Nigel Pearson

[Bernard Lerring]

10 hours ago, RedorDead BCFC said:

I want Nige to work. My concern is that we are living on the fact he’s done it once before in getting Leicester out the Championship. But then you could say Hollowhead got a team out as well. 
 2 things I hate. 
Players are used to managers on the touch line barking instructions or advising them. So why sit in the stands? 
Corners, why do we bring all our players back when it only leads to clearing it and then an easy move for the opposition to attack straight away. 

Add throw ins to your list as well mate, guaranteed way for us to surrender possession. Its F*cking amateur 

[Peter1450]

Funny how everyone sees things so differently,many on here calling NP a dinosaur and yet he sits in the stand for 90 minutes with Harry Potter on his laptop when the team clearly need some leadership qualities pitchside.

      What do these analytics provide except to tell us the likes of Massengo run approximately 11k during a match,no one should need any modern methods to see how crap we’ve become.

[S_C]

8 hours ago, Davefevs said:

We can start the Pearson Out stuff now, but we are just re-starting the re-build.  The foundations aren’t there at the mo’.  We will end up back in the same cycle of bringing a manager in mid season, he does ok for a bit because it’s all done with short term success in mind, and then it breaks, you sack him and it’s back to square one.  It’s hard, but we have to take on some pain, and as a set of fans I don’t think that many are prepared for that.  They want it all now, and then moan that Luton and Coventry are flying.  Well, guess what, they did their rebuild and because they did a good job and were patient, they can now build a two storey extension without planning permission or having to knock half the house down to do it.

Its gonna be tough, I’m prepared to go through that….jeez we did 1981/2.

Show me a football fan who says the season aim is survival and I’ll show you a football fan calling for the managers head in October.

Let’s be clear, the last 30 minutes last night was appalling, inexcusable. And I mean inexcusable. I accept there are reasons why this season, on the whole, will be tough, I don’t accept there are reasons why we should be seeing the shambolic disarray that closed out the game last night. Pearson needs to be given time but that doesn’t mean he is unaccountable for what he puts on the field right now.

I understand why people are angry when watching that, quite frankly it was an embarrassment, unacceptable for a pub team. Call it out. Say it was shit. Say it for what it was. But don’t lose sight of what everyone, what you as individual, acknowledged, that this is going to be a long season with bumps along the way.

People have done/are doing two things here; on one hand they are saying we’re in transition whilst on the other they’ve sold themselves the hype of Nigel Pearson. Have said it before but his reputation carried him through the end of last season, it is now the cross he needs to bear.

[mozo]

9 hours ago, Red-Robbo said:

 

Nige doesn't help the situation, by leaving him on when he's clearly tired. 

My assumption is that Martin, Weimann and James must play every minute of nearly every game, because Pearson is worried that without a core of experienced players in the team, we'll be left with a team of naive young cubs.

[Red-Robbo]

9 minutes ago, mozo said:

My assumption is that Martin, Weimann and James must play every minute of nearly every game, because Pearson is worried that without a core of experienced players in the team, we'll be left with a team of naive young cubs.

 

Dunno which is worse, knackered older players or naive young cubs.

Maybe he was the naive one, thinking we could manage 46 games with the players he has decided are indispensable.

[CodeRed]

29 minutes ago, Peter1450 said:

Funny how everyone sees things so differently,many on here calling NP a dinosaur and yet he sits in the stand for 90 minutes with Harry Potter on his laptop when the team clearly need some leadership qualities pitchside.

      What do these analytics provide except to tell us the likes of Massengo run approximately 11k during a match,no one should need any modern methods to see how crap we’ve become.

[Offside]

I was very happy when Pearson was appointed and he has all the credentials, but our form is very worrying. Our performances are a mess  

I was expecting him to get much more out of the players. 

[Davefevs]

3 hours ago, samo II said:

This is the thing; my concern is - what suggests this won’t be the case?

Both in reference to the above and you’re earlier, longer post; I fully accepted coming into this year we were rebuilding from a position of weakness, and have said repeatedly we’d struggle to get results and probably be the same for performances at times too - it wouldn’t be pretty.

