Pearson Post Match

[Malago]

1 hour ago, Robin101 said:

I’m not sure any of us can be completely confident what’s going on.

But one thing we can say for sure is the “hierarchy’s” complete lack of communication is allowing us to fill in the silence ourselves with rumours and conjecture. 

Which doesn’t breed confidence in their ability to run an organisation very well…

Nature abhors a vacuum.

[robinforlife2]

I keep getting this horrible feeling, that very soon, we could be Frank Lampards Bristol City. It's the sort of thing that the Lansdown's would do .......

[Son of Fred]

6 hours ago, Davefevs said:

Thoughts

Not interested in Lansdownes "plan".

Too many lies - it's quite frankly sickening & I've stopped listening.

[extonsred]

DoF role does not require attendance at training ground and much can be done working from home 

[Engvall’s Splinter]

I think we need an SL sub forum. That should do it. 

[archie andrews]

2 hours ago, robinforlife2 said:

I keep getting this horrible feeling, that very soon, we could be Frank Lampards Bristol City. It's the sort of thing that the Lansdown's would do .......

More chance frank spencers bristol city..... 

[nebristolred]

The thing that baffles me is what exactly is the basis for letting him go? They might dress it up as a performance thing, but who in their right mind thought we’d be in the top 6 this season with the budget and squad we have?

And it will make it all the more perplexing if they do that, despite letting other managers perform far worse for far longer on higher budgets.

It all just looks like a manufactured smokescreen to hide the truth, but one that no one is buying.

[Marina's Rolls Royce]

8 hours ago, Davefevs said:

I believe the succession plan is currently employed.

His name is Rob Edwards and he's at Luton Town in the Premier League.  That's not me joking about SL and the Luton model....That is who I understand the club had earmarked, whilst he was at FGR, which is only 16 months ago.

I assume they've updated the succession plan?

I've nothing against Edwards at all (quite like him, not as much as Duff or Taylor from that group), but it maybe shows which pond we might be looking in for Nige's replacement.

Thoughts?

Thoughts:

NP should carry on unless he can't.

SL is right not to offer a new contract until the season is all but over. It then may be time for a change as it proves the case with the majority of Championship clubs but any change guarantees nothing. The relationship between employer and employee may have been broken beyond repair but there are no doubt two sides to this situation which no one on here knows fully beyond speculation, rumour and agenda.

Just because there is a current swell of fans wanting Nige to succeed doesn't mean he can or will. OTIB does not always exactly mirror the rank and file of ST holders/regular fans who do not frequent these pages. I thought it slightly ironic that there are calls to sing NP's name throughout the match tomorrow after two and a half years of very very rarely singing his name. 

The premise from some that NP is the only manager who is right for City is ,imo, ridiculous. Those saying he is the 'best Manager since Alan Dicks' are measuring NP on some weird scale likely based on rebuilding/inheriting a mess which would make him the best Manager since Sean O'Driscoll using that same scale. It also does a disservice to Gary Johnson, John Ward, Joe Jordan and Steve Cotterill and Terry Cooper in particular who all actually won something- some of whom had no better circumstances than Nige. People are quick to forget that Lee Johnson was the only Manager given seemingly unlimited resources albeit that his best players were still always sold.

I don't see BCFC as the basket case depicted by others. I don't see Nige as the only person on the planet that can take City forward yet any change ,however calculated, is always a roll of the dice.

[Kid in the Riot]

15 minutes ago, nebristolred said:

The thing that baffles me is what exactly is the basis for letting him go? They might dress it up as a performance thing, but who in their right mind thought we’d be in the top 6 this season with the budget and squad we have?

And it will make it all the more perplexing if they do that, despite letting other managers perform far worse for far longer on higher budgets.

It all just looks like a manufactured smokescreen to hide the truth, but one that no one is buying.

IF we'd lost Saturday it'd have been 4 defeats from 5 and we'd have been 17th.

LJ was sacked when we were 12th and Holden when we were 13th. 

Last season we finished 14th. 

Entirely different circumstances of course and I am not suggesting I agree with the logic above at all. Just trying to get into the heads of the Lansdowns... 

I don't believe for a second it is just a results based decision, of course. I think it's a breakdown in the relationship and health concerns too probably. 

[ExiledAjax]

20 minutes ago, nebristolred said:

The thing that baffles me is what exactly is the basis for letting him go? They might dress it up as a performance thing, but who in their right mind thought we’d be in the top 6 this season with the budget and squad we have?

And it will make it all the more perplexing if they do that, despite letting other managers perform far worse for far longer on higher budgets.

