Nigel Is In A Good Place! - Ipswich Pre-Match Interview

[Bizyer]

As always Davefevs, thanks very much for the explanation

[t_b]

10 minutes ago, red panda said:

Really???

How come we are dissecting the wording of club statement from 20 September?????

Because the current mood of OTIB is to exclusively find fault with SL/JL and anything they’ve ever said. Ever. 
 

Bristol Sport listed this recently. It’s a disgrace. It’s not “Bristol City” it should be “Nigel Pearson’s Bristol City”.

https://jobsinfootball.com/job/43528/marketing-manager/

The level of disrespect shown to him here is staggering

[Davefevs]

49 minutes ago, red panda said:

Really???

How come we are dissecting the wording of club statement from 20 September?????

It’s simple…it’s not just one thing, it a continual build-up of things like this over a period of time, that came to a bit of a head on Saturday post-match.  And that’s what forum are here for.  

38 minutes ago, t_b said:

The level of disrespect shown to him here is staggering

SL and JL have a unique way of gaining respect!!!

[glynriley]

46 minutes ago, t_b said:

Because the current mood of OTIB is to exclusively find fault with SL/JL and anything they’ve ever said. Ever. 
 

Bristol Sport listed this recently. It’s a disgrace. It’s not “Bristol City” it should be “Nigel Pearson’s Bristol City”.

https://jobsinfootball.com/job/43528/marketing-manager/

The level of disrespect shown to him here is staggering

Respect is earned. Never had any for Jon. In a job he’s totally unsuitable for through nepotism. 
 

What I had for Steve has been slowly eroded over the last few years. H

[red panda]

34 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

It’s simple…it’s not just one thing, it a continual build-up of things like this over a period of time, that came to a bit of a head on Saturday post-match.  And that’s what forum are here for.

"things like this" - failing to namecheck NP in one specific quote in a statement about no longer having a CEO (NP is mentioned elsewhere in the statement).  Shocking.  I'm amazed NP didn't walk away immediately

So I disagree that it's "simple".  As I've said in another thread, if we had lost on Saturday, and we deserved to, we would have been 17th in the table and the mood here might have been a bit different.  But the forum wants its heros and villains so please don't let me get in the way of that.

[Davefevs]

8 minutes ago, red panda said:

"things like this" - failing to namecheck NP in one specific quote in a statement about no longer having a CEO (NP is mentioned elsewhere in the statement).  Shocking.  I'm amazed NP didn't walk away immediately

So I disagree that it's "simple".  As I've said in another thread, if we had lost on Saturday, and we deserved to, we would have been 17th in the table and the mood here might have been a bit different.  But the forum wants its heros and villains so please don't let me get in the way of that.

If the dog had stopped for a shit, it wouldn’t have won the race.

As for ifs and buts statements like the Cov result, how do you feel about the Stoke result for example?

It’s clear you hold SL in higher esteem than me.  But rather than say we should have more respect, and not criticise, why not explain why you have the view you do - it helps inform a better debate.  You might even change my view / some of my thoughts.  But if you just come up with stuff like “you’re all nitpicking” or “the forum wants its heroes and villains” that just ends up dragging the thread down. and then people start attacking the poster rather than debate the topic.

So, in Monty Python styleee - what have the Lansdown’s ever done for us?

(FWIW I don’t think they are all bad in everything they do, but be good to read your thoughts)

[mozo]

2 hours ago, Davefevs said:

If I base it on continuing to spend at the rates we were spending at end of 20/21:

Wages: £30m

Amortisation: £12.3m

+++++

in 21/22:

Wages: £23.8m (saving of £6.2m predominantly playing staff)

Amortisation: £7.4m (saving of £4.9m)

Total Saving: £11.1m

+++++

in 22/23 (estimated)

Wages: £21m (saving of £9m)

Amortisation: £4.9m (saving of £7.4m)

Total Saving: £16.4m

+++++

this season (estimated)

Wages: £18m (saving of £12m)

Amortisation: £2.1m (saving of £10.2m)

Total Saving: £22.2m

+++++

So, in summary “the club” have spent £49.7m less than had we had carried on at the levels previously.  The reason I use “the club” is because it’s not Nige doing the do, but it’s Nige dealing with the consequences of those cut costs (through less players, less players of needed quality, etc).

