Pearsons WBA Press Conference

[ExiledAjax]

7 minutes ago, 2015 said:

From November 2020 - February 2021 it was probably the worst football i've seen from City since we were relegated in 2013. Literally a bunch of no hopers who could barely string 2 passes together come the end of that bad run. Even having 50% possession in a game would have been an improvement.

Yep. It's the only time in the last 5 years where we were averaging about 0.5 xG per game. Average xG against? About 1.5. Now even if you "don't trust" xG, you know that's bad. Basically our average expected result was a 1-0 loss. 

To say we've not improved from there is ridiculous.

[And Its Smith]

17 minutes ago, marcofisher said:

Hard to disagree with any of that really.

I would be surprised if many people ever disagree with what he says.  I think it’s more on the pitch stuff that’s an issue.  1. Defence. 2. Square pegs in round holes. 3. Second half performances in general are poor 

[frenchred]

10 minutes ago, ExiledAjax said:

Yep. It's the only time in the last 5 years where we were averaging about 0.5 xG per game. Average xG against? About 1.5. Now even if you "don't trust" xG, you know that's bad. Basically our average expected result was a 1-0 loss. 

To say we've not improved from there is ridiculous.

There's only one stat that matters and it certainly ain't xg!

Dress it up how you like 

[RedRock]

Like it. Like it (and him) a lot, all positives for me and echoing much of what many of us have been saying for the past 4-5 years, but….

1) his players - the one’s he has brought in from other Clubs - are as inconsistent/injury prone as those he inherited and I suspect some of those we’ve had to pay off are his signings

2) have fitness levels improved? One of his early first priorities. Is that 90 minutes high intensity capability there yet?

2) mixed messages - ‘Xmas Day off with the family’ - particularly after the Stoke debacle, would be expecting at least half a session on the day before a crucial match

Anyhow, trust in Nigel and we go on to beat West Brom. 
 

Did Tins work with Moyes at Everton? 

[ExiledAjax]

18 minutes ago, frenchred said:

There's only one stat that matters and it certainly ain't xg!

Dress it up how you like 

Dress what up?

[Harry]

2 hours ago, And Its Smith said:

1.  Trying to improve squad in January but need to create funds somehow

2.  Players offered new deals all offered less wage than currently on.  No brainer to sign wells. Goal scorer and helps the youngsters 

3.  Told 3 players they won’t be getting new deals so that they know where they are.  Clearly wants them to leave in jan if possible to create those funds

4.  Big fan of Tinnion being technical director and heavily involved in recruitment

5.  Atkinson played well in the under 21s and is in contention for Boxing Day.  Laid back character but they’ve spoke and sounds like he’s going to quickly be given another chance. Pearson said we need our best players on the pitch ideally

6. HNM still a vital member of the squad.  His choice to run down contract.  No bids 

7.  Trying to create something that’s more successful and driven. We’ve had to many comfortable players in a comfort zone.  
 

8.  Is bothered that some fans seem concerned about him being in charge and is aware. Takes full responsibility for performances.  He appreciates fan support and important they stay behind the team. He always puts team first.  FFP situation is not of his making. Could have improved quicker without that.

You forgot probably the most important bit. 
The bit where he’s talking about Tinnion being a “football” man now in charge of recruitment and where he says the ‘Technical Scouting’ is all well and good but we haven’t got it right before and have signed too many “duffers”. His words. 

[petehinton]

If he’d had come in instead of Holden, we’d be absolutely nowhere near where we are now. 
 

Don’t forget, Adam Nagy called Pearson ‘strict’ for punishing players who were late to meetings or didn’t tidy up after themselves around the HPC. That’s probably the tip of the iceberg of what he was dealing with. 

[Street red]

2 minutes ago, petehinton said:

If he’d had come in instead of Holden, we’d be absolutely nowhere near where we are now. 
 

Don’t forget, Adam Nagy called Pearson ‘strict’ for punishing players who were late to meetings or didn’t tidy up after themselves around the HPC. That’s probably the tip of the iceberg of what he was dealing with. 

Yep and that's the attitude of players that was signed it tells you everything and that's a senior pro also the attitude feeds down to academy level.

[spudski]

The interview was insightful and pretty much underlines what most think is happening within the Club already. However it was good to hear some clarity. 

It highlights exactly where we are as a club and what it was like prior NP, and how the football world markets are changing/ expectations etc.

NP also said the club need to be more informative and transparent to the fans, which they are doing. 

This sort of interview will really help keep the fans onside imo.

The Atkinson situation is spoken about and insight given. 

As for the previous Atkinson remarks, you can see it came across through frustration after a poor result.

I think a lot of fans frustrations/ reactions weren't so much about Atkinson perse being left out of the Squad, but it was compounded by the fact his ' replacement' his ' trusted player', made two errors of judgement that cost us the game. 

