BRISTOL CITY: Steve Cotterill has no regrets over Jay Emmanuel-Thomas exit. By a_stockhausen BRISTOL City boss Steve Cotterill says he does not regret his decision to part company with fans' favourite Jay Emmanuel-Thomas at the end of last season. please log in to view this image A crowd favourite during his two years on the Ashton Gate staff, Emmanuel-Thomas helped the Robins achieve a League One title and Johnstone's Paint Trophy double earlier this year. But he was not offered a new deal when his contract expired in June and left to join relegated Queens Park Rangers. Emmanuel-Thomas returns to BS3 tomorrow as part of a Rangers squad that still harbours ambitions of gaining promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking. "When I look back on it now, letting Jay go was a difficult decision," recalled Cotterill. "But it was more about Jay playing on a regular basis than anything else. "He had not played on a regular basis for us and something had to change somewhere." Emmanuel-Thomas scored 33 goals in 70 appearances for the Robins, but he played less often under Cotterill than he did under previous head coach Sean O'Driscoll. Some questioned his fitness and ability to function in a high-tempo team and he spent a good deal of last season sat on the bench, playing second fiddle to Kieran Agard and Aaron Wilbraham. "At the end of the day, we had plenty of rumours that his agent had been talking to other clubs and we had a decision to make," revealed Cotterill. "I don't regret it and I doubt Jay does either. He needed to go somewhere where he could play regular football and he felt that as well. "I don't think it is conducive to his body when he doesn't play regular football. It is hard getting that big frame of his around the pitch once every two or three weeks. "He's a lovely lad, did brilliantly for me and was great with the other boys. I love him to death, but not on Saturday!" Emmanuel-Thomas has made just seven starts since moving to Loftus Road, scoring five goals, and he was an unused substitute in Tuesday's 2-2 draw at Brighton. England striker Charlie Austin will start ahead of him tomorrow and City's players will be charged with the task of finding a way to stop arguably the Championship's most dangerous marksman. Having watched Derby's Tom Ince score a hat-trick to undermine his team in midweek, Cotterill is only too aware of the threat posed by Austin, who has netted 10 goals in 16 appearances this term. He admitted: "It is difficult when you come up against players of that quality. We don't have someone who can go and beat four players in a packed defence like Ince did the other night. But that is what you pay for. "That Derby squad would do okay in the Premier League. QPR also have some very good players and Charlie Austin is one of them. (Matt) Phillips is another, Leroy Fer another and Junior Hoilett is another. The list goes on. Charlie Austin is different from Ince, but he has great strengths. "Queens Park Rangers have enough good players for this season not to be dead for them, but there is no reason why we cannot go and win the game on Saturday." http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/BRISTO...Jay-Emmanuel/story-28385379-detail/story.html
I think Cotts has learnt something we all know, you only get what you pay for and we really are paying for what we've got. Relegation Form.
Always been and will continue to be a bargain basement kind of organisation and I can't see that mindset changing any time soon. How sad it is that the paying customers are treated like mushrooms - you know the rest of that quote. Shame really.
I'm not an accountant but even I can tell you that playing in front of 15k every two weeks is not enough to turn the income v expenditure into a positive. It's not rocket science and I'm sure you're not a dummy that, that bit alludes you. For the past so many years we've been living on SL handouts etc and this year perhaps they looked at the balance sheet and thought we breezed last season maybe these players could step up. I know we made bids for what would of turned out to be great signings and they were young enough to go on to get bigger fee's. But they would not either fit into our wage bill or their parent clubs wouldn't sell. If the season ended today, we would be a championship club next season and that's the way I'm looking at it at this moment there are three clubs worse off than us. If we get through this season with the current players we would then have a slightly better income, and when the new stand is complete we can then get better crowds. But there lies the million dollar question, for the past record we was in the championship we had a 21k seater stadium and in the play off year I don't think we sold out we averaged 18k. So the plan has to be get stabilised and keep the outcome down we might just might get into a far better position. But you've said constantly the past few months that no one hears from the chairman etc, but I've never seen the Yanks at Man U making a statement, Abromovich makes one to sack a manager and then the next time is when the next ones hired but that is very rarely him himself like the Man City owner, Arsenals Liverpools and I have no idea who they even are . I would say that there isn't many people like Lansdown who makes the interviews he does do. So perhaps the interviews you seek are not on here they are in other domains.
so he has made just 7 starts for qpr, we just cant afford benchwarmers like that, sorry, what, simon who?
I clearly understand the financial aspect of our problems ROD but it just seems like a pit that we can't climb out of, and I truly believe that as each year passes us by the likelihood of being able to afford being in the Championship will diminish due to the cost. I know most will say that when we complete the stadium upgrade the bigger crowds will finance the way forward but my concern is that by that time the cost of admission to the league will have outgrown our potential income in leaps and bounds leaving us struggling to make the cut. A very difficult situation for all those who have to make the key decisions and yet still get things right, not a job for the faint hearted.
Basically he chose a 36 year old Wilbs over JET as his attacking options, I can only assume this was a financial decision. This level of short sightedness at manager and board level is why we are in the mire now!! How good could Kodija be with JET feeding him in...... Guess we will never know!!
I clearly understand the financial aspect of our problems ROD. Good on you Inver then please explain to the rest of us. Lets start with the stadium's non footballing revenue. Who gets that? . Then BCFC's the Rugby's attendance money who gets that ?. Then marketing money who gets that ?. Are the Rugby and Football entirely separate ? Then is there any extra money i.e. stadium sponsorship and SL's goodie bag, who gets what? . How and when are budgets set? I am told that some Rugby players are on certainly more than L1 footballer pay. Arguably it is commercially in confidence info but such is the nature of football that the more discerning supporters want to understand the basics. For example we are told Gray did not sign because of a relocation package shortfall. So does he get a percentage of the fee, increased wages and a free house chucked in. I understand SL not wanting to get his fingers burnt again but don't understand how a stadium with a lesser amount of supporters (in L1) will be of any use. Who in their right mind would want to own a football club
Not sure if it's me but is everyone missing the point..? It is not just the revenue from our attendances 2 or 3 times a month, 9 months of the year that will benefit from the new stand. The point is the revenue from the NON FOOTBALL perspective. When the West stand is finished, we will have a top quality local venue for conferences, weddings and virtually any kind of function you can think of. The recent progress update video suggested that the venue would be available for 350 days a year and the revenue from this will not be inconsiderable. The only question (because no one has said) is whether this stadium revenue will be allocated to the football club. I would have to guess that it will be as this is the only way that we can use the benefit in our financial dealings...
'the NON FOOTBALL perspective' Our 'Grill and Bar' was closed after the game today for a 'private function'. WTF ! Screw the genuine supporters.
