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The Way Forward

Discussion in 'Bristol City' started by wizered, Nov 28, 2015.

  1. wizered

    wizered Ol' Mucker
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    I like to think I am an honest bloke, I have supported the City since I was a kid, everything that has been said to me from the gaffer and his boss I believed, why do I feel so pissed off..

    I have seen Ashton Gate change and develop and I accept the fact it's a rugby ground as well, I've got used to all the other business connections we are now lucky enough to be part of, namely Bristol Sports, I must say it doesn't make me happy but it does seem to please Steve L and all of his cohorts.

    My worry is all of our history, good and bad, our football culture, our connection to our club, our personal love and feelings is being sacrificed for the ambition of the big buck.

    We all new we were heading for promotion, so why the massive cock up of pre season, the balls up of signings, the obvious lack of planning and knowledge of loan signings good or bad, other clubs with less resources, smaller fan base and smaller spend have made us look stupid, we offer £8m and £6m for strikers and later in the season we cannot afford to sign loan players because we can't bust the budget for players in other areas.

    I don't deny the pride I have in our development but it is not just for Bristol City FC, it's a shared way forward with other formats, we are struggling, we are at the bottom part of our league, all the waffle in the world cannot justify our predicament, our football club is shrinking compared with the competition and it's shameful.

    I'm a member of a large group of city boys or men, we love our club and have done all of our lives and the faith for our club is still strong but where are we going and at the moment, that doesn't look good.

    Just tell us the way forward on and off the pitch, a reasonable request as long as it's not down.
     
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    Last edited: Nov 28, 2015
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  2. invermeremike

    invermeremike Well-Known Member

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    Right on the mark there wiz and if our past history is anything to go by then don't expect any changes in the near future. Ashton Gate is the home of Bristol City and all these add-ons haven't appeared to have solved any of the footballing's side issues. Clearly we knew that promotion was ours last season and by my judgement, despite all the assurances from those who count, the planning for what was ahead and the reason for promotion being so important got lost, or ignored, during the off season.

    I understand that we don't get the parachute payments of so many of our competitors and that the FFP restrictions hamper our ability to delve deep into the transfer market but never the less we should have done a better job of understanding what was required and done something to shore up the squad. Promotion hasn't done us any favours if we go straight back down and start over again, so why didn't we do a better job of building on last year's success? When I look at the role models offered up by a lot of other teams with a smaller catchment area than us it makes me wonder whether we will ever be up to the task of achieving what our leaders tell us is the plan. To complete a plan you have to have a plan in the first place and totally believe in when and how you will get there.

    I am not so sure anymore as to whether Bristol City has that mindset.
     
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  3. cidered abroad

    cidered abroad Well-Known Member

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    I can't add anything to those two posts. After our first season of glory in decades, we seem to be meekly willing to return to our comfortable home in League One.

    Well, I for one will not be joining them there. Enough is enough.
     
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  4. Supcon72

    Supcon72 Well-Known Member

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    Still a long way to go Gents, keep the faith!! Admittedly a very poor result yesterday, but we can survive. The truth is we have several players who have not stepped up to this level, despite starring last year, Flint, Smith, Freeman, Bryan, Pack, the list goes on. The board have a lot of work to do in turning this around.

    January will be very key, do we shift some of these on and go for broke in staying in this division and bring in players we know will leave if it fails, or do we stick with what we have and take the view that if we do go down, we are very well set to bounce back.
    Letting JET go looks an even bigger mistake now than it did in the summer......
     
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  5. cidered abroad

    cidered abroad Well-Known Member

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    There is never any guarantee of a quick return from the depths.
    Once again Sheff U are hardly setting League One alight and I for one, do not want to spend time and money for third tier football yet again.
     
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  6. RedorDead

    RedorDead Well-Known Member

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    You will, it's painful at the moment but if and I mean if (as I don't think we will) go back into the third tier. You will stay loyal and still go, just as you did when we got to the basement division.

