SL Speaks

[Redrascal2]

It is hard to think of a club that would lose it's star player for £25 million and not use some of the funds to strengthen the squad. Only at Bristol City under SL.

[Mr Popodopolous]

1 minute ago, stortfordred said:

Seriously though: the only goose laying eggs is the Prem and although Luton have got there without much investment, their progress (as well as Sheff Utd) is a little more random than Brighton or Bournemouth. Brighton appears to be the only model that bears scrutiny. 
They can afford to sell players now they have got there. 
We can’t afford not to but with the likes of Scott and Webster, we are selling any chance of promotion. 
Football is never a jam tomorrow profession. It’s all in the here and now. 

Brentford traded upwards excellently.

The question too, was retention of Webster required for FFP or. I'd say probably not strictly speaking but then again might we have been able to sign less in 2019 and 2020- of course that may itself have been desirable!

[Mr Popodopolous]

3 minutes ago, Redrascal2 said:

It is hard to think of a club that would lose it's star player for £25 million and not use some of the funds to strengthen the squad. Only at Bristol City under SL.

Wolves atm?

Check their summer activity to date. Can depend on how big a hole a club is in but overall yes we have to give NP some funds now.

[The Nest Egg]

I for one am very excited to hear Steve's interview in three years time where he talks about wanting to follow the 'Millwall model' or 'Coventry model'!

[ExiledAjax]

23 minutes ago, marcofisher said:

Sometimes the most productive relationships are between those who don’t see eye to eye or agree on everything.

If everyone in a business agreed about absolutely everything they would get shafted when that opinion turns out to be wrong and nobody saw the other side of the coin! 

Opposing voices add balance to the situation, it is far better now than the LJ days. 

Spot on, both generally and in terms of what's happening at City.

[Crimson Crayola]

12 minutes ago, fingers said:

I’d say look at what he does, not what he says. We’ve spent a fair bit of the Semenyo money already (Mehmeti, McCrorie etc), and history says that we’ll often reinvest what we recoup. It also says we don’t do that very wisely, but the intent has been there.

Clubs know we have a big chunk of money coming in, any bravado statements in the media about how we’ll spend it won’t help any negotiating positions.

FWIW, I think we’re closer now than we’ve been since the LJ cup run era, and I’d be surprised (and disappointed) if we didn’t use a decent chunk of the Scott money to give it a go again. A couple of quality signings might be all the difference between 12th and play offs.

Well put, people find it easy to assume Nige may be bluffing about the wages, but dont expect SL to do the same. They may be singing from the same hymn sheet.

[Crimson Crayola]

8 minutes ago, Redrascal2 said:

It is hard to think of a club that would lose it's star player for £25 million and not use some of the funds to strengthen the squad. Only at Bristol City under SL.

Bit early to assume this with 3 weeks to go.

[IAmNick]

Lansdown needs to look at the implementation of the models that have got teams promoted, not the models themselves. The fact that many different models have worked just shows there is no one magic bullet, it's how you implement them and with who.

You can get promoted with a nice ground and with a shit one. With a productive academy and basically without one at all. By going all in one year buying expensive players, or by selling and replacing your stars each year or two.

He keeps looking at the "what" without paying attention to the "how" in my opinion.

It's always easy to just look at something successful and think if you copy it you'll also be successful but it doesn't work. There will be similarities in all the models and that's what he needs to find and understand.

Edited August 12, 2023 by IAmNick

[Davefevs]

20 minutes ago, spudski said:

I don't think SL is comparing Luton's model with ours in that statement. 

He mentions before not being able to compete financially with parachute payments...then...' we have to wait for our moment ' like Luton had. 

How I see it, he's saying Luton were in a similar situation to us, as in no parachute payments, and that they got promoted ( with lesser players than ours). 

So he's pointing out, it is possible to get promoted without parachute payments, with a bit of luck and consistency. 

Luton didn’t just wait for their turn…they built, built, built, pretty quickly, using a cheap “system” all about playing fast and direct, meaning they recruit a specific type.  That type that the snobby other clubs weren’t really interested in.  Abebayo (Walsall), Lockyer (cough, spit - Charlton), etc, then adding that bit of quality, but still essentially that type in Morris (Barnsley), etc.