And “the club” have also brought in transfer profit of £35m in that period.  To be balanced in years prior to Nige becoming manager, we also brought in money from selling players, but….our costs were increasing and outweighed the money brought in.

Happy to be challenged on the numbers and explanation.

Well. Let me summarise; in Nigel's time at the club, we have cut a shit-ton from the player budget, and made a shit-ton in transfers out.

So, to do that, with relatively minimal transfer budget, makes finishing the season in the top 6 an almost impossible job.

And if that kind of humongous financial saving was overtly part of the remit for Nige to achieve top 6 in three years, then that's incomprehensible. 

I've said before that I think Nige inherited an incredible generation of young talent, and has made a few errors along the way (most managers do), but still, this is nuts.

[Mr Popodopolous]

Just watched it now, he seems happier for sure. Not agitating to spend loads either although rightly thinks 2-3 more would be welcome.

[red panda]

17 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

If the dog had stopped for a shit, it wouldn’t have won the race.

As for ifs and buts statements like the Cov result, how do you feel about the Stoke result for example?

It’s clear you hold SL in higher esteem than me.  But rather than say we should have more respect, and not criticise, why not explain why you have the view you do - it helps inform a better debate.  You might even change my view / some of my thoughts.  But if you just come up with stuff like “you’re all nitpicking” or “the forum wants its heroes and villains” that just ends up dragging the thread down. and then people start attacking the poster rather than debate the topic.

So, in Monty Python styleee - what have the Lansdown’s ever done for us?

(FWIW I don’t think they are all bad in everything they do, but be good to read your thoughts)

I will respond constructively - just quickly point out that you've attributed to me lots of things I haven't actually said, and then move on.

I'm pressed for time and so some of these may be partly attributable to others, but here goes:

• we need to start with the absolutely obvious, SL's put a huge amount of his own money in
• the infrastructure is so very very much better - Ashton Gate and the HPC being the most obvious examples, and we are enjoying the fruits of previous investment in the academy
• we haven't (yet?) made the Prem, but we were one match away in 2008 and for a while it looked like Lee Johnson might be taking us there.  Even so, we are now an established Championship club, and generally looking up rather than down, a position we could only have dreamed of not that many years ago.  I have too many memories of trips to Gillingham, Northampton and the like not to appreciate the vast difference between now and then
• unless things are going very badly wrong, our managers are usually given quite a lot of time.  That's something that can't be said for many clubs
• there seems to be a received wisdom here that SL is useless at appointing managers, but I disagree.  First it's important to acknowledge that there are not dozens of other clubs out there making successful appointment after successful appointment.  Personally I think many of our managers have been well chosen.  Steve Cotterill and Gary Johnson spring to mind as the most obviously successful, and hopefully NP will join them.  Controversially, I think Lee Johnson was a good appointment and he moved the club forward.  Hindsight is wonderful, but at the time I was really excited when we appointed Derek McInnes, and even Sean O'Driscoll looked good on paper.  Some such as Tinnion and Holden haven't worked out, but I have a lot of respect for both of them and I can absolutely see why people thought it was worth giving them a try.  SL takes a lot of stick for Holden, but I still think we probably dodged a bullet with Chris Hughton and maybe we were in a difficult position once the penny dropped that perhaps Hughton wasn't the Messiah after all. And appointing Paul Simpson and Keith Downing alongside him seemed a good move
• I'm running out of time, there are probably more I could think of.  And there is certainly a long list of things that he hasn't done, such as saddling us with mountains of debt, changing the club colours, trying to change the club name, appointing someone like Joey Barton, taking us into administration, getting points deductions, or selling the club on to an unscrupulous new owner who might do some or all of the above.

Other than that, what have they ever done for us?

[Davefevs]

8 minutes ago, red panda said:

I will respond constructively - just quickly point out that you've attributed to me lots of things I haven't actually said, and then move on.