    We all thought that 90% of our players could cut it in this league. None of us expected Freeman to struggle who was possibly the factor in letting JET go as they played in similar roles. I didn't think for one minute he would struggle and he's been dire this season. Flint I thought would do it but he needed Baker to steady him. Smith is just starting to feel his feet in this division.
    Pack came good towards the end of last season, but this is the area that is the one to concern me during the close season. I don't think we got another Wade Elliott in the team, someone who the rest of the team relied on. If you remember even though he wasn't in the team towards the last part of the season if we was playing crap Cotterill last season send on Elliott and he calmed them down again.

    I've got faith that this will be addressed in the January window. It's just a shame that loan signings seem to be going the way of normal signings now with a fee attached. Previously you choose a player not in the starting line up for their team and they just discussed wages. Now it's wages plus a signing fee.
     
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  7. Red Robin

    Red Robin Well-Known Member

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    If he is not going to give cox a chance,what is the point in him being here,sitting here in Monaco reading these snips and seeing the result yesterday.
    A team sat below us blowing us away it does not make good reading.
    Sorry to say but pre season was a joke,the loan signings apart from Baker have been strange,SC has been blinkered so far this season,sorry but I expected a great season after last year,but it has been embarrassing with two crazy bids for panic signings.
    Unless the owner, and manager change things, the club will be back in league One next season.
    So far the club went 3 steps forwards,then 100 steps back.
     
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    Last edited: Nov 30, 2015
  8. cidered abroad

    cidered abroad Well-Known Member

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    No ROD, I have decided that I do not want to watch any more League One or even Two. I've slowed down quite noticeably in the last three years and feel very tired after a trip to Ashton Gate. If I have seen a good match, win lose or draw, I can put up with the fatigue but what I am watching now does not inspire me very much.
    Maybe it's time to call it a day and follow from afar? It's not a case of giving up on them but 66 years and eight relegations will be enough for me as I really do feel that the Club have dropped too much mushroom compost on all of us since that great finale to last season.
     
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  9. Angelicnumber16

    Angelicnumber16 Well-Known Member

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    The signs were there from the opening day of the season when we were totally outplayed and outfought by Sheffield Wednesday. Aside from the victory at Middlesbrough, the other results since have generally been poor even if some performances have been encouraging, but they haven't got results.

    We are back to drawing too many games, and the teams we need to be taking 3 points from at home, and hopefully away, we are failing to beat. Rotherham, MK Dons, Preston, Rotherham, Bolton and all. I'm not surprised we lost at Rotherham, but 3-0 however you look at it is a hammering. Basic mistakes by seasoned professionals keep being made.

    I didn't think this season would be a repeat of the last time we came up to this level, but I laid my trust in the Board and Manager that we would at least be competitive and finish in mid table anonymity. I am not pointing the finger at SC for the vast majority of our failings. He can only work with what he has at his disposal, and as the saying goes, you can't polish a turd.

    Too many of our players who continue to play in the first team due to lack of serious competition are simply not up to this level. Flint, Pack, Ayling, Freeman, Fielding, Wilbs, Agard, and others.

    I still hope that there are 3 worse teams than us in this division, but we have to seriously up our game in the second half of the season and try to attract better players in January which could be very difficult if we're in the bottom 3.

    Relegation WILL be a total disaster for the club and the city.
     
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  10. Cliftonville

    Cliftonville Well-Known Member

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    With all due respect you have answered your own question.

    In future Bristol Sport x Ashton Gate will create more money for BCFC to spend and if Mr Lansdown sees fit lose far larger sums of cash again as well = More cash for squad building.

    At this point City cannot spend "MUCH" more due to FFP, and the risk of a transfer embargo. Willfully spending cash to create a punishable loss is self defeating.

    Promotion has meant the ground is full, better opposition and no club is relegated in November. It was always going to be tough. enjoy the ride.

    This sentence is uneven "My worry is all of our history, good and bad, our football culture, our connection to our club, our personal love and feelings is being sacrificed for the ambition of the big buck" ... City have less resources than virtually all of the division. Big bucks are what are needed.The alternative to the status quo is not realistic because Bristol City have no assets, are not fan owned and Steve Lansdown controls the club full stop ... Generally fans appear happy with it.
     
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  11. Red Robin

    Red Robin Well-Known Member

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    relegation must not happen,soooooo damaging with this big new stadium going up.
    could be down in league 1 for a long while if it happened.
    as it stands on games played so far, it would go down to the last game of the season.
     
