BRISTOL CITY: Steve Cotterill Defying the Odds in Championship Sack Race

Nottingham Forest will most likely be another one in a few weeks, MK Dons manager will be safe no matter what, not sure on Lennon at Bolton, he in a difficult position with finances etc

 

There are a number of "Premier League Wannabe" clubs in the Championship who will spend money they have not got to get there

It's obvious that only 3 can go up - I really worry about the clubs who don't

The latest list of managerial dismissals at Blackburn, Fulham and QPR illustrate that - Bowyer's done a good job of galvanising Blackburn (remember the reputation of the Venkey's 2 years ago??) while both Fulham and QPR are mid-table

Who knows one of them may prove me wrong - but I'll be surprised if any of the new managers make that much of a difference in the long run

Tom's right - Lennon is under pressure as is Kenny Jackett at Wolves and Dougie Freedman at Forest

It's crazy!!!

Fortunately the 3 that came up from League 1 seem to be sensible

 

The 3 that came up are all doing a good job. patience is key here. Good job they are all being supported

 

"Gary Bowyer, Chris Ramsey, Kit Symons and Chris Powell are three managers, among others, who have faced the sack recently"

Am I missing something in this statement, or can't the BEP count past three, because I make that list four managers?

 

Bristol City will make a loss, and are spending money they have not got to adds to the massive losses already racked up.

Unfortunately there are "fans" who think City do not spend enough, lose enough and would have sacked Mr Cotterill weeks into the season.

 

Unfortunately that's football. Very few teams can boast a good enough scouting and youth setup to climb the Championship on a budget (Blackpool did it a few years back for £500k but that was a freak - and the wheels have well and truly fallen off for them now).
The gamble is investing wisely then hoping your investment is better than all but 2 other teams in the league. That's a big gamble, but a necessary one if we are serious about promotion (or even Championship survival at the current rate).

That is of course if reaching the Prem is our aim - and SL says it is. He knows that he will have to bankroll us on that journey - and he has already bailed us out significantly.

For me, personally, I do get slightly frustrated when there seems to be unlimited funds available for a shiny new stadium, or for ridiculous, last minute panic bids for strikers who don't want to come to us after we have been static for the rest of the transfer window. I would have invested across the team FIRST, to provide a squad that is strong in all areas and that offers a Plan B when you need to change tactics around. If we start knocking on the door of the Prem CONSISTANTLY (not just for a one-off good season) then the crowds would come and STAY and it's only THEN that we would need to expand into a new stadium.
If we continue to view investing in the team as secondary to real-estate then we face the very real danger of having the best stadium in L1 for 14k fans to rattle around in on a wet Tuesday night for a JPT game!

All that sounds very negative when I read it back, but it's not meant to be a rant or a moan - its just that I would have done things differently had I been in charge of the purse strings (which is why I don't work in football I suppose). We have a billionaire owner and a very good manager. Lets hope the success on the pitch follows and the new stadium will be full next season.

 

BCRANDW I think you are missing the point, but not by much ! Go back to the old fashioned stands that had very little going on if anything under the seats /standing areas dozens of lower league clubs still have them!
Build a conference centre with a few shops and bar etc and it costs millions so for a few million more combine it with seating for a few thousand and eventually it becomes self supporting.

chicken and the egg successful team or stadium to suit .. .. well at the present we have 16000 capacity been like that for quite a while, do it later, costs will have risen as well, and by the time planning and building work has been completed should we get to the higher echelons ..top of Champs or indeed Prem before we build we will have missed 2 or 3 seasons of bigger gates and at least a third more income?

so chicken or egg? I would go for the egg, we all have our own "budgets" at home to contend with so we are all pretty much financially aware ... business wise not necessarily so...

freezer wearing out so going to buying a freezer!.. do you say "going to spend £150 on one, same as now" (100litres or less) or "going to get one that is 200+ litres?" ( use a few empty boxes to keep the costs down) and gradually fill it up! the new stadium is like the big freezer you have it if you need it!
This year my gooseberry and cherry crop was unbelievable I had over 100kgs of cherries and 10 kgs of goosgogs plus other fruits ( wasted about the same amounts as had to go away for a week) Tesco had special offer on cheese, and also on other freezable things inc meat and fish, right place right time! first of October our near 14 cubic ft freezer was jammed.... first time since 2013 ( excepting Christmas's )

SO YES the stadium is a good plan....

 

We need to stick with Cotts and see this through.

Even our blinkered board can surely see that.

As for the Bristol Post. Their website is the worst I've ever seen so it follows that they cant count either !

 

Then we will all need to stick together and support the manager through thick and thin and thinner... boards only act when the fans start shouting loudly enough.. usually a vocal minority.!

 

I would want the bloke to stay even if we went down.

 

It would be an interesting move!
an even better one would be if we kept him after being RELEGATED from the prem