Johnson On Five Live

[Cider Army]

Sorry for me the Johnson years have gone we are back at square one! Couldn't give a crust about him..It's now and I'm excited for once to see our leader(Lansdown) and management bring on the youth the hole club has a feel about it..lets get behind odriscoll football played on the deck thats gd enough for me!!(oh and a couple of trips to Wembley) :-)

[Mendip City]

I don't think Johnson was the kind of guy to be "forced" to do anything. Why should the boardroom tell Johnson to use the academy?

The boardroom is full of business men, Johnson would turn around and say "Who know's the industry, me or you?".

McInnes came in and started to turn the academy around, and SOD is keen to keep the good work going.

How many players did Johnson play from our academy?

Well, Lansdown ain't signing the big cheques and has made it clear we need to use our own academy. By SL's own admission things were different then, how can Johnson be blamed for spending what he was allowed to on signings and salaries? He's proved he can work with young players and cast-off at Yeovil. It's horses for courses perhaps if he wasn't allowed to keep spending we might have seen that side of his management here.

[Esmond Million's Bung]

They say the school of hard knocks is an expensive education, only this time SL paid the bill.

Unfortunately that says more about SL than it does about GJ.

and for the record what utter bullshit about luck, you don't get lucky over a 46 game season and further for the record, I still don't get this blind loyalty towards our new manager, he has achieved nothing, but then again the same sheep were baaing the same tune to the past 3 managers.

[Esmond Million's Bung]

Le Sigh, the hangover continues, 3 years plus on

We were top or at least two two come xmas, then we signed Adebola, changed our way and effectively sank like a stone. The Play offs and what happened in the final are well documented. Once momentum was lost, so was GJ and the signings and results in general including hammerings show that as time progressed

What he does or does not do with Yeovil is none of my concern. What SO'D does is. Clearly people cant let sleeping dogs lie because of some inferiority thing, get over it and move on!

You sum it up perfectly, unfortunately some people choose to see it differently, I just get pissed off at the GJ bashing, especially given our present position once more with a manager who has achieved nothing in fact a manager who presided over one of the most apathetic run in's I have ever known.

[Mr Popodopolous]

He lost his way towards end but still best period I;ve seen at City, best manager we've had in my time supporting. Not a lot else- could he have rebuilt again, maybe maybe not, should he have used more youth I think so, should he have utilised Hartley, Sno, Haynes, Sabario better in final season absolutely but overall his tenure surely had to be deemed a success.

[Mendip City]

Unfortunately that says more about SL than it does about GJ.

and for the record what utter bullshit about luck, you don't get lucky over a 46 game season and further for the record, I still don't get this blind loyalty towards our new manager, he has achieved nothing, but then again the same sheep were baaing the same tune to the past 3 managers.

+1

[Son of Fred]

I wonder what the odds would be for Yeovil to finish higher in the Championship, than we do in the Third division?

interesting bet!..get your crash helmet on.dont think it would be a winner for you but I do see Yoevil surviving this season....

[Son of Fred]

You sum it up perfectly, unfortunately some people choose to see it differently, I just get pissed off at the GJ bashing, especially given our present position once more with a manager who has achieved nothing in fact a manager who presided over one of the most apathetic run in's I have ever known.

Understand how you feel about the run-in,but we really do have to give this guy at least this season and next.its a big job on to settle this club down and change the whole ethic.as he says himself it's gonna be tough and not always pretty but we need to stick with it.

[Bowie]

Built a good strong team no doubt.

But alot happier now with SoD who is building a good strong CLUB.

[Major Isewater]

Nothing lasts forever.

Or does it ?

"Nothing "does n't have a begining or an end so therefore does last forever.

Another myth exploded for you.

[Esmond Million's Bung]

Understand how you feel about the run-in,but we really do have to give this guy at least this season and next.its a big job on to settle this club down and change the whole ethic.as he says himself it's gonna be tough and not always pretty but we need to stick with it.

if you read my recent posts, I have been encouraged by most of the close season dealings and the look of the squad and I think we could actually be headed in the right direction for a change and I love his interviews etc., I just don't get unreserved love in with SOD a guy who has achieved nothing with us and has a win rate of 25%, a guy who has a vastly inferior overall win record to GJ and GJ had a notably horrendous time at Northampton on his record, in fact SOD's best % is at Florest and they sacked him, keep the blowing of arse smoke until he has a BCFC achievement under his belt.

