Does Gary Johnson like us?

[mossey]

I've recently noticed ( been going on a little while though ) more and more negative comments by GJ about us fans. Although he's yet to launch a full scale attack in the press it can only be a matter of time now !!

I don't think he appreciates the general rumblings of discontent that often accompany his substitutions or tactics (paticularily those in the latter stages of games ) and tends to dismiss these with the 'well what do they know anyway?' approach.

Should we just be more gratefull ( well we are quite handily placed in the table aren't we ?) or do we often have a point!

The fans have never really taken to Johnson in the same way that they did to some of our previous managers (evidenced by the lack of one Gary Johnson style chants ). Hopefully a successfull promotion season will change all this for next year and we can all get along a bit better!

[lotusman]

It is far from a perfect marriage for sure.The devoted disciple group rightly trade behind the results column,others remain confused .As a supporter you want the club to prosper yet you want to see it evolve with a bit of style and some degree of entertainment value.

That we are caught up in a promotion campaign is great,that it is the most lack-lustre I have ever known does both concern and confuse me.

I think the recent comments do reflect a degree of disappointment on his part ,yet the reality is that the pressure or particularly criticism at our club does not even come close to what is experienced in the championship or premiership.

Get it right here and the bigger stage at Wolves,Leicester,or Coventry could be his next home,fail to improve upon Tinnions 7th place finish then its probably Peterborough.The pressure is on and the verdict is still out for most.......

[Scrumpylegs]

City fans have long had a love / hate relationship (mostly hate) with the clubs managers for a long time now.

Only popular managers I can remember in recent times were Jordan 1st time round, Ward and Wilson (sometimes) otherwise we've had a whole load of muppets and incompetent faliures at the helm. Heres my top 5 hall of shame:

1- Tony Pulis.. Who else ? The undisputed most unpopular manager we've ever had !

2- Russell Osman ... Who can forget that time when he got the winning goal and was booed by half the City fans in the ground. Clown.

3- Benny Hill... Totally useless as manager but far too comical a figure to be hated like Pullis.

4- Brian Tinnion... Out of his depth. Had the sympathy of the fans ( but not for long though! )

5- Terry Cooper.... At regular intervals a mob the likes of which has not been seen since would gather outside the directors window and demand Coopers sacking. Happy days !!

So bearing all this in mind I reckon Johnsons not doing too badly at the mo. Probably used to being worshiped at Yeovil !! Gotta earn it here !! Lets hope he does.

[Rednready]

Its a matter of mileage. GJ had his run with Yeovil, Conference, Division 2. He had probably worked out that he had gone as far as he could with a club that size and budget.

The move here, gave him a larger ground, club, squad and budget, in other words his ticket to the Championship. .We may get promotion this year, or at least next year with the Academy stars a year older and some fresh signings. Once there I feel he will look towards a bigger stronger club. Bigger budget perhaps, but a whole new ball game in management.

That will be his call, but definately a man with big ambitions.

PS. I will start a new thread on the last two months of the season, and why we wont get auto promotion. In my opinion, its becoming more self evident.

[Dolman Block B]

Its a matter of mileage. GJ had his run with Yeovil, Conference, Division 2. He had probably worked out that he had gone as far as he could with a club that size and budget.

The move here, gave him a larger ground, club, squad and budget, in other words his ticket to the Championship. .We may get promotion this year, or at least next year with the Academy stars a year older and some fresh signings. Once there I feel he will look towards a bigger stronger club. Bigger budget perhaps, but a whole new ball game in management.

That will be his call, but definately a man with big ambitions.

PS. I will start a new thread on the last two months of the season, and why we wont get auto promotion. In my opinion, its becoming more self evident.

Its strange RR that most i speak to don't rate Johnson as a manager!

Thing is, its difficult to knock our league position.

Perhaps its some of the "behind the scenes" stuff, fans aint happy with, Johnsons attitude on tv and radio, his undoubted stubborness, and on and on.

We all are desperate for promotion, albeit by automatic or the play offs but i and many others are not convinced mate

[Andy Horsman]

Gary Johnson earned my grudging respect last season when we lost 9 in a row. Keeping the City faithful onside, when results were so dire, was as effective an act of pr/spin doctoring as I have ever witnessed. Pushing the prodigal MS out was brave too as there were no shortage of MS fans ready to see a fall on the part of GJ.

