Sod Out!

[timothy bird]

Great post harry!

[WolfOfWestStreet]

I'm not gonna have a pop at the OP as he is as entitled to his opinion as everyone else. However, in my opinion, he is wrong.

Put yourself in O'Driscoll's shoes for a moment.

You arrive at a club half way through the January transfer window, with the club at the foot of the table having struggled for the previous 2 seasons and narrowly avoided relegation the year before. It is a club on the slide and lacking any whiff of positivity.

You are told that there is hardly any money to spend as £50m has been wasted over the previous few years in search of Premier League riches.

You discover that the club has no decent scouting network in place so you don't have immediate access to wheel and deal for thoroughly researched players within the small budget you have been given.

You're made aware that the Financial Regulations being imposed mean that the wages need to be cut from £18m last year to £11m (and if you inevitably get relegated that has to reduce further to £4m).

You are advised that the club has a philosophy to bring youngsters through from the academy and no longer will money be handed out in droves for overpaid, over the hill and overrated players.

So, what do you do? Well, firstly you use your own contacts to arrange a new right back in Maloney and you swiftly follow this by bringing in a trusted head scout (Burt) to work with you. You persuade the board to make Burt a Director of Football because you realise there is Zero footballing nouse on the board.

You then try to see the season out with unmotivated, disinterested players and not surprisingly you get relegated.

You then find that a number of players are out of contract and will leave whilst a number of others who you don't want have to stay. You begin your recruitment by sticking to the club philosophy and signing a number of younger players who have the potential to be moulded into a team.

You are hampered throughout your 1st real transfer window as there is always the looming figure of FFP hanging over you, so you manage to do a bit of wheeling and dealing to bring in some badly needed more experienced heads.

You sell 2 of your players for near £1.5m and you attempt to bring in a striker (Assombalonga) but are informed there is no money for the deal and he goes to Peterborough for £1.3m and scores 6 goals in his first 7 games.

You start the new season trying to mould your new team around a new philosophy which will take time to bed-in.

Sadly you don't start too well and only pick up 1 point in your first 3 home games.

Some fans begin getting on your back and calling for your head.

Do you walk? Do you feel you deserve to be sacked? Or do you feel you need to be given the time to turn things around?

Look, I'm as frustrated as everyone. Today was incredibly disappointing, but even more so because the player O'Driscoll wanted ended up being the best one on the pitch for the opposition.

It was not good today, but it will get better and we must give the manager time. This is not a game, it's not fantasy, it's not the moneybags modern shite that is the premier league - success DOES NOT come by changing your manager every 9 months. Stability is required. But with stability comes a need for patience and an understanding from all of us that things will not always be rosy, we will struggle at times, there are better teams in this division than us. We are not yet equipped to get out of this league, but we are trying to build something that can be. We won't ever put anything onto the foundations of this if we sack the boss every year.

The situation of this club is dire. We are severely hampered by mistakes of the past, not being frugal with our cash and getting through 4 managers in 4 years. We need to sit back, take stock, realise we're up shit street and give the boss the time to do his VERY DIFFICULT job without ridiculing and booing the players. Sometimes it won't be good enough and they might deserve a grilling, but we as fans have to be more educated than this and be patient - this isn't the squad which will end up getting us promoted, but it's foundations are being put in place. Some of the players being brought in now won't end up being good enough and will have to be moved on - that is no different to EVERY other club in the Country. Every transfer O'Driscoll makes will not be the final solution to that position. This is a gradual rebuild and it will take any manager (given the constraints) more than 1 full transfer window to put it all right. There will be one or two transitional seasons where it won't all go our way.

In my mind, this current manager should not even be questioned until at least 20-25 games into the season. If at that point there are no positive signs then rightly questions might be asked. Until that point I can only hope others will allow this kind of patience. Remember where this club is at the moment and remember what we want to become. Continual managerial change will not achieve our ambitions.

Sorry harry, but we have not won at home for some time. There find questions SOD needs to answer but he seems more I interested in critisising the supporters.

