So, It's January 1st

[Bristol Boy]

And we're still in the play off zone having played 25 of our 46 fixtures.

Here's the big question.

If GJ asks the question:"I need two players, Steve and they're a million each"

Without selling, what will the answer be:

AND

While we're on the subject:

Will we be able to resist offers for Basso, Elliott & Noble if they go on performing?

Over to you :Believe:

[Robbored]

And we're still in the play off zone having played 25 of our 46 fixtures.

Here's the big question.

If GJ asks the question:"I need two players, Steve and they're a million each"

Without selling, what will the answer be:

AND

While we're on the subject:

Will we be able to resist offers for Basso, Elliott & Noble if they go on performing?

Over to you :Believe:

Question for you BB - if City are still the play-off zone come January 1st then why would Johnson want two more players?

That said - If Johnson did want another two players at a million each then some of the currant players would be out of AG. Possibly some of those that are currently out on loan.

As for hanging on to our quality players - Lansdown has always said that 'every player has his price' and if any club came in offering silly money for any of City's players then it might be too good an offer to refuse. Lets face facts - players want to play at the highest level possible and if a Prem club came for any of our players then I'm sure they'd be off and who can balme them? Its simply a question of how much....

[fRed]

Every player has their price, I'd put Basso at £350k, Elliott at £1M & Noble at £600K.

[bartolona]

Every player has their price, I'd put Basso at £350k, Elliott at £1M & Noble at £600K.

and i would double it

[EmersonsKev]

Why gamble? I don't want to be in Cardiff's position, god knows how many millions in debt gambling on the dream and no nearer to the Premiership than we are. Our aim for this season should be to be still in the Championship come May, if we are still a Championship then spend a little bringing in that extra bit of quality to the squad.

As for players leaving. Johnson's policy with his players at Yeovil and here has been if a club from a higher division comes up with an offer that is acceptable he wont stand in there way to progress there carears if they think the move would do that. He has had players who have gone for talks and come back as they saw the grass isn't always greener on the other side.

Up the City!

[REDOXO]

And we're still in the play off zone having played 25 of our 46 fixtures.

Here's the big question.

If GJ asks the question:"I need two players, Steve and they're a million each"

Without selling, what will the answer be:

AND

While we're on the subject:

Will we be able to resist offers for Basso, Elliott & Noble if they go on performing?

Over to you :Believe:

The Chairman will support the manager financially and personnaly...Lets face it Mr Johnson has not let the board down with any judgement calls whether they were disciplinary, tactical or regarding personnel.

It is likely by Christmas we will have players injured or out of form..Its a fact of life at this (or any) level of football and as you allude one or two will attract attention...The board and the management will have to decide if the staff currently on the books are good enough...Managers make decisions like this all the time regardless of the industry and Mr Johnson does like to freshen things up so a new face or at the very least an Artus or a Plummer making an appearance at least on the bench is very likely

Basso is already attracting admiring glances if the rumours are to be believed, however a possible Brazil call up could be a bigger pain in the ass and not by any means out of the question

Noble is class but needs games...Elliott will definately attract attention but unless its a premier league side he is unlikely to be interested....

Injuries I would say are far more likely to push the club toward the cheque book and if we have a chance at THE BIG PRIZE I don't think the board will bulk if approached

Back over to You

[old_man_terry]

And we're still in the play off zone having played 25 of our 46 fixtures.

Here's the big question.

If GJ asks the question:"I need two players, Steve and they're a million each"

Without selling, what will the answer be:

AND

While we're on the subject:

Will we be able to resist offers for Basso, Elliott & Noble if they go on performing?

Over to you :Believe:

answer would be yes, Johnson has already said previously that the chairman spent most of the summer telling him he had millions to spend, but GJ held back, so all being well, if we are still in a good position, the money will still be there

[Stephen Lewis]

FO

and NO

[lotusman]

Every player has their price, I'd put Basso at £350k, Elliott at £1M & Noble at £600K.

