Sports editor's comment: Our last letters page before Christmas is full of anything but goodwill. I know Bristol City are on a poor run of results but does Gary Johnson really deserve this much stick? We live in a country with free speech however, so here are this week's letters.

I think Tony Williams' comments on the Ashton Gate scene (Green Un December 15) were very near spot-on. The current players are not potential Premier League material and with a lot of luck last year did very well. Having not made the top league everyone must wonder what the situation would be now if Hull City has lost. Before anyone points to Hull City's current position, they would do well to remember that most of the players who played and beat the City are not featuring in the current Hull City side.

I had serious doubts about Gary Johnson from the outset of his Ashton career. On the first Boxing Day after his appointment it was my misfortune to visit Gillingham. A wonderful following of supporters were there and they were treated to an awful performance which results in a 1-1 draw between two poor sides.

Brooker was left to battle along with a novice alongside him whilst Marcus Stewart sat the 90 minutes on the bench.

What a disaster I thought, this manager is not fit for purpose.

Well, I haven't changed my mind about the manager's ability as I cannot recall any decent loan players and his purchasing abilities I do not rank very highly. If the chairman had any knowledge of the game he would not be giving out five years contracts to either his manager or his deputy.

The facts are Bristol City is badly managed both on and off the pitch. Perhaps the new stadium should be forgotten. The 13,500 season ticket holders have been mugged. I hope you are not relegated this year.

Dennis Franklin,

Wraxall

So amidst a fanfare of trumpets and much publicity, the City are all set to "splash the cash" in January.

But it's 12 months too late!!

The time for positive shrewd action in the transfer market was last January.

But Gary Johnson's inaction at that time cost the club an obvious automatic place in the Premiership. It was at this time when the best chance of promotion was really lost, not at Wembley!

To think that the City were not prepared to risk even some financial speculation at that time to attain such an enormous prize, beggars belief. Especially when, just seven months later, when everything was lost, they gave away £2.25 million for an untried, unproven, unknown, second division player, just out of his apprenticeship.

After 65 years of following City, during which time they have hardly won anything of any real note whatsoever, very little changes. It is still a case of: Jam tomorrow (maybe), but definitely no jam today.

Frank Clarke

Bedminster

Gary Johnson's attitude to Bradley Orr is pathetic, he should be picking the best team available, for the sake of Bristol City Football Club and its supporters.

He seems to be very poor with man management, as it was with the Marcus Stewart affair.

The world "childish" comes to mind. And with his very poor record in the transfer market, Mr Steven Lansdown might have second thoughts if he is the right man for Bristol City's future.

D T Johnson

Bristol

I feel most concerned that the style of play which has been introduced under the current management regime at Bristol City does not suit two parts of the club that has thrilled countless numbers of us over the years.

Firsly, the introduction of young players has totally dried up. Last year one appeared as a sub in the League Cup but did not come on, this is despite the success of the youth team.

Surely a place on the sub's bench is the least we should have, even if only perhaps a dozen times. There is the fear that some players are having their careers ruined.

The second part of the club which has totally dried up is the striker/winger role, someone who could get behind the defence, and who could generate great anticipation whenever they got the ball.

The only two players in this category are either considered too old or injured (Steve Brooker and Scott Murray). They can come on late in the game when things are not going well and turn a match.

I would not be so quick as to have them in from the start though.

The City crowd have got used in the last 40 years to having heroes in this category, but not one of the signings by the current management have achieved this in the striker/winger role. The style of play we see at the moment does not accomodate youths or striker/wingers, and it is also noticable that other teams coming to Ashton Gate are doing so.

S Perkins

Stoke St Michael

Somerset

Ref: City v Sheffield Wednesday. So McCombe was nowhere near Wood and the ref should apologise eh? "I think he'll find he has made a mistake..." says Johnson. Well, there is a picture that quite clearly shows him with a handful of Wood's shirt pulling him back. I hope Gary Johnson is big enough to apologise to the ref when he sees it. Stop complaining about refs Johnson, the reason City didn't win is because City and your £2.25 million signing are not good enough. Admit it!

Steve D

Filton.

Via e-mail

JED SAYS: I am amazed at the swell of anti-Johnson feeling. Some people appear to have very short memories. I have actually never heard Gary criticise a referee as he did last week which probably shows the frustration he currently feels and the pressure he may now feel he is under from a section of support who, of course, have a right to their opinion. One of the things I greatly admire about Johnson is that he very rarely has anything to say about the officials, preferring to get his own house in order before finding fault with others. This current run has been a bad one but that does not suddenly make him a bad manager. Hull's success in the Premier League has probably not helped. There would have been many in May who would have been bitterly disappointed but mindful of the fact that the next season would have been a terrible struggle. Well, now we would never have known but what we do know is that if you buy the right players almost anything is possible.

I do fully understand the frustration and disappointment of the fans regarding the money spent on some players by Johnson. Nicky Maynard does now look like a bit of a panic purchase and Lee Trundle has never been given a long run in the team but let's not forget those cheaper signings like Marvin Elliott and Michael McIndoe who, until recently, did so well. My one real concern about Gary is the way he deals with some players. He will not be getting a Christmas present from Steve Phillips or Marcus Stewart, two players who were big names at City and perhaps too big for the manager. There was the promising North African who was ditched speedily in the summer after Gary felt he couldn't trust him and now there is Bradley Orr who will not play again after failing to sign a new deal. Sometimes there does seem to be a bit of cutting of the nose to spite the face here. And maybe it's the lack of trust of bigger names which has meant that he has not delved into the transfer market enough to get the Premier League players as Cardiff have done over the bridge. But, in spite of all of this, City are not a club in crisis, the season is not over by any means (indeed Hull were no better placed this time last year) and talk of getting shot of the manager is silly.