It's as though we have been cursed, says Bristol City boss
Bristol City boss Gary Johnson has surveyed his walking wounded and declared: "We've been cursed."
A spate of injuries and a renewed bout of illness mean Johnson could be without up to six senior players for Saturday's home Championship clash with Doncaster, while several others are not yet fit enough to play a full 90 minutes.
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City have been inundated with injury and illness throughout this season and Johnson claims he has never experienced anything like it previously during a managerial career which spans nearly two decades.
"All managers have to put up with players missing from time to time, but this is exceptional," complained the Londoner, who has only rarely been able to select from a full-strength squad since August.
"I don't want to make excuses, but we have had horrendous luck with injury and illness this season.
"In fact, I've not seen anything like it since I started out in management. It has been one problem after another and there seems to be no end to it."
Defenders Brian Wilson and Jamie McCombe are long-term casualties, midfielders Marvin Elliott and Evander Sno face several weeks on the sidelines after being injured and striker Patrick Agyemang and centre-back James Wilson are still recovering from the effects of a virus which is currently sweeping through Ashton Gate.
Lee Johnson and Paul Hartley have also suffered illness, while Nicky Maynard and Jamal Campbell-Ryce are still to regain full fitness after injury.
A number of City players were laid low by a virulent "swine-flu" type illness in August and September, while loan signing Andrius Velicka suffered a season-ending injury just five minutes into his debut and was forced to return to Rangers.
Johnson used the January transfer window to replenish his squad, recruiting Agyemang from QPR and Campbell-Ryce from Barnsley, only to lose them almost immediately to illness and injury respectively.
"It's as though we have been cursed," added Johnson. "It feels as though our squad has been stretched to its limits for most of the season and there is no sign of the problem ending anytime soon.
"I thought things would improve after January when I brought new players in, but no sooner have they arrived than they have been struck down.
"It's reached the stage recently where it has been difficult finding seven players to sit on the bench on a Saturday."
Johnson intends using this afternoon's reserve team fixture against Swansea (2pm) to give much-needed match practice to those players who have not featured in the first team on a regular basis in recent weeks.
Top scorer Maynard and Campbell-Ryce, who announced his return as a second-half substitute at Ipswich on Saturday, will start, while winger Ivan Sproule and midfielder Gavin Williams are also likely to be involved.
Midfielder Frankie Artus and striker John Akinde should feature too after returning from loan spells at Chesterfield and Brentford respectively, while Steve Collis will play in goal.
Johnson said: "It's an opportunity for some of those who need games to get important minutes under their belts.
"These lads all have a chance of being involved against Doncaster, but still have to get their full-match sharpness back after missing games recently."
Today's Totesport.com Combination game will be played behind closed doors at Bristol City's Failand training ground after being switched from Ashton Gate in order to protect the pitch ahead of the Doncaster match.
13 Comments
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by LongwellGas, Harvester
Thursday, March 04 2010, 3:46PM
“Looks like your face was also cursed GJ.”
by dolman bob, bristol
Tuesday, March 02 2010, 5:47PM
“before we close the Academy it would be worth investigating why it has failed so spectacularly.
has the scouting not been up to scratch? have the coaches been found wanting? or has the manager not given the kids first team opportunities to kick on to the next level (I am thinking back to the half-dozen pointless games at the end of last season - henderson got a run and proved he is ready)?
why did we stop acquiring players from the premiership exit trials?”
by Clay Davis, Baltimore.
Tuesday, March 02 2010, 4:56PM
“That's the tjhing Dolman Bob. Victor Moses is Victor Moses and John Akinde is John Akinde. Jack Wilshere is Jack Wilshere and Frankie Artus is Frankie Artus. Good players will come through. If they are not ready then loan them out to get them experience. If they arn't up to scratch get them off the wage bill.
A different argument ,which is more relevant than moaning about not giving youth a chance when they are not good enough, is whether it is worth spending huge sums of money on an academy when it is not producing players capable of making the grade at this level.”
by Paul, Whitchurch
Tuesday, March 02 2010, 4:08PM
“Frankly I cannot wait for the season to end, hopefully with us staying up.
