I don't think that Iffy is up to the job, but I think he played a youth teamer up front cos all the other strikers at the club were injured. He has had plenty of time to turn things around with a sh*t squad. Whatsisface at Sh*tty managed to do it and look at all the crap that Tinhead had brought into the squad there ! However, I wouldn't be surprised to see him still in the position next year due to cost. As for him caring more about the club than King; you must be 'avin' a larf !
NMH
what a load of bollocks the above is.shittys squad and ours is miles apart.how can iffy turn a shit squad around without major investment?
Thank you for your eloquent response. The point I was making was that Johnson joined Bristol City when they were in disarray. He assessed the situation and got rid of a lot of the crap that Tinnion had brought in. He then motivated the players and sorted out some of the off field problems. From there he has got the team to perform to something closer to its potential. I suspect that he will have another clearout in the summer and use some cash (that admittedly we dont have) to strengthen the team. I would be surprised not to see them near the top of the league next year. (I've attached a quite interesting article from the BBC website below)
A good manager can spot problems and do something about fixing them. In the position that we are in we could not buy success, but we have a group of professional footballers that all have some sort of gift to be where they are. They may not be the best set of footballers in the world, but a good manager would be able to assess their strengths and get the team to play to them. For an example I would cite the Swindon team that Macari took out of the 4th division. There were alot of one dimensional players in that team, but the strength that Macari bread into them was fitness. He got the team to huff and puff for 90 mins and we got a lot of results through sheer determination. Then, once we had a bit of success he bought wisely and the rest is history.
What Iffy has managed to achieve is a few drawn games and the odd win interspersed with very disappointing defeats. Not sure whether it is relevant, but look at Walsall's performance when he was there as assisstant and what happened as soon as he left (admittedly they have been shite again this year but the point I make is that when he left they improved significantly and moved up the table to safety).
Admittedly I can only base my opinion on what I read and what I hear on the radio, but I certainly get the impression that we have players that can perform, but they just ain't doing it.
Hope you don't think that was a load of bollocks...Actually, thinking about it, I don't really give a toss if you do !
NMH
Johnson ready for the next round
By John May
Johnson is ready for his next challenge
Bristol City boss Gary Johnson is never one to duck a challenge.
Which is why he took on the task of rehabilitating one half of England's most under-performing football city.
Of those cities with more than one team, Nottingham may be going through the doldrums, Sheffield could be about to regain a Premiership club, but Bristol has not seen top-flight football for almost 30 years.
Johnson is not naïve enough to think he can cure that itch quickly by sweeping the Ashton Gate outfit into the Premiership.
But he has certainly laid the foundations to mount a challenge for Championship football next season.
Johnson told BBC Sport: "Bristol City should be in the Championship but you can't just talk a good game.
"We have to earn the right to be a Championship team and unfortunately Bristol City fans have had this for around 30 years.
You work out pretty quickly which players will get you out of trouble and which ones might not
Bristol City boss Gary Johnson
Johnson seeks value for money
"We know that if we did progress the fan base is there, and we could sustain a team in the Championship, and even the Premiership if we ever got that far.
"But you don't like to look too far, and we have to look at the next move and that's the Championship."
Johnson is not the sort who believes in miracles, but having performed something suspiciously like one at Yeovil as he established them as a Football League club, he has done something similar at Bristol City.
The Robins looked headed for League Two when Johnson took over from Brian Tinnion last September, but he turned them round with a recipe of: "hard work, on and off the field."
"We were 23rd when I took over and had just been beaten 7-1 at Swansea, so we had to turn it round."
Brian Tinnion found managing Bristol City a tough task
An initial surge of three wins in four games was followed by a testing period of nine successive league and cup defeats which plunged the Robins back into trouble.
But it was during that run that Johnson saw those players that were forged in the heat and those that wilted.
"You work out pretty quickly which players will get you out of trouble and which ones might not.
"We had a few nasty injuries and we had some problems with a couple of lads on a late-night drinking session, but that's all over with now.
"During that time we stuck together and when we emerged the other side of that spell, we were a lot stronger.
I knew there would be pressure and was prepare to take on the challenge
Bristol City boss Gary Johnson
Bristol City 2-1 Yeovil
"I wouldn't say that bad time was a bonus, but it was the strengthening of the team in so many ways," said Johnson.
The Robins' boss accepts the job of restoring a club of Bristol City's stature brings its own pressure on him.
He said: "You don't get a job like Bristol City if there hasn't been problems.
"Of course there's pressure but I knew there would be and was prepared to take on the challenge.
"I always said that if I was to leave Yeovil the next club I went to would have to be one with potential and ambition.
"I didn't want to go somewhere where I was trying to get the club out of trouble and nick back £40m of debt.
"It's important when you go into interviews to sell yourself, but I'm also taking note all the time of the board and directors where they're coming from.
"The Bristol City chairman and directors are forward thinking and I think the club is willing to back the manager. I have to make sure I bring in the right players.
"Whoever gets this club into the Championship would have done a great job and I hope it's me."
