Steve Lansdown on Bristol City's season ambitions, reinvesting Bobby Reid fee and Premier League timescale The full transcript from the owner's interview ahead of the Nottingham Forest game Bristol City owner Steve Lansdown has set out his ambitions for the 2018/19 season in an interview with BBC Radio Bristol. Speaking ahead of the opening day 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest in front of 23,000 plus supporters, Lansdown discussed the summer recruitment and his Premier League dream for Bristol City. Here's everything the Robins chief had to say in his interview with Geoff Twentyman. Thoughts on the new season? We know how long the season is. I suppose the way we faded away towards the end of last season haunts you a little bit. "You want to get yourself in position first and the first game is always exciting. We have Nottingham Forest here and they have spent a lot of money rejuvenating their squad. You're asking how are we going to perform against them, how are the new players going to perform so it's always an exciting moment but then we all know it's a long slog ahead. The summer business and losing Reid I think the squad is stronger now. I think we have more strength in depth this year and that will stand us in good stead. Obviously, Bobby Reid has gone and he was lively and gave us the spark last year. I'll miss watching him play this year but I feel we have benefited from being able to take that money and reinvest it into the squad and just be stronger. How the recruitment has been different this summer Particularly with Andreas Weimann as a prime example that was one where he was on a list where it would be nice to have someone like him but we never thought we'd get there. But then the opportunity came up. I like the think that we have our philosophy are bringing the academy players through and creating that pathway which is still working very well. Our recruitment is then based on finding those younger players like Hakeeb Adelakun's of this world. But when the opportunity comes to strengthen the squad in an area where we can afford to do it we will as we need that blend of experience and youth. please log in to view this image Andreas Weimann of Bristol City celebrates scoring against Nottingham Forest I look at Jamie Paterson as a young player who we have brought who is still evolving and like Marlon Pack, he's signed a new contract with us now. Marlon has been with us four or five years but he's still a young man who is developing with us and is a very experienced player in the position. When we started this journey we had an abundance of a younger player and they have now gained that experience and we can bring in young players to complement it. Our underbelly with Lee Johnson is the under-23s and we have some exciting players there. You want the more experienced players to help bring them on as well. Who will replace Reid's and Flint's goals We've probably had this conversation over the last two years and someone has come up with 20 goals. The reality is that who knows who is going to do it if it is Famara or Andreas but we have goals in the side. Look at the squad today and we have people who can put the ball in the back of the net. It's about having the confidence to do it on a regular basis and that's the exciting thing to look forward to. His verdict on the Championship I think it a stronger level of football than last year. It's always strong especially with all the teams who are still getting parachute payments. When you look at the likes of Brentford, Preston and ourselves we all competed well last year and finished in the top half of the table and that is what it is all about. It's about unity in the squad and working hard at what you do. I think that whatever level you are you have a chance in this league, injuries are key, keeping your squad fit, but also working very hard at what we do. please log in to view this image Bristol City majority shareholder Steve Lansdown Would he spend £25m like Forest this summer? I have spent quite a bit over the years. I think that's the point, you have to build. Forest found themselves in a very difficult position and need a vital shake-up. If I was taking over Forest I would be expecting to do a significant investment earlier on and then build on it. I think that is what they are hoping will be the case. It happened with Wolves last year. What are the ambitions for the season? Lee asked me that at the end of last season as we were going through planning for the summer. My answer was that we have to finish higher than eleventh as we have to keep making progress. I obviously like to feel we'll be in the top half of the division, competing for the play-offs and maybe if we get it really right we could be heading for the top two.We were second in the table in December time and we know we can be up there. We just need to get that consistency and stay up there For me, that's the exciting part of this season, are we going to learn the lessons? Are we going to be better in that regard? Are we able to dig out that dirty win and get those points on the board, more so than we did last year? How soon does he want to the be in the Premier League? I reminded of the players earlier that I'm not getting any younger and I'd quite like to get there as quickly as possible. That's not to say I am expecting it this year but I'd like to say that we'd have the opportunity to and we'd be in with a shout. Then it's just a case of whether we can get it or not, we'll keep working and building. One of the things I'm so pleased with here is that we are making that progress. The crowd we are getting in today is a testament to what is happening here and the belief people have in what we are doing. I don't want to put pressure on people and say it has to be this year. If it's not this year then we'll be working at it again next year https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport...s/steve-lansdown-bristol-citys-season-1864970
Ambitions ~ Finish higher than 11th, Top half for the playoff's, in with a shout for promotion. Bare minimum,that will do me but I really want us to go for it, grab the opportunity, demand ambition, go for promotion but then it's not my money.
So Forest have spent £25million and apparently (LJ) have good players. How much has LJ spent since he's been here ? Have they bought a few quality players where we've spent our money on a quantity of players ? Quality over quantity, there's the quandary. TBF I don't think we'll ever get 'there', we can't ever compete with the big boys in the Championship. Yeh, you can mention Swansea or Bournemouth, but us - really. We had a chance last Christmas after the Kodija and Bolasie money, but sorry to say I don't believe we'll be in that position again.
I think Redprints point is we should have used the money to ADD to the squad , the fact we’ve now even more money is kind of irrelevant because we’ve lost our 3 best players. I can see both points , but we are where we are , all 3 wanted away , so we are better off without them. Onwards and upwards.
