For the record

[Jerseybean]

Updated to include info from the Joe Sims interview.

 

Thought it would be useful, for future reference, to make a note of what has been revealed or confirmed by the key decision makers at BCFC, since Nigel Pearson was sacked.

1. City fans are passionate and will continue to support the team (JL)
2. We currently have a squad deemed capable of winning promotion/ being at the top end of the league (JL/BT)
3. We (the Board) know (apparently for the first time) what they want from our new Head Coach which will include playing in a particular way (see next point)  (JL/BT)
4. We (the Board) know our style of football, throughout all teams, we will play progressively, on the front foot, pressing, attacking,  showing aggression and pace (JL/ BT)
5. The Board have entrusted Brian Tinnion as technical director to lead/advise on footballing matters (implied)
6. The Board opted to sack an experienced manager, citing recent results as the reason (at the time we occupied 15th place with 18 points 5 wins, 6 defeats and 3 draws) our form in the six games pre the sacking was lost 4, won 2.  We were only 5 points off a play off spot when NP was sacked and only 3 points before the Cardiff game, which we faced with an injury ravaged squad, which SL refused to bolster after the Scott sale (JL)
7. The majority of fans were pro Nigel Pearson with 80% (683) wanting him to be given a two year contract extension just a few days before he was sacked, https://www.otib.co.uk/topic/222365-poll-does-pearson-deserve-a-24-month-contract-extension/page/3/#comment-4704118
8. The majority who posted on OTIB were outraged by how he was treated (https://www.otib.co.uk/topic/222465-he’s-gone/#comments)
9. An OTIB poll indicated that 90% of respondents thought it was not right to sack NP, 66% want SL to sell up, 80% did not trust the Board to make good decisions in the club’s best interests and 70% (500 respondents) thought City were a top half Championship side, with less than 1% (4 people) believing they were capable of promotion
10. Everyone was very happy with our summer recruitment (BT)
11. Recruitment will be easier now as we have a style of play and we will seek players who fit that (BT)
12. The new HC will be expected to blood academy players (BT)
13. We are in a really good place as a Club and it is set up nicely for somebody to take forward (BT)
14. Unusually the Supporters Club and Trust issued a statement, which included asking the club executives and owners for more transparency and improved supporter engagement going forwards, starting with greater clarity and context around the reason for Nigel Pearson’s sacking.
15. They (the hierarchy) refused an invitation to speak on Sound of the City and instead prepared two short, carefully scripted, in-house videos (as per below) and were still unable to provide a clear narrative as to why the decision was made.
16. Communication -  ‘It is up to us to explain better what we are doing’ ‘Up to us to explain what we are doing and communicate better so they (the fans) understand our decisions better and can feel connected’ ‘I freely admit our communication hasn’t been as good as it should have been and that’s not just now’ (JL)
17. CEO - ‘With our set up there isn’t really a need for a typical CE’ (JL)
18. Reference sacking NP - ‘We aren’t doing as well as we wanted to and that’s what the decision was based upon’ (JL)

 

References:

BT: https://www.bcfc.co.uk/video/interviews/update-from-brian-tinnion/

JL: https://t.co/eiD0x1xmyc and https://t.co/snozPDGdCU

Supporters Club and Trust statement: https://www.bristolcitysupporters.org/statement-nigel-pearson/

[Jerseybean]

They are all communicating now! So updated to include comments by Gavin Marshall….

Thought it would be useful, for future reference, to make a note of what has been revealed or confirmed by the key decision makers at BCFC, since Nigel Pearson was sacked.

