STEVE COTTERILL?

[Son of Fred]

2 hours ago, gl2 said:

The guy who got us here and didnt get a decent crack of the whip imo.

Even SL/Dawes said of him "the man to take us forward" and "Prem manager in the making" too late now or could he bring back the fire and unite support?

Never ever go back..

Unless your ex wife happens to be Nigella.

[Tim Monaghan]

26 minutes ago, Bobby Bollax said:

Didn’t we have big bids in for Dwight Gayle & Andre Gray though?

And Lingard 

[Robbored]

12 minutes ago, CodeRed said:

And - 2 days AFTER he was sacked Mark Ashton was appointed. (SC sacked Thursday evening....MA appointed Saturday morning -- clearly already lined up)  Cotts having refused to use Ashton's "recruitment model" preferring his own eyes and contacts. SL chose MA over SC.

And so it began.

It’s not like you CR to be so wide of the mark.

[Mendip City]

10 minutes ago, Ghost Rider said:

And Lingard 

And Harry Maguire

[Robbored]

36 minutes ago, Bobby Bollax said:

Didn’t we have big bids in for Dwight Gayle & Andre Gray though?

That was part of the reason that SC was sacked.

[CodeRed]

8 minutes ago, Robbored said:

It’s not like you CR to be so wide of the mark.

I wouldn't go back for Cotterill - we've moved on and he's no longer what we need, but he gets unfairly slagged off, mostly by Robbored, who continually trots out the line SL fed to the Senior Reds. FWIW SL said Cotterill promised to do one thing at interview and did another in the job....referring to SL's requirement to develop youth and trade sustainably.  SL met those aims blooding players like Bryan and buying Kodjia for 2M and he went for 10M. Plus of course promotion.

But SL was seduced by Ashton's proposal to trade the club to promotion using his agents and database and make a profit in the process. SC thought Ashton was  a fraud and refused to work with his systems . ..and was fired.

So who was right?

Edited December 26, 2022 by CodeRed

[Robbored]

8 minutes ago, CodeRed said:

I wouldn't go back for Cotterill - we've moved on and he's no longer what we need, but he gets unfairly slagged off, mostly by Robbored, who continually trots out the line SL fed to the Senior Reds. FWIW SL said Cotterill promised to do one thing at interview and did another in the job....referring to SL's requirement to develop youth and trade sustainably.  SL met those aims blooding players like Bryan and buying Kodjia for 2M and he went for 10M. Plus of course promotion.

So you were there then CR?  

[Davefevs]

25 minutes ago, CodeRed said:

I wouldn't go back for Cotterill - we've moved on and he's no longer what we need, but he gets unfairly slagged off, mostly by Robbored, who continually trots out the line SL fed to the Senior Reds. FWIW SL said Cotterill promised to do one thing at interview and did another in the job....referring to SL's requirement to develop youth and trade sustainably.  SL met those aims blooding players like Bryan and buying Kodjia for 2M and he went for 10M. Plus of course promotion.

But SL was seduced by Ashton's proposal to trade the club to promotion using his agents and database and make a profit in the process. SC thought Ashton was  a fraud and refused to work with his systems . ..and was fired.

So who was right?

Sounds pretty close to it to me.

[CodeRed]

18 minutes ago, Robbored said:

So you were there then CR?  

We're you?

[marcofisher]

Anyone else remember the SC who preferred to leave empty spaces on the bench, rather than include academy players? Clearly sending a message of his anger of lack of signings.
 

I loved SC in that L1 winning season. But nobody can say he really would fit the bill for the club’s strategy or the point at which we find ourselves now. 

Edited December 26, 2022 by marcofisher

[W-S-M Seagull]

2 hours ago, Robbored said:

I know why Cotterill was sacked - just everyone who at Senior Reds Xmas lunch in December did.

For squaring up to our own fans in at Atyeo?

[Tim Monaghan]

2 hours ago, Davefevs said:

Sounds pretty close to it to me.

Please don’t take this the wrong way, but your post are getting more and more arrogant with more and more self worth. 

[Davefevs]

2 hours ago, Ghost Rider said:

Please don’t take this the wrong way, but your post are getting more and more arrogant with more and more self worth. 

All I’m saying is that @CodeRed’s summary seemed to be the general consensus of what happened with Cotts from all that we’ve heard / read.  What is arrogant about that?  It’s a simple post of agreement.

[Spike]

7 hours ago, marcofisher said:

The same guy who wanted to sign Andre Gray at £9mill in 2015?

I mean in all fairness Grey did go on to score 32 goals in 73 matches for Burnley and made his debut for them when they beat us 2-1 and then scored a hat trick against us in the next game against us. 

