Manning Interview

[Mr Popodopolous]

5 minutes ago, Dr Balls said:

Ironically the rugby club (SL’s preferred sport and team) are actually the biggest problem in terms of a sale. Top level rugby in this country is in a complete mess financially. Plus the rugby club have first dibs over fixtures at Ashton Gate. It’s written into the rules of the Guinness Premiership that any rugby team sharing a ground with another team, even one playing a different sport, must have fixture priority. So it’s a mess. But then this complicated structure with Bristol Sport and the stadium was of course SL’s doing, so he really has no one else to blame if it’s not attractive to potential buyers of the football club, which is the one part that could make money. And the lack of investment in the women’s team, despite some of the biggest crowds in the WSL, says everything you need to know in terms of an owner who doesn’t want to put in any more money.

It is far less of a financial drain than football but the latter is far more of an enticing entry (I won't say investment as how many will turn a profit).

[Davefevs]

1 minute ago, Andy082005 said:

Correct 

In an ideal world Dave - I’m interested to know who would you like to see City bring in?

I honestly think a good successor for Nige would be Michael Duff.  I don’t think we will get anyone near Nige’s exoerience or calibre, but I think Duff has gone similar traits to Nige.  My only criticism of him is “why the f++k did he go to Swansea”?

Did him and Manning swap phones over the summer?

I’m sure there are loads of other options, but I don’t tend to follow managers ups and downs that much.

[exAtyeoMax]

2 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

It is far less of a financial drain than football but the latter is far more of an enticing entry (I won't say investment as how many will turn a profit).

Is there any where else the rugby can play locally apart from the mem? 

[Dr Balls]

1 minute ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

It is far less of a financial drain than football but the latter is far more of an enticing entry (I won't say investment as how many will turn a profit).

There is no way to make a profit from rugby as it stands. But it is possible with a Premier League football club. And SL needs to accept that he’s not going to recoup all that he has spent out in the past 20 years. Otherwise he’s not getting a sale. And of course selling a Premier League club guaranteed parachute payments may explain the need for promotion this season, hence the comments from JL when Manning was appointed.

[Mr Popodopolous]

1 minute ago, Dr Balls said:

There is no way to make a profit from rugby as it stands. But it is possible with a Premier League football club. And SL needs to accept that he’s not going to recoup all that he has spent out in the past 20 years. Otherwise he’s not getting a sale. And of course selling a Premier League club guaranteed parachute payments may explain the need for promotion this season, hence the comments from JL when Manning was appointed.

It's not so much a profit more a case of minimising cash input to keep the lights on.

Mind you a profit, in the PL? Check the accounts for last year when you've time for Arsenal, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Man United, Newcastle, Southampton, West Ham and Wolves. (Many more haven't yet released).

[Kingswood Robin]

8 minutes ago, exAtyeoMax said:

Is there any where else the rugby can play locally apart from the mem? 

They could share with Bath.

[REDOXO]

1 hour ago, Royce5nine said:

He sounds sad. Steve Lansdown please put him out of his misery and go with him! He's more suited to a Sunday League team in Guernsey.

He does sound sad! 
 

Steve needs to tell Jon to put him out of his misery and fire Tinnion! 
 

Steve will go nowhere until a deal can be done, but who on earth wants this nonsense! 
 

 

[Dr Balls]

24 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

It's not so much a profit more a case of minimising cash input to keep the lights on.

Mind you a profit, in the PL? Check the accounts for last year when you've time for Arsenal, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Man United, Newcastle, Southampton, West Ham and Wolves. (Many more haven't yet released).

I take your point @Mr Popodopolous but the Championship is probably the biggest basket case in terms of costs versus returns. Which is why, getting out of this division, preferably up rather than down, can seem so attractive. One of the other ways to minimise losses is developing and selling players at a profit, which you then pocket rather than spend on more players. Sound familiar?!

[Fuber]

1 hour ago, BCFCGav said:

No harm in giving him a proper go next season after a pre-season/some of his own signings. Until the Lansdown’s go the prem is a pipe dream anyway.

If relegation starts to look very on, then we’ll have to change sooner, but shouldn’t come to that.

Manning doesn't statistically have an issue with Teams in the top six though. His record around and under us is morbid.

