Bristol Post Report ~ Lee Johnson furious at Bristol City players and says they are fighting for their futures Head coach explains that many are fighting for their Ashton Gate futures Bristol City suffered a third defeat in their last six games against Millwall on Saturday at the New Den. After 15 games unbeaten Neil Harris’ side look to be heading in one direction and, unfortunately, the Robins the other. And after the game, head coach Lee Johnson explained why his side had been unable to register a shot on target for the second game in a row and match the form of Millwall over the last few weeks. The Bristol Post asked Johnson why Bristol City have been so poor in 2018. "If I knew that answer we'd have done that," he explained. “We've done everything. Everything we can... Give them a break, got them [inaudible]... And I've just said to them that it's important that they say if they want to be here now and next year. "Because that's what I'm looking at. "These next two games are our season. So you've got to win these two games or at least get four points from these two games. Simple. "Unless you show that on the pitch... [Whistles] ...gone," he said. Johnson went on to admit that City's performances have not been good enough over the last two months with the Robins only winning three times in 2018 so far. please log in to view this image Jamie Paterson of Bristol City challenges Steve Morison of Millwall The side from Ashton Gate have dropped to eighth in the league after being second on Boxing Day. "I've got no excuses [on today's game]. You've just got to run more than your individual. You've got to battle." "And when I say battle if you're a 5ft6' footballer you've got to get more of the ball than your opponent. "If you're a 6ft5 centre half you've got to win more than the centre forward. "We haven't shown in my opinion enough respect for the Bristol City badge in the last four or five weeks," he explained. City will look to improve their form against Birmingham on Tuesday night. https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/angry-lee-johnson-tells-bristol-1431069 ****************************************************** Official Site Report ~ We weren't good enough - Johnson Saturday, April 7th 2018 A disappointed Lee Johnson wants his players to find the form which served them so well in the first half of the season. City lost 2-0 against Millwall, who have leapfrogged the Robins in the Sky Bet Championship as both sides fight for a place in the play-offs. It was a game where City struggled to threaten the host's goal, who scored two goals courtesy of well-taken finishes. City have dropped to 8th in the league and are now three points behind the Lions. Speaking after the game, City head coach Johnson told BCTV: "It wasn’t good enough, I don’t think we had a shot to force to keeper into a good save. "I put out a busy, attacking team to work hard, to compete and I thought we started well. We were competing, playing nice football without that final bit of quality. We had two free kicks in good areas which we scuffed. "That comes down to a boldness and bravery to produce. We can do that hundreds of times in training and then in a game you scuff chances or a through-ball gets overhit and that’s inevitably how footballers are judged - when the pressure is on." WE SHOULD THRIVE UNDER PRESSURE "Pressure should be your friend, something which makes you better and thrive under. We didn’t do that today, we lost too many physical dels and the second goal was embarrassing. The first goal was disappointing but a fantastic finish. "We were 1-0 down but we had 80-odd minutes remaining and we needed to do more. We need to have belief. We huffed and puffed, we tried tactical changes to give us a platform but the second goal took the stuffing out of us." FOCUS SHIFTS TO TUESDAY City return to league action when they host Birmingham City under the lights of Ashton Gate in three days' time. Johnson continued: "We have a game on Tuesday now and it’s mental how quickly football changes. Two quick wins against Birmingham City and Middlesbrough could make us heroes again. I realise we aren’t that at the moment, and rightly so, but every decision we make is for the benefit of this football club. "We need a good atmosphere because I understand our fans. Half of them are looking at this as a decent season and we’re upset, rightly so, while the other half are saying ‘we’ve blown it’ and they’re not wrong either. "We need the drive, the guts and desire to go and get the three points, which doesn’t mean smashing people in tackles: the good good tacklers need to put in the tackles, the good footballers need to get on the ball and the goalscorer need to demand more. "I apologise for the rant but I am passionate about this and it hurts." https://www.bcfc.co.uk/news/we-werent-good-enough-johnson/
All is not happy in our camp, read either the 'Post 'report or the 'Official Site' report and LJ is not happy with his players and it is obvious where the blame is being put, not a happy situation..