I really appreciated the support and resolution that he gave to Brooker, Orr,Brown and latterly Partridge over their well publicised nocturnal shenanighans.

HOWEVER.....

When both the manager and the chairman build the season up to be THE ONE, and the manager repeatedly says, 'Judge me on my team', then he will get judged on delivering the goods.I really understand the posts ref warming to GJ, I am pleased generally with the job that he is doing, but I'm hardly 'walking in a Johnson wonderland!!'

A film director/Writer/animator is judged on what he or she produces as a piece of art. So are football managers, and BCFC is a tough gig in musical parlance.

He has not had the fans turn on him as happens at other clubs, indeed he has had in my view a fairly even-handed response.We pay our money though and will still be here when he moves on so whether he likes us or not, we are here to stay and we will have our say!!!!

[WTFiGO!?!]

We clash emotionally and contrast intellectually, the other way around I think would be better suited.

Tact is not Gary Johnson's fortay, nor is it City's fans as a generalisation. Where as Ward and Wilson both had qualities of charm that the fans to differing degree's fell for, GJ does not.

City fans have a tradition of demanding free flowing, cavalier Football, why this is the case I really don't know, it's not as though we're Barcalona, enlightenment from some of our older more experianced element regarding this would be appreciated. Gary Johnson is a results driven man, and I for one accept that in him, so long as he does get results. Due to my previous point though I can not see him given anywhere near as long as Danny Wilson was to achieving them, unfortunately.

[Dolman Block B]

We clash emotionally and contrast intellectually, the other way around I think would be better suited.

Tact is not Gary Johnson's fortay, nor is it City's fans as a generalisation. Where as Ward and Wilson both had qualities of charm that the fans to differing degree's fell for, GJ does not.

City fans have a tradition of demanding free flowing, cavalier Football, why this is the case I really don't know, it's not as though we're Barcalona, enlightenment from some of our older more experianced element regarding this would be appreciated. Gary Johnson is a results driven man, and I for one accept that in him, so long as he does get results. Due to my previous point though I can not see him given anywhere near as long as Danny Wilson was to achieving them, unfortunately.

And agree with that Tim.

[Port Said Red]

Its strange RR that most i speak to don't rate Johnson as a manager!

Thing is, its difficult to knock our league position.

Perhaps its some of the "behind the scenes" stuff, fans aint happy with, Johnsons attitude on tv and radio, his undoubted stubborness, and on and on.

We all are desperate for promotion, albeit by automatic or the play offs but i and many others are not convinced mate

Yeah, but all the people you speak to are devotees of the "other messiah", of course they don't like him.

[054123]

I think the underlying problem (and this is also the root cause for many other issues at the gate i.e crowds) is that City fans in general have ran out of patience. Not with the Johnson in particular, but with being stuck in this poor excuse of a league for so long.

I've said this before, but it has come to a point where promotion is not something to be celebrated in the eyes of many City fans, but merely something of a formality. I'm not saying that City fans have a right to expect promotion (we all know it's something to be earned) but we've come so close on a few occasions, spent quite a bit of money (for this level) and have always been a big club (for this level) that when/if promotion finally comes i don't see people dancing in th street saying "I can't believe it, we've done it" i merely see them sighing with relief and saying "finally, now lets get stuck into the championship">

The expectation level is now at such a point that anything less than promotion is failure. I don't think Johnson fully gauged this (and the general level of apathy) before he took the job on. Few City fans (even now) are excited by the team or the football and yes we can all say well done after earning 3 points but we've had to sit through some rubbish to get there.

I, for one, like Johnson and still believe he is the right man to get us up, but i do get the impression that he didn't fully appreciate how low the club and fans had sunk and is struggling to combine the factors of getting results while at the same time getting the club buzzing again.

You can say all you like about "i don't care about performances, i just want us to go up", but I'm afraid you need both if you want a vibrant, full Ashton Gate.

Results will bring in the loyal 13k-15k, but you need excitement to get the extra 5k-7k in.

[Dolman Block B]

Yeah, but all the people you speak to are devotees of the "other messiah", of course they don't like him.

Ahh come on Hornbeamred, bloke has,nt had a metion since he flew off to the green fields of Yeovil, not by me anyway.

Little tad unfair mate.

I don't know what it is about Johnson.

I cant really get my head around it, as i said we cant knock our league position.

All my mates want us up, ofcourse they do, and if its with Johnson at the helm, we,ll all be happy chappys.

