Mark Ashton interview on Radio Bristol (Merged)

[Major Isewater]

1 hour ago, Alessandro said:

Well I saw Wilbraham beat a defender for pace against Villa with my very own eyes.....so.....wonders will never cease! 

Would that defender have been Paul McGrath by any chance ?

[Chairman Mao]

1 hour ago, reformed_red said:

Wilbraham, under the guise of LJ's innovative coaching techniques, regains a sudden youthful turn of pace, and bangs in 20+ goals.

No (clutching at straws) drama....

Sounds like the East German method..

[Major Isewater]

1 hour ago, Betty Swallocks said:

Plenty of clubs would have been expecting us to panic buy yesterday. 

Time will tell but I'm glad we held our nerve and didn't succumb to paying over the odds for a JK replacement.

Promotion isn't the aim this season, progression is. 

Next season could well be different though.....

' Plenty of clubs would have been expecting us to panic buy yesterday. '

well that learned 'em then , dinnit ? 

[Robbored]

33 minutes ago, Webzcas said:

Look at it this way. When we went up in 2007 we had the mighty Phil Jevons as our main striker.

In 2008 our Play Off final year, we had Byfield, Dele and Trundle. 

That's why Citys goal difference was +1 back then if I remember correctly. 

It really was staggering that we reached the pray-off final without a serious striker.

[Betty Swallocks]

16 minutes ago, Major Isewater said:

' Plenty of clubs would have been expecting us to panic buy yesterday. '

well that learned 'em then , dinnit ? 

So you would rather we had over paid yesterday then? 

[Fat Cigar]

2 hours ago, spudski said:

I think JK is going to get a rude awakening at AV. He might have a fistful of dollars now...but lets see how happy he is come the end of the season, and whether football or just money is his motivation.

A prediction: he won't score 19 Championship goals this season. Not sure he'll even score 15. By Christmas/New Year, he won't be a regular starter for them. 

[Phileas Fogg]

7 minutes ago, Robbored said:

That's why Citys goal difference was +1 back then if I remember correctly. 

It really was staggering that we reached the pray-off final without a serious striker.

Agree with you (amazingly!) - I really feel had we spent and bought in a striker of good pedigree, we'd have gone up that season. Adebola was a good player in his own right, but not the answer if we wanted automatic promotion.

[Major Isewater]

2 minutes ago, Betty Swallocks said:

So you would rather we had over paid yesterday then? 

I like the way you twisted my words , you sound like my ex-wife's lawyer .

No , I just rather lightheartedly , agreed with you but if you want an argument it's the third door on the left .

 

[Betty Swallocks]

3 minutes ago, Major Isewater said:

I like the way you twisted my words , you sound like my ex-wife's lawyer .

No , I just rather lightheartedly , agreed with you but if you want an argument it's the third door on the left .

 

Is that the door just before the door for humour transplants? I'll have a look on my way there  

[downendcity]

2 hours ago, spudski said:

It's ok having all the talent in the world, but if you are a complete knob end, and likely to disrupt that togetherness, and are more damaging than positive.........

...  you join this forum!

[Fat Cigar]

Firstly, we're going to need our midfield to chip in with goals. Can't have a repeat of last season's pathetic showing. Not that I expect it. Reid's already shown he can find the net. Expect a few from O'Dowda. Tomlin needs to get us at least 10 goals. Engvall? No idea. We'll know more after he's played 10 games or so. My concern about us not splashing out on a top striker (for whatever reason) is the over-reliance on Abraham. Kodjia suffered from it last season. Like all very young players, Abraham's going to need a rest at some point. That means missing one or two games here or there. And this happening more than once. We can't risk burnout by Jan/Feb.

To be honest, I think I prefer the 4-4-1-1 (or 4-2-3-1) formation with Tomlin in his favoured free role just off the striker.

We have some terrific young players in the making. But, they're going to have peaks and troughs. It's inevitable. Hence, why the acquisition of O'Neil will be our signing of the summer. Would love another player like him either in midfield or assisting up front. A younger Wilbraham. Someone in his early 30s and with 3 or 4 years left in him.

I won't pretend I'm not disappointed we didn't sign another striker, but I'm learning to have faith in Johnson, Ashton et.al.