Just now, IAmNick said:

Lansdown needs to look at the implementation of the models that have got teams promoted, not the models themselves. The fact that many different models have worked just shows there is no one magic bullet, it's how you implement them and with who

This was my post yesterday…he looks at outcomes, not process.  Thankfully Nige looks at process.

[Cityboy1954]

1 hour ago, beaverface said:

So what happens when that nest egg is built up? Do we give the cash to another incarnation of LJ and Mark Ashton, who basically put us in austerity for the last three years?

I previously mentioned that the best approach would be for us to get a manager in who has won promotion from this division (by hook or crook) and somehow drag us into the Premier league.

NP has done this, and he needs to be backed, both where financially possible and verbally.

Exactly biggest mistake of his chairmanship feeding those two scallys with all his dosh .

[cotswoldred2]

If ever there was a moment to kick on it would be now...now we have a good manager, coaching set up, training ground, stadium, and squad, just a few tweaks it could happen. 

I find him and his boy extremely frustrating.

[Northern Red]

32 minutes ago, marcofisher said:

Sometimes the most productive relationships are between those who don’t see eye to eye or agree on everything.

 

If everyone in a business agreed about absolutely everything they would get shafted when that opinion turns out to be wrong and nobody saw the other side of the coin! 
 

Opposing voices add balance to the situation, it is far better now than the LJ days. 

Yep, don't know about SL, but Pearson and Alexander have both said exactly that in interviews, as did Gould previously.

[milo1111]

Never doubted that the guy is well intentioned but he always backs the wrong horse manager wise IMO and gives the good ones less to spend to cover these losses

[Mr Popodopolous]

27 minutes ago, Ivorguy said:

The blinkers falling off many on Otib.  Some of us have been saying for years, even decades, that our biggest problem is the owner.

 

I started a recent thread asking if Nige might walk.  SL’s comments are not likely to be well received by NP.

I also recently wrote on Until new owners arrive we are destined to remain as we are until the inevitable bad season sees us back in the comfort of the old third division, and the depressing cycle continues once again.

 

There's not really that much more we can do in financial terms as far as limits go. Maybe a couple of million here and there with naming rights, maybe Partnerships with his other ventures at Fair Value might bring some in but it wouldn't be a game changer.

We could take more risks I suppose.. SL has one way but what vastly in general terms would you do differently?

[TheReds]

16 minutes ago, Redrascal2 said:

It is hard to think of a club that would lose it's star player for £25 million and not use some of the funds to strengthen the squad. Only at Bristol City under SL.

When you say we won't use any of the Scott money to strengthen how long are you giving this exactly, because at the moment it's been about 3 days and not 3 years.

Out of interest, how much should he/we spend out of that, on how many players/positions and what are the wages? Who do we get rid of and at what cost? How does it affect FFP in years to come?

Getting 20 million in doesn't simply mean we can just go and spend what we want. I also would be a bit baffled if our owner and manager went out in the press to tell them we have money to spend.

[headhunter]

3 minutes ago, cotswoldred2 said:

If ever there was a moment to kick on it would be now...now we have a good manager, coaching set up, training ground, stadium, and squad, just a few tweaks it could happen. 

I find him and his boy extremely frustrating.

SL didn't mention "manager" when reflecting on the positives 

[Tim Monaghan]

Steve Lansdown has been a remarkable owner for our football club. I actually find the vitriol and abuse he get pretty upsetting.

Lansdown’s ambitious vision for the club has driven progress in various aspects. Whether it’s improving the facilities, embracing modern football strategies, or planning for long-term success, his leadership has set the tone for Bristol City’s evolution from a struggling league one team in a crumbling stadium, to what we have today.

 Lansdown’s financial support is undoubtedly crucial, Finding an owner who can balance investment with financial responsibility is a rarity. 

Let's be fair, Steves's unwavering support, especially during tough times, is a testament to his passion for the club. His willingness to stay the course and work through challenges demonstrates a deep love for Bristol City that’s not easily replicable.
 

But for me Lansdown’s deep-rooted connection to Bristol and the club’s local identity has been a driving force in our community involvement. Finding another owner who shares this local connection and prioritizes community engagement as much as he does would be a tall order.