In the summer Steve Lansdown needs to untangle this mess and get to the bottom of what has gone wrong over the past two years.
I agree with Dolman Bob in that we have been through an awful lot of players who have not been up to the required standard, which has cost Bristol City FC a lot of money. Who is to blame for this?
Iwelumo is one of the better players we have signed this season (albeit on loan - hopefully until the end of the season). But there appear to have been many missed opportunities. Last summer I for one was keen to see the club make an attempt to sign Lee Barnard (formally of Southend). He eventually joined Southampton and has scored 4 goals in his last 3 games. Why are we not snapping up players like that?
Lee Barnard in the Matt Jarvis/Andy Keogh mould, which ultimately saw Wolves up last season.
It is just one of many things I mulling over when I sit through yet another toothless attacking performance (save for the 2nd half against West Brom - which I will admit was impressive).”
by dolman bob, bristol
Tuesday, March 02 2010, 3:34PM
“it's all about progress clay. for the last two years we have been going backwards.
and before you say it takes time to get into the premier league - hull did it in two seasons.
Gary Johnson has been blessed with an open chequebook but he has abused it. I don;t like reading headlines that confirm my club is losing a whopping £6.5M a year because gary is signing turkeys each week.
Gary is bringing in players left, right and centre - very few of them are ever up to scratch.
looks like you have swallowed the line about the youth lads not being ready - gary will be pleased.
if Gary was at crystal palace Victor Moses would be on loan at weymouth !
that is the kind of manager he is, the guy has no clue how to bring through youth players. fact.
henderson is impressing at Aldershot, proving what we all knew - he is ready for the first team action.
Regarding your observations about Artus....... he sounds better than lee johnson. and just think how much he will improve when given a shot in the first team.
stop hanging onto and swooning over gary's every word and start supporting bristol city fc.”
by Clay Davis, Baltimore
Tuesday, March 02 2010, 2:54PM
“Spoilt Child Syndrome. There's a lot of it going on amonst a selection of City fans this season. They have been blessed with a glut of toys for Christmas and when the number of toys isn't exceeded the following year are throwing the most embarrassing of hissy fits. Good grief. We are a championship side in size and playing staff and are punching at our weight. To have this notion that we have a divine right to be challenging in the top two because we overperformed in our first season is farcical.
The reason why Gary hasn't blooded a number of our young players is because they are not of a good enough standard. Simple as. I wonder how many of the people calling for the likes of Artus to play have actually seen him perform. He drifts in and out of games at reserve level and a couple of good goals in the bottom tier for Cheltenham does not make him Frank Lampard. Akinde while showing signs of strength and endeavour clearly needs to add quality to his game at this level and Wilson is down the list in terns of what we have available. Ribeiro could press Orr for a position on the right but needs games to get his sharpness back after injury.
I would suggest people that know nothing about the calibre of young players we have available are simply jumping on the anti Johnson bandwagon which is, frankly rather sad.”
by The Hedgehog, Horfield
Tuesday, March 02 2010, 2:13PM
“Apparently, this traveller from North Bristol came round selling lucky white heather and GJ refused to buy any...”
by Red, Bristol
Tuesday, March 02 2010, 1:50PM
“Moran?
I think you mean Moron..”
by Roversteve, Clevedon
Tuesday, March 02 2010, 1:50PM
“The "Gas idiots" are always about it's the red idiots that go AWOL!!!”
by Glenn, Backwell
Tuesday, March 02 2010, 12:16PM
“It has not been that bad Gary; and most clubs have suffered from the effects of swine flu this season.
What is even more remarkable than that is the Academy players have barely been given the slightest sniff of first team action during this so-called curse.
If the squad has been "stretched to it's limits" then why are most of our youth lads out on loan?
Sorry Gary, I am not buying this rubbish as your lame excuse for a poor season.”