Bristol City's season has been a disaster from day one but with two underlying positives Our fan columnist's final review of the 2020/21 campaign highlights the emergence of young talent ... and the fact Bristol City are somehow still a Championship team https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/bristol-citys-season-been-disaster-5394460 Good bang on article, some of the stats mentioned really make you think, have a browse. 'There is no doubt that injuries have played a massive part in our season, again Ryan pointing out that the playing squad have missed a combined 567 games this season through injury. After the Brentford defeat, Nigel Pearson highlighted the availability of players and the baseline fitness of the squad not being high enough and he is bang on. The club must hold a full inquiry, just how much can be made public is dependent on the findings, but the sheer number of injuries, the hamstring injuries alone, and the number of players who returned from injury were then ruled out for the season is shocking.'
Kalas needs a rest? Do me a favour, it’s the last game of the season ffs!! I read that to be he’s on his way out. You have to ask the question that if the baseline fitness levels of the squad were so low, why have we kept on 2 of the coaches who were responsible in part for that? It’s madness, and tells me we aren’t going to fix the problem any time soon. I know the head of performance has gone, but he alone wasn’t responsible for this debacle. What a complete mess our club is in, all because SL took the cheap option last season when he appointed DH.
We have and have had a seriously high number of injuries are you really stating that you would play an unfit over worked player in a game that really meant nothing when you have a bunch of young hopefuls champing at the bit... a 1-3 /0-2 / away win was forcast by most … so lose by 2 -3 4 goals with a squad of kids is not that desperate. I think the starting line up was AN INSIGHT TO THE FUTURE.. the basis of what is to come. Players that were being prepared in LJ's time " for the future" whether bought in or academy
I agree about your assessment re Kalas. As for the coaches I haven't been enthused to be honest, however from what I understand they were not happy about fitness levels but told it wasn't their concern, I am not aware that Patrick Orme performance/fitness coach has gone (can't find it anywhere, maybe haven't looked in the right place) I am aware that rehab man Rolls has gone, Pearson was amazed at the lack of fitness and the coaches have explained how that came about and again I suspect the fingerprints of SL's favourite son Mark Ashton will be all over the appontments. Agree about the cynical appointment of Holden.
Just reading the various comments in this thread has highlighted some of the mess we are really in and NP has got to sort out ~ 1) Vast injury list.. .......(a) A combined loss 567 games lost through injury this season .......(b) Sheer high number and variety of injuries .......(c) Rediculously high number of hamstring injuries .......(d) Players returned early then ruled out injured for the season 2) Quality players sold and replaced by lower skilled and over paid aged journeymen 3) Coaches warned fitness of players not their concern 4) Baseline fitness of first team squad not high enough 5) Cheap option appointment of Dean Holden (A real nice gent) 6) Complete lack of forward planning with regard to OOC players - 13 outstanding. You can trace this back to any number of individuals, some have gone, some are in the process of leaving, some are going to get the boot,what ever has happened to the control and leadership of our club, it's catastrophic, it's diabolcal, we, just a few fans can see it, highlight the problems but our club has been ran like this for years, thank god the owner took action and how lucky are we to have held on to our Championship status.
You can only play with fire for so long before you get a kickback in your backside and although I want to think that someone has finally learnt their lesson I fear that those negative traits may not have vanished for good. Perhaps we can all experience a wake up from this misery and be in person at the games to give support to our new manager and the squad he is allowed to recruit hopefully for a better future. The last thing we need are second thoughts as to whether we have made the right moves to shape a better Bristol City because the solution is not in our hands but rather at the behest of those who are supposed to know better than we plebs. To me this summer will be crucial in so many ways as to how, who and why we employ new players and support staff but to me the most important ingredients in the mix is desire and commitment to improve the absolute dross that has been served up for way too long and hoping that miracles could happen. The core of the new, and hopefully improved squad, needs to be built on a strong and resilient midfield (something that has been said by us for years) complemented by forwards that actually know where the nets are so they can score goals without trying to hit the barn door syndrome. The apathy that has stunk out the joint needs to be eradicated and replaced by a real plan as to how we will play the game and what players and formations can get us there. I never felt that we had any ducks in our row and we can no longer accept mediocrity and apathy as a way forward which, if it really happens, should bring a breath of fresh air and hope back to BS3.
I think the majority of the blame here lies with Mark Ashton as he was personally responsible for all these areas of the club, but also to Steve Landsdown for having such blind faith in MA.
You are correct most of it leads back to him, with regard to SL I don't want to fire you up again but look at the backing he gave to LJ, it's the way he operates, he trusts the people around him, tough times ahead, it's going to be an interesting few weeks, I'm looking forward to seeing the changes develop
Spot on, it is very difficult to criticise SL because at heart he is a very good man and has transformed so much of our club for the good. But he has proved that he is a businessman and not a football man and because what happened with Steve Cotterill he put far too much faith and power into Ashton, Ashton to me looks like somebody who is good at passing the blame on to others, but there has been a whole lot of cronyism, piss poor decisions and leaving the playing side and the media side of the club approaching joke proportions. Ashton knew he would never be held responsible for on field results and LJ and Holden paid the price for that, but I suspect the Williams incidents uncovered a load of stuff that he couldn't blame others for and probably with a lot of the more professional professionals in our squad and the thoughts of Simpson and Dowling and later Pearson, SL probably had his eyes opened.
