Bristol City

David Pottier
Fan writer

Image source, PA Media

City go into the international break buoyed by going unbeaten in four league games and off the back of a hugely entertaining 4-2 win over Hull City at the weekend, where the collective number of shots in the match was an abnormally high 49.

A little over 48 hours later, many City fans have that all too familiar deflated feeling as the transfer window slammed shut and the yearned-for additional striker did not materialise. A striker that would shore up an attacking lineup that, should Emil Riis get injured, is woefully weak.

There was one signing in the form of Brazilian Neto Borges on loan from Middlesbrough, who will offer something to City's defensive left flank. But that's it.

The club did resist offers for defender Zak Vyner who wasn't pushing for a move but who can leave for nothing in the summer. Being out of contract he can probably secure a better personal deal for himself then, unless he signs a new deal at City in the meantime.

City were looking to move on probably three of the four strikers of whom the general consensus is that none are up to the task of being effective in the Championship.

They succeeded to move on only one as Sam Bell went on a season-long loan to Wycombe Wanderers. It's somewhere his father Micky played for before joining City in the late 90s, with Micky eventually becoming a key member of the John Ward-led promotion side of 1997-98.

There were no takers for Sinclair Armstrong, Harry Cornick nor Fally Mayulu although the latter has offered some hope that he can contribute with a couple of promising late substitute appearances.

All in all there is an argument to say this has been a successful summer in terms of recruitment and retention. Riis and goalkeeper Radek Vitek appear to be inspired signings and after two-and-a-half years out through injury, you could argue Rob Atkinson is as good as a new one too.

Many expected Jason Knight to attract interest from a Premier League club but it never came. Adam Randell - the player City signed for £500,000 from Plymouth Argyle and was seen as a likely replacement for Knight had he gone - has probably been our best player so far.

Playing alongside the Irishman Knight in midfield the pair have a style suited to 'Struberball'.

City face a batch of five fixtures before the next international break which starts 6 October. If they can maintain their current top six position in the Championship table during this run it will bode well for the rest of the season.

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Bristol City manager Gerhard Struber was delighted with his side's performance in their 4-2 win over Hull City.

Emil Riis scored twice, with Anis Mehmeti and Max Bird also getting in on the act and victory took City into the early-season Championship play-off places.

"It was a really good atmosphere, the mood was good and I really liked the reaction to the goal we conceded," Struber told BBC Radio Bristol.

"The character and mentality was great; this was the football I love, very diagonal and stressful [for Hull]."

Struber admitted there were difficult points in the game, particularly praising his goalkeeper Radek Vitek.

"In the second half, we needed Radek, he did a great job. In the end, we deserved the win and I was really happy with how we dealt with challenging moments.

"The team was really good; how we reacted to the goal we conceded was the biggest impression from us."

The Robins will be away to Sheffield Wednesday in their first game after the interantional break, on 13 September.

Bristol City host Hull City on Saturday (15:00 BST) with both sides only suffering the one defeat so far this season.

Gerhard Struber's Robins are unbeaten in the Championship so far picking up five points after back-to-back draws followed an opening day romp at Sheffield United, with the Austrian's only loss being in the EFL Cup on Wednesday to Premier League side Fulham.

Hull's unbeaten league start came to an end last weekend following a 3-0 defeat to Blackburn Rovers, but manager Sergej Jakirovic says his squad are prepared for the game after an illness struck the squad.

• Bristol City have lost just one of their past 14 league games against Hull City (W7 D6), with that a 2-1 defeat in July 2022.

• Hull City have won just one of their past 27 away league games against Bristol City (D7 L19), conceding 2.5 goals on average per visit to Ashton Gate in that time.

• Bristol City are unbeaten across their opening three league games this season (W1 D2), last going four undefeated to start a league campaign in 2020-21.

• Hull have won just one of their past eight away league games (D4 L3), failing to score in three of their last four.

• Bristol City have lost just one of their past 16 home league games (W11 D4), conceding multiple goals in just one match during that stint.

Bristol City should learn to trust themselves more after their EFL Cup exit to Fulham says head coach Gerhard Struber.

The Robins conceded two early goals inside 21 minutes to lose 2-0 at their Premier League opponents and exit the competition in the second round.

However after making a formation change and substitutions in the second half, City were more threatening in front of goal through Anis Mehmeti and Fally Mayulu.