[havanatopia]

The fact the Johnson has got Yeovil from non league to Championship and got us promoted and 1 match away from the Prem either means he is the luckiest man in the world, or has to have something about him!

Sums it up nicely sir and should silence the critics but I doubt it will.

[mikebrenn]

I know everyone has their own opinion on johnson, but his best job was with us.if he was as good as people believe, surely a bigger club would have come calling.

[Esmond Million's Bung]

Built a good strong team no doubt.

But alot happier now with SoD who is building a good strong CLUB.

i'm sorry there is absolutely no evidence to back up that sentence whatsoever, football is a results based game and therefore tangible, not looking good on paper, a feeling in your water, it's results based and SOD has not yet delivered results, I agree the changes he has made hopefully bode well and 12 months is not a lot to ask to enact those changes, but like all of his many recent predecessors will be judged entirely on results, end of.

[RedZoneJim]

i'm sorry there is absolutely no evidence to back up that sentence whatsoever, football is a results based game and therefore tangible, not looking good on paper, a feeling in your water, it's results based and SOD has not yet delivered results, I agree the changes he has made hopefully bode well and 12 months is not a lot to ask to enact those changes, but like all of his many recent predecessors will be judged entirely on results, end of.

Which is exactly why the club is in the mess it's in. Every manager spent and spent trying to get results without building anything underneath it. It's my opinion SOD is here to do much more than just be judged on results, he's here to get the club back on an even keel. If we start hounding him out because we're not in the top 6 by Christmas a very big point will have been completely missed by the supporters.

Results matter but this season they should not be the be all and end all of everything providing we're not in a relegation battle. Wouldn't it be nice to not be like the rest of football in this country and actually stand for something so much more than just the short-sighted, blinkered obsession that the only thing that matters is winning whatever the wider implications for the club off the field? Dream land with some of our fans I know.

[Esmond Million's Bung]

I know everyone has their own opinion on johnson, but his best job was with us.if he was as good as people believe, surely a bigger club would have come calling.

How about looking at it like this my friend, take GJ out of the BCFC recent history a by **** we would be playing to crowds lower than the gas, why not celebrate the 2 great seasons years and not 15 years of pretty much abject misery and failure (save a couple mickey mouse cups and play off failures).

Which is exactly why the club is in the mess it's in. Every manager spent and spent trying to get results without building anything underneath it. It's my opinion SOD is here to do much more than just be judged on results, he's here to get the club back on an even keel. If we start hounding him out because we're not in the top 6 by Christmas a very big point will have been completely missed by the supporters. Results matter but this season they should not be the be all and end all of everything providing we're not in a relegation battle.

Which is why I said as much ("12 months is not a lot to ask to enact those changes").

Whatever the rights and wrongs of GJ's tenure, he gave us our only truly bright spots of the past 15 years and guess what our minted chairman agreed to all/most requests for funds and signed all of the cheques during and since that period, it takes 2 to tango.

[RedZoneJim]

Whatever the rights and wrongs of GJ's tenure, he gave us our only truly bright spots of the past 15 years and guess what our minted chairman agreed to all/most requests for funds and signed all of the cheques during and since that period, it takes 2 to tango.

That's fair comment

[WTFiGO!?!]

I found there to be something of a personality clash between GJ and City fans, collectively (esp. as represented on here). Both are pig-#####-stubborn!

I think we have another manager now who isn't gonna give two hoots if he grates some of us with his stubbornness. It could cost him, ultimately.

Now I''m no Freudian but there does seem to be some sort of psychological projection going on. Whenever anyone dare stand up to us and try's not to appease us, he becomes the bad guy.

Well good luck GJ, I say, and thanks for the good times.

[Bowie]

i'm sorry there is absolutely no evidence to back up that sentence whatsoever, football is a results based game and therefore tangible, not looking good on paper, a feeling in your water, it's results based and SOD has not yet delivered results, I agree the changes he has made hopefully bode well and 12 months is not a lot to ask to enact those changes, but like all of his many recent predecessors will be judged entirely on results, end of.

