Colin Sexstone exclusive Let's start with last night's game, the 3-2 defeat to Reading. What were your thoughts on the match and also your reaction at full time? Like ever other fan it was one of total frustration. We had 70 minutes of really good attacking football - some of the best we have seen all season. Then we saw it completely change in the last 15 minutes; it was unreal. We were all dumbstruck really. I think everyone in the ground was. It was a feeling utter disappointment. Overall the start to the season has yielded one win in nine matches and a cup exit to local rivals Swindon Town. How would you sum up the feelings of the board with regards to the campaign so far. Very disappointing is an understatement. Like every club at the start of the season we were full of high hopes and quite rightly so. But here at Ashton Gate it just hasn't happened. I think I speak for everyone on the board when I say we are all disappointed. Who or what is to blame for the poor start? I think putting blame out is difficult but its probably our inability to score goals at Ashton Gate and conceding soft goals. I sound like a manager myself but it has clearly been the root of our problems. Also there is a lack of confidence. The players' confidence on occasions has appeared to be brittle and that I think has been at the heart of it. Are you concerned about the threat of relegation this early into the season or is it too soon to be concerned? We have played nine games and there are 37 to go. Clearly we are in this position at the moment because of the way we have played in those first nine (league) games. It would be silly to say that it isn't worrying and not a threat. What we have to do is all we can to turn this around, and we will do. Just over 12,000 fans attended last night's game - how worried are you about that and the lower attendances as a whole? There is a trend throughout football and other professional sports at the moment. Tuesday nights are never great with the Champions League being on television. Obviously, though, it is a reflection that we haven't got the results here at Ashton Gate. We know that can change very quickly and we all hope that it will. But how much does it worry you? It clearly has a financial impact. Of course it does. Our biggest source of income is gate receipts and when they are down it affects the club's purse. How much pressure is on the board, the manager and the players at the moment? A lot of pressure. We are a new board of directors with some members of it are new to football, but they are all dedicated people who are fans as well so they are feeling it. I am feeling it also. I can not tell you how I felt last night. I have been involved in professional sport for 16 years now and I don't think I have ever felt so much disappointment as I did after last night's game. Don't let anyone be deluded and think that we are living in an ivory tower and we don't know what is going on. I can assure you we do and we feel every bit of pain the fans feel. I feel it and I know (majority shareholder and former chairman) Steve Lansdown feels it. I have spent the afternoon today with Steve covering a whole number of subjects. There is disappointment, of course, but that will not get us anywhere. We have to think how we are going to turn this all around. How do you feel the manager is coping with it all and have you spoken to him today? Yes, of course I have. Keith is a very resilient character. Pressure on managers is just unbelievable; I don't think anyone who hasn't sat in that position will ever know the pressure that can be applied and clearly it has being applied to him at the moment. He is a resourceful character, he is also a tough character despite what some might think and he is going to have to be. Keith Millen has spoken of the need to bounce back at Blackpool on Saturday and turn things around. Are you confident he and the team can do that? I am sure if there is anyone to give it a good go then Keith will be able to do that. It will be tough of course. Blackpool is always a tough place to go. We have got two working days to prepare to play for 90 minutes how we played for 70 last night and if we can do that we have every chance.
I have spent the afternoon today with Steve covering a whole number of subjects. mainly the manager i hope
He reckons the board 'feel it' like every City fan. They don't. Just platitudes until Millen gets us deeper in the sh*t. He will be sacked, there's no doubt - said it weeks ago. Why these clowns dither is beyond reason.
Well roumer has it that Steve Lansdown is not impressed and hes told Millen that he has 1 more game to save his job, which is the Blackpool game!!!
So in a way, although I hate for us to lose, a good stuffing by Blackpool might be a blessing in disguise... I wonder if SL has a few managers up his sleeve that he (or the board) would consider for the position??
