Steady progress.

[Robbored]

It’s struck me at todays game just how much progress Nige has made since he took over having to rebuild  the cub  pretty much from scratch and all the while reducing the wage bill.

We see City sitting 13th in the Championship table just 9 points outside the pray offs with 13 games to go and putting in some decent performances along the way.

The squad is motivated and certainly have bought into Nige’s way, are showing 100% commitment all over the pitch leaving nothing out there on the final whistle. Things are finally looking good after several seasons of mediocre management both on and off the pitch 

I’m sure we’d all love a push for the top six - just what we need to keep us all enthusiastically checking other Championship results and league table.

When I listen to Nige pre and post match he genuinely impresses me with his candour and obvious deep knowledge of what it takes to build a successful club - he really is a proper manager who is applying his skills and knowledge of the industry to improve our club. I think we’re lucky to have him as our manager.

Today wasn’t a great game but City managed to come away with three points when not playing that well - a defiant good sign.

Tuesday eve we have a lucrative fixture against Man City at a sold out AG live on TV which obviously raises Bristol City's profile  nationally but to me the result is largely irrelevant with the league being the number 1 priority.

That said…….the FA cup is known for its upsets so you just never know…………

[BigTone]

TBH its next season I'm looking forward to. This season will blood some of the young prospects we have and build their confidence. The Man City game is just rewards to their efforts and they need to go out and just enjoy the experience and continue to learn their trade. IMO the future is bright for BCFC.

[steviestevieneville]

The big change for me lately is how we’re in control of games , not just at home but decent spells away & when we’re not we dig in . In the past we would have spells of control but very inconsistent . You can now see a very clear defined way that we play . I’ve always nige would get it right . We’ll lose games obviously but hopefully the bad runs won’t resurface . Really looking forward to next season already 

[mozo]

I just never thought I'd see Nige doing a jig on the touchline. That's serious progress!

[Rossi the Robin]

Give Nige a new contract ASAP 

[Gazred]

Unbeaten for 2 months is promotion form. Glad we get to carry that run into Tues, it's a free hit but we have every right to play with confidence and have a go.

Consistency has been the key, both individually and in the teaam overall. It's the most convincing run since we last played Man C.

[steviestevieneville]

6 minutes ago, Rossi the Robin said:

Give Nige a new contract ASAP 

If /when the press bring it up , he’ll dismiss it probably . Along the lines of. I need to earn one like everyone else . 
I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s already been mentioned behind the scenes 

[Beni71]

The City dugout at the end of the game said a lot about the club and NPs influence. Hugs and even kisses going on. 

[redsquirrel]

i still think we need to get to near his contract expiry, he has done wonders so far and wouldnt want to put any unnecessary pressure on him, 

[Major Isewater]

We are nearing the type of squad and way of playing that Nigel wants. I like what I am seeing.

[W-S-M Seagull]

Nige has truly found a home here I feel.

[redkev]

Does Nige live down this neck of the woods , I know he’s from up north but have heard he now lives in Devon ?

 

[redsquirrel]

4 minutes ago, redkev said:

Does Nige live down this neck of the woods , I know he’s from up north but have heard he now lives in Devon ?

 

hes living in nailsea in ,at least for the time being

[ScottishRed]

He has a second home in Devon - I gleaned this from an interview in the Sunday Times some months before he joined us. The interview focused not only on his career but his love of the outdoors.

I think his family home is in Sheffield.

[redkev]

2 minutes ago, redsquirrel said:

hes living in nailsea in ,at least for the time being

[redsquirrel]

1 minute ago, ScottishRed said:

He has a second home in Devon - I gleaned this from an interview in the Sunday Times some months before he joined us. The interview focused not only on his career but his love of the outdoors.

I think his family home is in Sheffield.

probably got more than that too. i know he stays here some weekends, been seen in the pub on a sunday lunchtime

[Bas's perfect hattrick]

4 hours ago, Robbored said:

It’s struck me at todays game just how much progress Nige has made since he took over having to rebuild  the cub  pretty much from scratch and all the while reducing the wage bill.

We see City sitting 13th in the Championship table just 9 points outside the pray offs with 13 games to go and putting in some decent performances along the way.

The squad is motivated and certainly have bought into Nige’s way, are showing 100% commitment all over the pitch leaving nothing out there on the final whistle. Things are finally looking good after several seasons of mediocre management both on and off the pitch 

I’m sure we’d all love a push for the top six - just what we need to keep us all enthusiastically checking other Championship results and league table.