It all just looks like a manufactured smokescreen to hide the truth, but one that no one is buying.

The owners think top 6 is possible. Jesus they thought it was a sensible target a year ago! They may not be in their "right mind" in thinking so, and I don't agree with them either, but that's what they think. That's the yardstick they're measuring by.

17 minutes ago, Marina's Rolls Royce said:

Thoughts:

NP should carry on unless he can't.

SL is right not to offer a new contract until the season is all but over. It then may be time for a change as it proves the case with the majority of Championship clubs but any change guarantees nothing. The relationship between employer and employee may have been broken beyond repair but there are no doubt two sides to this situation which no one on here knows fully beyond speculation, rumour and agenda.

Just because there is a current swell of fans wanting Nige to succeed doesn't mean he can or will. OTIB does not always exactly mirror the rank and file of ST holders/regular fans who do not frequent these pages. I thought it slightly ironic that there are calls to sing NP's name throughout the match tomorrow after two and a half years of very very rarely singing his name. 

The premise from some that NP is the only manager who is right for City is ,imo, ridiculous. Those saying he is the 'best Manager since Alan Dicks' are measuring NP on some weird scale likely based on rebuilding/inheriting a mess which would make him the best Manager since Sean O'Driscoll using that same scale. It also does a disservice to Gary Johnson, John Ward, Joe Jordan and Steve Cotterill and Terry Cooper in particular who all actually won something- some of whom had no better circumstances than Nige. People are quick to forget that Lee Johnson was the only Manager given seemingly unlimited resources albeit that his best players were still always sold.

I don't see BCFC as the basket case depicted by others. I don't see Nige as the only person on the planet that can take City forward yet any change ,however calculated, is always a roll of the dice.

Well said.

[Jeez]

This thread is going a bit OTT about Pearson.  

Nigel is a strong & vocal advocate of players earning their next contract and letting them run down to end of season. So it’s a bit hypocritical for him to get antsy & call out the club for doing the same.

IMO Nigel should be managing up as well as down the club. If he could do that, this thread doesn’t exist.

I like him & what he’s done for the club, but part of me does think that in principle maybe the club are right to see where we are at the end of the season. Anything sooner than that would be savage.

Yes, I’m just as aware an anyone on here about the limitations & him not being backed and I too don’t have much faith in the clubs ability to source the next manager.

Shame it’s coming to this as I would personally stick but I won’t be losing too much sleep either. 

[spudski]

So many factors to consider if you replace NP. 

Firstly...he isn't a Coach, he's a manager. A manager in the sense he man manages, gets the best out of people. He gets the respect, unites the Club, gets everyone working in the same direction, gets rid of those not on-board...creates a battling mentality. 

Secondly...he works with a team of Coaches, creates a way of playing, an identity, and drills that way of playing into the players throughout the Club. 

Thirdly...Players are scouted, analysed, that fit specifically into that way of playing. It's not an LJ ' Club for all situations ' scenario, it's planned methodically. 

And finally...recruitment is analysed months in advance. Any thoughts for the next two windows would be being looked at now. As to where we need strengthening, who's coming through from Academy, who's contracts to renew or not. 

So if replaced you have a whole lot of upheaval and change depending on who came in. 

Two years of planning and building a foundation with a plan...torn apart. 

And besides that...any new man would have to agree to the restrictions in place and the blooding of Academy. 

[tin]

18 minutes ago, Kid in the Riot said:

IF we'd lost Saturday it'd have been 4 defeats from 5 and we'd have been 17th.

LJ was sacked when we were 12th and Holden when we were 13th. 

Last season we finished 14th. 

Entirely different circumstances of course and I am not suggesting I agree with the logic above at all. Just trying to get into the heads of the Lansdowns... 

I don't believe for a second it is just a results based decision, of course. I think it's a breakdown in the relationship and health concerns too probably. 

We all know SL loves a lap dog manager or head coach who is happy to toe the line and publicly blow smoke up his ass. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if that’s a desirable trait at the interview stages for most employees working in or around the boardroom. 

The irony is IMO that’s what had created this cosy, soft touch culture which attracted bullshitting, lazy wasters; the sort of culture Nige was hired in part to break up and make more hungry and professional.

We were in dire need of an experienced football manager since Cotts left, either that or a sound structure working to clearly defined plan above the manager.

I just can’t get my head around the Lansdown’s thought processes at all. So what if they clash with Nige? That’s healthy. And I don’t believe for a second that Hargreaves ever gave SL a free ride in making their billions. 

