Get a grip

[Merrick's Marvels]

2 hours ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

I know what you're saying, but the accounts for each season would show a more complete picture.

Personal view is we were a bit overcautious in January, and we could have spent the money better- but no guarantee that Afobe, Grabban or Mitrovic would have joined us- no guarantee at all.

I agree we were over cautious and find it hard to believe there weren't better options out there than Diony, Kent and Walsh that would still have been within our budget. Perhaps enquiries were made and players weren't interested? Who knows?

But as for Mitrovic, Afobe and Grabban...

Mitrovic went to Fulham after a personal phone call from the Fulham manager, a fellow Serbian (a tight bunch that lot). So City had little chance of gazumping the Londoners.                                               

Afobe has connections to Wolves, having played there previously, and Wolves are the best team in the League. City had little chance of gazumping the Wolfs.                                                                               

We tried to sign Grabban previously but he was unwilling to come for the money we were offering. Not sure we should be interested in anyone who's first question is "how much are you going to pay me?", certainly not when he's declined our advances once already.

If not these three, what other high profile, highly paid striker should we have gone for? Cameron Jerome, perhaps. I shudder to think what Derby are paying him as they slide down the table.

And btw, all these are strikers - would results have been dramatically better if any of the above had been playing alongside Reid instead of Diedhiou or Djuric. I think not (fresh legs in midfield far more important).

We've been rubbish by and large since Xmas and we're all highly disappointed / hopping mad but I think the focus on January as the cause of our ills is wide of the mark.

[Marina's Rolls Royce]

21 minutes ago, spudski said:

This is what's doing my nut in...how do you know we threw in the towel in our January window? We could have done the utmost within our budget to get players in.

Do you not think we would have brought players in to try and reinforce and get us over the line, if we could have done? Or are you just going to say, 'it's the City way to cock it up'?

That's such a ridiculous thing to say.

Do you actually believe our recruitment just sat their twiddling their thumbs not trying their best?

How have we made a 'cock up' of things, if we don't have the budget? It's been explained.

It's just ridiculous talk.

I really can't grasp certain fans mentality, when they think we can just go out and buy whoever we want. It just doesn't work like that.

Surely you know by now that there are just so many experts who believe buying a good player is like going to the shops?

It's been explained a thousand times on here, over and over again...why can't people understand?

Because there are just too many fans who form an opinion which is unbreakable whatever the proof to the contrary

And Spudski- last season you wrote a very good post about how sometimes supporting City took over a disproportionate part of one's life and you took  a break- as did I although simply because I don't like to waste my time on reading purely negative or spiteful opinions. 

Just because we don't see the doom and gloom and lose our shit seems to make us happy clappers, delusional or Mark Ashton.

I'm not happy that we didn't get to the play offs but I'm not unhappy in the direction of travel our club is taking.

Genuinely, I feel sorry for posters who only really post when they're venting their spleen about all things City because I guess that there's more to it than that and a wider dissatisfaction with life in general.

 

[Curr Avon]

Regardless of his January signings, by February Johnson had enough fit players available with the abilities to secure the two or three extra victories we subsequently required in the remaining games to secure a top six finish. 

[Merrick's Marvels]

3 minutes ago, Curr Avon said:

Regardless of his January signings, by February Johnson had enough fit players available with the abilities to secure the two or three extra victories we subsequently required in the remaining games to secure a top six finish. 

I agree. And the reasons why we didn't secure those victories are far more pertinent than what we did or didn't do in the transfer window. 

[Red-Robbo]

9 minutes ago, Curr Avon said:

Regardless of his January signings, by February Johnson had enough fit players available with the abilities to secure the two or three extra victories we subsequently required in the remaining games to secure a top six finish. 

He did, but I think, in his naivety,  he failed to appreciate the loss of momentum and confidence that comes from a month-long stack of defeats and poor results*. 

In my view, the narrow loss to Wolves was not the tipping point of the season. The 5-0 to Villa was.

 

* OK, the two Man city games weren't "poor results" but players feel disappointed even when they lose to the best.

[RobintheRed Red]

7 hours ago, old_eastender said:

Well said, fed-up with this we've done well finishing in the top half nonsense, from where we were at end of Dec we have not done well in the league at all, golden opportunity (which might take another 10 years to come around again)  blown.   

Agree ask Reading fans top six one year bottom six the following year

[old_eastender]

4 hours ago, soultrader said:

Genuine question ... why might it take another 10 years?   I might happen next year ?

 

Hi, the 10 years comment was based on the fact that the last time we were in a position to challenge for a place in the Prem was season 07-08 and it's taken until 17-18 for us to challenge again. 

But you are right it might happen next year, just can't see it as expect us to be weaker overall having lost the likes of Flint, Reid & Bryan, expect a dog fight against relegation is more likely under LJ, we shall see.

 

[bristolcitysweden]

18 hours ago, EnglandsNo2 said:

We would of all snapped ur hands of at being offered top half championship football , which we achieved well before the seasons end , yeah we had a cup run and long overdue too I was born 86 the 1st I can remember great well done Move on  . But our problem is as fans  we get to hyped up on the headlines and what other people think of our club . Personally I don’t give a hoot what others think we made strong progress in the league and Now have established ourselves firmly in a good position to push on and make the play offs next year , too many city fans are very short sighted take a step back look at the bigger picture we will get to the prem but it might take another 5 years but as  fans let get behind it and stay behind it because it could be a lot worse just look at the gas 

COYR 

We gladly would before the season but not at christmas time. We are now back on square one or rightly worse off as we are carrying relegation form to the next season.  

