LJ :- It could be a difficult summer..

[Son of Fred]

15 hours ago, Cheesleysmate said:

In prep for the big summer sale of Flint, Bryan and Reid (possibly more) whilst trying to hoodwink the ‘customers’ into believing that the club is genuinely moving forward and that the sales are all part of the ‘big plan’....p.s. Make sure you’ve bought your season ticket!

Honestly, anyone who believes the propaganda must have been born yesterday...whilst the realists see some of the turd showing beneath the glitter as they predicted.

Precisely this-and exactly why Lee will prove again to be bombproof....he will do & say what he is told to....................Mr Malleable.

[Son of Fred]

15 hours ago, Lew-T said:

There are THREE games left with everything to play for. If I was a player, that’s not putting me at ease.

There is no need to come out with it now.

A leaf out of the Mark Ashton guide on 'diplomacy !?..

P.S.......if your looking for it on Amazon,comes under 'Beginners'..

[ZiderEyed]

36 minutes ago, Major Isewater said:

£30 a week mind . 

 

Is that whats left of the wage budget?

[Natchfever]

15 hours ago, GrahamC said:

Because the alternative is that he’ll be accused of lying or avoiding the question?

I guess he is alluding to moving players on that might be a surprise and possibly selling Reid if he won’t sign a new contract.

However let’s wait and see what the summer brings before slagging off something that hasn’t happened yet and may well not do so.

So why doesnt he stfu until the end of the season?

[BRISTOL86]

We, like everyone else outside the top handful of clubs in world football, are a selling club. 

Not really news is it? 

I’ve long stopped getting attached to individual players. It’s funny how for the last three months no ones had a positive word to say about anyone and then everyone goes batshit about the prospect of them being elsewhere. 

Funny old game. 

Personally I’m happy to see churn of players. Were it not for Tammy leaving, Reid wouldn’t have played etc. Were it not for us needing a centre back, Flint wouldn’t be here etc. If bigger clubs are in for our players it means we’re doing something right in either recruitment, academy or both.

More importantly, Uncle Steve and his magic bottomless wallet isn’t going to be here forever - we need to be able to sustain ourselves as a business. If that day comes when we need to live within our own generated means, then a few are in for a serious reality check about our place in the world....

[Son of Fred]

14 hours ago, 22A said:

Will he be looking back at AG in December singing that Mud song "It'll be lonely this Christmas"?

I'll buy a "Billy Bass" to sing for him-they're going cheep in the summer sales...

[spudski]

Well there you go....from the horses mouth. Pretty much everything I've been banging on about the last few weeks, re injuries, form and January window, budgets etc.

And even with that interview, some still don't seem to understand the situation at the club re money etc.

[Ivorguy]

Reminds me of. Napoleon

He advanced into Russia, took Moscow, failed to deal with the winter and guerrila resistance 

He ordered a retreat and three years later was on St Helena 

Moral if you don’t keep advancing, and order a retreat instead, then the endgame will be defeat

His Moscow was our Wolves game

His retreat was our January window

his Waterloo, our .......

 

 

[WestMidsRed]

 

[screech]

It would be suicidal to lose Joe Bryan and Bobby Reid before they have reached their peak, same for Brownhill, Smith, Pack and ODowda. If we are serious about getting promoted you have to keep hold of talent.

[CyderInACan]

6 minutes ago, screech said:

If we are serious about getting promoted you have to keep hold of talent.

Maybe we aren’t, then. 

[Major Isewater]

2 minutes ago, screech said:

It would be suicidal to lose Joe Bryan and Bobby Reid before they have reached their peak, same for Brownhill, Smith, Pack and ODowda. If we are serious about getting promoted you have to keep hold of talent.

I am 99% sure that Bobby and Joe will not be with us come the start of next season.

Bobby is stalling to see what league we will be in next season , that is pretty evident now so he knows he can get a super contract with a big club that could set him up for life .

Career wise he stays at BCFC with all the excuses about not being able to pay the wages for top players , which he is , and little hope of making the Prem in the near future.

What would you do ?

Equally , Joe , many clubs are reported to be looking at him .

