Joe Sims interview with JL

[Tim Monaghan]

I haven't read many of the comments, but I've just watched the interview and found it to be quite decent. I believe that as fans, we aren't necessarily seeking a detailed insight into the club's day-to-day operations. However, regular interviews with JL, perhaps on a bimonthly basis, could greatly help us feel more connected to the club.

Regarding the interview content, I think Jon came across well. He appeared to be a genuine fan of the club and clearly displayed his passion for achieving Premier League promotion.

Now, I understand that my following opinion might not be popular, but after reflecting on NP's sacking for a few days, I've come to think that it might not be a bad decision. While I liked NP as a person, he did not have a stellar track record let's not kid ourselves. JL also touched on this in his interview, emphasising that many City fans wanted NP gone not too long ago, and that's true. 

I'm not convinced that NP single-handedly solved the wage bill issue. All he did was allow contracts to run down, which isn't particularly complex financial management.

Additionally, the style of football we were playing was rather uninspiring, and our home threads were filled with complaints about the lackluster play and poor shot on target statistics.

In any case, I'm just expressing my perspective, and I don't expect everyone to agree. It seems like fans had reached a point of frustration due to the club's direction, poor communication, and the need to vent their concerns. SL and JL bore the brunt of it, rightfully so, although I don't condone personal attacks.

From the video, it's evident that the club is headed in a new direction. My impression is that NP might not have been as present as JL would prefer, and they wanted to change that. It appears we'll have funds to invest, but they didn't want to allocate them to NP.

If JL follows through on his promises regarding communication, I'm fully on board and eagerly anticipate the next chapter. I won't be continually critical; instead, I'll support the team.

COME ON YOU REDS!

 

 

 

[Fuber]

3 minutes ago, Harry said:

But the “final say” on what? 
A list drawn up by recruitment analysts. 
This may or may not always include a player which the manager may have suggested/wanted. 
I’m not trying to absolve LJ from blame for the performances of the team ON the field. But many put equal blame on him as they do to Ashton and the rest for the financial issues. 
The financial issues will have been zero responsibility of the head coach. He’d have had final say from a list of players presented to him (some of which he may have had input to). 
LJ is to blame for the football results. Ashton & Lansdown were to blame for the financials 

Part of the football side was culture - he couldn't manage the bloated squad.

[WessexPest]

8 minutes ago, Bris Red said:

Yeah just confirmed what we already knew then.
 

The boy thinks he knows better than the vastly experienced PHD qualified Dave rennie, and Brian ******* Tinnion seems to now have full control of all football operations.

God help us.

Haven’t we learned from Tinnion’s calamitous stint as manager? Rhetorical Q, obviously - clearly not. Bad decision after bad decision from the owners. We need to get rid of these jokers, stat.

[Fammyfan]

In terms of budget, we’ve cut our wage bill massively and I can only assume that the “top 10 budget” he was referring to the transfer fees spent (ignoring the transfer fees received) and effectively selecting data to suit the narrative.

[REDOXO]

Is there a link to the video interview?

If so can some one sling it  up, I can not be assed anymore to stop start that awful radio show (M'babbers)

[Mr Popodopolous]

8 minutes ago, ashton_fan said:

The board are responsible for the financial implications of transfers, any manager is going to spend money if it's offered

Although I think NP put club above self more than a lot of managers personally.

[Bristol Oil Services]

16 minutes ago, WessexPest said:

Ever the frown, with f*cking Lansclown.

From far away,

Stays for a day,

Then has to bugger off quick sharp else there's tax implications ....

[Riaz]

Just watched all 42 minutes

To be fair, i think Jon Lansdown was on a hiding to nothing. Whatever he said, was going to be criticised.

I was really disappointed by this interview - it felt like two mates down the pub having a chat. To be fair to Joe, he's new in the job - so asking the hard questions, was never really going to happen.

My thoughts for what its worth:

They spoke about social media - couldnt care less

They spoke about communication - couldnt care less.

