Joe Sims interview with JL

[Olé]

2 hours ago, Carey 6 said:

Perhaps Johnson should’ve done that more, we usually came back after international breaks playing abysmally. I think @Olé once wrote a thread on it. 

Hello mate. Yes Lee Johnson's record after international breaks at one time was P17 W1 D6 L10.

Funny it didn't seem to matter to the Lansdown's then. But it definitely the reason now, 100%, that's me fully convinced.

[spudski]

18 minutes ago, Kid in the Riot said:

Probably. I think he also mentioned that it was unusual for clubs to give that amount of time off to players, suggesting we were an outlier. So he (or someone else) had obviously done some research.

Assuming he is correct that the players got 10 days off (and I believe this is true) then that means they didn't train from 8th Oct - 17th Oct, and so only returned to training on the Wednesday before the Coventry game.

I'm no expert but that does feel like you're risking going into the Coventry game a bit undercooked. 

I guess also it depends on what the players did on their time off. 

Most still run and exercise. 

They are monitored, as is their down time and sleep, you'll know that. 

Perhaps some didn't...

[Tomo]

What did we learn? Not a great deal...

JL thinks he knows more than DR

Money is available but not for NP

JL has ignored 'post international break' results

Fans support for NP brushed aside

No real justification to sack NP

BT is running the show 

Onwards and Upwards

 

 

[robin_unreliant]

1 hour ago, ashton_fan said:

 

Social media platforms not as useful as they used to be for communicating with fans

Translation - we used to like it but now all we get is supporters slamming us for all the awful decisions we've made.

[Harry]

13 minutes ago, nebristolred said:

I actually think this sounds worse than it is. I doubt there's a single football club in the top 3 or 4 divisions that doesn't have a recruitment and/or analyst team that does this role, that's entirely normal.

The only potential alarm bells there are to say that the manager doesn't get to come in and make a suggestion or say I want X player. I'm not sure JL actually said that to be fair to him, and I'd be amazed if they as a club refused to look into a potential signing that the manager wanted. The signings of King and James really suggest that's not the case.

Again, lots of things worry me about the organisation of the club at the moment but I'm not sure that is actually one of them.

 

10 minutes ago, the1stknowle said:

On the recruitment point, is that a bad thing? (Asking genuinely). My understanding was for a while now, the club have been open that recruitment isn't a single person decision but that no one will be brought in without the manager's sign off. At the very least, there must be occasions when Nige led the recruitment process, or Matty James and Andy King are very coincidental choices by the recruitment team. You will know much more than me on this. 

On the physio point - completely agree. Hinting around this thing about conditioning and training is absolutely unacceptable and if there is an issue it needs to be explicitly addressed as a major reason for the changes or completely buried. These hints and passing comments are the worst of both worlds. 

 

3 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

It is increasingly it seems the modern way to a degree. Not my area of expertise but a manager coming in, ripping it up, starting again etc..is somewhat inhibited with FFP and can be bad for stability too.

New manager coming in and deciding he doesn't like him, him and him, but wants to add gim, him and him can be ruinous.

This feels like another extreme though, some sort of balanced approach is probably needed.

Agreed. I’m not necessarily saying it’s not the right way but it’s more a bit of confirmation to some posters who disagreed with me for years on this. Specifically in regard to people laying the blame at LJ’s door for the crap signings and increased wages. 

As I always said - and I know because I’ve seen text messages to back it up, LJ was always given a list to choose from. So he wasn’t to blame for the massive overspend or wages despite many fans thinking they were “his signings”. 

[Ian M]

3 minutes ago, Kid in the Riot said:

Not even necessarily from a fitness perspective, it's just a 10 day break off the pitches so close to a league game that seems odd. 

Players wouldn't usually train three consecutive days before a game either, they usually have the Wednesday off. 

It hasn't been said to be consecutive has it?

Could be 10 days off, total, in the last international break?

Squad back on the Tuesday to assess and hold some sessions, usual Wednesday off, train Thurs/Friday?

