Gary And His High Risk....

[NickJ]

Simple question.

We own a 20/25 goal a season - at Championship/Premiership level - striker, currently on loan to a rival, and continue to pay around half his salary.

We have on loan a striker who has never scored a league goal.

Due to injuries - not Gary's fault of course - we had no striker on the bench today, as has been the norm for the past few games.

Here's the question. What is the opinion on such a strategy?

[Red Dave]

Simple question.

We own a 20/25 goal a season - at Championship/Premiership level - striker, currently on loan to a rival, and continue to pay around half his salary.

We have on loan a striker who has never scored a league goal.

Due to injuries - not Gary's fault of course - we had no striker on the bench today, as has been the norm for the past few games.

Here's the question. What is the opinion on such a strategy?

Hi nick.

I think you know my opinions on this!!

It just doesn't make any sense at all.

[red-or-dead]

IMO Johnson has done wonders for the club, But enough is enough NOW its time for MS to return to HIS club! This absolute Joke of a situation has gone on far too long.

The last month we have been very fortunate with results however the last 3 league games has shown the lack of force in attack -(we don't have one)

For the good of everyone who loves BCFC Johnson bring him back for gods sake.

[Tunley Legend]

I have to say that I have thought carefully about things and I have now come round to the opinion that Marcus Stewart must come back to our club. If Enoch and Brooker get fit then fine, look at the options then. But at the moment we are asking an awful lot of Phil Jevons - who has a proven scoring record at this level. He is being asked to play alongside a petulant schoolboy who, for all his promise and talent, has played about a dozen games, scored ONE goal, won ONE penalty and has ONE assist to his name. Despite that, Jevons (who is not playing well either) at least has seven goals and about 5 assists.

Ignoring the fact that JMW is a kid, his stats are simply not good enough and unacceptable for an automatic promotion chasing team. The kid is talented but is also extremely one footed has the most abysmal first touch I have seen from a professional footballer in ages, cannot hold up balls played into him, does not notice players in better positions than himself and overall is simply not producing. He clearly needs time in the reserves.

I have now accepted the fact that despite his poor form for us previously , possible bad influence etc. etc. etc. Marcus Stewart at least has GAMES, EXPERIENCE, FORM, GOALS and ASSISTS to his name this season and would make Jevons 10 times the player he is looking at the moment. And experience is definitely what we need, in the short term at least - not unproven kids who simply look unable to do the business in the pressure cooker atmosphere of big important games like Forest and Yeovil.

[bcfc_4_life]

The sooner MS goes the better.

IMO when he was here he done nothing good, and no offence or owt but, he is not a championship standard player. Ok he's scoring goals for yeovil, but if he loved this club so much then why did he answer back to GJ and not take it on the chin?, if his attitude stinks get him outa here ASAP e.g Phillips, i thought he was quality but his attitude stank and thank god we got rid, hope MS follows soon and i wish him every success.

[Behind Gary]

The sooner MS goes the better.

IMO when he was here he done nothing good, and no offence or owt but, he is not a championship standard player. Ok he's scoring goals for yeovil, but if he loved this club so much then why did he answer back to GJ and not take it on the chin?, if his attitude stinks get him outa here ASAP e.g Phillips, i thought he was quality but his attitude stank and thank god we got rid, hope MS follows soon and i wish him every success.

Well said yound man, very subtly but suscintly put.

In any club theres only ever one gaffa, (think Fergy or Clough), and no player is ever bigger than they are.

Gary will bring a big name in soon who will fill the boots of Judas and not blow hot and cold when it suits them.

[NickJ]

The sooner MS goes the better....

.... he is not a championship standard player.

I see. Presumably his 20 goals for Sunderland which helped take them to the Premiership were all flukes?

Just one example.

Gary will bring a big name in soon who will fill the boots of Judas.

Idiotic comment. GJ has deliberately left MS out in the cold, as a "punishment" for answering him back.

We had on our hands a natural goal scorer at Championship/Premiership level, who wants to play for this club. We replaced him last season with a joke who couldnt hit a barn door and this season a loanee who has never scored a league goal.

Like you, I'm behind Gary, but I really am struggling to see the merits of his "Marcus strategy".

[old_man_terry]

there is no merits really apart from that before long a highly paid non effective city player will soon be off the payroll which will increase the scope to bring in other players.

