Reconstruction time again: the summer 2018 transfer thread

[Peter Thompson]

Here's the issue, though. If Parky wants to evolve our style of play to allow for a better quality of player, he has to start now - even if the personnel issues aren't resolved yet. If we get the basics right this season, it may well cost us points having slow players at the back - but we'll have a style of football set up and lads used to playing it next season. Then we can look at bringing in players who can make the most of what we have built this term.

GOTB, Hallelujah....we've got there in the end - I absolutely 100% agree with this as the way forward

However, we all know that Parkinson won't do this, because he is in capable of doing /playing any other way than long ball, he doesn't actually have a style of football (apart from long ball & playing for scraps) - he doesn't know tactically how to use creative midfield players, play at a high tempo or play on the front foot and try & open other teams up....however this also may be down to the limitations our players, but I'm not convinced he has this in him as a manager / coach.

I'll say one thing that admittedly I can't back up - but give him (Parkinson) the Bristol City team from yesterday and I'm sure he would not have played the quick pass & move football the way Johnson did.

I'd even like to open this up to the posters on here....if Parkinson had the players that Bristol City had yesterday, what style of football do you think he would play ?

[TANGODANCER]

I'd even like to open this up to the posters on here....if Parkinson had the players that Bristol City had yesterday, what style of football do you think he would play ?

He hasn't, nor the money to buy them as you well know. Why keep slating the manager of a team everybody knows is playing on a shoestring; Parky is doing his best with what he has so why keep trying to race a Ford Focus against Audis' Mercs and B.M.Ws? (you'll notice I don't quote Ferarris and Llamborghinis, they're Premier). We've only played two games, got four points, are still trying to build a team and will obviously adopt a Festina Lente attitude from necessity rather than choice.. Why keep kicking the manager in theoretical pipe dreams?

[GhostoftheBok]

If you gave Jose Mourinho the current Liverpool team, they'd not play the same style either. I don't imagine Parky is suddenly going to turn into Jurgen Klopp. However, I don't think he's incapable of playing better stuff than he has thus far with what we've had.

For example, when Sam or Pulis are up against it their sides play diabolical rubbish - but often get points. When they have the players they want they are well capable of producing some good stuff, even if it's still often direct.

Parky isn't an innovative manager and he doesn't do flair much; but he might well be capable of building a winning team.

[GhostoftheBok]

In terms of Parky's time here, do you think another manager would have managed to get us promoted and then kept us up, if given the same budgets and forced to field players he couldn't get rid of? Do you have an issue with what Parky has achieved, or just the style?

[bristol_Wanderer3]

I'd even like to open this up to the posters on here....if Parkinson had the players that Bristol City had yesterday, what style of football do you think he would play ?

My answer is that we would never play like Bristol City yesterday. Parky believes in a direct, percentage based, hard working style of play. If he had the money and the players he would turn us into something similar to Neil Warnock's Cardiff last season.

An appropriate counter question though: Do you think playing in the style of Bristol City yesterday would ultimately be successful? Indeed how successful do you think Bristol City will be this season?

Bristol City have spent a decent amount of money on that team. £10m this summer alone. They have a billionaire owner (Steve Lansdown) who whilst not pumping huge amounts of money in, is providing sensible year on year investment that doesn't flirt with breaching FFP, but means the club has nothing to worry about financially, and is developing nicely off the pitch.

How well do you think they will do this season? It is easy to be easy on the eye playing against a side like us that concedes territory and possession on a summers day in August. But how will that style work against the likes of Leeds and Forest? How will it work playing 5 games in 14 days in February? Despite playing some lovely stuff, they have possible weaknesses in both boxes. I think unless you can consistently spend more than everyone else, it is pretty hard playing that way to get near the top of this league. You need to have the best footballers to be consistently successful playing that way, and I don't think they have them or will ever get them. Someone will always spend a lot more than them. Also, if it goes wrong, if they get key injuries, then that isn't a style that is easy to grind out hard fought wins with. It is easier to get relegated playing an unsuccessful version of that style. No matter how nice their football can appear, their fans at the end of the day want to win games. They won't be happy losing and drawing games playing pretty football.

Warnock got Cardiff promoted on a mid-table budget. Johnson won't ever do that imho with Bristol City.

[GhostoftheBok]

This is where I'm struggling - we didn't once try to press yesterday (at home)

Sorry, PT, missed this reply.

We did, it just wasn't very organised. It looked to me like Vela and Magennis had been tasked with doing most of the leg work, whilst Lowe and Murphy were expected to deny space to the Bristol attackers who tend to float around between the lines. The trouble was that Bristol pushed their fullbacks right up and when our wingers went to track it opened up space in wide areas. Any time Bristol felt under any pressure (rarely in the first half) they dropped someone into the space in a deep wide position and had an easy out with nobody to do that pressing work because both our wide players were further up the wing.