Let's just hope Tammy's ankle injury isn't too serious...

[JoeAman08]

I think it's fair to say we are short strikers. An 18 year old, a 20 year old and a 37 year old. Tomlin and Paterson I think can be utilised there but only in a 2 striker set up. They can't lead a line and that's why we're short. 3 should be enough until January though and McCoulskey coming back next month if really needed. Just would've felt more comfortable with a loan. Maybe we will sign one for a few months

[Major Isewater]

13 minutes ago, Betty Swallocks said:

Is that the door just before the door for humour transplants? I'll have a look on my way there  

Exactly , I'm ' Light Hearted Agreements ' people often make that mistake .

[hantsred]

Steve Lansdown, Mark Ashton, and Lee Johnson and the rest of back room staff should all take a bow.

In 27+ years of supporting the ups and the downs I can honestly say we have never ever been in such great shape on and off the pitch...

• Beautifully designed, premiership quality stadium, to be proud off
• Strategic player transfers, good blend of exciting youth/ potential and promotion experience as well as depth in cover
• One of the best young managers around who is well regarded by his peers as well as players
• Stonking set of accounts from the transfer window - not many can have such a +ve in the millions from transfers and yet have 10 new quality players + 2 long term loanees
• all of the above adds up to sound and stable management of the club - there is no such thing as a sure thing in football but we have pretty much done what we can
• The future's bright, the future's Red & White

I am sure there will be some who find something to moan about, but me - I couldn't be happier with where my club sits (well until we get promoted)

[ChippenhamRed]

I think Ashton and Johnson deserve as much credit for who we've kept as much as who we've signed.  Flint, Bryan, and Smith are still here despite all potentially being able to play at a higher level and in some cases being linked with bigger clubs.  That was by no means a given at the start of the summer.  The only one of our "big" names who left went for silly money that most of us would have taken.  That shows that not only are they able to convince new players to sign on the dotted line, they are also able to convince those who are here that it's worth sticking around.  If we can maintain that, it all makes for a very promising future.

[phantom]

46 minutes ago, JoeAman08 said:

I think it's fair to say we are short strikers. An 18 year old, a 20 year old and a 37 year old. Tomlin and Paterson I think can be utilised there but only in a 2 striker set up. They can't lead a line and that's why we're short. 3 should be enough until January though and McCoulskey coming back next month if really needed. Just would've felt more comfortable with a loan. Maybe we will sign one for a few months

We've got Abraham, Wilbraham, Tomlin, Paterson and Engvall - are we REALLY short of strikers?

Considering we basically play one up front I see it far from being a problem

[Chairman Mao]

I can see it now,Bobby Reid used as a false 9, the forum in meltdown, then we batter someone 3-0, do we even need a striker???

Total Chicken Tikka football here we come 

[JoeAman08]

31 minutes ago, phantom said:

We've got Abraham, Wilbraham, Tomlin, Paterson and Engvall - are we REALLY short of strikers?

Considering we basically play one up front I see it far from being a problem

Did you read the post? It referred to playing 1 striker and how I wouldn't be very confident playing Tomlin or Paterson up top on their own. They can play it as a compliment to another striker but I can't see them leading a line so yes we are short. Paterson has almost exclusively played on the wing or behind the striker just the same as Tomlin. They aren't strikers but could be pushed forward if we are chasing a game to partner one of the 3 out and out strikers we have. 

[JamesBCFC]

8 minutes ago, JoeAman08 said:

Did you read the post? It referred to playing 1 striker and how I wouldn't be very confident playing Tomlin or Paterson up top on their own. They can play it as a compliment to another striker but I can't see them leading a line so yes we are short. Paterson has almost exclusively played on the wing or behind the striker just the same as Tomlin. They aren't strikers but could be pushed forward if we are chasing a game to partner one of the 3 out and out strikers we have. 

Tomlin could probably play as a false nine, with Reid, Freeman/Patterson and O'Dowda/Bryan making the runs forward.

[JoeAman08]

7 minutes ago, JamesBCFC said:

Tomlin could probably play as a false nine, with Reid, Freeman/Patterson and O'Dowda/Bryan making the runs forward.