I'm pressed for time and so some of these may be partly attributable to others, but here goes:

• we need to start with the absolutely obvious, SL's put a huge amount of his own money in
• the infrastructure is so very very much better - Ashton Gate and the HPC being the most obvious examples, and we are enjoying the fruits of previous investment in the academy
• we haven't (yet?) made the Prem, but we were one match away in 2008 and for a while it looked like Lee Johnson might be taking us there.  Even so, we are now an established Championship club, and generally looking up rather than down, a position we could only have dreamed of not that many years ago.  I have too many memories of trips to Gillingham, Northampton and the like not to appreciate the vast difference between now and then
• unless things are going very badly wrong, our managers are usually given quite a lot of time.  That's something that can't be said for many clubs
• there seems to be a received wisdom here that SL is useless at appointing managers, but I disagree.  First it's important to acknowledge that there are not dozens of other clubs out there making successful appointment after successful appointment.  Personally I think many of our managers have been well chosen.  Steve Cotterill and Gary Johnson spring to mind as the most obviously successful, and hopefully NP will join them.  Controversially, I think Lee Johnson was a good appointment and he moved the club forward.  Hindsight is wonderful, but at the time I was really excited when we appointed Derek McInnes, and even Sean O'Driscoll looked good on paper.  Some such as Tinnion and Holden haven't worked out, but I have a lot of respect for both of them and I can absolutely see why people thought it was worth giving them a try.  SL takes a lot of stick for Holden, but I still think we probably dodged a bullet with Chris Hughton and maybe we were in a difficult position once the penny dropped that perhaps Hughton wasn't the Messiah after all. And appointing Paul Simpson and Keith Downing alongside him seemed a good move
• I'm running out of time, there are probably more I could think of.  And there is certainly a long list of things that he hasn't done, such as saddling us with mountains of debt, changing the club colours, trying to change the club name, appointing someone like Joey Barton, taking us into administration, getting points deductions, or selling the club on to an unscrupulous new owner who might do some or all of the above.

Other than that, what have they ever done for us?

Thanks, that’s tonnes better to debate for or against isn’t it.  That’s not meant to sound patronising at all, there are many things in there I agree with, there are some that I don’t, there are some where there is another side to the argument.  Just about to leave for tonight’s game.  Will come back to later.

[red panda]

7 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Thanks, that’s tonnes better to debate for or against isn’t it.  That’s not meant to sound patronising at all, there are many things in there I agree with, there are some that I don’t, there are some where there is another side to the argument.  Just about to leave for tonight’s game.  Will come back to later.

Sorry - you failed completely.  Why don't we just leave it there

[cidered abroad]

Matt Busby once said that you will fill a council tip to watch a great team and have a nearly empty great stadium for a poor team.

Thus we are probably bang in the middle of that but a slide down the table is lurking in the background!

[Antman]

1 hour ago, red panda said:

• we need to start with the absolutely obvious, SL's put a huge amount of his own money in
•  

 

the reason he has put in so much of his own money is that he has, over some considerable period, overseen the massive increase in debt (be that through poor decision making or bad luck - although he is one unlucky MoFo if thats the argument ) Resulting in him having to keep things afloat if he has any hopes of retaining and recouping  his investment.

been said many times before and i'll keep saying it.

[reddoh]

6 hours ago, Davefevs said:

No…we are looking for obvious signs of disrespect to our manager.

We’ve all done the courses in work where you are asked to spot signs of non-inclusion, being left out etc.  This is just a football version.

It’s clear SL and JL are pissed off…perhaps with good reason (even if just in their eyes)…and they are using opportunities to be a bit “childish”, eg. SL praising Robins.  To give some balance, as big a fan of Nige as I am, I don’t think he’s perfect either.  He’s also resorted to a bit of “childish” comments in response.  On a pure football side of things I don’t think he’s perfect either.

But I’m on the side of Nige over our owners every day of the week, based on my interpretation of what is going on.

Glad I finished when i did

[Nogbad the Bad]

19 hours ago, red panda said:

While we're at it, why is the official site bcfc.co.uk rather than npbcfc.co.uk?  Why do we play at Ashton Gate rather Ashton Gate where Nigel Pearson works.

Or are we being a bit sensitive and looking for snubs for NP in every little thing the club does?

I didn't say it was a snub, but I see it as at the very least remiss not to mention NP at that stage when he'd moved on from talking about leadership behind the scenes.

Particularly from a Chairman who surfaces so seldom and says so little.

I'm not in favour of any change to the title of the official site btw, but should there be one slbcfc.co.uk is the most likely imo.

After all he's told us it's his club, and he can do what he likes, so why not make it official?