Parky was trying to bark orders and after the game complained about a lack of bite and urgency in the first half. We were dropping back too early. It was a bit better at the start of the second and we won the ball back a few times in better areas. We also kept the wide players a bit higher and denied Bristol that space they'd exploited earlier, so at least we seem to have seen that issue and fixed it.

It's never going to be a Liverpool full press, but I think the intent is there to be more aggressive in winning the ball back than we have been in recent seasons.

We'll see, anyway. Somewhere between 10 and 20 games in things will be more obvious in terms of how it's going and whether the plan, if there is one, is working out. I'd not expect us to look like Brazil, though.

[mullayo]

I'd even like to open this up to the posters on here....if Parkinson had the players that Bristol City had yesterday, what style of football do you think he would play ?

He hasn't, nor the money to buy them as you well know. Why keep slating the manager of a team everybody knows is playing on a shoestring; Parky is doing his best with what he has so why keep trying to race a Ford Focus against Audis' Mercs and B.M.Ws? (you'll notice I don't quote Ferarris and Llamborghinis, they're Premier). We've only played two games, got four points, are still trying to build a team and will obviously adopt a Festina Lente attitude from necessity rather than choice.. Why keep kicking the manager in theoretical pipe dreams?

I agree with Tango. I don't think Parky can really switch tactics until he gets rid of the Easter Island defenders anchoring us back. If the line could play higher the striker(s) would have more support.
Maybe he wants to change but didn't get the young centrebacks to make it viable?
Bought Ozzy, kept ALF and loaned Wildschut who don't fit that football at all.

[mullayo]

Happy with the keeper.
Good age. Good stats albeit at L1 level.
Glad we took our time and vetted all those vets and came away with a young asset that will be on the squad past this season.
Everyone a building block towards sustainability.
Now do the same with left back get ourselves another longterm player.

[BWFC_Insane]

This is where I'm struggling - we didn't once try to press yesterday (at home)

Sorry, PT, missed this reply.

We did, it just wasn't very organised. It looked to me like Vela and Magennis had been tasked with doing most of the leg work, whilst Lowe and Murphy were expected to deny space to the Bristol attackers who tend to float around between the lines. The trouble was that Bristol pushed their fullbacks right up and when our wingers went to track it opened up space in wide areas. Any time Bristol felt under any pressure (rarely in the first half) they dropped someone into the space in a deep wide position and had an easy out with nobody to do that pressing work because both our wide players were further up the wing.

Parky was trying to bark orders and after the game complained about a lack of bite and urgency in the first half. We were dropping back too early. It was a bit better at the start of the second and we won the ball back a few times in better areas. We also kept the wide players a bit higher and denied Bristol that space they'd exploited earlier, so at least we seem to have seen that issue and fixed it.

It's never going to be a Liverpool full press, but I think the intent is there to be more aggressive in winning the ball back than we have been in recent seasons.

We'll see, anyway. Somewhere between 10 and 20 games in things will be more obvious in terms of how it's going and whether the plan, if there is one, is working out. I'd not expect us to look like Brazil, though.

Let’s just put this into context. PT moaned constantly and called for the head of Sam Allardyce whilst he was here. He’s not been a fan of any Bolton manager including Allardyce.

It’s an absolutely pointless discussion.

Parky has done an unbelievable job under the circumstances. A job to rival Allardyce in many ways considering the restrictions we’ve been under. It has not been pretty. But by god, we could very easily been languishing in league 1/2 now. Instead we’ve started our second championship season well.

I agree with your comments about the slow back line and the press. However, Parky has to prioritise points. Anything else would be Owen Coyle levels of deriliction of duty. We’re miles off competing for the top ten in this league. It’s a job about survival. Keep us here until Ken sells up. Simple as that.

[Peter Thompson]

I'd even like to open this up to the posters on here....if Parkinson had the players that Bristol City had yesterday, what style of football do you think he would play ?

My answer is that we would never play like Bristol City yesterday. Parky believes in a direct, percentage based, hard working style of play. If he had the money and the players he would turn us into something similar to Neil Warnock's Cardiff last season.

An appropriate counter question though: Do you think playing in the style of Bristol City yesterday would ultimately be successful? Indeed how successful do you think Bristol City will be this season?

Bristol City have spent a decent amount of money on that team. £10m this summer alone. They have a billionaire owner (Steve Lansdown) who whilst not pumping huge amounts of money in, is providing sensible year on year investment that doesn't flirt with breaching FFP, but means the club has nothing to worry about financially, and is developing nicely off the pitch.