1. City fans are passionate and will continue to support the team (JL)
2. We currently have a squad deemed capable of winning promotion/ being at the top end of the league (JL/BT) 100% the aim this season is promotion (GM)
3. We (the Board) know (apparently for the first time) what they want from our new Head Coach which will include playing in a particular way (see next point)  (JL/BT)
4. We (the Board) know our style of football, throughout all teams, we will play progressively, on the front foot, pressing, attacking,  showing aggression and pace (JL/ BT)
5. The Board have entrusted Brian Tinnion as technical director to lead/advise on footballing matters (implied)
6. The Board opted to sack an experienced manager, citing recent results as the reason (at the time we occupied 15th place with 18 points 5 wins, 6 defeats and 3 draws) our form in the six games pre the sacking was lost 4, won 2.  We were only 5 points off a play off spot when NP was sacked and only 3 points before the Cardiff game, which we faced with an injury ravaged squad, which SL refused to bolster after the Scott sale (JL)
7. The majority of fans were pro Nigel Pearson with 80% (683) wanting him to be given a two year contract extension just a few days before he was sacked, https://www.otib.co.uk/topic/222365-poll-does-pearson-deserve-a-24-month-contract-extension/page/3/#comment-4704118
8. The majority who posted on OTIB were outraged by how he was treated (https://www.otib.co.uk/topic/222465-he’s-gone/#comments)
9. An OTIB poll indicated that 90% of respondents thought it was not right to sack NP, 66% want SL to sell up, 80% did not trust the Board to make good decisions in the club’s best interests and 70% (500 respondents) thought City were a top half Championship side, with less than 1% (4 people) believing they were capable of promotion
10. Everyone was very happy with our summer recruitment (BT)
11. Recruitment will be easier now as we have a style of play and we will seek players who fit that (BT)
12. The new HC will be expected to blood academy players (BT)
13. We are in a really good place as a Club and it is set up nicely for somebody to take forward (BT)
14. Unusually the Supporters Club and Trust issued a statement, which included asking the club executives and owners for more transparency and improved supporter engagement going forwards, starting with greater clarity and context around the reason for Nigel Pearson’s sacking.
15. They (the hierarchy) refused an invitation to speak on Sound of the City and instead prepared two short, carefully scripted, in-house videos (as per below) and were still unable to provide a clear narrative as to why the decision was made.
16. Communication -  ‘It is up to us to explain better what we are doing’ ‘Up to us to explain what we are doing and communicate better so they (the fans) understand our decisions better and can feel connected’ ‘I freely admit our communication hasn’t been as good as it should have been and that’s not just now’ (JL) GM also acknowledged there has been reflection on communication (or perhaps more accurately the lack of it) and that this needs to improve
17. CEO - ‘With our set up there isn’t really a need for a typical CE’ (JL)
18. Reference sacking NP - ‘We aren’t doing as well as we wanted to and that’s what the decision was based upon’ (JL) We had a three year plan with NP and the objective for this year was to be challenging at the top end of the table (GM)
19. Money for transfers - both JL and GM explained that some of the money realised through the transfer of Alex Scott would be available for transfers in 2024

 

References:

B Tinnion Technical Director, BT: https://www.bcfc.co.uk/video/interviews/update-from-brian-tinnion/

J Lansdown Chairman JL: https://t.co/eiD0x1xmyc and https://t.co/snozPDGdCU

G Marshall Bristol Sport CEO and is on the Board of BCFC GM: https://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/2023-11-03/we-want-promotion-this-year-bristol-city-board-on-sacking-nigel-pearson

Supporters Club and Trust statement: https://www.bristolcitysupporters.org/statement-nigel-pearson/

[Spike]

On 01/11/2023 at 20:37, chinapig said:

14. We learned that the Lansdowns and Tinnion were too cowardly to be interviewed on Radio Bristol.

This is what just screams out that they're dishonest, they have to control the narrative and not be challenged when speaking out, to me that's a sign of someone lacking confidence in their own narrative.

[RedM]

On 02/11/2023 at 05:26, mason said:

RE 6. We were only 5pts off a play off spot when NP was sacked and only 3pts before the Cardiff game, which we faced with an injury ravaged squad, which by the way SL refused to bolster after the Scott sale

re 11 and 12; if we had a good style and were in a good place then why sack the manager...knee jerk reaction.