When I listen to Nige pre and post match he genuinely impresses me with his candour and obvious deep knowledge of what it takes to build a successful club - he really is a proper manager who is applying his skills and knowledge of the industry to improve our club. I think we’re lucky to have him as our manager.

Today wasn’t a great game but City managed to come away with three points when not playing that well - a defiant good sign.

Tuesday eve we have a lucrative fixture against Man City at a sold out AG live on TV which obviously raises Bristol City's profile  nationally but to me the result is largely irrelevant with the league being the number 1 priority.

That said…….the FA cup is known for its upsets so you just never know…………

Good post and exciting times ahead, but you misspelt 'play offs'

[WessexPest]

1 hour ago, redkev said:

Does Nige live down this neck of the woods , I know he’s from up north but have heard he now lives in Devon ?

 

Up north is stretching it - Nottingham.

[Malago]

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

Nige has truly found a home here I feel.

I thought that about Cotts.

[Lanterne Rouge]

7 hours ago, ScottishRed said:

He has a second home in Devon - I gleaned this from an interview in the Sunday Times some months before he joined us. The interview focused not only on his career but his love of the outdoors.

I think his family home is in Sheffield.

Ivybridge or Ashburton I think. On the edge of the moor definitely - presumably chose it for his love of hiking.

[JoeAman08]

I still think it took NP too long to get these performances from this set of players. Take into account it started before any new players got here. The form is great but it has probably come too late for a playoff push. Not that is was expected but everyone bar Burnley is truly beatable. 

However, I’ve come around now. The performances are borderline dominant for the most part. 2 months worth as well. We now can win sitting back and countering or even as the higher possession side. 

[Robbored]

7 hours ago, redkev said:

Does Nige live down this neck of the woods , I know he’s from up north but have heard he now lives in Devon ?

 

He lives just outside Nailsea.

[ExiledAjax]

1 minute ago, JoeAman08 said:

I still think it took NP too long to get these performances from this set of players. Take into account it started before any new players got here. The form is great but it has probably come too late for a playoff push. Not that is was expected but everyone bar Burnley is truly beatable. 

However, I’ve come around now. The performances are borderline dominant for the most part. 2 months worth as well. We now can win sitting back and countering or even as the higher possession side. 

But the signs of improvement were there long before this run in 2023. Results were coming, improvements were measurable and clearly happening. We just needed a few fine tweaks, a couple of personnel changes, some patience, and as we've seen in these last two games, our luck regarding penalties to turn.

[JoeAman08]

1 minute ago, ExiledAjax said:

But the signs of improvement were there long before this run in 2023. Results were coming, improvements were measurable and clearly happening. We just needed a few fine tweaks, a couple of personnel changes, some patience, and as we've seen in these last two games, our luck regarding penalties to turn.

I don’t have it in me to argue it really anymore. I just do not agree that the signs were there. Always said it felt like his influence off the pitch was immeasurable. You can feel it from the outside looking in. He had made it a healthier organisation long before this run. The match day performances were lacking and until the switch to 4 at the back we were scraping points together instead of earning them.
 

Felt he could have used the WC break to implement the 4 at the back. Bar Mehmeti, the starting XI yesterday has been here for two years or longer. Feel like our fortunes could have improved much earlier. Even in this run of unbeaten it was a lot of draws until recently. 
 

I know I just ended up arguing anyway. Just it is still my opinion that we had more in the squad then NP was getting from them. Very pleased he is getting the most from them now. 

[downendcity]

Agree with pretty well everything said already 

However, just pointing out that we've failed to score from open play in the last 3 hours (2 games) of football. Failing to take chances, particularly earlier in the season, cost us points that could have now seen us as serious challengers for a play off place.

While we might be a bit light headed about it, I don't think we can rely on being awarded a penalty in every game going forward, so need the strikers to recover their scoring boots.

Is it coincidence that this has coincided with Wells not being in the starting 11?

[ExiledAjax]

29 minutes ago, JoeAman08 said:

I don’t have it in me to argue it really anymore. I just do not agree that the signs were there. Always said it felt like his influence off the pitch was immeasurable. You can feel it from the outside looking in. He had made it a healthier organisation long before this run. The match day performances were lacking and until the switch to 4 at the back we were scraping points together instead of earning them.
 

