Is LJ at risk of being sacked?

[Red-Robbo]

My response to the OP's question is 'no he's not'.

HOWEVER, if there's any danger of an imminent drop into the relegation zone, then Lansdown will act. The club cannot afford to end up in L1 after its infrastructure investment.

I happen to think that's unlikely, thanks to the weakness of Rotherham, Wigan, Blackburn and Burton.

[CotswoldRed]

2 hours ago, 29AR said:

6 places, 7 points from relegation and 2 games away from a transfer window with £12m on the hip after selling one of last year'a top scorers in this league. With a bloke in charge who last year, with less time and no transfer window, who steered us clear from relegation. 

Seriously, if we are in such a dog fight, LJ has the experience anyway of leading a team in dire form, dire confidence, to safety. 

One thing we need to remember - it's likely any signings will arrive late January. There could be quite a few more games before we see anything positive transfer wise. 

[tinman85]

He won't get the sack because there is a friendship with the Johnson family within the board. Ashton too appears best mates with him, we saw that at the gala event. 

However most other managers who have spent 12-13M at this level would be under severe pressure right now. In my view he is not right for us but that's my opinion. I never rated him as a player and certainly question his ability to lead us. Fact is he ain't going anywhere. 

[Phileas Fogg]

7 hours ago, redapple said:

He sure as hell is under pressure. I'd suggest he goes out for another drink with Alex Russell for some good advice and start listening to John Pemberton as well. 

How do you know he doesn't? If Pemberton felt he wasn't being listened to, do you really think he'd still be here?

 

[Paul Cheesey]

A few weeks ago he was the new Messiah, to say football fans are fickle is an understatement!!  

[Miah Dennehy]

I think any club looking to build itself up into being a 'bigger' club needs managerial stability, and that means- if a board thinks they have the right man- holding their nerve through barren spells, and possibly even relegation (Not that I think you will go down this year). You are one of the few clubs who would probably even easily survive relegation, you are after all funded by one of the richest blokes in the country,

If Lansdown thinks he has the right man, then now is exactly the time he should show some leadership and hold his nerve.

 

It goes without saying btw, that I hope everyone panics and you start hiring and firing

[Olé]

12 hours ago, 29AR said:

Absolutely agree. I think the only way I could see it being justifiable is if to show the dressing room 'you're going before he is'. 

That's exactly it - it came just a week after Flint's contract was extended longer than LJ's. So on the face of it that made LJ's extension entirely logical, the real issue is why the club had do broadcast the fact when we were doing so poorly - seems to have sent the wrong message to everyone, LJ included.

[Gert Mare]

12 hours ago, BRISTOL86 said:

That's just the trouble with modern football though isn't it.

Fans calling for change because of the outcome of 8 games. When will fans learn that this kind of short termism is only ever harmful?

Does that include Watford?

[downendcity]

13 hours ago, Ivorguy said:

And that, as I have written on another thread, is the problem with City : SL

If the problem is SL, then the only solution will leave us with an even bigger problem.

[Son of Fred]

16 hours ago, Londoner said:

We all know that bristol city is run differently compared to other clubs....we aren't trigger happy, we give managers time, and support the buying if players when possible....however, is LJ at genuine risk of being sacked?

He obviously has a bigger connection to us than previous managers, a new extended contract given and clearly rates by the board...but does it get to a certain point where they have no choice....7 in 8 loses is damning at the moment  

Well,he sure aint talking Europa league no more-Currently only Rotherham have worse form than us..if the next ten are as bad he will be history.

[Stortz]

13 hours ago, Ivorguy said:

And that, as I have written on another thread, is the problem with City : SL

Yes, and when you were asked to justify your position you couldn't.

[redapple]

4 hours ago, Phileas Fogg said:

How do you know he doesn't? If Pemberton felt he wasn't being listened to, do you really think he'd still be here?

 

Maybe he won't be much longer ? 

[GodEmperor Palpatine]

11 hours ago, Thatch35 said:

Well if the board sack him they look like idiots. If things don't seriously improve quickly and they don't sack him the board look like idiots. The were idiots to employ him anyway! LJ was never the man, his was lucky to get the chance.

I'd say you haven't a clue, entitled to your opinion but you just never gave the guy a chance from day one...you went absolute quiet for months and then you pop up with this kind of rubbish. Its like you want Johnson and more importantly City to fail so you can feel justified in your convictions

[Slack Bladder]

4 hours ago, PaulCheesley said:

A few weeks ago he was the new Messiah, to say football fans are fickle is an understatement!!  

I think there are quite a few fans on here who didn't want Johnson in the first place.

When he results were going well at the start of the season the pro Johnson supporters were all praising him, now the results are not going so well, the ones who didn't want Johnson are now getting louder. That's how I see it.