Swansea is the final acid test for me. Lose that, and no way should he get the summer.

Edited March 6 by Fuber

[Bedred31]

I’ve crossed the line re Manning- he’s got to go- but that shouldn’t hide the bigger issue, which is investment in the squad. If spending £1-3m per season on players is the model we’re now chained to, then relegation is pretty much certain, and probably sooner rather than later. 

[Mr Popodopolous]

11 minutes ago, Dr Balls said:

I take your point @Mr Popodopolous but the Championship is probably the biggest basket case in terms of costs versus returns. Which is why, getting out of this division, preferably up rather than down, can seem so attractive. One of the other ways to minimise losses is developing and selling players at a profit, which you then pocket rather than spend on more players. Sound familiar?!

It absolutely is and tbh @Dr Balls I don't disagree.

Foeever chasing losses at this level and of course the carrot of PL football makes it more saleable.

Birmingham and Hull owners for different reasons seem like they're in a hurry, I wonder at what point it will occur to them that it can be a money pit just to stand still. Birmingham in particular (Hull inherited a solid lowish cost base).

[S_C]

33 minutes ago, MarcusX said:

He’s left injured (his words) Pring on for 90 mins, with Mehmeti looking tired in front of him.

He didn’t react at all to Burns causing us all sorts of problems down that side.

I’m not going to hammer him for tonight because we’ve had a good go - but he’s definitely not completely oof the hook either.

Sure, not saying there aren't things he could have done that MAY have altered the course of things.
I haven't seen the Pring injured comments so unsure how serious it is/was, but not convinced id have fancied throwing Roberts on for him with Burns in full flow. Mehmeti looked tired, yeah, he was also our best player and one of those you'd most like in one-on-ones on the counter. Surely no-one believes that if Roberts had gone on for Mehmeti and we'd have still lost, Manning wouldnt have been accused of being too negative. Maybe if we'd done that we would have taken a point, but maybe if we been more decisive in our defending we'd have comfortably won the game. Battering people with maybe, when it's clearly a maybe, and especially when it's to a backdrop of a good team performance, is a never ending cycle.

The issue isnt that Manning didnt do x or y, at least it shouldn't be tonight, it's that we arent discussing Wells hitting the bar, or not reacting quickly enough to either Sykes cross or following the pull back after Mehmeti's shot. We're not discussing McCrorie being reckless in possession, or how Dickie could have taken charge of the equaliser as it came inside Pring. Why arent we talking about Vyner giving a foul away on the edge of the box, or O'Leary's distribution. Sykes goes to sleep for the third. Yet somehow Manning, with a limited bench and having, let's give him his dues, set the team up very well, to such an extent we were the better side and leading 2-1 after 79 minutes, could have made a change which might have altered things.

The issue is that we lost due to individual errors during a good performance, in a game we were widely expected to be run through, and the bloke who essentially deserves the {most} credit is the one in the firing line. I'm not typing this telling you Manning is fantastic or Manning is the right guy, I was angry Pearson was disposed of and things clearly arent going great, but when you turn in a performance like tonight and the heat is focused on the manager, it tells you that people are guilty of not fairly assessing what is in-front of them. It tells you that people have made up their mind and are drawing conclusions to fit their pre-determined beliefs. 

[BrizzleRed]

1 hour ago, BCFCGav said:

No harm in giving him a proper go next season after a pre-season/some of his own signings. Until the Lansdown’s go the prem is a pipe dream anyway.

If relegation starts to look very on, then we’ll have to change sooner, but shouldn’t come to that.

I agree re the Lansdowns, but I can see plenty of harm in giving LM next season.  

We weren’t exactly pulling up trees at the point he came in, but without the points already on the board from NP’s time, we’d be be right in the shit with what he’s added since.

That points buffer from the start of the season is all that’s currently keeping us out of the relegation spots.

We can’t risk our current form continuing into next season imho.

[Superjack]

2 hours ago, exAtyeoMax said:

Yes but unless SL steps in, JL & BT won't be going anywhere. 

Even if he does, JL sure as shit won't be going anywhere.

[fgrsimon]

53 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

It is far less of a financial drain than football but the latter is far more of an enticing entry (I won't say investment as how many will turn a profit).

It should surely be possible to make a profit from the Rugby? 