See I can agree with this. I've said it a few times. I can only see it being an option for a couple games max though. Like I said, we'll probably be fine with 3 as we will play 1 for most matches. If Abraham and Wilbraham get 1-2 month injuries close to each other, miss 6 or 7 games each we are suddenly left with Engvall. It's an extreme but one more out and out striker would've done no harm. Most likely we'll be fine but I feel like saying Paterson and Tomlin are strikers is covering up for the only call the club made that we can question. Fantastic window and I'm sure they tried for one more(Grabben, Brammou and Mason all rumoured at some point) but we seem one short up top. Don't see anything wrong with saying it. So let's stop pretending these two can play as a lone striker for 7 or 8 games and us be at our best. 

[JamesBCFC]

1 minute ago, JoeAman08 said:

See I can agree with this. I've said it a few times. I can only see it being an option for a couple games max though. Like I said, we'll probably be fine with 3 as we will play 1 for most matches. If Abraham and Wilbraham get 1-2 month injuries close to each other, miss 6 or 7 games each we are suddenly left with Engvall. It's an extreme but one more out and out striker would've done no harm. Most likely we'll be fine but I feel like saying Paterson and Tomlin are strikers is covering up for the only call the club made that we can question. Fantastic window and I'm sure they tried for one more(Grabben, Brammou and Mason all rumoured at some point) but we seem one short up top. Don't see anything wrong with saying it. So let's stop pretending these two can play as a lone striker for 7 or 8 games and us be at our best. 

We don't know whether they can play as a lone striker or not though as that's not a position they've needed to play before. However they have both played as strikers- granted Tomlin as the supporting striker, and both as part of a duo.

But the 4-2-3-1 formation has only really become the choice formation for clubs in the last couple of years and many still play a 4-4-2 so it's unlikely they would have needed to play it.

Then there is the issue of signing the extra striker, by all accounts we pay Chelsea less the more game time Tammy gets, so it is in our interest to have him as the first backup, if not first choice. Engvall wouldn't have wanted to sign to be 3rd choice, and nor would the hypothetical extra striker. Playing a system with just 1 forward as the primary formation puts a club in a difficult position unless their second/third choice strikers are going to be borderline in the team in another position, which is essentially what we have now.

If our go to formation was 4-3-3 (narrow) then I would have concerns about depth as we would have Wilbs, Engvall and Tammy all starting and only Patterson and Tomlin to fill in, and I don't think a 4-3-3 would really suit Tomlin. Whereas with 1 up top we have Tammy and then Engvall, Wilbs, Patterson, Tomlin (my personal order of preference) to fill in.

[ashtonphil]

3 hours ago, Phileas Fogg said:

Agree with you (amazingly!) - I really feel had we spent and bought in a striker of good pedigree, we'd have gone up that season. Adebola was a good player in his own right, but not the answer if we wanted automatic promotion.

Whilst we're reminscing....

I have always firmly believed that had our current head coach not got injured against Watford we would have gone up automatically.

 

[JoeAman08]

1 hour ago, JamesBCFC said:

We don't know whether they can play as a lone striker or not though as that's not a position they've needed to play before. However they have both played as strikers- granted Tomlin as the supporting striker, and both as part of a duo.

But the 4-2-3-1 formation has only really become the choice formation for clubs in the last couple of years and many still play a 4-4-2 so it's unlikely they would have needed to play it.

Then there is the issue of signing the extra striker, by all accounts we pay Chelsea less the more game time Tammy gets, so it is in our interest to have him as the first backup, if not first choice. Engvall wouldn't have wanted to sign to be 3rd choice, and nor would the hypothetical extra striker. Playing a system with just 1 forward as the primary formation puts a club in a difficult position unless their second/third choice strikers are going to be borderline in the team in another position, which is essentially what we have now.

If our go to formation was 4-3-3 (narrow) then I would have concerns about depth as we would have Wilbs, Engvall and Tammy all starting and only Patterson and Tomlin to fill in, and I don't think a 4-3-3 would really suit Tomlin. Whereas with 1 up top we have Tammy and then Engvall, Wilbs, Patterson, Tomlin (my personal order of preference) to fill in.

