Two weeks in a field

[Olé]

For a period of no less than 2 weeks close the Robins High Performance Centre and move the team back to some school playing fields with a portacabin and a small bumpy car park. Forbid any filming of them for Robins Uncut 35, 36 and 37.

Restore the hunger that drives professionals to improve - that innate anger that in any job demands “I am better than this and I want to prove it”. Unless you’re a big six team, every other squad must be driven by punching above their weight.

Through best intentions of LJ & SL we’ve radically modernised the environment for players to a point where they’ve got the top floor office without the top floor work. And add in a fawning media team that promotes them simply for training.

This is not a dig at basic commitment (everyone no doubt “cares”) but the hunger and fear that focuses the mind on eliminating mistakes, eliminating misses, executing the press because you believe you are better than what is around you.

I believe you need an element of “I’m better than this” at 88 of the 92 clubs in England if you want to succeed and the balance for us is now all wrong. We’re now a “Premier League in waiting” environment with “League One in waiting” results.

In any job you can get too comfortable - especially when you’ve got the executive bathroom and parking spot before you’ve actually earned it. Let’s bring back that hunger and anger that drives on a majority of clubs in our peer group.

Because don’t forget - we’re competing with the Millwall’s and the Coventry’s and the Luton’s to be the best of the rest. This idea of mimicking our parachute-funded friends environments while shopping in Aldi is introducing a complacency.

Bielsa had his squad picking up litter in the park, and ran double training sessions and “murderball” games (11 vs 11, full contact, ball is never out, non stop running). We follow our players about with cameras to see who had the best nutmeg.  

And anyone who bleats that we absolutely need the High Performance Centre to maintain our fitness and conditioning - the last two managers have claimed we would be the fittest in the league and I’m still yet to see any evidence of it. 

[Oh Louie louie]

Terry coopers training ground, was the car park outside the old east end.

Or sometimes the park.

Never did rob newman or alan walsh any harm..

Every player wore adidas samba trainers too.

Came in handy when the ball was kicked in the river in the car park.

 

[Oh Louie louie]

Sounds like bielsas translator has a tough gig!

[wendyredredrobin]

What difference would 2 weeks in a field make?  It doesn't look like they've actually trained anywhere this season.

[Davefevs]

Very good post @Olé.

I recall a Nige interview in pre-season where he said something along the lines of “I always catch them out when I’m around”, suggesting that whilst the cat’s away the mice will play.

Putting two and two together, maybe getting 5, were the coaches letting them get away with stuff when Nige not around.

Ok, maybe Nige should ensure he’s around more.  Fair point.  Looks like he’s decided he needs to be following their removal.

He really needs to use the international break to rejuvenate the squad.  I sense it won’t be, come in Monday, do your tests then bugger off til the following Monday this time around.

Hopefully just Kalas away, and young’uns like Scott and Pearson.  Maybe a reset, e.g. you’re all pretty much back to square one, who knows.

[Clevedon Red]

Can we have them under the trade descriptions act…high performance centre my arse. 

[Davefevs]

25 minutes ago, Clevedon Red said:

Can we have them under the trade descriptions act…high performance centre my arse. 

HPCMA?

[chinapig]

37 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

HPCMA?

The MA could be a tribute to Mark Ashton who, as we know, was everything from architect to bricklayer for the HPC.

[CheddarReds]

9 minutes ago, chinapig said:

The MA could be a tribute to Mark Ashton who, as we know, was everything from architect to bricklayer for the HPC.

I bet Ashton loved talking about the Feng Shui of the RHPC

[Simon bristol]

1 hour ago, Clevedon Red said:

Can we have them under the trade descriptions act…high performance centre my arse. 

Yep, pull up in the range rovers and lamborghinis, being fantastically well rewarded for being a low end championship footballer, while losing most of the time,,, with a nicey Nicey chairman, and manager who cant do much about it… not a bad way of making a living!

[AG City]

I agree, and certainly ties into this 'too nice' and 'soft touch' which has been levelled at the club,  probably since Cotterill left.

You have Dasilva and Palmer prancing around Ashton Court doing a fashion show or something for the purple kit, ridiculous social media nonsense and 'try hard' videos trying to infantilising the fanbase, music in the concourse now at half time like some kids disco, and Downsy and the like welcoming away fans like they are attending a wedding reception.

And don't get me started on new signings being paraded on the roof and treated like some demi god before they've even kicked the ball.  

 

[Dullmoan Tone]

Interesting what Tony Mowbray said yesterday after getting hammered by Fulham.

Something along the lines of, if we were regularly getting beaten 3-0 we would have a soft under belly (they were not, we are) hopefully Ole’s proposed training camp could put some strength in our abs. 

We definitely need to toughen up whether we recruit or not.

[One Team]

The worst thing we did was call it the High Performance Centre, it’s been anything but ever since! 

There is nothing wrong with aspiration but rewards have to be earned not given out before hand. 
 