It's not all the players fault and equally not all LJ's. Too many players are not performing as they did at the start of the season, so did they over perform then and under performing now - that is the difficult task fot LJ to assess. Paterson, Bryan, Smith and even Baker and Flint have been very ineffectual for the past half dozen games. For me Paterson has been particularly poor for at least 2-3 months now. Kent and Diony have proven poor signings, Diony was always a risk as he had done nothing since his move to the French top flight, so no real surprise there, but it's important to remember that this was a desperate move from LJ with so many injuries to strikers at that time. Kent for all the world looked a good signing and everyone considered it a big coup for us, including many opposition fans and managers, but sadly he is not a team player, it's all about Ryan Kent and him trying to be the main main and look good (Tomlin anyone), I think we could be his last chance to prove what he can cut it at the higher levels and for me he's blown it. Our midfield need a revamp, they don't do enough to protect the back 4, and as much as I love him I think Pack is not good enough in the middle, he tries too many 'Hollywood' passes, we need something new in there for next season. LJ and the managerial staff can't throw the baby out with the bath water, but they do need to assess what we have against what we need. For me the following are on borrowed times, we should clear these out and build again; Diony Kent Hegler O'Neil Wright Durijc Taylor Goulbourne Engvall
Not one shot on target in 180 minutes. You can train and train players but ultimately they played all their life to know if you don’t hit the target you don’t score. Players should know what to do when close to the 18 yard box. If you watched the Brentford game you would see a team under confident. Yes he picks the team but yesterday’s was the team 950-95% of us would of picked. If Kelly or Magnusson (injured) played and Bryan left midfield then I bet 99% of us would of picked that team. LJ is a good manager to a confident team, a poor manager to an underperforming team. He needs to learn that side of management. That’s not me saying I want him out, it’s me saying what I would like to see LJ improve on. The only blame I would definitely put at his feet was January transfer window. It was not a time for gamble loans it was a time for for next step players.
Before Christmas we had a great coach. Since Christmas the players have under performed. Probably somewhere in between, credit and blame. I think it all went wrong with the January recruitment. How many made the first 11 yesterday or even in yesterday's squad ? That is down to Ashton and LJ. Remember Sparkey saying in January it was better to go for established Championship players than untried/gamble types. We've gone south, it looks like Cardiff got it right.
To be fair Redprintt, Madine has been no great shakes though he was forced to miss a few games with that broken nose he got at Millwall. His presnce has however galvanised Zohore so that's a positive If recruiting Diony had come off, it could have been a different story but to commit yourselves to an unknown quantity when promotion beckoned could well have been a mistake.
I must confess that when I saw us do virtually nothing during the transfer window I had a bad feeling for the short term viability of the squad. As Sparkey says we should have been looking for seasoned players and some for the future to consolidate for the remainder of the season and onwards. Some of the incomings, even going back 12 months, didn't fill me with glee and some of the ones with promising futures have turned out to be total busts. Will you tell me what Lee's best bit of business was, and what his biggest goof was, because I can't see him as our long term answer in all honesty and the transfer business needs to be done properly in an organised and future based way. In my books I wish the inevitable tears (if not already here) would come sooner rather than later to let us move on in the right direction as right now I believe we have a manager who has lost his sense of direction. Blunt I know but just an opinion.
Our first choice players are pretty much : Fielding Flint Baker Kelly Korey Pack Brian and Reid. I count Baker as he came here on loan with Cotterill. That's 7 or 8 out of 11 depending on your view. You'd have hoped with the numerous signings in 3 windows made by Ashton and LJ there'd be a few more of their signings making the first 11.