While we all want the best for our club, it’s important to recognize the unique qualities that Steve Lansdown brings to the table. As we evaluate the potential for change, we should be mindful of the monumental task it would be to find an owner who could match or surpass his contribution to beloved football club.

I for one appreciate the fantastic owner we have, but I also have one eye on the future like he has. When discussing, can we try and be respectful to him on a personal level, as he has done more for this club than anyone else in its history. He is also, and always will be, one of our own.  

 

Edited August 12, 2023 by Ghost Rider

[IAmNick]

11 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

This was my post yesterday…he looks at outcomes, not process.  Thankfully Nige looks at process.

Yep, there can be a bit of a cargo cult mentality sometimes, on the pitch at well as off it - if we just copy this model/formation/playing style we'll be successful!

[Davefevs]

3 minutes ago, Ghost Rider said:

Steve Lansdown has been a remarkable owner for our football club. I actually find the vitriol and abuse he get pretty upsetting.

Lansdown’s ambitious vision for the club has driven progress in various aspects. Whether it’s improving the facilities, embracing modern football strategies, or planning for long-term success, his leadership has set the tone for Bristol City’s evolution from a struggling league one team in a crumbling stadium, to what we have today.

 Lansdown’s financial support is undoubtedly crucial, Finding an owner who can balance investment with financial responsibility is a rarity. 

Let's be fair, Steves's unwavering support, especially during tough times, is a testament to his passion for the club. His willingness to stay the course and work through challenges demonstrates a deep love for Bristol City that’s not easily replicable.
 

But for me Lansdown’s deep-rooted connection to Bristol and the club’s local identity has been a driving force in our community involvement. Finding another owner who shares this local connection and prioritizes community engagement as much as he does would be a tall order.

While we all want the best for our club, it’s important to recognize the unique qualities that Steve Lansdown brings to the table. As we evaluate the potential for change, we should be mindful of the monumental task it would be to find an owner who could match or surpass his contribution to beloved football club.

I for one appreciate the fantastic owner we have, but I also have one eye on the future like he has. When discussing, can we try and be respectful to him on a personal level, as he has done more for this club than anyone else in its history. He is also, and always will be, one of our own.  

 

Care to add some minuses to the pluses for some balance?

Edited August 12, 2023 by Davefevs

[Red white and red]

3 minutes ago, Ghost Rider said:

Steve Lansdown has been a remarkable owner for our football club. I actually find the vitriol and abuse he get pretty upsetting.

Lansdown’s ambitious vision for the club has driven progress in various aspects. Whether it’s improving the facilities, embracing modern football strategies, or planning for long-term success, his leadership has set the tone for Bristol City’s evolution from a struggling league one team in a crumbling stadium, to what we have today.

 Lansdown’s financial support is undoubtedly crucial, Finding an owner who can balance investment with financial responsibility is a rarity. 

Let's be fair, Steves's unwavering support, especially during tough times, is a testament to his passion for the club. His willingness to stay the course and work through challenges demonstrates a deep love for Bristol City that’s not easily replicable.
 

But for me Lansdown’s deep-rooted connection to Bristol and the club’s local identity has been a driving force in our community involvement. Finding another owner who shares this local connection and prioritizes community engagement as much as he does would be a tall order.

While we all want the best for our club, it’s important to recognize the unique qualities that Steve Lansdown brings to the table. As we evaluate the potential for change, we should be mindful of the monumental task it would be to find an owner who could match or surpass his contribution to beloved football club.

I for one appreciate the fantastic owner we have, but I also have one eye on the future like he has. When discussing, can we try and be respectful to him on a personal level, as he has done more for this club than anyone else in its history. He is also, and always will be, one of our own.  

 

Hi John, thanks for your input. Don’t worry you will be handed the club at some point. 

[Tim Monaghan]

Just now, Red white and red said:

Hi John, thanks for your input. Don’t worry you will be handed the club at some point. 

Was wondering how long this insanely original and extremely funny joke would take to appear. Congratulations, it took a full minute. 

