Big Interview: Bristol City boss Lee Johnson

By Chris Dunlavy

LEE has just returned from three days in Marbella, with the azure shores of the Costa del Sol a welcome antidote to the shark-infested waters of the transfer window.

“I did 33 deals in the summer,” explains the boss. “I was fried. So, I gave the lads some time off and went to Marbella.

“Truth be told, the destination wasn't that important. I just needed to switch off and it was pretty much the only flight available!”

Making do with what's going is nothing new to Johnson. In a summer when Championship clubs splurged a combined £215m on transfer fees, the ' record £11m outlay accounted for just five per cent of the total.

Chuck in the £11m – rising to £15m – that paid for last year's top scorer, Jonathan Kodjia, and the net spend is effectively zero.

Yet, five games in, City lie sixth, level on points with Newcastle and four better off than Aston Villa, who were skilfully put to the sword at Ashton Gate last month.

Early-season bounce? Or a sign of things to come? In an era when teams tumble from the top flight only to land on an £80m cushion, can a side like City genuinely hope to compete in the long term?

“It's hard,” admits the 35-year-old, who spent six years at City as a player. “The Championship is effectively 2 now. I really mean that.

“The attendances, the stadiums, the transfer fees. We sold Jonathan Kodjia for a fee rising to £15m, a record for a transfer between Championship clubs.

“Five, ten years ago, that would have been a lot of money in the Premier League. Twenty years ago, it was a world record. It's a different world.

“We've missed out on loads of players this summer. I won't talk names because I don't want to embarrass the players involved or the people on our side. But there are certainly three that I can think about straight away.

“Why? Because you go in for someone with a mental valuation. Then, all of a sudden, somebody comes in with a crazy amount of money and that valuation is blown out of the water.

“The problem – and the challenge for us – is that you've got a lot of foreign owners hungry for instant success and willing to pay for it.

“These people are millionaires and billionaires. Once, rejecting a £5m offer in this division could kill the club. Now, they don't need to sell at any price.

“What we have to ask ourselves is: how do we deal with that? How do we first stay and then excel in a competitive division without putting the club in serious debt?”

The answer, at least as far as City are concerned, is crafty recruitment and investment in infrastructure.

Owner Steve Lansdown has invested heavily in turning Ashton Gate – once a dilapidated monument to grim 20th Century architecture – into a modern, 27,000-seat  stadium fit for the Premier League. He has been rewarded with record season-ticket sales.

Johnson, meanwhile, works with chief operating officer Mark Ashton and head scout Des Taylor to scour the Continent for untapped talent.

Hordur Magnusson, the young Icelander signed from Juventus for £2.2m, is a prime example, as is fellow defender Taylor Moore.

Football - England v Switzerland - Under 18 International Friendly - Banks’s Stadium, Walsall - 28/3/15 England's Taylor Moore Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Craig Brough EDITORIAL USE ONLY.
(Photo by Action Images / Craig Brough)

The 19-year-old, born in Walthamstow but raised in France, came through the ranks at Lens and, in January, was the subject of a €10m bid from Lyon. Six months later, the Ligue 1 side's interest had cooled and City lured him back to Blighty for just £1.5m.

“You have to know where you are on the food chain,” explains Johnson. “And where we are at the moment means we can't compete financially with the sides coming out of the Premier League.

“So what we've got to do is trade smart. We've got to sign big names before they become big names. That's the key. Can we get them early enough and can we develop them while still being competitive?”

Chelsea certainly thought so, choosing City over 17 other clubs when electing to send striker Tammy Abraham on loan. The Under-19 star has since netted six goals in seven games.

“I'd like to think it's testament to the work we do that Chelsea chose us,” adds Johnson. “I want Bristol City to be known as a secure, safe place to send top young talent.

“It's an honour for me to be entrusted with them, especially the English boys. If I can watch Tammy pull an England shirt on one day, knowing we played a part in his development, it would bring me great satisfaction.

“That said, it's not just a case of ‘Johnson's Babies'. Gary O'Neil joined us this summer. is already here. has played in the Premier League. It's about the blend.

“It's also about trading at optimum times to ensure you get value. In the past, maybe that wasn't the case. The money we got for Jonathan shows lessons have been learned.”

Johnson, who managed and Barnsley before joining City in February, made 197 appearances for the Robins before leaving to join Kilmarnock in 2011.

“Being so ingrained in the history of the club does put a different spin on things,” he insists. “I'm not just trying to put things on a CV. I'm not just trying to keep my job. I want to do what's right for the owner, for the city, for the club.

“So, whether the owner decides to invest the Kodjia money in the team, the facilities or the academy, I don't care. I just want whatever will lead to a better Bristol City and I'll work tooth and nail to make sure my players share that responsibility.”

So back to the original question. For all the sustainable growth and talk of building blocks, do Johnson and Lansdown harbour genuine hopes of joining the elite?

“We do,” he says. “If you've got a group of bright, hungry young players prepared to go the extra mile, you've always got a chance.

“Yes, it's hard. But look at and Barnsley, too. There will always be clubs who chuck up a surprise. Money can't buy you spirit. That might sound trite, but it's true.

“We had seven players on international duty last week. For Bristol City, that's unheard of. They're all young, but imagine them in two years with a bit of extra coaching and experience. We could move mountains if we get it right.”

 

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