Then give credit to Alan Dicks & the board of 40 years ago in saying "No" to Arsenal.Merrick & Ritchie not only lost the chance of bigger wage packets,a bigger stage, but probably the opportunity of full national honours.

Although S.L. has been quick in the past to sell on our goods when money appears the scenario now is quite different.Admittedly some situations will be difficult to manage where agent influence,current contractural agreements,and player ambitions are part of the picture.

The prices you mention are in essence championship ones,I doubt the club would see much desire in selling on those players at those prices for they know replacing them could well cost just as much.Does the club benefit from the potential disruption? I doubt G.J. would agree with you.

[slartibartfast]

Every player has their price, I'd put Basso at £350k, Elliott at £1M & Noble at £600K.

Then you wouldn't be close!

[Komazawa]

Basso £350k - is he 'avin a laugh?!!!

why would city want to sell a quality 'keeper and great character around the dressing room for peauts?!

[Bristol Boy]

Question for you BB - if City are still the play-off zone come January 1st then why would Johnson want two more players?

Answer:We always will.Man Utd won The Prem last season and spent £50m in Pre-Season.That's why whenever you look at the team you can see where we can improve.Look at our signing of Elliott-Why did we want another central midfielder? Anyone want to see him leave now?

Any other attitude will see you stagnate and regress

Every player has their price, I'd put Basso at £350k, Elliott at £1M & Noble at £600K.

Sunderland paid £9m for their foreign goal keeper.Apart from being a bit taller than Basso and a full international, what the difference? I am not joking when I say I wouldn't swap him for Englands two keepers at the moment

Why gamble?

£60m Prize

I don't want to be in Cardiff's position, god knows how many millions in debt gambling on the dream and no nearer to the Premiership than we are.

That's what selling your best players/top scorers does-Chopra & Jerome.

Our aim for this season should be to be still in the Championship come May, if we are still a Championship then spend a little bringing in that extra bit of quality to the squad.

After an excellent start, I'm really disappointed that you still think that way.

As for players leaving. Johnson's policy with his players at Yeovil and here has been if a club from a higher division comes up with an offer that is acceptable he wont stand in there way to progress there carears if they think the move would do that. He has had players who have gone for talks and come back as they saw the grass isn't always greener on the other side.

I would be disappointed if any of our players saw another Championship club as a step up but with parachute payments given an unfair advantage and completely encouraging profligacy and gambling then I suppose money talks.

Up the City!

[giles_23_bcfc]

If we are still in the top 6 and pushing close to the top 2 then i think GJ might want to bring in another poacher. Someone who can get goals from the 6 yard box. Weve only really got 2 strikers (out and out) and one of them was on the bench saturday. Either that or a striker with pace.

Byfield will get us goals, he has shown that already. Still more to come from Trundle i feel. Possibly try for Jermaine Beckford or Tresor Kandol from Leeds? Highest they can play next season is championship whereas with us they coud be palying Premiership (bearing in mind we are still top 6, pushing top 2 in January).

[Redhyde]

If GJ asks the question:"I need two players, Steve and they're a million each"

Without selling, what will the answer be: We will sell though, our squad is perhaps on the large size at the minute, and because our players have a good rep it seems it would be quite easy to shift the players out on loan into permanent deals for example. I think more than the money it's the squad size issue, we would sell, not for cash but for dressing room harmony.

The other thing is i don't see Gary Johnson wanting to buy two £1 million pound players! I think genuinely that GJ assembled this squad for the entire year, we signed quality and quantity.

AND

While we're on the subject:

Will we be able to resist offers for Basso, Elliott & Noble if they go on performing?

Every player has his price blah blah... GJ will decide whether he thinks he can get a replacement who is better in.

The general theme you've been running with since around last January and throughout the summer is that we should be spending more and more money. From your comments you seem to be wanting to draw the conclusion that SL has shown a lack of ambition. Is that what you think?