 

[Pezo]

3 hours ago, James54De said:

Do not believe, for one second, that we now have a top ten budget. Not one ******* second. 

We might do this week, we didn't last week?

[exAtyeoMax]

25 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

17 mins - re new structure.

GM - CEO

TR - Football Ops

BT - Technical Director

“Bristol Sport” - Commercial (although not specifically mentioned)

I actually agree with the new set-up, and it’s morph from NP and RG.

But, we now get to see whether it works, whether we have the right people in role with the right skills.  You could question that with BT appointed to role in Nov 2022, whether with RG going they could’ve morphed to the new set up straight away, ie not appoint Phil Alexander.

perhaps they were too scared to get rid of Nige then? or too expensive? or results improved too much?

[WessexPest]

Listening to that t*t gives you mental constipation. Every time Jonny Boy goes in front of the camera I become more and more convinced that he’s a dangerous fool actively doing harm to this club.

I bet Daddy is just out of camera view holding a swirly lollipop like child actors have in the movies.

Straight in the bin with this interview.

[Hartleysbeard]

1 hour ago, Gilli74 said:

That’s just on here ? The voices on Twitter were far more vocal and and in large quantity … and as equally valid as the posters on here … yes there was a time … but it has improved since then …. So I’d say he’s not wrong in his comment .. 

seems to me that people use whatever stats they have available to frame their own narrative. You can’t on one hand say the decision to sack NP unanimously angered the fans, then dismiss the idea that the same demographic wanted him gone less than 12 months ago. 

[Sleepy1968]

3 hours ago, TV Tom said:

That's fine, most football supporters would support anyone as long as the results are there, even Joey Barton !!!!  

Speak for yourself.

[Bat Fastard]

12 minutes ago, Kid in the Riot said:

Not even necessarily from a fitness perspective, it's just a 10 day break off the pitches so close to a league game that seems odd. 

Players wouldn't usually train three consecutive days before a game either, they usually have the Wednesday off. 

I imagine that they would have been given a personal training schedule and that this would have been monitored.

[petehinton]

An open goal scrambler that needs to be asked too…

So Jon, your most senior medical professional has left whilst lots of injuries still remain. We saw 4 players return to full training this week, so who’s making the decisions on players training & return to match days now?

[Bristol Oil Services]

2 hours ago, And Its Smith said:

Bit of brown on Joes nose after that interview 

Golden? Texture like sun?

[Ian M]

We've made the change(s) because JL & BT believe they know better how to get out of this division than Pearson, Rennie and Alexander. 
 

JL who personably thoughout the interview admitted he's learning as he goes.
BT who was a failed League One manager who's whole mantra was "I will work harder than anyone else".

 

Maybe the increased time off compared to others was necessary because we have a smaller squad than everyone else and want to play a high-energy brand of football so aren't able to rest players during the competition as well as our rivals?

Maybe the high number of injuries we have (mainly contact injuries) are a direct result of this pressing style we want, putting players in position of risk more often? Injuries that then allow us even less scope to reduce the load on players' bodies during competition, thus necessitating a longer rest period during International breaks?

[Hartleysbeard]

43 minutes ago, Harry said:

I don’t have any criticism of Joe Sims performance in this interview. It was always going to be relatively soft but he did at least try to ask relevant questions - perhaps just didn’t follow up on the answers as much as a more hard-nosed journalist would. But that’s not what Joe is so I wouldn’t have expected any more. I thought he did a decent job. 
 

As for Jon. There’s one point I’ve not seen mentioned on the thread yet but which sent my alarms bells ringing. 
He was quite clear on a couple of occasions that he “didn’t want to talk about the football side of things because he’s not the expert and there are far better qualified people to talk about that”. 
And yet, on a couple of occasions he was more than willing to say “we haven’t given the players the best platform for their fitness” and “we’ve almost been de-conditioning them”. 
 

So he can’t comment on the football but he’ll happily give an expert opinion on the fitness of the players. 
Again, if you are the widely respected and highly professional Dave Rennie you must be astounded by this! 
 