Players and manager fall out all the time in football, most of the time it is the player who moves on, however on this occasion "stewart is a city fan" so alot of people believe he can act how he likes and get away with it, much like what happened with Tommy couple of years ago,

MS will be gone in Jan so then hopefully the club can put this behind them and move on

[robins72]

I think Stewart is going to be on the bench for December as we have no other option but to have him in what is a very depleted squad. Whether he stays is up to him and Johnson. Cant see it though.

[old_man_terry]

I think Stewart is going to be on the bench for December as we have no other option but to have him in what is a very depleted squad. Whether he stays is up to him and Johnson. Cant see it though.

if he comes back in Jan, ok I know he can't play for Yeovil, but don't be surprised if a deal is done for him to continue training at Yeovil until the deal can be made perm,

[robins72]

if he comes back in Jan, ok I know he can't play for Yeovil, but don't be surprised if a deal is done for him to continue training at Yeovil until the deal can be made perm,

I wont be suprised. But hes a city player for at least a month when he cant return to Yeovil. Based on that alone I think he will feature in our squad. Who else do we have upfront?

[megansdad]

what a sad waste that would be - we need his experience and goals and why some of you can't accept that I don't know- so he talked back to GJ when GJ had a rant - big deal its happened before and it will happen again. GJ should/ could have disciplined him instead he has allowed him out on loan to a team ahead of us in the table and frozen him out-to our detriment. That my friends is nonsense- at the same time GJ and the club stand by players(not arguing against this) who have been imprisoned for their behaviour while out on the town. So its ok to disrespect the club, manager, chairman and fans by getting drunk in town and being involved in a brawl but answering GJ back is a crime punishable by banishment. Talk about double standards, and double standards that are benefitting our rivals and disadvantaging our challenge for promotion. If anyone at the club reads this -SORT IT OUT-!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[old_man_terry]

what a sad waste that would be - we need his experience and goals and why some of you can't accept that I don't know- so he talked back to GJ when GJ had a rant - big deal its happened before and it will happen again. GJ should/ could have disciplined him instead he has allowed him out on loan to a team ahead of us in the table and frozen him out-to our detriment. That my friends is nonsense- at the same time GJ and the club stand by players(not arguing against this) who have been imprisoned for their behaviour while out on the town. So its ok to disrespect the club, manager, chairman and fans by getting drunk in town and being involved in a brawl but answering GJ back is a crime punishable by banishment. Talk about double standards, and double standards that are benefitting our rivals and disadvantaging our challenge for promotion. If anyone at the club reads this -SORT IT OUT-!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

difference is, the other players said sorry for their behaviour and have since been brought back into the team, Mr Stewart........possibly hasn't

[megansdad]

difference is the others have been given a second chance, perhaps third for some MS has not!

[red man dan]

My thoughts on this?

Simple...its absoulutely ridiculous.

[Guest North Street]

Simple question.

We own a 20/25 goal a season - at Championship/Premiership level - striker, currently on loan to a rival, and continue to pay around half his salary.

We have on loan a striker who has never scored a league goal.

Due to injuries - not Gary's fault of course - we had no striker on the bench today, as has been the norm for the past few games.

Here's the question. What is the opinion on such a strategy?

Bizzare at best as Yesterdays result has been in the post for weeks.

It could be argued he is aiding Yeovil to take points of our opponents but Yeovil are in a very real competition for City for a top six [four!] position and i doubt if they would lend City players to truly strengthen our team if the roles were reversed.

Johnsons position may have been more understandable when adequate cover was in place but City have made do with half fit , fct wit, teste ball hang, Corr and Savage.

It looks poor but the situation is easily redeemable, get rid off Stewart, bring him back or bring in a proven player up front.

[kiwicolin]

I think Stewart is going to be on the bench for December as we have no other option but to have him in what is a very depleted squad. Whether he stays is up to him and Johnson. Cant see it though.

according to one fan on the radio yesterday MS will not play for that manager again as long

as he is the manager of our club.

in my opinion we don't support the manager or players. we support the club. managers and

players come and go . the club doesn't.

if MS loves our club then why can't he make the first move and say sorry. why should it be

GJ. he is the one in charge and if MS said something out of turn as some other players did

then he should take it on the chin and start playing for our club.

have you noticed how MS has said all this to everybody else and not to the club and GJ has kept

it in house.

the sooner MS goes the better.