"These are games where the boys can realise how quick a game can be in decision making, how quick they play, how quick they play out of a pressure zone and how they score," Struber told BBC Radio Bristol.

"We felt a massive opponent with massive quality and after the goals we conceded too much respect for them.

"We changed the shape a bit in the second half and this helped us to [be] better in possession and we also created one or two other good chances.

"We can learn to trust ourselves much more that also against an opponent on this level. We can create something and we can [put] them under pressure."

City lost attacking midfielder Josh Stokes to an injury in the 14th minute on his first start of the season and Struber said initial indication is the injury is "not good".

"His reaction was not good and everything I know right now looks more a bad injury," he said.

Listen to more from Bristol City on BBC Sounds.

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Bristol City have been charged by the FA over crowd misconduct during their Championship fixture against Cardiff City on 6 October, 2024.

It is alleged that in the 27th and 80th minutes of the game the club failed to ensure supporters conducted themselves in an orderly fashion.

The alleged offence described was using words with an express or implied reference to ethnic origin and/or colour and/or race in both halves of the game against Cardiff City.

Bristol City say they have accepted the regulatory commission's decision and a £7,500 fine alongside an action plan which that say will ensure such behaviour does not reoccur.

"Bristol City abhors abusive chanting and have a zero-tolerance policy to discrimination of all kinds," the club said., external

"Anyone identified committing such offences will be issued with a ban from Ashton Gate Stadium and be reported to the police, who may instigate prosecution resulting in a football-wide banning order."

Bristol City are monitoring the situation of 30-year-old Kosovo international defender Leart Paqarada from boss Gerhard Struber's previous club FC Koln. (Bristol Live), external

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Wednesday's gossip column here.

David Pottier
Fan writer

Image source, Rex Features

Unbeaten in four competitive games reads like a pretty decent start to the season.

However, there are some City fans saying this coming week could define the season as a whole.

I am minded to agree myself. For a start there are two games before time off for the first international break of the season.

The Carabao Cup game at Craven Cottage on Wednesday is a match no one would really expect City to win, but if they did and got a decent (home) draw against one of the "big" clubs who enter at this stage of the competition, it would rekindle memories of 2017-18 and the epic encounters against both Manchester clubs.

Then there is another home league game against Hull City and based on their results so far it is one that City should win. It would then be eight points from four league games and hopes remain high.

Get a third successive draw and six points from a possible 12 knocks some of the gloss off remaining unbeaten.

What is really concerning City fans this week is the closing of the summer transfer window. When Emil Riis went off with an ankle injury on the hour at Pride Park, a game City should have won, there was a grim acceptance that if he is ruled out for a week or two there is no one capable of filling his shoes to offer any goal threat worthy of the name.

Harry Cornick, Sam Bell, Sinclair Armstrong and Fally Mayulu just aren't up to it and Gerhard Struber said as much in his post-match press conference.

If they could shift three of this quartet out only then would there be scope to bring someone in, such are the tight purse strings at Ashton Gate.

With that unlikely then City may have to trade, and that could see some of next summer's out of contract players depart – Mark Sykes and Anis Mehmeti immediately come to mind.

Perish the thought a club from the Premier League makes a move for Jason Knight, whose contract expires in 2027, but a bid of £10m could well see him leave. I personally felt City were pre-empting this when they signed Adam Randell from Plymouth in the summer.

Why Struber has taken off this high-energy player on 70 minutes in the past two games has baffled City fans with, based on performances so far from City's Republic of Ireland international, the Devonian being more Jason Knight than Jason Knight!

Apart from more firepower up front, there are calls from fans and coach alike to strengthen the left side of defence due to Cameron Pring's extended absence.

Playing Yu Hirakawa and Ross McCrorie there is papering over a crack in the defensive formation. It will be interesting to see if this is addressed. Personally, I think it is either/or as it is unlikely to be both.

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Image source, PA Media

Bristol City head coach Gerhard Struber said his side were "not happy" after a "frustrating" result at Derby where they conceded in the 86th minute to draw 1-1.

The unbeaten Robins had been heading for their second win of the campaign thanks to Scott Twine's goal when Carlton Morris found the net late on for the Rams to rescue them a point.

"We invested a lot, so many things went exactly in the direction of our plan," he told BBC Radio Bristol.

