Lee Johnson

It's not unrealistic of Johnson to make such a claim, in regards to the club at least. Five years is a long time in football. Five years ago, Sheffield Wednesday were in massive debt and struggling in the third division with Leon Clarke up front. Look at them now. Five years ago, Portsmouth were flying in the top flight and had recently won a major trophy. Look at them now.

Do I see Bristol City in Europe within five years? No, not even close. But it's not impossible. If their ridiculously wealthy owner continues to fund them as he is at this level then you'd imagine they'll go close in the next five years to a promotion out of this division. It's not a cert, having lots of money doesn't always equal success. But it's a bloody big help and advantage, especially if you've also got quality coaching and recruitment teams in situ.

Their problem last season and to an extent this season too looks to be their inability to attract the top players to Bristol. I appreciate their fans reckon Lee Tomlin is a top player but in reality he's no more than decent at this level. So they've to be cute with recruiting and keep hoping they'll push on in the Championship, thus standing a greater chance of attracting those special players. For example, get off to a flyer and be in and around the playoffs by the time the transfer window reopens in January. You'd assume then that quality players might fancy Bristol. But right now, players will be unsure of the direction they're heading. They finished 18th last season. They're a yo-yo club who have spent a large chunk of the last couple of decades in the third division.

However, they do have a decent looking squad on paper. A little bit light in areas, certainly up front but Flint, Brownhill, O'Neil, Kodjia, O'Dowda and the aforementioned Tomlin should perform well this season. And other so-called lesser lights have surprised the division in the past. I'm looking at ourselves, Blackpool, Burnley, Bradford, Reading and most recently Bournemouth. So you never know. That's why it's exciting.

So aye. I don't see it as unrealistic for them to be in Europe in five years, just unlikely. What's most unrealistic is Lee Johnson still being their manager in 2021. Unlike many on here I happen to rate LJ. He's young, a little naive and clearly learning on the job, but there's no doubt that he's a good coach and brings a great work ethic to the role. If he can improve his tactical nous and reading of a game from the touchline and spend less time trying to be a media darling, I see a big future for him. He reeks of ambition. Can be a good or bad trait. But I don't wish him badly. He was red hot and freezing cold in his short tenure at BFC. We've had far worse and far better blokes in charge and I'm sure he'll be easily forgotten about in five years time...


Good luck to Bristol City and their fanbase. Promises to be exciting for them if little else.

 

I agree with this. He reminds me very strongly of the young thirty-somethings who used to end up being senior managers/directors back when I worked in the public sector. They talked a good game, had memorised the manuals, made sure they turned up to work every day looking the part. However, their actual competence for whatever job they'd talked themselves into was always unclear. Sometimes they did a decent job, sometimes they ended up being completely despised by everybody under them (although, more often than not, adored by whoever their direct manager was). What they did seem to have in common was a dedication to getting that next job rather than a dedication to doing their current one well. This can amount to the same thing, but not always!

What I will say, though, is that he had a lucky break at Barnsley. Very few clubs would have stuck with him through that losing streak, and he could just as well be managing Cheltenham Town as Bristol City. Sometimes it comes down to very small margins.

 

Well reasoned and thoughtful post!

 

I just do not understand this vendetta against Lee Johnson.

I rated him, but most on here did not. That is fine. Whether you rated him or not, the facts cannot be argued. He lost 8 games on the spin and we went out of the FA Cup at Altrincham. I felt that he would eventually get it right and I was pleased that the club kept its faith in him, as much as anything, because I saw no point in the constant changes of chief coach. I was pleased when he did get it right. As much as anything, it justified my belief that a coach, any coach, cannot work miracles in the short term. I spent many a long hour arguing the toss with those on here who wanted him gone. In the end, he went by his own choice and earned BFC a payoff by way of compensation. There will be those who suggest that his actions made me look silly, and in that case, that I have some justification in holding him to account. But I do not feel silly, and I have nothing but good opinions about him. Football people are ambitious people. They are confident people who have a high regard for themselves and their ability. They will always try to work at the highest level possible, be it as a player or as a coach. That is the game.

The difficulty that I have is that the people who wanted him gone, and who eventually got their way, still hold a grudge against him. I just cannot work out why that is. Could it be that Johnson, alone of all the managers that we have sacked, is working at a level above that at which our team is likely to achieve in the short term. In other words, it is all right for our ex-coaches to continue their careers just so long as they never achieve success beyond that currently being enjoyed by our team. I remember Danny Wilson being reviled because he left us when we were relegated in order to re-join the Premier League at Sheffield Wednesday, and we all remember how that ended.

For the record, I also rated Keith Hill and I think that the job that he continues to do at Rochdale is outstanding.

 

It's only the last year where the vitriol aimed at Keith has ended on here. It's pathetic.

What he achieves with Rochdale is beyond words.

 

Its just me and thee against the world kidder.

 

Keith hill did a good job at Rochdale. He's still a lovely person though

 

It's my opinion that Keith did more for the club than LJ ever did. But I do reckon even Keith had a better hand in his first Championship season than the one in front of Hecky. Make no mistake, this will be some challenge this season. I only hope he's afforded the support, patience and leeway that his achievements so far as head coach deserve.

 

He really isn't.

 

I wonder what may have happened if Hill hadn't lost Drinkwater to Leicester, Butterfield to injury and Vaz Te to West Ham?

Maybe he'd be managing Bristol City right now ;-)

Good manager, just a pity he chose to pick fights with the fans to take pressure off the players.