Said they want whats best for the club - I do actually believe that.

He criticised the time off during international breaks - Sorry Jon, but i trust Dave Rennie and Nigel Pearson, alot more than you. They have more expertise and have been there and done it.

Spoke that alot of the Alex Scott money, that they were going to spend, was spent before hand, so they werent held to ransom - i accept that and thought that was the case.

Spoke about where we are in the table - think this is gaslighting. Two of the more easier games coming up - win those and we are top half - the timing of this sacking and then complaining about league position - you are trying to pull the wool over our eyes.

 

 

 

[mozo]

46 minutes ago, Kid in the Riot said:

One is an excuse for getting rid of Nige, the other he wants us to believe he has no interference/input on footballing matters (clearly bollox).

Has JL lied about not speaking to other managers prior to sacking Nige? Does he have 'morals'?

28 minutes ago, ExiledAjax said:

I'm paraphrasing, and don't have a transcript, but it was basically "we don't need a CEO as we've got Brian, Gavin and Tom who can fill that role as needed".

I agree it's mad.

I made the point on another thread this week that if we appoint a "head coach" we'll be a rare club that has neither a CEO nor a manager. Most have at least one of those roles, and many have both (plus a DoF and/or COO if they are big clubs).

If you utilise amateurs for serious roles you usually end up with an amateurish operation, and subsequent failure.

[Tim Monaghan]

10 minutes ago, Riaz said:

He criticised the time off during international breaks - Sorry Jon, but i trust Dave Rennie and Nigel Pearson, alot more than you. They have more expertise and have been there and done it.

To give credit to JL, he isn't presenting this as his personal opinion (even though it could have been taken like that). He explicitly states that what the team is doing with these extended breaks is quite unconventional in the league. So, it's not just JL's perspective; it's evidently shared by everyone else as well. When you consider that we have more injuries than any other team in the league, it makes his viewpoint on this matter quite valid. It's a concern we should all share, especially because whoever is responsible for the team's fitness seems to be falling short. It's one thing to claim that the team is the fittest we've ever had, but that statement becomes meaningless when half the players are sidelined with injuries. 

 

Edited November 3, 2023 by Ghost Rider

[One Team]

1 hour ago, exAtyeoMax said:

does that mean if we don't get promoted this year (or at least POs) he'll have to go?

You would think but it’s a job for life for him isn’t it?

[Riaz]

2 minutes ago, Ghost Rider said:

To give credit to JL, he isn't presenting this as his personal opinion (even though it could have been taken like that). He explicitly states that what the team is doing with these extended breaks is quite unconventional in the league. So, it's not just JL's perspective; it's evidently shared by everyone else as well. When you consider that we have more injuries than any other team in the league, it makes his viewpoint on this matter quite valid. It's a concern we should all share, especially because whoever is responsible for the team's fitness seems to be falling short. It's one thing to claim that the team is the fittest we've ever had, but that statement becomes meaningless when half the players are sidelined with injuries. 

 

Lots of injuries - but most have come during games? - you cant avoid those impact injuries.

[Bris Red]

6 minutes ago, Ghost Rider said:

To give credit to JL, he isn't presenting this as his personal opinion. He explicitly states that what the team is doing with these extended breaks is quite unconventional in the league. So, it's not just JL's perspective; it's evidently shared by everyone else as well. When you consider that we have more injuries than any other team in the league, it makes his viewpoint on this matter quite valid. It's a concern we should all share, especially because whoever is responsible for the team's fitness seems to be falling short. It's one thing to claim that the team is the fittest we've ever had, but that statement becomes meaningless when half the players are sidelined with injuries. 

 

But as has been said on numerous occasions and again by Fleming in the press conference yesterday, almost all of our injuries are impact ones. 
 

Impact injuries are what they are, JL can say what he wants about rest time etc etc but you cannot prevent genuine impact injuries. We have just been unlucky IMO however its clear to see they have just tried to find any excuse to use to the detriment of Nige and his team.