Which is why I said BUILDING

it's impossible to fully and fairly judge yet, all I know is

But Johnson was built on established older players and constant short term fixes, whilst trying to get members of his family jobs they were I'll qualified for, also many players got sold for a profit?

SoD is going down the route of a building a side, which will gel and improve and have resale value, whilst also ensuring that throughout the club well qualified are helping to create future successes with scouting and youth set up much improved.

[RedM]

I don't see Yeovil having the same expectations of him as we did. They don't have the money or the resources and now, thanks to him, are in their best league position of their history. It's hard to see them falling out even if they are relegated, they just seem to love and accept him. They will spend little and the pressure won't be anywhere near what it was with us, they won't have the big name signings.

He went back there after leaving them for bigger things, us. He was always going to go back there, and I'm glad he did and got success again. I can only think of us getting Joe Jordan back after he went to Hearts as being slightly similar, but he wasn't so emotionally tied to us as Gary J is to Yeovil.

[MarcusX]

For being a very good manager. Its unbelievable city fans slate him, I have been going to city for 15 years and Johnsons regime was fantastic to be apart of, I actually used to look forward to going to games. The atmosphere and spirit around the club was amazing and i'm sure Yeovil fans will be loving life right now.

It was a sour ending to his reign here but it will be a long long time till we're one game away from the big time again.

Cant argue with this at all, was lucky enough to be able to get to games and afford a season ticket for the whole of Johnson's reign and it was the best years of my life as a football fan. Some incredible memories and some great games.

[Esmond Million's Bung]

Which is why I said BUILDING

it's impossible to fully and fairly judge yet, all I know is

But Johnson was built on established older players and constant short term fixes, whilst trying to get members of his family jobs they were I'll qualified for, also many players got sold for a profit?

SoD is going down the route of a building a side, which will gel and improve and have resale value, whilst also ensuring that throughout the club well qualified are helping to create future successes with scouting and youth set up much improved.

Again there is absolutely no evidence, it sounds like a good idea, presumably ideas he used at his previous clubs, but ideas that have yielded a paltry 35.94% win rate in total, I will blow my smoke up his arse when I actually see evidence that his ideas are bearing fruit, be it 12 months away then so be it.

and I repeat, I am impressed by what he has done over the summer, but firstly there will have to be an improvement on style of play ultimately leading to better results on the pitch and squad players fitting seamlessly into the team when injuries occur.

[RedZoneJim]

Again there is absolutely no evidence, it sounds like a good idea, presumably ideas he used at his previous clubs, but ideas that have yielded a paltry 35.94% win rate in total, I will blow my smoke up his arse when I actually see evidence that his ideas are bearing fruit, be it 12 months away then so be it.

and I repeat, I am impressed by what he has done over the summer, but firstly there will have to be an improvement on style of play ultimately leading to better results on the pitch and squad players fitting seamlessly into the team when injuries occur.

Win % stats are completely pointless as they don't take into account context of what division team was playing in or anything like that. To have kept Donny in the Championship for as long as he did playing the kind of football we crave on a budget probably smaller than he's got in League One here now was a massive achievement. I've just seen their best ever finish under him was 12th in the Championship, which is no mean feat for a club that size. If I remember rightly Bournemouth were permanently broke when he was there. He also left Forest a point off the play-offs. That to me is more telling than a 'paltry' win ratio because it actually says he's got a track record of doing what he says he wants to do here.

[Esmond Million's Bung]

Win % stats are completely pointless as they don't take into account context of what division team was playing in or anything like that. To have kept Donny in the Championship for as long as he did playing the kind of football we crave on a budget probably smaller than he's got in League One here now was a massive achievement. I've just seen their best ever finish under him was 12th in the Championship, which is no mean feat for a club that size. If I remember rightly Bournemouth were permanently broke when he was there. He also left Forest a point off the play-offs. That to me is more telling than a 'paltry' win ratio because it actually says he's got a track record of doing what he says he wants to do here.

Win % stats or lack of them get you relegated, promoted or staying the same, in our case last season relegated, he has achieved nowt with us that is fact, in fact to be hyper critical the lack of fight in the last 15 or so games was staggering, read RMLF post below, he is 100% correct.

PS:- The same Doncaster and Bournemouth that are still living the dream in the championship?