They are clueless and delusional in equal measure IMO, and have been for a while now.

[cheese]

You don't get to be a billionnaire by worrying about what people may or may not think about you.

[supercidered]

1 hour ago, archie andrews said:

More chance frank spencers bristol city..... 

One for the kids there Archie! 

[NickJ]

58 minutes ago, nebristolred said:

The thing that baffles me is what exactly is the basis for letting him go? They might dress it up as a performance thing, but who in their right mind thought we’d be in the top 6 this season with the budget and squad we have?

And it will make it all the more perplexing if they do that, despite letting other managers perform far worse for far longer on higher budgets.

It all just looks like a manufactured smokescreen to hide the truth, but one that no one is buying.

 

8 minutes ago, spudski said:

So many factors to consider if you replace NP. 

Firstly...he isn't a Coach, he's a manager. A manager in the sense he man manages, gets the best out of people. He gets the respect, unites the Club, gets everyone working in the same direction, gets rid of those not on-board...creates a battling mentality. 

Secondly...he works with a team of Coaches, creates a way of playing, an identity, and drills that way of playing into the players throughout the Club. 

Thirdly...Players are scouted, analysed, that fit specifically into that way of playing. It's not an LJ ' Club for all situations ' scenario, it's planned methodically. 

And finally...recruitment is analysed months in advance. Any thoughts for the next two windows would be being looked at now. As to where we need strengthening, who's coming through from Academy, who's contracts to renew or not. 

So if replaced you have a whole lot of upheaval and change depending on who came in. 

Two years of planning and building a foundation with a plan...torn apart. 

And besides that...any new man would have to agree to the restrictions in place and the blooding of Academy. 

Couldn't agree more with both of those posts.

[Marina's Rolls Royce]

9 minutes ago, Jeez said:

This thread is going a bit OTT about Pearson.  

Nigel is a strong & vocal advocate of players earning their next contract and letting them run down to end of season. So it’s a bit hypocritical for him to get antsy & call out the club for doing the same.

IMO Nigel should be managing up as well as down the club. If he could do that, this thread doesn’t exist.

I like him & what he’s done for the club, but part of me does think that in principle maybe the club are right to see where we are at the end of the season. Anything sooner than that would be savage.

Yes, I’m just as aware an anyone on here about the limitations & him not being backed and I too don’t have much faith in the clubs ability to source the next manager.

Shame it’s coming to this as I would personally stick but I won’t be losing too much sleep either. 

So many good realistic points sensibly written. 

[italian dave]

16 minutes ago, spudski said:

So many factors to consider if you replace NP. 

Firstly...he isn't a Coach, he's a manager. A manager in the sense he man manages, gets the best out of people. He gets the respect, unites the Club, gets everyone working in the same direction, gets rid of those not on-board...creates a battling mentality. 

Secondly...he works with a team of Coaches, creates a way of playing, an identity, and drills that way of playing into the players throughout the Club. 

Thirdly...Players are scouted, analysed, that fit specifically into that way of playing. It's not an LJ ' Club for all situations ' scenario, it's planned methodically. 

And finally...recruitment is analysed months in advance. Any thoughts for the next two windows would be being looked at now. As to where we need strengthening, who's coming through from Academy, who's contracts to renew or not. 

So if replaced you have a whole lot of upheaval and change depending on who came in. 

Two years of planning and building a foundation with a plan...torn apart. 

And besides that...any new man would have to agree to the restrictions in place and the blooding of Academy. 

You’d hope that all of this was part of the succession plan.

History would suggest it probably isn’t. 

[LondonBristolian]

9 hours ago, Robin101 said:

I’m not sure any of us can be completely confident what’s going on.

But one thing we can say for sure is the “hierarchy’s” complete lack of communication is allowing us to fill in the silence ourselves with rumours and conjecture. 

Which doesn’t breed confidence in their ability to run an organisation very well…

This is the key thing.

There’ve been a number of situations of late where a lack of communication from the club has let negative speculation and narratives take root. The club really needs to get on top of its comms strategy.

[LondonBristolian]

1 hour ago, Marina's Rolls Royce said:

Thoughts:

NP should carry on unless he can't.

SL is right not to offer a new contract until the season is all but over. It then may be time for a change as it proves the case with the majority of Championship clubs but any change guarantees nothing. The relationship between employer and employee may have been broken beyond repair but there are no doubt two sides to this situation which no one on here knows fully beyond speculation, rumour and agenda.

