Mr Lansdown's Own Thoughts...

[Lord Northski]

We all knew that the club had blown all their good work in the summer transfer window when nothing happened, we needed  a number of signings, we had only one, albeit a good one. The promises came, the promises went. Clearly the internal battles were won by those not prepared to break the wage structure and we ended the summer trying, all rather embarrassingly to sign premiership players on Div 1 salaries. As such, ever since then we have being playing catch up, panic loans, and a squad too small to really compete in a league that has clearly got a lot better since last time were were here a few years ago.

The only chance of saving us has remained since Match 1 was blowing a load of cash in the Jan transfer window, unfortunately miracles didn't happen and due to our league position big money has now turned blowing mega money. No self respecting player will want to come to Ashton Gate with where we are in the league unless we promise them the payday to end all paydays. Kicking Cotts out in favour of another manager will only work if we promise them mega bucks to spend too. 

In essence it comes down to this, if SC tried to buy XYZ and SL or his Bristol Sporties didn't back him, then to sack him for not achieving what he needed to achieve is not entirely his fault, they shoulder as much responsibility for the situation we find ourselves in. If the board decide to give this one last throw of the dice and replace him, and furthermore, are prepared to back the new bloke with new money, then that's just plain hypocrisy, and much as I'd like a knight on a white charger to save us, it would be a bit shitty thing to do to SC after you admittidly tied his shoe laces together 4 months ago.

On balance, I say stick, but help the bloke out by finally releasing the purse strings and give him a fair crack of the whip this time.

[TRL]

It's been said many times, the lack of permanent recruitment has done us over this season if we stay up or get relegated. The club was on a crest of a wave and that is The time to sell the club to prospective signings... We have lost that impetus and with it any chance of signing players who are harder to attract. Now we are struggling, our scope for signings narrows.

 

Huge bollock dropped by all concerned at the club during the summer. It's been done to death, but timing is everything, and as far as I am concerned we missed our time to push on. Now we are a low level championship club competing for scraps.  We could have been so much more attractive for potential signing if we had acted at the right time.

[TV Tom]

6 hours ago, ashton_fan said:

I think Cotts was saving Kodjia, Wilbs etc for the two home games, we were unlikely to get much at Derby so why compromise two games which we can definitely win? Also, he tried using 4-3-3 like so many on here had wanted so it's a bit unfair to ask for him to be sacked because it didn't work. We know from what's happened in the past that changing the manager at this time of the year only makes a difficult situation worse.

Ok, after the next 2 home games will he then revert back to last nights team as we have no chance of getting a result at Burnley on the 28th?

[oldstandrobin]

8 hours ago, tomo said:

If we continue to have the same business plan (well SL's current business plan) why change the manager again. He has been wasting money hiring and firing managers for the last 8 years!

Bizarrely the cheap option ends up being an expensive one every time!

Until SL decides to change his attitude and business risks on transfers and wages, there is little point appointing another manager when we have a manager that can clearly jump between tiers 2 and 3!

Don't get me wrong, I don't want us to end up in £172 million in debt like Bolton, so I have accepted (aged 45 this month) that our history as a tier 2/3 club will continue to be our future.
 

tomo, I am 65 years old accepted this years ago, you have made a wise choice, your health will benefit from this choice as well

[ashton_fan]

9 hours ago, tomo said:

Exactly that - SOD (although very boring) had zero money to spend really. The 5 pillars was it ? that concentrated on youth and no experience !

It must be a headache owning a football club! 

I don't dispute what Steve Lansdown has done, the very good and the very bad at times, but he will continue as our owner for the foreseable future, or is it Jon now ? (with a cautious attitude to risk which is bizarre in view of his massive wealth). It's regulary quoted that Steve has spent over 50 million but all that is tied up in businesses such as, Ashton Gate Ltd, BCFC Limited,, Bristol City Football Club Limted, Bristol City Holdings Limited so there has to be a tax relief from that spend from where he really made his millions at Hargreaves ? I don't really know so don't quote me as I am no accountant!

Bizarrely though, Steve is not even a director of any of those companies now and resigned from all of the above companues back in 2011, probably the same time that he moved to Guernsey!

On paper, he is not involved or owns nothing (as a director) from those companies that surround Bristol City!

If you don't believe me visit....Company Check which is a website available to the public domain!

https://companycheck.co.uk/director/914234088/MR-STEPHEN-PHILIP-LANSDOWN/summary

All of the companies mentioned above which now also includes Bristol Sport only has 1 Lansdown as a director and that is Jon, Steve's son.

This means nothing but it's interesting...

 

I believe SL's planning ahead for when he's either not here or unable to run the business. That's also why he's trying to get the club in a position where it can run without relying on handouts because in reality that will happen one day. SL's about the same age as myself and you don't know what's around the corner, you could be here for another 20 or 30 years or you might not be here next week, he doesn't want to leave the club in the lurch with contracts it can't fulfil like happened in 1982 or more recently to Pompey.