Pearson’s Not Happy!

[Ivorguy]

2 hours ago, Phileas Fogg said:

I know you've been saying this for years. How would this be done? I'm not aware that auditors for sports teams (the playing side) exist really. 

I imagine Pearson is essentially 'auditing' the club constantly. Most managers probably do to an extent, but as you say - our board don't seem to respond to criticism. 

This would be a sports management audit not a financial one. Plenty of academic sports management people around for a start.

If I was a potential investor I would require something like this to be done, especially in the, now public, light of manager’s comments.

[Davefevs]

2 hours ago, VT05763 said:

Bakinson put in a transfer request in the Summer.

Did the club accept it?

Were there interested clubs….surely we’d have moved him on?

6 minutes ago, 1960maaan said:

@ExiledAjax

Yep, as I said , you can't tell how it was said without seeing the clip, which ain't gonna happen.

It just makes the Club appear, weak, petty and scared of opinion . 
All it would take is Jon and/or Steve to come out and say something like. Different opinions are healthy , we know there were mistakes made and we want to be better than we are. They are far too defensive when it comes to the media, just looks weak.

Yes, just like defending themselves over MA versus the fans view of him.  They see agreeing with criticism as a weakness….most fans would welcome it and see it as a strength.  Their optics are wrong.

Edited February 18, 2022 by Davefevs

[1960maaan]

8 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

 They see agreeing with criticism as a weakness….most fans would welcome it and see it as a strength.

Exactly Dave. 

[ExiledAjax]

6 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Did the club accept it?

Were there interested clubs….surely we’d have moved him on?

Yes, just like defending themselves over MA versus the fans view of him.  They see agreeing with criticism as a weakness….most fans would welcome it and see it as a strength.  Their optics are wrong.

Honestly though, it's an undercurrent we've seen before. Cancelling fan AGMs, a slight prickliness when questioned, that kind of thing...it's this slight ivory tower syndrome that I think comes out every now and then. For me it comes from  previous, more stoic age when you got your head down and worked. Perhaps it's what earned SL his billions, and he applies it now...but I agree in this modern age of reflection, sharing, and contrition I think it comes across poorly.

There have been some really interesting discussions brought up by the events of this season and the comments of the past 48 hours. Discussions around the nature of success, around the nature of control and leadership, and around the relationship between fans and the club.

[Red Exile]

5 minutes ago, ExiledAjax said:

Honestly though, it's an undercurrent we've seen before. Cancelling fan AGMs, a slight prickliness when questioned, that kind of thing...it's this slight ivory tower syndrome that I think comes out every now and then. For me it comes from  previous, more stoic age when you got your head down and worked. Perhaps it's what earned SL his billions, and he applies it now...but I agree in this modern age of reflection, sharing, and contrition I think it comes across poorly.

There have been some really interesting discussions brought up by the events of this season and the comments of the past 48 hours. Discussions around the nature of success, around the nature of control and leadership, and around the relationship between fans and the club.

Agree on interesting discussions - it's encouraging that they have, in part, been stimulated by a piece of decent local journalism.

On SL's PR management I think it's more fundamental to him. He doesn't have the common touch for all that he has a Bristolian accent, he's not grown up a football fan and at fan events has never seemed particularly comfortable with the mildly drunken banter that ensues. He's a bit self-conscious, awkward and clumsy when interviewed, sometimes ends up saying things he didn't mean to, not a natural...but at the same time he's got all the self-doubt you'd expect of a self-made billionaire and when he is being challenged gets defensive, and reveals himself to be more arrogant than he wants people to believe him to be...see his defence of LJ...

...it can all be glossed over when things are going well. At the moment they aren't, and the manager is better at all this than Steve (to say nothing of Jon!)

[Waconda]

9 minutes ago, Red Exile said:

Agree on interesting discussions - it's encouraging that they have, in part, been stimulated by a piece of decent local journalism.

On SL's PR management I think it's more fundamental to him. He doesn't have the common touch for all that he has a Bristolian accent, he's not grown up a football fan and at fan events has never seemed particularly comfortable with the mildly drunken banter that ensues. He's a bit self-conscious, awkward and clumsy when interviewed, sometimes ends up saying things he didn't mean to, not a natural...but at the same time he's got all the self-doubt you'd expect of a self-made billionaire and when he is being challenged gets defensive, and reveals himself to be more arrogant than he wants people to believe him to be...see his defence of LJ...