Felt he could have used the WC break to implement the 4 at the back. Bar Mehmeti, the starting XI yesterday has been here for two years or longer. Feel like our fortunes could have improved much earlier. Even in this run of unbeaten it was a lot of draws until recently. 
 

I know I just ended up arguing anyway. Just it is still my opinion that we had more in the squad then NP was getting from them. Very pleased he is getting the most from them now. 

I don't think we're arguing about everything. Yes our fortunes (assume you mean results) could have improved earlier - because the signs and numbers were there to show that we had improved performances. We just needed the last bit of fine tuning, a bit of fortune, a good wind. We've had those things in 2023, and results have followed this time.

I don't think it's fair to compare the starting XI now to two years ago. Two years ago Vyner, O'Leary and Pring were 23, raw, error-prone, far less experienced. Two years ago Scott was 17. That's 4 of the starting XI who were nowhere near their current level. As they have improved, so has our team, and so have performances.

The healthier organisation you talk of - that's another one of the signs I refer to as showing that improvement was happening and was coming.

I just don't think it should take a run of 12 unbeaten games to convince people of improvement. It was there long before the run of results.

Edited February 26, 2023 by ExiledAjax

[Edge1981]

23 minutes ago, JoeAman08 said:

Bar Mehmeti, the starting XI yesterday has been here for two years or longer.

Apart from Matty James, George Tanner and Mark Sykes…

[Mad Cyril]

44 minutes ago, Robbored said:

He lives just outside Nailsea.

A lot of fans know exactly where he is staying, which is always worrying in the event things turn nasty, and someone decides to go up there and cross a line.

However, things are the complete opposite of that. I am heading up there later to anonymously mow his lawn and wash his car.

[JoeAman08]

26 minutes ago, ExiledAjax said:

I don't think we're arguing about everything. Yes our fortunes (assume you mean results) could have improved earlier - because the signs and numbers were there to show that we had improved performances. We just needed the last bit of fine tuning, a bit of fortune, a good wind. We've had those things in 2023, and results have followed this time.

I don't think it's fair to compare the starting XI now to two years ago. Two years ago Vyner, O'Leary and Pring were 23, raw, error-prone, far less experienced. Two years ago Scott was 17. That's 4 of the starting XI who were nowhere near their current level. As they have improved, so has our team, and so have performances.

The healthier organisation you talk of - that's another one of the signs I refer to as showing that improvement was happening and was coming.

I just don't think it should take a run of 12 unbeaten games to convince people of improvement. It was there long before the run of results.

For me the performances weren’t close. Rarely seemed to put complete performances together now they are routine. 
 

The 2 year comment was to point out that the squad had more in it than was getting. Of course players are better because we have a young squad. NP gets credit but there is also natural progression. Plenty saying wait until he can spend bigger fees etc. Doing it largely with the tools he had last season is all I mean. Not saying the 4 at the back should have been this fluid all last season and into this. No, just mean he could have done this sooner this season and perhaps we’d have 5-6 more points on the board and more of a playoff contender.
 

Not everything needs to happen right away but football changes quickly and we maybe missed a small chance here to be a playoff side. I like to think next season could be real exciting but good chance of losing Scott. Money is great but then you have to get replacements and get them settled. We will see. I thought NP improved the club more than he did the team until recently. They probably go hand in hand but there will always be a bit of what if for me. 

[Robbored]

I overlooked two important points yesterday that Nige deserves much credit for.
 

Firstly he’s got our club progressing well despite losing his most valuable player - Semenyo joined B’mouth for around £10m and it looks as if Alex Scott is likely to move on in the summer window. Now I appreciate that other Championship clubs have to do the same but it just makes the managers job that more difficult when he’s having to lose his most valuable assets. Nige just accepts that losing his better players is a part of his job.

Secondly Nige has/is achieving SLs ambition of building  a squad capable of promotion made of a combination of youth and experience. Yesterday there were 5 academy graduates starting all of whom did well with the experienced Matty James being MoM in the eyes of many. it’s players like him and King that set professional standards for the younger lads to aspire to.  Really clever of Nige to add those two to the City squad. He knew both of them from his time at the Foxes that both would bring positivity and lead by example - top management that.

The likes of Sykes (25) and Tanner (23)are new to the Championship and both relatively inexperienced at this level and they both reflect how well the scouting set up is functioning. I realise that is not necessarily down to Nige but he will have had a serious input at some stage and has built a strong working relationship with Brian Tinnion who is also doing a cracking job.