[CliftonCliff]

3 minutes ago, RobintheRed Red said:

Agree ask Reading fans top six one year bottom six the following year

Yes, and that ought to tell you something about the league we’re competing in. What can happen from one season to the next can also happen within the same season. It’s been pointed out time and again. Very few teams in the Championship have been able to achieve the kind of season-long consistency required for a top six - let alone a top two - finish, which is why we stayed in contention for as long as we did: just about everybody, with the single exception of Wolves, was screwing up at some stage. We keep hearing that it’s one of the toughest leagues to play in. It’s also one of the most unpredictable, though some doom merchants seem to think they know already what will happen next year.

And Marina RR is right: what some of the more negative posters fail to recognise is that their contributions often reveal more about them than they do about the subject they’re commenting on. Some people have a glass that’s half empty, some half full. And while the majority appear to get dragged into this polarised argument about which it is, a depressingly small number see it for what it is - half a glass, no more, no less and neither reason for celebration nor despair. All this hot air because we find ourselves In essentially much the same situation as the fans of maybe ten or a dozen other Championship clubs. No wonder Spudski’s tearing his hair out. I know how he feels.

[Andy082005]

8 minutes ago, old_eastender said:

Hi, the 10 years comment was based on the fact that the last time we were in a position to challenge for a place in the Prem was season 07-08 and it's taken until 17-18 for us to challenge again. 

But you are right it might happen next year, just can't see it as expect us to be weaker overall having lost the likes of Flint, Reid & Bryan, expect a dog fight against relegation is more likely under LJ, we shall see.

 

With those 3 probally leaving...LJ and his gang of supporters already have their ready made excuse for when we are scrapping it out near the bottom next season 

[Mr Popodopolous]

@RobintheRed Red @CliftonCliff

I keep hearing the Reading example trotted out, but they were overachieving significantly last year- as per a model that is very accurate.

We are on the other hand, are overachieving less so IMO- and while it may not be a top 6 push next year, I don't foresee a relegation scrap either. (Of course, if we lose several key players then we'll have to rebuild and we could slip into difficulty. With this squad or the bulk of it? No).

[bcfcredandwhite]

If being ‘satisfied’ with this season overall qualifies as ‘Happy Clappy’ then I am just that. 

There have been poor performances and frustrating results of late - yes - and I’m not happy with them. Having said that I enjoyed the win over QPR and Sheffield Wednesday which occurred during our slump. It’s not really making me angry tbh - I’ve seen much worse during my time as a fan of this club  

I am however extremely worried about next season - we have some key players who are part of our core squad who are attracting attention from elsewhere with short time left on their contracts. We will have to rebuild, so next season looks risky to me. 

Relegation back to League 1 must NOT happen. 

[Crisis what Crisis ?]

22 hours ago, EnglandsNo2 said:

I’m no happy clapper trust me , but what’s the point in slagging off players that have have gave me the proudest night supporting city beating utd 2-1 I’ll never forget it no drug could top that feeling  , Take that with a comfy top half finish for me our best season since we lost to hull in play off final , attracting better players will be much easier this summer with the war chest lJ will have , min 25 mill income with the sells of flint , Bryan , maggers and duric , we got some cracking youth coming Thur as well Kelly and vyner are jus the tip of the ice berg and we are really going to benefit from the cash injection and restructure that lansdown done years ago we will soon see a lot more Bristol lads in pro football 

....i take it you're not talking pounds sterling ????

 

[WayOutWest]

On 26/04/2018 at 14:27, 054123 said:

We blew a great opportunity.

i really don’t know how else you would summarise it.

Wheels started to fall off, as soon as we started to buy into the media hype, that we are a premier league team in waiting. 

The decline after Xmas is/was alarming. 

Stevo 

[KeepUpLino]

On 26/04/2018 at 22:34, EnglandsNo2 said:

I’m no happy clapper trust me , but what’s the point in slagging off players that have have gave me the proudest night supporting city beating utd 2-1 I’ll never forget it no drug could top that feeling  , Take that with a comfy top half finish for me our best season since we lost to hull in play off final , attracting better players will be much easier this summer with the war chest lJ will have , min 25 mill income with the sells of flint , Bryan , maggers and duric , we got some cracking youth coming Thur as well Kelly and vyner are jus the tip of the ice berg and we are really going to benefit from the cash injection and restructure that lansdown done years ago we will soon see a lot more Bristol lads in pro football 

[Marina's Rolls Royce]

34 minutes ago, KeepUpLino said:

Ah- me ol sparring partner Keepuplino.

It's always nice to see you so active again when things are shit. I so miss you when we're winning.

[REDOXO]

We ****** it up! Not sure how else to see it! 

[KeepUpLino]

9 hours ago, Marina's Rolls Royce said:

Ah- me ol sparring partner Keepuplino.

It's always nice to see you so active again when things are shit. I so miss you when we're winning.

Hello me old mate.. Like i always say to you Marina, when we're winning i'm happy when we're not and people keep getting the wood chip out i'm not... We royally ****** up our chance even you must admit that, the many positives from 2017 up in bloody smoke!