Edited November 3, 2023 by Bris Red

[Mr Popodopolous]

1 hour 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”. 

Cheers, interesting stuff.

Ultimately Lansdown is to blame as the sign offs for that level of expenditure wouldn't have happened without his say-so, surely.

Then Ashton, he was the money man.

LJ, I have a theory..he is good with players up to a certain level, or level of experience I should say. Where perhaps he begins to falter is with players from a higher level or level of experience be it here or abroad.

In a tactical or experience based sense.

Edited November 3, 2023 by Mr Popodopolous

[Tim Monaghan]

3 minutes ago, Riaz said:

Lots of injuries - but most have come during games? - you cant avoid those impact injuries.

Of course not, and I these things obviously happen, but there is so many times that we can keep saying that we are unlucky. 

[Tim Monaghan]

4 minutes ago, Bris Red said:

But as has been said on numerous occasions and again by Fleming in the press conference yesterday, almost all of our injuries are impact ones. 
 

Impact injuries are what they are, JL can say what he wants about rest time etc etc but you cannot prevent genuine impact injuries. We have just been unlucky IMO however its clear to see they have just tried to find any excuse to use to the detriment of Nige and his team.

I understand your point, and I'm playing devil's advocate to some extent because I believe JL is facing some unwarranted criticism.

In response to your opinion that "it's clear to see they have just tried to find any excuse to use to the detriment of Nige and his team," I respectfully disagree. Why would JL need to use that as an excuse? He had numerous opportunities to part ways with NP, especially when the team was receiving boos and the fans had turned against him, but the Lansdowns stood by him. I'm not inclined to buy into conspiracy theories, as they don't need an excuse to terminate NP. They have been transparent about their reasons. They believe NP isn't performing up to par (whether we agree or not is a separate matter) and are seeking a different direction. It's as simple as that. 

[ohhhshauntaylor]

Just watched - This will be an unpopular opinion on here, but I thought that was far better than I expected, and far better than summarised/viewed by others so to speak - in my opinion.

 

The fact's that will really p*ss people off are pretty clear tho-

• Not even 12 months ago, a high majority of the fans wanted a change at the top, (heighted after WBA home), A high majority also credited an injury, and the subsequent HT formation change vs Swansea as the turning point (ahead of this, with the same squad, we seemed stuck on 3-5-2, before the switch to 4-3-3).

It's been well mooted that NP had to cut the costs, clear out the mess etc, yes of course his net spend is exceptional, but he also did invest and spend some cash- not all of these (nor should we assume they be) were great.

Klose, Mehmeti (jury still out), Simpson, Cornick (jury still out), Baker (writing was on the wall with his injury record), Kane Wilson, Stefan Bajic.

 

Outside of that is/was NP the "long term" man for us - we will never know, the good news is tho, history suggests, he leaves team in a good spot (eg Leicester and the PL win )

 

Hard hat on, COYR

 

[YGBjammy]

Who the hell is Jon Lansdown to criticise the amount of time off the coaching & medical staff are giving to players. What qualifications does he have in that regard? Oh yes, none.

I bet Pearson would be raging if he watched that (I hope he doesn't waste his time doing so).

Was a bit weird for him to say he was surprised by the lists of managers circulated online. It was essentially a list of who's available? So why would you be surprised by it?

Edited November 3, 2023 by YGBjammy

[brady bunch]

2 hours ago, TonyTonyTony said:

Fairly predictable interview really. Crap interviewer i thought - like a nervous Labrador.

On the Alex Scott money, one of JL's comments hinted it was not received in one payment. I know this is fairly common, but does anyone know what the actual terms where ?

He is not really an interviewer, but by all accounts he is a brilliant Radio Host and from what I hear a really nice guy who loves our City (place and club!)... They are not going to get Paxman in for it really...

[stortfordred]

There are many well thought out responses on here that are critical without personal vitriol. Great!

But for those of you who are vindictive and who use terribly insulting language (not to say offensive). Please DON'T!!  Let's keep it respectful!