[old_man_terry]

The general theme you've been running with since around last January and throughout the summer is that we should be spending more and more money. From your comments you seem to be wanting to draw the conclusion that SL has shown a lack of ambition. Is that what you think?

that's the thing, this isn't the case, I can't for the life of me remember where I read it, but Johnson has said that Lansdown was pressing him all summer and saying he had money to spend, but Johnson was happy to hold off for the right player.

Lansodwn has said a number of times he doesn't want to be any old football chairman, he wants to be a premiership chairman, perhaps for some that is a lack of ambition?

[giles_23_bcfc]

that's the thing, this isn't the case, I can't for the life of me remember where I read it, but Johnson has said that Lansdown was pressing him all summer and saying he had money to spend, but Johnson was happy to hold off for the right player.

Lansodwn has said a number of times he doesn't want to be any old football chairman, he wants to be a premiership chairman, perhaps for some that is a lack of ambition?

If that is true then fair play to GJ and, in some respects to SL. GJ obviously trusts the promotion team, it shows with the teams he puts out. Where as SL is prepared to back him financially for players. But what will the limit be?

Now that, IMO is showing ambition. When we were in League 1, he wanted to be a championship chairman, now we are there, he wants to be a premiership chairman. If/when we get there will he then say he wants to be a chairman of a team in Europe (Champions league or UEFA Cup)???

[Bristol Boy]

The general theme you've been running with since around last January and throughout the summer is that we should be spending more and more money.

Incorrect- I said we should add 5/7 players and GJ obviously agreed because we've added seven

From your comments you seem to be wanting to draw the conclusion that SL has shown a lack of ambition. Is that what you think?

It depends how you define ambition, so I'll define it as I see it.

The CCC is a very good entertaining division-However, it's a stepping stone for the promised land.Getting promoted & relegated isn't a disaster and in itself would guarantee City's future and underpin our construction plans for a 29k stadium.

Clearly like any financial situation it needs to be managed so I won't be starting a bring in Peter Risdale campaign.

For me, ambition would be:

Hanging onto our best players unless a silly bid comes in and we can replace them with as good or an even better player/s.As an example, I rate Basso but if we were offered £5m tomorrow, I'd take it.

Can we attract and retain good academy and younger players and are we investing enough in our academy and training facilities?

Will we speculate if we are in the position I described and anyone who says we don't need players, I'm afraid is deluded-Byfield's decent but if PJ spots the new Drogba on a scouting mission then I'd like to see him here for £1-2m, wouldn't you?

Is the club communicating with, moreover, listening to it's fans-All sections because we need loads more moving forward? Issues like safe standing are issues of today, so is pricing and need to be addressed, nay understood & embraced.

Our manager is clearly media savvy & ambitious, will we be able to retain him?

So what will it look like when we're there?

By 2010 I would like to see us with the 29k stadium, filling it, still at AG and in The Prem.I don't think we can ever be a big four club but there is nothing stopping us from being a Bolton, Pompey, Reading or Boro.

[samo]

Hanging onto our best players unless a silly bid comes in and we can replace them with as good or an even better player/s.As an example, I rate Basso but if we were offered £5m tomorrow, I'd take it.

In refrence to this point; for once the situation we are in is actually helped by the transfer window system.

The only way we'll lose players prior to january (which would mean they'd be available for another 14 fixtures) would be on loan to another club with a fee in january. I cannot see another championship club who would be in a position to offer for our players the sort of money GJ would want for this to go ahead right now (ie.West Brom offer for Basso, first to loan till january then buy him) because I don't think we're under presure to sell and we can offer top-half of the table championship football to our squad. Plus I'd hope we'd ask a hell of a lot if, lets say Watford, offered for Elliot. we know how much cash they have, they can't hide it, so why should we sell to direct competitors or any less than top dollar. you can't imagine arsenal selling players to man u on the cheap.

[giles_23_bcfc]

you can't imagine arsenal selling players to man u on the cheap.

Please don't say you are comparing us and Watford to Arsenal and Man United

[Henry]

I think samo makes a good and valid point. And if you think he was comparing us to their quailty then god help you.