[JammyOne]

I'm losing faith

[Alex_BCFC]

Sorry harry, but we have not won at home for some time. There find questions SOD needs to answer but he seems more I interested in critisising the supporters.

He criticised the fans who were idiots - what is the problem with that?

[WolfOfWestStreet]

He criticised the fans who were idiots - what is the problem with that?

He critised fans today. Are we both idiots?

[Taylor10]

I'm not gonna have a pop at the OP as he is as entitled to his opinion as everyone else. However, in my opinion, he is wrong.

Put yourself in O'Driscoll's shoes for a moment.

You arrive at a club half way through the January transfer window, with the club at the foot of the table having struggled for the previous 2 seasons and narrowly avoided relegation the year before. It is a club on the slide and lacking any whiff of positivity.

You are told that there is hardly any money to spend as £50m has been wasted over the previous few years in search of Premier League riches.

You discover that the club has no decent scouting network in place so you don't have immediate access to wheel and deal for thoroughly researched players within the small budget you have been given.

You're made aware that the Financial Regulations being imposed mean that the wages need to be cut from £18m last year to £11m (and if you inevitably get relegated that has to reduce further to £4m).

You are advised that the club has a philosophy to bring youngsters through from the academy and no longer will money be handed out in droves for overpaid, over the hill and overrated players.

So, what do you do? Well, firstly you use your own contacts to arrange a new right back in Maloney and you swiftly follow this by bringing in a trusted head scout (Burt) to work with you. You persuade the board to make Burt a Director of Football because you realise there is Zero footballing nouse on the board.

You then try to see the season out with unmotivated, disinterested players and not surprisingly you get relegated.

You then find that a number of players are out of contract and will leave whilst a number of others who you don't want have to stay. You begin your recruitment by sticking to the club philosophy and signing a number of younger players who have the potential to be moulded into a team.

You are hampered throughout your 1st real transfer window as there is always the looming figure of FFP hanging over you, so you manage to do a bit of wheeling and dealing to bring in some badly needed more experienced heads.

You sell 2 of your players for near £1.5m and you attempt to bring in a striker (Assombalonga) but are informed there is no money for the deal and he goes to Peterborough for £1.3m and scores 6 goals in his first 7 games.

You start the new season trying to mould your new team around a new philosophy which will take time to bed-in.

Sadly you don't start too well and only pick up 1 point in your first 3 home games.

Some fans begin getting on your back and calling for your head.

Do you walk? Do you feel you deserve to be sacked? Or do you feel you need to be given the time to turn things around?

Look, I'm as frustrated as everyone. Today was incredibly disappointing, but even more so because the player O'Driscoll wanted ended up being the best one on the pitch for the opposition.

It was not good today, but it will get better and we must give the manager time. This is not a game, it's not fantasy, it's not the moneybags modern shite that is the premier league - success DOES NOT come by changing your manager every 9 months. Stability is required. But with stability comes a need for patience and an understanding from all of us that things will not always be rosy, we will struggle at times, there are better teams in this division than us. We are not yet equipped to get out of this league, but we are trying to build something that can be. We won't ever put anything onto the foundations of this if we sack the boss every year.

The situation of this club is dire. We are severely hampered by mistakes of the past, not being frugal with our cash and getting through 4 managers in 4 years. We need to sit back, take stock, realise we're up shit street and give the boss the time to do his VERY DIFFICULT job without ridiculing and booing the players. Sometimes it won't be good enough and they might deserve a grilling, but we as fans have to be more educated than this and be patient - this isn't the squad which will end up getting us promoted, but it's foundations are being put in place. Some of the players being brought in now won't end up being good enough and will have to be moved on - that is no different to EVERY other club in the Country. Every transfer O'Driscoll makes will not be the final solution to that position. This is a gradual rebuild and it will take any manager (given the constraints) more than 1 full transfer window to put it all right. There will be one or two transitional seasons where it won't all go our way.

