Any realist out there?

[RedNight]

Maybe it's my selective sight. But all I see on here and other social platforms is people complaining about us being bottle jobs and not worthy of the play offs. And at games themselves, very subdued atmospheres, hardly inspiring for anyone involved. 

Just wondering if there are many fans out there who recognise how far we have come this year and what an unreal season we've had, play offs or not. 

People love to hammer LJ, Ashton and the Lansdowns. But they are currently in the process of putting this club in its strongest position ever, both on and off the pitch. Joint 5th in the league and an academy and infrastructure that seems to be thriving. 

Yet all I see is people moan, moan and moan. 

Like this post if you are a realist who understands what a good place this club is in at the moment. Just to restore some faith in each other if nothing else...

[South-of-river]

Just like people say on here..the opinions on this forum is only a fraction of the city supporters... Thank god.

[RedNight]

1 minute ago, South-of-river said:

Just like people say on here..the opinions on this forum is only a fraction of the city supporters... Thank god.

I also referred to other social platforms where the vibe is similar. Does my nut in 

[nickolas]

27 minutes ago, RedNight said:

Maybe it's my selective sight. But all I see on here and other social platforms is people complaining about us being bottle jobs and not worthy of the play offs. And at games themselves, very subdued atmospheres, hardly inspiring for anyone involved. 

Just wondering if there are many fans out there who recognise how far we have come this year and what an unreal season we've had, play offs or not. 

People love to hammer LJ, Ashton and the Lansdowns. But they are currently in the process of putting this club in its strongest position ever, both on and off the pitch. Joint 5th in the league and an academy and infrastructure that seems to be thriving. 

Yet all I see is people moan, moan and moan. 

Like this post if you are a realist who understands what a good place this club is in at the moment. Just to restore some faith in each other if nothing else...

Yes, most of this is rosy. 

Only the most optimistic would count us as joint 5th though as under the rules of GD, were the season be finished now, we fall 7th, joint 5th glosses it up a bit!

However, its been a very good season, far beyond anyones expectations im sure. 

However it is the expectation that has grown because of form up to christmas which is the now the very reason the criticism is coming!

A poor January, failing to back up a horrendously thin squad due to injuries ( and a lot were long term with no immediate returns), and seemingly defeatest comments from the club about chasing the Prem, is why i think a lot are criticising now.

We had a great chance to push top two, still have the chance of top 6 yes, and may even still win the playoffs, but everything from the Jan window onwards has kindof pointed towards not really wanting to make it when we could all see a marvellous opportunity.

However, i tend to think a couple more seasons doing what we mainly have this year, bedding more academy lads in, is what may eventually get us to the Prem.

if we can keep crowds atleast at this seasons average then the funding should help and perhaps we’ll see some more experienced players added too.

 

[Davefevs]

I’m delighted to be in a position where playoffs are in our hands.

I think the club is moving forward as a professional off the pitch team - minus the PR disaster re season tickets.

We are in the best position since 2007/8, and probably better in that we can take it to the next level....whether we do us another matter.

I do worry that this bunch of players may have peaked together....unfounded, next season will tell us if we don’t go up.

I’m pretty realistic that we are "punching’ against:

• bigger clubs - Wolves, Villa, Derby, Sheffield Wednesday, Boro, Sunderland
• teams with premier league history / parachute payments at some point - Cardiff, Fulham, Leeds, Reading (not bigger though)
• others who’d argue they’re bigger - Sheffield Utd, Norwich, Forest

I could probably go on.  So 7th (joint 5th on points), is a fine effort.

Will be tinged with disappointment though, if we finish 7th or below.

[REDOXO]

Peoples ambitions and expectations will alter as a situation develops.

At one point top two was a realistic ambition and top six is still that.

 

[Top Robin]

We really should have been able to retain the high position we achieved earlier on this season and looking at our form this year, it seems we are regressing rather than moving forward. 

[South-of-river]

1 hour ago, Top Robin said:

We really should have been able to retain the high position we achieved earlier on this season and looking at our form this year, it seems we are regressing rather than moving forward. 

And in your opinion why do you think we've lost THAT momentum?  

[Robbored]

3 minutes ago, Top Robin said:

We really should have been able to retain the high position we achieved earlier on this season and looking at our form this year, it seems we are regressing rather than moving forward. 

Jeez.........do you actually read other people's posts?   

I guess not because if you did you'd know that the reasons behind the dip in form have been discussed in depth already and you wouldn't have posted such a dreary comment.

