“Maybe it’s a good thing for us to play away from home, it was a game where we really needed the fans”

[GrahamC]

36 minutes ago, Countryfile said:

There were no trains and no buses and WBA sold out their end.

They’ve now won 6 of their last 7.

I bet we would have sold out the away end at The Hawthorns if roles were reversed.

[BUTOR]

“You’re performing poorly and your job is under review”

“Doesn’t bother me. I’ve been shite everywhere I’ve worked, I’ve been so unpopular that I make thousands of people throw abuse towards me at much more reputable companies, it’s fine”

[And Its Smith]

3 minutes ago, GrahamC said:

They’ve now won 6 of their last 7.

I bet we would have sold out the away end at The Hawthorns if roles were reversed.

That is a MASSIVE if!!

3 minutes ago, Bouncearoundtheground said:

“You’re performing poorly and your job is under review”

“Doesn’t bother me. I’ve been shite everywhere I’ve worked, I’ve been so unpopular that I make thousands of people throw abuse towards me at much more reputable companies, it’s fine”

Why are you putting in quote marks those words when he didn’t say that?  Bit weird 

[Simon79]

1 hour ago, LondonBristolian said:

Not heard the interview and not seen the context for the quote so don’t want to jump to conclusions.

What I would say is the vast majority fans have been far more patient, trusting and supporting of Pearson than might be expected from the results alone and you would hope he and the club appreciated that. 

I’ve not heard the interview also, but I totally agree that he has been given a fairly easy ride so far by the fans, considering the results. But I also think he’s well aware of that & I'm sure he has given a nod to that during quite a few interviews. COYR  

[GTFABM]

46 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

I take it this is from the “written press” interview after Club and BBCRB one?

Just found it:

Blimey, are we really up in arms about these kind of comments from Pearson?

Not just the comments. Add them

onto horrendous football and pathetic team/tactical decisions.

[BUTOR]

8 minutes ago, And Its Smith said:

That is a MASSIVE if!!

Why are you putting in quote marks those words when he didn’t say that?  Bit weird 

An attempt to highlight the ridiculousness of Pearson’s words in any other working scenario. Fairly obvious I would assume? 

“Booed off bigger stadiums”, what a ridiculous thing for a football manager to say about his own supporters. I mean come on. It’s Barton, “I’ve scaled higher mountains” esque shite that I’m used to ripping the Gas for. It’s embarrassing us. 

[And Its Smith]

2 minutes ago, Bouncearoundtheground said:

An attempt to highlight the ridiculousness of Pearson’s words in any other working scenario. Fairly obvious I would assume? 

“Booed off bigger stadiums”, what a ridiculous thing for a football manager to say about his own supporters. I mean come on. It’s Barton, “I’ve scaled higher mountains” esque shite that I’m used to ripping the Gas for. It’s embarrassing us. 

I agree. It is ridiculous and is enough in itself without making stuff up 

[SydneyCity]

1 hour ago, Porto Red said:

Lucky you. Brazilian women are the most beautiful in the world in my eyes and living in Portugal I've been lucky enough to date a few, can't get one to marry me yet though. This could have something to do with them being half my age I suppose

Get yourself to Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Portuguese is pretty much the native language.

[ralphindevon]

2 minutes ago, SydneyCity said:

Get yourself to Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Portuguese is pretty much the native language.

When I saw the title of this thread I never thought it would contain such a multicultural flavour and advice on how to get a Brazilian wife.

OTIB.

[SydneyCity]

1 hour ago, spudski said:

Your wife has a very valid point.

I think she does. It was a terrible non-atmosphere today. I ordinarily wake up at 2am each week to be disappointed by City, so can understand the frustration… but if you’re paying cash to be in the ground, surely you’d give it your all. 
 

I was sat next to a guy today who moaned from kick-off to final whistle, slagging every player off and comparing everything to Spurs and how much better they were. I appreciate different opinions but don’t understand why you’d pay a decent chunk of money to do that.

[SydneyCity]

1 hour ago, Fordy62 said:

Not gonna lie. I’m pretty jealous of you. 

Don’t be. I can get an equally emotional reaction if a coffee is cold, or a train is late

Edited December 26, 2022 by SydneyCity

[The Bard]

2 hours ago, SydneyCity said:

Living overseas, this is the first game I’ve been able to get to since 2013. I’m going to quote my Brazilian wife who watched us for the first time ever today and admittedly can be very Latina:

“You cannot let those bitch*s come to your stadium and be louder than you. They made you their bitch*s. I am offended for you. You are not supporters, you are complainers. The only time you make noise for your team is to boo. Your 15 cannot run at people if he doesn’t have the roar behind him. Your 21 cannot win those balls unless he knows you are there. You were made to be bitch*s and you played like them”.