I wouldn't want Cotterill back but I do think he had a good eye for what we needed, we just couldn't get the players he wanted once we went up from league one. 

[Davefevs]

19 minutes ago, Spike said:

I mean in all fairness Grey did go on to score 32 goals in 73 matches for Burnley and made his debut for them when they beat us 2-1 and then scored a hat trick against us in the next game against us. 

I wouldn't want Cotterill back but I do think he had a good eye for what we needed, we just couldn't get the players he wanted once we went up from league one. 

I guess him and Keith Burt were the Lg1 equivalent of Pearson / Walsh (and Mackenzie) in terms of talent spotting.  And they spotted good players for the Champ too…just didn’t sign them (Gray / Maguire)!

[Andy082005]

9 hours ago, Ghost Rider said:

Please don’t take this the wrong way, but your post are getting more and more arrogant with more and more self worth. 

Christ. I personally think Dave comes across as one of the best, most informative, laid back posters on here 

plus he is right to agree with CR

[Andy082005]

6 hours ago, Spike said:

I mean in all fairness Grey did go on to score 32 goals in 73 matches for Burnley and made his debut for them when they beat us 2-1 and then scored a hat trick against us in the next game against us. 

I wouldn't want Cotterill back but I do think he had a good eye for what we needed, we just couldn't get the players he wanted once we went up from league one. 

People often scoff at the offers made for Andre Gray as unrealistic - however I’d hazard a guess investing £9m at the time on a striker like Gray, would have been far more beneficial then the money wasted with Little Lee over the next few years 

[Curr Avon]

14 hours ago, Robbored said:

I know why Cotterill was sacked - just everyone who at Senior Reds Xmas lunch in December did.

He reacted badly when you pulled his cracker too hard?

[Robbored]

12 hours ago, Davefevs said:

Sounds pretty close to it to me.

That’s pretty much what SL hinted at the Xmas SR dinner - and why I asked CR if he was there. 

[RUSSEL85]

This thread makes very interesting reading, and can I surmise that the season of goodwill to all men (and women) is now over?  

[GrahamC]

12 hours ago, marcofisher said:

Anyone else remember the SC who preferred to leave empty spaces on the bench, rather than include academy players? Clearly sending a message of his anger of lack of signings.
 

I loved SC in that L1 winning season. But nobody can say he really would fit the bill for the club’s strategy or the point at which we find ourselves now. 

He was absolutely shit at playing the corporate game, because if he had stuck some kid on the bench he had zero intention of bringing on then no one would ever have complained..

I loved the bloke full stop, his teams always gave everything, even when poor, he had a method & stuck to it & signed players with a clear idea of why & where they would fit in.

Read that last bit back, we deviated miles from it under LJ/Ashton & haven’t got near to it since.

Right up there with GJ for me but that ship has sailed now.

[eardun]

14 hours ago, gl2 said:

2 days before he was sacked 12th Jan 2016 we lost at home to Preston our team was; o donnell, Ayling, Flint, Baker, Little (subbed for Burns) Pack, Smith, Freeman (subbed by Reid) Bryan, Wilbs, (subbed by Agard) and Kodjia lost by 1-2 to Preston; scorers for Preston Cunningham and Baker (own goal) some players there but 2 days later SC was shown the door after really a short 256days in championship; we have had a lot worse managers since, who have spent bucket loads and had much more time and got us.....well within a point or 2 from relegation spot, hardley great investments for your millions Steve L and co eh?

And we were shocking that night and the atmosphere was toxic. If I recall correctly, Cotterill got into an argument with a fan. Personally - at the time - I wished we could have given Cotterill more time, but let’s not pretend everything was rosy back then. 

 

[One Team]

6 minutes ago, GrahamC said:

He was absolutely shit at playing the corporate game, because if he had stuck some kid on the bench he had zero intention of bringing on then no one would ever have complained..

I loved the bloke full stop, his teams always gave everything, even when poor, he had a method & stuck to it & signed players with a clear idea of why & where they would fit in.

Read that last bit back, we deviated miles from it under LJ/Ashton & haven’t got near to it since.

Right up there with GJ for me but that ship has sailed now.

Good post and my opinion also. 

Despite our position at the time I don’t ever recall chants of wanting SC out at games or a swell of opinion that he should go. There was plenty of that under LJ and now it’s surfacing with NP but not under SC. 

To your point he didn’t play the politics, which ultimately cost him the job, whereas LJ went along with anything gladly. 

[One Team]

1 minute ago, eardun said:

And we were shocking that night and the atmosphere was toxic. If I recall correctly, Cotterill got into an argument with a fan. Personally - at the time - I wished we could have given Cotterill more time, but let’s not pretend everything was rosy back then. 