In my mind, this current manager should not even be questioned until at least 20-25 games into the season. If at that point there are no positive signs then rightly questions might be asked. Until that point I can only hope others will allow this kind of patience. Remember where this club is at the moment and remember what we want to become. Continual managerial change will not achieve our ambitions.

Well said Harry. Unfortunately some of our fans don't share your intelligence on the game or thoughts.

You're right. Today was incredibly frustrating but even in the first 20mins when we started well and were being patient and keeping the ball the usual idiots were moaning about it. Then we start pumping it long and that's wrong too.

Whilst people can have their opinions or express frustrations I feel wanting SOD to walk is ridiculous.

[Harry]

Sorry harry, but we have not won at home for some time. There find questions SOD needs to answer but he seems more I interested in critisising the supporters.

I'm totally down with that fella. As I said, I'm as frustrated as everyone else. But we have to draw a line under last season and realise he was in a total lose-lose situation. That team was getting relegated last year no matter who was in charge.

I'm judging O'Driscoll from Sunday May 5th 2013 onwards - therefore, he's had 6 league games in my eyes.

I agree with you on the comments he made last Wednesday - he should have not said anything and talked about the football only (especially since f-all actually really happened!!). However, I don't expect him to understand exactly what it means to the rest of us.

[WolfOfWestStreet]

Well said Harry. Unfortunately some of our fans don't share your intelligence on the game or thoughts.

You're right. Today was incredibly frustrating but even in the first 20mins when we started well and were being patient and keeping the ball the usual idiots were moaning about it. Then we start pumping it long and that's wrong too.

Whilst people can have their opinions or express frustrations I feel wanting SOD to walk is ridiculous.

So being upset with today's performance makes me and others "less intelligent" and "idiots"

Your self importance and arrogance is nauseating some people are not happy with no league wins this season and rightly bloody so in my opinion

[Maesknoll Red]

Plus 1

Today had to be a blip.......right?

Along with the other 18 blips in the last 19?

Lets be fair, its a pretty extreme and IMO wrong call, to shout for his head, but he didn't manage to get enough out of the players he inherited to stay up and results haven't looked up, yet. He has to be given a chance, but he must also understand that pressure to put some wins on the table is mounting and will continue to mount whilst the results suffer.

Its OK to say, its just 6 games in, but we are managing 0.5 points a game, should that continue too much longer, it starts to become a habit and habits can be hard to break. Before you know it, you're in a scrap for survival, an injury or two, some bad luck or shit decisions and its another relegation. Of course, that scenario could be far behind us with a decent run of results before xmas, but none of have a crystal ball, so the nervousness and impatience is understandable. Its not like we were promoted into a league which was a class above, we were relegated into a league we have traditionally competed in the top half of.

[AshtonGreat]

I'm totally down with that fella. As I said, I'm as frustrated as everyone else. But we have to draw a line under last season and realise he was in a total lose-lose situation. That team was getting relegated last year no matter who was in charge.

I'm judging O'Driscoll from Sunday May 5th 2013 onwards - therefore, he's had 6 league games in my eyes.

I agree with you on the comments he made last Wednesday - he should have not said anything and talked about the football only (especially since f-all actually really happened!!). However, I don't expect him to understand exactly what it means to the rest of us.

No he wasn't in a lose-lose situation.

[Guest]

I'm not gonna have a pop at the OP as he is as entitled to his opinion as everyone else. However, in my opinion, he is wrong.

Put yourself in O'Driscoll's shoes for a moment.

You arrive at a club half way through the January transfer window, with the club at the foot of the table having struggled for the previous 2 seasons and narrowly avoided relegation the year before. It is a club on the slide and lacking any whiff of positivity.

You are told that there is hardly any money to spend as £50m has been wasted over the previous few years in search of Premier League riches.

You discover that the club has no decent scouting network in place so you don't have immediate access to wheel and deal for thoroughly researched players within the small budget you have been given.

You're made aware that the Financial Regulations being imposed mean that the wages need to be cut from £18m last year to £11m (and if you inevitably get relegated that has to reduce further to £4m).

