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'I've Seen a Lot of Managers Off' Lee Johnson Transcript

Discussion in 'Bristol City' started by wizered, Dec 16, 2018.

  1. wizered

    wizered Ol' Mucker
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    'I've seen a lot of managers off' Lee Johnson transcript after Bristol City draw with Norwich City
    Head coach's press conference in full.

    Well Lee, a great game...

    Great game. I’m very, very pleased with the performance. I thought it was bright, energetic, comfortable on the ball. I thought it was composed and obviously we were against a side that’s top of the league and performing very well.

    Naturally, the disappointment is to concede that lead. It was a poor marking job on the far post and they’ve done. But, like I say, overall it’s four games unbeaten in the Championship and performance levels are good so we want to continue that vain.

    The players are confident and in-form as individuals, so hopefully we’ll continue with those types of performances.

    Can you see why they’re top of the table?
    Yeah, they’re bright aren’t they? They score a lot of late goals, they’re bright and energetic, committed to going forward.

    But I thought today we exposed their weaknesses and the slickness we played on the counter.

    I’m delighted for Callum, because he’s had a real stop-start season for many reasons - I thought he was excellent. You can just feel it as a manager when a player is starting to come back into form and the team’s starting to gel, if you like.

    That XI that’s out there has got that consistency at the moment, of character, of energy, of work rate, and obviously quality.

    On the potential Tettey red card...
    In my opinion, it was a joke. If Marley Watkins gets booked for the first thing he does, I think [Alex] Tettey was on six or seven misdemeanours, little clever ones if you like. Listen, there’s no fluke that the manager takes him off at that point because he knows he’s got away with it. It was cynical.

    Packy’s done a good bit of skill and we’ve got three comfortably on the break. It doesn’t matter whereabouts on the pitch you are. A cynical foul is a cynical foul. Because then what do I do? Teach my players to cynically foul on certain areas of the pitch to get away with it? Listen, he knows.

    The referee knows the may he managed that situation, it was poor.

    On Diedhiou scoring again...
    Yeah, good. Like I say, he’s a confidence player. It was a great for him to get his goal and he’s performing well. We need him and we’ve had to get him going.

    He was a bit slow to start this year but, naturally, he had his six game ban which we’ve talked about before, and now he’s starting to put in some very good performances and score goals.

    Obviously that’s what you want from your no. 9. We stick with him because some people expect you to change the team but often you have to get your best players going. We had some excellent performances today, especially in the midfield.


    Do you think you deserved to win?

    Norwich have scored a lot of late goals and you’re never absolutely confident.

    I would’ve liked a bit more or different options off the bench to stop the forward play a little bit better. Our bench was built to attack and actually we needed to defend something.

    But I’m not going to be down or disappointed. I’m going to celebrate the positives and the good performances the players put in today.

    Where do you go from here?
    I think we’ve got to keep building on performances. It was a game that suited us, where the opposition try and play and we try and play, and it was always going to be end-to-end.

    I’m sure everyone will go home thinking they’ve got their money’s worth. We had some really good breaks and some really good shots from distance.

    Tim Krul - I mean the one on Brownhill, how he’s managed to save that, was an exceptional save. And we go again, like I say, all we can do as a squad is keep learning, keep building, keep improving and try our best to put a run together, extend this unbeaten run and getting wins along the way.


    On Adam Webster's injury...

    He has an injury to his Achilles and his tendon in his Achilles. He’s had an injection, he should be okay for next week against Derby.

    It was an important time to give him that injection, mainly because we’re moving into the Christmas period. It’s important we have the back-up, and whilst we have strong back-up with Nathan Baker and Bailey Wright now fit, it was the right time to do it for him.

    We could’ve nursed him through it, to he honest, but we just felt that given the fact that there’s four games in 12 days coming up, that that was the time to do it.

    He was training only on the Friday, so the last few weeks he was getting through it by just training on the Friday. To do that consistently, the fitness levels just gradually drop and drop and I was noticing against Birmingham, the last 10/15 minutes he was just hanging in.

    Congratulations on your 300th game in management, Lee...
    Thanks - surprising, eh? Don’t look so surprised! I’m very grateful to be at a fantastic football club that I’m at. The Championship is one of the best leagues in the world and one of the most competitive in the world - I think that game demonstrated that today.

    I’ve seen a lot of managers off, in terms of how many have been and gone and the average tenure. I keep managing to beat that and that’s because we try as staff, and not just me, to do the right things.

    We’ve had to change a lot since we’ve been at this football club and we need to try and build in the right way.