...it can all be glossed over when things are going well. At the moment they aren't, and the manager is better at all this than Steve (to say nothing of Jon!)

The issue is for NP though is that he is only here at the Lansdowns behest. 

Whichever side you are on here there is a line when dealing with your employers that should never be crossed.

Ironically NP has been implying this when dealing with problem players. "not on board then ta ta".

Hopefully all a bit of miscommunication and bad PR that can be overcome but certainly makes the ice that much bit thinner.

Edited February 18, 2022 by VT05763

[Red Exile]

4 minutes ago, VT05763 said:

The issue is for NP though is that he is only here at the Lansdowns behest. 

Whichever side you are on here there is a line when dealing with your employers that should never be crossed.

Ironically NP has been implying this when dealing with problem players. "not on board then ta ta".

Hopefully all a bit of miscommunication and bad PR that can be overcome but certainly makes the ice that much bit thinner.

Maybe - but I'm not sure how bothered in the long term Pearson would be by being shown the door. It would be a personal blow, he's put in a shift against the odds, maybe it would be his last club, it would be disappointing etc etc... but at the end of the day I don't doubt that the football world would consider that Steve Lansdown is getting more from the relationship with Nigel Pearson than the other way around. 

If the club isn't following Pearson's advice I'm not sure what plan they are following. We've heard so little from our owner in recent times that I'd struggle to say what exactly his objectives are any more.

[Merrick's Marvels]

2 hours ago, DingleRed said:

For all the criticism of SL and his family, reflect on the fact that, under their ownership, 13 of the past 15 seasons have been spent in the Championship. In the previous 15 years it was 4. I don't believe we have seen that level of consistency at this level in my 60 years following the club. I guess we could all make better decisions, mostly with hindsight. This consistency has come at a cost but not out of step with many other clubs. If running a club was that easy......

This is factually correct.

We could take some sustenance from it, if only just being in the Championship was the height of our ambition. But no, we are constantly told top 6 is the aim, the Premier League is the aim.

We are told this by the owner himself.

Curiously, whenever the owner fails to deliver on his stated aims, it's always someone else's fault, someone else who gets the sack.

Curiously, criticism of the owner for failing to deliver his own stated aims, after 26 years having a go at it, is frowned upon.

But yes, being a Tier 2 club for 13 out of the last 15 seasons is - historically - good going for BCFC. If just being a Championship club is what floats your boat.   

Edited February 18, 2022 by Merrick's Marvels

[GrahamC]

2 minutes ago, Red Exile said:

Maybe - but I'm not sure how bothered in the long term Pearson would be by being shown the door. It would be a personal blow, he's put in a shift against the odds, maybe it would be his last club, it would be disappointing etc etc... but at the end of the day I don't doubt that the football world would consider that Steve Lansdown is getting more from the relationship with Nigel Pearson than the other way around. 

If the club isn't following Pearson's advice I'm not sure what plan they are following. We've heard so little from our owner in recent times that I'd struggle to say what exactly his objectives are any more.

You know this Steve, but Pearson & I are exactly the same age.

You do reach a point in your professional life when you have a fairly rounded view of your own worth & the stage of proving yourself to others is well in the past.

Pearson knows he has a decent track record overall (most managers have a blot or two by then) & I genuinely think he was intrigued by the challenge & that’s why he took it on.

He’s definitely not stupid though & has made a good living from football that he is far too smart to have frittered away, so he is very comfortable in saying it as it is & if that means they don’t like it & so part ways as a result, he won’t lose sleep over that.

He is far more popular with the majority of our fan base than his results would suggest for good reason, there is an honesty & substance here.

It would be so typical of us having finally appointed someone who has walked the walk that it ends because he upsets the cozy & uncritical atmosphere they clearly want to keep.

[Numero Uno]

18 minutes ago, VT05763 said:

The issue is for NP though is that he is only here at the Lansdowns behest. 

Whichever side you are on here there is a line when dealing with your employers that should never be crossed.

Ironically NP has been implying this when dealing with problem players. "not on board then ta ta".

Hopefully all a bit of miscommunication and bad PR that can be overcome but certainly makes the ice that much bit thinner.

I'm sure many people on this forum have been in a work situation when they feel their boss is out of order and whilst enjoying the job they are in have decided "sod it, they can have a bit back" and if I get fired then so be it. You must have personal pride that prevents you being treated with contempt.....if you have anything about you that is. I know I have said my piece in the past when it needed saying and I never got fired, it had the opposite effect. Employer/Employee relationships are not a one way street, the employer has a responsibility to the employee too.

