It Will Be a Challenge

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wizered

wizered

Ol' Mucker
Staff member
Jan 25, 2011
36,704
6,486
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Bristol.City Land
No actions, no signings except for a level 4 defender & a level 3 centre back , we are a broken, busted flush, all the ready money has gone, we have invested £1.5m on our survival, NP has done his best, we go from here.

We were renowned for being one of the bigger spenders in recent year our signings cost millions, now we are one of the minimal, we have a very experienced manager but by god how times have changed our cloth is for very slim pickings.

We have got a very resonable squad, I hope for a middle of the table finish, if NP achieves this he has done as well as any of his recent predecessors even with all of the problems he has inherited, he is walking a challenged path.

How times have changed but one good thing, the boss our owner is looking for outside investment, I wonder.
 
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I was expecting another CF up until yesterday... when I did an analysis of our squad... and there was an EUREKA moment as to how we stand.
we have a squad which currently is quite experienced, albeit aged! [ bit like some of old phartz !] There is an age gap of about 3 years … BETWEEN most of the "team to line up" and rest of squad. WHEN NP says could take 3 years! THEN you can visualize a "plan" these older players will fade out, be replaced by buys or / and progress from middle of squad, and younger end will be added to / promoted into squad.
TARGET PROMOTION ===== SQUAD USED TO PLAYING TOGETHER ….. and the need to spend BIG TIME ...MAYBE

covid has done a lot of harm to business and Football maybe 90% loss of income [ not so much Prem clubs maybe 10% loss! ] we were at a point of bank statements saying everything looking black! now is red and building toward black!!!

SL is not stupid, by a long chalk … some have been a bit unkind but for over 30 years he built up HL THROUGH GOOD TIMES AND BAD TIMES pennies look after themselves!!! So do not despair the picture is looking rosy …. :emoticon-0138-think :emoticon-0100-smile
 
The difference for me is now we have a man in charge who has been there and done that. His vast experience makes him a person who most teams would welcome as their manager and I have trust in his knowledge and footballing nous to rebuild a shabby lot in to something more capable of achieving the goals set out by Steve Lansdown. The rest of the season ahead will be full of ups and downs but I see hope at last that the tide is changing for the better at Bristol City. Good luck to all the players and staff for a great season.
 
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Personally I don't think the squad we have is all doom and gloom but quite decent.....it's not always about how much you spend in the transfer market but gelling decent players that you've got..It's when injuries & suspensions kick in and the squad players we have to slot in will determine how our season will progress..
Sometimes having less to select works!!
 
invermeremike said:
The difference for me is now we have a man in charge who has been there and done that. His vast experience makes him a person who most teams would welcome as their manager and I have trust in his knowledge and footballing nous to rebuild a shabby lot in to something more capable of achieving the goals set out by Steve Lansdown. The rest of the season ahead will be full of ups and downs but I see hope at last that the tide is changing for the better at Bristol City. Good luck to all the players and staff for a great season.
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Agree Mike -we just need to keep injury free otherwise we could be up the creek without the paddles.

Unless serious injury's occur-I believe NP trusts his backroom team 100% to keep them injury free,

He also said he wanted a smaller squad -he also said he would not bring in players that are not better again he kept to his word on that.

NP has done more in six months football wise than the two previous clowns that were appointed.
 
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oneforthebristolcity said:
Personally I don't think the squad we have is all doom and gloom but quite decent.....it's not always about how much you spend in the transfer market but gelling decent players that you've got..It's when injuries & suspensions kick in and the squad players we have to slot in will determine how our season will progress..
Sometimes having less to select works!!
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Spot on :emoticon-0148-yes:
 
I’m not sure that our lack of signings is purely down to lack of funds.
It’s more likely to be the lack of players attracting NPs interest.
I’ve not heard any reports of us bidding for players and being rejected - of course that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.
Ah well - best just get on with it then I suppose….
 
My concern is expecting Chris Martin to carry the front line, can’t see him doing it every week, then of course injuries are more likely if he’s being overused
 
It will be a challenge but we're not the only club in this league in exactly the same position.

