I have all my life been a "glass half empty" City supporter. The sort to whom " Always Believe" meant the total opposite to it's meaning as coined by Basso. But suddenly last July and August, like many others, I found an optimism that has rarely figured in my football supporting career. I even forecast in July 2014 before a ball had been kicked in anger, that we would end up as League One Champions. And we did! So why am feeling so pessimistic? A threadbare squad. A Club where everyone is saying less to the fans than the Russians under Stalin. A new stadium in progress yet issues with seats where you cannot see a significant portion of the pitch. I have had a summer of living in a building site at home. Will the innards of the South Stand be the same on 15th of August? Losing to Yeovil last night. I know it is only a friendly, to get players match fit. But if we cannot beat a team who were awful last season and now two leagues below us, how will we cope with Derby, Boro et all? Anybody got a remedy?
We lost to Weston-super-mare last season and look how that went. I'm the same. I'm not feeling anywhere near as confident as I was at the end of last season. I fear that we've either grossly underestimated the strength of this league, or that we are unable to compete financially at the bottom of the Championship, and as such will plateau as a good League 1 team. For me, Cotterill's post-match talk was one that made me read between the lines. He acknowledged that the squad is threadbare, and he said that "for reasons he won't get into" there weren't any signings made at the end of last season. With that being said, last season Cotterill was happy to largely not use his subs, so if we can ensure that there are no injuries we could probably stay up this season. Without signings, I doubt we'll do any better than bare survival. The remedy? Wait until we've played ten games. After that, we'll know what position we're truly in.
Lansdown has said in the fairly recent past that we the fans should prepare ourselves for the Premiership. Now Lansdown doesn't come across as some ridiculous dreamer, and he has been involved in football for many years now so I don't suppose he is under any illusions what is required to turn a good League 1 team into Premiership newcomers. So maybe he has seen an advanced, updated estimate for the new stadium, and it hurts
That sort of scenario does not stack up. If £40 million changes to £45 million that is a comparatively small difference for a man of his wealth. And if he is now penny pinching on the wages front, and I don't mean paying silly amounts, that does not stack up either. He needs two successful clubs using the stadium, playing at the highest levels in their respective sports, to bring in a good return on the £40 million investment. Penny pinching now will ensure that Bris stay in their Championship and City either flirt with relegation from the Championship every season, or even worse drp back to the joys of Gillingham and Chesterfield. PS. Over what period would he want to recover his investment in the stadium? Probably between ten and fifteen?
I know He above most would understand the concept of speculate to accumulate With the present squad I think we will do well to avoid relegation, which is slightly crazy considering what happened last season
'With the present squad I think we will do well to avoid relegation' Just as well you weren't at Yeovil last night Rickster. My Yeovil mate reckoned they had more possession in the first 10 minutes against us than in the entire 90 against Bournemouth on Tuesday. However, it was a 'friendly' and unwise to make to much of the performance. Listening to SC after was more concerning, was it me or did he sound pi**ed off.
Has our partially saved ship run aground? I have noticed some scenarios over the summer that are pure Bristol City so I have some concerns, unknown as yet, that take my red mind back to the days when Coppell arrived with great fanfare and then it all fell apart quickly. If we are to compete with the tougher opposition up in the Championship then we should be prepared to dip our feet in the water at sometime rather than sit back and make excuses for the lack of transfer activity. We never did hear the real truth about Coppell and I am very concerned about what is happening, or more to the point what is not happening, which makes me think that we either cannot, or won't, spend the kind of money that is necessary to build a competitive team at the new level. Surely if a team has higher aspirations, as we do, then doesn't it make sense to have all your ducks (players) in a row well before the season kicks off in order to get off to a good start before the injuries and other impediments come to the fore. I'm starting to believe that we can't compete with the other clubs in the financial stakes and even worse that we have disappeared from the bucket list of most players, although I don't ever think BS3 was a destination of choice for moaning hordes of footballers. The club's website offers no consolation in the hope department and we have become, yet again, a uncommunicative organisation that alienates itself from the masses who bleed red from the heart. I can remember the headlines on the back page of the Western Daily press many years ago when we last rose from the ashes of League One - Pride of the West - and I hope those faded dreams don't come back and haunt us again. Forgive me but I am worried we could be heading down a well trodden path at Ashton Gate, and that is disappointment, after what was a wonderful tonic to the faithful and many of us believed the tide had turned if you looked at all the happenings with Bristol City over the last year. Just finished my morning cup of coffee in my City mug and I do that when I am expecting good news of my beloved club, so this morning I woke up to the non news about the players who apparently were supposed to be joining our fight this season. What happened overnight - nothing - and that may speak volumes about where we go from here which leads me to have my concerns. I have never expected us to spend millions of pounds on over-hyped additions to the squad but someone must realise that money will need to be spent at some point in time to boost our chances of staying put and cementing our spot in the Championship unlike the last time the pride of the west sank quite quickly after a good first season. This is not how I expected to end my week so let's get this show on the road Steve(s) please.
PS. I could see that our thoughts are on the same wavelength cidered abroad and it seems to be what we didn't want to see after the lovely day at Wembley. Enjoy.
I don't read too much into pre season friendly results, but am growing concerned that our competitors are buying and buying and we've not really done much business, considering how small our squad already is, and that one of our strikers is already injured and will miss the start of the season, and that we've also let other players go.... I expect a very very tough season ahead and I hope the players are bracing themselves for some lessons, as they will surely get quite a few from the stronger teams in the Championship at home and away. I also hope SC is keeping their feet firmly on the floor. We ended up walking away with L1, but what we are entering here is probably the worlds most competitive league, and whilst I'm really pleased we are there, I want us to be able to compete from the off, and if we can't, then the feel good factor since SC came in will vanish very quickly. Whether we are not offering the money, or whether players just don't fancy it remains to be seen, but we're a week from the big kick off and it all feels very flat and as things stand I reckon we might struggle big time.
With the right signings it should be easier than it will be if no-one else arrives. What we already have may continue to surprise and delight us, but I am growing more concerned. SC is also visibly frustrated which isn't a good sign as that message and body language will reach the players.
obviously with no signings, but I think again we City fans get carried away with a bit of success, and start thinking we are as good as any (bigger) clubs in this league and top 6 is a given. We as fans are a nightmare for over expectation, and thus why I worry about the doom and gloom merchants bringing the place down even more than it is or needs to be at the present moment!