My other observation - he pretty much confirmed what many posters here have always denied with regard to the recruitment team. 
He clearly says that the manager doesn’t get to come in and say “I want this player”. He can say “I want this position with these qualities” and then the recruitment team will find players that fit that profile and present them to the manager for consideration. 
As I’ve always said - whoever the manager is doesn’t necessarily get their choice of players. They get a shortlist of players from the analysts. 

Edit - whilst typing this I note others have indeed brought up Jon’s medical and performance expertise 

I get your point here, but you could also view it that he’s just the spokesperson for the wider views held by the club and that it’s an opinion informed by those who are experts in such matters? I may be wrong, just trying to be objective and not immediately jump on everything the guy says and call him out on it. 

[Numero Uno]

2 hours ago, Silvio Dante said:

Math Withers on now pulling the “could be Reading, could be Weds” card and saying Lansdown has “fronted up”.

So, Jon’s been interviewed by a quasi club employee and now we have the podcast who are “in” with the club. Nice balance guys, nice balance.

Could be Brentford, Brighton, Burnley or even Luton. It’s a shite argument that stinks of accepting mediocrity. Albeit a very predictable one.

The fact is we’ve had the right levels of investment for over twenty years and we are as bang average a Championship club as you can get. That shouldn’t cost £200m plus to reach that point. Who carries the can for that?

[Ian M]

3 hours ago, James54De said:

Do not believe, for one second, that we now have a top ten budget. Not one ******* second. 

Some of this budget may have been ear-marked in the Summer for sacking our management team when results allowed. Paid for by the Scott money our management team helped generate.

[Guest]

28 minutes ago, Kid in the Riot said:

Probably. I think he also mentioned that it was unusual for clubs to give that amount of time off to players, suggesting we were an outlier. So he (or someone else) had obviously done some research.

Assuming he is correct that the players got 10 days off (and I believe this is true) then that means they didn't train from 8th Oct - 17th Oct, and so only returned to training on the Wednesday before the Coventry game.

I'm no expert but that does feel like you're risking going into the Coventry game a bit undercooked. 

This not training is a bit of a red herring. Any players on international duty would have been training or playing.

Any players who were injured (long or short term) would have continued their rehab, often injured players spend more time ‘training’ than fit players.

Many players would have continued to keep themselves in shape by voluntarily attending the RHPC or working independently with personal trainers.

Even if away on a holiday players would have ticked over by doing some fitness work.
The days of allowing fitness to slip (such as the closed season) are long gone, hence the change in training methods at pre season.

Why is it such an issue now and not previously? Where is the evidence to support the claim of under trained?

[Ian M]

6 minutes ago, Hartleysbeard said:

seems to me that people use whatever stats they have available to frame their own narrative. You can’t on one hand say the decision to sack NP unanimously angered the fans, then dismiss the idea that the same demographic wanted him gone less than 12 months ago. 

I totally agree with this.
If you are to believe a poll on the matter now is representative of fan opinion, you can't just dismiss one 12 months earlier (with similar sample size) because you didn't like the result.

12 months ago a sizeable portion of City fans wanted him gone. 
12 months on that sizeable portion had changed their minds and wanted his stay extended.
It was at this point the board act and sack him. Then point that they are giving us what we wanted 12 months ago

[Bristol Oil Services]

2 hours ago, Red Army 75 said:

Be careful what you wish for.

That phrase gets right on my nerves 

There must've been - in the dog years of Marcus Evans and Mick McCarthy - conservative Ipswich fans gravely advising uppity Tractor Boys itching for something new, different, to be done, to be "careful" what they wished for.

Where we are now looks a lot like Ipswich under that duo, I think they had been in the Championship for the longest unbroken stretch, going around in circles, playing dour football. 

[One Team]

The fact he mentions social media says to me he knows exactly what’s being said online. 

“Dad! Dad! They are saying lots of nasty things about us!”.

”Don’t worry son. Give it a few weeks they will forget all about us sacking Nigel Pearson”.

No. We. Won’t. 

The Lansdowns have jumped the shark in such a disrespectful and dishonest way the majority of fans are done with them. 