This club will always have its fans, the rest are just passing through.......just hope some would pass through a bit quicker

I think details of who we actually had to play in that Cardiff match should be noted and added to the numbered points above. At the end of the season when this is reviewed, after all it's Promotion or bust, we might just forget how little Pearson was forced to work with.

[Davefevs]

Through 4 sets of interviews, JL x2, GM and BT, coupled with PA’s SOTC and SL’s Guernsey golf-course plug…I am still none the wiser as to why the “budget” is set as low as it is.

I can guess why, but nobody has actually come out and said it, nor what the budget strategy is.

I think the danger for the hierarchy is that if they actually come out and tell us, then many fans will reflect that it misaligns with the aspiration of promotion.

It’s great to hear “we want to outperform our budget”, and if you then throw in “we have a top 10 budget” (we don’t) then that makes fans think that the aspiration is TOP 6 / Play-offs.

At a really basic level, play-offs does NOT equal promotion.  Having said that I think fans, me included, would see a failed play-off season as a very good season.

But, how much do you have to outperform your top ten budget by to get top six?  As GrahamC states, early season it is clear 3 of the top 6 are gonna be the 3 relegated sides.

GM did hint at the Alex Scott money being used partly to fund the summer window, part for future window investment.  JL gave the “football manager” response, ie “a percentage of the money can be used”, which is BS.

What nobody has come out and told us is what levels of funding SL is prepared to make / support.  If he’s paired that right back, that’s his prerogative, but just tell us.  It’s all back to comms, comms, comms.

[RedM]

Obviously every team is going to start the season with "yeah, we are going for promotion" vibes to sell tickets etc. For only three teams of course this is actually a possibility. Most fans are realistic to this and can kinda guess where their team might finish, but add in a bit of hope along the way.

As already mentioned the relegated Premiership teams obviously are in with a strong shout. Then you get the promoted League one teams on an upward path, that's the one time we ever got near too wasn't it.

I thought with the strength of Leicester, Leeds and yes Ipswich and a few others it was almost a done thing that it wouldn't be our season. Yes there is a long way to go but even the last playoff spot was most likely not ours this season.

I had settled for Pearson fine tuning his squad, bringing on youngsters and getting some continuity back once the injured players return. If the bottom 3 from the Premiership are relegated as it stands today then playing Luton or Sheffield Utd look easier than playing Leeds and Leicester for example. I thought we were setting up for a real, positive shot at it NEXT season. I am totally shocked that it is very much this season's aim. 

[Jerseybean]

14 hours ago, RedM said:

I think details of who we actually had to play in that Cardiff match should be noted and added to the numbered points above. At the end of the season when this is reviewed, after all it's Promotion or bust, we might just forget how little Pearson was forced to work with.

Done 

14 hours ago, mason said:

I like that bit in no6 I could have written that myself...........oh I did; if thats not challenging Jon I dont know what is; oh and number 19 how convienent for the next manager....too waste.

Included now 

[Jerseybean]

Thought it would be useful, for future reference, to make a note of what has been revealed or confirmed by the key decision makers at BCFC, since Nigel Pearson was sacked.

1. City fans are passionate and will continue to support the team (JL)
2. We currently have a squad deemed capable of winning promotion/ being at the top end of the league (JL/BT) 100% the aim this season is promotion (GM)
3. We (the Board) know (apparently for the first time) what they want from our new Head Coach which will include playing in a particular way (see next point)  (JL/BT)
4. We (the Board) know our style of football, throughout all teams, we will play progressively, on the front foot, pressing, attacking,  showing aggression and pace (JL/ BT)
5. The Board have entrusted Brian Tinnion as technical director to lead/advise on footballing matters (implied)
6. The Board opted to sack an experienced manager, citing recent results as the reason (at the time we occupied 15th place with 18 points 5 wins, 6 defeats and 3 draws) our form in the six games pre the sacking was lost 4, won 2.  We were only 5 points off a play- off spot when NP was sacked and only 3 points before the Cardiff game, which we faced with an injury ravaged squad, which SL refused to bolster after the Scott sale (JL)
7. In NPs final game, as noted above, the squad was ravaged by injuries, the actual squad was: 