The Lansdowns and Brian Tinnion have as much right to have their mental health respected and protected as the rest of our City family (and wider).

Edited November 3, 2023 by stortfordred

[Davefevs]

2 hours ago, Merrick's Marvels said:

Don't know - one for our finance experts to answer, methinks

@spudski what was the original question, I’ll try and answer.

2 hours 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. 

We have heard many times from Nige post-break / during break that the players get “some” time off and they usually come back together on the Tuesday or Wednesday (depending on how you count your days that’s circa day 8 / day 9), with the returning internationals returning in dribs and drabs, usually latest Thursday.

Depending on how many are away, and don’t forget it’s not just first teamers, the likes of Harry Leeson has been away with Wales, it probably leads to a view that you can’t do a lot in that period other than physical.  And some of that can be done away from the HPC.  Some players still come in to do their “top-up”, some will do it at home, maybe because of family time (that’s just a guess).

It’s not the only club I’ve heard of say they don’t get the players back for that kind of period.  But I wouldn’t know what is best practice.

What is telling is Fleming’s interview confirming they’ve done it this way for many breaks.

2 hours ago, RedorDead BCFC said:

And the Coventry game, we looked unfit and out of sorts. 

We looked out of sorts, no arguments there, but we still ran and ran.  We aren’t unfit.  We outrun Ipswich, just didn’t have the quality off the bench to impact the scoreline.  You could probably say we weren’t sharp.

 

[Harry]

50 minutes ago, IAmNick said:

I agree, and managers clearly have input into the list - Brownhill for example. Or was it just coincidence James, Simpson, and King bobbled to the top of the analysts shortlist right after Pearson signed?

My reading was more that the days of a manager being given £10m to go away and sign 10 players on their own are gone. There's a team there now who all put names into a funnel -including the manger, give it a shake and see what comes out. The manager then has the final say.

I think with Pearson, when he first arrived there would have been an element of “bring in a couple of your own”. 
I think this would have been relaxed simply because WE WANTED NIGEL. Steve himself said he made the call and wanted him. So I would imagine Nige came in under the terms of “give me a couple of my own and I’ll stay” (this was after his initial interim period). 
 

I think the club likely weren’t in much of a place to say no, as they wanted him to stay, so pandered to his demands. 
 

I think that was the exception. The rule is very much - what do we need, what position, what attributes, and then the analysts come back with a shortlist and the manager gets the final pick on those. 
But as said, the final shortlist may or may not include players that the manager himself personally fed in the bucket. And neither is the manager responsible for how much that player will cost or what his wage will be. 
If it was too much then they should’ve have appeared on the final shortlist! So no one can blame the manager for the overspend. 
 

So yes; I think there were a couple of initial exceptions in Nigel’s case. Mainly because Steve was desperate to keep him at the club. (At the time - clearly not now )

Edited November 3, 2023 by Harry

[Merrick's Marvels]

37 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Although I think NP put club above self more than a lot of managers personally.

 Just one of the many ways he was - will continue to be - a brilliant manager. 

[bert tann]

46 minutes ago, Ghost Rider said:

I haven't read many of the comments, but I've just watched the interview and found it to be quite decent. I believe that as fans, we aren't necessarily seeking a detailed insight into the club's day-to-day operations. However, regular interviews with JL, perhaps on a bimonthly basis, could greatly help us feel more connected to the club.

Regarding the interview content, I think Jon came across well. He appeared to be a genuine fan of the club and clearly displayed his passion for achieving Premier League promotion.

Now, I understand that my following opinion might not be popular, but after reflecting on NP's sacking for a few days, I've come to think that it might not be a bad decision. While I liked NP as a person, he did not have a stellar track record let's not kid ourselves. JL also touched on this in his interview, emphasising that many City fans wanted NP gone not too long ago, and that's true. 

I'm not convinced that NP single-handedly solved the wage bill issue. All he did was allow contracts to run down, which isn't particularly complex financial management.

