I Believe Steve Lansdown is a Fantastic Man.

Lee Johnson gives his most candid and honest interview yet as pressure mounts on Bristol City boss
By a_stockhausen

Lee Johnson will quickly see his side back in action on Tuesday night in the FA Cup against Fleetwood Town

Under-pressure head coach Lee Johnson is adamant he is the right man to take us forward and deliver a brighter future for the Championship club.

And the 35-year-old former Oldham and Barnsley boss, who has seen his side lose 10 of their last 11 Sky Bet Championship matches, is confident he continues to have the full backing of majority shareholder Steve Lansdown and the Ashton Gate board of directors.

A club-record-equalling sequence of seven straight league defeats has led to some City fans calling for Johnson to be sacked just 11 months after his appointment in February last year.

Johnson met with Lansdown and chief operating officer Mark Ashton immediately after Saturday's 3-2 Severnside derby defeat to Cardiff City - which saw City drop to 19th in Championship table - and then adopted a defiant stance at the post-match press conference.

In an honest interview, he said: "I believe 100 per cent that I am the right man to turn Bristol City into the force that it has the potential to be. Nobody will work harder and nobody is more passionate about that.

"Obviously, I have full belief in my talent and so do the board as well. That is something I'm very appreciative of.

"We are still signing players and, I would add, those are my players. It is important you then have time to work with those players.

"We need to turn our form quickly, because this cannot go on. But we have never been battered and the odd goal has been killing us. There are small improvements and we are getting better all of the time.

"If people can stay with us for a little bit longer, then that would be good. As a manager, you can never fear for your job. You have to turn up every day, be strong and work hard."

Asked if he thought Lansdown and his board of directors would resort to a kneejerk reaction in the face of mounting pressure from frustrated supporters, Johnson answered: "No, I don't think that will happen."

Lansdown is renowned for backing his managers in the transfer market and allowing them time to build a successful team over a period of time and, with the Robins still three points clear of the relegation zone, he is not likely to resort to panic measures readily.

Johnson has already been given the funds to recruit Jens Hegeler, Bailey Wright and Milan Djuric during the January transfer window and he is now in the market for Schalke goalkeeper Fabian Giefer, pictured below.

Johnson added: "I believe Steve Lansdown is a fantastic man and he's been there, seen it and done it before. He's been through some tough times himself and he's always been there for me, both as a friend and as a boss and mentor.

"As always, I have to apologise for the poor form and I have to accept it (criticism). But there is enough credibility and belief in the board that I believe they genuinely want me, my coaching staff and the players to do well.

"I cannot ask for any more than the owner and the board to keep backing me with players I'm trying to bring in. Not for one moment have I received anything less than total backing from everybody at board level.

"There is frustration, of course, but our conversations are sound and they are about progression. The reassurance I get is from being told to continue with the plan and that has remained consistent from the day I came in."

http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/lee-jo...ol-city-boss/story-30059689-detail/story.html

 

I reckon he is hanging on by a thread after reading this..