Gj Next Season

[Robbored]

um we got relegated 3 years after he left and 4 managers in that timne as well so I'm cvalling bollocks on that

It was his dismal failure to strengthen the squad having lost in the play off final. It wasn't as if he didn't have the budget. His taxi driver brother Pete was head scout which is why Johnson didn't sign any real quality players. In fact he signed Styar not actually having seen him play in the flesh. Amateur or what?

He also fell out with so many players that the squad became polarised and he lost the dressing room. He also could not handle things when results went against him. It always the players fault, never his own.

Like I said before he is/was a one trick pony.

[Esmond Million's Bung]

It was his dismal failure to strengthen the squad having lost in the play off final. It wasn't as if he didn't have the budget. His taxi driver brother Pete was head scout which is why Johnson didn't sign any real quality players. In fact he signed Styar not actually having seen him play in the flesh. Amateur or what?

He also fell out with so many players that the squad became polarised and he lost the dressing room. He also could not handle things when results went against him. It always the players fault, never his own.

Like I said before he is/was a one trick pony.

 

Awww bless, he really hurt you didn't he? never mind, still a one trick pony is far better than the procession of no trick ponies that followed.

 

and one big question, why if he is such a big nasty bully, do so many ex players re-sign for him and some more than once?, do they get off on it?.

[Major Isewater]

[BCFC_Dan]

It was his dismal failure to strengthen the squad having lost in the play off final. It wasn't as if he didn't have the budget. His taxi driver brother Pete was head scout which is why Johnson didn't sign any real quality players. In fact he signed Styar not actually having seen him play in the flesh. Amateur or what?

He also fell out with so many players that the squad became polarised and he lost the dressing room. He also could not handle things when results went against him. It always the players fault, never his own.

Like I said before he is/was a one trick pony.

 

I should know better than to get drawn into this but....

 

It's easy to see with hindsight that he failed to strengthen the spine of what was basically a league one side with momentum but at the time (summer 2008) we seemed to have a solid side that didn't score enough goals to win promotion. Therefore the major signing made (eventually, Nicky Maynard) made sense. To have replaced too many players at that point would have been to risk causing more instability than it created.

 

Furthermore, although the lack of quality was what stopped us going up, it wasn't what caused us to go down. Man for man there was probably more ability in the squad that went down than the one that nearly went up. What was lost was the limited-but-driven players Johnson originally brought in. The drive to increase quality only served to bring in players who were better but cared less.

 

Johnson, and the club as a whole, were suckered into trying to bolt quality onto the existing spine. Had they been a bit luckier that might have worked, but when it didn't he was left with a decaying spine. The failure to fix that is the fault of successive managers, not Johnson.

 

Where Johnson can be blamed to an extent is where the core players were forced out by their relationship with him. Both Basso and Orr were certainly pushed out by Johnson to an extent and whilst their abilities may have been replaced, their spirit never was. Had Johnson not fallen out with them he could have concentrated more on fixing the bits that really needed attention.

 

Johnson can be blamed for not progressing the club further (though that's to be excessively harsh as mid-table Championship is not an unreasonable expectation for a club like City) and he can be blamed for starting the decline in his final season. He cannot be blamed for relegation, though. There were four managers after him who failed to correct the problems, and each of them compounded the problems making it harder for the next.

[redcityman]

Really?

 

We've had 20 managers since Dicks left, I'd put 2 only ahead of GJ. Cooper and Jordan.

 

Who else have you got in mind to say "No where near."

Ok, no where near a bit of exaggeration, but then again to say the best since Dicks is IMO an exaggeration, what GJ did for us was without doubt great, but when you consider the financial situation he had, then compare that to TC's term in charge there no comparison, for what TC did for this club from the laundry to painting the fencing or even driving the team bus, is to worth more than all of what GJ did for the club.

It'll take more than one promotion and one playoff failure for someone to surpass what Terry Cooper did for BCFC.

[Lew-T]

Really?

We've had 20 managers since Dicks left, I'd put 2 only ahead of GJ. Cooper and Jordan.

Who else have you got in mind to say "No where near."

Out of interest, what did Jordan do?

[glynriley]

Ok, no where near a bit of exaggeration, but then again to say the best since Dicks is IMO an exaggeration, what GJ did for us was without doubt great, but when you consider the financial situation he had, then compare that to TC's term in charge there no comparison, for what TC did for this club from the laundry to painting the fencing or even driving the team bus, is to worth more than all of what GJ did for the club.

It'll take more than one promotion and one playoff failure for someone to surpass what Terry Cooper did for BCFC.

