And those that can't acknowledge the fact that he kept us in the championship, for more than 4 decades, longer than any of his predecessors before him even if some of the football wasn't Barcelona style which some on here demanded...which is quite ironic as some of those, were wishing to have Houghton as a replacement. ......you couldn't make it up
Morning Jiffie The positive of LJ and Ashton imo after 4plus years : We're in the Championship. The Negative of LJ and Ashton imo after 4plus years : The squad that remained after LJ's removal. Furthermore I don't see anywhere close the value of a Reid, Webster, Bryan, Kelly, Brownhill etc within the current squad. That's imo failure. You mention Eddie Howe. I don't think any manager out there would get City up with the dross left after the tenure of Ashton and Johnson. You may, certainly others will, disagree but its my opinion. Ps - Some or the wages negotiated by Ashton are beyond belief. Marley Watkins on £12gramd a week takes the biscuit.
Those do not appear to be numerous. Considering statements made by Mr Johnson, the Lansdowns, Mr Ashton and the resource/time committed just staying up was not a goal. I do not think I have seen one post ever demanding Bristol City play like Barcelona. Its a nonsense. Could you identify these posts and posters? You are.
I would probably add to that, both positives AND negatives: The positive of LJ and Ashton imo after 4plus years : We've had the longest uninterrupted spell in the Championship since Alan Dicks's era. We're well within the FFP rules re:finance The Negative of LJ and Ashton imo after 4plus years : The squad that remained after LJ's removal. The football has been unattractive and boring since 2018 All our influential players get sold Key players are picking up serious injuries in training - our training methods perhaps?? LJ?? Furthermore I don't see anywhere close the value of a Reid, Webster, Bryan, Kelly, Brownhill etc within the current squad. That's imo failure. Agreed - but I would GUESS that this was more Ashton than LJ - no manager would want to lose his best players, but I suppose whether my guess is correct or not is irrelevant; we have been left threadbare and need to fix it in the January window, or we'll struggle big time. You mention Eddie Howe. I don't think any manager out there would get City up with the dross left after the tenure of Ashton and Johnson. Again, agreed - we need to concentrate on trying to stay clear of the drop - let alone promotion. I can't see any manager doing much better than Deano at the moment - maybe 3 or 4 points better max. You may, certainly others will, disagree but its my opinion. Ps - Some or the wages negotiated by Ashton are beyond belief. Marley Watkins on £12gramd a week takes the biscuit. I think Palmer's take a bigger biscuit - absolutely crazy (if RR's post on wages is true)
Every clubs goal in every division is to win the league, but every clubs expectations are to be competitive and not to get relegated. LJ achieved 2 out of 3 for four years, longer than previous managers. His goal as it should be, was to try and win everything, it's what most fans want to hear from their coach. Due to various reasons that we've all done to death, we didn't achieve promotion or play the football he had intended....(please don't waffle on about identity as said, done to death) Plenty of posters on here, including myself expressed concern that we lacked in certain departments that were not or never addressed. Plenty of posters, I won't name names, have been making a point of how dire the football was, (like every game), since 2018. Not taking into account (like it is done now) of injuries and the selling off of our best players.. Entertainment seemed the No1 priority for some (Barcelona style), maybe because they felt a need to have a dig at LJ......can't think why some would LJ sacked and Chris Houghton is the answer.................renowned for that breathtaking football that everyone craves (that bit was made up) We are where we are, with a different coach in Deano............and absolutely, nothing has changed!!
I think most people want to see attractive exciting football 1for - I certainly do, but points in the bag are FAR more important to me, so I admit that I have referred to the football as being 'boring' since 2018, but I certainly wouldn't swop a healthy league position for attractive football - give me points every time.
I will in your words waffle on about identity because it was one of Mr Johnson stated aims, he went far further in stating what his intent was. He failed to deliver. Bristol City were not aiming just to stay up. All the rhetoric was about promotion. The resource provided to Mr Johnson was beyond that who stay up. Brentford finish higher spending far less. Brentford's spending on wages has been bottom three in the division. Brentford's team play with an identity that is easily identifiable and they do not recruit players to pack squads for football they do not play. Brentford sell their best players .. Their identity and the strategies underpinning how they recruit to support their footballing model of play allows them to .. Another model you poo pooed was Southampton. Selling players is an excuse, clubs can also put in solutions to manage the challenges. BCFC under LJ didnt. Entertainment seemed the No1 priority for some ... Being entertained is hardly unreasonable. Teams like Bournemouth, Fulham, Leeds, Norwich, Wolves, Swansea play/played attractive, entertaining, winning, successful football. Bristol City? Not really and not at all. Barcelona yes you were the one making things up. What I have also read is a desire to see Bristol City make a commitment to playing style. Teams that truly progress commit not to tombola styles but very very frequently to a clear approach be that Burnley/Cardiff or Fulham/Bournemouth. Those teams did not play 4/5/6/7 formations in a season, those teams don't entirely alter how they play mid season. Mr Johnson did.
