Interesting reading comments about us struggling next season by some fans,firstly SoD does not want to be plying his trade in league 1.There are clubs in the championship that would love him at their clubs. I really believe he will have us suited and booted ready for next term, unless SL is really pulling the reigns in completely. I truly believe SoD can see the vision required, and is very much wanting to do well here. One thing i do not see is him wanting to stay in League 1 for long,so the powers that be need to back him. Sky still have us as number 2 for promotion that will do me. This league 1 looks very very weak indeed.i say that with full respect too every club in it,but there is nothing in this division to fear. Take Wolves they are expected to go up as champions,imagine there fans reaction if they were told we have no chance of promotion,the only thing they want to hear is promotion talk,not mid table,or relegation etc. Confidence is built with positive vibes, and positive actions.SoD job is to get us out of league 1 straight away. Anything less will be a disappointment.
It will depend on two things the ability of us to recruit the players we want and need soon enough and how long it takes for the team to gel if it takes til the end of the January window to get the players we are after this season will NOT be a walk in the park S O'D is fully aware that building teams takes time and probably has a long term plan in mind after all what would be the point of going up this year and getting relegated next what he and the board is a team that can go up then hold it's own and start looking towards another promotion. If you like this is Sean's big chance he has the opportunity to rebuild a team from scratch to play the way he likes and with success, have the money to build a team to make an assult on the premiership I can't see him risking that for short term gains S O'D has always been someone who looks long term.
When I first read this I thought it was a direct quote........ SOD will be given the time. If next season we aren't in the top 12 then I don't want him here. That may sound harsh but people who think we will do well to finish just above the relegation zone ought to cheer the **** up. We wont finish that low unless we sale every single player and we use the u-21s. We will finish in the top half and I think people are scared to say it just in case it back fires. Im not afraid to hold my hand up and say we will finish in the top 6 and at the very least in the top 10. We will be ok.
Shiny like I said depends on who we can sign if we struggle to sign the people we want it could be a struggle playing our youngsters in L1.
Typically, I'd agree, but if we don't finish in the top twelve then who can we possibly get that is better than SOD? It'll be slim pickings for a League 1 club with no money on a downward spiral. We've switched managers far too many times, and SOD has all the credentials of a successful manager. The only instance I'd want to sack the manager is if we're facing relegation and a change is desperately needed, which could happen if we don't invest significantly in the squad. SOD is a proven manager that can work well with a smaller budget. He's also not afraid to work with an academy. Finally, we've got him his DoF, who should act as a buffer between the board and the coaching staff. What I want to see is a good partnership between SOD and Keith Burt, and one where they can be vocal if the board is not fulfilling their end of the bargain. Any idiot can see that the failings of the club are not to do with Coppell, Millen, or McInnes; they are solely on the hands of the board. SOD and Keith Burt need to rein in the board, and to make some noise if they are not given the chance to build the squad they see fit for League 1 and the future. I'd like to see SOD here in the next five years, at least. I want stability at Ashton Gate.
Quite simple we are not going to get better,he did well at Bournemouth,Donny,Forest and the football was great to watch.
Lot of people running scared solely because they have heard so much bullshit coming out of Aston Gate for way too long and unless our club are capable of reversing the inability to connect with the supporters then I think most people's optimism will remain low key. Bristol City have to change and like a lot of others I will only truly believe when I can see, without any doubt, that the club's commitment has changed for the better. Actions always speak louder than words and now is the time to prove that adage.
I don't believe that is true. I am more than convinced that it's the attitude, lack of passion, inability to scrap for possession and points, of the majority of the playing staff over the past four seasons. And I'm becoming increasingly angry that the major culprits are still on the books with another year to go on their contracts. They saw off four managers in four years. One bad manager maybe but not all four!
Most if not all of our last season's players have a lot to answer for but in reality they don't care one bit that they were the prime reason for City going down. Shamefully some of them are still here, so get rid of them and give others a chance to prove how bad their predecessors were.