I personally don't care who is managing the team as long as I am entertained and enjoying it, which I mostly am.

We play very open football and we will hardly ever be in a 0-0 game, the Brentford game midweek should have finished about 4-4 I think.

We are creating plenty of chances (except for the Brighton game) and just need to start taking them.

[Phileas Fogg]

39 minutes ago, redapple said:

Maybe he won't be much longer ? 

Not sure why people seem to imply we'd be better off with Pemberton - we don't really know whether he's any better. We've only got a tiny sample size of games with him as caretaker under extreme circumstances.

I think people like the idea of him because he kept it tight for those games and seems like a good experienced head when in reality there's no proof his ability. We don't really know what goes on on the training ground which is where he does most of his work.

[redapple]

30 minutes ago, Phileas Fogg said:

Not sure why people seem to imply we'd be better off with Pemberton - we don't really know whether he's any better. We've only got a tiny sample size of games with him as caretaker under extreme circumstances.

I think people like the idea of him because he kept it tight for those games and seems like a good experienced head when in reality there's no proof his ability. We don't really know what goes on on the training ground which is where he does most of his work.

Totally Agree 

[Londoner]

I think he is under pressure....we are incredibly light up top and that is what the biggest issue is....Tammy can't do it by himself and Wilbs is incredibly limited  but effective in certain situations.

the problem for LJ, and his failing, is that he hasn't been able to find a solution.

As for my original post, I think lj is under pressure and at risk..however, so is everyone who goes on such a run....I don't think he will be sacked. 

What is so disappointing is the lack of progress, teams tipping us at the start of the season seems a distant memory, we have regressed not progressed this season and the lack of clarity on the pitch is hugely disappointing.

[Chappers]

Of course we can't compete financially, after all a few clubs with parachute payments, quite a few with much larger crowds, little TV money as we get ignored, and no recent history of success. We just have to be realistic and accept that Championship consolidation is first priority. We have a great chairman who has funded a much improved stadium, compare with some of the nut jobs! We are on the right track, only once beaten by more than one goal, and as we are now doing things the right way, it may take time. 

[fgrsimon]

The next three games are absolutely critical for LJ. Lose all 3, it would be 9 defeats in 10 and I don't think there's a manager in the country who wouldn't be at risk with those stats. Win all 3 and all this will have been forgotten...

[Ivorguy]

7 hours ago, Stortz said:

Yes, and when you were asked to justify your position you couldn't.

Please read all my threads, if you are interested in my reply - but I guess you probably aren't and will remain happy about SL, until like all the other owners we have known he moves on.  I long for the days of Harry Dolman, and never thought I would ever say that.  At least Harry came to every game, ran the gauntlet of fans' abuse, was a proper businessman, and, never ever forget, took us into League 1, and did significant rebuilding at Ashton Gate.

 

[Bar BS3]

On 17/12/2016 at 17:51, Londoner said:

We all know that bristol city is run differently compared to other clubs....we aren't trigger happy, we give managers time, and support the buying if players when possible....however, is LJ at genuine risk of being sacked?

He obviously has a bigger connection to us than previous managers, a new extended contract given and clearly rates by the board...but does it get to a certain point where they have no choice....7 in 8 loses is damning at the moment  

I hope not, but in football, no manager is more than 15-20 bad games away from the sack, whoever/wherever they are. 

[pillred]

22 hours ago, 29AR said:

He was 5 defeats in 6 when we extended his contract. I'd suggest the board are a long way from sacking. 

I must admit I found that a bit strange gary rowett 34 points 1 point off play offs sacked, lee Johnson poor run, contract extension very odd

[Nogbad the Bad]

22 hours ago, Slack Bladder said:

I think there are quite a few fans on here who didn't want Johnson in the first place.

When he results were going well at the start of the season the pro Johnson supporters were all praising him, now the results are not going so well, the ones who didn't want Johnson are now getting louder. That's how I see it.

 

Of course there are fans who didn't want LJ here in the first place. Some no doubt influenced by not liking him as a player, but many more because we simply couldn't see any justification for his appointment based on his previous managerial record.

It's all very well hearing comforting noises that he is well respected in the game, is an innovative coach, has got a great future in management etc. but peering through that haze of positivity it was absolutely reasonable for fans to have strong doubts and the onus was very much on LJ to prove himself by his actions, and by the performances of his team on the pitch. 

It still seems to many that the over riding reason for him getting the job seemed to be because he was known to the club and was well liked in the boardroom (no idea to what extent it's true, but it's been mentioned on here that he's a personal friend of JL) and he was apparently always earmarked to get the City job at some stage.

