Lansdown - decision time

[Kid in the Riot]

7 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Just a hunch tbh but I've long assumed and feel free to correct if me wrong, that Gould and NP a much better match, relationship.

Better, yes. Though, again, certainly not all flowers and dinner dates. A difficult start apparently, though I think in the end Gould had warmed to Nige. 

[sh1t_ref_again]

5 minutes ago, Bristol Oil Services said:

Yeah, bang on mate. Let's list them:

1. Bristol Rovers

2. Fleetwood

3. Morecombe

4. Forest bleedin Green Rovers

5. Rotherham

6. Shrewsbury

7. Barrow

8. MK Dons

9. Crawley

10. Mansfield Town

11. Newport County

12. Harrogate blinkin Town

13. Are you cottoning on to this now, mate? The only clubs that haven't made it to the top division in the last 30 years are smaller than us, much smaller. Including Plymouth (16,000 on Saturday. Not very big).

You missed PNE & Millwall, but guess that did not help your point

[Kid in the Riot]

1 minute ago, sh1t_ref_again said:

You missed PNE & Millwall, but guess that did not help your point

Both have spent considerably less than SL has in the past 15 years. 

[RUSSEL85]

1 minute ago, Kid in the Riot said:

Both have spent considerably less than SL has in the past 15 years. 

Took the words right out of my mouth

[Simon bristol]

9 minutes ago, Cov 77 said:

So this forum is like chatting down the pub , if so it would be the most miserable sodding pub on the face of gods earth.

Full of a bunch of miserable negative old gits thinking they know better than anyone  else 

Jeez perspective people 

That maybe so, but we are no closer to getting in the top flight now than we have been in the last 40 years… people have the right to be frustrated with it.

[Mr Popodopolous]

2 minutes ago, Kid in the Riot said:

Better, yes. Though, again, certainly not all flowers and dinner dates. A difficult start apparently, though I think in the end Gould had warmed to Nige. 

I'm sure it wasn't perfect harmony of course. Same with most working relationships?

Yes coming in under a cost cutting brief could have annoyed NP at first maybe.

Gould's comments were not the best when NP had to take some time off Covid wise but though it could have been for show, public face etc they did seem to have a good chemistry at the Fans Forum last October. Overall though just had more faith in Gould than Alexander but time will tell.

[Dolman_Stand]

5 minutes ago, sh1t_ref_again said:

You missed PNE & Millwall, but guess that did not help your point

Ironically you may have just helped make it!

[tin]

34 minutes ago, Loosey Boy said:

Does SL honestly think that in selling Scott and not replacing him (or strengthening the squad elsewhere) that we should be any better (in terms of league position) than last season?

When you see the recruitment going on elsewhere (Cov, Brum and Hull to name a few), surely he can see that we are likely to be falling further behind….

SL uses deflection very well; he’s never taken any responsibility for his own cock-ups in more than two decades. I would put money on him telling Nige privately something like you can only have 10% of the Scott cash but they have to fit in our wage structure, only to blame him when the shit hits the fan despite Nige always saying he will only sign players who are better than we’ve got. Classic SL.

Edited August 21, 2023 by tin

[Davefevs]

1 hour ago, Fuber said:

Agreed - however if we by the fact the club were in line with FFP after the Semenyo sale (and willing to try keeping Scott) - surely that leaves some headroom to help out NP with more reinvestment than has occurred and has been rumoured (£1m for Thomason) thus far. Added to the further wage reductions from Baker, Kalas, Bentley, Kose, Martin, Moore and Massengo also fairly outweighing the wages in from Dickie, McCrorie, Roberts, and Knight.

And fully expect the Thomason bid was something like £0.5m fee and the rest in add-ons. 

1 hour ago, Maltshoveller said:

Easy for us fans to say Twist

It is if you think the people out there seeking the new investors know their onions!

[ExiledAjax]

If the pattern follows previous years then there should be a Fans Forum in early/mid October, with details announced in two or three weeks' time.

Generally that's the Manager, CEO, and a player (or last year Tinnion as a late replacement for Wells).

Whether this happens, and how it goes will shed a bit of light on everything.

[exAtyeoMax]

16 minutes ago, Cov 77 said:

So this forum is like chatting down the pub , if so it would be the most miserable sodding pub on the face of gods earth.

Full of a bunch of miserable negative old gits thinking they know better than anyone  else 

Jeez perspective people 

well it's not Spoons or The Old Duke…

[Cov 77]

4 minutes ago, Simon bristol said:

That maybe so, but we are no closer to getting in the top flight now than we have been in the last 40 years… people have the right to be frustrated with it.