    We’ve lost players, we’ve bought players, we’ve sold players and hopefully that performance today at least sets the bedrock of our identity and that we’re trying to play with the identity and the quality that we want to bring to Ashton Gate, to be honest, on a more regular basis.

    We’ve brought it so far away from home, but hopefully the fans will go home tonight knowing everyone on that pitch gave everything for the cause.

    Any scope for any signings in January?
    I think that trading is a possibility. It’s not a case of being able to go willy nilly with things. If we don’t make a signing, then it’ll be a because everybody that is accessible, available and affordable is not better than what we’ve got and that’s where you’ve got to be careful.

    We don’t need a lot, it’s not a lot we need, it’s just a bit of sparkle in certain areas of the pitch.

    What I don’t want to do is bring somebody in that’s just going to compete for a place. If someone’s going to come in, they’re going to make a difference.

    You said in your Times interview about the loneliness of management... Do you feel any pressure?
    I feel good. I feel it’s a privilege and an honour to manage at this level and particularly at a fantastic club like this. Of course, it’s hard - if it wasn’t, everybody would do it.

    It’s very, very enjoyable. It’s in my blood. You know the history behind learning to be coach, getting a chance, surviving, getting another chance somewhere, moving on and rebuilding. It does feel like we’re on the up as a football club and ideally, I want to be here and achieving big success.

    In terms of the team rediscovering its identity... What did you see today that was different to other performances?
    I don’t know what you didn’t see, that’s what you’ll have to tell me because I saw players performing well. Millwall was blood and thunder, they play quartiles of the pitch and they put a number of bodies in there.

    It was never going to be open and expansive football, but I saw commitment and attitude and quality. We talked about not getting enough numbers in the box and today you see the coaching and work we’re doing coming to fruition. That’s it really. We have to continue to build that cohesion.

    Listen, if we had beat Millwall 2-0, we’d all come in here and say what a sound solid performance, but they scored with only their second shot of the whole game and it’s still a point.

    Would you rather us win at home and draw away? Maybe. But football doesn’t work like that. You have to be competitive in every single action and every single game.
    https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/-every-word-lee-johnson-2332862
     
    #1
  2. oneforthebristolcity

    oneforthebristolcity Well-Known Member

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    We have an intelligent and bright manager at our club who is always open to learning the trade...not everyone's cup of tea but I'm remaining a happy clapper!!
     
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  3. Bigjohnatyeo

    Bigjohnatyeo Well-Known Member

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    Me too onefor, some supporters dont know what a great place we are in as a club & with LJ our leader.
     
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  4. Red Robin

    Red Robin Well-Known Member

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    Consistency get that right and he will be alright
     
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  5. johngalleyfan2

    johngalleyfan2 Well-Known Member

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    Agree top man
    with TIC I reckon another 4 or so wins will take off the pressure of fighting the bottom 6 or so teams for survival and we can relax a bit and get really settled for the last 6 games of the season! 70 points could well be play off's?
     
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  6. oneforthebristolcity

    oneforthebristolcity Well-Known Member

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    I'm expecting more lows to our season, as I still don't think he's got it quite right with the players he's brought in..If I'm honest, mid table will be where we will finish this season. But IMO he has the passion, determination & intelligence to push us on in coming seasons if given the time and backing...yes, more backing, which is required for a competitive championship side hoping to gain promotion..
     
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  7. bcfcredandwhite

    bcfcredandwhite Well-Known Member

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    Loving your positivity Onefor.
    I agree that mid-table is where we are likely to end up this season - but I also think mid-table is probably what we can expect going forward too under LJ, using recent seasons as an indicator.
    I don’t mind - for now. I’m enjoying not being tipped for relegation any more!
     
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  8. invermeremike

    invermeremike Well-Known Member

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    I have been a regular moaner regarding Lee because I never really thought he was ever going to be our man and yet here we are sitting relatively comfortably in our division playing our regular on again off again football. I don't particularly care who our manager is if they get the job done and I will confess I am warming to Lee but surely the next transfer window must be considered his acid test based on his early commitment that he needed 3 windows to open up his, and the team's potential.

    Lot's of money has been spent and I can't fully agree that we have got value for money or have improved the squad to the extent that is required and let's hope we can seal some better deals in the after Christmas sales. Good luck Lee.
     
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  9. Supcon72

    Supcon72 Well-Known Member

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    In this league that is really hard to achieve. Many managers who most would perceive as better, and certainly a great many with more experience than LJ have failed to master this and perished.
     