"We are in the lead and in the second half lose a bit of possession power. We did a great job in so many directions, they have one thing and we have a bit of a sleepy moment with the cross on the right. Radek was ready [but] second ball he was not there.

"Over the game so many moments it was great and in this moment it was a little bit too late. In the end this is frustrating when you play away and you control the whole game in a clear direction and you drive home in the end with one point. We are not happy."

However he said that striker Emil Riis' injury was "not so bad" after he went off early in the second half. "It's a bruise. I hope he's back soon," Struber said.

Listen to more from Struber on BBC Sounds.

Derby County will look to get their first points of the season when they host Bristol City on Friday (20:00 BST).

The Rams were involved in an entertaining eight-goal thriller last time out, having led Coventry City 3-2 before the Sky Blues scored three times to take a 5-3 win.

Meanwhile, Bristol City played out a goalless stalemate with Charlton Athletic and will be aiming to maintain their unbeaten start to the season at Pride Park.

• Derby County have lost just two of their last 10 home league games against Bristol City (W5 D3), keeping clean sheets in five of those matches.

• Bristol City have won six of their last eight league games against Derby County (L2), though did lose this exact fixture 3-0 last season.

• So far this season, Derby have lost each of their two Championship matches and will be looking to avoid losing their opening three league games of a campaign at any level since 2020-21.

• Bristol City have won just two of their last 16 away league games (D7 L7), although did win away on MD1 4-1 at Sheffield United, the first time they've netted 4+ goals on their travels since December 2023.

• Amongst the 10 Championship goalkeepers to make 5+ saves this season, Bristol City's Radek Vitek holds the highest save percentage (87.5%).

Image source, Rex Features

Bristol City boss Gerhard Struber said he hopes the club can bring in one or more new signings over the next few days.

City have brought in four players over the summer so far, in goalkeepers Joe Lumley and Radek Vitek, midfielder Adam Randall and forward Emil Riis.

"The group is very small. We are open and we look on the market. We know what we want, we know what we need. At the same time, we trust the process," Struber told BBC Radio Bristol.

"We hope we can finish the one or other new players in the next few days."

The Austrian has previously said that any new signings would have to be the "right character" for the team.

Yet chief executive Tom Rawcliffe said earlier this week that if a new player was brought in they would have to "look at outs" as well.

Struber also said he feels "sorry" for Joe Williams and the team, with the midfielder expected to be out for another eight weeks following a setback in his recovery from an ankle injury.

"We was a little bit surprised about the situation around him," he said.

"He was in the recovery programme and we realised he's not ready and he's had a little bit of a setback. He feels not ready with his leg.

"We have to be patient. We know for us he is a big key in our team, and I feel sorry for him but also for the team."

David Pottier
Forever Bristol City Podcast

Image source, Rex Features

With weather more akin to watching a game at La Rosaleda [Malaga CF], a capacity crowd, an emphatic win at Bramall Lane on the opening day of the season and a predictable midweek cup success against MK Dons, the scene was surely set for a first home league win against Championship newcomers Charlton Athletic?

No, this is Bristol City and in this, my 59th season of supporting, I can safely say based upon experience that we rarely fail to disappoint on such occasions and Saturday proved no exception.

While City did not lose, their well-drilled opponents could well have won a game that ended without a goal.

City's coach Gerhard Struber is enjoying the honeymoon period of his time in charge. He has already endeared himself to the fans with his communication skills and generally cheerful disposition but he is learning what his squad is, or is not, capable of and on Saturday he was outwitted by his Charlton counterpart as City ran out of steam long before the end, although his substitutions played a part in that.

Once the industrious Adam Randell had been taken off with half an hour remaining, to be replaced by the clearly unfit [for Struber's all-action style] Max Bird, City's chances of all three points looked remote.

When he brought on messieurs Armstrong and Mayulu with 10 minutes remaining, it was, in some fans' minds, perhaps a signal to the board that he needs more firepower up front to support Emil Riis and perhaps, with the benefit of hindsight, it was a mistake not to give Nahki Wells one more year rather than let him move to Luton.

Four points from two games is fine and if it had been secured with a draw at Sheffield United followed by an emphatic win at home, the mood would be brighter than it is.

We are sat in fourth place but to be quite honest, any thoughts on how this season is going to pan out are best put away until the second international break in October and then we'll know for sure if Struber can produce the goods.