But the concerning thing currently is we aren’t doing anything that looks to progress us out of that state; from consistently selecting the same, often under-performing aging players, to a actual witnessable regression in the general ‘give-a-shit’ demeanour of even the younger players (Tanner for me is an example of this; from keen new face to resigned-to-a-loss body language) - I’m struggling to grasp where the path out starts.

Last year, the new manager ‘bounce’ essentially gave us enough points to ensure relegation would be out of reach other than under the worst possible circumstances - right now we’re looking as bad as we have recently (between Forest and that shambles last night, yes; worst I’ve seen us for years), but have too much of the season left to get out of jail because the games stop.

There appears to be no leadership within the team, and that is probably one of the reason NP is the third manager in charge of them in a worryingly short time, but at some stage something has to tick north - be that the players making a change, the gaffer, or someone else.

Rebuilding; yes, we are, and it’s painful and can’t be expected to happen over night - I personally have always accepted that, and have no illusions around it.

But the concept we can be as uncompetitive as we showed last night (and against Forest, and other times) regularly, shrug, and chalk it up to a lost season betrays the fact that as I’ve said elsewhere - we get no free pass just because we have long term problems.

In football, problems very quickly multiply unless you seek solutions; you can’t just wait for them to go away. I feel NP may be doing the work behind the scenes to get us there (back room staff changes often indicate this), but as a fan, I don’t think expecting more ‘green shoots’ than absolutely none at all is unreasonable at this point, and I hope we get some evidence we at least trying to turn it round soon.

Agree.  Don’t take my posts as being content, I’m definitely not.  I expect more.

2 hours ago, Bernard Lerring said:

Add throw ins to your list as well mate, guaranteed way for us to surrender possession. Its F*cking amateur 

I thought last night was actually good in that respect….we often managed to get Bakinson onto the ball as receiver and lay off, or occasionally open the play out.

We are usually poor though, I won’t argue that.

[Phileas Fogg]

5 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Agree.  Don’t take my posts as being content, I’m definitely not.  I expect more.

I thought last night was actually good in that respect….we often managed to get Bakinson onto the ball as receiver and lay off, or occasionally open the play out.

We are usually poor though, I won’t argue that.

What sort of team would you like us to try Dave? I think we're hamstrung by lack of options. 

A 3-5-2 makes sense.. but I think you need specialists in that wingback position. I like Tanner and he's still adjusting to the level.. asking him to play the extremely taxing wingback role on top of all that would be a bit unfair imo.

Personally I'd like to see us try something like this..

Bentley

Tanner - Kalas - Atkinson - Dasilva

James - Massengo

Weimann - Scott - O'Dowda

Wells

My worry with that team is a lack of physicality and teams obviously target Dasilva so he can be interchanged with Pring. I'd be tempted to give Palmer a go behind Wells but if he's not training well (and Pearson has gone public with this) then it's the wrong message to send to the rest of the squad and would look a bit desperate. I think the team struggles with outlets in wide positions and I think we have to try our only fit natural wide player in O'Dowda (even though I don't particularly rate him).

 

Edited November 3, 2021 by Phileas Fogg

[The Bard]

36 minutes ago, Red-Robbo said:

 

Dunno which is worse, knackered older players or naive young cubs.

Maybe he was the naive one, thinking we could manage 46 games with the players he has decided are indispensable.

My point was that whenever we have midweek league games the knackered older players should be rotated for their own protection and the young Cubs should get a sniff. 

 

Do that over the season and you will have hopefully got the best out your older players whilst giving your younger players a taste of the Championship.

What concerns me is the risk of injury to the older players that means we have to put 2 or 3 of the younger ones in together when they're probably not ready for that.

[dunsteral]

12 hours ago, pl00peh91 said:

Too late to pry Ryan Lowe away from Plymouth?!

Lee Johnson and Dean Holden could be classed as fresh faces and they didn;t work out. I will probably get pelters for saying this,

but the current members of the first team are not pulling up trees so why not try something different, we are stuck with this squad

until january so i say give COD an extended run at least he has some pace which might galvanise them in to some sort of action.

Kasey Palmer has to be good enough to get in to this team, so give him an extended run as well. These two would possibly give us

something to get excited about which we are not getting from the current shower.

I am not saying these two are the long term solution but at the moment we are stuck with what we have got.

It is no good keep doing the same things and getting the same results.