The same logic applies plus we have Kelly and Mags who can cover his loss to the time .

Add in LJ's comments about his dip in form and, for me , it all adds up .

It must equally be said that these two have been here for donkey's years and may simply fancy a new challenge and who could blame them for it ?

[Major Isewater]

4 minutes ago, CyderInACan said:

Maybe we aren’t, then. 

Nail on head .

 

[Port Said Red]

Sorry I am struggling with this uproar.

Stated aim of the club, "create a competitive squad by buying players, developing them and passing them on at a good profit and repeat whilst developing our own home grown talent". 

People are surprised that selling players is part of this process? 

[Natchfever]

2 minutes ago, Port Said Red said:

Sorry I am struggling with this uproar.

Stated aim of the club, "create a competitive squad by buying players, developing them and passing them on at a good profit and repeat whilst developing our own home grown talent". 

People are surprised that selling players is part of this process? 

Uproar is possibly more about the timing.

LJ has given up this season so why should the players give a shit - and why should people turn up ?

[Port Said Red]

10 minutes ago, Loon plage said:

Uproar is possibly more about the timing.

LJ has given up this season so why should the players give a shit - and why should people turn up ?

Wow, then people are reading a lot into a statement that is one of the most obvious things he could have said. We all know that the squad still needs balancing out and the only way we can really generate the kind of cash for that is to sell people. That will need to happen if we make the play offs or not, so I don't see it as "giving up". Imagine the uproar if he had said, "happy with the squad, no one will be leaving and we will have a year of stagnation".  We all know that clubs and Managers have very little say if a player stays or goes these days, they will be aware of what players agents are telling their clients and what they need to plan for. 

[Lew-T]

City have deleted that tweet.. 

[Major Isewater]

7 minutes ago, Lew-T said:

City have deleted that tweet.. 

Which one ? 

 

[havanatopia]

29 minutes ago, Major Isewater said:

I am 99% sure that Bobby and Joe will not be with us come the start of next season.

Hav:- Thats a pretty high percentage chance there Maj, how so?

Equally , Joe , many clubs are reported to be looking at him .

Add in LJ's comments about his dip in form and, for me , it all adds up .

Hav: Call me naive but if a player has his head turned and stops playing he should have his wages docked... arhhhh the utopian days before Jimmy Chin.

It must equally be said that these two have been here for donkey's years and may simply fancy a new challenge and who could blame them for it ?

Hav: Not in the first team though have they.  its all heresay anyway; agent & made up journo talk (probably) and if Bryan's form has dropped he is not exactly helping himself get a job elsewhere is he; he would have to be pretty dumm and dummer to down tools over a head turn. So with regards to your analysis I say bollox. . it is not often I finish a sentence with a relative profanity. Oddly enough it felt reasonably good. I can see why people use such words now. I must come out from under my stone more often. No offence Maj; thought I would try it out on one of the stalwarts.  

 

[Robin Ashton]

11 hours ago, ScottishRed said:

 

"Ryan Kent will be a £10m player but it just didn't work here" 

 

Like Marvin Brown?

[ooRya]

No-one else has said it, so I will.

I would be most concerned if LJ left. (Yes, I am being serious)

Like it or not, the powers that be have made a decision regarding how they want this club to progress, and how they believe this will ultimately lead to success. This requires a manager/coach to buy in to this "project" (God I hate that word) and in Lee they have that. I also think sticking with the current plan WILL get us there.

Getting rid of Lee would most likely mean taking huge steps backwards and starting from scratch, and would be a massive mistake in my opinion.

I'm no different to anyone else in that I'm massively disappointed/frustrated in our fall from grace since the turn of the year, but I saw enough in the first half of the season to leave me optimistic that we are going in the right direction.

As far as players go, keeping Bobby is a must for me. He is the perfect player for the style of football that we had such success with pre Christmas.

[Lew-T]

4 minutes ago, Major Isewater said:

Which one ? 

 

Two tweets actually. The one with “difficult summer” and the other “it’s down to negotiations with agents”.

[RUSSEL85]

1 minute ago, Lew-T said:

Two tweets actually. The one with “difficult summer” and the other “it’s down to negotiations with agents”.

