5 Pillars R Now 4....?

BRISTOL CITY BLOG: Four pillars are better than five while Robins battle the drop
By a_stockhausen

please log in to view this image

IF further evidence was required to support the theory that Steve Cotterill’s appointment as Bristol City manager represents a break with the recent past, it has been provided by his dealings in the transfer market.

When meeting the media at the press conference convened to announce his arrival in early December, the former Cheltenham Town and Nottingham Forest boss made reference to the club’s much-heralded “Five Pillars” strategy.

There was, he intoned, little point in having a long-term goal, no matter how meritorious it might be, if the short-term plan was not delivering.

Having charged Cotterill’s predecessor, Sean O’Driscoll, with the task of implementing their vision for a sustainable future for their football club, City’s board of directors, fearful of relegation to League Two, opted to alter course just 12 months after first proclaiming their adherence to the five pillars.

Of course, Cotterill’s appointment should not be viewed as a complete U-turn and, as far as can be ascertained, City’s commitment to youth development, improving facilities, working in the community and financial prudence remain intact.

But for now at least, four pillars are considered a better bet than five. There are still two weeks remaining in this transfer window and it is already apparent that those responsible for running the club have deviated from their erstwhile policy of recruiting players aged 24 or under, whose value would increase in the future.

It was a policy O’Driscoll embraced and did his best to adhere to, recruiting up-and-comers such as Marlon Pack, Derrick Williams, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, Scott Wagstaff, Elliott Parish, Aden Flint and Jordan Wynter last summer.

He was, we were informed, building a more sustainable future for the football club. But when City’s alarming slide to the foot of the League One table caused some to question the efficacy of such a policy, it was quickly ditched along with the head coach.

Cotterill is nothing if not a pragmatist and his initial remit is to save the club from relegation to League Two at all costs. A shrewd and experienced operator in the transfer market, he has wasted no time in putting his own stamp on things.

His recruitment of Adam El Abd (29), Tyrone Barnett (28), Simon Gillett (28) and Karleigh Osborne (25) prove beyond doubt that City’s directors have relaxed their requirement for young players who can be sold on at a profit.

Cotterill’s hard-headed approach has been broadly welcomed by supporters, a majority of whom understand the pressing need to address the team’s position at the wrong end of the table.

Quite clearly, the new manager believes there is a need for experienced players with the knowhow and nous required to haul City out of the mess they currently find themselves in. O’Driscoll deserves credit for unearthing a series of promising youngsters, but they need a helping hand.

This was something O’Driscoll himself acknowledged and the recruitment of Marlon Harewood and Nicky Shorey and his insistence on Louis Carey being given another contract were all done with this in mind.

He even tried to sign El Abd, a veteran of more than 300 games for Brighton, on loan in October in a bid to bolster a defence that was leaking goals at an alarming rate. He instead ended up taking Lewis Dunk, another youngster with little first team experience.

El Abd signed a three-and-a-half-year deal at Ashton Gate this week, suggesting City owner Steve Lansdown has made additional cash available to help Cotterill stave off the threat of relegation.

Supporters of the Five Pillars may choose to interpret this change in policy as a quick-fix solution, but there is more to it than that.

Cotterill may be recruiting more experienced campaigners, but he is clearly building for the future. And it can be argued those players he has signed so far will materially improve his squad.

An eminently capable Championship defender, El Abd will more than hold his own in League One for the remainder of this season and beyond. An uncompromising defender, he has a point to prove after warming the bench at Brighton in recent months.

Striker Barnett is another in need of a fresh challenge and the promise of a permanent deal when his loan expires at the end of the season will ensure he gives City his all. Like El Abd, he is a proven performer and his arrival will strengthen the team’s spine.

In Osborne’s case, he can still improve as a player, even though he is already an experienced campaigner at League One level after learning his trade at Brentford.

Cotterill’s decision to extend Gillett’s loan until the end of the season also makes sense. Championship midfielders of his quality are seldom available at this stage of the season and he is another useful addition.

A majority of City fans have welcomed Cotterill’s new signings and, given his determination to recruit a winger, a central midfielder and another striker, it seems reasonable to expect more arrivals, either before the end of January or when the window reopens for loan signings in February.

One of City’s five pillars may have slipped for now, but I suspect supporters will hardly lose any sleep over that if it means the club retains its League One status. If Cotterill effects a successful rescue mission, then the overwhelming majority will agree that the end justifies the means.


Read more: http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/BRISTO...tory-20457864-detail/story.html#ixzz2qjnkswkZ

 

Right bloke, right job, right manager, right club, onward and upward.....

 

He won me over when he signed and he is doing a good job.