced zero players

McInnes changed things around alot and look, we have Wes Burns, Bryan Aja, Reid all on the fringes of the first team (more then any manager since Tony Fawthorpe and co),

Walsh was also a coch here druing the massive decline from johnson until he left so yes he's a lovely bloke but I'm glad he isn't here,

Do you know the score last time the city and rovers youth teams met at any level? I think we hammered them about 7-1

[Rowley Birkin]

How the hell can anyone be successfull at the Academy if the 1st team manager won't give youth a chance?

We could've had Messi coming through and Johnson still wouldn't have played him!

Each club is graded 1 2 etc according to the league they're in, I believe, so they'd obviously attract better players, but you can only beat what's in front of you.

I don't know why you've such a adverse attitude to some of our ex players who live and breath Bristol City FC?

Tthey should be the fabric that binds us all together, as I'll say it again a CLUB.

[Monkeh]

How the hell can anyone be successfull at the Academy if the 1st team manager won't give youth a chance?

We could've had Messi coming through and Johnson still wouldn't have played him!

Each club is graded 1 2 etc according to the league they're in, I believe, so they'd obviously attract better players, but you can only beat what's in front of you.

I don't know why you've such a adverse attitude to some of our ex players who live and breath Bristol City FC?

Tthey should be the fabric that binds us all together, as I'll say it again a CLUB.

yet every single player produced during that time never went on to play at this level (beside cotts goldbourne)

So the 1st team manager was correct,

Where is Artus, Jackson, Plummer, Anyinsah, James Wilson?

All players fans demanded to be playing because they were meant to be better then what we had

Johnson was correct in hydsight not to play them as they were not any good,

I know Alan Walsh by the way he is a nice bloke, but we needed a clear out of coaching staff (one of the critisems aimed at the club was jobs for the boys), He's doing a good job down at the gas but the fact is thats league two not where we are or where we will be aiming to return,

[spudski]

Absolute bullshit

James and hunt were both a copout signing

[Rowley Birkin]

I thought Danny Coles,Doherty, Woodman, Phillips, Burnell, Lita, Rosenior and a few others all made it through the youth set up?

I think the whole concept is flawed anyway, as nearly every manager seems scared to death to put kids in at this level, as it can destroy them unless they are an instant hit.

I also think all decent players unfortunately won't be coming to the likes of us, but snapped up by the big boys, until they become dissilusioned with the game, and either pack it in or go non league, as that's what happens to 99% of them.

Clubs want the finsihed article, so we'll just be having Chelsea youngsters on loan to bring them on for their parent club.

If we are going to rely on kids, we'll pass Rovers next year going the other way.

[Monkeh]

I thought Danny Coles,Doherty, Woodman, Phillips, Burnell, Lita, Rosenior and a few others all made it through the youth set up?

I think the whole concept is flawed anyway, as nearly every manager seems scared to death to put kids in at this level, as it can destroy them unless they are an instant hit.

I also think all decent players unfortunately won't be coming to the likes of us, but snapped up by the big boys, until they become dissilusioned with the game, and either pack it in or go non league, as that's what happens to 99% of them.

Clubs want the finsihed article, so we'll just be having Chelsea youngsters on loan to bring them on for their parent club.

If we are going to rely on kids, we'll pass Rovers next year going the other way.

all before johnson with only lita and Rosinier playing at this level,

the rest are non legaue or league two for almost all of their career, as I said before Goldburn, Cotts oh and that lad at brighton in the since 2005 not one of our youth players have played at a higher level then the club, those that have city sold (one player who's name escapes me aside)

Infact if we just fielded players who came through our youth team I doubt we would of made it to th championship in the first place

[LondonBristolian]

Of course a sports teacher is an appropriate person to teach sports, not to run a professional football clubs academy though!

If you want to give them the proper schooling you need people who know what they are talking about, and have been there, seen it done it, and the kids will look up and respect that.

Walshy would've been a shoe in for the Academy and just proved it with what he's achieved over there.

Unfortunately we had hysterical cries from Championship managers on here bleating for a cull of everyone with a passion for Bristol City, or jobs for the boys, as they called it, well that's worked a bloody treat hasn't it?

Surely to God he should be passing on his knowledge to our future players, but wasn't given that respect?

We must have continuity at Ashton Gate, like every other successfull club does, people like Louis, Scott need to be involved, would love to have Basso back as goalkeeping coach, real charachters that connect with the fans with their passion, and is the link between yesterday and today, which is why it's a CLUB not just another business.

Remember when we tried ex-player Brian Tinnion as manager, ex-player Keith Millen as assistant and ex-player Alan Walsh at coach.

Or indeed Millen as manager and Walsh as coach?

I agree it's good having ex-players involved but we can't blindly persist with them simply because they're ex-players if it clearly isn't working.

[Rowley Birkin]

Wrong, it was working fine until obvious weakness's in the side weren't replaced with the quality required, everything was going great.

It's only all gone tits up since the heart of the club has been ripped out, and replaced with people with no affinity with our football club, so obviously it's worse than before!

Monkeh you'd better get used to the idea that no player may ever come through our ranks to play at a higher level ever again, unfortunately that's the way it is now, no-one has the patience to wait for them to develop, and want immediate results.

I thought when the Premiership circus started importing complete teams from abroad, we'd see a knock on of quality players down the leagues.

Where the hell are they ? Sitting on their arses picking up ridiculous wages for not even playing, or playing for the likes of us!

[The Kaiser]

If he loans us so much money......

How come near on every other club in our league spends more than we do?