Well said redexile.......I must have been off on the day that City were handed their divine right to run away with the title!
Thanks Caldicot! over 40 years of supporting a "lower" league side has made me realise how difficult it is to break into the "bigtime" and to make the most of whatever success we have, be that a victory over the gas, a micky mouse trophy victory, the occasional promotion, some good attractive football, this all being interspersed with relegations, sub standard football, a procession of different managers, players leaving the club and making good, poor players coming in, and us fickle fans. However this season I am pleased to see the likes of Bryan and Reid coming through and would love to see Burns, Holloway, Krans and others make it via the "youth" route. I might be labelled an unambitious boring old fart, but I'm not sure how much I would enjoy the success of say a Man City where I believe the only Brit in the side was a goalkeeper or say Cardiff City with their new colour shirts and name and laughingly the team with the highest percentage of English players on the opening days of the season (I believe). At least I can say I'm a loyal supporter, never having supported any other club or being a glory hunter. as an aside we are the only major city never to have won a major football trophy, and one of the few big clubs not to have an executive box (something to be proud of, no prawn sandwiches here) Here's to our first win
Of course we ALL want to see City succeed......its in our make up as fans. But we need a shot of reality here, in as much as we are a 3rd tier club playing in the 3rd tier league. It really is that simple. A short spell in the late 70's aside (which is fast approaching 40 years ago!), we have never been a big club in the grand scheme of things. In my humble opinion this whole "sleeping giant" tag that raises its head every now and then is the biggest cause of many supporters feeling of failure. In more recent years, the "flirt" we had with the prem during our trip to Wembley with Hull, seems to have set a bar with a lot of City fans.....a bar which has got higher and higher since Mr Windass p1ssed on our chips. Its been a downward spiral since then with a succession of progressively poor seasons and we now find ourselves where we are now.......very similar to the Terry Cooper era perhaps?....kids from the youth set up and a few older pro's for SOD to play with. I am not a grumpy old git, its just that at fifty years old I have seen enough of City to not have big expectations anymore........we are at best a championship side and at present, a L1 side. I am still confident that we WILL see the championship in the next few seasons though, but its gonna' be bumpy ride to get there.
'this belief that City have some of the best players' JET,Cunningham,Moloney,Elliot,Flint,Reid,Bryan, Pack and Baldock are definitely better than a relegation spot in L1. I saw YTFC 7 or 8 times last season in L1 and I'm telling you only Madden would have got in our side. This season, I've yet to watch YTFC but wouldn't swop McAllistar, Edwards and Fontaine for Cunningham, Pack and Williams. The only player I'd have from their squad last season was their keeper, but then Fielding must be the worst in any league. Of course there is one other difference.
Who is claiming we have a divine right? No one on this board! Although I think we can all agree our squad should be capable of beating Shrewsbury Town at home? Yes this is football, and no result is guaranteed, but we simply haven't been performing anywhere near a standard we should be in this league with the players we have at our disposal, the likes of which at least half the other teams in this league would LOVE! If you pay silly wages for players, you don't expect to be propping up the likes of Stevenage!
COME ON lets not be facetious about the trophies on offer especially the JPT... WE ARE ONE OF THE UNIQUE TEAMS 50 or so that might just make the prem..there are teams that because of where or who they are will never likely get higher than league 1 or the Championship...unless some Chinese multi billionaire in the future decides to sink his money into someone like Accrington Stanley or Darlington and no offence to them.................... THERE ARE 4 CHANCES FOR TEAMS IN THE LOWER LEAGUE TO GET TO WEMBLEY....WE STILL HAVE 4 CHANCES ! THE JPT gives teams the right to get there and earn a few well needed bob so don't knock them
All of which goes to prove that the fans have not a clue about what is wrong, what to put right, and where the utmost importance lies. They hounded Johnson because he was winning his games 1-0, not by 3 or 4. They hounded Millen because they believed he was Johnson's lapdog, and they hounded McInnes because....well, nobody is wrong all the time. They would have hounded Coppel too but Coppel was too quick for them. About time the Bristol City fans began to exercise a little football maturity and stand by the manager, like we did back in 1972. Then it resulted in the best 5 years in the history of this club. Dont you think the young supporters of today deserve that experience also ? PS not directing this at you JG
Yes they do, but it wasn't instant back then and I don't think it will be instant now. So as you say get behind the manager and the team and be realistic in what we can achieve and when that is likely to happen.