[Shaun Taylor]

7 hours ago, Olé said:

For a period of no less than 2 weeks close the Robins High Performance Centre and move the team back to some school playing fields with a portacabin and a small bumpy car park. Forbid any filming of them for Robins Uncut 35, 36 and 37.

Restore the hunger that drives professionals to improve - that innate anger that in any job demands “I am better than this and I want to prove it”. Unless you’re a big six team, every other squad must be driven by punching above their weight.

Through best intentions of LJ & SL we’ve radically modernised the environment for players to a point where they’ve got the top floor office without the top floor work. And add in a fawning media team that promotes them simply for training.

This is not a dig at basic commitment (everyone no doubt “cares”) but the hunger and fear that focuses the mind on eliminating mistakes, eliminating misses, executing the press because you believe you are better than what is around you.

I believe you need an element of “I’m better than this” at 88 of the 92 clubs in England if you want to succeed and the balance for us is now all wrong. We’re now a “Premier League in waiting” environment with “League One in waiting” results.

In any job you can get too comfortable - especially when you’ve got the executive bathroom and parking spot before you’ve actually earned it. Let’s bring back that hunger and anger that drives on a majority of clubs in our peer group.

Because don’t forget - we’re competing with the Millwall’s and the Coventry’s and the Luton’s to be the best of the rest. This idea of mimicking our parachute-funded friends environments while shopping in Aldi is introducing a complacency.

Bielsa had his squad picking up litter in the park, and ran double training sessions and “murderball” games (11 vs 11, full contact, ball is never out, non stop running). We follow our players about with cameras to see who had the best nutmeg.  

And anyone who bleats that we absolutely need the High Performance Centre to maintain our fitness and conditioning - the last two managers have claimed we would be the fittest in the league and I’m still yet to see any evidence of it. 

When Lou Macari was manager here in the mid 80's he had the players running along the ridgeway at 6am on a Sunday morning if they hadn't performed the day before and didn't matter if it was home or away and what time they got back on the Saturday evening.

Edited November 4, 2021 by Shaun Taylor

[Tin Soldier]

There was a post on here somewhere that there were certain player/players bunking off last season. Sounds like a lazy culture still exists judging by the way some players are blowing out there arses in the 2nd half of every game this season. Think you can guess some of them judging by recent team selections etc.
Lazy bastards.

Edited November 4, 2021 by Tin Soldier

[Merrick's Marvels]

26 minutes ago, Shaun Taylor said:

When Lou Macari was manager here in the mid 80's he had the players running along the ridgeway at 6am on a Sunday morning if they hadn't performed the day before and didn't matter if it was home or away and what time they got back on the Saturday evening.

Was that in between visits to the bookies and buying brown envelopes at WH Smith? 

Edited November 4, 2021 by Merrick's Marvels

[Peter1450]

Like the comparison of mimicking prem teams whilst shopping in Aldi, if the present team relied on performance related pay they’d be looking for the nearest food bank.

[ZiderEyed]

Stick em in Ashton Park again imo.

[Harry]

The sooner the ridiculously names High Performance Centre is renamed the better. It was an absolute embarrassment from the moment it was announced. 

[Bris Red]

4 minutes ago, Harry said:

The sooner the ridiculously names High Performance Centre is renamed the better. It was an absolute embarrassment from the moment it was announced. 

It’s embarrassing and cringeworthy. Bristol City Football Club training facility would have done but unfortunately that doesn’t have enough of a commercial catchy ring to  it for the corporate bellends that we now have running the club and Bristol Sport.

[Shaun Taylor]

1 hour ago, Merrick's Marvels said:

Was that in between visits to the bookies and buying brown envelopes at WH Smith? 

I bet you didn't know he also owned a bookies at the time

[ExiledAjax]

10 minutes ago, bris red said:

It’s embarrassing and cringeworthy. Bristol City Football Club training facility would have done but unfortunately that doesn’t have enough of a commercial catchy ring to  it for the corporate bellends that we now have running the club and Bristol Sport.

The Robins' Training Centre would be fine as well if they wanted to be little more "on brand". I agree and said at the time it was stupid name laced with hubris.

[Ronnie Sinclair]

Let's face it, building a 'High Performance Centre' in a place called Failand surely meant it was doomed from the start

[Marina's Rolls Royce]

Really poor facilities certainly seems to motivate players- just ask any gas fan.

 

I'm really getting fed up of the who's to blame. It's the Lansdown family , Lee Johnson, Mark Ashton and now high quality training facilities which are too high quality.

WHAT ABOUT THE EFFIN COACHING STAFF AND MANAGER WHO DOESNT COACH????

this is getting mental.

Edited November 4, 2021 by Marina's Rolls Royce
madness

[Malago]

I would rename it the Failand Training Ground, or FTG, which works on more than one level.

[Merrick's Marvels]

Less carrot, more stick. Treat 'em mean, keep 'em keen.

An understandably emotive response from the OP, given our current form. And given the time, money and energy required to travel home and away through thick and thin. Respect.