It's what I mean. If we are playing 4-4-2 and Tomlin and Paterson are the other striker next to Engvall/Tammy/Aaron then I think that's fine. As you've said, they've never needed to lead the team as a lone striker. So I don't have much faith in them if we had to. I'm quite we were looking for another striker so the second and third choice sayings I think are pointless. Whoever is playing best plays in the games. I think it's that simple for LJ. Tammy will always get games because to keep him he needs to play but if someone is else is playing better, they'll start. 

[chinapig]

4 hours ago, The Original OTIB said:

 

Ha! Had forgotten I have an mp3 of this somewhere.

[chinapig]

4 hours ago, Phileas Fogg said:

Agree with you (amazingly!) - I really feel had we spent and bought in a striker of good pedigree, we'd have gone up that season. Adebola was a good player in his own right, but not the answer if we wanted automatic promotion.

Yet only 1 striker signed that January scored more goals in the second half of that season. One Leroy Lita in fact. Always stuck in my mind.

We are suddenly a very different club now but what GJ and those players did was remarkable nevertheless. I won't be surprised if LJ goes a step further in due course.

[REDOXO]

Personally I think we have great options.

I do get the impression that many think that Wilbo is some kind of makeweight forward of last resort, which to be frank does have some resonance if we are asking him for 90 (despite the bloke being ridiculously fit), but we don't and he helps immensely in both boxes whether we are defending a lead or chasing a goal.

Engvall is obviously the wild card. I have no doubt he will be good enough, its more a matter of whether he can work with or replace TA. The point is that if LJ MA and our chief scout/s think he is our man at a very reasonable price then I'm with them

Paterson and particularly Tomlin are good players and will adapt if pressed into a very forward role as will Freeman should we have a real injury crisis.

We have a massive war chest of funds if required in January, plus there are obviously a couple of OOC players that we are looking at for form, fitness and temperament,the last of which seems to be a mark against Grabban (allegedly)....The right fit for LJ, our squad and our club are what counts for now....Possible injury crisis' always needs to be accounted for and as above I think it has without spending ludicrous amounts of money on one (possible) season wonders if you catch my drift!? 

[JamesBCFC]

16 minutes ago, REDOXO said:

Personally I think we have great options.

I do get the impression that many think that Wilbo is some kind of makeweight forward of last resort, which to be frank does have some resonance if we are asking him for 90 (despite the bloke being ridiculously fit), but we don't and he helps immensely in both boxes whether we are defending a lead or chasing a goal.

Engvall is obviously the wild card. I have no doubt he will be good enough, its more a matter of whether he can work with or replace TA. The point is that if LJ MA and our chief scout/s think he is our man at a very reasonable price then I'm with them

Paterson and particularly Tomlin are good players and will adapt if pressed into a very forward role as will Freeman should we have a real injury crisis.

We have a massive war chest of funds if required in January, plus there are obviously a couple of OOC players that we are looking at for form, fitness and temperament,the last of which seems to be a mark against Grabban (allegedly)....The right fit for LJ, our squad and our club are what counts for now....Possible injury crisis' always needs to be accounted for and as above I think it has without spending ludicrous amounts of money on one (possible) season wonders if you catch my drift!? 

100% agree

[cityexile]

Couple of points.

Yes, it feels to me we are short of depth up front. Not by a 'first name on the team' sheet type player, more a 'in case of emergency break glass' type. Frankly an Agard type. However, a big change this year, which I am not sure many teams have entirely got their head round, is the lack of loans outside the windows. You could just look at most teams in this league, including us and say - couple of injuries to CBs, Full backs etc etc and we are in trouble. It may well be one of the factors behind LJ liking versatile players. We may well see a lot of teams mending and making do in certain positions.

Equally, I have seen the new lad up front mentioned as untested, a bit of a punt. Whilst clearly true, it is not exactly at the Garita level. He is pretty close to a record signing. I have to trust that he has been watched enough and we are confident he is worth that kind of outlay.

[bristolcitysweden]

We can get a loan from abroad should it be necessary. No need to waste money in the window.  

[JasonM88]

1 minute ago, bristolcitysweden said:

We can get a loan from abroad should it be necessary. No need to waste money in the window.  

Don't think we can, no loans outside the window.