Dan’s The Man

In Issue 13 I wrote that Danny Wilson’s future at Bristol City rested on showing us over Christmas and the New Year that he was the man for the job.

Well, we have our answer.

It’s hard to criticise a manager after seven wins on the spin – something, significantly, that the club has not achieved since our promotion season under John Ward six years ago. And, miracles of miracles, it’s happened in January – traditionally a barren month for City.

For the first time in many years I feel like I am supporting a First Division club in waiting. And I don’t just mean our league position. For although the fantastic run has catapulted us into third place two points behind QPR, I still believe we should already be in an automatic promotion spot, given the squad we have. What I mean is that we now have the momentum to propel us into the top two, and unlike our last disastrous foray into Division One, we are ready to consolidate ourselves there. Wherever you look in the club, off the pitch and on it, we are now set up for Division One.

On the field, we have a squad of quality players mixing youth and experience. We have a core of players who have come up through the ranks together, played a large number of high-pressure games at an early age and who have a passion for the club. Matty Hill, Louis Carey, Tommy Doc, Danny Coles…the list goes on and on. Danny has invested his money wisely in Lee Miller and Luke Wilkshire. They are finally showing their worth and - crucially - the signing of Marc Goodfellow demonstrates we have learned from last year. This time a year ago we were screaming out for the injection of a new player to breathe life into a flagging campaign. In response Danny brought in Craig Fagan on loan. ‘Nuff said. By the time Mark Robins came on loan, it was far too late and we had lost too much ground – and in retrospect I think the mistake was compounded by not signing him, which may well have given us those crucial extra points to climb into the top two. This year, Steve Lansdown gave Danny the money and encouragement to bring in someone – and the manager has found the right player at the right time. And boy has Goodfellow given us a good return for the outlay. He’s already scored two winners worth six valuable points, and you sense there’s much more to come. We have a speedy, skilful free-scoring right winger. Remind you of anybody?

And, at last, Danny seems to know what his best team is. We are no longer pulling out our hair while he plays a central midfielder on the right wing, selects seven defenders against lacklustre opponents or proclaims Louis Carey a midfield general. He’s finally accepted that we need more flair and ingenuity to break down teams than the Doherty-Burnell partnership can provide. There has also been a noticeable lack of those mind-boggling substitutions which have cost us points in the past. Two months ago Danny was taking stick for failing to motivate a squad which we knew contained the talent to get us out of this division. Now he deserves the credit for turning it around. He has the players up for it and ready to deliver. After disasters like Lee Matthews and Craig Fagan, his last few signings show he can (shock, horror) spend money wisely and invest in talent that will bring us dividends for years to come. He’s also started selected the right teams and the right tactics, and the results speak for themselves. For the first time in a couple of years, I finally feel we have a manager who can buy the right players, select the right team and motivate the players enough to get us into the First Division and keep us there.

Off the field, I sense another change. I may be wrong, but Steve Lansdown’s recent words and actions indicate to me that he has hardened his determination to get out of this division this season, even if it means spending a few more quid than he would like. He is obviously not a man used to anything short of complete success in his business life, and I sense he has decided that he is no longer prepared to tolerate underperforming mediocrity at his football club. He always promised us he would do everything he could to get us out of this league, and I have always made it clear I feel he is the right man for the job. He is a true fan, yet with the hard-nosed experience and business talent to perform his role even if it means getting tough. Over the past few years, he has quietly laid the foundations, streamlining backroom staff and ensuring the business is run professionally. He has had to use all his business acumen to transform us from a flabby operation haemorrhaging money into a lean business…erm…well, haemorrhaging much less money.

But while he has always allowed the manager to spend money, he has always insisted on financial discipline for the long-term good of the club – sometimes at the expense of quality on the field. Now I sense a change in attitude. He seems to have made a decision that now is the time to spend money to get us promotion and show us that he is deadly serious about bringing the same success to the club that he has bred at his company. And, like Danny, he has learned from his mistakes. A year ago, I don’t believe he would have released extra funds to sign Marc Goodfellow. But now not only do we have a new player, Danny is already talking about the possibility of bringing in another new midfielder just to make sure we maintain momentum. In other words, Mr Lansdown is prepared to loosen the purse strings and bankroll success this season rather than endure another season of under-achievement. He will not be seen to fail and is prepared to put his money where his mouth is. How the Gas must look across the city at Ashton Gate and envy us our board of directors.

In short, everything seems to be coming together. The chairman, manager and players are turning potential into performance and results. They seem united and single-minded in the pursuit of one goal, with no LDV trophy or cup run to distract us or offer a feeble claim of “success” without promotion. The patience of Cidered fans is finally paying off. Ian Holloway must break out in a cold sweat every time he looks at the league table, especially when he takes a look at his injury list and recalls the club’s financial straits. And if I were Paul Sturrock, I wouldn’t be feeling too comfortable up there at the top. Suddenly the gap looks uncomfortably slim and they must be looking anxiously over their shoulders.

The leaders can feel us breathing down their necks. We’ve got the talent to overtake them, the depth in the squad to survive injury problems, and experience at every level to take the psychological heat in the promotion run-in.

And everything about Bristol City F.C. at the moment screams one message: “This season, we ain’t gonna blow it.”