 

[Agard Days Night]

3 minutes ago, South-of-river said:

And in your opinion why do you think we've lost THAT momentum?  

Engvall. The run in will be very different now he’s gone. 

[Top Robin]

6 minutes ago, South-of-river said:

And in your opinion why do you think we've lost THAT momentum?  

Inexperienced manager making the wrong calls 

[South-of-river]

1 hour ago, Top Robin said:

Inexperienced manager making the wrong calls 

Exactly.

[Davefevs]

6 minutes ago, Top Robin said:

Inexperienced manager making the wrong calls 

Possibly

5 minutes ago, South-of-river said:

Exactly.

Not the only cause though.  That’s unfair.

9 minutes ago, Agard Days Night said:

Engvall. The run in will be very different now he’s gone. 

How will we be able to tell this is the root cause?

[Renaissance Williams]

I think it just depends on the inside of your head - if your pint's half empty or half full.

Or if you look at the season as being of two halves - one stupendously brilliant, one pretty grim - or balance it out across the whole season, in which case we're 7th (not 5th!!!!) and safe from the drop and up amongst the best in the division, punching above our weight. Pretty good, I'd say.

And from a purely personal note, Korey's goal against the Manure at 11:59 was and remains without a doubt the zenith of 50+years of watching football. Money just can't buy that feeling - so (just to explain as I believe we now have to......) that's why I liked your post.

[South-of-river]

Granted.. But it's the manager who has to take responsibility. Sooner people see this the better.

[Slacker]

There has been much talk about experienced/inexperienced managers on here lately.Just out if interest at what stage do people think a manager progresses from the novice stage?Is it amount of years in the game/amount of clubs he has worked at/amount of promotions/the fact a manager is still not much past the age that some footballers are still playing?I seem to remember Derek McInness was young when he was here but don' t recall him carrying the novice tag.

[Top Robin]

7 minutes ago, Robbored said:

Jeez.........do you actually read other people's posts?   

I guess not because if you did you'd know that the reasons behind the dip in form have been discussed in depth already and you wouldn't have posted such a dreary comment.

 

The truth hurts and some people need to wake up and smell the coffee instead of living in some fluffy rose tinted world.

We have cocked up this season and AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME we are not improving but are actually getting worse compared to earlier on this season. 

In the next few games we may well improve and get a play off spot but until then I will not pretend that we are a club on the rise coz we ain't.

Some people are so obsessed with Bristol City that they can't bear to hear any criticism. 

[Marina's Rolls Royce]

1 hour ago, RedNight said:

Maybe it's my selective sight. But all I see on here and other social platforms is people complaining about us being bottle jobs and not worthy of the play offs. And at games themselves, very subdued atmospheres, hardly inspiring for anyone involved. 

Just wondering if there are many fans out there who recognise how far we have come this year and what an unreal season we've had, play offs or not. 

People love to hammer LJ, Ashton and the Lansdowns. But they are currently in the process of putting this club in its strongest position ever, both on and off the pitch. Joint 5th in the league and an academy and infrastructure that seems to be thriving. 

Yet all I see is people moan, moan and moan. 

Like this post if you are a realist who understands what a good place this club is in at the moment. Just to restore some faith in each other if nothing else...

In which case you either can't read or choose to only read the negative posts on this forum.

The more I read your OP the more bonkers it seems but then again it's April 1st.

[Dullmoan Tone]

I am starting to get more and more annoyed by all this "joint fifth" nonsense that every other optimist keeps posting about.

No we aren't - we are 7th and would need to have scored 6 more to be joint fifth.

We won't be in the playoffs finishing joint 5th - most posters realise 2018 has been a major disappointment (not compared to last season) but compared to September to December ie what we can achieve when we play to our potential.

 

 

[The Dolman Pragmatist]

20 minutes ago, Top Robin said:

We really should have been able to retain the high position we achieved earlier on this season and looking at our form this year, it seems we are regressing rather than moving forward. 

Why on earth should we be able to do that?  We have had a very busy season, with a congested fixture list and an incredible injury list, and yet we are level on points with two teams in the play-offs.  This time last season we were in dire risk of relegation and were about to be beaten 0-5 by Preston.  How anyone can fail to see this season as progress absolutely defeats me.  

 

.

[The Dolman Pragmatist]

13 minutes ago, Top Robin said:

Inexperienced manager making the wrong calls 

Really?  You wouldn’t be talking with the benefit of hindsight, would you?  You’re not by any chance a football manager are you?

[EmissionImpossible]

2 minutes ago, Top Robin said:

The truth hurts and some people need to wake up and smell the coffee instead of living in some fluffy rose tinted world.

