Ashton tells it like it is .

[exAtyeoMax]

10 minutes ago, Woodsy said:

Blimey - were those his exact words?

I presume MA will take some of the blame for the 'amateurish' way we were before when he was here previously then? I think that is a completely unnecessary, pointless and pretty****-ish jab at SC. If I was MA I'd wait and see how I got on in the job before I started slating the previous people, 99% of whom still work with him

Stunning

I think it was the OP's opinion of BCFC's previous dealings

[Major Isewater]

1 hour ago, Super said:

What happened to the 5 pillars?

Went to QPR .

[Sargent Pepper]

1 hour ago, fatchers said:

So while we were waiting expecting a much needed Striker to be signed on transfer deadline day he signs a     Goalkeeper.  Where is the manager  he was supposed to be bringing in ? Looking for our Missing Striker ? Same old same old.

Why do you think we signed him up when we already had him for the rest of a season? Yes, to free up a loan space. A space where if you believe the reports we were trying to fill with an England international player. We also (if you believe reports) made sizeable bids for an up and coming striker however his club couldn't be persuaded to sell. Yes we left ourselves too much to do but i don't think the club could have done more to bring in a striker that would improve us on deadline day or Mark Ashtons efforts since he's been here. 

[Major Isewater]

5 minutes ago, Super said:

He didn't say that.

Exactly , That is why those words were out of the quotation marks .

You must have been daydreaming when the subject was dealt with at school Woodsy .

It was my interprétation of what he said .

[Major Isewater]

1 hour ago, Jack Dawe said:

When do you do your business, Major? And are you as coordinated in doing your business as you used to be?

Military précision , old boy . .Never miss .

My business gets done in time .

 

[Port Said Red]

I must say I don't quite see the logic in continuing in the pursuit of Dack and/or Bradshaw. Both are playing for clubs who really must think they are in with a chance of promotion, and would have been metaphorically lynched by their fans if they released a star player to a struggling side who they may feel they would be replacing next season.

I wonder if the agents of both players had given us indications that they would be prepared to come on the right wage, but had not counted on the clubs in question standing firm?

[RedRaw]

9 minutes ago, Robin1988 said:

Feel free to re-read my post properly

My apologies. I thought your were suggesting he didn't need incompetent people to make things happen as he could do it himself (incompetence rather than make things happen)

That was not a freudian slip on my part!

[Charliesboots]

1 hour ago, Super said:

What happened to the 5 pillars?

They're playing at Glastonbury in June....

['Orns]

24 minutes ago, Super said:

He didn't say that.

 

22 minutes ago, exAtyeoMax said:

I think it was the OP's opinion of BCFC's previous dealings

Fair enough. Thought it was an odd thing to say in public

[exAtyeoMax]

1 minute ago, Woodsy said:

 

Fair enough. Thought it was an odd thing to say in public

yeah, not quite the PR man we thought he was!

[downendcity]

1 hour ago, Robin1988 said:

The difference being Ashton doesn't have to rely on incompetent people to make it happen cock it up, he can do it himself.

Slight amendment for accuracy.

[downendcity]

14 minutes ago, Charliesboots said:

They're playing at Glastonbury in June....

Is that Jeff Lynne's new band?

['Orns]

1 hour ago, Major Isewater said:

Exactly , That is why those words were out of the quotation marks .

You must have been daydreaming when the subject was dealt with at school Woodsy .

It was my interprétation of what he said .

You should work on your editing skills then Major, having the links below your interpretation makes it look like a single subject you are talking about.....

[LondonBristolian]

55 minutes ago, Port Said Red said:

I must say I don't quite see the logic in continuing in the pursuit of Dack and/or Bradshaw. Both are playing for clubs who really must think they are in with a chance of promotion, and would have been metaphorically lynched by their fans if they released a star player to a struggling side who they may feel they would be replacing next season.

I wonder if the agents of both players had given us indications that they would be prepared to come on the right wage, but had not counted on the clubs in question standing firm?

