Not understandable at all.......Unorganised and unprepared in my book. This wasn't instant dismissal because LJ had done something illegal.....I imagine the thought from the directors had been discussed weeks before........time enough to come up with a plan for a replacement if the results continued.....IMO dreadful planning and preparation by SL & co... We are 9 months down the line. 2 transfer windows, 2 managers....how long does it take to re-balance?
He had, what you call backing, but also had key players sold on for big profit without the quality being replaced......even Pearson might struggle with that setup.. NB..Just remember RP........LJ was in credit from the players sold..
possibility would be that who ever was in charge would have had the need to overcome the intensity of the season... covid ….the covid rules …. and THE INJURIES ..... how many was it 20? 10+ long term? LJ could get his just rewards at SUNDERLAND especially should he be playing us next season!
we were all happy with the first 3 month's until injuries took us by the throat … NP has a lot of the untried/youngsters and is not achieving a lot!
A large proportion of football fans are erratic."OUT banners at the ready". not just City fans......actually most people in general...it's IMO of course.. I don't dig at people that are organised but most of all with common sense..... I'm just saying, had Bristol City been my toy rather than SL's, I would have had a plan in place if I was looking to progress before booting LJ out the door........
Morning 1For 'what you call backing, but also had key players sold on for big profit without the quality being replaced'. Please remember Ashton said Johnson had the final say on who joined. 'even Pearson might struggle with that setup' Who's to say Pearson wouldn't make a better fist of it. I'd back Pearson's judgement over Johnson anytime. 'Just remember RP........LJ was in credit from the players sold' Kelly, Reid, Bryan were products of our academy, not Johnson. I give you Webster and Brownhill. Against these 2 I ask you to remember the other 63. No credit there whatsoever. The current dross in the squad prove it for me, not you. Our opinions differ.
Pretty sure we bought Flint from Swindle, and not promoted from our academy? Come on RP, that hatred is blinding you again... Can't argue against the 63 signings bit, most were bad failures. It still doesn't detract from his ability to maximise a players potential and get a high fee for them. I think we broke our previous record sales fee (£4.4m for Akinbiyi) about 8 times under LJ! However, LJ did help develop the academy players to allow the club to sell on. He also helped develop players like Bakinson and Morell to ensure they had the right loans at the right time to develop them, and the club now sees the benefit of that in Bakinson, and the cash they got for Morell.
And morning to you RP. Please remember Ashton said Johnson had the final say on who joined. Only from the pickings that was offered....... Who's to say Pearson wouldn't make a better fist of it. I'd back Pearson's judgement over Johnson anytime. Maybe and I hope you're right.....depends on the players that he's allowed to bring in......free reign, he may have a chance........hasn't really managed to get much more from the players we have....but at least we are safe. Kelly, Reid, Flint, Bryan were products of our academy, not Johnson. I give you Webster and Brownhill. Key players pulled from under his feet while trying to put a squad together.........makes no difference where they came from.....I agree, the players brought in compared were sub-standard.....probably the best from a bad bunch. It would be like, If NP was building a squad around Bentley, Kalas, Vyner, Massengo, etc...........but then the following season these players were sold on..replaced with sub-standard....let's see if that works? ....don't think it would, even for NP.. Our opinions differ Just a little!!
The thing is Wiz, as soon as something like this is posted we get the same old opinions recycled - it's like Groundhog Day a few weeks apart. I wonder how many pages of messages will eventually grace this post? And they've all been said before, many times!!
And I agree with you mate, my problem is that some people are still holding onto the utter nonsense that LJ left a decent squad and some even are having a pathetic dig at Pearson basically saying that he should have improved things in his 10 games or so, it's utter nonsense and the evidence of 55 wins in the last 155 games is all the evidence needed to prove this is far from a decent squad, LJ, Holden, Pearson and god knows how many coaches have failed in their turd polishing efforts. Everybody knows and should accept what LJ got right, but at times the pudding has been over egged with a multitude of duck eggs.
We need to keep this forum bouncing along and there is no doubt LJ creates conversation, interest and discussion, it gets montonous in some eyes I agree but to some of us it's a strong interest point. I put up a Sunderland article based on LJ's sayings compiled by a Sunderland fan, there was no personal critique at the start from me, people that were interested responded, agreed or disagreed, which is what this forum is all about, I strive to put up all and any items of interest to City fans, if people don't enjoy those items and choose to ignore, they wither on the vine and we move on. It would be great if more people were to contribute items, increase conversations and open up broader discussion areas, I could just sit back and things would thrive, as an individual I retain my right to discuss any points that piss me off, if I get my head shot off I've asked for it but at least I've been honest. I do take your points, respect your thoughts and I do try to keep a balanced view on forum business.
I don't recall saying LJ did sign him, please show me where I did? I was responding to the comment that Flint did not come from our academy, which he did not!
So you are saying that the whole squad is rubbish.........maybe context needs to be applied for sensible discussion, rather than maybe the nonsense you throw out there..We have both always agreed that we needed some key signings which would enhance what we do have.....that's not rubbishing the whole squad is it? I believe that NP with his experience and know how, he should have got better performances, I also believe, with the season gone, more academy players should be used, instead of the dross from the likes of Fammy etc. Yes he should have improved things, even to show he's willing to give the youngsters a go.. If he stays, I'm hoping he gets it right, like the rest of the fans..
LJ will remain for the foreseeable future the topic of conversation as he has set the level of Bristol City's Bar..How ever high or low our fans interpretation of that might be......TBF......it should make for our improvement and progression............................................................................................or downfall!!
I don't know how many times or how many ways to explain, hopefully this will sink in. A large portion of this current squad have been with us since January 2018, since that time we have managed to win just 55 out of 155 matches, that is not nonsense that is fact and it is shocking. Part of the problem has been LJ and Holden making do with players playing out of position (especially in both full back positions) because of lack of specialist cover for injuries, also not helped by playing Weimann in midfield, that is a total lack of planning. We have 14 players out of contract and quite few are big earners, I would only offer terms to two of them and that is Weimann and Walsh and I would only offer 1 year each as both need to prove their long term fitness. Out of the other 12, one or two are injury prone, several were cheap options who offer nothing and several have been a major part of our erratic form, they have been given enough chances and need to be gone. We have 6 to 8 young players who have been involved in match day squads who should now be allowed to step up into the first team squad. I would say there are several others still under contract who if possible should be eased out if possible. We need about 6 quality signings to freshen the squad up. I am not and have never said the whole squad is rubbish but I am saying that 12 out of 14 players who are out of contract are just not good enough and that is a fair proportion of our first team squad, promoting 6 to 8 and signing 6 players, would do it IMHO. What is utter nonsense is saying that Pearson should have gotten more out of players, that have been serial offenders for a long time, when Saint Lee, Holden, various coaches including 2 super coaches have failed to do so. He is 100% correct some players have had more than enough chances. It is also utter nonsense to suggest that more academy players be played, I suspect between Holden and Pearson more academy players have been given a chance than the whole of LJ's reign. PS:- For me 4 of Saturday's starting 11 need to be gone and probably 3 on the bench.
Sunderland have lost 3 on the trot, so the 'LJ streak' is now rearing it's head They are away to top of the table Hull tonight and should they lose again, and Peterborough win as well, that's any chance of automatic promotion gone, and they are hitting a bad run of form just at the wrong time going into the Play Offs.