You are advised that the club has a philosophy to bring youngsters through from the academy and no longer will money be handed out in droves for overpaid, over the hill and overrated players.

So, what do you do? Well, firstly you use your own contacts to arrange a new right back in Maloney and you swiftly follow this by bringing in a trusted head scout (Burt) to work with you. You persuade the board to make Burt a Director of Football because you realise there is Zero footballing nouse on the board.

You then try to see the season out with unmotivated, disinterested players and not surprisingly you get relegated.

You then find that a number of players are out of contract and will leave whilst a number of others who you don't want have to stay. You begin your recruitment by sticking to the club philosophy and signing a number of younger players who have the potential to be moulded into a team.

You are hampered throughout your 1st real transfer window as there is always the looming figure of FFP hanging over you, so you manage to do a bit of wheeling and dealing to bring in some badly needed more experienced heads.

You sell 2 of your players for near £1.5m and you attempt to bring in a striker (Assombalonga) but are informed there is no money for the deal and he goes to Peterborough for £1.3m and scores 6 goals in his first 7 games.

You start the new season trying to mould your new team around a new philosophy which will take time to bed-in.

Sadly you don't start too well and only pick up 1 point in your first 3 home games.

Some fans begin getting on your back and calling for your head.

Do you walk? Do you feel you deserve to be sacked? Or do you feel you need to be given the time to turn things around?

Look, I'm as frustrated as everyone. Today was incredibly disappointing, but even more so because the player O'Driscoll wanted ended up being the best one on the pitch for the opposition.

It was not good today, but it will get better and we must give the manager time. This is not a game, it's not fantasy, it's not the moneybags modern shite that is the premier league - success DOES NOT come by changing your manager every 9 months. Stability is required. But with stability comes a need for patience and an understanding from all of us that things will not always be rosy, we will struggle at times, there are better teams in this division than us. We are not yet equipped to get out of this league, but we are trying to build something that can be. We won't ever put anything onto the foundations of this if we sack the boss every year.

The situation of this club is dire. We are severely hampered by mistakes of the past, not being frugal with our cash and getting through 4 managers in 4 years. We need to sit back, take stock, realise we're up shit street and give the boss the time to do his VERY DIFFICULT job without ridiculing and booing the players. Sometimes it won't be good enough and they might deserve a grilling, but we as fans have to be more educated than this and be patient - this isn't the squad which will end up getting us promoted, but it's foundations are being put in place. Some of the players being brought in now won't end up being good enough and will have to be moved on - that is no different to EVERY other club in the Country. Every transfer O'Driscoll makes will not be the final solution to that position. This is a gradual rebuild and it will take any manager (given the constraints) more than 1 full transfer window to put it all right. There will be one or two transitional seasons where it won't all go our way.

In my mind, this current manager should not even be questioned until at least 20-25 games into the season. If at that point there are no positive signs then rightly questions might be asked. Until that point I can only hope others will allow this kind of patience. Remember where this club is at the moment and remember what we want to become. Continual managerial change will not achieve our ambitions.

I was never keen on SOD coming in. My opinion was and still is right manager at the wrong time. To explain this I wanted an absolute git to come in, grab the players by the scruff of the neck and really lay into them. Also someone like this is more likely to create a them v us attitude and bring the fans closer to the club after a few years of disenchantment.

Once the git has done his job we need the transition and I think SOD is the man to do it.

Personally, I think SOD has bit off more than he can chew with our club in the state that it is in. Right now we need a motivator not a thinker is my attitude.

That said, I agree he deserves a fair crack at it and I'd stick with him for a while yet.

[Taylor10]

So being upset with today's performance makes me and others "less intelligent" and "idiots"

Your self importance and arrogance is nauseating some people are not happy with no league wins this season and rightly bloody so in my opinion

Have another sip of your panda pop and calm down fella.

You've clearly not understood my post or read it properly. Anyone who has a difference of opinion is more than entitled to it and it certainly doesn't make anyone less intelligent or an idiot.