• O’Leary
• J James substituted for Knight-Lebelat on 73 minutes
• Dickie
• Pring
• Sykes
• Gardner-Hickman
• Knight
• Weimann
• Mehmeti substituted for Yeboah on 67 minutes
• Bell substituted for Conway on 45minutes
• Cornick

Substitutes

• Conway
• Bajic
• Knight-Lebel
• Yeboah
• Nelson
• Thomas
• Idehen
• Backwell

8. The majority of fans were pro Nigel Pearson with 80% (683) wanting him to be given a two year contract extension just a few days before he was sacked, https://www.otib.co.uk/topic/222365-poll-does-pearson-deserve-a-24-month-contract-extension/page/3/#comment-4704118
9. The majority who posted on OTIB were outraged by how he was treated (https://www.otib.co.uk/topic/222465-he’s-gone/#comments)
10. An OTIB poll indicated that 90% of respondents thought it was not right to sack NP, 66% want SL to sell up, 80% did not trust the Board to make good decisions in the club’s best interests and 70% (500 respondents) thought City were a top half Championship side, with less than 1% (4 people) believing they were capable of promotion
11. Everyone was very happy with our summer recruitment (BT)
12. Recruitment will be easier now as we have a style of play and we will seek players who fit that (BT)
13. The new HC will be expected to blood academy players (BT)
14. We are in a really good place as a Club and it is set up nicely for somebody to take forward (BT)
15. Unusually the Supporters Club and Trust issued a statement, which included asking the club executives and owners for more transparency and improved supporter engagement going forwards, starting with greater clarity and context around the reason for Nigel Pearson’s sacking.
16. They (the hierarchy) refused an invitation to speak on Sound of the City and instead prepared two short, carefully scripted, in-house videos (as per below) and were still unable to provide a clear narrative as to why the decision was made.
17. Communication -  ‘It is up to us to explain better what we are doing’ ‘Up to us to explain what we are doing and communicate better so they (the fans) understand our decisions better and can feel connected’ ‘I freely admit our communication hasn’t been as good as it should have been and that’s not just now’ (JL) GM also acknowledged there has been reflection on communication (or perhaps more accurately the lack of it) and that this needs to improve
18. CEO - ‘With our set up there isn’t really a need for a typical CE’ (JL)
19. Reference sacking NP - ‘We aren’t doing as well as we wanted to and that’s what the decision was based upon’ (JL) We had a three year plan with NP and the objective for this year was to be challenging at the top end of the table (GM)
20. Money for transfers - both JL and GM explained that some of the money realised through the transfer of Alex Scott would be available for transfers in 2024

References:

B Tinnion Technical Director, BT: https://www.bcfc.co.uk/video/interviews/update-from-brian-tinnion/

J Lansdown Chairman JL: https://t.co/eiD0x1xmyc and https://t.co/snozPDGdCU

G Marshall Bristol Sport CEO and is on the Board of BCFC GM: https://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/2023-11-03/we-want-promotion-this-year-bristol-city-board-on-sacking-nigel-pearson

Supporters Club and Trust statement: https://www.bristolcitysupporters.org/statement-nigel-pearson/

November 4 2023

[ExiledAjax]

@Jerseybean I posted this in another thread just now but I think it's useful to put some of the key words said right here.

I was wondering whether anyone ever actually claimed that or if I (and everyone else had misremembered). I went back and looked at the interviews and statements from the early days following Pearson's sacking.

Firstly JL's 2 minute "interview" on 31 October 2023.

Then key quote here is at 01:02 "...[we] ultimately made the decision [to sack Pearson] because we think the squad's good enough and I believe in it. If we didn't then why make a change? You'd just see see things through as they are, but the ultimate reason is I think we've got a really good squad here and and we've got a good chance at competing at the right end of the division this season..."

So he doesn't quite say the words "we have a top 6 squad" but that last line in particular near as means the same thing.