[Ian M]

1 minute ago, Countryfile said:

This not training is a bit of a red herring. Any players on international duty would have been training or playing.

Any players who were injured (long or short term) would have continued their rehab, often injured players spend more time ‘training’ than fit players.

Many players would have continued to keep themselves in shape by voluntarily attending the RHPC or working independently with personal trainers.

Even if away on a holiday players would have ticked over by doing some fitness work.
The days of allowing fitness to slip (such as the closed season) are long gone, hence the change in training methods at pre season.

Why is it such an issue now and not previously? Where is the evidence to support the claim of under trained?

We've got a "great bunch of players" here, we keep being told.

From the evidence of our own eyes they are the fittest we've been in years (side evidence of not conceding late goals as often).

They've bought into this, as they have told us in interviews on the club's social media channels, through individualised training programmes.

Are we to believe these players allowed themselves to be de-conditioned mid-season by being given 10 days away from group training?

I have my doubts.

[TV Tom]

11 minutes ago, Sleepy1968 said:

Speak for yourself.

Not me my friend, the day we are taken over by any regime with disgusting human-rights laws like Saudi Arabia is the day i walk away, don't have much time for wife-beaters either 

[EstoniaTallinnRed]

1 hour ago, ralphindevon said:

If you knew nothing about our club and listened to that you’d think Brian Tinnion was our CEO, first team manager, director of football……..

Over to you Mr T. 

Yes, it was Brian this and Brian that, really sounded like BT was running the show.

[nebristolred]

23 minutes ago, Harry said:

 

 

Agreed. I’m not necessarily saying it’s not the right way but it’s more a bit of confirmation to some posters who disagreed with me for years on this. Specifically in regard to people laying the blame at LJ’s door for the crap signings and increased wages. 

As I always said - and I know because I’ve seen text messages to back it up, LJ was always given a list to choose from. So he wasn’t to blame for the massive overspend or wages despite many fans thinking they were “his signings”. 

That's very interesting and sounds about right to be fair. But surely LJ would have had a veto on those signings, or at least some of them? I'm not trying to get into a blame-LJ match here, it's just interesting to try to piece together how things work. Either it is an entirely a club piece and the manager works with what he's got (which is unlikely), or LJ was able to veto some of them, which I'd say is more likely.

In that instance, it does bear the question as to why we as a club came to some of them. The one that always got me was Szmodics and Palmer being signed in the same window. Same position, one in which I'm pretty sure we already have plenty of players - different types of player sure but essentially 2 of the same signing when it was totally unnecessary. Surely that's an instance where as a manager you veto that. It's all very puzzling.

Edited November 3, 2023 by nebristolred

[Numero Uno]

1 minute ago, TV Tom said:

Not me my friend, the day we are taken over by any regime with disgusting human-rights laws like Saudi Arabia is the day i walk away, don't have much time for wife-beaters either 

Didn't stop Stevie Boy employing a convicted one................I assume you only came back after Simpson left the club.

[bearded_red]

They were so badly conditioned going into the Coventry game that we got stronger as the game went on and our fitness was clearly one of the things that got us over the line in a game which we didn’t play particularly well.

Still, the outright lies seem to be getting bought by enough people on Twitter, so it’s worked a charm. I’d pay good money to see Dave Rennie put the nepo baby crayon shagger in his place.

[Ian M]

1 minute ago, bearded_red said:

They were so badly conditioned going into the Coventry game that we got stronger as the game went on and our fitness was clearly one of the things that got us over the line in a game which we didn’t play particularly well.

Still, the outright lies seem to be getting bought by enough people on Twitter, so it’s worked a charm. I’d pay good money to see Dave Rennie put the nepo baby crayon shagger in his place.

It's not gonna be JL's opinion though is it, he's just repeating what someone else (probably BT) has whispered in his ear. 

With a failed League One manager constantly criticising his methods, I can understand why Nigel was irritated.

[Bristol Oil Services]

1 hour ago, Merrick's Marvels said:

Yes.

Not the ones in Sneyd Park who shall remain nameless (on here) I trust?