[old_man_terry]

GJ has kept it in house.

the key thing here, dispite what he probably thinks of him, he has tried his best to keep it out of the public eye and keep it in house, which is what should be done.

only one person has spouted off in the press

no one is bigger than the club, but no one player is bigger than the manager

[Guest North Street]

the key thing here, dispite what he probably thinks of him, he has tried his best to keep it out of the public eye and keep it in house, which is what should be done.

only one person has spouted off in the press

no one is bigger than the club, but no one player is bigger than the manager

Lansdown did state in public he thought Stewart should go so doors may have been shut a long time ago firmly in Stewarts face despite his return to form at City's expense and Yeovils gain.

[yeovilmac]

the key thing here, dispite what he probably thinks of him, he has tried his best to keep it out of the public eye and keep it in house, which is what should be done.

only one person has spouted off in the press

no one is bigger than the club, but no one player is bigger than the manager

But has Marcus spouted off in the press?

He was asked in an interview whether he saw his future at City and he said "Not under that manager!". I haven't seen any other interviews with him. He could hardly lie and say everything was rosy otherwise you City fans would then think GJ was lying.

Its a sad situation full stop. I don't expect MS likes it at all either. If what has been posted on here actually did happen in the dressing room then fair play to MS for standing up to him. GJ hasn't had a lot of experience of dealing with Premiership players - he had Dion Dublin under him at Cambridge but that was in the initial stages of his career and Andrejs Stolcers also but he had won dozens of caps for Latvia under Johnson - so maybe he can't deal with that sort of player.

Might also explain why the loan signings you make are young, ready-to-blood kids rather than experienced pros.

[NickJ]

have you noticed how MS has said all this to everybody else and not to the club and GJ has kept

it in house.

That isnt quite true.

At the Supporters Trust dinner a few weeks ago, GJ was asked about the MS situation.

His reply was that he felt that MS hadnt done enough as a senior pro to set the right example to the younger players, or something along those lines.

I think that was quite a clever answer from GJ because it said nothing which was untrue but at the same time stopped short of explaining exactly what had happened.

I do believe that, according to the transcript of the dressing room exchange which took place between GJ and MS, which has appeared on this forum, both MS and GJ were equally to blame for the situation....

....GJ has responded by trying to do a Ferguson. Except, when Ferguson fell out with Stam, he sold him for £12m. When Ferguson fell out with Beckham, he sold him for £25m.

GJ falls out with Stewart, and what happens? Pays him £6k a week to languish in the reserves for 9 months, then pays half his wages for Stewart to play for somebody else!

Anybody who thinks that is a clever outcome, is completely bonkers in my opinion!

[Nibor]

If you read what Stewart actually said he said that he won't play for the club whilst GJ is in charge.

Now if you take that on it's own you could confuse it and believe he didn't want to play for he club and was having the sulks. That's exactly what GJ did on Radio Bristol.

However the context the quote was given in was Stewart explaining how he knew a month after GJ joined the club that he would be forced out and that he still didn't know why. It's impossible to confuse his meaning if you look at the whole thing that was said.

Stewart won't play for the club whilst GJ is manager because GJ will not pick him. Ever.

[Rowley Birkin]

I agree the situation is absolutely ridiculous, and seems childish in the extreme.

But unless the chairman, manager, player, are prepared to sit down in an adult fashion, put all the cards on the table, for the greater good of Bristol City Football Club, this pathetic situation will continue.

Marcus Stewart should in my opinion, if he honestly loves his, "boyhood club" should go down on bended knees to Gary Johnson, and beg forgiveness, for his egocentric behaviour, which has led to this festering sore.

Then he should be big enough to stand up before all the players, and apologise to all and sundry, and then and only then, will this situation ever be resolved.

I'd like to think Gary Johson is a big enough man to accept his apologies, draw a line underneath it all, mark the expierience, and move onwards and upwards for everyones sake.

Just imagine if that happened ?

It'd be like a new signing, and the feel good factor would be immense, as I feel even with Brooker and Showamni back, we still don't have that X Factor up the sharp end.

Here's hoping for a sensible, and adult conclusion in all this, as it'd be a classic City situation if we missed out on promotion, with Setwarts goals for a local rival, but then again I won't hold my breath, as when did sense and football ever come together in the same sentence ?

