Steve Cotterill - Long Term Manager?

[B-Rizzle]

When SC was appointed i was not alone in being sceptical about his appointment. Having said that, I think he has done a fantastic job in bringing some experienced heads in, changing the mind sets of the players, imporoving them and ultimately turning our season around. Our form in recent months has been fantastic and to finish the season towards the top of the form table is very promising for next year.

However, I wanted to see how of fellow City fans now felt about SC and whether or not you viewed him as a long term manager for our club? By this I mean someone in the mould of Gary Johnson who might be the person to take us back up and develop us over a few years.

I'm still undecided as to whether I view him in that way. What do you think?

[TRL]

Jury is out for me. Let's see how well he does when he has got his permanent signings in place, that isn't to belittle what he managed in a short period of time, which he has done really well. One thing is for certain, when things are going well he doesn't stick around long.

So longterm manager, I can't see it, be he successful or unsuccessful

[GrahamC]

Hope he sees out the 3 years he has left.

If he has us back in The Championship by then in a redeveloped ground he'll have done very well.

[spudski]

If you go by our average of late...he should be gone after two years.

 

I hope not. In as much as I hope he just doesn't bring short term success to the club, but stability across the whole Club as well.

 

Id like for us to become a stable Championship side.

[beaverface]

Caught in two minds here.

 

For one, our approach in the Championship was awful, and we were never going to push on by attempting to buy players, therefore I thought the patient SO'D/Swansea way was the best way forward in the long term...but the board bottled it!

 

Historically, we've always done well when we've had solid, hard working sides, with a little bit of flair, so IMO that's how we're going to go with Cotterell, but I don't think it's whats required to take us that one step further i.e. Pushing for Premier League.

 

Happy to be proved wrong though :-) ....if Burnley can do it, then not why us, although I would prefer us to be more like Reading and Blackpool under Coppell and Holloway, rather than get up the way Burnley and Stoke have!

[BRISTOL86]

Undecided for me. The minimum requirement was keep us up, he did that and in style with an impressive turnaround in fortunes, however there's no room for sentiment in terms of dwelling on that - it's gone.

 

On the basis we keep the key players - anything short of top half next season and for me we are underachieving.

 

I'm looking forward to him having his own preseason to try and fully get his philosophy across and almost get a fresh start in terms of analysing the squad and addressing deficiencies. Every manager deserves a preseason with a squad, no doubt there are things about the squad he doesn't like that he didn't have an opportunity to address with it being a mid-season appointment. Results were imperitive above all else - which he alluded to when he was appointed in terms of not changing the world overnight etc. - and I'm sure he had his hands tied in respect of certain things, with coming in part way through a campaign.

 

For me, the manager is the "right" manager for as long as we are moving in the right direction, on and off the pitch. I think there's no doubt that we have started to move in the correct direction, so for as long as that continues - he is the man for the job.

[Big Red Rich]

He would be the first manager since Johnson to have managed both the first & last games of the season were he in charge this time next year...

It's a mental stat but I do hope SC is with us for the foreseeable & helps to reestablish us as that top end Lg1 team for a start..

[Robbored]

Cotterill has a very decent record of getting clubs out of trouble and has done it again at City. That said his record at those clubs subsequently proved to be disappointing.

It's likely therefore that the same thing could happen at City which will mean an early departure from his remaining 2.5 years on his contract.

Time will tell.

[Barrs Court Red]

Is there really an alternative? Cotterill MUST be given at least 2 full seasons. Stabalise the club, improve the team and hopefully move forward.

[Night84]

All depends on what's seen as successful next season... mid table, far from a relegation battle? Challenging for playoffs? Playoffs? Automatic?

 

I would be satisfied if we were challenging for the playoff places but just missed out. I could deal with that and give him another season.

[i hate you butler]

Cotterill has a very decent record of getting clubs out of trouble and has done it again at City. That said his record at those clubs subsequently proved to be disappointing.

It's likely therefore that the same thing could happen at City which will mean an early departure from his remaining 2.5 years on his contract.