[spudski]

19 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Luton didn’t just wait for their turn…they built, built, built, pretty quickly, using a cheap “system” all about playing fast and direct, meaning they recruit a specific type.  That type that the snobby other clubs weren’t really interested in.  Abebayo (Walsall), Lockyer (cough, spit - Charlton), etc, then adding that bit of quality, but still essentially that type in Morris (Barnsley), etc.

 

As we are doing now. The point SL is making. He's not saying we should be doing better, because Luton made it with ' lesser' players. 

He's pointing out it's possible with parachute payments and used Luton as an example.

[Mr Popodopolous]

11 minutes ago, Ghost Rider said:

Steve Lansdown has been a remarkable owner for our football club. I actually find the vitriol and abuse he get pretty upsetting.

Lansdown’s ambitious vision for the club has driven progress in various aspects. Whether it’s improving the facilities, embracing modern football strategies, or planning for long-term success, his leadership has set the tone for Bristol City’s evolution from a struggling league one team in a crumbling stadium, to what we have today.

 Lansdown’s financial support is undoubtedly crucial, Finding an owner who can balance investment with financial responsibility is a rarity. 

Let's be fair, Steves's unwavering support, especially during tough times, is a testament to his passion for the club. His willingness to stay the course and work through challenges demonstrates a deep love for Bristol City that’s not easily replicable.
 

But for me Lansdown’s deep-rooted connection to Bristol and the club’s local identity has been a driving force in our community involvement. Finding another owner who shares this local connection and prioritizes community engagement as much as he does would be a tall order.

While we all want the best for our club, it’s important to recognize the unique qualities that Steve Lansdown brings to the table. As we evaluate the potential for change, we should be mindful of the monumental task it would be to find an owner who could match or surpass his contribution to beloved football club.

I for one appreciate the fantastic owner we have, but I also have one eye on the future like he has. When discussing, can we try and be respectful to him on a personal level, as he has done more for this club than anyone else in its history. He is also, and always will be, one of our own.  

 

There are a lot of positives all told and careful what we wish for- but he has made some big mistakes, swings of strategy, and his comments today were a bit of a concern.

[Red white and red]

6 minutes ago, Ghost Rider said:

Was wondering how long this insanely original and extremely funny joke would take to appear. Congratulations, it took a full minute. 

I forgot everything was bright, shiny and wonderful for city with Lansdown at the helm. 

[Bobbie]

 

15 minutes ago, Ghost Rider said:

Steve Lansdown has been a remarkable owner for our football club. I actually find the vitriol and abuse he get pretty upsetting.

Lansdown’s ambitious vision for the club has driven progress in various aspects. Whether it’s improving the facilities, embracing modern football strategies, or planning for long-term success, his leadership has set the tone for Bristol City’s evolution from a struggling league one team in a crumbling stadium, to what we have today.

 Lansdown’s financial support is undoubtedly crucial, Finding an owner who can balance investment with financial responsibility is a rarity. 

Let's be fair, Steves's unwavering support, especially during tough times, is a testament to his passion for the club. His willingness to stay the course and work through challenges demonstrates a deep love for Bristol City that’s not easily replicable.
 

But for me Lansdown’s deep-rooted connection to Bristol and the club’s local identity has been a driving force in our community involvement. Finding another owner who shares this local connection and prioritizes community engagement as much as he does would be a tall order.

While we all want the best for our club, it’s important to recognize the unique qualities that Steve Lansdown brings to the table. As we evaluate the potential for change, we should be mindful of the monumental task it would be to find an owner who could match or surpass his contribution to beloved football club.

I for one appreciate the fantastic owner we have, but I also have one eye on the future like he has. When discussing, can we try and be respectful to him on a personal level, as he has done more for this club than anyone else in its history. He is also, and always will be, one of our own.  

 

Completely agree. Never understand the anti SL comments. The sense of entitlement from some of our fans is embarrassing 

Edited August 12, 2023 by Bobbie

[Tim Monaghan]

12 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Care to add some minuses to the pluses for some balance?