To put that tweet up and then delete it does seem very amateurish. This has obviously caused a stir and not just on OTIB.

[ZiderEyed]

1 minute ago, RUSSEL85 said:

To put that tweet up and then delete it does seem very amateurish. This has obviously caused a stir and not just on OTIB.

Was thinking when I first saw it how a player might react if there's a possibility we might go backwards next season. Not exactly an enticing proposition is it?

[Natchfever]

23 minutes ago, Port Said Red said:

Wow, then people are reading a lot into a statement that is one of the most obvious things he could have said. We all know that the squad still needs balancing out and the only way we can really generate the kind of cash for that is to sell people. That will need to happen if we make the play offs or not, so I don't see it as "giving up". Imagine the uproar if he had said, "happy with the squad, no one will be leaving and we will have a year of stagnation".  We all know that clubs and Managers have very little say if a player stays or goes these days, they will be aware of what players agents are telling their clients and what they need to plan for. 

So if we got promoted it will be a difficult summer rather than an exciting one?

Hes given up this season.

[Port Said Red]

2 minutes ago, Loon plage said:

So if we got promoted it will be a difficult summer rather than an exciting one?

Hes given up this season.

Even more difficult I would think, trying to recruit players for a league we have little experience in.

[RedRoss]

Fans are so fickle especially on here. 

Every club has to sell players because they are driven by the money, the players ambition, the agent, ect.

Lee has been honest about this and is seemed to be chastised for doing so. 

To all you delusional fans that expect us to keep our best players and bat away bigger clubs, stay within FFP, Pay big wages to bring in so called 'established' players and all this with making the tickets cheaper need to get a reality check.

You all seem to forget Lee has essentially made us 10 million profit just on Bobby Reid if he is sold (which I think he will be) of course this is also down to Bobby's personal hard work but I struggle to think of another manager that would have taken the risk to develop Bobby into a striker.

And finally to all the comments talking about bad timing of the announcement - So what? If people are put off with buying a season ticket just because the board or LJ are not promising a spending spree and that we will keep our best players then sod off.

I will be a ticket holder for city regardless of our transfer activity because I'm a loyal fan foremost and not a blinded success hungry follower.

[Snufflelufagus]

Whoever goes just replace with the equivalents from Millwall. Would certainly be on lesser wages.

[SecretSam]

Let's be honest, Flint we all know about but at the start of the season, lots of us were posting about it being last chance saloon for Joe B and Reid.  Their astonishing form this season means that they are now at a peak of value, and at 24 or so it's a decent time to sell them (with a big fat sell-on clause).  No doubt they are ambitious as well.

This doesn't bother me, it's sound business sense.  But also sound business sense is having a plan for their replacements.

[phantom]

26 minutes ago, ooRya said:

As far as players go, keeping Bobby is a must for me. He is the perfect player for the style of football that we had such success with pre Christmas.

I guess part of this would also depend on whether we will try and play that style again any point next season?

[Nogbad the Bad]

17 minutes ago, RedRoss said:

Fans are so fickle especially on here. 

Every club has to sell players because they are driven by the money, the players ambition, the agent, ect.

Lee has been honest about this and is seemed to be chastised for doing so. 

To all you delusional fans that expect us to keep our best players and bat away bigger clubs, stay within FFP, Pay big wages to bring in so called 'established' players and all this with making the tickets cheaper need to get a reality check.

You all seem to forget Lee has essentially made us 10 million profit just on Bobby Reid if he is sold (which I think he will be) of course this is also down to Bobby's personal hard work but I struggle to think of another manager that would have taken the risk to develop Bobby into a striker.

And finally to all the comments talking about bad timing of the announcement - So what? If people are put off with buying a season ticket just because the board or LJ are not promising a spending spree and that we will keep our best players then sod off.

I will be a ticket holder for city regardless of our transfer activity because I'm a loyal fan foremost and not a blinded success hungry follower.

Absolutely agree, turning a struggling midfield player into a 20 goal striker was a masterstroke and LJ must take credit for implementing the move.

However, credit must also go to the backroom boys and analysts who flagged up to him the potential benefits of such a positional move.