What does make someone less intelligent or an idiot is those who were booing after we started brightly and were frustrated with us either going backward or keeping the ball for periods....only to respond in the same manner when we take a more direct approach. I think it's idiotic for anyone to genuinely want SOD sacked at this point as well.

I am upset with today as are a lot of others on here. Who wouldn't be? Those who genuinely expect change over night are the idiots in my opinion.

Not those who are upset with the rubbish we all witnessed today. Calm now?

[Rovers-ran-away]

I don't think Sod likes us fans !!

[Harry]

No he wasn't in a lose-lose situation.

In my opinion he was. We were nailed-on for the drop in January regardless of who was in charge. And he was given no money to help him and no scouting system to provide thoroughly researched players who might be available for a loan. The club was a mess and it would have been a miracle to keep us up.

Whilst I appreciate your opinion, why do you think he should have been expected to keep us up last year?

[JammyOne]

I don't think Sod likes us fans !!

I get the feeling SO'D would rather football be played behind closed doors, not be filmed and the results not published.

[Harry]

Try this...

He is a manager that knows this league inside out and he has bags of experience .

Your go.

I've had my go. I feel any manager (regardless of how much experience and know how of a specific division) would have found it difficult to keep us up last year.

[WolfOfWestStreet]

Have another sip of your panda pop and calm down fella.

You've clearly not understood my post or read it properly. Anyone who has a difference of opinion is more than entitled to it and it certainly doesn't make anyone less intelligent or an idiot.

What does make someone less intelligent or an idiot is those who were booing after we started brightly and were frustrated with us either going backward or keeping the ball for periods....only to respond in the same manner when we take a more direct approach. I think it's idiotic for anyone to genuinely want SOD sacked at this point as well.

I am upset with today as are a lot of others on here. Who wouldn't be? Those who genuinely expect change over night are the idiots in my opinion.

Not those who are upset with the rubbish we all witnessed today. Calm now?

Wind your neck in love no need to be so patronising and self important. So brave.

Personally and for what it's worth (basically eff all) SOD is the most naive manager in the entire league, thinking we can get out of this league with a hoofball style to the shortest striker in the division. Tactically outclassed by Fergie's person I disagree with child.

Good luck with that

Absolutely no connection with city fans, and at times, tetchy and rude. It's like he thinks we are "privaliged" to have him here.

How about winning a bloody home game you hero? Then I might understand you're condescending comments to the people that pay your wages.

[Alex_BCFC]

He critised fans today. Are we both idiots?

What did he say today?

[WolfOfWestStreet]

What did he say today?

Jays hit a couple over the bar when he hits one against Bristol Rovers, it goes in and everyones singing and dancing; it doesnt go in against Peterborough and everyones moaning and groaning"

.......

[Guest]

Try this...

He is a manager that knows this league inside out and he has bags of experience .

Your go.

Try this..

Last season the players could not give a shiny dump as they knew many of their contracts were up and the gravy train was over (Stead aside).

I get the professional pride sentiment you are making, but really, no-one should have expected to come in and save us last year. Hope, I bloody expect so, expect, I'd think we were hiring a nutter!!

[Alex_BCFC]

Jays hit a couple over the bar when he hits one against Bristol Rovers, it goes in and everyones singing and dancing; it doesnt go in against Peterborough and everyones moaning and groaning"

.......

Seems fair enough? That is exactly what happened - he hit two miles over in 2nd half and people were moaning.

[Taylor10]

Wind your neck in love no need to be so patronising and self important. So brave.

Personally and for what it's worth (basically eff all) SOD is the most naive manager in the entire league, thinking we can get out of this league with a hoofball style to the shortest striker in the division. Tactically outclassed by Fergie's person I disagree with child.

Good luck with that

Absolutely no connection with city fans, and at times, tetchy and rude. It's like he thinks we are "privaliged" to have him here.

How about winning a bloody home game you hero? Then I might understand you're condescending comments to the people that pay your wages.