That's the frustration. You can create a squad of players that show desire, drive, passion, want to be the best they can be, are positive etc etc...that's all well and good, but if they keep making mistakes on match day and losing us games, how long do you give that process, however well intended and positive as a whole for the ' bigger picture'?. 

I personally think what NP is doing at the Club, is positive, and will benefit long term. 

The only concerns I have are over results and certain match day scenarios that come down to coaching/ tactics/ personnel etc. 

NP has said in the past that this squad should be towards the play offs. He obviously believes we have players to achieve that, otherwise he wouldn't say it. 

He talks about our next opponents WBA and there up turn in form from a new manager. And that manager is getting the best out of the players at his disposal.

For I love about what NP is doing at the club...I am now questioning as to whether he's getting the best out of our players at his disposal. 

I can't all come down to individual errors. Situations arrive in games that force those individual errors. That's where I think we need to look at. 

The other view I've had...it's all very well giving players a kick up the backside by dropping them...Pring/ Atkinson as examples...so they aren't resting on their laurels in training etc...but it's counter productive if we lose games or are weaker if we don't play them. Imo...on match days we are stronger with both Atkinson and Pring playing. Maybe there are other ways of managing the kick up the backside, without weakening us on match day. 

I'm definitely in the view that NP is the right man for our current situation. As what he's doing long term for us imo is very positive. As I was with when SOD was here. As he saw exactly the same problems at the club. 

However...like SOD...the results aren't happening.

It's a catch 22. 

 

 

[Sniper]

1 hour ago, GrahamC said:

I’d like some of the posters on here to seek out again Tomas Kalas’ press conference after the Barnsley home game.

A totally defeated man who couldn’t see us getting another point if it had continued like that.

Here it is, looks like he was ready to cry with frustration

https://www.facebook.com/bristolcityfc/videos/reaction-tomas-kalas-post-match-thoughts-bristol-city-0-1-barnsley/875073206624506/

[Davefevs]

2 hours ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

I was surprised by the reaction of our fanbase to Pearsons comments. Some people made some very strong comments about what Pearson said. I sat there laughing at all the texts Geoff read out on Sound of the City this week. 

I think Nige even made reference to it by saying something along the lines of "when I came here fans were fed up of lazy players" I felt that he was quite surprised by the reaction to. 

I think what he did with Atkinson was a stroke of genius. It sends a very strong message to Atkinson and the squad as a whole. 

Listening to the Wells interview was a breath of fresh air. It basically continued along the lines of what Pearson said in his interview. 

Lots of clarity provided, and the timing of it shouldn’t be diminished either…just before we go into the window, he’s managing players and fans expectations.

1 hour ago, GrahamC said:

Once people start quoting stats from that season you know they made their mind up a long time ago, fair to look at last season (when he brought in 3 players & extended the contracts of 3 more) to see if there is a plan, been some progress since, but before that?
No chance.

I know.  And the defence is improving, goals conceded is starting to go down.  Mistakes still occurring.  It takes time with no investment.

1 hour ago, GrahamC said:

I’d like some of the posters on here to seek out again Tomas Kalas’ press conference after the Barnsley home game.

A totally defeated man who couldn’t see us getting another point if it had continued like that.

And don’t forget the Paul Simpson one either - “we aren’t the right guys to sort this out” (paraphrased).  Thankfully Nige was.  Ashton was about to dump on the club…suspect club already knew.

58 minutes ago, petehinton said:

If he’d had come in instead of Holden, we’d be absolutely nowhere near where we are now. 
 

Don’t forget, Adam Nagy called Pearson ‘strict’ for punishing players who were late to meetings or didn’t tidy up after themselves around the HPC. That’s probably the tip of the iceberg of what he was dealing with. 

And Watkins hiding in one of the Academy dressing rooms instead if training…Nige playing the seeker, finding him, and telling him to call his agent because he’s out.

19 minutes ago, spudski said:

The only concerns I have are over results and certain match day scenarios that come down to coaching/ tactics/ personnel etc. 

I'm definitely in the view that NP is the right man for our current situation. As what he's doing long term for us imo is very positive. As I was with when SOD was here. As he saw exactly the same problems at the club. 

Maybe he can go back upstairs to watch…maybe that would help, even though frowned upon by the fans.

Too right.  Lots of parallels.

[spudski]

@Davefevs not just upstairs to watch at games...but it has crossed my mind that Pearson could in future be a great asset at the club to oversee how the whole club is run as a whole, and that we leave coaching/ tactics etc to someone else.

That maybe the case now in training, but not so on match day. 

[Merrick's Marvels]

1 hour ago, GrahamC said:

I’d like some of the posters on here to seek out again Tomas Kalas’ press conference after the Barnsley home game.

A totally defeated man who couldn’t see us getting another point if it had continued like that.