[Redhyde]

Incorrect- I said we should add 5/7 players and GJ obviously agreed because we've added seven

I'm referring to your position on signing strikers and spending money, not the amount of players... Try to answer the point

It depends how you define ambition, so I'll define it as I see it.

The CCC is a very good entertaining division-However, it's a stepping stone for the promised land.Getting promoted & relegated isn't a disaster and in itself would guarantee City's future and underpin our construction plans for a 29k stadium.

Clearly like any financial situation it needs to be managed so I won't be starting a bring in Peter Risdale campaign.

For me, ambition would be:

Can we attract and retain good academy and younger players and are we investing enough in our academy and training facilities?

I'd agree with you in principle but the way GJ manages it doesn't look like we'll have any academy kids in the first team any time soon. Can we keep academy players if this continues? No. Will they be any good with us if they don't get first team football, IMO no. We should of course have a "good" youth set up, but the academy system is pretty awful at producing players at the top level.

Hanging onto our best players unless a silly bid comes in and we can replace them with as good or an even better player/s.As an example, I rate Basso but if we were offered £5m tomorrow, I'd take it.

Will we speculate if we are in the position I described and anyone who says we don't need players, I'm afraid is deluded-Byfield's decent but if PJ spots the new Drogba on a scouting mission then I'd like to see him here for £1-2m, wouldn't you?

You've come up with two silly and unrealistic points there. £5 million for Basso, £2 million for the next Drogba... We'd all pick those choices. Take someone like Macauley Chrisantus for an obvious example. We do probably have the money to sign him when he goes, but due to the worldwide scouting networks the major clubs use, anyone with even a hint of talent is pretty much a household name for those who follow emerging football talents. There's no way in hell we'd spend 2 million on the kind of player you're talking about, we wouldn't have the opportunity for one. The players you said we should spend £2 million on according to your good self we'd be overpaying for according to Gary Johnson, I know who i'd trust more on valuations.

Is the club communicating with, moreover, listening to it's fans-All sections because we need loads more moving forward? Issues like safe standing are issues of today, so is pricing and need to be addressed, nay understood & embraced.

Our manager is clearly media savvy & ambitious, will we be able to retain him?

What's safe standing got to do with BCFC? We need more fans that's for sure, which club doesn't. Do the people of Bristol want a championship/premiership club? I don't know, I think that'll be the reason why GJ leaves us.

So what will it look like when we're there?

By 2010 I would like to see us with the 29k stadium, filling it, still at AG and in The Prem.I don't think we can ever be a big four club but there is nothing stopping us from being a Bolton, Pompey, Reading or Boro.

I don't know where you're getting these extra 15k fans from who'll turn up regularly.

I really think you've expecting way too much from our current board.

I think you're expecting way too much from our city

EDIT - minor point on comparing Us vs Watford to Man Utd vs Arsenal. In British football it rarely if ever happens at the top level. On the continent you'll often see players moving from one of the top clubs to another in the league.

We don't know what would happen if they came in for a bid. Our saleable players have all gone to higher league clubs in the recent mid past and the clubs in league one haven't had the money or status to even tempt us or our players. Could you even imagine S****horpe or Brighton or Walsall or Blackpool or anyone who've been our recent peers even bothering to get on the phone to us?

We're in a different league now, but if GJ and SL know the Marcus Stewart story (not the one where he was crap for us) but the one where he moved from Huddersfield to Ipswich, Huddersfield fell out of the playoffs Ipswich went into the Prem, Huddersfield ended up in league one we wouldn't if we wer ein a genuine position sell up.

Who was the last player we sold "on the cheap" (not allowing for having one year left on the contract or other anomalies)?

Who was the last player we sold to someone in the same league as us during an attempted promotion or relegation avoiding campaign?

[samo]

I think samo makes a good and valid point. And if you think he was comparing us to their quailty then god help you.

Thanks Henry, took the words right out of my mouth.