Additionally, the style of football we were playing was rather uninspiring, and our home threads were filled with complaints about the lackluster play and poor shot on target statistics.

In any case, I'm just expressing my perspective, and I don't expect everyone to agree. It seems like fans had reached a point of frustration due to the club's direction, poor communication, and the need to vent their concerns. SL and JL bore the brunt of it, rightfully so, although I don't condone personal attacks.

From the video, it's evident that the club is headed in a new direction. My impression is that NP might not have been as present as JL would prefer, and they wanted to change that. It appears we'll have funds to invest, but they didn't want to allocate them to NP.

If JL follows through on his promises regarding communication, I'm fully on board and eagerly anticipate the next chapter. I won't be continually critical; instead, I'll support the team.

COME ON YOU REDS!

 

 

 

 

If you appoint that Bo Svensson as manager I reckon you'll be in the Premier League within three seasons.

You lucky buggers.

[ExiledAjax]

55 minutes ago, Harry said:

But the “final say” on what? 
A list drawn up by recruitment analysts. 
This may or may not always include a player which the manager may have suggested/wanted. 
I’m not trying to absolve LJ from blame for the performances of the team ON the field. But many put equal blame on him as they do to Ashton and the rest for the financial issues. 
The financial issues will have been zero responsibility of the head coach. He’d have had final say from a list of players presented to him (some of which he may have had input to). 
LJ is to blame for the football results. Ashton & Lansdown were to blame for the financials 

Isn't it pretty similar to recruitment in a "normal" industry?

Manager wants a new employee to do a job.

Manger goes to HR and they draw up a job description and identify the required assets of the new employee.

HR go out to market, speak to recruiters, and compile a shortlist of candidates that they think meet the agreed criteria.

Manager (and other staff) review the shortlist and interview candidates and decide a preferred individual.

Offer is made to that individual.

If the offer is agreed then the individual joins the company.

I agree with you that it makes it hard to pin a signing to a certain manager, but on the other hand individuals don't join if the manager doesn't approve them at some point in the process.

5 minutes ago, Harry said:

I think with Pearson, when he first arrived there would have been an element of “bring in a couple of your own”. 
I think this would have been relaxed simply because WE WANTED NIGEL. Steve himself said he made the call and wanted him. So I would imagine Nige came in under the terms of “give me a couple of my own and I’ll stay” (this was after his initial interim period). 
 

I think the club likely weren’t in much of a place to say no, as they wanted him to stay, so pandered to his demands. 
 

I think that was the exception. The rule is very much - what do we need, what position, what attributes, and then the analysts come back with a shortlist and the manager gets the final pick on those. 
But as said, the final shortlist may or may not include players that the manager himself personally fed in the bucket. And neither is the manager responsible for how much that player will cost or what his wage will be. 
If it was too much then they should’ve have appeared on the final shortlist! So no one can blame the manager for the overspend. 
 

So yes; I think there were a couple of initial exceptions in Nigel’s case. Mainly because Steve was desperate to keep him at the club. 

Again very similar to lateral hires at "normal" industries. Pretty normal for a senior manager to bring along one or two colleagues of his/her choice initially, but then to be expected to recruit further individuals in line with the organisation's normal policy.

Edited November 3, 2023 by ExiledAjax

[Tim Monaghan]

7 minutes ago, YGBjammy said:

Who the hell is Jon Lansdown to criticise the amount of time off the coaching & medical staff are giving to players. What qualifications does he have in that regard? Oh yes, none.

I bet Pearson would be raging if he watched that (I hope he doesn't waste his time doing so).

Was a bit weird for him to say he was surprised by the lists of managers circulated online. It was essentially a list of who's available? So why would you be surprised by it?

Once again, if all the other teams return earlier and we're the only team that doesn't, then I believe JL's perspective may indeed be justified. It's not an idea he's pulled out of thin air; there's a basis for his concern.