But like i said, 36 years don't the gate, has only yielded a small percentage of sucsess, and not convinced its on its way this season!!!!!!

[Nibor]

Yeah, but all the people you speak to are devotees of the "other messiah", of course they don't like him.

Ah yes, everyone's either a Stewart loving Johnson hater or a Johnson loving Stewart hater. Must be a pretty drab world you live in what with it being in black and white. It's perfectly possible to believe that GJ screwed up or at least could have done better in that situation but still support him as a manager and believe that he's done many other things well. At least it is for me.

I think GJ's problem with the fans is that he underestimated the levels of expectation here and overestimated the patience we have. I imagine he looked at the four or five years Wilson got to clean up the Pulis mess and figured he was good for a couple of seasons of rebuilding before being under massive pressure and perhaps he's now surprised that most City fans regard being fourth as barely acceptable. I don't think he's wrong to feel that way either, but the thing is we've been stuck in this shithole for 7 and a half seasons now irrespective of who's manager. The dissatisfaction slowly increases every season and I don't think the fans are wrong to feel like that either.

As with anything in football the bottom line is the result - not the result of one match or a nice little set of games that you can call a good run - the result of a league campaign after the end of the season.

[The Humble Realist]

I think what iv come to realise is the reason this campaign seems so lack lustre is that normally we've had to play really realy well to get to within 3 points of top. THis season we have played ok but we are still up there, basically its a poor league.

Think aobut some of the teams that have gone up in the past, WIgan, Plymouth, Crewe, QPR would all have walked this league (as would the City team that lost to Brighton). However, i think credit must got to players for bouncing back after 3 defeats outa the first 4.

Well done lads

[Redtilldead]

Yeah, but all the people you speak to are devotees of the "other messiah", of course they don't like him.

That is a pathetic response mate, and is just not true, can you just accept that it might not have anything to do with "other players" and that some people are just not happy with Gary Johnson as our manager as they have been with other previous managers?

[worthyred]

I firmly believe that Gary Johnson is the person who will get us promoted, unlike many other City fans i'm prepared to give him a fair crack of the whip (the same sort of time as Wilson, who I liked by the way!) and although I would be hacked off if we miss out again this season i'm quite happy to give him more time as I believe eventually he will bring some good times back to this club.

[swindlered]

If football is a results business then GJ is entitled to be disgruntled with the fans. The facts as they stand are that we're 4th in the league and within easy distance of the top. We've got an outstanding home record, we're in the 4th round draw of the FA Cup, we have an excellent chance of getting to the final of the LDV and on the pitch we have excellent team spirit and commitment.

GJ must be wondering what more he has to do. If this is as good as our season gets then he'll be judged as a failure and probably rightly so. However with just under a half season to go and one that could be our best this decade then I think the guys entitled to some support rather than a steady barrage of criticism.

I think that the problem is that we've become so accustomed to failure that as a group of fans we're extremely wary of being disappointed again.

[ooRya]

I think the underlying problem (and this is also the root cause for many other issues at the gate i.e crowds) is that City fans in general have ran out of patience. Not with the Johnson in particular, but with being stuck in this poor excuse of a league for so long.

I've said this before, but it has come to a point where promotion is not something to be celebrated in the eyes of many City fans, but merely something of a formality. I'm not saying that City fans have a right to expect promotion (we all know it's something to be earned) but we've come so close on a few occasions, spent quite a bit of money (for this level) and have always been a big club (for this level) that when/if promotion finally comes i don't see people dancing in th street saying "I can't believe it, we've done it" i merely see them sighing with relief and saying "finally, now lets get stuck into the championship">

The expectation level is now at such a point that anything less than promotion is failure. I don't think Johnson fully gauged this (and the general level of apathy) before he took the job on. Few City fans (even now) are excited by the team or the football and yes we can all say well done after earning 3 points but we've had to sit through some rubbish to get there.

I, for one, like Johnson and still believe he is the right man to get us up, but i do get the impression that he didn't fully appreciate how low the club and fans had sunk and is struggling to combine the factors of getting results while at the same time getting the club buzzing again.

You can say all you like about "i don't care about performances, i just want us to go up", but I'm afraid you need both if you want a vibrant, full Ashton Gate.

Results will bring in the loyal 13k-15k, but you need excitement to get the extra 5k-7k in.

The best and most truthful/accurate post I have read on this forum for a long while.

