Dragging Our Feet

[Stephen Lewis]

I had a dream

The sports reporter was saying "Finbogason, Sproule and Showumni have been ripping championship defenses apart this season.Bristol City have been the surprise package of the division".

BELIEVE

[CodeRed]

I had a dream

The sports reporter was saying "Finbogason, Sproule and Showumni have been ripping championship defenses apart this season.Bristol City have been the surprise package of the division".

BELIEVE

I had a dream ??

The problem is - some of us and worried it's going to be a nightmare!

The HappyClappers are making excuses for GJ - but the truth is almost every other Championship team is managing to strengthen their squads ready for the season.

Perhaps the HC's are right and quality players will arrive but

we've been here before and ended up with Barry Corr, Bas, Andy Smith,McCammon etc

Hence the anxiety felt by so many

Lets hope Gary will have some news soon

CodeRed

[Dolman Block B]

No, I have to work my way through uni, so I don't know if my current job will allow me to have Saturdays off. Not much point in getting a season ticket until then is there?

Who said I'm Bristol City's biggest and best fan? Certainly not me. I support my club by going to as many games as is physically and financially possible. That's all. But that's not good enough for you is it? No because you're Arny! Which of course means you know much more than me...

Ha there we go again. I'm Arny, I'm Older, I've been supporting the club since before you were born. SO I KNOW BETTER THAN YOU Arrogance in extreme.

You can chase me round the threads with your arrogance all you like, you're only embarrassing yourself now.

Here's the fundamental question that you've been avoiding so far...

Why? When you've read GJ's comments about not over paying for players and the state of the transfer market, and you know that we have to compete with the much bigger clubs in this league, do you expect us to sign the top established players for big money and straight away?

You know what's going on, and of course it's your right! But it's pointless to do so every day when you know the answer to your questions.

No arrogance mate. Just to the point!

If it pi sses you off what i say, ignore it and don't relpy.

And with all due respect, the club are trying their best to make it as easy as poss for people like yourselve to purchase season tickets at discounted rates!!!!!

We just have to pay whatever it costs.

Ohh and honestly, i don't chase Redhyde round threads!!!!

Theres lots more boring things to do than that.

[PhatWill]

Unfortunately this thread illustrates what I and plenty of other City fans feared would happen when the season ticket prices were announced. The raised expectation seems to have taken on an assumption that we're going to be able to compete with the big boys in this league in terms of attracting players and paying them the neccessary wages. The difference between us and the top half dozen clubs in the Championship at the moment is massive, both on the field and off it.

GJ has been working around the clock to get players in before the new campaign but has clearly come up against some brick walls. It happens, and it's not all that suprising when you are trying to bring in top quality players.

What we have to remember is that enquiries and offers are being made, just because the dealings aren't being splashed in the papers every day doesn't mean they are not happening. Also, the current squad has some things that money cannot buy - spirit, a winning mentality and a willingness to work hard for the manager. That'll be worth a few extra points next season, without a doubt.

[Geoff65]

Had a long reply reading and Microsoft word not responding : Shortened version:

Bookies who have got teams as 10-1 or less for promotion have been established in championship or come down from premiership for at least 2 years. The remainder are Hull Plymouth QPR Blackpool S****horpe Colchester and Barnsley.

I think with the current squad we can be top of the mini league that wil be the bottom 8 clubs.

What risks do we have of getting relegated:

1. going into administration

2. not having another striker and more chances from left midfield and

3. outside influences such as drinking culture/cliques/ player unrest due to wage differentials.

GJ working on number 2 e.g. Fingerbob, Grote, Naismith.

going into administration aint going to happen.

and finally

unrest due to wage differentials - Henry Rooney Berbatov gets paid more than O'Shea, Huddlestone and Ashley Cole due

to them being better players and they prove they are better players and the manager can justify the higher wages to any one of their squad members who think it's unfair - GJ is thinking I can justify £7k per week for Naismith as he thinks he will get the performances and can justify this to other members of the squad when the goals will stack up but when he tells an agent he can pay £4k per week for player X and the agent says that Leicester Sheff Utd Wolves Charlton and WBA have offered £12k per week then it's a short conversation adn he looks elsewhere as he cant justify the wages to the other members of his squad.

If we got Naismith and the right mental attitude then I think he will elevate the team from best of the bottom 8 to higher up the table - If we don't get Naismith or a player coming to us for the "right" reasons then I figure GJ will sign players like Wayne Andrews and Michael Reddy and make do with a year of consolidation in light of the amount of time it will take (years - 2+, three plus etc...) to get us to the challenging for the premiership.

Some here think they would take the risk of bringing someone in on high wages as they are worried that we will go straight back down, others want us to take the risk of bringing someone in on high wages as they want us to be challenging at the next level up from the bottom eight - but I think the reality is GJ wont be taking any risks unless he is absolutely is convinced the player will demonstrate the reason for higher wages and his thought processes behind this ( I presume) are that we arent going to be challenging unless we have a really good year like Colchester and I think we are good enough with fingerbob + 1 other striker to be top of the bottom eight.