 

You are correct, I was near and saw that at the time but it wasn’t that bad and to my point above there were no Cotterill out chants, comments or bed sheets. You are also correct it wasn’t rosy, but nothing like LJ’s record breaking losing streak or NP now. 

[LondonBristolian]

10 minutes ago, eardun said:

And we were shocking that night and the atmosphere was toxic. If I recall correctly, Cotterill got into an argument with a fan. Personally - at the time - I wished we could have given Cotterill more time, but let’s not pretend everything was rosy back then. 

 

He also spent the first five months of the season constantly venting his frustration with the board in a passive aggressive way in every single media interview. The effect of which was there was a miserable atmosphere around the club and fans divided into camps and sniping at each other.

I absolutely loved what the guy did the previous season but it was obvious relationships irreparably broke down in the summer, and whoever’s fault it was, both he and the board nearly relegated the club via his refusal to walk and the board refusing to fire him.

[Lrrr]

14 minutes ago, LondonBristolian said:

He also spent the first five months of the season constantly venting his frustration with the board in a passive aggressive way in every single media interview. The effect of which was there was a miserable atmosphere around the club and fans divided into camps and sniping at each other.

I absolutely loved what the guy did the previous season but it was obvious relationships irreparably broke down in the summer, and whoever’s fault it was, both he and the board nearly relegated the club via his refusal to walk and the board refusing to fire him.

He also  refused to fill the bench with an academy player as a way of sending a message, hardly the type of person the club wants when we want our academy players to come through. I can't remember but did Cotterill play any academy players who hadn't already made their 1st team debuts? 

[Antman]

15 hours ago, Atticus said:

I'd take him over Pearson. 

 

i think ATM there are people who would rather take Benny Lennartson over Pearson.....

[GrahamC]

4 minutes ago, Lrrr said:

He also  refused to fill the bench with an academy player as a way of sending a message, hardly the type of person the club wants when we want our academy players to come through. I can't remember but did Cotterill play any academy players who hadn't already made their 1st team debuts? 

No, he didn’t but this is a pretty selective way to look at it.

He consistently chose Joe Bryan over Cunningham, Wes Burns was a regular in his squad for a fair while, Reid once we went up.

When Cotterill took over we were bottom four in L1, not exactly the best time to blood kids.

The next season was our sole title winning one in 60 years, the team virtually picked itself & we steamrollered everyone.

The following season we brought in Kodjia & no one else, struggled big time with the step up & I suppose he could have put someone apart from Burns or Reid in the squad but it would have been token stuff.

As has been posted above Cotterill wanted to move at a pace much faster than SL did, the latter (who didn’t want him in the first place) lost patience with poor results & brought in his prodigal son, who didn’t pick any kids that season either, by the way..

[REDOXO]

16 hours ago, Fordy62 said:

He wasn’t given the funds that deserved his achievements before… why would he be given them now when we can’t afford it?

There are one or two who come here, that appear to know what went down. If I remember correctly Deals we’re done for the forwards mentioned and maybe others but Mr Lansdown kaiboshed them as he didn’t like how they were done. Then SL changed his mind BUT the deals were lost. 

15 hours ago, marcofisher said:

The same guy who wanted to sign Andre Gray at £9mill in 2015?

 

Great during that L1 season, although we did have the best team in the league. Not a manager who was going to tear up trees in the Championship and was quite negative in terms of youth development, so didn’t fit the culture at all once we got there.

The culture when LJ came in did change. Ashton came in within days of Cotterill went and LJ was given money that SC never was. Wilbo said as much on a poddy! Steve always felt he wasn’t given the finances that LJ was. Which is undoubtedly true. 

58 minutes ago, GrahamC said:

He was absolutely shit at playing the corporate game, because if he had stuck some kid on the bench he had zero intention of bringing on then no one would ever have complained..

I loved the bloke full stop, his teams always gave everything, even when poor, he had a method & stuck to it & signed players with a clear idea of why & where they would fit in.

Read that last bit back, we deviated miles from it under LJ/Ashton & haven’t got near to it since.

Right up there with GJ for me but that ship has sailed now.

The corporate game changed with Cotterill’s departure. Ashton and LJ were brought in and all of a sudden money was available for ‘clubs in the bag’. Utterly shit decision that has got us here. 
 

My thought is, Cotterill would never come back here, but if he did he would insist Lansdown stays in his tent in Botswana and playboy shows as much interest as he does now….NONE!

Edited December 27, 2022 by REDOXO

[Cityboy1954]

17 hours ago, Fordy62 said:

He wasn’t given the funds that deserved his achievements before… why would he be given them now when we can’t afford it?

The lansdowns biggest mistake has put us back to square one .