Blog : Short Term Survival..

BRISTOL CITY BLOG: Why short-term survival is all that matters right now..

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New Bristol City manager Steve Cotterill has been recruited to make an immediate impact as the Robins fight for League One survival.


IT seems Steve Cotterill’s appointment as Bristol City manager has raised more questions than it has provided answers.

Robins supporters want to know if the new man will adhere to the club’s much-vaunted five-pillars strategy of academy, recruitment, facilities, community and financial prudence.

There are also questions regarding the future prospects of young players at Ashton Gate and the new manager’s perceived style of football.

And fans are eager to know whether another change at the top will herald yet more player movement in and out of BS3.

But surely the only question that really matters in the short term is can Cotterill save City from the threat of relegation to League Two between now and the end of the season?

If it is putting things a little too strongly to describe his immediate brief as crisis management, it is not so very far off the mark.

After all, the decision to remove head coach Sean O’Driscoll after just 10 months in the job was primarily motivated by City’s parlous position in the League One relegation zone.

Not surprisingly, we heard precious little about the club’s five-pillars strategy at the press conference convened to unveil the new manager on Tuesday. That is not to say there will be any sudden conversion on the road to Damascus and vice chairman Jon Lansdown went to great lengths to reassure fans that long-term goals would not be sacrificed on the altar of expediency following the departure of O’Driscoll, who was recruited with express instructions to implement the board’s vision for the future.

City will continue to scout young talent, develop players in their Academy and Under-21 set-ups, invest in facilities at Ashton Gate and exercise financial prudence in the transfer market. But the urgent requirement to avoid slipping into the Football League basement will almost certainly mean a change of emphasis in the weeks ahead.

Speaking to Cotterill in the bowels of the Dolman Stand on the day of his appointment, it became clear he dislikes the public perception of him as a specialist in extricating struggling teams from difficult situations. Yet it is that very reputation that motivated owner Steve Lansdown and his board of directors to hire a man who worked a short-term fix in his last managerial post at Nottingham Forest.

It can be argued that City’s transformation from a transfer-fee-paying club with a high wage bill in the Championship to one charged with the task of being economically frugal in League One was brought about too quickly, occasioning a massive turnaround in staff which made it nigh on impossible for O’Driscoll and his staff to fashion a team capable of hitting the ground running this season.

All the available evidence suggests the purse strings will be relaxed to a degree when the January transfer window opens, enabling Cotterill to put to use his extensive knowledge of players to supplement a squad that requires assistance in certain areas of the pitch.

When taking over at the City Ground in October 2011 with Forest in a similar position at the wrong end of the table, Cotterill was forced to sell Patrick Bamford and Wes Morgan in the January window. But he then used a percentage of the proceeds to sign five players on loan.

Once he was able to put his own team out on the park, there followed a gradual upturn in fortunes that saw Forest pull clear of trouble and finish the season on a relative high.

City’s directors are hoping their sixth manager in three-and-a-half years can engineer a similar recovery back in his native West Country. In a light-hearted moment, Cotterill even referred to himself as “Red Adair” when we met on Tuesday!

He has already hinted that he will seek to draft more experience into what is essentially a very young team and it is reasonable to assume that there will be comings and goings at Ashton Gate during the month of January.

As always when a new manager is appointed, especially one I have not worked with previously, I attempt to do my homework. Having spoken to numerous people over the past week who are more familiar with Steve and his methods than I am, a recurring theme is emerging.

City’s new manager is a passionate, enthusiastic and hard-working man who will bring a strong work ethic and an iron discipline to the role. His strengths lie in organisation and motivation and I have been told he can be relied upon to make an instant impact.

Some City fans have voiced disapproval, while others remain unsure about an appointment that has divided opinion. Such doubts must be put to one side for now. Given the situation the club finds itself in, it is imperative that management staff, directors, players and fans alike demonstrate a united front while focussing fully on the pressing need to climb the league table.

Steve’s immediate aim is to “win a few games” and, if he does that, the pressure will ease and supporters will begin to come round. Don’t forget, the new manager wants what we all want, a successful team and a club that we can all be justifiably proud of.

http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/BRISTO...ival-matters/story-20266671-detail/story.html