Lee Johnson gives strikingly honest self assessment of Bristol City’s January transfer window The Robins head coach discusses Liam Walsh, Ryan Kent and Lois Diony. Bristol City head coach Lee Johnson has given a strikingly honest self assessment of his club’s January transfer window business. The Robins failed to kick on after being as high as second in the Championship over the Christmas period as Johnson’s three signings in January failed to have the intended impact on a squad which was tiring from the strain of competing on two fronts, in the league and the Carabao Cup. Talking as a guest on BBC Radio Bristol’s Sound of the City programme last night Johnson assessed each of the three men signed and summed up their business in the window. He said: “January is a very difficult window, it’s all good and well to say we should have brought this player in we should have brought that player in but the truth is the funnel of names which are available to a club like us is not huge for a number of reasons. “It could be that we can’t compete with Premier League finances, it could be even, you look at players like [Jack] Marriott at Peterborough, you are talking four or five million for a player unproven in the Championship. “I think we did the best with what we could, the names which came out. Liam Walsh - signed from Everton “I think Liam Walsh is a good signing because he is a long term prospect and that is how we signed him as a long term prospect who can contribute now and is an excellent player. Ryan Kent - signed on loan from Liverpool “I think Ryan Kent was a young lad coming through, probably unfit, because of his time [in Germany at Freiburg where he played just six games, making only one start], or not as fit as he could have been. We had hoped that he would have hit the ground running a bit quicker than he did. He probably wasn’t helped by the atmosphere which was created in the stadium by a couple of loses, a couple of poor performances. "The fans, rightly so, we used to seeing a different type of player in that position. Lois Diony - signed on loan from Saint-Étienne “The Diony one, for whatever reason just didn’t work. I think he is a good player Diony, but I think in hindsight he is not a January signing. But like I say the numbers and names which come through the tunnel, it’s never easy to get them in. “It is certainly something we are going to look at and we take very seriously. It’s all about recruitment and we have to judge ourselves on that. https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport...s/lee-johnson-gives-strikingly-honest-1567795
Liam Walsh - One for the future but signed to contribute now but failed. Ryan Kent - Failed because of the atmostsphere and not fit. £300k and high wages wasted. Lois Diony - Not a January signing but LJ doesn't know the reason for failure. Massive signing on fee and high wages wasted. 3 January signings all failed for what ever reasons, that to me is a major failure by MA & LJ and exposed a critical weakness in our much venerated strategy. At least LJ has openly admitted the situation but where is Mark Ashton hiding, not a sound, not a word coming from him, where is Jon Lansdown hiding, nothing said, no leadership demonstrated, what rocks are they hiding under? A little bit of a left and right boot applied to all 3 in a certain positions is required here from Steve Lansdown at the forthcoming review.
He also mentioned others wouldn't even be considered because of costs involved , appreciate costs come into it but if we are serious about being promoted those costs are only going one way and it isn't down . The costs of missing promotion because you aren't prepared to invest when the opportunity presents itself are massive . The opportunity was there to stay 2nd , but in order to do that we needed to be a bit more bold . Alternatively be honest and don't try to kid people we are looking to get promoted when plainly we aren't, My opinion is this season we never planned for promotion and got cold feet when the opportunity presented itself.
I agree with LJ regarding signings. If he took the chance and paid millions for an unproven player and didn't pay off, he would have been criticised also. It's a chance thing and IMO he did the best he could with what was available and the budget he was given..
Had Diony maybe started the season it could have been different but the problem is strikers have periods of "hibernation" and it takes a run in the team or a chance goal to relite the fire...……. had he scored 7 goals then LEE WOULD BE A HERO
Had Diony maybe started the season Bobby Reid almost certainly would not had the role he was effective in.
Or Duric, Fammy or Engvall. LJ admitted 2 weeks ago he was forced, because of injuries, to play Pato and Reid up top. Just fluke that Reid played in a pressing role. Better to be a lucky manager than a ....,,,,
