John Pemberton: Bristol City players and staff have closed ranks behind head coach Lee Johnson By a_stockhausen | John Pemberton says players and staff have closed ranks behind head coach Lee Johnson. Engaged in his first full season of management in the Championship, City's young head coach has come under increased pressure during a run of poor results which saw the Robins sustain a club-record eight consecutive defeats in the Championship between December 10 and January 21. There have been calls from those City fans who have lost patience and fear relegation for Johnson to be dismissed, and club majority shareholder Steve Lansdown felt the need to come out and reiterate his backing for the head coach last month. But Pemberton insists those within the club have and are continuing to demonstrate a united front in the face of external pressure. He told the Post: "The run we've been on means things have been difficult, but I think he (Johnson) has handled it brilliantly. please log in to view this image "We were going all right at the start of the season, playing well and picking up results and everything was easy. But the run we've had since then has been difficult. "He has shut out the negative things and got on with the job in hand. He has a hard-working staff behind him and he recognises that. There are a lot of people behind the scenes who have tried to take work off him, so he can focus and concentrate on what is important." He added: "There is no reason why we should have anything but a united front here. Although the run says otherwise, we've not been a million miles away. "People hear that and say 'what's he talking about? He's lost 11 out of 12!' But we're not an 11 out of 12 club, we don't have an 11 out of 12 atmosphere around the place and we don't have an 11 out of 12 dressing room. "That's why we don't get too down when we lose a game and come back into work, because it is fine margins. If you are not united, you will not come through it. "You cannot be fragmented as a club and that is one thing we are not. We are absolutely tight-knit and we trust people to do their jobs." http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/8203-j...-lee-johnson/story-30124431-detail/story.html
There must be some prolems in the camp for JP to come out and say we have all closed ranks behind head coach Lee Johnson. He has gone very quiet of late and he was becoming a absolute boring little twat with all of the waffle he was spouting. By the way I am one of the ignorant few that wants him to stay and succeed but Bristol City much are bigger than him, so many more defeats and he has clearly got to go.
Why should there be? I sometimes think that people can read too much into what others have said. It may be the case that all of the staff at the club are really pissed off, not only with the way things are going, but the things that some the general public are saying!! I know, you pays your money, you makes your choice, and the paying public want results; but that doesn't necessarily stop the group being totally united behind junior and JP.
Each day I get a little later visiting 606 .. mainly because of the constant reiterations on a number of similar threads that you have to plough through to see if any thing is of importance..... First article today @1400hrs JP ..I think we are lucky to have a geezer like JP ...with all the media, like forums, twatter, faceache and the occasional IQ zero that hangs poorly constructed banners from fences and bridges it is hard to avoid what is going on or said ..... you say there must be some problems in the camp as if it is something sinister? his explanation is pretty clear, they know the score and how close it is to maybe have been at least 7 or 8 points higher in the table ( 11 losses without looking 10 by 1 goal 2 games where threw 3 goals away)... it is the constant "we do not want to listen/ do not understand what is being said brigade that continually bombards negative s*** all the time that must gradually have the seams creaking ... GOOD ON JP and the statement and the solidarity of the City management ... hope we get 6 points from the next 15 ....................... I would love SL come out and say LEE will be in charge when we play game 46!
If he does say that (however unlikely) and we then get relegated, you know we'll all blame you don't you ?
Let's be fair the whole set up is closed ranks,because their jobs are on the line. All of them. The facts are this football club,under the current management, have created the worst losing run in BCFC history. With the most expensive squad in the history of BCFC. So JP can waffle all he likes,but the facts show we are in a bad way. These next 4 away games will be defining,in where we end up come the seasons end.
IF we did go down Ashton would probably move to a bigger club Johnson would disappear never to be seen again and Lansdown…..? Anyway, its all academic because we will NOT go down ! In fact I am optimistic about what happens next
I think it's understandable that someone in the club would state something like this. Whenever there is a bad run, the fans and the press start talking about the manager losing the dressing room, but is it really happening? Who knows. The players may love LJ for all we know. Of course, after every defeat I don't imagine the dressing room is a party zone, but that doesn't necessarily mean the dressing room is lost. That's something that the fans are assuming.
It's just as likely we'll get points from these tough away games, better teams occasionally take lesser teams lightly. They can say they're taking it professionally but sometimes it just can't be helped. Junior will stay in his job, stay up and we'll be having the same conversation next season. After spending another umpteen million this summer. We'll limp on, stagnate and City fans will continue in separate camps until SL finally sacks LJ. SL won't like it but - Unite behind Junior ? Dreamland.
I'm sorry BRR - I am trying but I can't get your faith. I HOPE like mad that we will turn it around - I digest all the little scraps of fairytale that we are thrown 'we haven't been stuffed by anyone' etc, but the few games I have seen in the flesh have been dismal displays of football by a team that has already accepted defeat. I will always defend LJ against personal abuse - I believe he really is doing his best, but it's clearly not good enough. The professional criticisms are valid and I really believe that sadly, barring a miracle akin to the virgin birth, he isn't going to be the man to turn us around. The one thing though, as a city fan for over 40 years, I am used to this feeling of frustration, so I have learned to control and live with it over the years.
But I would have expected some points if we had won 4 of the last 10,,sadly I don't see any in the next 4/5 matches.