Then BT's longer 5 minute "interview" published the same day, 13 October 2023.

You don't have to wait long here. Barton opens with the question "Brian, John Lansdown's talked about the belief that you all have in the quality of this squad how confident are you that these players can compete at the top of the Championship?" Tinnion answers:

"I think everybody in the summer was happy with how we recruited, it's a squad that should be at the top end of the division..."

No debate there I don't think. Clearly says that this squad should be at the top end of the division.

There's then the ITV interview with GM from 3 November 2023.

https://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/2023-11-03/we-want-promotion-this-year-bristol-city-board-on-sacking-nigel-pearson

The video opens with Marshall saying "We had a three year plan with Nigel and we the objective for us including Nigel was to be at the top end, challenging at the top end of the table..."

He then says at 2:02 "The club is looking for a manager who we believe will get us to the top end of the Championship. We think we've got a great squad of players, a great fanbase, we've got great facilities. It's a puzzle that someone needs to solve and we're looking for someone who believes, and we believe, will get us into the Premier League."

The next question, at 02:29 is "And that [getting to the Premier League] is still the aim, for Bristol City this season, and for seasons moving forwards?"

GM answers "100% it's the aim for this season and we didn't  feel that we were going to get there unless we made a change and that's one of the drivers. We're less than a third of the way through the season and we feel that we're giving the next manager time to come in and make an impact and hopefully have us challenging towards the top end of the table. We believe this squad of players are very capable of doing that."

So he rambles a little bit, and answers it across several questions, but the highlighted line is there for all to see. It's not quite as definite as BT's words but the hierarchy clearly think this squad is "very capable" of challenging "towards the top end".

[Davefevs]

So CEO states the objectives / strategy of the owners / board, and works with the people beneath to deliver it.  That’s how businesses work, yeah?

Gavin Marshall clearly states the aim this season.

@ExiledAjax

i think the bit before your quote above from the JL is also important context:

(40 secs in) Everything we do is for the benefit of the club and wanting to get to the Premier League and be positive because I believe we’ve got a good squad, one of the best since I’ve been involved…

 

Whether we as fans believe it is achievable is our own individual choice.  That may influence the “slack“ we might cut LM if he doesn’t achieve the aim.  Of course, he might deliver it too.

 

Back to GM and the aim of promotion and my opinion.  It’s clear.  It’s not even Play-offs, it’s PROMOTION, THIS SEASON.  The Chairman and Technical Director have tried to water it down, as it progresses down the structure chart.  What of course is unclear is whether there are are mitigations, what allowances there will be for non-achievement.  JL alluded to Manning’s job not being on the line on the Joe Sims interview.

Its very interesting stuff though.

 

To be clear this is not a Pearson v Manning debate, but a debate on the clarity of the objective.  There has been a lot stated.  Thanks to those who have pulled the various bits together.

[Red_Alligator]

Some fantastic work - thanks to all for sharing.

Personally I give up on trying to work out what's actually going on in their heads.

I fear for young Manning. No doubt he is ambitious, and ordinarily it might be exciting to have a young manager with fresh ideas and energy coming into the club. 

But it doesn't feel like that, does it?

He deserves our full support, and I hope he gets it - and goes on to be the most successful manager/head coach in the Club's history. 

It's just the others isn't it?.........

 

[Mr Popodopolous]

Think Tinnion confirmed to Ed Hadwin on Sound Of the City that we don't have a top 10 budget.

Will listen back and post the exact quote on here.

Edited December 6, 2023 by Mr Popodopolous

[Davefevs]

58 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Think Tinnion confirmed to Ed Hadwin on Sound Of the City that we don't have a top 10 budget.

Will listen back and post the exact quote on here.

Ed Said - it’s more mid-table…Tins agreed.

[Mr Popodopolous]

13 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Ed Said - it’s more mid-table…Tins agreed.

Thanks Dave.

My extrapolation when I've periodically looked was 12th-15th for football wage bill.

Budget can be used in a few days of course but all things being equal somewhere in midtable or a bit above bottom 3rd perhaps.