[phantom]

16 minutes ago, RedRoss said:

Fans are so fickle especially on here. 

Every club has to sell players because they are driven by the money, the players ambition, the agent, ect.

Lee has been honest about this and is seemed to be chastised for doing so. 

To all you delusional fans that expect us to keep our best players and bat away bigger clubs, stay within FFP, Pay big wages to bring in so called 'established' players and all this with making the tickets cheaper need to get a reality check.

You all seem to forget Lee has essentially made us 10 million profit just on Bobby Reid if he is sold (which I think he will be) of course this is also down to Bobby's personal hard work but I struggle to think of another manager that would have taken the risk to develop Bobby into a striker.

And finally to all the comments talking about bad timing of the announcement - So what? If people are put off with buying a season ticket just because the board or LJ are not promising a spending spree and that we will keep our best players then sod off.

I will be a ticket holder for city regardless of our transfer activity because I'm a loyal fan foremost and not a blinded success hungry follower.

The point is why has he come out pre Hull and said this?

This is the sort of thing you say going into the summer - if at all

Of course players come and go - but it seems like a few decisions have been made already

Would also love to know how LJ has "made us" £10m from Reid

[Alan Dicks' Barmy Army]

18 minutes ago, RedRoss said:

Fans are so fickle especially on here. 

And finally to all the comments talking about bad timing of the announcement - So what? If people are put off with buying a season ticket just because the board or LJ are not promising a spending spree and that we will keep our best players then sod off.

I will be a ticket holder for city regardless of our transfer activity because I'm a loyal fan foremost and not a blinded success hungry follower.

Super fan alert or Bristol Sport employee ?

Yeah lets announce we are selling all our star players just as we enter the last chance saloon, yet another example of shit management

[ooRya]

3 minutes ago, phantom said:

I guess part of this would also depend on whether we will try and play that style again any point next season?

I've no doubt that it is LJ's preferred style of play.

I think what this season shows is that, we don't currently have the team to maintain it over a whole season.

Maybe explains LJ's comment about "tough decisions" in the summer?

[Major Isewater]

33 minutes ago, havanatopia said:

 

Hav, read my post, I think it is self explanatory.

Big hairy bouncy bollocks to you too .

( you're right ! ) 

[BRISTOL86]

5 minutes ago, phantom said:

The point is why has he come out pre Hull and said this?

This is the sort of thing you say going into the summer - if at all

Of course players come and go - but it seems like a few decisions have been made already

Would also love to know how LJ has "made us" £10m from Reid

It’s fairly self explanatory. Under his coaching, a player who worth almost nothing has been turned into a player worth £10m. 

[Natchfever]

2 minutes ago, BRISTOL86 said:

It’s fairly self explanatory. Under his coaching, a player who worth almost nothing has been turned into a player worth £10m. 

Conversely players costing millions when we bought them are worth jack shit now.

[RedRoss]

1 minute ago, phantom said:

The point is why has he come out pre Hull and said this?

This is the sort of thing you say going into the summer - if at all

Of course players come and go - but it seems like a few decisions have been made already

Would also love to know how LJ has "made us" £10m from Reid

Why does it make a difference if he is saying this now or in two months time? On one hand fans don't want the wishy washy PR nature of football talk but on the other when a manager speaks his mind he is then thrown under the bus. To me it seems double standards - He can do no right!

The decisions probably have been made and this has most probably been mainly made by the players and of course their money hungry agent. I don't blame players that want the join the best club available to them. They are ambitious athletes that want to play at the highest order and with this they make obscene amonts of money whilst doing so.

Ask yourself the question - Would LJ want to keep Reid, Bryan and Flint? Of course the answer is YES. So this wouldn't be driven by the management at all so I don't get the stick he's getting.

How much do you think Bobby was worth last season? Who gave Bobby the chance to shine in a unfamiliar position? How much do you think he is worth this season? There is your answer!

[Major Isewater]

33 minutes ago, RUSSEL85 said:

To put that tweet up and then delete it does seem very amateurish. This has obviously caused a stir and not just on OTIB.