[Davefevs]

21 minutes ago, Red Exile said:

Maybe - but I'm not sure how bothered in the long term Pearson would be by being shown the door. It would be a personal blow, he's put in a shift against the odds, maybe it would be his last club, it would be disappointing etc etc... but at the end of the day I don't doubt that the football world would consider that Steve Lansdown is getting more from the relationship with Nigel Pearson than the other way around. 

If the club isn't following Pearson's advice I'm not sure what plan they are following. We've heard so little from our owner in recent times that I'd struggle to say what exactly his objectives are any more.

I think this will be his last club.  A final opportunity to do “a Leicester” or at least bring top flight football back to Bristol.  I don’t think he will go anywhere else after us….other than Devon and Sheffield.

[ExiledAjax]

2 minutes ago, Merrick's Marvels said:

This is factually correct.

We could take some sustenance from it, if only just being in the Championship was the height of our ambition. But no, we are constantly told the Premier League is the aim, top 6 is the aim.

We are told this by the owner himself.

Curiously, whenever the owner fails to deliver on his stated aims, it's always someone else's fault, someone else who gets the sack.

Curiously, criticism of the owner for failing to deliver his own stated aims, after 26 years having a go at it, is frowned upon.

But yes, being a Tier 2 club for 13 out of the last 15 seasons is - historically - good going for BCFC. If just being a Championship club is what floats your boat.   

And this is an example of my reference to discussions around the nature of success and the mechanism for measuring it. Indeed is there even any point in measuring it, or does that always inevitably lead to disappointment. Sport is all about 'success', and we measure it on both grand sweeping levels with things like tables, cups, and trophy cabinets. In the modern age we also measure it in minute detail when we discuss shots per 90, xG, PPDA, and the litany of other statistics. We also measure it financially in ever increasing detail. Finally, I believe that each individual measures it emotionally as well.

There is also the question of which yard stick is the correct one against which to measure current achievement? Do we religiously use the current league table to measure ourselves against our peers? Or is it better to do as @DingleRed does and look to our own record and see whether we are currently bettering the Bristol City of the past? 

It goes as well to the discussion of expectation, and how you reconcile that with each individual's perception of success. Success and expectation are inexorably linked and each shifts and changes in relation to the other.

It's a subject I have been thinking about a lot in my personal life and I think our current season is an excellent chance to study success, expectation, and what it means to us and our football club.

[Red Exile]

12 minutes ago, GrahamC said:

It would be so typical of us having finally appointed someone who has walked the walk that it ends because he upsets the cozy & uncritical atmosphere they clearly want to keep.

I agree with your sentiments Graham - spot on.

Sadly the 'cozy and uncritical atmosphere' is something valued by a fair few in our fan base! Much as I enjoy reading contributions to OTIB what I find baffling is the assumption some contributors have that the only future for the club is a repeat of the past 20+ years of flashes of excitement in a sea of mediocrity.

[oldstandrobin]

17 hours ago, CyderInACan said:

Jon Lansdown is a bellend. 

Speak your mind Reg.....but you are right.

[GrahamC]

Just now, Red Exile said:

I agree with your sentiments Graham - spot on.

Sadly the 'cozy and uncritical atmosphere' is something valued by a fair few in our fan base! Much as I enjoy reading contributions to OTIB what I find baffling is the assumption some contributors have that the only future for the club is a repeat of the past 20+ years of flashes of excitement in a sea of mediocrity.

It’s a little like what happened with Cotterill, who I really liked.

To be completely fair the difference was SC (unlike NP) hadn’t really ever been a big success at Championship level, though he certainly burned with the determination to be so.

How well he could have done if he’d been backed like his successor was will always be one of the unknown questions. 

He certainly upset the apple cart, though…
 

[Red Exile]

9 minutes ago, ExiledAjax said:

And this is an example of my reference to discussions around the nature of success and the mechanism for measuring it. Indeed is there even any point in measuring it, or does that always inevitably lead to disappointment. Sport is all about 'success', and we measure it on both grand sweeping levels with things like tables, cups, and trophy cabinets. In the modern age we also measure it in minute detail when we discuss shots per 90, xG, PPDA, and the litany of other statistics. We also measure it financially in ever increasing detail. Finally, I believe that each individual measures it emotionally as well.

