Unfortunately, He Didn't Stand A Chance!

[The Bard]

16 minutes ago, headhunter said:

Dave, that bit about the fall out being caused by a row over bringing in free agents, such players would be experienced such that he wouldn't have to "expose the youngsters". What would Nige's objection be? Unless he wanted the free agents and the ****s wouldn't cough up the cash.

His objection would be why the **** didn't you allow me to sign some decent players when the window was open?  He knew what was coming. 

[Big Cheese]

I am just slightly surprised it’s taken people so long to feel, and talk this way about Lansdown, even when successful, I was never totally convinced by him, his intentions, and his appointments as manager.

[eardun]

Pearson’s management skill is in sorting out a club’s culture and getting everyone pulling in the same direction. As a result, the fans get on board as well and you feel the connection. The club feels together. This is why most fans are disappointed by Pearson’s sacking. But what it brings into sharp focus is that the owners are not part of that togetherness.
Like at Leicester (with Ranieri), I can see our next manager reaping the benefits of Pearson’s work. Leicester fans recognise his contribution to their title win. At the moment, I think I’d struggle to give the new manager the full credit for any success - perhaps I’ll get over that feeling in time though. However, my bigger worry is that the next manager will not have the skills of Pearson and we will lose the culture that Pearson has built. If so, we will struggle. 

[firstdivision]

43 minutes ago, Aaron-Bcfc said:

This went both ways and actually it was Jon Lansdown who started it last season when he called out Nigel as underperforming in a radio interview and said we had a top six squad, to everyone’s bemusement.

Complete and utter delusion from the daddy’s boy, and Steve is the same.

Aaron, I've had a look back at the quotes from young Lansdown in Feb 2022. He said we should be performing better than we were. Not a particularly controversial statement in my opinion - I think most fans would have felt the same. Some might think it's a stinging criticism but what chairman is going to say 'nah, 17th, with 10 wins from 32 is fine' when asked a question on radio? That's where we were at the time.

It's actually quite a tricky question to answer unless you are skilfully media trained and can see the potential traps. He can't really do the following: 'So John, you're 17th. How do you feel it's going?' 'Oh, really well. 17th was always the plan at this stage.' Fans think: 'are you sure?'

I can't find any quotes in that interview that said we had a top-six squad at the time. (Someone else might be able to find them from Feb 2022.)

NP publicly disagreed with him and called the club's previous transfer policy 'bonkers' and 'who does that?' That's quite a strong criticism in football terms, even if you think it's true.

At that point, NP was a year into the job. Are you sure he hadn't said anything publicly about the club's way of operating before that?

[RoystonFoote'snephew]

It is clear they were looking for an excuse to sack him. Defeats against the likes of Leicester and Leeds away and Ipswich home and, even a loss in the so-called Severnside derby are hardly grounds for the push. We may of slipped in league places but we remain only 5 points out of the play-offs and the performances have been decent. Like many on here I was a long supporter of SL and found him engaging when talking to him (I know nothing of the minime) but he's lost it with this sacking and it could be time for his departure although I don't see any way out soon. As for what comes next do Man City have another coach they could do without? 

[chinapig]

32 minutes ago, headhunter said:

Dave, that bit about the fall out being caused by a row over bringing in free agents, such players would be experienced such that he wouldn't have to "expose the youngsters". What would Nige's objection be? Unless he wanted the free agents and the ****s wouldn't cough up the cash.

They're free agents for a reason.

Still, signing free agents before was such a great success so it's a no brainer, which would be fitting since there is precious little evidence of any brains in the club's decision makers.

[exAtyeoMax]

44 minutes ago, Big Cheese said:

I am just slightly surprised it’s taken people so long to feel, and talk this way about Lansdown, even when successful, I was never totally convinced by him, his intentions, and his appointments as manager.

lots of people have raised concerns over the years.

[oldstandrobin]

9 minutes ago, exAtyeoMax said:

lots of people have raised concerns over the years.

very true Max, but they were all shouted down by the experts on this forum, remember @TETBURY MASSIVE saying about it years ago and getting shouted down, he knew then the Lansdown's were not fit for purpose.

[Davefevs]

6 hours ago, firstdivision said:

You say ‘the odd little moan’, Dave. Don’t you think there were enough digs at the hierarchy to make it pretty clear what he thought? Also, his comments have effectively rallied his supporters in the fan base behind him, and created an us and them situation. Don’t you think he knew what he was doing and couldn’t help himself? No football hierarchy likes being called out in public. Never has, never will. 

I wouldn’t have sacked him, and I think SL made a strategic error by not releasing some funds from the AS sale, but surely no one is particularly surprised that it’s happened. People are angry, yes (not me btw - I just think this is brutal, modern football. My reading is the we reached a clutch moment where we had to make a big decision, contract or no new contract, with planning for the future required, eg January window.) 

The narrative about NP’s seeming clash with the board has come from one person: NP. Not least because the hierarchy has largely been silent (apart, perhaps, from the telling statement that none of the AS money was made available.)

I mean about the situation (players / squad), yes, he had more than a moan about JL’s comments and the strategy.  Makes you wonder what bullshit he was sold when he joined us.

1 hour ago, headhunter said:

Dave, that bit about the fall out being caused by a row over bringing in free agents, such players would be experienced such that he wouldn't have to "expose the youngsters". What would Nige's objection be? Unless he wanted the free agents and the ****s wouldn't cough up the cash.

I think others have covered it, but simply, I doubt they’re players he wants, and would go against the grain of the what he’s trying to build / was trying to build.

And where has this magical budget come from that wasn’t there in August.

Well done Nige imho.