Unfortunately, we all know that a 2 week boot camp with Pearson dialling the fire and brimstone up to 11 won't resolve our root problems.

These can be boiled down to one thing - he's been left with a dysfunctional group of players that, no matter which 11 you put together, don't work as a team. Was it Aristotle who said something about the whole being greater than the sum of its parts? Well he sure wasn't talking about the City - our whole, our team, is currently very much less than  the sum of its parts.

Time and money are the only things capable of correcting this, i.e. with a radical overhaul of this squad. The way we're going, even Pearson's staunchest supporters may be wondering if he'll be the one to get that time and money. Here's hoping. 

As for the next 2 weeks, if the media bods are banished from the training ground, if we're spared more video of that scouse bloke doing the same warm up routine yet again, spared more video of Rennie telling us how much fitter the players are (yes, but the usual suspects never stay fit, do they???), spared more video of Pearson going "yeah...." and then staring into the middle distance in despair, spared more video of Barton and his inane questions... then job's a good 'un.            

Edited November 4, 2021 by Merrick's Marvels

[Sleepy1968]

10 hours ago, Oh Louie louie said:

Terry coopers training ground, was the car park outside the old east end.

Or sometimes the park.

Never did rob newman or alan walsh any harm..

Every player wore adidas samba trainers too.

Came in handy when the ball was kicked in the river in the car park.

 

Whilst I don't think that was true all the time, I do remember walking back from school on more than one occasion to see the players playing 5 a side in trainers in the car park, so yes this definitely did happen.

Edited November 4, 2021 by Sleepy1968

[Mr Popodopolous]

6 hours ago, Simon bristol said:

Yep, pull up in the range rovers and lamborghinis, being fantastically well rewarded for being a low end championship footballer, while losing most of the time,,, with a nicey Nicey chairman, and manager who cant do much about it… not a bad way of making a living!

Could happen at any reasonably sized club at any reasonable level at any time. I dare say we aren't the only ones and it's not like it's a new issue either.

Question is, modern football- what do you do about it? I do like the suggestion/post by @Olé though.

Edited November 4, 2021 by Mr Popodopolous

[Lew-T]

9 hours ago, Davefevs said:

Very good post @Olé.

I recall a Nige interview in pre-season where he said something along the lines of “I always catch them out when I’m around”, suggesting that whilst the cat’s away the mice will play.

Putting two and two together, maybe getting 5, were the coaches letting them get away with stuff when Nige not around.

Ok, maybe Nige should ensure he’s around more.  Fair point.  Looks like he’s decided he needs to be following their removal.

He really needs to use the international break to rejuvenate the squad.  I sense it won’t be, come in Monday, do your tests then bugger off til the following Monday this time around.

Hopefully just Kalas away, and young’uns like Scott and Pearson.  Maybe a reset, e.g. you’re all pretty much back to square one, who knows.

Apart from the likes of Martin, Weimann and Bentley, I’d say we’ve got a pretty immature squad. From the outside looking in anyway…

Some of these lads are in their mid 20s and you just get the feeling they haven’t matured yet... 

Bakinson, Palmer, Dasilva, O’Dowda all come to mind. Then we have the academy players around the squad, understandably not matured yet. But this all comes back to a lack of leadership from the group, the lads in their mid 20s haven’t done enough.

We need some bite in that dressing room, it’s all too cushty.

[Olé]

3 hours ago, Merrick's Marvels said:

Unfortunately, we all know that a 2 week boot camp with Pearson dialling the fire and brimstone up to 11 won't resolve our root problems.

Hey mate nowhere did I ask for a boot camp - just to keep things in proportion so that at our level there is always an element of aspiration in players. 

This wasn't a flog the players post nor a shout at them more post it was that we have simply broken the fundamental link between environment and results. 

If you did a graph of our time back in the Championship and drew 2 simple lines - one environment one results, one is an upward line, the other is an n curve.

In other words at an unprecedented point where players are most indulged but output is the worst. This doesn't need the riot act just some balance. 

[Merrick's Marvels]

1 hour ago, Olé said:

Hey mate nowhere did I ask for a boot camp - just to keep things in proportion so that at our level there is always an element of aspiration in players. 

This wasn't a flog the players post nor a shout at them more post it was that we have simply broken the fundamental link between environment and results. 

If you did a graph of our time back in the Championship and drew 2 simple lines - one environment one results, one is an upward line, the other is an n curve.

In other words at an unprecedented point where players are most indulged but output is the worst. This doesn't need the riot act just some balance. 

Yeah apologies, I took your post and ran with it a bit! 

[Davefevs]

35 minutes ago, billywedlock said:

Back to running in the sand dunes at Weston then . Yes it did happen. 

Think playing footie on the beach in Mexico was the final straw for my knees.

[Oh Louie louie]

There was a good htv west report.

Would have been the morning after notts county reading maybe.

Joe had the players running up and down the mini hills in ashton park.