N I was responding to RPs comments on how none of our players would get in those teams as the reason we are failing. I’m merely showing that it’s not just about the squad, it’s also about leading them. We have poor leadership which means DH can’t get the best out of, what I think on paper is an above average squad in this league. What’s scary is that none of players would get in a Norwich side that was 11 points adrift of the next bottom side in the Premiership last season!
I don't see an above average squad, I see an above average spine, lacking full/wing backs and still with an incredibly weak and non creative midfield, I know it's early days but I have to say the signing of Lansbury looks to me like another incredibly poor and desperate and probably expensive signing, he has played less than 30 games in the past 3 years and boy does it show. I can think of 11 players that need to be shifted, that does not an above average squad make. It will be incredibly interesting to see if LJ offers anything to any of the out of contract players in the summer, I can think of one who he might go for.
It’s difficult to judge how good the squad is when so many are injured and we’ve not had an opportunity to once play our strongest team. I feel sorry for DH in as much as even an experienced manager would struggle given the circumstances with Covid and our injuries. But the bottom line s he isn’t experienced, and we need to get rid and bring in an experienced head to stop the slide and have time to evaluate the squad in time for the end of the season when we need to make serious decisions about contracts moving forward. The next six months is not a time for inexperience or we’ll be looking at league 1 for a while to come.
Jiffie I don't see an 'above average spine'. In my parlance a spine is keeper,central defender/s, central midfield and striker. Bentley, Kalas and possibly Mawson. I don't see another who rates in an 'above average spine' . I see an especially non creative nor combative midfield. Our main striker, even with a better supply can't hold the ball long enough for others to join. After 4 years of unprecedented transfer activity we should be in a far far better position. Johnson's gone, Holden and culprit in chief Ashton who employed them should also follow out the door. If Ashton is not relieved of his duty I dread to think, with his record, who he'll choose next.
We are in for a very serious decline, no point in blaming LJ anymore, he was a failure, he paid the price and was sacked, DH was appointed, a lot of us were unhappy with LJ's number 2 being appointed but we accepted the decision and what a disaster we have ended up with, he has failed, we still have time to sort the situation out, if the club just stand back and let things continue, we know where we are heading. As nice a guy as Dean is, as strong and stalwart as he talks he has got to go, Bristol City FC is not a charity, it's not Oxfam for waifs and strays (as great as they are) it has to survive, we have had enough of the yes men, we need maturity and experience, we need a leader not a matron or bright young things, survival must be our aim and changes internally applied for next season. Just look at our next 4 games, can you see us progressing with our current set-up, it's going to be a bloody nightmare. please log in to view this image
I should have made it clearer, I meant GK, defence and attack if only we could supply, if you read my other posts regarding spine, you will see what I mean, Bentley, Kalas, Vyner (who looked poor Saturday but was trying to re adapt to playing at CB again) Moore is totally lacking in confidence but is definitely a talent IMHO, the spine then becomes empty because at the moment the midfield to a man is appalling and cannot protect our defence or assist our strikers with supplying chance (you only have to look at the stats to see that) Diedhiou can do one for me as has been pointed out by others on here whilst the window was open we saw a different animal but now, he is lazy, cannot hold the ball up and generally hiding. I am going to give Wells a break here, you do not change from a 20ish a season striker into under double figures overnight, but he has never since he arrived ever had a supply of presentable chances, I asked before the Watford game for somebody to recall the last gilt edged chance that Wells or any BCFC player has missed this season and I suspect you would have to go back a long long way. If you look at the 2 goals Wells scored from assists by Martin he still had a lot to do to covert them and they were both in the 6 yard box It is clear where our major problem lies.
I have just looked at our injury list and maybe 3 players tops out of all of them may actually enhance our first team, Weimann who let me repeat is not and never will be a midfielder, DaSilva and Martin, out of the rest maybe the invisible Walsh and Baker but as we all know he is as brittle as a quaver (which is sad because he is committed, but we have to be realistic about him as a long term player for us).
Same animal always been hit when he feels like it and a lot of cannot be arsed todays. Nearly formed a partnership with Reid but it was Reid who did his running for him. This is the star man. The big man in the squad. He wants to be somewhere else and with that going on he is getting played and not wanting to put shifts in again. some example to the boys to the group that.
I cannot understand why there are so many fans wanting him to sign a new contract, that certainly is a mystery. And if he is allowed to that would tell you everything and more about the tits that run our club.
A fit Williams, weimann, Dasilva, Baker, Manson, possibly Walsh, sessegnon to rotate with Hunt, and that’s without even looking at the list , not worldies I accept, but would certainly give more options and availability to rotate.
I fully agree with you Wiz. Very hard to see where ANY points will come from in these next 4 games. Lose at home to Reading, and he has to go. You would hope that MA or JL are already tapping up candidates - but I fear, hope is as close to reality as that situation is...... Very, Very depressing as a City fan right now with how the club is being run
I'm sorry I don't see it. The evidence shows that we will be extremely lucky to keep Baker match fit ever. Forget Mawson he's almost certainly a goner and so far proving to be as injury prone as Baker. Sessegnon I don't think is good enough from what i've seen so far. Williams and Walsh are a mystery so nobody knows whether they will be the answer to our midfield woes and sadly you mentioned Hunt luckily for us he is out of contract in June, but I wouldn't put it past our mob to give him another contract. Weimann will certainly give us more effort (which is good) but no finesse.
We lack pace without Weimann, and it shows in our current inability to add any kind of tempo to our attacks.
Similar comment I was about to make Supercon...I think that Deano is on borrowed time after that 6-0 thrashing by Watford, surely needs his team to pull it out of the bag V Reading as I fear another bad defeat could well be the final straw. Which leads me, to the fear I had when LJ's neck was on the line....Who will SL, JL & Ashton bring in as a replacement? Will they go down the, same old same old route of a cheap inexperienced at this level, rookie.....or will they actually take positive steps and look to appoint a coach with experience and clout aiming to seriously move us forward............IMO they should be scouting now, not doing the usual 2 months of dithering only to end up worse than we are now..(which IMO is worse than when LJ was in charge) IMO, The next appointment, will actually show the intent of the suits, to where they want this football club to go...I think this is the biggest decision SL & co will make since he took over the club....this should really show the fans what they want for them............
We were totally conned by the lies and bullshit coming out of AG after LJ was sacked, it was always going to be Holden, of that I have no doubt. My prediction is I wouldn't be surprised if they offered it to Tinnion until the end of the season, it's the sort of bollocks that in their tiny minds would bring the fans back onside.
The problem is, the longer they hold off, and with every defeat, our position looks less attractive to anyone out there. This is what infuriated me about the appointment of DH, we were in a good spot after LJ left to attract someone, good, and we blew it, again!!! I'm not sure we are anymore....
We have had 12 games of being in the bottom 4, we have have now lost five on the bounce in all competitions and won just three of our last 13 Championship games, losing the other 10, I don't wish to be repetitive but this is our recent history as I have shown in the form tables at the start of this thread, our next 4 games are going to be a severe test, we need to act, not do a Mark Ashton and get splinters in his arse sitting on the fence.
Spot on nobody wants a relegation on their CV or even the threat of it and also the new guy would have to be one hell of a turd polisher because there is no chance now of enhancing the squad and also don't forget any new guy will probably want to bring in their own men and not have the 2 super coaches that were brought in, would SL want 3 people on highly paid gardening leave?