Nice one mate!

[Richy P]

Well see it from his point of view, we are 3 points off first, with a home record thats frankly outstanding. Of course he is going to get miffed if hes still getting criticised. I remember a thread on here after the Leyton Orient home game, we won 2-1, granted we didn't play that well but we were still in control, and I think someone on here ran down to the touch line just to criticise him and say that it was rubbish. Makes you wonder what more he can do.

I think there needs to be a distinct reality check for fans. Granted there are fans older than me who've been there, seen it all blah blah, but the past means nothing. We are a completely different team, set up, management to the Wilson era of 3 years ago which proves how this club has changed in such a dramatic time. We are not going to play like Man united every week, playing outstanding football, it just ain't going to work. Danny Wilson in his 2nd season played some of the most attacking, fantasy football i've ever seen, and we still didn't get promoted. By changing the style the year after we came the closest we have to promotion, playing similar football to what we are now. That was our chance, we blew it, apart from carey, murray and woodman, how many players are still playing for us now?

As fans we have a right to show our disapproval at a poor game, but to be honest the more and more I read on here, and listen at games to fans anyone would think we have the managers sat at their desks on a computer. GJ knows more than any of us about football, if he didn't then certain 'experts' would be manager i'm sure. Constructive criticism is good, talk about a game after, performances etc but if the forum is a general consensus of opinion, then all I read is snipes at lansdown, GJ, lee Johnson, you name it.

I'm no happy clapper, and I resent being lablelled it just because I support the manager, team etc. I'd rather be known for supporting the team whatever the outcome. My faith in the team and management, may be niave to some, but is based on the fact that after two years of being in the wilderness, the club has some structure and potential again. I know GJ does wrong, I question his tactics sometimes, but...... so far hes changed them, namely taking Skuse off the left, and reinstating Murray. We are still unbeaten in, i think about 10 games now, Forrest on the other hand are in a bad spell, and we still have to play S****horpe again, which after January will be made easier cos I doubt Sharp or Keogh will stay. Maybe we should all just try and be a bit more positive, I don't know......

[Nibor]

If football is a results business then GJ is entitled to be disgruntled with the fans. The facts as they stand are that we're 4th in the league and within easy distance of the top.

Is he? The facts as they stand are that if the season ended tomorrow we'd have won nothing and not been promoted. There's good progress on last season, and things are going well but we're not in a promotion spot yet and to be brutally honest we don't look like we're good enough for the top two most of the time.

We've got an outstanding home record, we're in the 4th round draw of the FA Cup, we have an excellent chance of getting to the final of the LDV and on the pitch we have excellent team spirit and commitment.

We've got a terrible away record, we don't really give a toss about the cups although they might be a nice day out they're nothing compared to promotion, and whilst we do indeed have great team spirit and commitment we don't have a huge amount of quality and the performances haven't in the main been convincing or entertaining. There are obvious gaps in the squad that haven't been addressed, there are some utterly incomprehensible selections.

So whilst all the good things you mention should, and do, get praise - that doesn't mean that the bad things won't get criticism.

GJ must be wondering what more he has to do. If this is as good as our season gets then he'll be judged as a failure and probably rightly so.

Get us promoted. Simple really. Not getting promoted does indeed mean failure for many fans, me included. I'd still want to see whether he can kick the team on a bit in the following season though as long as we finish in the top 6, I don't think anyone would be calling for his head unless we really cave in in the second half of the season.

However with just under a half season to go and one that could be our best this decade then I think the guys entitled to some support rather than a steady barrage of criticism.

Where is this steady barrage of criticism then?

From where I'm standing he gets a lot of support during a game even if there are the odd few moans at individual decisions - they're the minority.

On here he gets some criticism for things that don't go well and praise for things that do. It seems fairly balanced to me.

I think that the problem is that we've become so accustomed to failure that as a group of fans we're extremely wary of being disappointed again.

I agree, and I think it's exacerbated by dissatisfaction many fans have with the club over non football things too.

[Jurssey]

I think the points here are pretty valid in that GJ is "accepted" rather than liked.

We've been in this league for so long now and it is such a shite league that I, and many many others, would simply accept anyone if we get out of it.

There is only so much we can take of playing Bournemouth and Brentford as opposed to Wolves and Southampton.

Do I accept him as our manager? Yes, if he gets results and gets us up.

Do I like his methods? Nope, we're too negative, his substitutions to fall back on one-nil leads baffle me.