There is also the question of which yard stick is the correct one against which to measure current achievement? Do we religiously use the current league table to measure ourselves against our peers? Or is it better to do as @DingleRed does and look to our own record and see whether we are currently bettering the Bristol City of the past? 

It goes as well to the discussion of expectation, and how you reconcile that with each individual's perception of success. Success and expectation are inexorably linked and each shifts and changes in relation to the other.

It's a subject I have been thinking about a lot in my personal life and I think our current season is an excellent chance to study success, expectation, and what it means to us and our football club.

OTIB at its best! A thought provoking thread.

I was 18 when we dropped out of the top flight, been waiting for us to return my whole adult life. My best friend at uni was a Bradford City fan, my wife's family all support Hull. How implausible it would have seemed in 1980, when they were both rubbish, that before City made it back both would have played in major cup finals and the Premier League? Success for me is about promotion, my hope is that more than once every 40 years we'll give it a go! On the way I can live with football that gets me out of my seat. Sadly my expectation is defeat snatched from the jaws of victory, this season we have become specialists. For all the countless hours and all the money, despite the occasional and wonderful highs, overall I can think of nothing in my life that has been as relentlessly disappointing as supporting Bristol City!

Which does sometimes make me wonder why I bother...before buying another season ticket...it has been character building, and I'm imagining that when the success comes it will be all the sweeter.

[Isawjonshaw]

25 minutes ago, Red Exile said:

I agree with your sentiments Graham - spot on.

Sadly the 'cozy and uncritical atmosphere' is something valued by a fair few in our fan base! Much as I enjoy reading contributions to OTIB what I find baffling is the assumption some contributors have that the only future for the club is a repeat of the past 20+ years of flashes of excitement in a sea of mediocrity.

Spot on

[ExiledAjax]

12 minutes ago, Red Exile said:

OTIB at its best! A thought provoking thread.

I was 18 when we dropped out of the top flight, been waiting for us to return my whole adult life. My best friend at uni was a Bradford City fan, my wife's family all support Hull. How implausible it would have seemed in 1980, when they were both rubbish, that before City made it back both would have played in major cup finals and the Premier League? Success for me is about promotion, my hope is that more than once every 40 years we'll give it a go! On the way I can live with football that gets me out of my seat. Sadly my expectation is defeat snatched from the jaws of victory, this season we have become specialists. For all the countless hours and all the money, despite the occasional and wonderful highs, overall I can think of nothing in my life that has been as relentlessly disappointing as supporting Bristol City!

Which does sometimes make me wonder why I bother...before buying another season ticket...it has been character building, and I'm imagining that when the success comes it will be all the sweeter.

Too kind. I think that success, how we measure it and what it means, is a topic ripe for a pre-season thread and broader discussion.

Just on the two bits in bold, firstly thanks for offering up what those two things currently are for you personally, secondly, it's interesting to read that for you (and stop me if I am wrong) the meanings of success and expectation are shaped by your historical experience and relationship with Bristol City. You seem to see success as a long term goal, but expectation is framed in terms of the individual short term event that is a match at 3pm on a Saturday. You have framed success through the lens of how we stack up against other teams, in particular certain teams that you encounter frequently due to friends and family. However, from what you've written here it seems that expectation is driven by the way that we, in isolation from other teams, are performing.

So, is success a broader, long term aspect of the club, but expectations are more short term and can change more quickly depending on our current form?

Is that a fair assessment? Have I interpreted your words as you intended?

I find what you've written very interesting.

[Tin Soldier]

56 minutes ago, GrahamC said:

You know this Steve, but Pearson & I are exactly the same age.

You do reach a point in your professional life when you have a fairly rounded view of your own worth & the stage of proving yourself to others is well in the past.

Pearson knows he has a decent track record overall (most managers have a blot or two by then) & I genuinely think he was intrigued by the challenge & that’s why he took it on.

He’s definitely not stupid though & has made a good living from football that he is far too smart to have frittered away, so he is very comfortable in saying it as it is & if that means they don’t like it & so part ways as a result, he won’t lose sleep over that.

He is far more popular with the majority of our fan base than his results would suggest for good reason, there is an honesty & substance here.

It would be so typical of us having finally appointed someone who has walked the walk that it ends because he upsets the cozy & uncritical atmosphere they clearly want to keep.

Post of the day for me. Absolutely correct.

[Gillies Downs Leeds]

4 hours ago, Yellow&Blue&Red said:

The way that Pearson blasted Bakinson was puzzling. As above, if he wants to get rid of him, I couldn't understand why he'd undermine his resale value.