No doubt you're right about the long ball, love. It can't go on and needs to be addressed. Do you not think it's slightly needless booing out of frustration today though when it was 0-0 and we started brightly? Do fans genuinely expect to be 5-0 up in the first 20?

I get the frustration etc because its not good enough.

I have two questions for you though....

1) Do you want SOD sacked?

2) If so, who do you want in that is a realistic target and could potentially do better whilst over seeing such change? If no to question one then how long has he got?

[reddoc]

My concern, this policy of signing Marlon Harewood and a bunch of random pre pubescents. The argument of if they're good enough they're old enough in reverse. These kids aren't that good . Lightweight and ineffectual. But because they're young we have to give them the opportunity to progress. Now that's ok , but if we're going to overlook the errors that inevitably occur due to immaturity and inexperience then give us the energy , enthusiasm and 'sod it I'm gonna run at them' exuberance that makes risking the youngsters worthwhile. At the very least we're never sure what they'll do next.

Just not sure why we're bothering with them. A bunch of seasoned , hardened old journeymen could have done what Reid, Bryan , and the rest did today a whole lot better. Youth for the sake of it is pointless.

[kevinmabbuttshair]

Never wanted him, never rated him. Now we're pot committed so he better make it work.

To be honest the blame doesn't really lie at the managers door but at the boardroom, Bad after bad after bad after bad

[WolfOfWestStreet]

No doubt you're right about the long ball, love. It can't go on and needs to be addressed. Do you not think it's slightly needless booing out of frustration today though when it was 0-0 and we started brightly? Do fans genuinely expect to be 5-0 up in the first 20?

I get the frustration etc because its not good enough.

I have two questions for you though....

1) Do you want SOD sacked?

2) If so, who do you want in that is a realistic target and could potentially do better whilst over seeing such change? If no to question one then how long has he got?

[quote name="Taylor10" post="1872576" timestamp="

Didn't hear booing at 0-0 from the EE so can't comment on that. It that happened, no excuse, very poor support.

1> No. We are only a few games into the season and Novenber Is the normal benchmark. We could have 20 points by then so no need to panic.

2> he's got til Xmas, if no league win by then I'd say he has to go and needs to walk.

Ps. I'm genuinely not being negative for the sake of it, I'm a passionate east ender. I want more than anything to see city do well. Just think SOD Is not the right man.

Sorry darling. Love you really.

[WolfOfWestStreet]

Last post full of errors, please don't troll me

[Taylor10]

[quote name="Taylor10" post="1872576" timestamp="

Didn't hear booing at 0-0 from the EE so can't comment on that. It that happened, no excuse, very poor support.

1> No. We are only a few games into the season and Novenber Is the normal benchmark. We could have 20 points by then so no need to panic.

2> he's got til Xmas, if no league win by then I'd say he has to go and needs to walk.

Ps. I'm genuinely not being negative for the sake of it, I'm a passionate east ender. I want more than anything to see city do well. Just think SOD Is not the right man.

Sorry darling. Love you really.

You have a right to voice your opinion even if it is perceived as negative fella. I just think there are fans who lack intelligence for reasons I have mentioned which doesn't help things.

For what's its worth I'm not a happy clapper pretending all is ok....very concerned at the moment in fact and extremely frustrated.

Hope you're wrong about SOD as I don't want us to be going through yet more change but I guess only time will tell.

[North London Red]

If so, who do you want in that is a realistic target and could potentially do better whilst over seeing such change?

Neil Warnock?

(That was a joke, by the way)!

[WolfOfWestStreet]

Neil Warnock?

(That was a joke, by the way)!

He's a bell rash that has significant history of getting teams promoted.

Don't need the likes of him here though, we're happy in LG1 relegation zone

[HoldenBall]

Lets face it, the club is a basket case. We could have Brian Clough in his prime and we'd still struggle, we are a nothing club going nowhere.

Why we bother to exist is beyond me, we should change our name to "Bristol City 0"