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  10. bcfcredandwhite

    bcfcredandwhite Well-Known Member

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    It would be hard to justify replacing a manager when we are comfortably sitting mid-table - unless with a big-name manager who is given his preferred budget.
    With SL keeping spending on a tight reign, it’s hard to see any ‘proven’ manager wanting to come in. (I don’t blame SL for this mind - it’s his money after all)
    You mentioned that ‘a lot of money has been spent’ and that is certainly true, but honestly have we spent far more than anyone else in this division, when the income from the sales have been taken into account? I have heard this said many times, with Diony and Kent in particular being used (correctly) as an examples of money wasted, but I have not seen anywhere the difference between what we have spent and what we have earned in real terms since LJ started his tenure. I know as a club we have made a loss overall, but we have spent a lot of money on the stadium and infrastructure - which is nothing to do with LJ. Surely the revenue from the Bolassie, Kodjia, Reid, Flint, Magnusson and Bryan sales would offset the duds?
     
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  11. invermeremike

    invermeremike Well-Known Member

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    A lot of truth in your comments bcfc. I truly believe that the upcoming transfer window could be a critical one for us as a team, and Lee as our manager, and it concerns me somewhat that in the past we have sat around at a time when we had to chance to consolidate and done pretty close to nothing. Let's hope we have truly learnt from our past and know exactly what we need to do without breaking the bank. Does anyone think we might ship some players out on loan or will the loans be strictly incoming?
     
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  12. bcfcredandwhite

    bcfcredandwhite Well-Known Member

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    I hope I’m wrong but I have a feeling we will sell O’Dowda. His contract is running out and he doesn’t look as if he will renew so we will probably opt to sell him rather than let him go on a free. Shame, as I like him - and he put in a MOTM display against Norwich, but I do understand it’s better to sell someone whilst you can still get money for him.
     
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  13. NickH

    NickH Well-Known Member

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    Unfortunately I think you're right. I think we want to keep him and he's had some bad luck with injuries, meaning we haven't enjoyed the best of him, but his stock is high, particularly having impressed for Ireland so interest should be high, maybe even from the Premiership.
     
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  14. oneforthebristolcity

    oneforthebristolcity Well-Known Member

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    Very disruptive to the squad, trying to gel and to play to a style.. losing key players such as Flint, Bryan and Reid etc and then with the possibility of losing more key players such as Kelly, O'Dowda etc..can see why we struggle to be consistent...
     
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  15. invermeremike

    invermeremike Well-Known Member

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    I understand the need to possibly sell some of our better players who are due to fall out of contract because we have had occasions where players have moved and left a bad taste behind. That creates an issue where we need to find replacements that fit the bill, but in the upcoming transfer window the prices can be out of this world for clubs like ours, but nonetheless we need to do proper business with our long term future in mind. I wish Lee luck but I think he has a difficult job ahead and seeing as it his sixth window I think he has something to prove.
     
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  16. oneforthebristolcity

    oneforthebristolcity Well-Known Member

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    Impossible task IMO, sixth window, yes but then losing key players puts you back to square one IMO. Does well to be mid table if you ask me!!
     
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  17. Angelicnumber16

    Angelicnumber16 Well-Known Member

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    In my humble opinion a club like ours has multiple choices if they want to get to the Prem.

    1) Stick with what we have and continue to be a selling club, even to other teams at our level, and hope once in a blue moon we have a miraculous season.
    2) Employ a Warnock/Brian Clough type who can take an average bunch and get them promoted
    3) Bet the house on black like Villa did last year and pay huge signing on fees to proven players (rather than wages) under FFP and hope It pays off. Villas gamble didn't :)
     
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  18. NickH

    NickH Well-Known Member

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    Who knew it was so easy? Let's hope we get Brian Clough 2.0 before anyone else!
     
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  19. bcfcredandwhite

    bcfcredandwhite Well-Known Member

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    Out of those options that Angelic puts forward I can only see a continuation of the current setup.
    Warnock or a Pulis type manager wouldn’t tolerate the conditions SL insists on - and would probably polarise the fans even more that LJ does now. They are both hated.
    The other manager mentioned is sadly no longer with us - but I bet he and SL wouldn’t have seen eye to eye either.
    That leaves a 5h1t or bust gamble - no thank you
    Or keep things as they are - ticking over - and hope for a magic formula to ‘click’. The most likely imho.
     
    #19
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  20. Cliftonville

    Cliftonville Well-Known Member

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    Sales have generated £37million. Players bought in during Mr Johnsons time approx £26 million. So player trading is £11.7million up.
     
    #20
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