If it's not resolved I'd have to throw my weight behind the manager in this, but here's hoping anyway.

Then again you could swap Stewart and Brooker and Showamni, for either Billy Sharp or Andy Keogh for me.

Real quality.

[wilts green]

Simple question.

We own a 20/25 goal a season - at Championship/Premiership level - striker, currently on loan to a rival, and continue to pay around half his salary.

We have on loan a striker who has never scored a league goal.

Due to injuries - not Gary's fault of course - we had no striker on the bench today, as has been the norm for the past few games.

Here's the question. What is the opinion on such a strategy?

Take it from me, Johnson is bigger than any player, and had always been. Fact is that if MS comes back to City, and they kiss and make up, its like a broken relationship, just one little argument, and it all kicks off again. You will be better in the long run without MS, but if he comes back, it could be Johnsons biggest mistake, as it will have lessened his authority and increased player power enormously. City will be thereabouts come May I think, but this Marcus Stewart thing could break you, if he stays it will make GJ's position difficult, if he goes, and IS successful and City don't finish in the top two, GJ will still get the blame. I still think the latter is preferable for your club though.

[we8gas]

One thing what will always stick in my head what GJ said was " If we were 1-0 down with 10-15 minutes to go, we will go all out attack even if we lose the game 4-0 ".

To keep a 15 goal striker on loan to our rivals and get in a inexperienced young striker with no goal history is outrageous.

This situation has to be sorted, NOW.

[cider head]

Here's the question. What is the opinion on such a strategy?

stubborness between 2 people and putting a stupid feud

before the club.

[NickJ]

I agree the situation is absolutely ridiculous, and seems childish in the extreme.

Marcus Stewart should in my opinion, if he honestly loves his, "boyhood club" should go down on bended knees to Gary Johnson, and beg forgiveness, for his egocentric behaviour, which has led to this festering sore.

Why should Stewart apologise for GJ's egocentric behaviour?

[bh_red]

Why should Stewart apologise for GJ's egocentric behaviour?

because Johnson is the boss, anyline of profession you are in if you upset your manager, you either apogise or your deal with the consequences,

Brooker, Orr, Brown and Parto made mistakes but they kissed bum, admitted they were in the wrong, said sorry and are brought back into the fold.

Stewart whether he is right or wrong, unless he apoglises to his manager, won't get another look in, either way it's all been done before.......chances are he will be gone in jan

[Avonmouth Docker]

Gary will bring a big name in soon who will fill the boots of Judas and not blow hot and cold when it suits them.

I'm NOT going to hold my breath waiting for that to happen!!

think that Hell freezing over will happen first!!.

The sooner MS goes the better.

Then do we replace him with another un-proven "loanee", or go for broke, wait until January, and do some serious shopping for a 20/25 goals a season striker??.

if he comes back in Jan, OK I know he can't play for Yeovil, but don't be surprised if a deal is done for him to continue training at Yeovil until the deal can be made perm,

I say let him continue to play at Yeovil, IF he is really happy there!!.

Who knows, maybe he'll be playing Championship football well before the overpaid, under performing Prima Donna's we have playing in red and white at the moment!!.

stubbornness between 2 people and putting a stupid feud

before the club.

They say the Club is always bigger than the individual, so now we have two individuals who are combining to be bigger than the club, and to drag it down to new levels.............

How many points would you say City have dropped so far this season, where we haven't had the fire power to score "2nd" goals after going 1-0 in front, or not getting the goal we needed to equalise.

One thing what will always stick in my head what GJ said was " If we were 1-0 down with 10-15 minutes to go, we will go all out attack even if we lose the game 4-0 ".

Haven't seen much of that attitude over the past few weeks!!

[Dolman Block B]

The sooner MS goes the better.

IMO when he was here he done nothing good, and no offence or owt but, he is not a championship standard player. Ok he's scoring goals for yeovil, but if he loved this club so much then why did he answer back to GJ and not take it on the chin?, if his attitude stinks get him outa here ASAP e.g Phillips, i thought he was quality but his attitude stank and thank god we got rid, hope MS follows soon and i wish him every success.

Thats complete B#######.

Were u there sat?

U telling me the two up front are better than Stewart?

If so, then I'm completley bonkers.

Mate listen, Stewart should still be getting another chance and the quicker Johnson gets off his high horse the better.