 

Completely agree. Dick's obviously achieved the holy grail of top flight football, but Terry Cooper would have to go down as the greatest manager in my lifetime. Not just for what he did on the pitch, but all the other things you mention him doing off the field.

 

I've said many a time on here, we should have something at the ground named after Terry. If not a stand then one of the bars when the ground is refurbished.

 

That man is a genuine City legend.

[samo II]

[WolfOfWestStreet]

There will a host of league one teams with small budgets that would at least short list him.

Rest assured he will have no need to stoop so low as managing a non league team.

[glynriley]

Out of interest, what did Jordan do?

 

You're obviously too young to remember then Lew?

 

He built the most attractive (playing style, not looks) team we've ever had IMO. The team that got promotion in 1990 with Taylor and Turner up front, Smith and Gavin on the wings, Shelton, Rennie, Newman etc... brilliant to watch.

 

Took us to the league cup semi final v Nottm. Forest the season before promotion.

 

you've heard of "The one that got away"? Joe Jordan was ours.

 

PS. I'd like to add that it was JJ who laid the foundations for John Ward's promotion winning team.

[Guest]

His taxi driver brother Pete was head scout

Did Pete drop you home in his cab after your meeting with GJ or did you discover this as he was ferrying Rovers fans to Wembley too?

[Lew-T]

You're obviously too young to remember then Lew?

He built the most attractive (playing style, not looks) team we've ever had IMO. The team that got promotion in 1990 with Taylor and Turner up front, Smith and Gavin on the wings, Shelton, Rennie, Newman etc... brilliant to watch.

Took us to the league cup semi final v Nottm. Forest the season before promotion.

you've heard of "The one that got away"? Joe Jordan was ours.

PS. I'd like to add that it was JJ who laid the foundations for John Ward's promotion winning team.

Yep, was born in the 90s so only a nipper have obviously heard good things about Taylor and Turner but I wasn't around to witness it.

Thanks though Glyn.

[SecretSam]

Best manager weve had since Alan Dicks as simple as that.

I think a certain Mr Joseph Jordan might have something to say about that, and Mr Terence Cooper might argue that he produced an astonishing upturn in our fortunes...

[SecretSam]

Awww bless, he really hurt you didn't he? never mind, still a one trick pony is far better than the procession of no trick ponies that followed.

 

and one big question, why if he is such a big nasty bully, do so many ex players re-sign for him and some more than once?, do they get off on it?.

I think what's riled RR - and me, for that matter - is the on-going love-in with GJ on here.

 

When he was sacked, the majority of fans were pleased because we were a mess.  Yes, he got us promoted, yes, his sheer enthusiasm carried us to Wembley and the bring of the Prem - but what followed was a terminal decline from which we haven't recovered.  Not entirely his fault - others have noted that City are still run rather amateurishly - but the example of appointing your brother as a scout (when you've already got your son in the team) smacks of a lack of confidence in himself and others.

 

Perhaps at that time we really needed a DoF.  I don't know, but still, we need to move on.  GJ had lost the fans when he left. 

[Coombsy]

He off to yate

[SecretSam]

He off to yate

The wine bar chain?  Thought that had gone under

[Gillies Downs Leeds]

I know we al laugh but I believe he will end up at Rovers. Just the type of job he likes, one of the highest budgets in their league regardless of which one (league 2 or Conference) and a chance to move them back up.

[pongo88]

I know we al laugh but I believe he will end up at Rovers. Just the type of job he likes, one of the highest budgets in their league regardless of which one (league 2 or Conference) and a chance to move them back up.

A lot of people will laugh but there is a lot of sense in what you say. I don't think it will happen though for a couple of reasons. First, if he leaves Yeovil I'm sure he'll get some better offers.

Second, Rovers are a bit like one of his previous clubs, Northampton. They were near the bottom of league 2 and it seemed like the only way was up. Unfortunately the club was in such dire straights that they continued to struggle. I don't think he'll want to go to a similarly badly run club - i e Rovers.

[Portland Bill]

Ok, no where near a bit of exaggeration, but then again to say the best since Dicks is IMO an exaggeration, what GJ did for us was without doubt great, but when you consider the financial situation he had, then compare that to TC's term in charge there no comparison, for what TC did for this club from the laundry to painting the fencing or even driving the team bus, is to worth more than all of what GJ did for the club.

It'll take more than one promotion and one playoff failure for someone to surpass what Terry Cooper did for BCFC.

Agree with every word.

[Esmond Million's Bung]

I think what's riled RR - and me, for that matter - is the on-going love-in with GJ on here.