I’m not going to repeat what she said when half the stadium walked out after the second goal but the polite version was: “This is when you support your team”.

On the plus side, we do have a great stadium.

Your wife is a top Latina.  Absolutely hits the nail on the head.  

[2015]

2 hours ago, bcfc ry said:

I will always try to see the positives but right now it’s very hard. We are a sinking ship in need of significant change. 

We have been a sinking ship since 2019 dont know why some fans are waking up to it now

[italian dave]

I thought the atmosphere was dire today.

But it didn’t get off to a good start when the same line up appears as put us through a shit 90 mins last time out.

And the selection of King over Atkinson appeared to be a deliberate statement in response to the fans. Rightly or wrongly that’s how it was perceived - as the response to King’s substitution showed. I didn’t hear that as cheering King going off specifically; it was cheering the (belated) arrival of a central defender to play in central defence..

And then we concede in the first 10 minutes. 

Not exactly a start to generate an atmosphere. 

Edited December 26, 2022 by italian dave

[Guest]

37 minutes ago, GrahamC said:

They’ve now won 6 of their last 7.

I bet we would have sold out the away end at The Hawthorns if roles were reversed.

I’m sure you’re correct. But that is a very big IF judging by current form.

My point was that to use the fact that there were no buses or trains was not a good reason for the empty seats.

Had the poster said the results at home have been poor and the football played by us uninspiring and that’s why people stayed away I would have readily agreed with him.

No doubt we will take a large following to Coventry, let’s hope the team rewards the fans accordingly.

[Andy082005]

1 hour ago, johnheadbcfc said:

Ashton gate before the redevelopment used to be a good atmosphere, under Wilson and Gary johnson especially 

It was also dire when things were not going well. We create a good atmosphere at this stadium but everyone has had the life sucked out of them by this current set up

[Guest]

10 minutes ago, SydneyCity said:

Don’t be. I can get an equally emotional reaction if a coffee is cold, or a train is late

But life is never dull?

[exAtyeoMax]

1 hour ago, Davefevs said:

I take it this is from the “written press” interview after Club and BBCRB one?

Just found it:

Blimey, are we really up in arms about these kind of comments from Pearson?

I think people are reacting to a different interview, that’s not the one I saw on Twitter 

Edited December 26, 2022 by exAtyeoMax

[Davefevs]

Just now, exAtyeoMax said:

I think people are reacting to a difference interview, that’s not the one I saw on Twitter 

No, I agree, but what Nige actually says (in full) on the club one on twitter is very different to what the OP has snipped into the thread title.

[cidercity1987]

1 hour ago, spudski said:

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/nigel-pearson-bristol-city-hostile-7970338 

He really hasn't helped himself again in these quotes.

Regarding WBA... Quote... 'They’re actually now getting the best out of their own players, but when we played them at their place, we beat them 2-0 comfortably on the night because they had players that were coasting, and they weren’t getting the best out of their players, so it depends how you want to look at it.'

If that's the case...what does that say about his own management and our players? 

That their players are considerably better than ours

Which would be correct 

[xerox6060]

2 hours ago, Chrizzler said:

He wasn’t blaming the fans at all. 

I agree I thought he actually gave fans more credit than was deserved, for a boxing day and a big crowd that was a dreadful atmosphere and didn't assist at all...though also say it was predictable and limited on the pitch so understandable 

[spudski]

17 minutes ago, cidercity1987 said:

That their players are considerably better than ours

Which would be correct 

You're missing the point.

WBA got in a new manager, who transformed their results and now gets the best out the players.

 NP has admitted our squad are capable of doing better and should in his opinion be near the play offs.

So who is at fault...him or the players?

Or is his judgement flawed? 

 

[Chrizzler]

Just now, xerox6060 said:

I agree I thought he actually gave fans more credit than was deserved, for a boxing day and a big crowd that was a dreadful atmosphere and didn't assist at all...though also say it was predictable and limited on the pitch so understandable 

I agree, whilst I’m as frustrated with Pearson as much as anyone I thought as well as the poor atmosphere from the kick off, the cheering of an injured player going off & the booing of the players as they were showing their appreciation to the supporters at the end by some of our, so called, “fans” was totally wrong. I’m not saying people shouldn’t criticise but direct it where it’s deserved.  