"It's like waiting for death" is how he described it. An extraordinary quote I'll never forget. It brought to mind Max von Sydow in some existential Bergman film!

[firstdivision]

I thought one of the most interesting aspects of the press conference (and there was a lot in there) was that he was prepared to engage. He was much friendlier in his approach - less tough guy - almost as if he realised that he needed to play the ball not the man, by which I mean speak to the fans, not try to belittle the questioner.
It’s basic media management, which he too often struggles to adhere to because he a) has low tolerance levels b) gets too frustrated or c) is too stubborn. 

[southvillekiddy]

3 hours ago, cidercity1987 said:

Great interview, he is obviously trying to change Bristol Cosy Club mentality the fans have long criticised.

 

Well said. Pearson has mentioned before that "Bristol is a nice place, BCFC is a nice club" in other words we are too nice (and cosy and complacent and stuck in the mud, "Ah, I told 'ee, things "ull never change 'ere at City) and he is onto this West Country issue.   And apart from all the background paternalism that has held us back for as long as we can remember, on the field, the current problem with a defence that looks regularly as weak as urine is symptomatic of a football Club that hasn't taken things seriously enough.

Really hope Nigel wants to stay and sort us out.

[Port Said Red]

The only thing that annoys me a little is the way that some fans interpret the "not doing what we want" remarks as "he's being lazy". I think that the only thing Atkinson may be guilty of is not reading the change in his status at the club. He came to us for fairly good money having only having 39 first team games under his belt and when he came he was "one for the future". Then partly because of the Baker situation and partly because he started so well, he was a regular quite quickly, then had a period out after injury but finished the season strongly. In that time and even more so over the summer, the squad changed in such a way that Pearson probably thinks of him in the same way as the experienced pros, There are several more junior players in around him now, whether due to age or shortage of games. I think maybe Atkinson has been slow to pick up on that change, and Pearson felt that he needed to get into that new mindset quickly and thought that a short sharp shock was the best way to do that. That's not about laziness.

[TomThumb84]

Great interview.

In short this is a plea to us to stick with what he is trying to achieve, and timing is key here as its a very transparent honest interview. I think there may be some tough calls he is making soon and this is a pre-empt for us to understand and stick with.

This is also a manager saying not so subtly but in the right way that the entire culture of this football club was rotten and thats not an overnight thing. He is right of course, probably since Joe Jordan left us to be honest. The Cotterill glory era was an anomaly and he almost did it on his own away from the club and bought a set of players for a purpose and they developed their own culture. A glorious set of freak circumstances which of course got cut short when he got reigned back in.

Patience with NP whilst is cannot be unlimited is key. He is still untangling the massive mess he inherited.

[Northern Red]

25 minutes ago, firstdivision said:

I thought one of the most interesting aspects of the press conference (and there was a lot in there) was that he was prepared to engage. He was much friendlier in his approach - less tough guy - almost as if he realised that he needed to play the ball not the man, by which I mean speak to the fans, not try to belittle the questioner.
It’s basic media management, which he too often struggles to adhere to because he a) has low tolerance levels b) gets too frustrated or c) is too stubborn. 

Whist true, I think that's as much to do with timing as anything else. This isn't the first time that he's spoken immediately after a bad result and been awkward, some would say rude, but then at the next press conference a few days later been on good form, happy to engage and providing some real insight.

[firstdivision]

7 minutes ago, Northern Red said:

Whist true, I think that's as much to do with timing as anything else. This isn't the first time that he's spoken immediately after a bad result and been awkward, some would say rude, but then at the next press conference a few days later been on good form, happy to engage and providing some real insight.

Totally. That was my point. There was an air of contrition about proceedings, the need to get the fans back onside. 

[spudski]

47 minutes ago, firstdivision said:

I thought one of the most interesting aspects of the press conference (and there was a lot in there) was that he was prepared to engage. He was much friendlier in his approach - less tough guy - almost as if he realised that he needed to play the ball not the man, by which I mean speak to the fans, not try to belittle the questioner.
It’s basic media management, which he too often struggles to adhere to because he a) has low tolerance levels b) gets too frustrated or c) is too stubborn. 

I reckon someone may have had a word in his ear. 

He said it had been pointed out to him, what fans were saying, views etc etc post Stoke. Who would have pointed that out to him? Who has that job? Who is the go between,  giving him ' a feel' to what the fans are thinking and reacting? 

I wouldn't envy anyone having to point out the negatives to him.

Perhaps maybe the ' owner' had a bit of a chat with him?

He did mention in the interview about the owners being good people. And that it's his job not to waste their money when buying players. ( When he mentioned that we had to pay players off to leave)

In the same breath he mentioned that the owners want a team built around home grown products. And that our circumstances had probably sped that process up and given opportunity, where it may not have been, under different circumstances.