I still reckon (and it's something that'll rankle with me but not prevent my whole support for him and the club) his treatment of the most talented and proven striker we've had at the club for some time, was disgraceful.

All of the above points are reasons why a lot accept him as manager but why he's still a long way from being the Joe Jordan first time around.

[Bristol Boy]

I think the underlying problem (and this is also the root cause for many other issues at the gate i.e crowds) is that City fans in general have ran out of patience. Not with the Johnson in particular, but with being stuck in this poor excuse of a league for so long.

BINGO

I've said this before, but it has come to a point where promotion is not something to be celebrated in the eyes of many City fans, but merely something of a formality. I'm not saying that City fans have a right to expect promotion (we all know it's something to be earned) but we've come so close on a few occasions, spent quite a bit of money (for this level) and have always been a big club (for this level) that when/if promotion finally comes i don't see people dancing in th street saying "I can't believe it, we've done it" i merely see them sighing with relief and saying "finally, now lets get stuck into the championship">

The big difference between Yeovil & City can be summed up in one word.Expectation, as you have outlined above.A Yeovil Fan was in Johnson wonderland as he took them into Div Three or up two Divisions.That equals City in The Premiership within about 2/3 seasons-imagine his ratings then. A Yeovil Fan will say "Great we're in Div Three and were sixth!!" A City fans would say.....and does, we're only fourth in a $hit Division we've been in far to long......got out of and went straight back down once as well.

The expectation level is now at such a point that anything less than promotion is failure. I don't think Johnson fully gauged this (and the general level of apathy) before he took the job on. Few City fans (even now) are excited by the team or the football and yes we can all say well done after earning 3 points but we've had to sit through some rubbish to get there.

SPOT ON

I, for one, like Johnson and still believe he is the right man to get us seasons an/up, but i do get the impression that he didn't fully appreciate how low the club and fans had sunk and is struggling to combine the factors of getting results while at the same time getting the club buzzing again.

Everything is in place.The stadium isn't great,but it's fully capable of housing Championship Football if some thought goes into utilising all of it and the focus must be on playing games safely, not just making it safe and sterile....EMPTYish.I don't like GJ and many fans that I speak and communicate with don't either.Neither are they enjoying the football we play and that is in contrast to their view over the last twenty games of last season.It's nothing to do with MS, it's the changes this season and that could be, I don't know, why LJ has been the focus of some peoples unwarranted attention.

The fans are there as before but those of us of a "certain age," are in the "we've seen & heard it all before," generation and our hopes are not easily raised then dashed due to several years of brusing disappointment.I know City fans who left the club over Osman and vowed never to return.Fans that haven't been back after the debacle at The Millenium and fans who left when we were relegated from what is now The Championship and haven't returned since and won't until we'e back in The Championship

You can say all you like about "i don't care about performances, i just want us to go up", but I'm afraid you need both if you want a vibrant, full Ashton Gate.

Exactly right as has been proved in recent debates on here.Good entertaining stuff and winning isn't mutually exclusive.GJ proved that to a point at the end of last season with, arguably, a weaker team.Look at it like this we were playing better football with Bas Savage in the team..Think about that

Results will bring in the loyal 13k-15k, but you need excitement to get the extra 5k-7k in.

And those extra people will only attend when we're in The Championship.....and if we get 15k then accommodating another 4/5k will really need inagination and above all, the will to do it and I sometims have doubts that we want to get as many in as that.

Great post.

Best I've read in ages.

[Bristol Boy]

Yeah, but all the people you speak to are devotees of the "other messiah", of course they don't like him.

I couldn't care less about Stewart and I'm not a devotee of either.

[Jay]

I think the underlying problem (and this is also the root cause for many other issues at the gate i.e crowds) is that City fans in general have ran out of patience. Not with the Johnson in particular, but with being stuck in this poor excuse of a league for so long.

Results will bring in the loyal 13k-15k, but you need excitement to get the extra 5k-7k in.

Agree with this. It a labourous task being a supporter sometimes. Whilst we have no divine right to be in the Championship, many of still expect our Club to be there. How do you define excitement though? Is it purely what happens on the pitch or can the excitement be generated from the anticipation of a match?