Not sure about that post. Johnson left due to compromise agreement with BCFC. Allegedly would have been sacked due to gross misconduct due to an incident at half time at an away match at Plymouth where he ... Allegedly. Coppell was warmly received, but has a history of walking out on jobs, and his walking followed the Chairman purchasing a player not of his choosing if those who attended the matches in the Algarve are to be believed [ He was close to leaving then]. Amongst the fans I know there is a air of patience. I feel internet forums often do fans a disservice as well, showing off the most vocal rather than the positive aspects of fandom..
A lot of people want SOD to go. No one has said who we should replace him with yet. Also, looking over the past few seasons, who in their right mind would want to come here? The owner doesn't even live in this country, the board have a history of ****ing things up, there are numerous issues with wages and PR, we have a history of sacking managers that Roman Abramovich would be proud of, we cannot fill out our current stadium, we've given up on building a new one, and our fans demand instant success when the club is being run on a shoestring budget. I forgot to mention that our owner is loaded, but cannot and will not spend the big bucks necessary to succeed in football. All the talk of huge wages is true, but that was down to mismanagement from the board. If Lansdown wanted to spend, he'd sponsor the club himself (fiddling the sponsoring like many other clubs do), inject the funds in, and would push the marketing himself to ensure that bums are on seats and that Bristol City are a stronger brand in the westcountry. Some fans on here should compare us to many of the other clubs in the Football League, and should then ask themselves whether we really deserve to be where we are. I mean REALLY look at the other clubs. Look at their fan bases, look at their squads, look at their previous records. We're a club in crisis and we need stability above anything else. This season is as good as a write-off for me now. I just want SOD to continue to build, and to eventually challenge in the years to come.
'I mean REALLY look at the other clubs. Look at their fan bases, look at their squads, look at their previous records' Where shall we start - Leyton Orient ?
not many on here want him out 36 games @ 1.75 points a game plus what we get from the first games well.......that is close to top 6
I am amazed at the way many are still saying all will soon be right. I will continue to support my football club whoever is manager and whoever is in the team, but I confidently predict we will be in League Two next season and probably in The Conference the year after. Now let's hear the howls of derision from the SO'D fans.
I aittle suprised that people cannot see that another 5-10% and City fly up the league. City at times look good. What odds are you offering on relegation?
Rickster 'like we did back in 1972. Then it resulted in the best 5 years in the history of this club' I look back to that time and have always thought how lucky we were to have so many 'kids' come through at the same time. Fear, Merrick,Rogers,Collier,Cashley,Gow,Ritchie,Garland - have I forgotten anyone. Know we got Cheese back from Norwich but same sort of age. But basically that's what happened - a good group came through together. That's as rare as Rocking Horse S**t. Unless we can find 6 more from the Academy soon you can't compare '72 with now.
I don't want him out, but I think he is on borrowed time now... The OP is a prime example of what is wrong with SOD's methods, time is ALWAYS a factor in football, it is a luxury afforded to barely anyone. So if SOD thinks he has some sort of divine right to be entitled to time because his so called brand of football will be sensational enough in 2 years time to make the wait all worth it, he is living in the wrong age of the sport. He was afforded plenty of time under a chairman with similar wealth to our owner at Doncaster, and never got the results to keep his job! Why would things be different with us? Who would I want to replace him? Someone I think is a revolutionary breath of fresh air in football, Di Canio. My biggest pet hate in football (and there are many) is the prima donnas filling the game. He won't stand for them, and quite right! He has many faults and a lot to learn, but what manager ever stops learning or is flawless? I think he is perfect for the lower leagues and would inspire the younger generation who want to learn the game and be the best they can be at their craft. He'd work them hard and make them earn their wages, unlike a good 80% of players in this country, who coast!
What is so revolutionary about Di Canio practising makaton? I can sign ... Whatever that meant saturday wasn't whatever that meant ... Or was it kill yourself Sunderland fans?
Okay, well lets keep managers in football that tend to the ego's of spoilt footballers who work half a day for a drastically overpaid salary. I'd much prefer a Nigel Clough, George Graham, Graham Taylor type of manager who had football running through their blood as if it was the only thing that mattered to them, passion like no one else and a desire to be the best! He didn't even want a pay off clause in his contract at Sunderland, and doesn't think a man earning 50k a week should be entitled to working half a day instead of breaking his back to earn that kind of money! When the bubble bursts in football, it will be the likes of Di Canio clubs will be crying out for!