 

[BRISTOL86]

2 minutes ago, Loon plage said:

Conversely players costing millions when we bought them are worth jack shit now.

Like pretty much every other club then. Show me a club of a similar size that gets their recruitment right all the time? Doesn’t happen. We’re nothing exceptional in that regard (in any regard in fact!)

[RedRoss]

9 minutes ago, Alan Dicks' Barmy Army said:

Super fan alert or Bristol Sport employee ?

Yeah lets announce we are selling all our star players just as we enter the last chance saloon, yet another example of shit management

Wow I'm positive and supportive of my club so I must work for the club - Great basis for a argument.

You definitely fit into the category I was addressing when I mentioned delusional.

[1bristolcity]

I don't think the press is sustainable over the season, we need to perhaps get back to basics, Lee did sign players that would have enabled a 442 but fell short of what we wanted. Need a couple of front men, 

[GrahamC]

5 hours ago, DT The Optimist said:

Interesting interview.  Like others You had to dig to find it. Shame he did not mention the win ratio of 4 in 22 since the Wolves game which I think the majority here might concur was the turning point in our season. ( and if that form continued in 18/19 season we would be relegated or at least embroiled in a relegation scrap)

I am surprised about a general feeling that Baker might be off. He is a LJ signing and LJ has said he is a big player for us but needs him 100% not at 80% with niggles and out of sorts.  I do suspect Flint will go but do not forget how good NB was with BW at the start of the season when Flint was out of the side. 

We are are no different to any other side, players come and go, we the fans are the only constant.  The club always want business done early, summer will be a fun time on here

 

Re Baker, well unless we are LJ, Ashton or the player himself, none of us really know, but LJ has referred to him specifically recently with regard to his poor availability & starting games he wasn’t able to finish.

I know nothing but can’t see the definition of a “difficult summer” just being Reid leaving.

Most of us also understand we are not big hitters financially, but let’s face it, nor are Preston or Brentford, are they?

Final point, whilst our overall recruitment picture can best be described as “mixed” we have replaced Kodjia & then Tammy in the last 2 seasons.

This summer may be the one when we don’t succeed but until we know who goes, who stays and who arrives, we can’t even begin to have a clue.

[Natchfever]

15 minutes ago, BRISTOL86 said:

Like pretty much every other club then. Show me a club of a similar size that gets their recruitment right all the time? Doesn’t happen. We’re nothing exceptional in that regard (in any regard in fact!)

Yep so don't brag about getting one right who was sitting under the noses of successive managers when so many go wrong. Its just what it is at pretty much every club - except that the number of  shit signings LJ has made shows a distinct lack of judgement and/or due dilligence.

Anyway my main issue with this thread is the timing of coming out with such negativity whilst expecting players and fans to carry on regardless.

[Midlands Robin]

A manager who is deeply unpopular with some fans, sells off the last vestiges of the promotion side and a fan cult hero then goes on to recruit a number of young and untested players to replace them.

Anyway, that described the situation under Osman in 94, what LJ will do in the summer is anyone's guess.

(But please, please don't let Pack go)

[BRISTOL86]

7 minutes ago, Loon plage said:

Yep so don't brag about getting one right who was sitting under the noses of successive managers when so many go wrong. Its just what it is at pretty much every club - except that the number of  shit signings LJ has made shows a distinct lack of judgement and/or due dilligence.

Anyway my main issue with this thread is the timing of coming out with such negativity whilst expecting players and fans to carry on regardless.

By the same logic he shouldn’t be pleased that we beat Man U because we lost to Bolton? You have to take the positives when they come. One great signing can cover the loss on 10 poor ones and getting that one gem is what keeps the cycle going and allows us to work towards the goal of being a sustainable club not reliant on one man’s chequebook.

For the record I agree regarding the timing of negative comments but it does seem to be blown a bit out of proportion. He’s just being realistic about our place in the food chain should the big hitters come calling. Us and every other club in the land bar a select few will have to work to keep their best players over the summer. That’s just football.

He can’t really win either way - if he sugar costs it he gets accused of talking shit and if he tells it how it is people don’t like it because it’s a bit of a reality check. 