There's a salary cap, the attendances are close to the football and there is effectively no relegation for an indefinite period. No relegation for definite this season but there are basically no clubs in the levels below that have the finances/assets for promotion. So unless Wasps or maybe London Irish get back to the top level, effectively it's a closed shop. So you could put a very cheap young side together and take the hit in results without any danger of relegation. Newcastle I guess are doing something like this?  Ealing Trailfinders who are comfortably the 'best of the rest' have and would turn down promotion IIRC?

[Superjack]

2 hours ago, edada said:

Keeps talking about emotions and the players not controlling the emotional side of it. I don’t get it. I’m not convinced the players are getting it either. 

****ing android.

[Mr Popodopolous]

3 minutes ago, fgrsimon said:

It should surely be possible to make a profit from the Rugby? 

There's a salary cap, the attendances are close to the football and there is effectively no relegation for an indefinite period. No relegation for definite this season but there are basically no clubs in the levels below that have the finances/assets for promotion. So unless Wasps or maybe London Irish get back to the top level, effectively it's a closed shop. So you could put a very cheap young side together and take the hit in results without any danger of relegation. Newcastle I guess are doing something like this?  Ealing Trailfinders who are comfortably the 'best of the rest' have and would turn down promotion IIRC?

You'd think so but losses still occur.

I agree on paper it shouldn't be too difficult but if anyone wants to look at the Bristol Rugby accounts..it is less expensive than football of course in terms of cash input but not necessarily profitable.

Cutting the wage bill further would help yes.

Edited March 6 by Mr Popodopolous

[Superjack]

1 hour ago, Nugget said:

Wonder if Pearson is still living in the area. Lansdowns would get a lot of respect if they held their hands up and admitted this isn’t working, they won’t though! Wonder if NP would enjoy telling them to do one or if he’d be tempted. 

I think he absolutely would tell them to do one. And I would absolutely enjoy hearing about it.

[NickJ]

2 hours ago, Harry said:

They scored 10 seconds after the 4 subs. We’d brought Sykes on and he switched off. 
Not sure how LM could have reacted to the 4 subs when they literally scored immediately after 

I think the point being made Harry is that with a Top 6 quality squad at his disposal, he could have impacted the effect of their 4 subs before they even made them. 

[Davefevs]

43 minutes ago, Bedred31 said:

I’ve crossed the line re Manning- he’s got to go- but that shouldn’t hide the bigger issue, which is investment in the squad. If spending £1-3m per season on players is the model we’re now chained to, then relegation is pretty much certain, and probably sooner rather than later. 

I said after the summer window had closed and Phil Alexander gave his hostage speech on SOTC, that the hierarchy had inflicted self-harm.  They’d wasted 20 league games of opportunity to earn as many points as they could before the next window opened, regardless of manager / head-coach.  That isn’t acting in the best interests of the club.  That pettiness cost Liam Manning at least 11 games too.

I think it’s pretty unforgivable management of the club.  They can bullshit all they want about budgets set in March.  They can say Nige Pearson was offered a player(s), but they won’t tell you who they offered.  It wasn’t Scott Twine, it wasn’t Finn Azaz, it wasn’t Max Bird. They offered him an OOC CB, which putting the club and its finances first, he declined.  That’s acting in the club’s best interests!

 

[Sleepy1968]

34 minutes ago, Superjack said:

****ing android.

Wait, what? Are you accusing LM of writing your posts?

[Superjack]

3 minutes ago, Sleepy1968 said:

Wait, what? Are you accusing LM of writing your posts?

I'd go back to sleep mate...

[Sleepy1968]

4 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

I said after the summer window had closed and Phil Alexander gave his hostage speech on SOTC, that the hierarchy had inflicted self-harm.  They’d wasted 20 league games of opportunity to earn as many points as they could before the next window opened, regardless of manager / head-coach.  That isn’t acting in the best interests of the club.  That pettiness cost Liam Manning at least 11 games too.

I think it’s pretty unforgivable management of the club.  They can bullshit all they want about budgets set in March.  They can say Nige Pearson was offered a player(s), but they won’t tell you who they offered.  It wasn’t Scott Twine, it wasn’t Finn Azaz, it wasn’t Max Bird. They offered him an OOC CB, which putting the club and its finances first, he declined.  That’s acting in the club’s best interests!

