Originally Posted by
Eric the Half a Bee
Just to clear this up, he didn't get more points every season for 6 consecutive seasons - our points tally for his 6 seasons was 60, 64 (GD +4), 64 (GD +4), 74, 76, 80. However, I think that's a moot point. We could say we didn't go backwards during his time, except possibly for the whole of 2007, when we were pretty poor for most of it.
Jimmy Scoular had 5 successive seasons where his side got more points each season (between 1966/67 and 1970/71).
Anyway, in another reply you suggest that, at our best in Jones' last season, we were better than either of the sides that won promotion. I couldn't agree more. When we did play well, we were a very good side. I'd even say that was true of the sides from each season after the FA cup final. When we played well, we played exciting football and would have easily survived in the Premier League. I think Jones and Ridsdale were a good combination in terms of recruting players; pay little up front and spend big on wages. I think we had a general plan of how to play - players that left were often replaced with similar. The club signed some duds but also brought in some very good players for little money. By comparison, our recent transfer activities have been atrocious! While Jones deserves some credit, I also think it's important to consider Ridsdale - a football man who knows the game very well, who was our chairman. We certainly can't say the same about our current chair or the board!!
I think the fact that most City fans would agree that the sides we had under Jones were good enough to have stayed in the Premier League is actually a damning indictment on Jones as a manager - we were good enough to be there but we never got there. We failed at every final hurdle. There was never an advantage that we couldn't throw away. There was always a run of abysmal performances and form waiting to strike when we looked invincible. There were usually struggles against sides down the bottom of the table, yet we could play the best sides in the division off the park. TOBW called us flat track bullies and he was right. When it got difficult, we wilted. It got to the point where we knew we were good enough to walk the division, yet the same failings cropped up time and again.
Two away games, for me, sum up Jones' tenure with us. Bristol City 0-6 Cardiff City. We declared early in the second half. It could have been 10. Peterborough 4-4 Cardiff City. 4-0 up, cruising, looking like nothing could stop us, then we got complacent and threw away what looked like an unassailable lead. Bit like missing out on the playoffs in 2009.