[MarcusX]

12 hours ago, Kibs said:

I really thought that as a minimum, despite the shite he’s inherited, Pearson would make us organised, hard to beat and unpleasant to play against…..but it’s actually the polar opposite. 

This group of players are very average, but they are better than they are currently showing and Pearson is responsible for that. 

This is where I sit on this

I really wanted Pearson instead of Holden, even over Hughton (but I'd have been happy with CH too)

I thought even with a poor squad he'd get us organised, he'd bring some sort of style of play to us

We're absolutely powder puff. How easy did Vyner get brushed aside by Deeney for that second goal? It shouldn't even be Vyner marking him, why is Kalas not taking on that battle or Atkinson? We all know what Deeney is about.

I really want to see a Pearson team with half of this crap moved on and his players on the pitch, but I don't think he'll survive long enough to get that chance.

[supercidered]

12 hours ago, pl00peh91 said:

Too late to pry Ryan Lowe away from Plymouth?!

FFS.

Yawn.

[Redandproud]

12 hours ago, Top Robin said:

He's brought in 5 players which should have improved things

It was stated by the commentator on Sky sports arena last night, NP was offered cash for a sticker in the last window by the board,but refused it, 

[MarcusX]

5 minutes ago, dunsteral said:

Lee Johnson and Dean Holden could be classed as fresh faces and they didn;t work out. I will probably get pelters for saying this,

but the current members of the first team are not pulling up trees so why not try something different, we are stuck with this squad

until january so i say give COD an extended run at least he has some pace which might galvanise them in to some sort of action.

Kasey Palmer has to be good enough to get in to this team, so give him an extended run as well. These two would possibly give us

something to get excited about which we are not getting from the current shower.

I am not saying these two are the long term solution but at the moment we are stuck with what we have got.

It is no good keep doing the same things and getting the same results.

No idea how LJ "didn't work out"

Some of the best league positions we've achieved in 40 years were under LJ. He didn't quite get us over line but he consistently go us fighting around the playoffs. He just didn't have enough about him to get us over the line

And don't forget the cup run.

He then had his best players sold from under him

[Phileas Fogg]

Just now, supercidered said:

FFS.

Yawn.

What does that mean? Ryan Lowe is someone we've been rumoured to have looked into before. He's reasonably local and seemingly realistic. His career is on the ascendency and his Plymouth team look very good whilst playing excellent football. He'd obviously be discussed as a realistic alternative. 

[Davefevs]

12 minutes ago, Phileas Fogg said:

What sort of team would you like us to try Dave? I think we're hamstrung by lack of options. 

A 3-5-2 makes sense.. but I think you need specialists in that wingback position. I like Tanner and he's still adjusting to the level.. asking him to play the extremely taxing wingback role on top of all that would be a bit unfair imo.

Personally I'd like to see us try something like this..

Bentley

Tanner - Kalas - Atkinson - Dasilva

James - Massengo

Weimann - Scott - O'Dowda

Wells

My worry with that team is a lack of physicality and teams obviously target Dasilva so he can be interchanged with Pring. I'd be tempted to give Palmer a go behind Wells but if he's not training well (and Pearson has gone public with this) then it's the wrong message to send to the rest of the squad and would look a bit desperate. I think the team struggles with outlets in wide positions and I think we have to try our only fit natural wide player in O'Dowda (even though I don't particularly rate him).

 

Sat here this morning and on the assumption James is fit and any other caveats you can think of:

                         Bentley

       Vyner | Kalas | Atkinson | Baker

Weimann | James | Massengo | Pring (I’d love Williams to be fit and I’d leave Weimann out)

                          Scott

                          Wells

Pring and Weimann would play on Coventry’s wingbacks and be disciplined in stopping them getting into the game…they may have to pass on to Vyner and Baker as situations develop.  Scott and Wells can let their CBs have the ball, on one proviso, they don’t bring it forward, whilst blocking passing lanes into midfield.

With the ball, we need to make our 8v7 (Scott and Wells covered by their 3 CBs) count and create the ability to move the ball up the pitch, without resorting to lumping it.  Lumping it is actually ok in some respects, but you have to anticipate the dropping ball.

[Negan]

12 hours ago, BS4 on Tour... said:

That’s not true - 2 managers in 7 months were “seen off” - LJ in July 2020 and DH in February 2021 - where did you get “3 managers in 18 months” from?!