[Gert Mare]

On 14/11/2023 at 08:25, ExiledAjax said:

@Jerseybean I posted this in another thread just now but I think it's useful to put some of the key words said right here.

I was wondering whether anyone ever actually claimed that or if I (and everyone else had misremembered). I went back and looked at the interviews and statements from the early days following Pearson's sacking.

Firstly JL's 2 minute "interview" on 31 October 2023.

Then key quote here is at 01:02 "...[we] ultimately made the decision [to sack Pearson] because we think the squad's good enough and I believe in it. If we didn't then why make a change? You'd just see see things through as they are, but the ultimate reason is I think we've got a really good squad here and and we've got a good chance at competing at the right end of the division this season..."

So he doesn't quite say the words "we have a top 6 squad" but that last line in particular near as means the same thing.

Then BT's longer 5 minute "interview" published the same day, 13 October 2023.

You don't have to wait long here. Barton opens with the question "Brian, John Lansdown's talked about the belief that you all have in the quality of this squad how confident are you that these players can compete at the top of the Championship?" Tinnion answers:

"I think everybody in the summer was happy with how we recruited, it's a squad that should be at the top end of the division..."

No debate there I don't think. Clearly says that this squad should be at the top end of the division.

There's then the ITV interview with GM from 3 November 2023.

https://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/2023-11-03/we-want-promotion-this-year-bristol-city-board-on-sacking-nigel-pearson

The video opens with Marshall saying "We had a three year plan with Nigel and we the objective for us including Nigel was to be at the top end, challenging at the top end of the table..."

He then says at 2:02 "The club is looking for a manager who we believe will get us to the top end of the Championship. We think we've got a great squad of players, a great fanbase, we've got great facilities. It's a puzzle that someone needs to solve and we're looking for someone who believes, and we believe, will get us into the Premier League."

The next question, at 02:29 is "And that [getting to the Premier League] is still the aim, for Bristol City this season, and for seasons moving forwards?"

GM answers "100% it's the aim for this season and we didn't  feel that we were going to get there unless we made a change and that's one of the drivers. We're less than a third of the way through the season and we feel that we're giving the next manager time to come in and make an impact and hopefully have us challenging towards the top end of the table. We believe this squad of players are very capable of doing that."

So he rambles a little bit, and answers it across several questions, but the highlighted line is there for all to see. It's not quite as definite as BT's words but the hierarchy clearly think this squad is "very capable" of challenging "towards the top end".

Great post. I’ve highlighted these statements too in other threads. The objectives are clear and consistent from those at the top.

Fans are questioning the integrity of the board, not trying to jump on LM’s back and write him off.

I’ve also done some historical research trying to understand why and where we go wrong as a club and I found an interesting article from when Steve Coppell left and what he said at the time and it kind of makes a lot of sense to me as to why managers can find the set up at Bristol City ‘difficult’ to work in.

https://talksport.com/uncategorized/10675/exclusive-coppell-i-was-disappointed-environment-i-found-myself-bristol-city/amp/

Here are some very interesting points….

“I look at some of the things that are happening now and you just can’t believe the decision making process of a lot of clubs.

"I was very lucky at Reading. John Madejski said to me on my first day, 'I' know nothing about football, you look after the football and I'll look after the club'. He left me alone. "He was not on the phone to me all on the time, saying 'why are you doing this, why don't you buy him, why don't you pick him'.

"I was left to do my job. And that's all I ever ask for at any club. Now you don't get that freedom. It is a process whereby you have to explain everything you do."

Coppell admitted he was selfish to walk out on Bristol City but said the job did not turn out to be what he expected.

He added: "Bristol will be disappointed with me and I have to say I was disappointed with the environment I found myself in and I thought, it’s pointless me being here.

 

[Mr Popodopolous]

Haven't read through this thread for a while but will ask.

Is there anything, was there anything to indicate in terms of quotes from either hierarchy it Manning that be will be changing to a back 3 and or wingbacks as we seem to he heading that way?