 

mebbe mebbe not but he certainly comes across as a prize one, and in these cases its mainly appearances that count Its all opinions like but with his attitude I honestly think he would have done big damage to us had he stayed

 

I absolutely agree. The problem is that people are getting carried away with the glorious finish to last season and they are failing to appreciate the part that the high quality loan players played in it. I watched the TV coverage of the final the other day for the first time because I was actually at the game, and was staggered how good Josh Brownhill had played. I was never a great admirer of Brownhill up to that point, but he was everywhere, snuffing out danger and restarting our attacking moves. He is someone who rarely gets mentioned, including by me, but having watch the game again, I believe he will be badly missed, as will Isgrove's work rate and Fletcher's movement.

I have been trying to reduce expectations on here because I think that Hecky could be a victim if things go wrong, through no fault of his own. I just hope that Cryne is as supportive of Hecky as he was of Johnson if the worst happens. As you say, Hecky has a hell of a difficult task in front of him.

 

He was dealt a pretty shitty hand in my opinion. Yes, he rubbed some folk up the wrong way but many others liked that about him. As with most things on this forum especially it's about results.

I don't think he damaged us. We made money on young players he developed and made profits on laikers he brought to the club for a pittance. We were never relegated under him. The damage was done in the summer of 2013, and the 'answers' in December were the wrong ones. Using lots of context and hindsight there. I'm as clueless as the next bloke.

 

I rate LJ as the worst, by quite some distance, manager that I've seen in my years of going to Oakwell. Dont think I ever made any disguise of that, even when he was here and I'm still absolutely buzzing Bristol City were lured into paying us for his services.

He'll do nowt there even with the money they're spending/blowing. Dont forget he had a top 6 budget here last year and had us playing 'football weve never seen' at the bottom of League One.


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Brownhill was massive for us. As were Fletcher and Isgrove down the stretch. But I've watched that final back about ten times now and Hourihane gave an absolute masterclass. Him being here still, the retention of Hammill and Winnall, these are reasons to be cheerful. There are others too.

We're just three days away from getting a first clue as to how things could pan out. It's exciting.

 

I defended him to the hilt as manager- as some may remember. I do not like him one bit for the way he left and his actions and words since he left. Self serving bell end.

 

Red Rain, it's only fair to acknowledge that you were against releasing LJ during the desperate run last season. I always liked Johnson, but I felt that when we reached the nadir of what was a record bad run his time was up. I didn't feel we could afford to persist because I felt the future of our club was at stake. After the way things turned around, I was gutted when it was revealed he was to depart a day after securing the first Wembley appearance. Like you, I can't understand the bad feeling towards Johnson, because I strongly feel that he was instrumental in changing the culture of our club. He didn't do it on his own, and (with due acknowledgement to Grandfathertyke) the critical interventions to add White, Hammill and Long (limited period only) may well not have been Lee's idea. But he's a very bright young coach who is destined for great things. Of that I have no doubt.

Equally, I have no doubt that Hecky is a very, very talented young coach - a proper football man. I have a gut feeling that he is perhaps a bit more grounded than LeeJay. If I have a fear about this season, it is that we may well have a poor run at the beginning, while we get used to the temperature of the Championship. We will probably say to ourselves: "No worry lads, we lost a few last season early doors", but it will not be a guarantee that we will turn it around in this much more competitive league. But I'm absolutely up for us giving it a go, because the fixture list is so more appetising than the one Sheffield United will be facing for a sixth season.

Whitey, I can't share your view of Keith Hill, although I acknowledge it's a matter of opinions. The only year I didn't take up a ST in the last ten was KH's first season. I relented the year after, but I still feel that the seeds he sowed led to our downgrading and ultimately, our relegation. He was the cheap option, and (in my opinion) an ample demonstration that the cheapest option is not always the best.

I'm up for this season, and I think that we will learn as we go along. I think Hecky has too much experience and footballing intelligence not to. But I think that the early weeks will be difficult, and I think we will take time to find our feet. I expect us to lose to Macca's mob on Saturady, but I see better results further down the line. At the very least we have two victories against Leeds to look forward to.

COY(Realistic)R!

 

I think everyone played well that day, which is why we won so easily. I mentioned Brownhill because I had not been a fan up until that point, and because of that, his performance stood out for me.

I have mixed feelings about the new season. I have not been to any of the friendlies and I am not sure what to expect when the real action starts. The team building that has been done over the summer looks long term to me. It is mainly young players with potential, recruited from lower leagues. There are very few who are instantly ready for action. Even if there is a late flood of loan activity before the transfer deadline, they will probably be promising youngsters rather than seasoned pros who have been there and seen it before. I have this feeling of foreboding that I cannot seem to shake off. In the long term, I do not think that it matters too much if we are relegated, just so long as we continue to build from the solid foundations that we have already established. I am happy with the recruitment policy and the strategy of building with young players, and I think that it will eventually see us re-establish in the Championship. I am just not sure that it will come as early as this season.

Still, I intend to enjoy it whilst I can.

 

Hang on a minute, didn't some of us say he was the worst manager we had in decades while most were poo-pooing that and saying he was Christ incarnated all just a few months ago? What changed the majority's minds? Very strange.

 

I agree that Brownhil was a very, very solid player. Not always flashy, although his goals when they came tended to be blockbusters. But he did what he did efficiently, hardly ever putting a foot wrong, and allowing others the space to play. I think LeeJay has made a very shrewd acquisition there. I would compare him in some ways to Danny Drinkwater. I also think that Josh Scowen is to some extent in the same mould, although perhaps he is more readily appreciated by the fans.