Firstly you are arguing with 2 people and not the whole fanbase not even the majority of this forum, I don't know how many times or ways I can say that I acknowledge that and other achievements. Barcelona style?, mildly entertaining would be an improvement, we fell from being a free flowing team as seen in the Carabao cup run up until the narrow defeat to Man City in January 2018, to becoming a weak, slow, predictable, non creative team ever since and it took a moment of truth from Gary Rowett to point out to our manager that we are vulnerable against physical teams, Holden gets the hump as if it's not true FFS, it's true and he must have seen that when he was assistant to LJ and since he took over. Criticise Hughton all you like, he has won international caps and honours as a player and promotions as a manager and LJ has achieved stuff that doesn't appear in record books as a manager. Just like Cotterill who got us promoted in a record breaking season, you need managers who can do that and then hand over to managers who can tweak and take clubs to the next level and Cotterill is the reason LJ took over a championship club, he made way for LJ who stabilised us and made huge technical advances but failed at delivering at least a play off place after bottling it 4 times running. And then BCFC regressed back into their promote from within failing policy (only Joe Jordan has been successful after being promoted from within, the first time around and that was all to fleeting). As for Hughton as somebody said to me recently, we are bad but Forest are a basket case club, but money talks, always does always will, at this moment in time I would still expect them to beat us, especially at the fortress Ashton Gate.
Really? You will have to tell me more please as you’ve never mentioned it before. You do realise that others attended games as well and was not happy with the standard of the game?
You forgot to mention that LJ turned you down so you’re all bitter. Maybe it’s he don’t like red heads
please log in to view this image Waffle is language without meaning; blathering, babbling, droning. ... To waffle, particularly in the U.S., can also denote indecision about particular subjects, or changing one's mind frequently on a topic. Example: "Craig always waffles when he's speaking to Genevieve on the telephone
Really? in the same way that others have not mentioned that LJ kept us in the championship for 4 decades would you say? Oh yes I realise fully and it was a major factor in his sacking wouldn't you say. The biggest piece of luck that LJ and Holden have had is that there were/are not crowds in the stadium, because believe uncle Steve would/might have/will drop the axe again and quicker.
I agree and you have a great waffle maker, I am agreeing with you but somehow you do not see it, that is your problem not mine, for the final time I fully accept the achievements that you outline about LJ, I cannot make it any plainer.
But if you bothered to read the thread, I was laughing with R&W that he proved that until the season LJ was sacked that he did improve year n year. I have no allegiance with LJ. I wanted him gone a year or two before he went but chose not to shout about it.
I think the majority of us thought that the time was right for LJ to go when he did. However, it's only worth changing if your replacement is going to improve things. So far, Deano has talked a better game than LJ, but everything else seems more or less the same. As many have pointed out, we have a very lightweight and threadbare squad. Lets hope for everyone's sake we spend wisely this month - then we can see what Deano's really made of.
Holden gained 8 points from 6 'easy games' (and I thought the general consensus was their were no easy games in this league, anybody can beat anybody, apparently unless it's Bristol City). LJ had taken the previous 12 games to gain 8 points.
Agree with everything except 'spend and this month' it's January a time when 4 years on the bounce we could have 'spent wisely' to try to go for it (we were still in with a shout) and we never did, I cannot see that changing this season, I hope that I am wrong this year, but cannot see it.
just done a check we were 12th before and after we played Cardiff 6pts from top 6 before 9pts after Cardiff scored in 85th minute had 5 games left and reports basically stated we were "coming back into form!" … last 5 W2 D2 L 1 POSSIBLY GONE UNDEFEATED ...W4 D 1 extra 5 pts ! with that form would have finished 9th … finished 12th of course
Your information is totally and utterly incorrect, we had taken 2 points from the previous 8 games prior to the Cardiff match, you must be looking at the wrong season, Johnson's last ever win was 12th February 2020 3-2 at home to Derby.
