We were in a mess, it’s an ongoing thing, but at least we’re on a much better footing now. At least I come away from matches thinking they’ve all worked really hard. Long may it continue.
So, if we don’t make the top 6 this season, has NP failed? He has had time, a good amount of money to spend considering the state of the market, has a lot of experience at this level, and should get more from his players than our 2 previous, far more inexperienced managers. Given his experience, I have expected more than we have had so far tbh. For me this is a key season for our manager, anything less than top 10 is a fail for me. Apart f from Semenyo, I can’t recall any many other fees he has received for all the players that have left, most have just had their contracts run out and not renewed, personally, I don’t see that attracts the high praise some on here have given for his ‘moving on the deadwood’…
Minimum for me top 10, top 6 desirable. He’s had to let contracts run down, due largely to the wage bill, that’s not his making, he couldn’t sell players as they weren’t good enough, again not his doing, also COVID has devalued players. He has managed to do it whilst keeping us in the Championship, he deserves credit for that at least. This is the first season he’s had a bit of leeway(due partially to the sale of AS). I like the look of our recruitment, but we won’t know how good it’s been till we’ve played around 10 games.
I'm a fan of NP but think we’ll finish around halfway this season. The 3 coming down, Norwich, WBA, Boro, Watford should with their budgets finish above us, so I think the very best we could finish is likely to be top ten. Not sure we will though, halfway is more realistic. Specsavers
Top 6 this year will be hard task you could say getting into 4th 5th or 6th would be an achievement [ I know they are top 6 positions but at least 3 teams will be at the sharp end ] I think getting anywhere from 4th to 14th will be above average! BCFC ? well we certainly need to do what we havent ... and beat teams in bottom 6 at home and at least get a draw away from it!!! thats 27 points 12 games = a tad better than Burnleys haul over 46 games. Now to be clear that is bottom 6 [ on points ] at time of playing them! Currently running my forcast programme...............
Getting top 6 has always been a big ask. Even when we spent a lot in the Ashton/Johnson era, we were still a lowish spender in comparison to the rest of the league. NP has spent quite a bit this summer, certainly a lot more than some Championship clubs, but not as much as others, so arguably the same as we were before. We challenged for the top 6 before, when will we again?
So, letting contracts expire is now an achievement… What a low bar we set for success and achievement now….
Christ he had his hands tied behind his back thanks to the previous joker Ashton and the manager Johnson.We are now seeing a Nigel Pearson team come together.
Oh, believe me, I get it, not sure you, RR and others do though. Pearson (and I rate him) has taken a squad of players, which we know was too big, but managed top 10 finishes in previous seasons, and slowly let 90% of them leave over 2 years, for no money, while simultaneously decreasing our league position to the point we were far closer to relegation than promotion for each of the last 3 seasons. He has now spent several millions in rebuilding the squad, with mainly players with L1 experience. This season is his to shine, and I hope he does, as I do all City managers, but I’m not going to blow smoke up his ass for the last couple of years, because he has had tools at his disposal that he didn’t use well, or sell on and make the club any money. If he doesn’t’, he has to be held accountable, he has the experience as a player and manager that we all said we needed post Johnson & Holden, and yet, I’m not really seeing what that has got us so far, and if we don’t see it this season, then his neck could, and should be on the chopping block.
'90% of them leave over 2 years for no money' Supcon, I believe they went 'for no money' because they were worthless.
Some were, for sure; however, some have gone on to play in teams that have finished higher in the Championship, some in the PL, some in top divisions across Europe, and some in World Cups and European Championships, so they couldn’t all be that bad, yet we got nothing for them….
Bentley Palmer Lansbury Nagy Morell Smozdic Fammy Walsh Paterson More than enough players there that Pearson could have got decent money for, but didn’t, he just let most/all leave for nothing. As I say, not a great achievement in my book, he took the easy “not my players” approach, as he knew he had a free pass for a season or 2.