Just because there is a current swell of fans wanting Nige to succeed doesn't mean he can or will. OTIB does not always exactly mirror the rank and file of ST holders/regular fans who do not frequent these pages. I thought it slightly ironic that there are calls to sing NP's name throughout the match tomorrow after two and a half years of very very rarely singing his name. 

The premise from some that NP is the only manager who is right for City is ,imo, ridiculous. Those saying he is the 'best Manager since Alan Dicks' are measuring NP on some weird scale likely based on rebuilding/inheriting a mess which would make him the best Manager since Sean O'Driscoll using that same scale. It also does a disservice to Gary Johnson, John Ward, Joe Jordan and Steve Cotterill and Terry Cooper in particular who all actually won something- some of whom had no better circumstances than Nige. People are quick to forget that Lee Johnson was the only Manager given seemingly unlimited resources albeit that his best players were still always sold.

I don't see BCFC as the basket case depicted by others. I don't see Nige as the only person on the planet that can take City forward yet any change ,however calculated, is always a roll of the dice.

I think the issue for me is - beyond personality clashes - I’m not clear on the reasons for the change. 
 

I agree that Pearson isn’t the only person who could manage the club but we’ve spent three years going down a particular route in terms of the players we’ve recruited, the culture of the club and developing a style of football. And we’ve been told to be patient and wait for the plan to take shape. Now it seems like we’re making changes again just as the plan is starting to pay off. @spudski has laid it out really well in his post.

If the club has a genuine succession plan to take what Pearson has built and bring in someone who can develop it further, then that is one thing. I’d be sad as I like Pearson but I could live with it.

If - by accident or design - the club are going to destroy three years of putting foundations in place for another change of strategy and direction, that would leave me extremely concerned. 

[Red Exile]

Thing is...if you don't believe that Nigel Pearson has a sense of what needs to be done to get the club into a fit state to have a stab at the play-offs and perhaps promotion, and you don't trust him to work out how to do that within the financial constraints set by the owner, then you have to have faith in the latter - Steve Lansdown - to have a better plan.

One of these men has achieved precisely what we purportedly want to achieve. Steve Lansdown has had 15 years since we last got to Wembley to set us on the road back there - he's not made it.

I happen to rather like Nigel. Like Cotts and GJ he a man who speaks his mind, takes the supporters on the journey, seems to know what he's doing. It's not necessary to believe that he is the 'messiah' to question the alternative - the alternative being that Steve Lansdown knows what to do next. After all these years I'm afraid I have no faith in the Lansdowns.

 

 

[B-Rizzle]

10 hours ago, Davefevs said:

There's actually very little hysteria.  Most of it is just chewing the fat on both sides sides of the debate, most seemingly more in favour of supporting Nige than against.  A couple on each side might be more extreme / classed as hysteria, but it really isn't.

I rarely disagree with you Dave, but I do on this. Whilst there maybe some reasoned, measured debate from yourselves and others, the majority of posts on this thread are completely hysterical.

We’ve had zero news since NP’s comments on Saturday yet everyone is whipping themselves up as if a sacking is imminent. I accept yourself and others might be more in the know than myself and therefore have a different perspective, however.

As some others have alluded to, do the club not have a right to see where this season goes and consider their options? During his time with us, I’d argue Pearson has done a very good job in his duties off the pitch (around budget and culture) but has only done an average job on the pitch in getting us results. I think it’s entirely reasonable that the club aren’t FULLY convinced that he is the right man for the next stage of our progression.

I do, however, have serious concerns around the clubs ability to plan ahead, recruit well, and move us forward. SLs track record is pretty guff on the whole.

My only hope is that Tins involvement might see any future recruitment processes being a bit more robust and fruitful.

Time will tell on all fronts, I suppose.

[ray savino]

13 minutes ago, italian dave said:

You’d hope that all of this was part of the succession plan.

History would suggest it probably isn’t. 

Absolutely this!

[spudski]

21 minutes ago, NickJ said:

 

Couldn't agree more with both of those posts.

 

13 minutes ago, italian dave said:

You’d hope that all of this was part of the succession plan.

History would suggest it probably isn’t. 

 

6 minutes ago, LondonBristolian said:

I think the issue for me is - beyond personality clashes - I’m not clear on the reasons for the change. 
 

I agree that Pearson isn’t the only person who could manage the club but we’ve spent three years going down a particular route in terms of the players we’ve recruited, the culture of the club and developing a style of football. And we’ve been told to be patient and wait for the plan to take shape. Now it seems like we’re making changes again just as the plan is starting to pay off. @spudski has laid it out really well in his post.