If I remember correctly didn't Lee predict he would need 3 windows to solidify the squad? I am not so sure that he has anywhere achieved that aim and my concern is that we will forge ahead with some plan or another that is not based on sound footballing nous. You didn't mention Diedhou in your must keep list redprintt and I don't really think he has lived up to his price tag.
Inver, I didn't mention Fammy as I wasn't trying to illustrate a 'must keep' list. Just saying there's 7 or 8 'first picks' that have little to do with Ashton or LJ. In 3 windows the signings show how poor their recruitment is so far. Of their multi million signings, not one started Saturday.
That's a very interesting and telling point Redprintt - made me look at our team for last weekend. 6 of our starting 11 were brought in by Warnock this past 18 months as well as 4 of the 7 on the bench. Right or wrong, definitely a team of his own making. Before anyone makes the point - yes, yes I know we bought Tomlin as well......
Lee Johnson furious? I’m more bemused than furious. Ignoring the indifferent January signings, we were doing very well until the turn of the year - far better than I predicted, so if offered a top half finish at the start of the season I would have taken it. However, something has changed - have we been ‘found out’? Are the players panicking? Is it LJ himself? Diedhiou perhaps? Who knows? I certainly don’t. I’d be tempted to start the team that beat Man U and tell them just to do it again!!!!
That's a really good point Redprintt, when you analyse it like that, it doesn't read so well and I agree this January's signings haven't added anything, echoes of 2008..... To counter Baker, I believe LJ did recommend Korey Smith to the club.
'I believe LJ did recommend Korey Smith to the club' - I read the same, so fair play. Don't say it too loudly, the Oldham Board might not be happy. 'yes, yes I know we bought Tomlin as well......' - Sparkey, So did we and reportedly lost £1.5million on the deal. When you look at Ashton and LJ's transfer dealings overall they are, at best, very disappointing.
Being away from the connected world for so long this winter has left me a bit adrift when it comes down to the business in January. The other Frenchman they brought in after Diedhou was reputed to have a bit of an attitude towards authority and thought he was beyond the norm. I confess that is possibly not even close to the case here but dressing room divides have crushed many other teams and we had a bad taste from that several years ago and wanted it never to return. You need to be a very strong and focused manager who can overcome that kind of revolt and somehow I just can't see Lee having that kind of streak in him.
I actually think his recruitment has been a massive positive of his tenure here - it goes to show how opinions differ! I don't think his use of that recruitment has been optimal but I think for the most part the signings will bring either an enhanced transfer fee when selling, or quality to the squad at least in the future.
Rob, I don't agree the signings are positive or that we'll receive enhanced transfer values. I won't bother with the ridiculous signings, loan or otherwise in January. I'll 'give' you Brownhill and COD, I'm struggling to think of many more. Whereas who's going to buy at an 'enhanced' value Pissano,Bailey Wright, Hegeler, O'Neil, Magnusson, Taylor, Paterson, Fammy, Engvall - there are others. The ones who have the 'enhanced' value are pre Ashton and LJ i.e. Flint, Pack, Bryan and Academy players like Kelly and Vyner. It's ironic that the money spent by Ashton and LJ came from the £13million profit on Kodjia signed by SC. So, the money spent so far by Ashton and LJ came from the Kodjia transfer, I'm wondering if SL will be quite so forthcoming this summer. SL put his neck on the line employing LJ with his CV. SL is very loyal but he isn't stupid.
I wonder how the conversation went when Lee was hired with specific reference to the proposed transfer budget? Lansdown opened up the purse strings more than at any other time during his tenure and I wonder what his personal thoughts are on how it was spent, and whether or not it was money spent wisely? As you say redprintt the only players we have worth more than they cost (some for nothing of course) were already here from previous jurisdictions. Steve is in the investment business and I figure that if any of his employees in his real job produced the same results as Lee I think we all know what would happen. Absolute faith is acceptable but blind faith is another matter all together.