It would be on the assumption Pearson would be sacked as per the theme of this thread. Should have made that clearer

[Street red]

12 hours ago, grifty said:

I'd prefer to sack about 12 players than the manager...

Inconsistent bunch of wasters simple really.

[2015]

I admit I have been one of NP defendants since the Summer, but I am having my doubts whether he will get us out of this mess right now. 

We have looked woeful since the first international break in September, I have never known a City side so uncomfortable in possession and devoid of creativity and threat (Even when we were relegated we managed to be threatening). He has to take some responsibility for how bad we have been, we don't look confident or sharp at all. At least play Scott and Massengo most games so we have something to get excited about? His demeanour recently has been negative and it sounds like the same old same old which reflects on the performances of players.

The bigger picture though is this has just been a continuation of crap since around 2019 when LJ was in charge of absolute rubbish football and 'survivalist first' mentality that is causing our downward spiral. There is an aura around the club that they value the club higher than what it actually is 'High Performance Centre' kind of speak which is total rubbish as far as i'm concerned. Steve Lansdown to me has again fallen asleep at the wheel and is watching us slide again back to League 1. 

 

I wish we were back at the old style Ashton Gate with players who loved playing for the club and it didn't feel very corporate at all, but the whole experience over the last 2 or 3 years have been that of corporatism and arrogance from within the club

[samo II]

39 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Agree.  Don’t take my posts as being content, I’m definitely not.  I expect more.

Sure; I’d certainly not take it as you’d accepted things, more articulating my concerns.

We (and NP too) are in a tough spot; it’s hard to ‘bottom out’ a squad from a performance perspective when you have limited resources to work with, and contractual/structural issues to address.

But I do feel that looking at the line up each game going “oh a little shuffle here or there” then seeing them collapse so predictably once again when faced with adversity warrants something more drastic being done.

In a few sports I’ve been in ‘locker rooms’ of different tilts; some of winning teams, some of losing ones, and while all of this was at an amateur (albeit-a few times National) level, the thing that defined a ‘good’ one from ‘bad’ wasn’t the results, but the attitude.

Right now what chills me to the bone is we look like a team that clocks in, does the minimum, and clocks out. I thought we’d be often outgunned but at least not out fought under Pearson; however, we look simply out ‘efforted’, which is hard to forgive.

For me, we have a game before the next international break - I’d be looking all the ‘old pros’ in the eye, offering them to have an extra week off, but telling them you’re playing a full under 23 team against Coventry, and anyone of them who performs well keeps their spot - see who takes the jolly and who has a bit more pride and fight than that, and work with what is left.

Yes; It’s a mad idea, but if you don’t draw the line and dare people to cross it now, inertia creeps, and once that downward momentum kicks in, are we sure we can halt it?

[mozo]

1 hour ago, Red-Robbo said:

Dunno which is worse, knackered older players or naive young cubs.

I'm with you. I'd rather see energy and enthusiasm than reliable plodder.

38 minutes ago, The Bard said:

My point was that whenever we have midweek league games the knackered older players should be rotated for their own protection and the young Cubs should get a sniff. 

There's probably a balance to be had and I'm pretty sure we're not achieving it.

[Waconda]

11 minutes ago, 2015 said:

I admit I have been one of NP defendants since the Summer, but I am having my doubts whether he will get us out of this mess right now. 

We have looked woeful since the first international break in September, I have never known a City side so uncomfortable in possession and devoid of creativity and threat (Even when we were relegated we managed to be threatening). He has to take some responsibility for how bad we have been, we don't look confident or sharp at all. At least play Scott and Massengo most games so we have something to get excited about? His demeanour recently has been negative and it sounds like the same old same old which reflects on the performances of players.

The bigger picture though is this has just been a continuation of crap since around 2019 when LJ was in charge of absolute rubbish football and 'survivalist first' mentality that is causing our downward spiral. There is an aura around the club that they value the club higher than what it actually is 'High Performance Centre' kind of speak which is total rubbish as far as i'm concerned. Steve Lansdown to me has again fallen asleep at the wheel and is watching us slide again back to League 1. 