Maybe so but the truth is that would be true of any big money signings we chased.  If you're trying to spend big money in January then pretty much your only options are:

1) Try to sign players playing well from the division below, where anyone playing regularly and standing out won't want to come to a relegation threatened club a division about them as they'll be hoping either their team goes up or they earn a move the following summer to a club that guarantees them at least a season of higher division football.

2) Try to sign players from the same division, where anyone playing regularly and standing out probably won't want to come to a relegation threatened club in the same division because they don't want to risk dropping a division in the summer.

3) Try to sign players from a division above, where anyone playing regularly and standing out won't want to drop a division.

4) Sign someone who isn't playing regularly or who is struggling at their current club, which is clearly going to be a massive risk and so it makes more sense to sign them on loan.

5) Sign someone from two divisions below, which is a massive risk as to whether they can step up and where if someone is clearly good enough or cheap enough not to represent a risk, other teams may step in.

6) Sign someone from abroad, which is again a potential risk and again anyone likely good enough for Championship football and cheap enough to be worth may get better options.

The point being it's incredibly hard to get quality signings in the transfer window if you're in a relegation battle.  It seems like during January we enquired for Bradshaw, Dack, Clough, Bent and probably several other players too.  I'm not convinced there were proven quality strikers in form that would have come to us and it would be easy to panic buy and end up forking out a fortune for someone on an expensive contract who we regret but can't get rid of.  (We know how easy that would be from the last time we were in the division!)

I'm frustrated as Hell we've not got a striker and midfielder but I think we're paying the price for what happened in the Summer and it may be these are issues that, with the best will in the world, were very difficult to fix in January - especially by someone who has only been in the role for two weeks.  Hence a decision to fix what could be fixed and create an opportunity to get someone in on loan.    I don't see the logic at all of people (not PSF who I was originally replying to but others on the boards) blaming Mark Ashton for problems that were created in the summer and (one hopes) he's been brought in to put right. 

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, LondonBristolian said:

Maybe so but the truth is that would be true of any big money signings we chased.  If you're trying to spend big money in January then pretty much your only options are:

1) Try to sign players playing well from the division below, where anyone playing regularly and standing out won't want to come to a relegation threatened club a division about them as they'll be hoping either their team goes up or they earn a move the following summer to a club that guarantees them at least a season of higher division football.

2) Try to sign players from the same division, where anyone playing regularly and standing out probably won't want to come to a relegation threatened club in the same division because they don't want to risk dropping a division in the summer.

3) Try to sign players from a division above, where anyone playing regularly and standing out won't want to drop a division.

4) Sign someone who isn't playing regularly or who is struggling at their current club, which is clearly going to be a massive risk and so it makes more sense to sign them on loan.

5) Sign someone from two divisions below, which is a massive risk as to whether they can step up and where if someone is clearly good enough or cheap enough not to represent a risk, other teams may step in.

6) Sign someone from abroad, which is again a potential risk and again anyone likely good enough for Championship football and cheap enough to be worth may get better options.

The point being it's incredibly hard to get quality signings in the transfer window if you're in a relegation battle.  It seems like during January we enquired for Bradshaw, Dack, Clough, Bent and probably several other players too.  I'm not convinced there were proven quality strikers in form that would have come to us and it would be easy to panic buy and end up forking out a fortune for someone on an expensive contract who we regret but can't get rid of.  (We know how easy that would be from the last time we were in the division!)

I'm frustrated as Hell we've not got a striker and midfielder but I think we're paying the price for what happened in the Summer and it may be these are issues that, with the best will in the world, were very difficult to fix in January - especially by someone who has only been in the role for two weeks.  Hence a decision to fix what could be fixed and create an opportunity to get someone in on loan.    I don't see the logic at all of people (not PSF who I was originally replying to but others on the boards) blaming Mark Ashton for problems that were created in the summer and (one hopes) he's been brought in to put right. 

What exactly did happen "in the summer" no-one on here knows, a lot blame SC, I blame the engine driver the buck stops at the top they are in control. If true the chaos will continue into the loan window into the summer and on into next xmas when the cycle will be repeated.

[LondonBristolian]

1 minute ago, glos old boy said:

What exactly did happen "in the summer" no-one on here knows, a lot blame SC, I blame the engine driver the buck stops at the top they are in control. If true the chaos will continue into the loan window into the summer and on into next xmas when the cycle will be repeated.

