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Are We At A Crossroads, Or Just Happy Where We Are ?

Discussion in 'Bristol City' started by Angelicnumber16, Jan 27, 2021.

  1. Angelicnumber16

    Angelicnumber16 Well-Known Member

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    I was thinking last night of all teams where the owners have either been passionate about football, or are at least savvy, or maybe rich enough to get the club they own into the top flight, even if they didn't stay there forever.

    Owners that sprung to mind were
    Mohamed Al Fayed with Fulham
    Jack Walker at Blackburn
    Dave Whelan at Wigan
    Owen Oyston/Oyston family at Blackpool

    Appreciate that times have moved on since the four above made a concerted effort to get to the big time, and it's also noticeable that Wigan and Blackpool in particular have sunk to pretty low levels since their respective forays into the Prem. But they all had one thing in common, and that's that they employed the right people on and off the pitch to get the job done for the owners.

    That brought me thinking of City of course, and I still wonder whether Steve Lansdown in particular is a) a huge enough football fan when he appears to do the right thing with the egg chasers, and the even spreading of other sports under the Bristol Sport umbrella or b) if he's really actually that bothered about us ever getting to the top flight, which brings its own obvious headaches, like massive salaries, prima donna players, diving/cheating way above the level seen in other divisions etc. And even if we went up, we wouldn't spend vast sums on players and would you want to see the likes of Man City putting 7 or 8 past us every week ?

    We, like many other championship clubs are all capable of beating each other in midtable, but none of us are able to put runs together like Norwich, Bournemouth, and Watford do, plus the likes of Brentford and Swansea, and really threaten promotion.

    So if we're not going to buy our way to success, whilst evading FFP rules (there are obviously ways and means), then the only other option is to unearth a Manager who can take a rag bag bunch of players, and give them the self belief that they can achieve promotion and compete at the very top, like Brian Clough did with Forest ?

    Hence the 'are we at a crossroads' tag

    Or are we happy with midtable Championship placings and relative obscurity ?

    Please provide your thoughts
     
    #1
  2. bcfcredandwhite

    bcfcredandwhite Well-Known Member

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    This question has been asked many times before, but under the guise of the endless LJ debates and more recently DHs appointment.
    Of course I want the Premiership as much as most of us - but not at any cost.
    I would NOT swop places with Bolton, Charlton, Ipswich, Swindon, Wigan, Blackpool etc etc, just so that I could have their Premiership memories.

    You mention: 'Or are we happy with midtable Championship placings and relative obscurity ?....'
    It wasn't that long ago that we were midtable LEAGUE 1 and relative obscurity - for years and years, so Championship obscurity is still a 'glass half full' for me.

    I'm frustrated that we seem to have been hovering around the playoffs for the past 3 seasons but have never ended up there. I am also frustrated about the 'meh' managerial appointments we seem to have made recently, but then I look to Blackpool and Ipswich and feel happier.
    For every Brentford and Swansea there's a Bolton and Charlton, so we aren't doing too badly really.
    I'm not bored with the Championship yet - but there will come a time in a few years when I will be, so for now at least I'm content (rather than happy) with 'midtable Championship placings and relative obscurity' and if the Premiership comes along then great.
    Ask me again in 2 years time!

    EDIT -
    Just to add; At this moment in time I'm more afraid of dropping back to League 1, than I am desperate for the Prem.
     
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    Last edited: Jan 27, 2021
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  3. oneforthebristolcity

    oneforthebristolcity Well-Known Member

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    It would be nice to emulate the achievements set by the likes of Norwich, where I lived for 8 years.. I wouldn't ever bring myself to watching them play although DJ'ed a few times in the stadium. They are not a club that spends zillions, but have a way of bouncing between Premiership & Championship.....Same sort of owner too.
    OK they have real lows when scrabbling around for points try to survive the top league but plenty of highs gaining promotion,.,.,,Good little club...
    I can't see why we aren't capable of the same, with Bristol being that much bigger as a City.
     
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  4. Angelicnumber16

    Angelicnumber16 Well-Known Member

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    I have always thought and said exactly the same. And I'd also include the likes of West Brom, Sheffield United, Middlesbrough, and several others as to who we should be looking to emulate and possibly better.
    You only have to look at the likes of Leicester and to a lesser extent Burnley, to see what could be achieved with the right people in charge.
    We may not have the history or trophies that some of the clubs above have won but I still believe we are more than capable of being a permanent fixture in the Prem.
    But first we need to get there and I just don't see it happening any time soon.
     
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  5. Redprintt

    Redprintt Well-Known Member

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    I think we had our chance 5 years ago. SL chose the path/pillars direction to throw resources at 'wheeling and dealing' our way out of the Championship. It hasn't worked. We've had the odd success ie Webster and Brownhill but we've sold far more assets and that's not taking into account our umpteen abject signing failures Engvall, Djuric etc etc etc.
    We'll do well just to stay in the Championship let alone going up to the Prem.
     
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  6. Cliftonville

    Cliftonville Well-Known Member

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    The five pillars was not a strategy for promoting the football team. It was about values. One pillar was the Community Trust. The Community trust effectively now doesn't exist - City Foundation. Amy Kington who helped BCFC set up the Community Trust has left the club. Another pillar was financial prudence and adhering to FFP and becoming less reliant on Mr Lansdown, FFP is being met, but with large increases in income via the redeveloped stadium and a requirement to selling players but the club is ever more reliant on Mr Lansdown restructuring (debt to equity) losses of tens of millions. Onto the pillar of investing in the academy and young players and meeting academy Cat 2 criteria, the FC still obviously do this but Exeter City have a larger coaching set up than BCFC and the academy is yet to move to new facilities, the same Amy Kington who helped BCFC meet Cat 2 status has left the club. The big pillar was facilities - stadium redeveloped and the training ground being redeveloped (on going).

    The five pillars was a framework for projects, but it was no long term plan for the playing side of the FC..
     
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    Last edited: Jan 28, 2021
  7. AshtonRed

    AshtonRed Well-Known Member

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    I totally agree, the model we are using keeps us at a level, I can’t see it taking us that little bit further. The pandemic however is going to change things drastically, I have no idea how things will look once this has settled down. I have a feeling it will be totally shaken up.
     
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  8. Cliftonville

    Cliftonville Well-Known Member

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    What model are Bristol City using?

    In the thread there is a clear theme of clubs being highlighted who develop and recruit players to fit the football the team plays over a long term.

    Bristol City are not doing this.
     
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  9. Angelicnumber16

    Angelicnumber16 Well-Known Member

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    We have to be pragmatic too.
    There are only so many real semi free spaces available in the top flight. If you assume that the Manchester, Liverpool, and 3 big London clubs (Arsenal, Spurs and Chelsea) are permanent fixtures, that's nearly half of the division accounted for. If you add the clubs that believe they will remain as permanent fixtures for the foreseeable future, then add on West Ham, Leicester, Southampton, Wolves, Palace, Burnley and even Newcastle or Brighton, and suddenly the available spaces are down to 5 or less that are truly ever up for grabs.
    In my time I've seen all but Arsenal and Liverpool relegated from the top flight from the list above, some teams on multiple occasions, but such is the TV and commercial revenue being sucked up by the biggest clubs that I can't ever see them playing in the Championship or below, ever again.
     
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  10. oneforthebristolcity

    oneforthebristolcity Well-Known Member

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    Not sure if Everton should be on your list, I've never known them to be out the top league??
     
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  11. Angelicnumber16

    Angelicnumber16 Well-Known Member

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    Well spotted !
     
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