 

I wish we were back at the old style Ashton Gate with players who loved playing for the club and it didn't feel very corporate at all, but the whole experience over the last 2 or 3 years have been that of corporatism and arrogance from within the club

Man City cup games was the "high water mark"  it has been a steady decline from that point until a couple of months ago.

Now it is total shambolic freefall.

[Porto Red]

12 hours ago, TomThumb84 said:

Could say the same about Lansdown.

Lovely ground that we cannot win in, and a High Performance Centre for mediocre performers.

Just forgot to appoint managers or CEO’s who could get a team on the pitch or keep valuable assets at the club.

So what you are saying is..."ground, ground, ground, and we forgot about the team"?

[Gert Mare]

Yes, we lost last night and the manner in which we lost was disappointing. However, it has been clear for a long time now (pre-pearson) that we have made a lot of poor recruitment decisions and have failed to replace what we have lost adequately in terms of ability.

On paper we have a mid/lower end of Championship team and the results that we have been getting reflect where we are. What has changed under the Nigel Pearson tenure is that our general fitness has improved and we are at least able to compete to a degree in games. Under Dean Holden we were getting totally outplayed and over-run. Quite a number of our failings this season has been as a result of individual errors. That's football. This league is one of the toughest in the world and give or take a few clubs with parachute payments any team can beat any other and it is very tight.

It is clear that as a club we are losing money and need to operate within the boundaries of FFP. We have a number of high earners with experience and ability, but have we really seen a return on our investments? No. Is there any managers out there who can get more out of those players than Nigel Pearson? I don't think so. It really boils down to an individuals mentality. Unfortunately that cannot be changed. Even the best managers in the world cannot change mindsets today. Why? Because players are protected no matter what and unlike Managers if they don't perform they aren't going to get sacked. They continue to be paid well and see out their time before moving on.

The bottom line at this club is that the majority of players at this club are simply not good enough to compete at this level. Some are too young and inexperienced and need time to improve, some will never improve to the standard required, and some have the ability but really couldn't give a toss about Bristol City. We are hardly a club steeped in history. We are a stepping stone, a feeder club, a yo-yo club, a club never seriously considered as Premier League promotion contenders by anyone who doesn't support Bristol City.

We lack creativity full stop. No amount of fitness training or coaching is going to make the players we have any more creative. That is down to natural ability and a lot of our players just simply do not possess that ability.

Go ahead, sack Nigel Pearson and get someone else in, but expect the same results from the same players. There is no magic wand that can be waved. Nigel was given a 3 year contract to rebuild and that is going to take a long time. It could also mean relegation (let's hope not), but realistically the job that Nigel has on his hands is massive.

Expect to see the big earners departing in the near future and expect more kids and journeymen because it is coming. In order to have a financially viable football club to support this is what will need to happen.

It is going to get a lot worse before it gets better and you can moan all you want about Nigel Pearson, but he is working with what he has at his disposal and you cannot polish a turd. 

Football nowadays is unfathomable. Every time a team loses the fans start calling for the managers head. Well, there are 92 teams in the football league and it is impossible for them all to win every game every week. Get real. Eventually we will get it right and with a bit of luck we might be fortunate enough to compete at the top end of the Championship, but this isn't happening anytime soon with or without Nigel Pearson in charge.

P.S Play Louis Britton FFS!

 

 

[Bristol Oil Services]

8 hours ago, Redandproud said:

It was stated by the commentator on Sky sports arena last night, NP was offered cash for a sticker in the last window by the board,but refused it, 

What was the sticker, mate? "Support Bristol City now. Or **** off" ? That was a good 'un, back in the day.

Or was it one of they Darryl Clark stickers?

[Lew-T]

The bottom line is that we haven’t replaced the players that have departed. Fam, Eliasson, Pato, Pack, Ayling, Smith, Reid, Bryan etc 

Or in some positions we’ve recruited poorly. The downward spiral has been going on for a while now, and I think it’ll get worse before it gets better.

I’m sticking with Nige as I feel he’s not had a real crack at it yet and the problems started long before him.

[Red-Robbo]

5 hours ago, Gert Mare said:

Yes, we lost last night and the manner in which we lost was disappointing. However, it has been clear for a long time now (pre-pearson) that we have made a lot of poor recruitment decisions and have failed to replace what we have lost adequately in terms of ability.