If the club has a genuine succession plan to take what Pearson has built and bring in someone who can develop it further, then that is one thing. I’d be sad as I like Pearson but I could live with it.

If - by accident or design - the club are going to destroy three years of putting foundations in place for another change of strategy and direction, that would leave me extremely concerned. 

A succession plan you would hope...I just don't trust the board to make the right decision.

[Kibs]

35 minutes ago, Jeez said:

This thread is going a bit OTT about Pearson.  

Nigel is a strong & vocal advocate of players earning their next contract and letting them run down to end of season. So it’s a bit hypocritical for him to get antsy & call out the club for doing the same.

IMO Nigel should be managing up as well as down the club. If he could do that, this thread doesn’t exist.

I like him & what he’s done for the club, but part of me does think that in principle maybe the club are right to see where we are at the end of the season. Anything sooner than that would be savage.

Yes, I’m just as aware an anyone on here about the limitations & him not being backed and I too don’t have much faith in the clubs ability to source the next manager.

Shame it’s coming to this as I would personally stick but I won’t be losing too much sleep either. 

I am very much a “Nigel in” advocate (haven’t always been) and that he should have a new contract now……. But some very good points made in this post to add some balance.

[ray savino]

9 minutes ago, LondonBristolian said:

If the club has a genuine succession plan to take what Pearson has built and bring in someone who can develop it further, then that is one thing. I’d be sad as I like Pearson but I could live with it.

Again, absolutely this (run out of my likes quotas). We shall see whether it is a logical planned succession of course. I wait with anticipation for a club outline of it’s reasoning and strategy if this happens.

[RedEyez]

10 hours ago, GrahamC said:

Me neither & I don’t think the other poster is exactly sat on the fence either.

If he goes I’m pretty sure at the moment that’s me done with the club until Lansdown & his son ***** off.

I have a ST but I’m probably not going to bother to go & definitely will not renew.

For anyone on here who wants to call that an overreaction, **** you.

I’ve been watching City for 50 years, did almost every game home & away when we were in the fourth division & am not interested in your lectures on being a true fan.

Lansdown & his son are absolutely clueless & so can carry on making a mess of it without me.

I am 100% with you

[mozo]

10 hours ago, Davefevs said:

I believe the succession plan is currently employed.

His name is Rob Edwards and he's at Luton Town in the Premier League.  That's not me joking about SL and the Luton model....That is who I understand the club had earmarked, whilst he was at FGR, which is only 16 months ago.

I assume they've updated the succession plan?

I've nothing against Edwards at all (quite like him, not as much as Duff or Taylor from that group), but it maybe shows which pond we might be looking in for Nige's replacement.

Thoughts?

So you don't think we'd go as established as a Rowett or Eustace, but fishing around for an up and coming, inexperienced and unproven manager from lower down the ladder?

[AppyDAZE]

On 21/10/2023 at 18:50, RedReg said:

If Nige leave we riot

If Nigel leaves, we're on the pitch!

There's another song for Wednesday night.

[Marina's Rolls Royce]

1 minute ago, LondonBristolian said:

I think the issue for me is - beyond personality clashes - I’m not clear on the reasons for the change. 
 

I agree that Pearson isn’t the only person who could manage the club but we’ve spent three years going down a particular route in terms of the players we’ve recruited, the culture of the club and developing a style of football. And we’ve been told to be patient and wait for the plan to take shape. Now it seems like we’re making changes again just as the plan is starting to pay off. @spudski has laid it out really well in his post.

If the club has a genuine succession plan to take what Pearson has built and bring in someone who can develop it further, then that is one thing. I’d be sad as I like Pearson but I could live with it.

If - by accident or design - the club are going to destroy three years of putting foundations in place for another change of strategy and direction, that would leave me extremely concerned. 

It's an odd one- the impending change of Manager seems to be mainly 'a thing' on OTIB yet nowhere else other than from Nige himself stating that he was irritated by his lack of job security (new contract).

The idea that the club "destroys" three years of foundations seems , imo, overlooking all the work that the likes of Pearson, Gould and even SL have put in to create better foundations. If Nige leaves due to health/sack/choice then the work he has done will not have been 'destroyed'.

Last season 15 Managers were sacked in the Championship with Wigan,Watford and Huddersfield sacking two. Nige is the second longest serving . Football clubs constantly have to reinvent themselves and it's an ongoing challenge.If Nige had been more successful ( or becomes so)  and  poached by a bigger club would that destroy three years of foundations? Surely the whole point of foundations is to ensure the club is not reliant on one individual to get results both on and off the pitch?