[Offside]

The atmosphere at AG was very flat today and has been for a while. A depressed malaise seems to have set in. But there is also the context of some poor results and performances. There was precious little to give fans something to cheer today. Our play from the start was so slow with no urgency, we even took an age with goal kicks and throw-ins.

We are being beaten so easily, today without a whimper. 

[WessexPest]

Bordering on SOD or Pulis, these remarks. Pearson’s a dead man walking. Sally forth and take the helmets who run our club with you.

League One incoming.

Edited December 26, 2022 by WessexPest

[Dr Balls]

The problem is that going to watch City at Ashton Gate in the past few months would have tested the patience of a saint. And there are very few of those amongst those who attend regularly. We usually come away from games frustrated by the result, bewildered by the team selection and tactics, and more recently disillusioned that any of it is ever going to change. Our form is woeful, the entertainment is minimal, and the response from the manager is unhelpful at best and more often than not downright annoying. And people want us to sing our hearts out for that?! Well when the players, management and owners show that they care as much as the fans and actually demonstrate some effort and desire, then maybe we might show some in return. However play useless, directionless, losing football, don’t expect to get anything other than silence interspersed with booing. It’s all that that deserves!

[AppyDAZE]

He's not the first manager at any football club to say that we need a couple of away games in order to take the pressure off a bit.

There's been a bit of an OTT reaction on here to this IMO.

I don't like everything he's doing, and I didn't like his little dig at us with his "I've been at bigger places" thing,

But I still think it would be a big risk to send him packing.

BCFC is not in a good place off the pitch as surely everyone knows.

I'd like to think they can go into the next two away games with a little less pressure and hopefully surprise a few.

 

[Ron W]

Nigel has been, for the most part, very wise in the way he deals with the media and the fans. It's a big part of the job in 2022 and he's been pretty good at it. When he talked about being on the bus or off it in the past, he was early enough in his City career, with enough green shoots of optimism that it brought us along with him.

He has come across as humble, accepting of his own failings, calculated in how he assesses the limitations of the club. I've not met him but people who have seem to have found him approachable, welcoming and charming.

I don't mean to be too cynical, but he's not stupid. He's been in this game a long time and knows if he can distinguish himself from the managers who can avoid sounding like they blame everyone else apart than themselves, he's won some of the battle. In the same way he knows exactly how and when to push the button on the state of refereeing and get national coverage.

Nigel's had plenty of run-ins with the media (and fans) before and made plenty of brash statements. Look at the final months of his Leicester career. But watching his interviews here, he's looked more mellow for the most part.

I say this very much from the outside, I haven't seen a City game in person since Millwall away last season, but I get the feeling the sentiment has changed from both sides. The atmosphere at AG sounded like it had turned today.

Nigel burned a few bridges with the way he talked about Atkinson last week, and now the line about getting booed out of bigger clubs isn't endearing himself to anyone. In the club interview, you can hear him getting half way through criticising the fans and then thinking better of it.

"Maybe it might be a good thing for us to play away. We didn't quite get the... It was a game where we needed the fans to get behind us, and they did for the mostpart, but their frustrations are very obvious too, so... We've just got to get back to being as solid as we can."

For a straight-talking manager, that's a lot of insinuation without actually wanting to go the distance and say what he means. His biggest problem is he's already said too much to backtrack, when his stock is already as low as it has been since he took the job.

As I said, I don't know enough about what it's like to watch City at the moment to speculate but it's certainly the sort of language we've heard from City bosses in the past who didn't have long left. Similar to GJ at Watford and Reading in his final days.

Edited December 26, 2022 by RonWalker

[Lack of Action Man]

15 minutes ago, RonWalker said:

His biggest problem is he's already said too much to backtrack, when his stock is already as low as it has been since he took the job.

This is exactly the comment I made (off the forum) earlier r.e. Pearson's comments. 

Scenario:

He implies to the media that he cannot trust Atkinson in central defense, hence why he is playing Andy King there. 

Andy King gets injured. 

He now is forced into playing Atkinson whose confidence is hardly likely to be at peak levels after that kind of comment is made to the press.

 

It's bloody baffling from NP.

[2015]

1 hour ago, Chrizzler said:

I agree, whilst I’m as frustrated with Pearson as much as anyone I thought as well as the poor atmosphere from the kick off, the cheering of an injured player going off & the booing of the players as they were showing their appreciation to the supporters at the end by some of our, so called, “fans” was totally wrong. I’m not saying people shouldn’t criticise but direct it where it’s deserved.  

Imagine booing a player who is a supporter of this club, i'd feel like absolute **** of I was King. Absolutely embarassing by some of our so called 'fans'. It's not King's fault that he is being selected out of position.