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  12. Cliftonville

    Cliftonville Well-Known Member

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    Why would relegation be soooooo damaging with this big new stadium happening?
     
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  13. wizered

    wizered Ol' Mucker
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    With due respect I wrote as I felt, things are going wrong, fans are pissed off, we are in a crap position and whilst I'm a fan of Mr Lansdown and I know he hasn't but if he expressed an attitude as you've described about his ownership, the relationship between club and fans would be greatly diminished and attendances would decrease, a football club's support and fan base is not in the ownership of anyone except the supporters themselves and that is the biggest asset of all.

    I will repeat myself again, pre - season was a total shambolic state of affairs, our stupid offers of £6m and £8m was due to the obvious lack of planning, the lack of knowledge displayed of loan signings good or bad is obvious, other clubs with less resources, smaller fan base and smaller spend have made us look stupid, our lowly position is a disgrace.

    I will also say again, I don't deny the pride I have in our development but it is not just for Bristol City FC, it's a shared way forward with other formats, we are struggling, we are at the bottom part of our league, all the waffle in the world cannot justify our predicament, our football club is shrinking compared with the competition and it's shameful.

    Now I'm writing this as I feel, any emotive mistakes, wrong grammar, sentences wrongly written are not intended but I don't think anybody cares less.
     
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  14. Red Robin

    Red Robin Well-Known Member

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    errrrr success creates foot fall,which in turn creates income,which in turn allows a business to expand/improve.
    going back to league one at the first hurdle will affect revenue.

    certainly will not need 27000 seats unless he can fill it up with concerts, or shows, week in week out.
    Look at the ricoh a fantastic complex, just not required at present by coventry city fc.
    They are looking at generating income from other sources at present as the football side is not generating the income they expected.
     
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  15. Angelicnumber16

    Angelicnumber16 Well-Known Member

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    There are some big fixtures between now and Xmas and we need to get some points on the board. And not draws ! Better off losing 1 and winning 1 rather than 2 draws.
     
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  16. Cliftonville

    Cliftonville Well-Known Member

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    Sorry but the ownership of BCFC is in the hands of Mr Lansdown as its majority shareholder. the ownership of other assets are under Bristol City holdings - Bristol Sport all under the ownership of Pula = Steve Lansdown. Fans in the main are comfortable with that relationship.

    The clubs pre season spending + debts + losses it will have is understandable. BCFC have less income than most of the division, which in turn means Mr Lansdown has less leeway to lose even more of his wealth under financial fair play.

    Mr Cotterill could have created a squad of 30+ players, many of whom would not be of an adequate standard, the club could lose circa £13million under FFP, but that is where BCFC have been before.

    As it is it appears Mr Cotterill could have a few more millions to spend yet, waiting for value v Hunts and El Abd's who cost millions appears prudent. This option still means more heavy financial losses.
     
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  17. Cliftonville

    Cliftonville Well-Known Member

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  18. Cliftonville

    Cliftonville Well-Known Member

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    Coventry and the Ricoh!! Odd comparison.

    City's attendances do not cover the wage bill, not even close hence the redevelopment. The redevelopment will go some way towards closing the gap, if Mr Lansdown sees fit to the the FC in that manner. Mr Lansdown may choose to lose larger sums offset by the extra income created.The increase through the gate is marginal, and boxes for next season regardless of league position have been sold out..

    Yes the stadium doe snot really need 27000 seats, which is why forty plus million has NOT been spent on increasing capacity by 5000 just for football.
     
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  19. Angelicnumber16

    Angelicnumber16 Well-Known Member

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    If the worst did happen and we went down, we'd certainly lose Kodjia, and that's assuming someone doesn't come in and prise him away from us in January anyway, and the magic ingredient we had last season wouldn't necessarily work again even if the rest of the squad stayed together.

    Relegation is not something we would willingly want to consider.
     
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  20. wizered

    wizered Ol' Mucker
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    I am not trying to gobbledegook you but I don't question the ownership, financial aspects or title of the club in any way but the support and fan base is in the hands of and belongs strictly to the supporters and fans of the clubs, football, rugby, basketball, motor sport, that is the biggest asset of all, if they ignore that it will be at their cost.
     
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    Last edited: Nov 30, 2015

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