Slowly, slowly catchee monkey in my book. LJ hasn’t yet taken us to the promised land - but only one man ever did and that was 42 years ago. I obviously hope desperately that we do make it and I genuinely believe that one day soon we will - maybe not under LJ but we will get there. The most important thing for me is not to fall back into League 1. I’m pissed off with that horrible horrible league and have spent most of my adult life as a city fan watching us play in it!!
Just out of interest ~ He took over as manager in the March 1905 after Hollis departed and steered the club to English football's top flight at the first attempt. The most crucial decision he made was probably the re-signing of Billy Wedlock, who had left the club in 1901. please log in to view this image please log in to view this image https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Thickitt
Come off it Wiz, we're renowned for not wanting to go for it when golden opportunities arise - Seasons 2008/9 and 2017/18 tell their own story. In both we were well placed at Xmas, and on both occasions we failed to recruit the quality necessary to get us over the line The owner is quite happy with us being a second tier club.
It does seem that way. Our departures and incomings are at best disappointing. Or is he happy with a puppet doing his bidding.
Perhaps our lack of desire has reached the time where the good players all leave and the replacements seem to lack the experience to get us where we are told we want to be in the next 5 years. As you say we have had golden opportunities to get there by way of an automatic spot but for some unexplained reason we never go to the market looking for the right things and end up getting disappointed again. WHY?
Because I truly believe that deep down Lansdown doesn't want it, or to put it another way, is more than happy to see us as a medium sized fish in a fairly large pond, as opposed to a tiddler lost in the ocean if we ever went up. . If he did want it as badly as he supposedly does, then surely he and the 'management' would have heeded the lesson of 2008/9 to ensure there was no repeat last season. The fact that he/they didn't, speaks volumes for me.
The fact he brought in LJ says everything. A pathetic CV and a yes man puppet easy to manipulate. Lansdown has thrown money at LJ, hemorrhaging after Engvall and Djuric, but lucky that pre LJ signings are keeping us solvent. The family silver is gone, the pressure is on.
That 'family silver' was polished up by LJ, before that they were rotting away, we would never have got close to a combined £20million for those under Cotterill's mangement, as proven by the fact this time last year Flint and Bryan were being linked to Brum for £5Million combined..... This season they went for £12Million combined, I'd say that covers the losses on Engvall and Durjic!! https://www.not606.com/threads/harry-makes-reported-bids-£5m-for-both-flinty-joe-bryan.350841/ Yes he's bought some duds, what manager hasn't? I'd just like to add that we doubled our money on Hordur when he left!!! In 2008 we didn't go for it at all, bringing in Adegoaless was a very poor decision, LJ's mistake was he brought in quantity over quality, however the horrific injury scenario would have played in to that, I think the signings might have been different if he wasn't trying to plug so many gaps.
The difference between 2008 time v now is night and day. Back then we had an old stadium, a strategy of signing players on high wages which in the long-term is more dangerous for the club, the manager's brother as a scouting 'network', an old training ground, and absolutely no record of playing youth for the past 4 or so seasons. Compare that with a new ground and training facilities, a much better scouting network, youth players coming through with a genuinely exciting pool of youth talent, and selling players for tens of millions of pounds. Yes we've spent more, and yes we're still mid-Championship. But in an industry where every other club has invested millions, we're no different, and if you're so blinkered as to only see results on the pitch as progress, then you must have completely missed the progression over the past 10 years. Ultimately all you can do is invest wisely to give yourself the best chance of progress on the field. LJ-appointment aside, I'd say we've spent wisely for the most part. To just brush aside the fact that we've made millions from Bryan and Reid as simply saying 'oh but LJ didn't sign them' is rubbish. If he was that bad there's no way they would have improved as they have under him.
My reply above agrees with the progress aspect, As for the spending well, like all spending you get something for your money, whether it does the job, partly does the job or does the job and sell on for a gain ...whether same price more or even for less but it saved you something is always the risk you take …. In a roundabout way it would be good to say LJ has earned his corn over the past 2 seasons. YES we have bought and sold for a loss [ profit ] BUT had we not speculated on these players who would have filled in as reserves or U 23'S ETC? they cant all be academy players …. PEEPS LABOUR ON ABOUT Engvall, for a great amount of time he was on loan so had his wages paid/part paid so in a way the loss was not so dramatic. EVERYONE ON HERE does something similar they buy something that has an important bit to play, but at the end it is worthless, and they have to buy again, then repeat for most of their lives... occasionally there is something at the end be it a profit or small loss! ==== WHAT IS IT?
It's interesting - when you're buying youth talent on the 'cheap' (lets say sub £2m) v proven talent at £10m+, you're always going to have misses, but ultimately you only need 1 to 'hit'. You could spend £10m buying 4 players, if you get a Kodjia every time you're still in profit, despite only a 25% success ratio.
Supcon. Cotterill signed Kodjia and we made umpteen millions, by the way Flint spent as much time under Cotterill as LJ. And ask Joe Bryan his opinion of Cotterill, so I don't buy the polishing argument at all. If your 'polishing' argement holds water then I'd better not mention Engvall and Djuric. However I will reconsider the 'polishing' argument when LJ's signings produce profit. And I think you need to revisit below :