On paper we have a mid/lower end of Championship team and the results that we have been getting reflect where we are. What has changed under the Nigel Pearson tenure is that our general fitness has improved and we are at least able to compete to a degree in games. Under Dean Holden we were getting totally outplayed and over-run. Quite a number of our failings this season has been as a result of individual errors. That's football. This league is one of the toughest in the world and give or take a few clubs with parachute payments any team can beat any other and it is very tight.

It is clear that as a club we are losing money and need to operate within the boundaries of FFP. We have a number of high earners with experience and ability, but have we really seen a return on our investments? No. Is there any managers out there who can get more out of those players than Nigel Pearson? I don't think so. It really boils down to an individuals mentality. Unfortunately that cannot be changed. Even the best managers in the world cannot change mindsets today. Why? Because players are protected no matter what and unlike Managers if they don't perform they aren't going to get sacked. They continue to be paid well and see out their time before moving on.

The bottom line at this club is that the majority of players at this club are simply not good enough to compete at this level. Some are too young and inexperienced and need time to improve, some will never improve to the standard required, and some have the ability but really couldn't give a toss about Bristol City. We are hardly a club steeped in history. We are a stepping stone, a feeder club, a yo-yo club, a club never seriously considered as Premier League promotion contenders by anyone who doesn't support Bristol City.

We lack creativity full stop. No amount of fitness training or coaching is going to make the players we have any more creative. That is down to natural ability and a lot of our players just simply do not possess that ability.

Go ahead, sack Nigel Pearson and get someone else in, but expect the same results from the same players. There is no magic wand that can be waved. Nigel was given a 3 year contract to rebuild and that is going to take a long time. It could also mean relegation (let's hope not), but realistically the job that Nigel has on his hands is massive.

Expect to see the big earners departing in the near future and expect more kids and journeymen because it is coming. In order to have a financially viable football club to support this is what will need to happen.

It is going to get a lot worse before it gets better and you can moan all you want about Nigel Pearson, but he is working with what he has at his disposal and you cannot polish a turd. 

Football nowadays is unfathomable. Every time a team loses the fans start calling for the managers head. Well, there are 92 teams in the football league and it is impossible for them all to win every game every week. Get real. Eventually we will get it right and with a bit of luck we might be fortunate enough to compete at the top end of the Championship, but this isn't happening anytime soon with or without Nigel Pearson in charge.

P.S Play Louis Britton FFS!

 

 

 

I would be staggered if Pearson kept his job if we were relegated. It isn't as if he's banked much goodwill through success since he was here.

In terms of fitness, I'm not sure we are a hell of a lot better than we were under Holden.  Fewer injuries (so far), but we look slow and knackered compared to virtually everyone we face.  Maybe starting four, 30+ year old players against Brum had something to do with that. 

I'm not a Pearson Out man, but if the players need a kick up the arse after that performance, so does our manager.  He's making mistakes and doesn't seem to be able to communicate what he wants people to do. It makes me quite nervous. 

[Redandproud]

13 hours ago, Moments of Pleasure said:

What was the sticker, mate? "Support Bristol City now. Or **** off" ? That was a good 'un, back in the day.

Or was it one of they Darryl Clark stickers?

"WHAT"?

[supercidered]

22 hours ago, Phileas Fogg said:

What does that mean? Ryan Lowe is someone we've been rumoured to have looked into before. He's reasonably local and seemingly realistic. His career is on the ascendency and his Plymouth team look very good whilst playing excellent football. He'd obviously be discussed as a realistic alternative. 

FFS. Yawn. Means that its been done to death.

Ryan Lowe being seen as the best new thing since whatever is just desperate. Reasonably local. Yes. The rest is debatable at best.

Career in ascendency. His team are in the mix in League One but hardly tearing it up. I'm not sure where the 'playing excellent football' comes from? As I live near Plymouth I have this mis-fortune of knowing a lot of Plymouth regulars ( in that they regularly go only when Plymouth are doing well). They do love their manager but they certainly don't echo the 'excellent football' myth that keeps being banded about on here.

If City binned NP now and recruited RL then it would be a gamble on an unimaginable scale. City are in such a state that even NP or any other manager is going to find our predicament a challenge. Bringing in a Championship rookie Manager would only make things even worse. City have made their choice with NP and need to stick with it.