[Guest Dickie Rookes Peak]

First team players must move on for a high transfer fee. The club has already invested in their replacements spending millions on young development players. It’s the model the club adopted four years ago. About to enter the next stage which is going to be very exciting.

[bearded_red]

To just delete the tweets is outstanding really.

What a club.

[Super]

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/bristol-citys-lee-johnson-emerges-1476259

[BRISTOL86]

Just now, Super said:

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/bristol-citys-lee-johnson-emerges-1476259

Not overly surprising. To anyone outside of BS3 he has us grossly overachieving. The cup run this season will have drawn a lot of attention to him compared to other over achievers like Harris and Wilder. 

[RUSSEL85]

 

5 minutes ago, Super said:

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/bristol-citys-lee-johnson-emerges-1476259

Would love to know their sources.

[Major Isewater]

4 minutes ago, bearded_red said:

To just delete the tweets is outstanding really.

What a club.

 

[Sarumred]

I have no objection to the cub selling one of our 'star' players in the summer but any substantial fee has to be reinvested in the team. Southampton seem to have adopted a similar policy over the last few years by selling all their top talent and not reinvesting the vast sums of money they received and look where they are now. 

[Major Isewater]

2 minutes ago, RUSSEL85 said:

 

Would love to know their sources.

Steve Lansdown stuck a couple of grand on it ... 

[Gert Mare]

18 hours ago, ChippenhamRed said:

Why do the most negative posters always insist they are the “realists”, as if they operate on a higher plane of intelligence than anyone who dares to have a bit of optimism?

Rather than throwing your toys out of the pram at the first hint that certain players might move on, I would suggest the true “realists” are the ones who recognise that a mid-table second tier club is always going to lose players capable of playing at a higher level, and that is part and parcel of football for all but the truly biggest clubs.

From the doldrums of Championship relegation and even flirtation with relegation to League Two, this club has risen to establish itself as a Championship club with a first class stadium and crowds of 20k plus. And during that period we have lost supposedly irreplaceable players such as Baldock (top scorer) and Tammy (top scorer). Without doubt the club has moved forwards, despite your insistence to the contrary.

I certainly have my doubts about our ability to recruit well this summer. But ultimately we have moved forwards over the last five years and we have brought in a number of good players. Your overtly cynical and negative view is no more “realist” than someone who thinks we’ll win the Champions League in 3 years.

Funny, because what you state above is exactly how I view the happy clappers. No higher plane of intelligence, no “told you so’s”, not happy that it has a gone south since Christmas, not calling for LJ’s head. Just par for the course when supporting City for god knows how many years....same bullshit, same results. Just won’t be convinced by a happy clapper that it is going to be any other way. A happy clapper view is that we’re improving, we’re building which is the very bullshit spin that the club are churning out. We’re not building, we’ll be selling and then taking wild punts. However, we’re all mugs because we continue to be bothered about Lansdowns toy. 

[BRISTOL86]

6 minutes ago, Cheesleysmate said:

Just par for the course when supporting City for god knows how many years....same bullshit, same results. Just won’t be convinced by a happy clapper that it is going to be any other way.

What people don’t seem to realise is that fans of 90% of clubs in the country will say the same about their club. 

3 into 24 does not go. Ergo nearly 90% of clubs don’t achieve anything every year

[Super]

12 minutes ago, RUSSEL85 said:

 

Would love to know their sources.

7/2 FAV Labrokes and Coral

[Super]

https://www.oddschecker.com/football/football-specials/west-brom/next-permanent-manager

[fishy]

1 hour ago, GrahamC said:

Re Baker, well unless we are LJ, Ashton or the player himself, none of us really know, but LJ has referred to him specifically recently with regard to his poor availability & starting games he wasn’t able to finish.

I know nothing but can’t see the definition of a “difficult summer” just being Reid leaving.

Most of us also understand we are not big hitters financially, but let’s face it, nor are Preston or Brentford, are they?

Final point, whilst our overall recruitment picture can best be described as “mixed” we have replaced Kodjia & then Tammy in the last 2 seasons.

This summer may be the one when we don’t succeed but until we know who goes, who stays and who arrives, we can’t even begin to have a clue.