 

When he was sacked, the majority of fans were pleased because we were a mess.  Yes, he got us promoted, yes, his sheer enthusiasm carried us to Wembley and the bring of the Prem - but what followed was a terminal decline from which we haven't recovered.  Not entirely his fault - others have noted that City are still run rather amateurishly - but the example of appointing your brother as a scout (when you've already got your son in the team) smacks of a lack of confidence in himself and others.

 

Perhaps at that time we really needed a DoF.  I don't know, but still, we need to move on.  GJ had lost the fans when he left. 

 

With all the respect I can muster my friend, if you believe your first sentence you are dreaming, RR pronounced GJ to be a 'conference' manager after 3 or 4 months in the job.

 

and as for the love in, it is our only modicum of success in amongst 12 years of abject misery, so I happen think the love in is somewhat justified, I accept he didn't achieve what Dicks did but please do not forget the mess we were in Dicks left us it was almost terminal, Terry Cooper is different kettle of fish, he saved us and left us in a very strong position financially.

 

if you really want to get riled about love in's feel free to explain the SOD love in.

[Rob k]

GJ was in charge the last time I consistently enjoyed going to football and judging by our dwindling away following I'm not the only one to feel like that!!

[Mahatma Coate]

Inferred on Points West that he might be off if Yeovil's board aren't ambitious enough, if so wonder where his travels may possibly take him ?

Buying Salisbury City?

[Superjack]

You're obviously too young to remember then Lew?

He built the most attractive (playing style, not looks) team we've ever had IMO. The team that got promotion in 1990 with Taylor and Turner up front, Smith and Gavin on the wings, Shelton, Rennie, Newman etc... brilliant to watch.

Took us to the league cup semi final v Nottm. Forest the season before promotion.

you've heard of "The one that got away"? Joe Jordan was ours.

PS. I'd like to add that it was JJ who laid the foundations for John Ward's promotion winning team.

Absolutely. TC and JJ streets ahead of GJ for this club.

Sense spoken yet again Mr. Riley... honestly... what ARE you doing on here? :-)

[Esmond Million's Bung]

Absolutely. TC and JJ streets ahead of GJ for this club.

Sense spoken yet again Mr. Riley... honestly... what ARE you doing on here? :-)

 

Jordan was a traitor IMO, who became side tracked before the end what had been a glorious season, a season that petered out into an almost gutless surrender and another piss poor appointment in a historical long line of piss poor appointments, when he came back, having failed at his stepping stone in his dream to manage Scotland's national team.

[Major Isewater]

[Esmond Million's Bung]

[glynriley]

Factually, a badly run 2nd division club when he quit and a team he had built up himself, for a pipe dream of creating a team to challenge Rangers and Celtic, some hope!.

 

He was after the Scotland job as you say. I think he'd convinced himself that he would stand a better chance of getting it by managing Hearts, who were in Europe at the time, than us who'd only just been promoted to the 2nd Division.

 

Chances are, had he stayed, he could have had us challenging for the top flight in fairly quick time.

 

Life's full of missed opportunities and wrong turns. I'm sure Joe would class leaving us as just that.

[Manon]

Loved Johnson's tenure. He's no angel, but those were happy times, and I'll forever thank him for those memories.

People need to get a sense of perspective! We seriously flirted with relegation to the bottom tier, and yet people still can't stop moaning about a manager who brought us great success.

[Red-Robbo]

Victim of his own success after that brilliant first season in the C'ship. 10th the next season was also a very good finish.

Eventually he did panic, he was inexperienced at that level and he was allowed to keep on spending/wasting money on loan players / permanent signings.

The players that got us up but weren't really good enough for the C'ship were also handed big money, lengthy contracts which was a ridiculous decision and seemed to take the edge off their performances thereafter.

I'd agree with all of this. You could add that Gary's 'little man, big ego' syndrome didn't help endear him to players after a while. That sort of personality is great when things are going well, but sours when the going gets tough.

I still think the man is an excellent manager though and probably canny enough to learn from the mistakes he made here.

[Robbored]

I'd agree with all of this. You could add that Gary's 'little man, big ego' syndrome didn't help endear him to players after a while. That sort of personality is great when things are going well, but sours when the going gets tough.

I still think the man is an excellent manager though and probably canny enough to learn from the mistakes he made here.

Agree 100% with the first part of your post but disagree 100% with the second.

Not ever will Johnson change his management style. He behaved at Posh and at Northampton in exactly the same way he did at City. He learned sfa from his demise at AG.

He's exactly the same at Yeovil and already we've heard threats about leaving the club if the budget isn't increased. He's also fallen out with MIller and Madden. Nothing changes which is why I called him a one trick pony.