We have cocked up this season and AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME we are not improving but are actually getting worse compared to earlier on this season. 

In the next few games we may well improve and get a play off spot but until then I will not pretend that we are a club on the rise coz we ain't.

Some people are so obsessed with Bristol City that they can't bear to hear any criticism. 

It’s not a truth , it’s your opinion which is fine but it’s still not fact and of course we are on the rise, we were facing relegation last season, finishing 7th or wherever, we will have risen. 

Yes you can compare it to before Christmas and we have fallen away but that’s about it.

[Robbored]

5 minutes ago, Top Robin said:

The truth hurts and some people need to wake up and smell the coffee instead of living in some fluffy rose tinted world.

We have cocked up this season and AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME we are not improving but are actually getting worse compared to earlier on this season. 

In the next few games we may well improve and get a play off spot but until then I will not pretend that we are a club on the rise coz we ain't.

Some people are so obsessed with Bristol City that they can't bear to hear any criticism. 

Phew...............you don't seem to appreciate what is actually happening at the club and are preoccupied with a recent dip in form.

Theres a much wider picture y'know TR.

[South-of-river]

1 hour ago, EmissionImpossible said:

It’s not a truth , it’s your opinion which is fine but it’s still not fact and of course we are on the rise, we were facing relegation last season, finishing 7th or wherever, we will have risen. 

Yes you can compare it to before Christmas and we have fallen away but that’s about it.

So is it acceptable to go from where we we're before Christmas to where we are now? 

[The Dolman Pragmatist]

3 minutes ago, Dullmoan Tone said:

I am starting to get more and more annoyed by all this "joint fifth" nonsense that every other optimist keeps posting about.

No we aren't - we are 7th and would need to have scored 6 more to be joint fifth.

We won't be in the playoffs finishing joint 5th - most posters realise 2018 has been a major disappointment (not compared to last season) but compared to September to December what we can achieve if we play to our potential.

 

 

I’ll have to be in the minority then.  I don’t think 2018 has been a major disappointment, I think it was predictable and I think we’ve done well to still be in the running.  Did you really think we could outrun Wolves, Villa or Fulham with our squad size and our injuries?  Joint 5th or not, we are in with a great shout of the play-offs with seven to play.  That’ll do me.

[Top Robin]

4 minutes ago, The Dolman Pragmatist said:

Why on earth should we be able to do that?  We have had a very busy season, with a congested fixture list and an incredible injury list, and yet we are level on points with two teams in the play-offs.  This time last season we were in dire risk of relegation and were about to be beaten 0-5 by Preston.  How anyone can fail to see this season as progress absolutely defeats me.  

 

.

Because a well run club with a quality manager would have injuries and fixture conjestion covered by building up a quality squad and buying players to play and not warm the bench each week.

And if you can't see that our performances since December have got worse to the point of being dire in some instances then you are misguided.

[EmissionImpossible]

Just now, South-of-river said:

So is it acceptable to go from where we we're before Christmas to where we are now? 

I’m saying it’s too small a sample size. People can be a bit disappointed of course but to question the manager and group of players who have gone from relegation fodder to promotion candidates seems very hasty.

[South-of-river]

1 hour ago, The Dolman Pragmatist said:

I’ll have to be in the minority then.  I don’t think 2018 has been a major disappointment, I think it was predictable and I think we’ve done well to still be in the running.  Did you really think we could outrun Wolves, Villa or Fulham with our squad size and our injuries?  Joint 5th or not, we are in with a great shout of the play-offs with seven to play.  That’ll do me.

So why not invest in January to keep up with those teams? 

[Bryans Left Peg]

1 minute ago, Top Robin said:

Because a well run club with a quality manager would have injuries and fixture conjestion covered by building up a quality squad and buying players to play and not warm the bench each week.

And if you can't see that our performances since December have got worse to the point of being dire in some instances then you are misguided.

We were favourites for relegation preseason. We knew we had a smaller and less experienced squad. It's a work in progress.

Not sure how this comment supports your cause.

[Red Army 75]

Any team with players that have had 10 operations in one season. Steve Allen worse he has seen in 32 years. Will impact any club. We still have a chance of the playoffs . If someone had said to me at the beginning of the season.City would get to the semi final of the league cup . And be in with a shout of the playoffs with 7 games to go . I would of said no chance. It’s a shame we’ve stuttered since xmas . And no Away win since Sheffield United. Which is poor. But we still have a chance. None of us would of thought that at the beginning of the season