What happened in the Summer is we didn't get the players in we needed to be competitive in the division.  I don't give a damn who is to blame for that and I'm not sure it matters.  I just want internal steps to be taken to ensure it doesn't happen again.  I hope the appointment of a Chief Operating Officer with experience of running football clubs is that internal step but we shall see.

[Guest]

3 hours ago, Port Said Red said:

We have made more signings, both permanent and on loan in the short period he has been here than we managed in the 9 months before. You're right though, useless.........

hundreds of signings have been made across all leagues, how-ever they will not all turn out to be improvements on whats already there.

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, LondonBristolian said:

What happened in the Summer is we didn't get the players in we needed to be competitive in the division.  I don't give a damn who is to blame for that and I'm not sure it matters.  I just want internal steps to be taken to ensure it doesn't happen again.  I hope the appointment of a Chief Operating Officer with experience of running football clubs is that internal step but we shall see.

Point being if who-ever is/was to blame is still here it will happen again

[simon uk]

1 hour ago, RedRaw said:

Please feel free to let us know what MA has or has not done to warrant you suggesting he is incompetent

Didnt bring in a seasoned striker despite it being pretty clear if we dont score some goals we stand to be relegated, despite being brought in to sort out recruitment, then saying he likes to plan in advance, but still not getting a striker in, and evidently trying on deadline day to sign dack for a few million quid when gillingham wont sell, and leaving us with 2 first choice centre midfielders for the rest of the season. Apart from that, he is tremendous.

Its all well and good signing a decent left back, or an on loan keeper on a permanent transfer who will sit on the bench once fielding is back but i dont think golbourne will be the difference between us staying up or going down,,, 

And to any one who points out ashton isnt on the board. Maybe not but they are all useless, blagging a role on the board of a championship football club at the whim of one man who is rediculously wealthy and likes his friends and son around., when they have no ability to communicate with the fanbase, and contribute to or have any influence on anyone signing for us, or get us to run at a profit. 2 weeks ago i attempted to go to the west brom game they printed my tickets in the southstand at left them in the atyeo ticket office then i had to queue for 30 minutes for them to reprint my tickets at the south stand ticket pod, they cant even sell tickets properly either. 

Does anyone have a list of senior bristol sport/ bristol city management? Are there more of them than first team strikers?

 

[Dave]

17 minutes ago, LondonBristolian said:

Maybe so but the truth is that would be true of any big money signings we chased.  If you're trying to spend big money in January then pretty much your only options are:

1) Try to sign players playing well from the division below, where anyone playing regularly and standing out won't want to come to a relegation threatened club a division about them as they'll be hoping either their team goes up or they earn a move the following summer to a club that guarantees them at least a season of higher division football.

2) Try to sign players from the same division, where anyone playing regularly and standing out probably won't want to come to a relegation threatened club in the same division because they don't want to risk dropping a division in the summer.

3) Try to sign players from a division above, where anyone playing regularly and standing out won't want to drop a division.

4) Sign someone who isn't playing regularly or who is struggling at their current club, which is clearly going to be a massive risk and so it makes more sense to sign them on loan.

5) Sign someone from two divisions below, which is a massive risk as to whether they can step up and where if someone is clearly good enough or cheap enough not to represent a risk, other teams may step in.

6) Sign someone from abroad, which is again a potential risk and again anyone likely good enough for Championship football and cheap enough to be worth may get better options.

The point being it's incredibly hard to get quality signings in the transfer window if you're in a relegation battle.  It seems like during January we enquired for Bradshaw, Dack, Clough, Bent and probably several other players too.  I'm not convinced there were proven quality strikers in form that would have come to us and it would be easy to panic buy and end up forking out a fortune for someone on an expensive contract who we regret but can't get rid of.  (We know how easy that would be from the last time we were in the division!)