I was talking with someone the other day with regards to the AG8 event in February. I asked him about how he feels support has changed over the years. He felt that the build up and anticipation before a match has changed . He was remembering times when he would head towards Ashton Gate and you could hear the chants before you got to the ground. “Galley! Galley! Galley!” would echo down Winterstoke Road. He also felt that back then fans we were proud and relentless with their support.

It would seem that these days, the crowd needs to be spurred on by the actions on the pitch before generating the noise many of us hope for. We're often told that players respond well to fans noise. Many will argue that opening the East End will help reverse the current and somewhat stagnant atmosphere that AG is becoming associated with. There also seems like a chicken & egg situation: Should we make the noise when the players play well or should the players play well first before we make the noise?

I'm not really questioning the passion or commitment of fans of BCFC in general, but it does seem that the current divide is one of:

Players: "You make the noise, we play well."

Fans: "You play well, we make the noise."

My perspective of this is that both sides seem to want the other to make the first move.

[Bristol Boy]

If football is a results business then GJ is entitled to be disgruntled with the fans. The facts as they stand are that we're 4th in the league and within easy distance of the top. We've got an outstanding home record, we're in the 4th round draw of the FA Cup, we have an excellent chance of getting to the final of the LDV and on the pitch we have excellent team spirit and commitment.

Agreed

GJ must be wondering what more he has to do.

Win something.That is, acheive promotion.Simple as that.

If this is as good as our season gets then he'll be judged as a failure and probably rightly so.

See, now you're doing it!

However with just under a half season to go and one that could be our best this decade then I think the guys entitled to some support rather than a steady barrage of criticism.

I don't think he gets much stick at all.Benitez has won the Champions League and The FA Cup and gets far more both in the press and from L'Pool fans.GJ gets praise & criticism in equal measure and that's fair.

[bh_red]

Yeah, but all the people you speak to are devotees of the "other messiah", of course they don't like him.

that's the thing, for each person (and their friends) who are not fans of Johnson there is equal measure of people who are fans for Johnson, just speaking to people on a weekly basis that I do, more people than not think Johnson is doing a pretty good job,

as some say though, if the season finished today, we are not promoted, however they overlook the fact that we would have a play off place, for me for a first full season (taking into consideration un-avoidable off field events) that is a good start, whether we won them or not is a lottery, got it is very good progress and I've always been of the feeling that if we are making decent progress each season under a manager, he gets my backing, the last 2 that have done that were Wilson and Ward, I do feel that it won't be long until GJ is respected in the same manner!

[Payney]

The one certain fact surrounding the current situation of BCFC is that we are in a poor league, in fact the standard of football is probably is bad as it has been since we last tumbled into this hell-hole! Therefore, if GJ is a 'good' manager as many state, he should be able to get us promoted this season. Let's be perfectly honest here, our team ain't particularly great, we have a mediocre defense, poor midfield and a reasonale strike force when all are fit (which is very very rare)! The only reason we are in the lofty position of 3point off top spot, is because we are playing pub teams week in week out, many of which we struggle to beat.

I for one will judge GJ at the end of the season. If promoted, at best, he has done his job, if we are to spend another year in this league he will have failed miserably and huge, no massive questions will be raised once again about his man-management skills (yep Stewart/Phillips et al), his incompetance at being able to get the fans fully behind him, (in some instances actually alienating himself from their support), his buying power/strategy in the transfer market (see also SL), his motivational skills (afterall we need to go 2 down to start playing), to name but a few.

This opportunity to get promoted must to be missed, for too long have we had to endure watching the likes of Hull, Plymouth, Wigan cruise on by. Our move up the football league is long overdue. At times I worry about GJ' team selcection and tactics, but for now I am willing to give unconditional support in a bid to help drag us kicking and screaming into the Championship. My opinion sadly will change should he fail in his, not he clubs, ultimate task.

[Tunley Legend]

I think many people will admit that the standard of football this season has been poor and certainly anyone who has supported the club for more than 5 years or so has seen a lot lot better in terms of entertainment. However, results are excellent at home and mediocre away. This has been good enough to give us a play off spot so far and being only three points off of top spot we are in a good position to "strike" during the remainder of the season.