Frustrated maybe , crap Saturday agreed, but 4 points from three games at the start of a season is not Armageddon 

[Top Robin]

7 minutes ago, RUSSEL85 said:

Took the words right out of my mouth

.....It must have been while you were kissing me

[chinapig]

9 minutes ago, Andrew_V1 said:

Nige has done his bit cutting the cost base down, developing players and generating significant income and deserves some proper backing not random punts for a few hundred k.

I'd settle for him getting some public credit from the owner. At the fans forum for instance Richard Gould was keen to give Nigel the credit for a £10m reduction in costs but not a word of praise from Lansdown before or since. Even Alexander described Nigel as football royalty though he seems to have taken a vow of silence since. Perhaps Steve reprimanded him for saying it.

I've suggested before that he won't give any credit because that would be an admission that Nigel has been clearing up a mess Steve himself created. He appears to be as short of ego as he is of money yet curiously sensitive at the same time.

[Tim Monaghan]

It’s evident that over the past six months, there have been significant changes to the club’s wage bill and player roster. The departure of several players and strategic additions have impacted our squad depth, while generating funds through transfers has been a focus.

Steve Lansdown’s leadership and his dedication to the club cannot be understated. His efforts have played a crucial role in shaping Bristol City into what it is today. The financial decisions made to reduce the wage bill and make strategic signings are aimed at creating a sustainable foundation for the club’s future. However, I share the concerns expressed about the current state of the team’s performance and the challenges faced by Nige due to the constraints.

With all of these considerations in mind, it's increasingly apparent that both on the pitch and even in commercial endeavors, we're caught in a seemingly repetitive cycle. The sentiment of "groundhog day" resonates strongly, underscoring the need for a fresh approach. Perhaps it's time to contemplate a shake-up at the upper echelons of leadership. If Steve Lansdown's inclination is not toward substantial investment in the footballing aspects, then our future prospects largely rest on his decision-making and we all know how that goes.  

COYR
 

[Henry]

@Kid in the Riot has been any more interest in buying or investing in the club? Is it a case of Lansdown asking too much or still wanting control?

[sh1t_ref_again]

3 minutes ago, Dolman_Stand said:

Ironically you may have just helped make it!

Not really, just pointing out like most of the rubbish on here people change or invent fact to try and make their point

Could have turned and said at least we have been a stable championship side for a number of years, unlike 

Derby, Portsmouth, Reading, Blackpool, Barnely, Wigan, Bolton, Charlton, Bradford, Crewe, Doncaster, Notts County Swindon

But the grass is always greener elsewhere

[Davefevs]

I’ll reserve judgement on PA and PA’s relationship with Nige at this point.

Respect Kid’s post but sometimes you have to wait to see it yourself…even if that means you’re late to the “party”. 

[chinapig]

13 minutes ago, ExiledAjax said:

If the pattern follows previous years then there should be a Fans Forum in early/mid October, with details announced in two or three weeks' time.

Generally that's the Manager, CEO, and a player (or last year Tinnion as a late replacement for Wells).

Whether this happens, and how it goes will shed a bit of light on everything.

I'm not inclined to hold my breath waiting for this to happen.

[Superjack]

1 hour ago, Maltshoveller said:

Easy for us fans to say Twist

Not talking about transfers.

Or a change of manager.

Edited August 21, 2023 by Superjack

[ExiledAjax]

31 minutes ago, chinapig said:

I'm not inclined to hold my breath waiting for this to happen.

It technically should happen if the club continues to follow fan engagement guidelines, including supposedly complying the PL standard fan engagement. But I tend to agree with you that I won't hold my breath.

As for exactly who turns up...I wouldn't put money on this CEO coming along.

[Bristol Oil Services]

1 hour ago, sh1t_ref_again said:

You missed PNE & Millwall, but guess that did not help your point

My point is, the clubs that haven't made it are smaller than us, with fewer resources, including Preston and Millwall. 

There's only one club left in the country that has 20,000 plus seats and 20,000 plus crowds that has failed to reach the top in the last 30 years, and that isn't Preston or Millwall.

Every club that can pull 20,000 has played in the Prem, with one exception. And many that cannot pull or house 20,000 have done so.

 

Edited August 21, 2023 by Bristol Oil Services

[cidercity1987]

1 hour ago, sh1t_ref_again said:

You missed PNE & Millwall, but guess that did not help your point

You cannot compare the resources of Bristol City with two small clubs who haven't averaged 20k in 60 years 

[Bristol Oil Services]

52 minutes ago, sh1t_ref_again said:

Not really, just pointing out like most of the rubbish on here people change or invent fact to try and make their point

Could have turned and said at least we have been a stable championship side for a number of years, unlike 

Derby, Portsmouth, Reading, Blackpool, Barnely, Wigan, Bolton, Charlton, Bradford, Crewe, Doncaster, Notts County Swindon

But the grass is always greener elsewhere

Is this a "whoosh" ?