I find myself content, embodying the perspective of an optimist who sees the glass as half full . The negatives hold little sway in my assessment, for our current standing far surpasses the state in which we found ourselves upon his assumption of leadership. This single fact is paramount for me. I remain impervious to any counterarguments suggesting that our current state could have been achieved without the influence of SL; such notions belong to the realm of fantasy. My stance is unwavering, and I'm disinclined to engage in a discourse over this matter, as no amount of discussion can sway my deep-seated respect and gratitude I have for him. H'es made mistakes, of course he has. He himself fully admits he isn't a "football" man, so he's had to rely on the people around him.

For those whose allegiance to this club aligns exclusively with his tenure, allow me to assure you—SL's intervention served as our salvation. 

[TheReds]

3 minutes ago, Red white and red said:

I forgot everything was bright, shiny and wonderful for city with Lansdown at the helm. 

When you look at a lot of other clubs it is quite wonderful at the moment with our club (of course it could be better), but NP has done an excellent job getting rid of players on high wages and replacing them at a fraction of the cost, along with an academy producing some extremely good talent, then add in the future developments. It actually feels like a club with people in it together

Anyway let's say SL sells in the next month, what exactly are you proposing a new owner does so differently that will get up Prem football and be financially stable? 

 

[Merrick's Marvels]

1 hour ago, spudski said:

So he's pointing out, it is possible to get promoted without parachute payments, with a bit of luck and consistency. 

But what I would say to Lansdown, Spud, is that luck and consistency weren't the main ingredients in them getting there! Does he realise this??

Those ingredients were the right managerial appointments every time, laser focused recruitment of specific players for a specific style and consistently good decision making/leadership from their suits. And I don't suppose he wants to compare how we've done against those criteria!

If Lansdown thinks it was just a case of a bit of luck, right time, right place and a few consistent performances... he's demonstrating yet again he really understands zilch about football.

He might like to reflect on how the state of Luton's stadium, and I'll guess their training ground, demonstrates there is little correlation between money spent on bricks and mortar and success on the pitch. He also ask himself how many teams have got promoted by relying so heavily on youth - how many Luton players were "projects" or "ones for the future"? None that I can think of - just the right players to fit a specific system who can deliver here and now. 

If it's consistency the owner wants, going down the youth route is a funny way of going about it - unless you're prepared to be very patient. 

Which one minute he says he is, then contradicts himself. Muddled thinking wherever you look upstairs in the "Board" room  which explains more than anything else why we languish where we are. 

Look in the mirror Mr Lansdown not at Luton, Brentford, Brighton and goodness knows who else next week. 

Edited August 12, 2023 by Merrick's Marvels

[spudski]

1 minute ago, Merrick's Marvels said:

But luck and consistency weren't the main ingredients in them getting there.

Those ingredients were the right managerial appointments every time, laser focused recruitment of specific players for a specific style, consistently good decision making and leadership from their suits.

So if Lansdown thinks it was just a case of a bit of luck, right time, right place and a few consistent performances... he's demonstrating yet again he really understands very little about football.

He might like to reflect on how the state of Luton's stadium, and I'll guess their training ground, demonstrates there is little correlation between money spent on bricks and mortar and success on the pitch. He also ask himself how many teams have got promoted by relying so heavily on youth - how many Luton players were "projects" or "ones for the future"? None that I can think of - just the right players to fit a specific system who can deliver here and now. 

If it's consistency the owner wants, going down the youth route is a funny way of going about it - unless you're prepared to be very patient. 

Which one minute he says he is, then contradicts himself. Muddled thinking wherever you look upstairs in the "Board" room  which explains more than anything else why we languish where we are. 

Look in the mirror Mr Lansdown not at Luton, Brentford, Brighton and goodness knows who else next week. 

Do you really think SL believes it's just luck and consistency? 

Seriously? 

He's made numerous errors in judgement when recruiting managers and backroom staff. He knows that, we know that. 

He's now letting NP and Tinnion sort it out. 

And given them the best facilities to do so. 

In the past...under GJ we were one game from being promoted to the Prem. That would have been ' luck' imo. 

It's probably the worst thing that ever happened to this club under SLs tenure...giving a false sense to how it could be achieved. 

It's taken him years imo, to actually see the light. 

 

[Der no.2]

"wait for that moment"

What moment? What does it look like?

To me Steve came across as someone who has had the ambition kicked out of them.

Come on Steve, make it happen!

Edited August 12, 2023 by Der no.2