In terms of getting out of the $h1te league we are in I have got my head round accepting a season of poor football (especially if Saturday's game gives us an indication of what we can expect when we get promotion) although I am not enjoying the fayre on offer most weeks. However, given the lack of entertainment on offer, Johnson's strategy simply has to succeed otherwise he is going to receive a lot of criticism from some quarters. Season ticket holders, used to watching better football, may just decide that a season of appalling whooshball with the odd ten minutes of proper football thrown in is the final straw IF IT PROVES TO BE UNSUCCESSFUL. It is simple - if you play crap football you have to win otherwise you are leaving yourself open to all manner of criticisms (I admit, it was me who approached Johnson after the Leyton Orient home game to have a little moan about the defensive football we played - it is not something I am proud of but it happened and cannot be undone). We, as supporters, do not possess the footballing knowledge of GJ but that does not mean we are so ignorant that we do not know the difference between good attacking football and poor, direct "percentages" football.

I can see things from Johnson's point of view as, at the moment, he is nearly there in terms of getting the required results. However, perhaps he needs to accept that he is trying to obtain promotion in a very unadventurous and un-entertaining way on the whole and therefore some supporters are going to get frustrated at times throughout the season - that is the rub of the strategy he is using. Correct me if I am wrong but even Johnson himself got bored at Leyton Orient the other day and lambasted the players for showing NO FLAIR.

The one thing we can guarantee to Gary Johnson, however, is that should he achieve promotion (regardless of the manner he does it) he will receive plenty of backslapping, praise and everything else that comes with it in the summer. He would do well to remember that in my opinion before making any public attack on supporters who pay decent money every week.

[Topbuzz]

Its strange RR that most i speak to don't rate Johnson as a manager!

Thing is, its difficult to knock our league position.

Perhaps its some of the "behind the scenes" stuff, fans aint happy with, Johnsons attitude on tv and radio, his undoubted stubborness, and on and on.

We all are desperate for promotion, albeit by automatic or the play offs but i and many others are not convinced mate

I agree "behind the scenes" and generally his attitude and Lansdown's doesent help

I just cant see long term him being the man leading us

[mossey]

I think many people will admit that the standard of football this season has been poor and certainly anyone who has supported the club for more than 5 years or so has seen a lot lot better in terms of entertainment. However, results are excellent at home and mediocre away. This has been good enough to give us a play off spot so far and being only three points off of top spot we are in a good position to "strike" during the remainder of the season.

In terms of getting out of the $h1te league we are in I have got my head round accepting a season of poor football (especially if Saturday's game gives us an indication of what we can expect when we get promotion) although I am not enjoying the fayre on offer most weeks. However, given the lack of entertainment on offer, Johnson's strategy simply has to succeed otherwise he is going to receive a lot of criticism from some quarters. Season ticket holders, used to watching better football, may just decide that a season of appalling whooshball with the odd ten minutes of proper football thrown in is the final straw IF IT PROVES TO BE UNSUCCESSFUL. It is simple - if you play crap football you have to win otherwise you are leaving yourself open to all manner of criticisms (I admit, it was me who approached Johnson after the Leyton Orient home game to have a little moan about the defensive football we played - it is not something I am proud of but it happened and cannot be undone). We, as supporters, do not possess the footballing knowledge of GJ but that does not mean we are so ignorant that we do not know the difference between good attacking football and poor, direct "percentages" football.

I can see things from Johnson's point of view as, at the moment, he is nearly there in terms of getting the required results. However, perhaps he needs to accept that he is trying to obtain promotion in a very unadventurous and un-entertaining way on the whole and therefore some supporters are going to get frustrated at times throughout the season - that is the rub of the strategy he is using. Correct me if I am wrong but even Johnson himself got bored at Leyton Orient the other day and lambasted the players for showing NO FLAIR.

The one thing we can guarantee to Gary Johnson, however, is that should he achieve promotion (regardless of the manner he does it) he will receive plenty of backslapping, praise and everything else that comes with it in the summer. He would do well to remember that in my opinion before making any public attack on supporters who pay decent money every week.

mediocre away record, that's being a bit generous, I would say it's poor, and it's our away record that stops us being in the top two, having not seen an away game, why is this? tactics, team selection?

the other point that I would like to make, is that all this, and our feeling could change, with the right signing(s) it would give everyone, club and fans a lift, and could well push us on to bigger and better things, but if we don't sign anyone how would we all feel then, goes to say , that I think most of us will be dissappointed and start to question the clubs ambition, lets hope they realize this

[Smiling Dave]

He would do well to remember that in my opinion before making any public attack on supporters who pay decent money every week.

Has he made a public attack on fans? I've heard him ask for more noise, and saw him shaking his head at Leyton O, but surely that's understandable?