One possibility that occurred to me was that Bakinson had been argumentative and / or undermining of other players or more likely someone on the coaching team and Pearson wanted to very publicly and forcefully give his backing to whoever had been on the receiving end of Bakinson's 'negative' behaviour. At the time he described Bakinson as 'sapping people's energy' (or something - can't remember the exact quote.

If that were the reason Pearson gave him both barrels as he shipped him out, then I think that could be well judged.

Interestingly since Bakinson went DaSilva has been back in the fold... Coincidence ?

[JP Hampton]

7 hours ago, Marina's Rolls Royce said:

Maybe but they were indeed sacked.

It would be a rare event when a highly paid senior employee gets dismissed and doesn't feel some form of frustration towards their former employees.

Yes but the frustration came before their dismissal. You only had to hear how post match interviews especially with SC took a nose dive at the end of his tenure. So the frustration was evident long before their dismissals is what I meant. 
 

if there’s any animosity in NP’s reaction to JL’s comment it could simply be a case of Pearson feeling it’s too simplistic a comment given the fact as he said some players are over achieving in effect. 

Edited February 18, 2022 by JP Hampton
More info

[Red Exile]

7 minutes ago, ExiledAjax said:

Too kind. I think that success, how we measure it and what it means, is a topic ripe for a pre-season thread and broader discussion.

Just on the two bits in bold, firstly thanks for offering up what those two things currently are for you personally, secondly, it's interesting to read that for you (and stop me if I am wrong) the meanings of success and expectation are shaped by your historical experience and relationship with Bristol City. You seem to see success as a long term goal, but expectation is framed in terms of the individual short term event that is a match at 3pm on a Saturday. You have framed success through the lens of how we stack up against other teams, in particular certain teams that you encounter frequently due to friends and family. However, from what you've written here it seems that expectation is driven by the way that we, in isolation from other teams, are performing.

So, is success a broader, long term aspect of the club, but expectations are more short term and can change more quickly depending on our current form?

Is that a fair assessment? Have I interpreted your words as you intended?

I find what you've written very interesting.

Yes, that sums it up. But on reflection I'm describing what might almost be the ultimate success - personally I'll feel that something significant has been achieved when we get back where we were all those years ago. I recognise how difficult that now seems to be, whereas before we went up in '76 there seemed to be an inevitability about City's success...the Leeds and Liverpool cup matches etc etc...

Success might also be more narrowly defined and I think you are right to note that this is something we could debate more at the start of each season, and remind ourselves of as it progresses. This season I consider success to be avoiding relegation and seeing some of the younger players establish themselves. On those grounds I think NP has done a decent job. If we could string a few back-to-back wins together he'd have done a good job.

As for expectation, I think it is related to hope in some way. In 2008 all my in-laws were at the other end of Wembley, they expected Hull to win. By contrast me and my lot had made no plans for celebration at all! I have come to expect the worst...something that isn't remotely true in any other part of my life. One of the finest nights of my life was that 6-0 win at Bradford, which defied all my pessimistic assumptions.

[ExiledAjax]

25 minutes ago, Red Exile said:

Yes, that sums it up. But on reflection I'm describing what might almost be the ultimate success - personally I'll feel that something significant has been achieved when we get back where we were all those years ago. I recognise how difficult that now seems to be, whereas before we went up in '76 there seemed to be an inevitability about City's success...the Leeds and Liverpool cup matches etc etc...

Success might also be more narrowly defined and I think you are right to note that this is something we could debate more at the start of each season, and remind ourselves of as it progresses. This season I consider success to be avoiding relegation and seeing some of the younger players establish themselves. On those grounds I think NP has done a decent job. If we could string a few back-to-back wins together he'd have done a good job.

As for expectation, I think it is related to hope in some way. In 2008 all my in-laws were at the other end of Wembley, they expected Hull to win. By contrast me and my lot had made no plans for celebration at all! I have come to expect the worst...something that isn't remotely true in any other part of my life. One of the finest nights of my life was that 6-0 win at Bradford, which defied all my pessimistic assumptions.

Interesting, thank you for that. I think we should revisit this in the summer and see how we feel about the subject.