I'm not saying we're the Man U to Watford's Arsenal in terms of quality, just pointing out that you don't sell your best players to those teams you are directly compeating against.

[22A]

While we're on the subject:

Will we be able to resist offers for Basso, Elliott & Noble if they go on performing?

History repeating itself again. Spring 76 and City looked good for promo. Arsenal stepped in with a bid for Tom Ritchie & Geoff Merrick. Meanwhile City's bank manager wanted some cash as the overdraft was too large. The board asked us all to buy the following seasons STs then. Money went into the bank and Arsenal were turned down.

[old_man_terry]

I don't know where you're getting these extra 15k fans from who'll turn up regularly.

I really think you've expecting way too much from our current board.

I think you're expecting way too much from our city

apparently fans grow and trees, and if you drop prices by a couple of pounds the will come flooding in, despite the fact they haven't done for close to 30 years,

it really doesn't matter about the teams your playing regularly or the prices you are paying, Fans will only turn up in mass for the massive games and the games of key importants to a season such as Rotherham last season, opening games of seasons and major cup games, I.e LDV/Play-off finals,

The Bristol public just don't have faith in Bristol Football, you just need to look at Rovers as well, they have gone up a league, but their attedances aren't sell out,

[garlicbread]

Every player has their price, I'd put Basso at £350k, Elliott at £1M & Noble at £600K.

wasnt Cotterill £3m?

[giles_23_bcfc]

wasnt Cotterill £3m?

£2m

[samo]

£2m

Looks like Wigan paid about £1.99m too much right about now! Poor Dave!

[BCFC_Dan]

Why gamble?

Because a season in the Premiership is worth so much money now. Even if we lost every game 5-0 we'd still come back down around £60m better off - and that's simply a life changing amount for a club of our size.

It has to be done well and it needs canny management but gambling isn't always wrong. Steve Lansdown is a pretty good judge of financial matters and Gary Johnson seems to know his football, so I trust them to make a wise decision. I certainly wouldn't be scared of gambling based on what the likes of Peter Ridsdale have done, because I don't think Lansdown and Johnson would be anything like that daft.

[SE23Red]

Because a season in the Premiership is worth so much money now. Even if we lost every game 5-0 we'd still come back down around £60m better off - and that's simply a life changing amount for a club of our size.

It has to be done well and it needs canny management but gambling isn't always wrong. Steve Lansdown is a pretty good judge of financial matters and Gary Johnson seems to know his football, so I trust them to make a wise decision. I certainly wouldn't be scared of gambling based on what the likes of Peter Ridsdale have done, because I don't think Lansdown and Johnson would be anything like that daft.

The funny thing about this argument is that it has been the case since the start of the Premier League, and yet very few clubs have actually done what you suggest. Far more clubs have returned to this level a financial basket case than have come down tens of millions of £ better off. I'd say it is largely due to the fact that the same boards that are prepared to gamble to get there will then increase the debt by gambling on staying up. And second season syndrome seems to kick down those who are initially successful.

You can guarantee that the same fans who say we should gamble now would expect us to significantly strengthen again if we made it (as they have this summer after suggesting we should gamble last season, and the season before that, and the season before that one).

[BCFC_Dan]

The funny thing about this argument is that it has been the case since the start of the Premier League, and yet very few clubs have actually done what you suggest. Far more clubs have returned to this level a financial basket case than have come down tens of millions of £ better off. I'd say it is largely due to the fact that the same boards that are prepared to gamble to get there will then increase the debt by gambling on staying up. And second season syndrome seems to kick down those who are initially successful.

You can guarantee that the same fans who say we should gamble now would expect us to significantly strengthen again if we made it (as they have this summer after suggesting we should gamble last season, and the season before that, and the season before that one).

It's never been as high as it is at the moment though.

I wouldn't expect us to survive or even try to compete, just take the money and continue with our current plan. Easier said than done though I agree.

Oh and "second season syndrome" is a misnomer at best. It's more that any promoted club who survives one season is ludicrously overachieving in that season and the second is a more accurate representation of where they should be.