Many fans against his appointment would be more than happy to find there was much more to him than they'd realised, and to be proved wrong - in fact we'd be delighted - and of course most will support once appointment is confirmed and be more than happy to praise him when he's doing well. Bar a few, even initial doubters will be willing him to succeed - none of us want to see the club on a depressing downward curve, or to keep changing managers.

Far from damning those who always had doubts, and many of whom are quite reasonably voicing them again, perhaps it's time for those who blindly supported the appointment, and continue to criticise those who didn't, to temper their own initial enthusiasm by what we're all actually seeing on the pitch, and accept it was always a huge gamble by the board and it was always anyone's guess whether it would prove successful, or anything but.

That's the same with all managerial appointments to a certain extent of course, but frankly a very young and largely unproven coach who had never managed at this level before is far more of a gamble than most, and with the current run of results, and performances, I'd be surprised if even his most vociferous backers aren't now starting, at least privately, to share the rational concerns of those of us who openly questioned the prospect of his appointment in the first place.

[RobintheRed Red]

On Saturday, December 17, 2016 at 20:31, 29AR said:

He was 5 defeats in 6 when we extended his contract. I'd suggest the board are a long way from sacking. 

johnsons a yes man to the board thats where it goes wrong thats why weve never got that little bit extra to push us that bit further  rugby the same never appoint anyone such as warnock because theyve all got opinions

[Jack Dawe]

On 18/12/2016 at 09:58, Robert the bruce said:

Well,he sure aint talking Europa league no more-

I didn't hear it, but I think that was in answer to a - or this season's - stupid question. To which he gave, rather stupidly, a stupid answer.

A simple "take each game as it comes" non-answer might have been more advisable.

[LondonBristolian]

On 12/17/2016 at 21:07, bristolcitysweden said:

They come and they go. When McInnes was appointed I supported Eddie Howe. I now support Danny Cowley as the next manager. Not that Lansdown or Ashton ever have heard of him.  

Bit of a weird claim, that.  So you think Lansdown and Ashton, who work professionally in football, will not have heard for a professional football manager who is at the top of his division?  Of course they will.Personally I don't think we should be thinking seriously of changing managers at the moment.

Gary Johnson lost ten in a row and turned it round, LJ went on a disastrous run at Burnley and turned it round.  Far too many people expect a club to improve in a linear and constant fashion but it rarely works like that.  Johnson is making mistakes and needs to learn from them.  He may do so or he may not do so.  If he shows over the next few months he cannot learn from the mistakes then of course we get rid of him.  But we don't want to sack a manager only for him to apply what he has learned somewhere else whilst another manager makes his mistakes with us.

 

[Major Isewater]

On 18/12/2016 at 10:22, Olé said:

That's exactly it - it came just a week after Flint's contract was extended longer than LJ's. So on the face of it that made LJ's extension entirely logical, the real issue is why the club had do broadcast the fact when we were doing so poorly - seems to have sent the wrong message to everyone, LJ included.

The message it sent was that LJ is our coach and we ( the board) have every confidence in him .

Any players getting squiffy with the guy now know that if they're not happy it's not Johnson who's going , so shape up or ship out .

Equally any potential new players being ' courted ' by LJ. can sign knowing that it will be him they'll be playing for .

 

[Major Isewater]

1 hour ago, RobintheRed Red said:

johnsons a yes man to the board thats where it goes wrong thats why weve never got that little bit extra to push us that bit further  rugby the same never appoint anyone such as warnock because theyve all got opinions

You know that Johnson is a ' yes man ' do you ? 

Are you party to the inner workings of the club ? 

[cswhitlock]

I want to say that i think LJ is doing a good job we arent going to win this league now we also have been unlucky we had 2 stonewall penalty shouts saturday and another poor official, yes we went flat after conceding against the run of play, yes we need a second striker, we also need to remember that we have high expectations due to delusions of grandeur, i have been watching City for 32 years, we have played worse and we have played better, Tammy hits the post second half the PNE second goal was a freak goal that was meant to be a cross bad luck it seems at the moment but why sack a manager now when things arent as bad as they could be.......tin hat ready but you lot that hate LJ because of delete as appropriate, *his dad *when he played here * because we should have Pep Guardiola need to get a grip and smell the coffee. we wont go down this year and we wont go up but we will still be in the most competitive league in europe next season  

[SaulGoodman]

He did the exact same with us (Barnsley) losing 8 games on the bounce and didn't have a clue what he was doing!!

He was so stubborn that his 3-5-2 was the way to play that we could well be in league 2 now!!

It was only an injury to one of our CM that forced his hand to 4-4-2 when the fans were calling for it for months that he got lucky and it turned it around for him.

His post match interviews were quite puzzling also,....

I really doubt his managerial skills and i cant see it ending well for you and LJ but i guess we will see