I'm frustrated as Hell we've not got a striker and midfielder but I think we're paying the price for what happened in the Summer and it may be these are issues that, with the best will in the world, were very difficult to fix in January - especially by someone who has only been in the role for two weeks.  Hence a decision to fix what could be fixed and create an opportunity to get someone in on loan.    I don't see the logic at all of people (not PSF who I was originally replying to but others on the boards) blaming Mark Ashton for problems that were created in the summer and (one hopes) he's been brought in to put right. 

Or you could sign someone who has been playing, at a team in our division but has become available.

Have our club considered Shola Ameobi?

[simon uk]

Oh and where the hell is a first team manager?? 

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, simon uk said:

Didnt bring in a seasoned striker despite it being pretty clear if we dont score some goals we stand to be relegated, despite being brought in to sort out recruitment, then saying he likes to plan in advance, but still not getting a striker in, and evidently trying on deadline day to sign dack for a few million quid when gillingham wont sell, and leaving us with 2 first choice centre midfielders for the rest of the season. Apart from that, he is tremendous.

Its all well and good signing a decent left back, or an on loan keeper on a permanent transfer who will sit on the bench once fielding is back but i dont think golbourne will be the difference between us staying up or going down,,, 

And to any one who points out ashton isnt on the board. Maybe not but they are all useless, blagging a role on the board of a championship football club at the whim of one man who is rediculously wealthy and likes his friends and son around., when they have no ability to communicate with the fanbase, and contribute to or have any influence on anyone signing for us, or get us to run at a profit. 2 weeks ago i attempted to go to the west brom game they printed my tickets in the southstand at left them in the atyeo ticket office then i had to queue for 30 minutes for them to reprint my tickets at the south stand ticket pod, they cant even sell tickets properly either. 

Does anyone have a list of senior bristol sport/ bristol city management? Are there more of them than first team strikers?

 

Probably more suits than all players.

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, simon uk said:

Oh and where the hell is a first team manager?? 

you mean MA`s assistant, wont be many in the queue for that roll

[LondonBristolian]

7 minutes ago, glos old boy said:

Point being if who-ever is/was to blame is still here it will happen again

It's a possibility for sure.  It's not guaranteed though.  Generally in my experience three things cause things to go wrong in organisations.  Sometimes you've got the wrong people, sometimes you've got the right people but the communication is wrong and sometimes you've got the right people but they're not being organised and managed properly, it's unclear who is doing what and the lack of structure lets everything down.  Sometimes it's all three.

 

Since the Summer two senior people have left (Pelling & Cotterill).  One senior person has come in (Ashton) and one person has been promoted into a senior role on a temporary basis (Pemberton).  I have no idea whether that will fix the problems as, like everyone else, I don't know exactly what the problems were.  Certainly Ashton's job should be to deal with any issues around the structure and the communication in the organisation and, if he is able to do that, that might solve the problems. Or it might not and it might be Ashton is the wrong person and/or there are other people who are going to leave.  What I would say is the club do seem to have taken steps to solve the problems.  Time will tell if they work.

[LondonBristolian]

8 minutes ago, Dave said:

Or you could sign someone who has been playing, at a team in our division but has become available.

Have our club considered Shola Ameobi?

No idea.  He's a free agent though I think so wouldn't have needed to sign by Monday so I doubt they were scrambling around to get him then.  I'm not against him as an extra body but I don't necessarily see him as the prolfiic goalscorer we need.

 

[LondonBristolian]

10 minutes ago, simon uk said:

Didnt bring in a seasoned striker despite it being pretty clear if we dont score some goals we stand to be relegated, despite being brought in to sort out recruitment, then saying he likes to plan in advance, but still not getting a striker in, and evidently trying on deadline day to sign dack for a few million quid when gillingham wont sell, and leaving us with 2 first choice centre midfielders for the rest of the season. Apart from that, he is tremendous.

Its all well and good signing a decent left back, or an on loan keeper on a permanent transfer who will sit on the bench once fielding is back but i dont think golbourne will be the difference between us staying up or going down,,, 

And to any one who points out ashton isnt on the board. Maybe not but they are all useless, blagging a role on the board of a championship football club at the whim of one man who is rediculously wealthy and likes his friends and son around., when they have no ability to communicate with the fanbase, and contribute to or have any influence on anyone signing for us, or get us to run at a profit. 2 weeks ago i attempted to go to the west brom game they printed my tickets in the southstand at left them in the atyeo ticket office then i had to queue for 30 minutes for them to reprint my tickets at the south stand ticket pod, they cant even sell tickets properly either. 