Ah the hype continues. We are currently something like 1 win in 12 or 13 and at Donny he went 1 or 2 wins in 35 (spread over two consecutive seasons) People seem utterly blind or rather incapable of seeing that we were playing turgid dross last season and that a magic wand isnt suddenly going to fix that either. Yes we have new playing staff and things may change on the pitch( there is no guarantee) however to fete him already when he has achieved the grand total of diddly squat for us thus far is something that is utterly perplexing. People are getting caught up in the hype and by the talk. He does need to start walking the walk in terms of performances and results and rather quickly for some.

I'm not expecting a lot this season, but then I'm being realistic, some however seem to think we have a divine right to walk this league despite the evidence presented thus far showing that we will do anything but that. It's as maddening as it is bemusing that people remain firmly ensconced in their own bubble where, he is incapable of doing any wrong, when there is plenty which suggests other wise.

Yes, it's exciting, new season time usually is, but the amount getting carried away on the hype is truly staggering.

I am with you totally on this, 12 months time will tell us how good, bad or indifferent SOD is and then we can look to the future and hold a let's blow smoke up his arse party.

[RedZoneJim]

I am absolutely confident SOD will have you both enjoying a bit of humble pie come May promoted or not.

BTW RMLF I'm guessing you weren't at the Reading and Bournemouth games when you say 'walking the walk' in terms of performances because the way we played in those two games were light years ahead of anything we've seen at the Gate for the past few years. Pre-season I know but the signs were very promising the players are grasping the way he wants them to play.

As for Bournemouth and Doncaster, Bournemouth have had massive investment in the last 2 years and Doncaster got relegated after that whole Willie McKay agent running the club shambles before getting themselves sorted again last year. It was only Donny, Coventry and Portsmouth imploding that saved us from relegation the season before last. The 49 points we got that season would've had us relegated second from bottom last season.

Lack of fight in last 15 or so games - I disagree. We showed plenty of fight against Bolton, Sheff Weds and Birmingham, for example, but we didn't win, does that mean we didn't fight? Does it hell. The only games I'd say we looked like we didn't fight were Derby away and Huddersfield at home, the others we at least looked like we gave a crap. 6 clean sheets when we had kept none beforehand says the players were doing better. If it still wasn't enough that says more about the quality and balance of the squad.

You don't like SOD and you think that because he doesn't come over as passionate, whatever the hell's that meant to mean, he can't possibly spark a fire in the players. Fair enough. But none of us have any idea what he's like on the training ground and all I'm saying is his track record and reputation for producing attractive teams that punch above their weight is there in stone, win % or not. It's not 'hype'.

Only time will tell I agree with you on that, but you both underplay what he has done as worthless when I think it gives us a real reason to be optimistic.

[hippy273]

I am absolutely confident SOD will have you both enjoying a bit of humble pie come May promoted or not.

I can really see SOD being at our club for a very long time, he is the type of manager that lets his head do the talking and not his personality like Johnson. SOD does not have the gift of the gab but he certainly recognises what is needed better than Johnson, but Johnson is a better motivator.

[Kingswood Robin]

I can really see SOD being at our club for a very long time, he is the type of manager that lets his head do the talking and not his personality like Johnson. SOD does not have the gift of the gab but he certainly recognises what is needed better than Johnson, but Johnson is a better motivator.

So we have the Peter Taylor, all we need now is the Brian Clough.

[RedZoneJim]

This time however we have to hit the ground running to some extent given the expectation of the fans which is so sky high it's ridiculous.

The funny thing is most people on this board seem to have fairly realistic expectations of the season ahead, you and a handful of others seem to be the only ones with the sky high expectations and the knife sharpener out. The rest of your post I can't even be arsed to argue with as I just disagree with everything you say. Beauty of forums I guess.

[downendcity]

Humble what now?

Did I see two friendly games, that mean naff all in the grand scheme of things? What's that got to do with anything. Get competetive games a going, something that FOR US SO'D thus far has a terrible record, it's on a par with McInnes as it stands, hardly something to sing praises about and see how we go from there. I'll be optomistic when there are things to be optomistic about rather than a manager who is doing the basic standard stuff that a manager should be doing. We havent had that for ages, but this is all what we should have been doing all along. It's not special nor is it something to crow about that we are doing things how they should be. The above and beyond will come when he proves it in terms of performances and results and as yet on this score he is sadly lacking ( some questionable transfers as well)

I've seen us batter teams in friendlies at a variety of places, even start the season really brightly ( like last season or demolishing Notts County 5-0 etc) however it's amounted to naff all in the grand scheme of things and seen us get relegated. This time however we have to hit the ground running to some extent given the expectation of the fans which is so sky high it's ridiculous. We arent a big team in this league, we will find out as we go along and we will probably get tanked at some part of the season, it happens to everyone. C'est la vie.

