Two managers and a chairman – Ready to fight

Bristol chairman Steve Lansdown has publicly back under-fire manager Keith Millen. He told the media yesterday:

“It's a time to stick together. We haven't become a bad football club overnight. The fans are having a go at Keith and certain players, but if they think there is a lack of commitment they are wrong. We need them to stand by us.

I'm concerned, but I have seen an improvement in the squad recently and there is no doubt we have the players to do better. We now have two weeks to stew on being bottom and we have to use that time to ensure we come back stronger.”

Millen himself was defiant after the game refusing o give up on either the job or his players. He said:

"We're 10 games in now and it's no longer early in the season. We are well into the season and we are down at the bottom for a reason. That reason is that we are conceding too many soft goals and not scoring enough ourselves. It's a battle now.

We have a lot of work to do and we will do it and try to make sure we are in a positive frame of mind by the time we play Cardiff in the next game.

I'm still confident what we are doing is right and we can get ourselves out of trouble. Unfortunately, some of the players are lacking confidence and not operating at their best at a time when we need everyone to be at their best.”

Millen also recognised the frustration shown by some of the fans. He said:

“"I understand their disappointment. The players are trying their hardest but, the way confidence is at the moment, we need to score the first goal. There is a problem with defending, but we also need to be scoring goals. We cannot rely on clean sheets alone."

The problem is that the bet striker on City’s books is Nicky Maynard ho is out with a long term injury and, as one player told me on Saturday evening: “By the time he is fit again to play, it might be too late unless we start finding goals from elsewhere.”

Manager Paul Lambert tried to play down Norwich’s 3-0 win against Bristol City and said: “I thought that the way we played it could have been a bit more.”

Lambert was especially pleased with Canadian striker Simeon Jackson who grabbed a brace in the game. He said:

“Goal scorers are always going to be judged on their goal scoring ratio and that’s three he’s got now. He’s not played much football and he’s had to wait patiently, but he’s been a brilliant professional and not once has he been down when he’s not in the side.

Simeon does what he’s good at getting on to the end of things and being quick. His first goal was top class and his second was a difficult one to come on to.”

Lambert also praised his defence, highlighting keeper John Ruddy’s long punt forward for Jackson’s second goal saying:

“It was brilliant and well spotted. Simeon still had a lot to do, but Ruddy was excellent as were the back four. I thought they were brilliant.”

As for the game overall Lambert gushed:

“We were fantastic as we have been and deserve every bit of praise coming our way, but there are some really tough games ahead. We’re up there on merit the way we’re playing. The players don’t get carried away and so they shouldn’t because there’s a long, long way to go”

Bristol City 0 Norwich City 3 - Pressure

Paul Lambert was obviously chuffed with his side’s performance at Ashton Gate, but then oddly accused the assembled media of getting the fans excited.


The Norwich boss was understandably trying to dampen expectations given that we are still only ten games into the season, but I would suggest that berating the local press, radio and TV guys isn’t the way to go about it. He’d be better off popping in to the city centre pubs and talking directly to the fans because whether he likes it or not, that’s where the optimism is at its greatest.

Or alternatively, try and sneak a few one-nil wins without some of the exceptional and entertaining football his team played on Saturday.

No Paul, I’m afraid that the media isn’t your problem. Things are going well, you have put together a good side and you and your coaching team are employing the right tactics. I’m afraid that if you want to dampen expectations, you’d be better off asking Bristol City boss Keith Millen to do a job swap!

Millen is an honest guy in a horrible position. His team sit rooted at the foot of the table, he’s inherited a team that hadn’t gelled after former boss Steve Coppell bolted before a ball had barely been kicked and now they are losing confidence as each minute of the game ticks by.

And to top it all off, he’s been a Bristol City man for twelve years and would give his right arm for the opportunity to dampen expectations!

My clipping from this morning's copy of The Sun

The Sun’s football website: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football

I spoke to one of his players in the car park after the game and as it wasn’t really on the record I won’t mention his name. However, the player in question dispelled any theories that Millen had lost the confidence of the team. He said:

“After Coppell’s resignation Keith was left to pick up the pieces. He inherited new players, Coppell had sold some that Keith knew well and of course we’re without Nicky (Maynard) until December at the earliest and he’s the type of player who can help build the confidence with one of his spectacular goals.

At the moment we’re going one goal down and you can see heads drop. It’s even tougher at home because the level of expectation is so great. What we need to do is get that first goal to help build our confidence. “

Millen himself is determined to see it through, although his position depends on how long the board can hold their nerve. My guess would be two more games and they’re probably weighing up future managerial options anyway. Millen said:

“All I can do as a manager is work hard on the training field, talk to the players and do everything I can to get the results right.

I don’t mind taking the pressure if it means I’m taking it off the players then so be it, because they’re the ones that have to go out and perform.

It is tough, but they’re a good group and I’m close to them. I know there’s some good quality in there and that’s why the frustration’s so hard to take, but they’re working hard and while you’ve got a group who are willing to work hard you’ve got a chance.

I’ve never walked away from a battle and I never will. I’ll keep working as hard as I can and I can’t work any harder than I am. I’ll keep fighting until someone takes that decision away from me.”

Oh, how Millen would love to have to pressure of smiling faces, pats on the back and expectations of Premier League football.

Off to Ashton Gate - All change

A last minute change for this weekend's game.

On Tuesday I was asked to cover the Walsall/Yeovil clash up at the Bescot, but have just been informed that I'm no needed in Bristol to watch City play Norwich.

It will be good to get along to Ashton Gate for the first time this season and I'm looking forward to seeing Paul Lambert's high flying Canaries.

I interviewed Lambert a few times when he was in charge of Wycombe and the guy is a typical dry humoured Scot who had an excellent reputation as a player, turning out in over four hundred games for St. Mirren and Celtic while also serving Borussia Dortmund with distinction.

Lambert was capped by Scotland 40 times and - after cutting his managerial teeth at Livingston and Wycombe - joined Colchester briefly before taking Norwich up as League One champions last season.

It looks as though they haven't lost momentum if the early season results are anything to go by as they are tucked in behind QPR and Cardiff at the right end of the table.

City on the other hand are playing well below their best and don't seem to have recovered from Steve Coppell's shock resignation at the start of the season.

Keith Millen took over and the heat is now on despite being given the manager's job by the board.

One win - away from home at Scunthorpe - in isn't quite the start that the Bristol fans had envisaged when they parted company with Gary Johnson towards the end of last season.

At the time,  I remember thinking that maybe everyone was expecting too much, too quickly from Johnson. He had taken them from the foot of League One to a defeat in the Championship Play-Off Final and - in my humble opinion - deserved full backing from the board despite a below par showing last term.

It would indeed be ironic if Johnson were to take Posh - sitting pretty in fifth spot in League One - back up to the Championship at the first attempt while City passed them going in the other direction.

But of course the season is still young and anything can happen. Ask Norwich fans who saw their side thumped 7-1 on the opening day last season by a Colchester side managed by, er, Paul Lambert!