[stephenkibby.]

1 hour ago, Kid in the Riot said:

Usually I wouldn't be too concerned and say a bit of disagreement between two senior figures at a football club isn't necessarily a bad thing. 

But Nige was lucky to survive the push last season and that was with Richard Gould who was more likely to fight his corner. Nige won't be afforded the same this time around.

It's a crap cliche and said too much on football, AND it's still incredibly early doors, but Nige does "need results" and he needs them pretty quickly. 

Hanging around the bottom 8 isn't going to be tolerated again. 

Well that's reassuring. Normally takes me a couple of months to give up on a new season  but that would be a new low.

Have to agree with a lot on here,time to pass the baton Steve. You done your best and i doff my cap, but for the better of our club sell now.

[Shauntaylor85]

1 hour ago, tin said:

SL uses deflection very well; he’s never taken any responsibility for his own cock-ups in more than two decades. I would put money on him telling Nige privately something like you can only have 10% of the Scott cash but they have to fit in our wage structure, only to blame him when the shit hits the fan despite Nige always saying he will only sign players who are better than we’ve got. Classic SL.

I lost respect for the owner when he did the Tinnion and Millen mistake again with Holden. Still getting over it now! He’s been great for the infrastructure of the club but football decisions on the whole have been poor. Cotterill another who was let go too soon and not backed. Someone else who inherited a mess. LJ was given so much backing it was unreal! He should have been sacked for finishing 11th after being 2nd in the January. 

[Mr Popodopolous]

5 minutes ago, Shauntaylor85 said:

I lost respect for the owner when he did the Tinnion and Millen mistake again with Holden. Still getting over it now! He’s been great for the infrastructure of the club but football decisions on the whole have been poor. Cotterill another who was let go too soon and not backed. Someone else who inherited a mess. LJ was given so much backing it was unreal! He should have been sacked for finishing 11th after being 2nd in the January. 

How would you have gone summer 2020 with all the uncertainty as it was out of interest?

I've mixed views. We may have gone up or maybe we would have ended up in a bigger financial mess that would have actually proved quite insurmountable.

We were quite bullish reportedly in terms of opening up early or pro getting the ground etc open..had we appointed a bigger name and given it a go, combined with a season under lockdown and no commercial revenue or next to none-and not gone up we would have been in an almighty mess.

We would have had to come up in 2020-21 or 2021-22 at the latest.

[Shauntaylor85]

3 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

How would you have gone summer 2020 with all the uncertainty as it was out of interest?

I've mixed views. We may have gone up or maybe we would have ended up in a bigger financial mess that would have actually proved quite insurmountable.

We were quite bullish reportedly in terms of opening up early or pro getting the ground etc open..had we appointed a bigger name and given it a go, combined with a season under lockdown and no commercial revenue or next to none-and not gone up we would have been in an almighty mess.

We would have had to come up in 2020-21 or 2021-22 at the latest.

It was the progressive appointment interview on Talksport followed by the six week vigorous process to appoint someone who should never have been in the running. I would have gone for a proven manager as did many at the time. Even Alex Neil would have been a better option. 

[ray savino]

5 hours ago, Red white and red said:

Why is it when Lansdown is seemingly ‘challenged’ slightly, he fails to amend his previous poor decision making and back the right man.

I always get the impression he doesn’t like criticism. Guess no one does. But it seems a trait of many who make a success get this. Football isn’t like most business models. And it’s harder now than ever. The days of local boy made good bankrolling success are being superseded by huge overseas consortiums and state funded projects. SL is in a bit of a no man’s land. Wealthy yes. But no longer in the same league as many investors now. Don’t blame him for wanting out despite him ultimately responsible for sanctioning the key recruitment decisions.

The biggest worry appears to be the lack of concrete interest in our ‘premier league ready’ club and potential. One things for certain is we could do with it soon before we start to stagnate again.

[Mr Popodopolous]

1 hour ago, Shauntaylor85 said:

It was the progressive appointment interview on Talksport followed by the six week vigorous process to appoint someone who should never have been in the running. I would have gone for a proven manager as did many at the time. Even Alex Neil would have been a better option. 

Yeah that's fair. If we had spoken of steadying the ship with the uncertainty due to Covid it would have been a bit easier perhaps.

Neil could have been interesting if he was willing to move, I quite liked the idea of Cook given Wigan and their fantastic 2nd half of the season, increasingly decent style of play too.

Edited August 21, 2023 by Mr Popodopolous