How well do you think they will do this season? It is easy to be easy on the eye playing against a side like us that concedes territory and possession on a summers day in August. But how will that style work against the likes of Leeds and Forest? How will it work playing 5 games in 14 days in February? Despite playing some lovely stuff, they have possible weaknesses in both boxes. I think unless you can consistently spend more than everyone else, it is pretty hard playing that way to get near the top of this league. You need to have the best footballers to be consistently successful playing that way, and I don't think they have them or will ever get them. Someone will always spend a lot more than them. Also, if it goes wrong, if they get key injuries, then that isn't a style that is easy to grind out hard fought wins with. It is easier to get relegated playing an unsuccessful version of that style. No matter how nice their football can appear, their fans at the end of the day want to win games. They won't be happy losing and drawing games playing pretty football.

Warnock got Cardiff promoted on a mid-table budget. Johnson won't ever do that imho with Bristol City.

BW - Personally I thought Bristol City were excellent and good to watch - their passing & movement, speed of thought, work rate all over the pitch was very good - I'd pay good money to watch that every week and I think that they could make the play off's....I can't see us ever playing that way under Parkinson, but I do think that is the way that football should be played IMO.

[Peter Thompson]

In terms of Parky's time here, do you think another manager would have managed to get us promoted and then kept us up, if given the same budgets and forced to field players he couldn't get rid of? Do you have an issue with what Parky has achieved, or just the style?

GOTB - He's done a fantastic job over the past two years & I have no issue with what Parkinson has achieved, it is just his style of football that frustrates me.

All my posts about his style of football & would he play like Bristol City did if he had their quality of player are related to KA's point he made in his interviews after the game regarding better crowds / needing more fans through the gate....I know I get loads of crap on here from the likes of BWFCI & others for my opinions, but we won't get better crowds unless the football on display improves - as I said over the weekend fans wont pay £30 plus to watch football like we played 1st half on Saturday. I'm not saying we need to play like Bristol City did but we need to at least get fans off their seats and give them a bit of excitement....the entire ground was bored 1st half Saturday.

Anyway this is the transfer thread, so I apologise for posting about style of play etc

[BWFC_Insane]

I saw a Bristol fan on twitter moaning that they aren't physical enough and are rubbish at set pieces.

Ultimately people want what they don't have.

[BWFC_Insane]

In terms of Parky's time here, do you think another manager would have managed to get us promoted and then kept us up, if given the same budgets and forced to field players he couldn't get rid of? Do you have an issue with what Parky has achieved, or just the style?

GOTB - He's done a fantastic job over the past two years & I have no issue with what Parkinson has achieved, it is just his style of football that frustrates me.

All my posts about his style of football & would he play like Bristol City did if he had their quality of player are related to KA's point he made in his interviews after the game regarding better crowds / needing more fans through the gate....I know I get loads of crap on here from the likes of BWFCI & others for my opinions, but we won't get better crowds unless the football on display improves - as I said over the weekend fans wont pay £30 plus to watch football like we played 1st half on Saturday. I'm not saying we need to play like Bristol City did but we need to at least get fans off their seats and give them a bit of excitement....the entire ground was bored 1st half Saturday.

Anyway this is the transfer thread, so I apologise for posting about style of play etc

The crowds would be no different would they? Implicitly built into your opinion is not about the "style of football" but the success we have playing it. We had managers in Coyle and Lennon who wanted to "excite" - how did the crowds look then? They bought attacking exciting players like Petrov, Silva etc....were people happy?


What you're really asking for is success AND playing a brand of football you see as entertaining. Our highest crowds in the last 30 years were under Big Sam. A manager who you moaned about constantly. And whilst he brought some quality players in, was hardly known for worrying about an entertaining style of play. Though I found the years with him as manager very entertaining.

It is a myth that with the same results we'd have higher crowds if only we played pass and move.

[Peter Thompson]

Another new signing to be announced at lunchtime....suspect its either M'Bengue or Aneke

[BWFC_Insane]

Another new signing to be announced at lunchtime....suspect its either M'Bengue or Aneke

Doubt it is either. Parky said Saturday post game his priority was signing experienced championship players and other things would come after. Guess maybe Aneke came to a head and they have had to make a decision - is possible. But he certainly seemed to want championship players.

[GhostoftheBok]

Could also have been bullshit to try and stop MK Dons demanding a higher loan fee. We'll find out what goes on.

[BWFC_Insane]

Could also have been bullshit to try and stop MK Dons demanding a higher loan fee. We'll find out what goes on.

True. Could be that.

[GhostoftheBok]

Grounds signed.

[Peter Thompson]

Grounds signed.

I don't know that much about him to be honest....

[BWFC_Insane]

Grounds signed.

When Parky said he wanted championship experience I was fairly sure he'd be next through the door. Don't know enough about him to judge but worried that we haven't added pace in there or at least some obvious power.

Though I see he's over 6ft which will help.