Maybe the uncertainty comes from LJ leaving and taking players with him? 

[Gert Mare]

19 hours ago, Andy082005 said:

not really that bizarre

Its the classic 'throw someone under the bus'. Whether its someone leaving because they want to...or whether its someone leaving as they are not wanted...it doesnt matter. These type of comments  takes the spot light off of him and his shocking management...and gets the fans putting two and two together about certain players and reasons why we capitulated like we did

 

 

So rather than leave in January and cause fan uproar they signed “pre-agreements” with other clubs in the January window?

Well that would certainly explain the inexplicable capitulation since January.....”Don’t get injured son and don’t go busting a gut as you don’t want to spoil that big summer move eh? And I do want my agent fees you know?!”

7 minutes ago, BRISTOL86 said:

What people don’t seem to realise is that fans of 90% of clubs in the country will say the same about their club. 

3 into 24 does not go. Ergo nearly 90% of clubs don’t achieve anything every year

Because sadly....a lot of our fans but the corporate waffle and ‘believe’. Then they attack those who are ‘negative’ but who understand exactly what you have just stated above. We’re not living the dream and LJ isn’t the Messiah....he’s a very naughty boy!

[CotswoldRed]

4 hours ago, BRISTOL86 said:

We, like everyone else outside the top handful of clubs in world football, are a selling club. 

Not really news is it? 

I’ve long stopped getting attached to individual players. It’s funny how for the last three months no ones had a positive word to say about anyone and then everyone goes batshit about the prospect of them being elsewhere. 

Funny old game. 

Personally I’m happy to see churn of players. Were it not for Tammy leaving, Reid wouldn’t have played etc. Were it not for us needing a centre back, Flint wouldn’t be here etc. If bigger clubs are in for our players it means we’re doing something right in either recruitment, academy or both.

More importantly, Uncle Steve and his magic bottomless wallet isn’t going to be here forever - we need to be able to sustain ourselves as a business. If that day comes when we need to live within our own generated means, then a few are in for a serious reality check about our place in the world....

Fair points although I don't quite get the singling out of Steve - as if we'd be on our knees without him. 

Unless he calls in his debts then presumably when he goes we'll do what many other clubs do to get by by cutting our cloth accordingly. 

Otherwise, how do those around us who don't have sugar-daddies survive? 

[BRISTOL86]

8 minutes ago, CotswoldRed said:

Fair points although I don't quite get the singling out of Steve - as if we'd be on our knees without him. 

Unless he calls in his debts then presumably when he goes we'll do what many other clubs do to get by by cutting our cloth accordingly. 

Otherwise, how do those around us who don't have sugar-daddies survive? 

The point is as a fan base we’ve become very entitled and it’s become the norm for us to expect to be ‘kept’ beyond our means thanks to one man and his money. 

I.E when people say we should sign XYZ or should do this or that....there’s never any thought to how it would be financed given our relatively modest crowds and the infancy of our improved ability to generate non match day revenue. 

Case in point being the fuss on here over the wording of the Twitter account for the stadium. No recognition or gratitude of the fact that we now have another revenue stream - another step towards self sustainability -but just criticism over some wording. 

Same fans who want cheap season tickets also want us to sign a 40-50k a week striker.

As a fan base we live in something of an artificial bubble about our place in the food chain thanks to the endless cash of one man - the reality of if we had to live within our means would be a very stark eye opener. 

[CotswoldRed]

1 minute ago, BRISTOL86 said:

The point is as a fan base we’ve become very entitled and it’s become the norm for us to expect to be ‘kept’ beyond our means thanks to one man and his money. 

I.E when people say we should sign XYZ or should do this or that....there’s never any thought to how it would be financed given our relatively modest crowds and the infancy of our improved ability to generate non match day revenue. 

Case in point being the fuss on here over the wording of the Twitter account for the stadium. No recognition or gratitude of the fact that we now have another revenue stream but just criticism over some wording. 

Same fans who want cheap season tickets also want us to sign a 40-50k a week striker.

As a fan base we live in something of an artificial bubble about our place in the food chain thanks to the endless cash of one man - the reality of if we had to live within our means would be a very stark eye opener. 