 

Shocking treatment. And that shows why they aren't suitable custodians of our club. And an example of why NP is held in high regard by many.

[W-S-M Seagull]

1 hour ago, S_C said:

in a game we were widely expected to be run through, and the bloke who essentially deserves the {most} credit is the one in the firing line.

Actually I think you'll find most of us expected us to play exactly how we did tonight. No one really expected us to be run through because we know these type of games suit us, just like West Ham suited us, just like Forest suited us and just like Southampton suited us. 

Every single one of our fans would have been able to predict what our game plan would have been today. 

So with that in mind I have to wonder why you're framing this as some sort of tactical masterclass from Manning? Why are you framing it that we all didn't expect us to play that way? There can only be one conclusion to that. 

[W-S-M Seagull]

1 hour ago, Davefevs said:

I said after the summer window had closed and Phil Alexander gave his hostage speech on SOTC, that the hierarchy had inflicted self-harm.  They’d wasted 20 league games of opportunity to earn as many points as they could before the next window opened, regardless of manager / head-coach.  That isn’t acting in the best interests of the club.  That pettiness cost Liam Manning at least 11 games too.

I think it’s pretty unforgivable management of the club.  They can bullshit all they want about budgets set in March.  They can say Nige Pearson was offered a player(s), but they won’t tell you who they offered.  It wasn’t Scott Twine, it wasn’t Finn Azaz, it wasn’t Max Bird. They offered him an OOC CB, which putting the club and its finances first, he declined.  That’s acting in the club’s best interests!

 

I'll never forget what's happened Dave. 

They wanted him gone a long time before he did go hence refusing to give him funds in the summer. They sacrificed our season which we've paid to watch simply cos they didn't want Nigel to succeed. They wanted us to fail so they could get rid of him. When you think of it like that it's actually staggering. 

When Phil said that Nigel is footballing royalty I did wonder at the time why he said that. Looking back now its now crystal clear. 

Made me laugh the other day when Ian tried to make it out like Nigel was backed but failed to mention he was only backed with out of contract centre backs. 

[FNQ]

4 hours ago, Davefevs said:

I honestly think a good successor for Nige would be Michael Duff.  I don’t think we will get anyone near Nige’s exoerience or calibre, but I think Duff has gone similar traits to Nige.  My only criticism of him is “why the f++k did he go to Swansea”?

Did him and Manning swap phones over the summer?

I’m sure there are loads of other options, but I don’t tend to follow managers ups and downs that much.

Hate to say it, but a better option may have even been Matt Taylor. Surely the gas have not made a better managerial appointment on probably half the salary than us… or have they? Surely JL is not that stupid, or is he?

[Bodiesaffer]

6 hours ago, exAtyeoMax said:

Is BT forcing him to change mid season? He’s overseeing everything football

BT thinking we can still push blame back to NP.  Right the season off to change the style.  Instead of keeping the same system and tweak it slowly as did the NP crew.

[Shauntaylor85]

4 hours ago, Sleepy1968 said:

Shocking treatment. And that shows why they aren't suitable custodians of our club. And an example of why NP is held in high regard by many.

Brian Tinnion also should have been more understanding considering how awful his spell as manager was. 

[NewquayRed]

7 hours ago, Silvio Dante said:

Just watching on Sky. He’s saying that the 4 subs by them made a huge impact - but it’s him that can impact that, surely????

If he has the squad to do it which he doesn’t, we’ve lacked a goal scorer for at least 18 months and did nothing about it. Can only impact games like that if you have the impact players with quality to do it.

We don’t and I do wonder how effective LM maybe when we do, few results and I for one hope he gets a chance. 

[Monkeh]

6 hours ago, Redrascal2 said:

I don't think SL gives a toss about City anymore. He has not supported Pearson or Manning in the transfer market and is just keeping the transfer fees. He has no ambition for the club and I imagine the fall in the wage bill would bring a smile to his face if we went down. Seeing Scott and Semenyo last week playing for Bournemouth last week reminded me of what we lost and how little has been spent replacing Premiership standard players 

We shouldn't be spending vast amounts in Jan, regardless of who's manager, players are over priced then and there is no value in the market,