Totally agree Mike. The Board have made mistakes. SL has made mistakes. Our last four managers, GJ, KM, SC, DMc all made mistakes. But the biggest reason for our absolutely awful performances over the past five years are down to a significant number of the players not giving their all and not caring one little bit about the fate of Bristol City. Willing to sit on the bench for mega money. Until the left overs of the DROSS leave Ashton Gate for ever, Sean O'Driscoll, Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger, Jose Mourinho or any other manager one cares to name, does not stand a cat in hell's chance of turning us around. And for any other poster who wants to tell me I'm being negative and my negativity will not help the team, I dearly hope that I'm proved wrong and we finish up winning automatic promotion to the Championship. But something inside of me is telling me that a leopard does not change it's spots.
Do you really think this is to do with the managers? I think Millen, McInnes and SOD would love to get rid of some of the dead wood, but how could they? They have no money to play with, so they're stuck with them. Even the likes of Louis Carey have been more than happy to slate past managers so I'd argue that the club in general is toxic. I wouldn't add the managers into this because they've not been at the club for long enough. If I were Steve Lansdown, I'd offer Keith Burt full control of footballing matters, add an additional tour onto the pre-season calendar in the USA, and would open the cheque book to get rid of most of the coaching staff, most of the playing staff, and to ask SOD to rebuild from the ground up.
I have to disagree with one part of this post the reign of Coppell short though it was was a major factor in our demise he brought in a number of players a number of whom stated they came because of Coppell being manager, and before someone mentions David James Coppell himself said Steve Lansdown phoned him to ask if he would be interested in having the ccurrent England keeper in his squad and he wanted him, but as soon as Coppell left Millen either didn't know how Coppell wanted to use these players or the players didn't rate Millen enough to listen to him and they basically went through the motions. This malaise seemed to spread through the rest of the players with a couple of exceptions, Stead, Carey and Albert for example, and the performances dropped. Now we are in a situation where Stead has left Albert is likely to follow and Carey is on his last legs as a player that is, but we still have the people at the club who couldn't be bothered unless we get in some leaders who will kick ass and get them playing we have to get shot of them as they will just infect any new players who join the club with this I don't care about anything but my wage packet malaise. The one bright spot in this is we have 3 players signed last season who could well be the basis of the new Bristol City Cunningham, Moloney and Kelly 2 of whom are certainly better than L1 level and the third might well be, plus if Elliott stays add some good players to them and the future could be bright, but if we are stuck with most of the old guard Fontaine, Foster, Kilkenny and to a slightly lesser degree Nyatanga, yes not the best CB but at least he seems to try, We will be up ****creek without a paddle before the season starts. I want and pray for City to do well and I look forward to every match hoping we will win but these players who couldn't give a tinkers about the club and its fans really get to me, after all like all real fans I think this is my club it will be here after those nonentities have quit playing so show some respect for the people paying your wages.
No, it obviously goes very deep. Managers have pulled the wool over SL's and the Board's eyes about spending money on transfer fees, loan deals and above all, excessively high wages, just because all football managers seem to believe that spending lots of money is the only way to get improvement in the team. They all had enough money for big fees, high salaries with the exception of SO'D and a fat lot of good it did them because none were able to motivate those who did not want to be motivated - a significant number of the playing squad. As Director of Football, surely Keith Burt now has control of the football matters, although of course he will not do anything that SO'D is not in total agreement with. What is your thinking EnderMB, in asking for a tour of the USA? I agree about paying off some of the playing staff, the ones that have been here for too many years. Those who have arrived in the last eighteen months are not tainted like those in previous comment, but are saleable and I don't have any problem about who is sold or who stays, whether they stay of their own volition or leave because they don't like their new wage and league status. Your last point is the only way we can hope to recover from the mess that we're in. Rebuild a good solid, concrete base on which to support the club in the future. The "Sand Dune" philosophy of the past five years must never return.
