Bristol City looking to move into the play-offs against Watford

National World - LocalTV

Daniel Wales and Charles Hague-Jones discuss Bristol City vs. Watford.

Transcript

00:00Dan, looking at Bristol City and in terms of their next championship encounter, Watford

00:08at home, it's another game where you go into it and every time we mention the play-off

00:13race, they are both next to each other in it, only four points separating them, Bristol

00:17City the higher of the two. Every time we mention the play-off race, we are always wanting

00:23Bristol City just to get the back-to-back wins, how much that can change your fortunes

00:28in the championship when you are near the top six. The top six is so important now,

00:34this running ahead of them is tough, but it's also a chance for Bristol City to really flex

00:39in it and you feel if they don't make it, then probably they just simply didn't deserve

00:43to. It's all down to merit at the end of the day of staying in the top six, remaining there

00:48and then picking up your form whilst you are in those positions. Watford at home, obviously

00:54a huge game in terms of the play-off race, just four points separate as I say and a chance

00:59to again get another good result in the championship.

01:02It certainly is, it's a huge game really considering where Watford are, they are a little bit behind

01:07them in the table, but Bristol City, you look at that and you think if you win this we could

01:12be in the top six by the end of the weekend if results are to go their way. They are joint

01:17with West Brom in sixth and they are joint with Middlesbrough just behind them as well,

01:21but all on 57 points and then you've got Coventry only a couple of points ahead as well.

01:25So, even fifth place is potentially on the cards, obviously let's not get ahead of ourselves yet

01:30because they are being at times inconsistent this season, but certainly they've booked their

01:35ideas up enough to get themselves into a position where they can challenge at the moment, which is

01:39very good. They were disappointed to lose against Burnley in their last outing because they thought

01:44well they conceded to a free kick and obviously Burnley don't really concede at all to be honest,

01:49or at least they haven't done this season. So, to lose in that manner when they defended

01:55themselves so well as well was quite frustrating because they'd probably earned themselves at least

01:59a point in that game at Turfmoor, but they unfortunately didn't get it. But then you

02:04come back to Ashton Gate which has been a happy hunting ground for them of late as well,

02:08certainly picked up some big wins there in the last few weeks, Middlesbrough in particular

02:14against another rival for the playoffs, a 2-1 win there. So, they've got what it takes at

02:20Ashton Gate at the moment, certainly they've got the confidence when they're playing at home in

02:23front of their own supporters to go there and get three points and damage the pursuits of a side

02:29just behind them in the table and also alleviate themselves potentially into the playoff places

02:34themselves because you think well, okay if we actually get into the playoff places can we then

02:38stay there the minute they're trying to break into them, but then would you rather be chasing

02:43or being chased? It's always a difficult question in football isn't it when it comes to the end of

02:48the season and as to where you would like to be as you think well if you're chasing at least the

02:52pressure's not really on you sort of thing, but at the same time if you're being chased you've got

02:58the advantage of the lead position that as long as you keep winning nothing can change. So, it's a

03:04really tough one for Bristol City but at the moment though they'll look at that Watford game

03:07and they'll target that and they'll think yes if we win this we put ourselves in a great position

03:11regardless of what other teams do because at worst if they win they're still going to be level

03:16on points with West Brom who are sat in sixth place and in the playoffs. Yeah and obviously

03:22we mentioned multiple times their inconsistency that starts the season but

03:27since the turn of the year they've only actually lost a couple of times in the league

03:31and they've seen a real surge in terms of their approach to go and try

03:36and break into that top six position and they are deservedly where they are now and then you

03:41just need to make that extra step and you feel there's a huge shift in emotion from the start

03:46of the new year and obviously you know a couple of losses as I say but there's been some brilliant

03:51results in there. What do you feel changed in terms of the new year, new mindset for Liam Manning?

03:57He really wanted to give this playoff charge a good go. He certainly did, yes he certainly did

04:02because I think he knows that his side have got the quality to get into these playoff places and

04:09certainly they've demonstrated that a lot more in the last few weeks and they've got the players

04:13who are capable of taking them up the league and they're starting to demonstrate that and he's a

04:18head coach who plays a brand of football that is exciting and easy on the eye, good to watch and

04:23it's got the crowd excited at Ashton Gate and it's picked them up good wins as well.

04:26The frustration comes at some of the goals conceded in the games where they haven't won

04:31earlier in the season. You think if you pick up points early on they probably wouldn't even be in

04:34the situation now wondering whether they can do it because they probably would already be there

04:38with a nice enough points gap. That's the real frustration for them.

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