Indeed. So be it, if cashflow reduces. The Bristol public can have the club they think they deserve when they bother to turn up in adequate numbers. At least we're moving that way. 

[BRISTOL86]

2 minutes ago, CotswoldRed said:

Indeed. So be it, if cashflow reduces. The Bristol public can have the club they think they deserve when they bother to turn up in adequate numbers. At least we're moving that way. 

It is funny how blinded people become to financial reality. Let’s say 15,000 season tickets and 5,000 POTD for a season. 

Thats probably around £7m in revenue. 

Three players on £40k a week and that’s gone. 

Before transfer fees 

Before wages of the rest of the squad

Before operating costs and depreciation

How on earth do people think we are capable of financing that sort of attitude towards wages?

Why should Steve Lansdown pay for it for you? 

[ScottishRed]

2 hours ago, RedRoss said:

Fans are so fickle especially on here. 

Every club has to sell players because they are driven by the money, the players ambition, the agent, ect.

Lee has been honest about this and is seemed to be chastised for doing so. 

To all you delusional fans that expect us to keep our best players and bat away bigger clubs, stay within FFP, Pay big wages to bring in so called 'established' players and all this with making the tickets cheaper need to get a reality check.

You all seem to forget Lee has essentially made us 10 million profit just on Bobby Reid if he is sold (which I think he will be) of course this is also down to Bobby's personal hard work but I struggle to think of another manager that would have taken the risk to develop Bobby into a striker.

And finally to all the comments talking about bad timing of the announcement - So what? If people are put off with buying a season ticket just because the board or LJ are not promising a spending spree and that we will keep our best players then sod off.

I will be a ticket holder for city regardless of our transfer activity because I'm a loyal fan foremost and not a blinded success hungry follower.

You are exactly the type of "customer " BS want.

Happy with anything they say and do.

[LondonBristolian]

Playing Devil's Advocate a bit here but, over the last three seasons, we have endured three ongoing slumps. We usually only count the two under Lee Johnson because they came later in the season but we got 3 wins in 21 at the end of Cotterill's reign and surely that counts as a slump too, just one that came at the start of the season rather than the end of it.

We tend to think of one common denominator during those slumps, which is Lee Johnson, but actually five of our first team have been regulars during all three slumps, including some of the players we are concerned about losing.

I think the current team contains some of the best players we have had in years but I honestly don't think one manager alone - let alone two - can solely be responsible for frequent declines in form. Maybe there is something within the mentality of the club and some of the players and, following on from that, maybe it is not as big a disaster as we think if some of those players leave. 

I worry about Bobby as I think he would be hard to replace (and, as someone who has only been a regular this season, he escapes the blame in this scenario. But I do think we are in a strange place at the moment as supporters as we yearn for better results but don't want players in the first team to leave or lose their place. And, of course, players could leave and we could be a worse side as a result. But maybe, just maybe, some of the players involved in those slumps moving on COULD give us fresh impetus. Next season could be a disaster, especially if we lose key players. But it could not be...

[Port Said Red]

2 hours ago, Alan Dicks' Barmy Army said:

Super fan alert or Bristol Sport employee ?

Yeah lets announce we are selling all our star players just as we enter the last chance saloon, yet another example of shit management

Sorry? When did this happen?

[Mr Popodopolous]

Someone on this thread cited Brentford and Preston as examples of clubs who are doing well despite being not so rich.

Unsure about Preston, but Brentford tend to year in, year out raise a fair amount through transfers.

Very well run clubs tbh.

[RedRoss]

11 minutes ago, ScottishRed said:

You are exactly the type of "customer " BS want.

Happy with anything they say and do.

You are the exact epitome of a melodramatic unfairly critical and negative OTIB poster. That has big propositions to the way the club should be run but no real substance or logic behind it. 

See it's easy to be judgemental of other posters without any real debate brought to the discussion.

[Midlands Robin]

Given our often quoted approach to signings where players are viewed on a number of occasions and dossiers prepared and reviewed by LJ and the management team, you would have to think our prime summer targets are already well on the boardroom table.

The question remains who goes, to pay for it all.