We all expect Fulham and WBA to run away with the league and the likes of Bournemouth to be there or there abouts come the end as well.
No one else is spending big money, so we just need to get to 50 points asap and see what the January window (not expecting much if anything) or next season bring.
Getting a home win will go a long way to bringing further confidence to the squad and will see us 20% of the way to safety. It sounds bleak, but it's reality !
 
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My take is, we are in a better position financially than most in our league, Swansea for instance a team obviously over stretched themselves in the previous 2 seasons have had to have a fire sale over the summer and last night.

Peace would appear to have broken out regarding Kalas (although I am still left wondering, why nobody it would seem has stepped in for him?) but that is our gain. Vyner improved on Saturday but there is still work to do with him IMHO. We have a midfield that certainly holds it own and is no longer being beaten up every week, the stats also show compared to the previous 2 seasons the midfield is creating chances and more shots and shots on target (last season we were team least likely to score, least shots, least on target and 8th worst goals scored record) and some still haven't properly found their shooting boots yet, a clean sheet would be welcome, cutting out the schoolboy errors is a must and where possible play players in their best positions ala Weimann, also keep the younger players involved, Pring and Scott are testament to that, I would like to see Britton more involved, he is into the final year of his contract.

This is a transitional season for must clubs outside of the premiership and maybe just maybe reality has hit home regarding the ridiculous wages paid to bang average championship players and the financial implications of gambling and failing, maybe we have gone back to the early days of LJ and looking at value for money and not the Ashton scatter gun approach hoping that the odd one might be ok, since his arrival at Ipswich they have signed 19 players, old habits die hard.

Given the circumstances anything safe mid table to 10th, would be acceptable for me, anything above that would be a bonus. I am very happy watching 11 players actually putting 100% every game and not only half of them.
 
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I still feel not bringing in a striker is a mistake, as I felt not getting a LB was in the Jan window last season. I get Pearson's point that they have to be better than what we have, which was the approach until MA came to the club; however, I don't believe there wasn't anyone better in our price range than the totally inexperienced kids that are all we have after Martin & Wells? An injury, or two here and we are screwed offensively.
 
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Wells is a confidence striker IMO.. Needs the chances, needs a few goals and I believe he could be up and running.. I feel is psychological with him..
 
Supcon72 said:
I still feel not bringing in a striker is a mistake, as I felt not getting a LB was in the Jan window last season. I get Pearson's point that they have to be better than what we have, which was the approach until MA came to the club; however, I don't believe there wasn't anyone better in our price range than the totally inexperienced kids that are all we have after Martin & Wells? An injury, or two here and we are screwed offensively.
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Well I can't think of anybody within our price range that would have enhanced our strike force and I agree totally with Pearson hopefully the days of bringing in players more in hope than expectation are long behind us. Boy oh boy we have signed some ****ty strikers since promotion and we also know that 10 mil on 2 strikers doesn't get you much either.

Since 2015:- Paul Garita, Simon Cox, Matt Taylor, Milan Duric, Gustav Engvall, Cauley Woodrow, Jonathon Leko, Mo Eisa, Rodri, Benik Afobe and who could forget Lois Dyony, a few good strikers in there but none of them ever hit the heights for us.

We have 3 young strikers in Louis Britton, Tommy Conway and Sam Bell, the first 2 already have a league goal to their name.
 
oneforthebristolcity said:
Wells is a confidence striker IMO.. Needs the chances, needs a few goals and I believe he could be up and running.. I feel is psychological with him..
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His record suggests that he has never been a prolific goal scorer, I think we were seduced by the form he was in at QPR who had a very attack minded midfield at the time.
 
wizered said:
Nahki Wells gives Nigel Pearson food for thought as Bristol City U23s hit Hull City for six
The Bermudian was in lethal form at Ashton Gate on Wednesday afternoon as Hull City U23s were swatted aside 6-2 by a strong Robins team in the Professional Development League 2
https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/match-reports/nahki-wells-gives-nigel-pearson-5858703

Perhaps Wells has regained his touch. :emoticon-0105-wink:
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Under 23's in a team that included OLeary, Palmer, Joe Williams and Janneh?
 
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