Time will tell.

out of interest why do you find it likely to end in tears?

[Bris Red]

Jury out for me also. Big season for him next ferm, if we fail to get in the top 6 i can see him going.. For me next season minimum is a top 6 finish, we need to be ambitious the Championship is where this club should be at the LEAST especially now the stadium works have started cant afford to hang about in this shite league for too long

[sglosbcfc]

Jury out for me also. Big season for him next ferm, if we fail to get in the top 6 i can see him going.. For me next season minimum is a top 6 finish, we need to be ambitious the Championship is where this club should be at the LEAST especially now the stadium works have started cant afford to hang about in this shite league for too long

I agree, I cannot believe any City fan could think another 12th place finish would be acceptable. I think Cotterill has done really well so far and I expect Landsdown to back him with funds in the summer and Cotts to deliver a top six finish.

[Robbored]

out of interest why do you find it likely to end in tears?

I'm saying that Cotterills record is good at keeping clubs up but not so good at maintaining things an history has a habit of repeating itself.

The same thing may or may not happen at City.

[CodeRed]

I'm saying that Cotterills record is good at keeping clubs up but not so good at maintaining things an history has a habit of repeating itself.

The same thing may or may not happen at City.

Is there anyone at Bristol City that you do like or have respect for, or rate ?

 

Or do you simply hate everyone ?

[Guest]

Is there really an alternative? Cotterill MUST be given at least 2 full seasons. Stabalise the club, improve the team and hopefully move forward.

This for me, his brief this season was to keep us up....big tick.

Next season build a squad to get near or in the playoffs,

Season 2 refine squad, play offs or auto promotion.

[Slack Bladder]

When Steve Coppell was made manager i felt "great".

 

When Del was appointed I felt "yeah, let's give him a shot"

 

When SOD came i thought " we got a good one here"

 

When Cotterill was appointed i felt " oh no!"

 

Going by my record he should do really well and become our greatest manager ever.

[Monkeh]

we need stability now, a solid season next season where there is no danger of going down,

lets see what he can do

[Aizoon]

By our standards, he already is a long-term manager

[One BCFC]

Confident he has bought the feel good factor back and that I like him as our manager. Lets see how he does next season I am looking forward to it as the only league team in Bristol.

[spudski]

I know many fans on here hate SoD for the results he got us...but the one thing I do miss, is the connection he had with the fans and the way he was willing to talk football... I do really miss that...it was refreshing. If you are 'into' your football and it's finer points it was nice to hear and he gave up a lot of time to fans who wanted to listen.

 

I'm fed up with football manager talk. No disrespect to SC...99% of them talk the same way.

 

I just hope this manager gets us some stability and Championship football.

 

If we could have that for the next ten years, I'd put up with anything he says and snap his hand off.

[Monkeh]

I know many fans on here hate SoD for the results he got us...but the one thing I do miss, is the connection he had with the fans and the way he was willing to talk football... I do really miss that...it was refreshing. If you are 'into' your football and it's finer points it was nice to hear and he gave up a lot of time to fans who wanted to listen.

 

I'm fed up with football manager talk. No disrespect to SC...99% of them talk the same way.

 

I just hope this manager gets us some stability and Championship football.

 

If we could have that for the next ten years, I'd put up with anything he says and snap his hand off.

what connection? he treat all like idiots, in fact he was probably the most disconnected manager we've ever had in my life time

[surreyred]

With the relief of finishing 12th, and laughing at the gas ,there are a few on here getting ahead of themselves. Most of the players that actually got us out of the mire will be going back to the parent clubs, out of contract or subject of sufficiently high bids that we will sell. That will leave us needing quality experienced players in key positions and, most likely a whole new strike force. The good news is that the younger players should be a lot tougher, both mentally and physically. I don't see that many players going in and out this summer, compared to the last two, but those that come in will be really important and have to be got right.

 

But none of this will matter until the 'suits' at the club get their act together and start running it as a top end professional club, and not a village cricket team.

 

I am hoping for a lot better next season, but expecting  much the same as we have just had.