Does anyone have a list of senior bristol sport/ bristol city management? Are there more of them than first team strikers?

 

I don't disagree with the issues you've raised (although I'm far from convinced Fielding will be straight back in for ROD when fit) but I don't  think most of the issues you've listed are ones that you could realistically expect someone to turn round in two and a half weeks.

 

[Monkeh]

Don't get caught up on is not signing a striker that isn't our main problem

the 2 main problems we had was conceding stupid goals which appears to of been fixed by a change of formation (that wouldn't of happened under cotts)

and that out midfield aren't scoring goals hence the signings of goal scoring midfielders gladwin and tomlin,

goals will come back to kojack without a doubt but if the midfield don't start chipping in soon then that's what will relegate us not the fact that we didn't sign a striker (not for want of trying)

[Red Army 87]

20 minutes ago, simon uk said:

Didnt bring in a seasoned striker despite it being pretty clear if we dont score some goals we stand to be relegated, despite being brought in to sort out recruitment, then saying he likes to plan in advance, but still not getting a striker in, and evidently trying on deadline day to sign dack for a few million quid when gillingham wont sell, and leaving us with 2 first choice centre midfielders for the rest of the season. Apart from that, he is tremendous.

Its all well and good signing a decent left back, or an on loan keeper on a permanent transfer who will sit on the bench once fielding is back but i dont think golbourne will be the difference between us staying up or going down,,, 

And to any one who points out ashton isnt on the board. Maybe not but they are all useless, blagging a role on the board of a championship football club at the whim of one man who is rediculously wealthy and likes his friends and son around., when they have no ability to communicate with the fanbase, and contribute to or have any influence on anyone signing for us, or get us to run at a profit. 2 weeks ago i attempted to go to the west brom game they printed my tickets in the southstand at left them in the atyeo ticket office then i had to queue for 30 minutes for them to reprint my tickets at the south stand ticket pod, they cant even sell tickets properly either. 

Does anyone have a list of senior bristol sport/ bristol city management? Are there more of them than first team strikers?

 

I imagine that the deal for ROD was brought forward from the end of the season so that could free up loans for MA to work on now. I know we joke about the club waiting for the loan window to open, but it was clear that we were considering a loan striker, so we now potentially have to wait an extra week for that.

[Port Said Red]

19 minutes ago, LondonBristolian said:

No idea.  He's a free agent though I think so wouldn't have needed to sign by Monday so I doubt they were scrambling around to get him then.  I'm not against him as an extra body but I don't necessarily see him as the prolfiic goalscorer we need.

 

Bolton are below us and don't seem to keen on retaining his services even though he has offered them for free!

[Roe]

3 hours ago, Port Said Red said:

Kodjia and Baker are the only ones still here. O'Donnell might or might not have signed permanently if he had stayed, but I think it would be fairer to put him in the second camp along with Garita and two others (sorry names escape me) for the development squad.  One has to wonder whether Cox Moore and Robinson (who we had all forgotten and should go in the first list) were his signings judging by the way they were treated.

Even allowing for the fact that maybe the numbers favour Cotts, it's still a good return in a short time would you agree?

 

3 hours ago, Taz said:

Your point falls a bit flat when 6 of those 8 are no longer here, either because they have returned to their parent clubs, moved on permanently somewhere else, or in Fredericks case went running home back to London after 5 minutes.

My only point was that it's simply not true that we weren't bringing any players in under Steve Cotterill compared to now. Forgot about Robinson as well so that's 9 (or still 8 if you forget Fredericks).

The January signings all look promising and I think they'll all get used more than previous loans did but in the last match neither Pearce or Gladwin had any game time, you could say similar to how Moore and Cox were sat on the bench most of the time.

Hopefully Mark Ashton does have a good input into whatever it is he actually does but let's not use make out that anything has actually changed there's no signs that it has.