You are celebrating clean sheets, okay then! It's insanity, but if you want to grasp something insignificant as a sign of victory then go ahead. I'd rather we win games than bleat about keeping clean sheets. We haven't and didn't do enough. The performances weren't there and that's irrespective of results last season. Deal with it.

I haven't said anything about liking or disliking SO'D. what I have said is that he is far from immune from genuine critique and that there are gaping holes in the logic of those who defend him blindly and without question. Passion has nothing to do with it, so I'm not sure where you are coming from with that at all.

Give us something to be in awe about rather than doing what is required of a football manager as normality and then I'll join in with the rest, until then I'll remain a grounding point so that people dont continually get carried away and talk as though we have won everything already.

EMB, you sometimes talk as though you are the only one with his feet on the ground and realistic expectations. I think the majority of fans are realistic about next season, recognise the changes that have been taking place at the club and turnover in players and are therefore not expecting too much next season.

You ask to be given something to be in awe about rather than doing what is required of a football manager as normality. A "normal" manager would surely have wanted to hold on to experienced players and then throw money at the problem to bring in good quality players to give him a strong team going into the new season with the aim of immediate promotion.

Using your terminology, I am bit in awe of a manager prepared to change the club's philosophy completely and take a long term view of what is required. He wants us to play good passing football. To achieve that he's prepared to get rid of the underperforming players who let us down last year and who he has identified would struggle to play his style of football. He's bringing in young hungry players, who he thinks will fit with his style of play, but who also represent financial value for money.

This is a brave move because these changes might take time to settle into place , so may not produce the instant success that seems to be demanded in pro football these days. I admire SOD's confidence in his ability and conviction that this benefit the club over the long term, knowing that the knives will be out from sceptics like you if his tem is not getting results out on the pitch from the start of the season.

There is a risk that this plan will not work, but I would rather us take that chance and fail than change nothing and continue on the road to football obscurity we have been on under our last 3 "normal " managers ( not sure Copout can be regarded as normal!)

[redeye]

I found there to be something of a personality clash between GJ and City fans, collectively (esp. as represented on here). Both are pig-#####-stubborn!

I think we have another manager now who isn't

gonna give two hoots if he grates some of us with his stubbornness. It could cost him,

ultimately.

Now I''m no Freudian but there does seem to be

some sort of psychological projection going on.

Whenever anyone dare stand up to us and try's

not to appease us, he becomes the bad guy.

Well good luck GJ, I say, and thanks for the

good times.

Good post. You make very good points which highlight elements of the Bristolian psyche. There is a side to some Bristolians' which is full of arrogance and attitude - a 'know it all' 'I'm always right, you're always wrong' approach with a mentality to always want the last word and a predilection to bully until they get their way.

Managers should be professional and beyond some fans hate and bile - however it must surely affect managers to the extent they make bad decisions in order to appease the angry mob (even implementing the fans wishes).

When this fails, the haters get angrier, leading to accusations of stubborness against the manager and an irretrievable relationship breakdown between manager and these fans. I can see SOD going the same way as GJ because of these people.

SOD should be stubborn and not be concerned about media persona - he's the manager. The same as GJ had his way of doing things.

Too many people on OTIB wishing they were manager or their input went to the top of BCFC.

The reality is you never will - otherwise you wouldn't be posting on OTIB.

I thank GJ for a great ride (ups and downs) and I'm quietly confident SOD (with the new SL ethos) is preparing us for another.

Talking of the the new ethos - in relation to the old template, has anyone else considered SL's comments regarding spending 50 million wasn't only aimed at himself, previous managers and board members, but also aimed at the fans?

With this in mind, and the hardline approach implemented due to regulations, you can't fault the man for dipping into his pockets again to bring in a good number of new players when there are still a similar number who have yet to be moved on.