[DingleRed]

So, to go back to my original comment, I would view the SL stewardship over the last 15 years as being successful, particularly when comparing this era to that immediately before. However, the Club's ability to deliver on the vision, strategy, pillars etc to take us to the Promised Land of Riches has clearly been a very expensive failure. My expectation is that this won't change until we see evidence that the leadership of the Club is taking onboard and acting on the knowledge and dare I say wisdom of those who have been there before. As a Club, we lack the DNA, the pedigree to take us forward. Hence the importance of listening and learning from the experience of NP and not make ill-judged off-the-cuff comments as our Chairman is inclined to make from time-to-time. BCFC is a nice friendly club, its owner/chairman doesn't have the ruthlessness required to deliver the dream.

Edited February 18, 2022 by DingleRed

[westex red]

IMO, listening to big Nige, he thinks our club has done things very wrong in the past, basically every time we have developed/bought good players, we go ahead and sell them, exactly correct! We have never kept these players and built on the strengths of these players for the following season. TBH we have got a great group of youngsters that are attracting an awful lot of attention from other clubs, and I do believe NP wants to develop these even more, he will obviously want to make additions to enhance the squad, and give some of the up and coming U23's a chance to break into the first team squad.

The last thing reading between the lines, he wants is for us to sell these valuable assets and we are back to square one. If this happens I'm sure he will be really pi**ed off, and would probably call it a day with Bristol City.

I know having had a business myself you have to balance the books, but with our youth development (which is very good) that surely has to be the way forward and not sell our best players unless we really have to. I do believe the football has vastly improved recently with a few stupid mistakes, and inconsistency being a major factor. 

Rant over!

[YGBjammy]

2 hours ago, westex red said:

listening to big Nige, he thinks our club has done things very wrong in the past, basically every time we have developed/bought good players, we go ahead and sell them, exactly correct! We have never kept these players and built on the strengths of these players for the following season.

I'm not sure his point was just about the selling. It was more the fact that our model seemed to be spending too much on wages, and that put us in a position where we had to sell our promising young players.

It's inherently unsustainable. You'll reach a point where you don't have enough good young players to sell and be stuck with a squad on high wages.

Glad he says it like it is; our club has been in need of some outside and experienced perspective for years.

[RobintheRed Red]

On 17/02/2022 at 22:58, exAtyeoMax said:

How can I respect them when they brought in Ashton and LJ, and wasted all that what was built by Cotts and SoD? It still makes me so angry and extremely sad as to what could have been if the right infrastructure was put in place when we were promoted back to the Championship. 

Exactly and very true between all of them put us back to square one .

[Simon bristol]

47 minutes ago, RobintheRed Red said:

Exactly and very true between all of them put us back to square one .

I have been critical of pearson in the past, but i called out jon lansdown on another thread the other day about his comments, what did he really expect would happen this season?! 
 

however, at the point of the man united victory, up until the wolves game in the league, not many on here would have considered us being back to square 1,, we were playing at a level that had evolved past the promotion side at that point..

We couldnt sustain it through to the end of the season and then the big money sales started, but the square 1 comment doesnt really ring true for me.

 

[YorkshireSection]

On 17/02/2022 at 22:18, Kid in the Riot said:

Yes, I agree. It tallies with what I suppose I've known for a while but thought it not appropriate to say. Unfortunately, we are in yet another scenario where the home truths delivered by the manager of the day have not gone down well with The Lansdowns. 

The last two managers to have a difficult relationship with The Lansdowns were SOD and Cotterill and neither lasted more than two years. 

Barring a change of ownership it'll be the same for Pearson. With the father and son managerial Double Act patiently waiting in the wings (that would be less of a surprise to me than NP being here come what August. I thank al that the Lansdowns have done for the club but we are going only one place with them in chance.........

Realistically, you can't have a wannabe-successful club with everyone pulling in the same direction when your chairman (and son of owner) are in public disagreement with the manager. 

Frustrating, but entirely predictable. 

So sad.

[RobintheRed Red]

23 hours ago, Simon bristol said:

I have been critical of pearson in the past, but i called out jon lansdown on another thread the other day about his comments, what did he really expect would happen this season?! 
 

however, at the point of the man united victory, up until the wolves game in the league, not many on here would have considered us being back to square 1,, we were playing at a level that had evolved past the promotion side at that point..

We couldnt sustain it through to the end of the season and then the big money sales started, but the square 1 comment doesnt really ring true for me.

 

He appointed that waste of space johnson and he ripped apart cotterells team one by one thats down to the lansdowns were stuck with the crap johnson And Ashton brought in and Nige is suffering for it now and that's what im talking about back to square one  players will be sold .