[W-S-M Seagull]

3 hours ago, GrahamC said:

I’d like some of the posters on here to seek out again Tomas Kalas’ press conference after the Barnsley home game.

A totally defeated man who couldn’t see us getting another point if it had continued like that.

It was a rarity to even get a shot on target, let alone a point! 

We may not be where we want to be, but things are now better and we are heading to where we want to be. 

The performances of late have actually been quite decent. Just not got the return from them that we should have. 

[2015]

3 hours ago, GrahamC said:

I’d like some of the posters on here to seek out again Tomas Kalas’ press conference after the Barnsley home game.

A totally defeated man who couldn’t see us getting another point if it had continued like that.

Honestly it was absolutely dreadful. I cant believe we managed to even get some wins in that period. Huddersfield at home I'll never forget was probably the luckiest win i've seen a City side have. 

The very basics of coaching is coaching a side on how to keep the ball and pass it, we couldn't do either. Ok injuries did not help but the players we had were still more than capable. The coaches were out of their depth

[2015]

25 minutes ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

It was a rarity to even get a shot on target, let alone a point! 

We may not be where we want to be, but things are now better and we are heading to where we want to be. 

The performances of late have actually been quite decent. Just not got the return from them that we should have. 

Totally correct. We are a better side than we were in February 2021 (Doesnt take much) just haven't been getting the results. We aren't getting hammered in matches, just players making mistakes at crucial moments. I don't think we're far away, a player or 2 missing in our side from being a top half team.

[Offside]

2 hours ago, spudski said:

 

I personally think what NP is doing at the Club, is positive, and will benefit long term. 

The only concerns I have are over results and certain match day scenarios that come down to coaching/ tactics/ personnel etc. 

NP has said in the past that this squad should be towards the play offs. He obviously believes we have players to achieve that, otherwise he wouldn't say it. 

He talks about our next opponents WBA and there up turn in form from a new manager. And that manager is getting the best out of the players at his disposal.

For I love about what NP is doing at the club...I am now questioning as to whether he's getting the best out of our players at his disposal. 

I can't all come down to individual errors. Situations arrive in games that force those individual errors. That's where I think we need to look at. 

 

 

Completely agree. This is exactly how I feel. We are losing games so cheaply and unnecessarily (last Saturday being a typical example). NP has to find a way to reduce the number of times that happens, otherwise I can see us being in a relegation scrap this season. 

[Lew-T]

Really good interview. Very insightful and lots of clarity, especially after a defeat and the poor interview with Ali Durden last Saturday. 
 

It’s not been easy the last few years but you get the feeling we are on the right path. It feels very similar to the SOD era…

[frenchred]

1 hour ago, 2015 said:

Totally correct. We are a better side than we were in February 2021 (Doesnt take much) just haven't been getting the results. We aren't getting hammered in matches, just players making mistakes at crucial moments. I don't think we're far away, a player or 2 missing in our side from being a top half team.

What a fantastically low bar you have set. "We aren't getting hammered anymore"! Wow, 

We are still regularly picking up the same amount of points per game "0" hence our league position.

Despite his charm offensive, he's not getting the best out of the players at his disposal and should go 

[One Team]

4 hours ago, petehinton said:

If he’d had come in instead of Holden, we’d be absolutely nowhere near where we are now. 
 

Don’t forget, Adam Nagy called Pearson ‘strict’ for punishing players who were late to meetings or didn’t tidy up after themselves around the HPC. That’s probably the tip of the iceberg of what he was dealing with. 

Well said mate. 

The Holden appointment was as farcical as the culture Pearson inherited. 

As anyone in a work context will know, changing culture takes a long time, it comes the top clearly, but it was never going to be changed in a few months. It’s still frustrating at times of course, but I would say most fans can see it for what it is. 

It does feel like we’ve made some positive progress culturally though, perhaps with a bit more to go, and with this next transfer window and a bit of luck we will see things improve in terms of division position as well. 

[maxjak]

Just one small point.  He often say's....... we find ourselves having to use young players.........but on Saturday just about half the team were 30 or over, and apart from Tommy and Alex the rest were in their mid twenties?

[big dosser]

best interview since he has been at the club

[2015]

22 minutes ago, frenchred said:

What a fantastically low bar you have set. "We aren't getting hammered anymore"! Wow, 

We are still regularly picking up the same amount of points per game "0" hence our league position.

Despite his charm offensive, he's not getting the best out of the players at his disposal and should go 

You happen to pick out one point and ignore the context. What I was basically saying is although we are not getting the results we deserve, we're not far away, it's small tweaks like individuals making mistakes rather than the whole side playing below par. The Championship is very close and most teams are evenly matched, consistent wins in this league is very hard to come by for the majority (Luton have been the exception to this rule).

If you cannot see the progress in our performances this season then I would say you may not go to many games.