Investment does fix a football team. One only needs to look at Man City to see the success you can bring with the right manager and a ton of cash. Cardiff nearly ruined themselves, but now they're a Premier League team. I don't like spending outside of our means, but I'd argue that it is sometimes necessary if the capital is there. It's quite hard for a lot of Bristol City fans that know Lansdown's wealth to sit back and see us spend so little when just with the tax savings he's made this year we could probably get Premier League football. It sucks, but it's the reality of football. The likes of Monaco will spend out of their ass to do well in Ligue 1, Cardiff will blow money they'll never earn to stay in the Premier League. Everyone that can spend will spend. The squad has been trimming since the Millen days. He should, but the recent tour to Botswana makes me think otherwise. Lansdown has had his hand in a few transfers at the club, and I'd be shocked if SOD and Burt had the final say in who comes to the club. There are countless reasons why I'd send the team on a tour of the USA: The level of football is a bit above what we play, if we manage to play a match against one of their top tier teams. Also, they'll be reaching the end of their league season, whereas we'll be getting into match fitness. It'll be a good test, and one the players will need to work hard on. Portsmouth went over there during their Championship days, and really struggled. Despite what most think, many of their teams get a ton of fans in. Some of their teams have attendances that would most of the Premier League teams. Even their second tier would be a good match-up for some of our players The facilities over there are fantastic, and spending some time on tour and training around the country would be a great challenge. It would be a fantastic scouting mission for Burt and SOD. The culture over there celebrates players that move abroad, and historically we've been linked with a number of players over there. I reckon that we could land a player or two on the cheap, and if Lansdown sells the club and the ambition to them we could land some real talent. On the player front, due to their salary cap a lot of their players are pretty cheap. We could probably land a young Mexican or American player for around £200k, and a wage that fits our wage cap. It's a great country for some of the young players to visit. Marketing! When the foreign teams come over on the summer the stadiums usually fill out. Surely a businessman like Lansdown can sort out some opportunities for the club in a place like America. Absolutely, although your sand dune analogy is spot on, and from what I've seen I see us rebuilding on similar foundations.
Sorry have to add one other point with the financial restrictions in L1 stating that wages and transfers can not be more than 60% of turnover opening the chequebook for unlimited signings of players and coaches is not an option unless we want to risk points deductions before the season even starts.
Very true Hawk, and at present it will not be easy to predict what our annual turnover will be for the financial year starting 1st July 2013 ending 30th June 2014. I understand from what I've read about FFP, that the Club have to make regular reports on income/expenditure throughout the financial year to the Football League so that they can continually control all clubs finances. Thus for example, Bristol City could set a budget for the year of £8 million income with a wages bill cap at 60% equalling £4.8 million. If attendance revenue is lower than expected after three months, the Football League would be telling the club to rein in wage costs. Should attendances be higher, a good cup run for instance, the club would have some room to add another player or two to the staff. The rules are different in the Championship and different again in the Premier and that is why Cardiff will be doing what you say Ender. But even if Steve Lansdown wanted to shovel in £10 million, it would lead to such a points deduction, that we'd get relegated instead of winning promotion. The reality now is that by being in League One, financially we are between a very big rock and an equally immense hard place. SL can only "invest" money into the Academy as that does not count for FFP rules. So it will need everyone pulling in the same direction to lift us out of it. It may take longer than some of our fellow City fans want or expect.
If attendance revenue is lower than expected after three months, the Football League would be telling the club to rein in wage costs. Should attendances be higher, a good cup run for instance, the club would have some room to add another player or two to the staff. I cannot see how this would work, how you can you lower a players wage once they are contracted for a set period. The only possible way would be to adjust the wage budget at that end of each season. This may be a good move as clubs would not have long contracts, or perhaps build in a performance clause, how good would that be?
It works by informing the club that they can not bring in any more players to the club until they are at or below the level of 60% if the club fails to try and reduce the bill in some way in the next transfer window I think they get another transfer embargo on signing players plus a points deduction. I've tried to wade through the regulations any number of times but there are so many opt out clauses written in sheer gobbledegook that I can't be totally certain that I am right but I think that it is close to the truth IF anything written down subject to legal dispute can ever be said to be truth that is. I have no doubt that a club or clubs have already found ways round these restrictions but they will not make them public or they would be giving away their advantage.