What strikes me as ironic is the criticism directed at Jon Lansdown with statements like, "Who the hell is Jon Lansdown to criticise the amount of time off the coaching and medical staff are giving to players? What qualifications does he have in that regard?" Well, then, what qualifications do we have to criticise JL? What qualifications do we possess in managing a football club or making medical judgments? Here we are, criticising him with less knowledge and qualifications than he has. It's indeed an ironic situation.

[petehinton]

12 minutes ago, ohhhshauntaylor said:

Just watched - This will be an unpopular opinion on here, but I thought that was far better than I expected, and far better than summarised/viewed by others so to speak - in my opinion.

 

The fact's that will really p*ss people off are pretty clear tho-

• Not even 12 months ago, a high majority of the fans wanted a change at the top, (heighted after WBA home), A high majority also credited an injury, and the subsequent HT formation change vs Swansea as the turning point (ahead of this, with the same squad, we seemed stuck on 3-5-2, before the switch to 4-3-3).

It's been well mooted that NP had to cut the costs, clear out the mess etc, yes of course his net spend is exceptional, but he also did invest and spend some cash- not all of these (nor should we assume they be) were great.

Klose, Mehmeti (jury still out), Simpson, Cornick (jury still out), Baker (writing was on the wall with his injury record), Kane Wilson, Stefan Bajic.

 

Outside of that is/was NP the "long term" man for us - we will never know, the good news is tho, history suggests, he leaves team in a good spot (eg Leicester and the PL win )

 

Hard hat on, COYR

 

I found that comment from JL cheap, tbh. Maybe the majority did, why not sack him then? We then went on an exceptional run, made yet more progress on cutting costs and improving the squad by getting Bentley, Martin, JD (basically) out the door. Semenyo sold for £10m. 
 

I really don’t see how saying “yeah well 10 months ago it wasn’t great”, well….it’s no longer 10 months ago, is it? A very weak “told you so” type.  
 

Been said thousands of times, but you’ll never get every signing spot on. And all those you’ve listed are extremely, extremely cheap ones. 

[Cowshed]

2 hours ago, Davefevs said:

Correct.

In the league of budgets where would  BCFC be positioned?

[Riaz]

5 minutes ago, Ghost Rider said:

Once again, if all the other teams return earlier and we're the only team that doesn't, then I believe JL's perspective may indeed be justified. It's not an idea he's pulled out of thin air; there's a basis for his concern.

What strikes me as ironic is the criticism directed at Jon Lansdown with statements like, "Who the hell is Jon Lansdown to criticise the amount of time off the coaching and medical staff are giving to players? What qualifications does he have in that regard?" Well, then, what qualifications do we have to criticise JL? What qualifications do we possess in managing a football club or making medical judgments? Here we are, criticising him with less knowledge and qualifications than he has. It's indeed an ironic situation.

Its not our opinion we are defending. We are saying Nigel Pearson and Dave Rennie have had huge success with Leicester - they have more expertise than Jon Lansdown and Brian Tinnion. Thats not me or any of us, saying that us fans know more.

[ohhhshauntaylor]

Just now, petehinton said:

I found that comment from JL cheap, tbh. Maybe the majority did, why not sack him then? We then went on an exceptional run, made yet more progress on cutting costs and improving the squad by getting Bentley, Martin (He gave Martin an extra year remember), JD (basically) out the door. Semenyo sold for £10m. 
 

I really don’t see how saying “yeah well 10 months ago it wasn’t great”, well….it’s no longer 10 months ago, is it? A very weak “told you so” type.  
I think his point was, its not like he has, or even still was always 100% a fans favorite etc, and they did stick by him, admittedly, to do the dirty work (maybe that was the plan when he was hired, get him in, clear the decks whilst keeping us up, and then move him on)

Been said thousands of times, but you’ll never get every signing spot on. And all those you’ve listed are extremely, extremely cheap ones. 

Mehmeti @ £1m arguably not.... but I don't disagree, my point is, some of the incomings he brought in (when he knew he had limited funds) probably didnt help the belief he could/would be trusted with the best egg