[spudski]

what connection? he treat all like idiots, in fact he was probably the most disconnected manager we've ever had in my life time

Really? Did you ever read his programme notes, listen to pod casts, speak to him about football... the only people he treated like idiots, were the buffoons who asked stupid questions....Or... Idiots...

If you ever spoke to him, like many fans had the chance too...then you would find he was willing to talk openly about football in general.

No need for animosity...he's gone now...we move on...

[Anglia Red]

Can you really go on a manager's past record -Pulis was shocking for us but....the rest is history.

McInnes had a nightmare but is thriving again in Scotland.

Ward took us up and rovers down.

I think some managers just fit certain clubs and from what  can see SC fits us at the moment, he won't get abigger side come in for him at the moment.

 

But seriously with our budget in this league with the core of last years squad and freed up money for the transfer market we have to be looking at top 6 at the very least next season.

Personally would sign Nosworthy and Elliot Ward tomorrow just for their experince. Would not take the other loanees permanently though Gillett did okay. Try and cherry pick a winger who is out of contract from a championship side or a young Premier League season long loanee. Think we also need another right back to challenge Maloney plus another hardworking ball winning striker to challenge JET's place.  

[Red]

Really? Did you ever read his programme notes, listen to pod casts, speak to him about football... the only people he treated like idiots, were the buffoons who asked stupid questions....Or... Idiots...

If you ever spoke to him, like many fans had the chance too...then you would find he was willing to talk openly about football in general.

No need for animosity...he's gone now...we move on...

As for sod, he might have talked a good game, but it sadly let him down where it was needed most.

As for Cotts, he got us smiling again, so onto next season, with a smile

[notsobigfatdave]

When SC was appointed i was not alone in being sceptical about his appointment. Having said that, I think he has done a fantastic job in bringing some experienced heads in, changing the mind sets of the players, imporoving them and ultimately turning our season around. Our form in recent months has been fantastic and to finish the season towards the top of the form table is very promising for next year.

However, I wanted to see how of fellow City fans now felt about SC and whether or not you viewed him as a long term manager for our club? By this I mean someone in the mould of Gary Johnson who might be the person to take us back up and develop us over a few years.

I'm still undecided as to whether I view him in that way. What do you think?

I like him a lot and more importantly so do the Players... I can see him being in it for the long haul and things improving drastically next season. I don't waste my money and am very careful with investments but I'm going to have a pile on us to get promotion next season.

[Guest]

I agree, I cannot believe any City fan could think another 12th place finish would be acceptable. I think Cotterill has done really well so far and I expect Landsdown to back him with funds in the summer and Cotts to deliver a top six finish.

Believe it as I'm a fan and looking at next year I see we are going to have, unless we sign the loan players, a squad significantly different from the one that finished the season. I would add whether we should sign the loan players I frankly cannot decide what I prefer; but I'd certainly want us to consider alternatives.

That being so a solid performance next year, which for me 12th would be, is acceptable given players would take time to acclimatise etc.

We are equally very vulnerable when it comes to losing Baldock, JET, Cunningham etc.

Going into next year there is a lot of uncertainty, a good chance players need to get used to eachother and we need to also consider the fact that players not previously counted towards our SCMP will very soon be relevant.

All in I don't think expectations should be wildly optimistic and once more we should expect a transition season with a very real aim of a promotion push the year following. That's not to say we can't hope for the next season.

There can be little getting away from the fact that whilst we may initially feel Wolves' promotion may make league one 'easier' next year, but I see it being as competitive next year with at least 10 clubs who could reasonable state a top 6 aim. Chances are some of those 10 will finish 12th and below, and given the summer we face it is not unreasonable to consider we may be one of those 'some'

[havanatopia]

Slack Bladder is about where I am, not literally I hasten to add.

[ashton_fan]

It's too early so say about Cotts, I'm sure if we get off to a bad start next season some people will be calling for him to be sacked in September! Remember everyone thought McInnes had turned the club around at the end of his first season and look what happened.