Bristol City expectations remain high ahead of new Championship season

National World - LocalTV

Daniel Wales looks at Bristol City’s expectations ahead of the upcoming Championship campaign.

Transcript

00:00Now, Bristol City face a challenging campaign on the horizon,

00:04obviously breaking that playoff duck,

00:06as we've mentioned so many times this summer.

00:08And then the bit of the whirlwind with the Liam Manning situation

00:11and him leaving.

00:12But now they are on to this new beginning,

00:14this new chapter under Gerard Schruber.

00:17Can they make sure they replicate and continue to compete?

00:20I mean, you have to look at the quality of the division next season.

00:24You've got the likes of Birmingham City, Rexham both investing,

00:28West Brom have a new young manager.

00:30You've still got both the Sheffield clubs in there.

00:33You've got Norwich with Liam Manning, funnily enough.

00:37Leicester City, Ipswich Town.

00:39These are going to be really, really challenging opposition

00:43for the likes of Bristol City,

00:45who have tread water in the Championship for so long.

00:48They finally broke the top six.

00:50I mean, you look at the chances of teams who get the top six

00:53in the season after get it as well.

00:55It is quite low down.

00:56It is something that Bristol City need to try and break

00:59and get up there.

01:00So, Dan, our Bristol correspondent, we'll go to you now.

01:03Dan, just give us a bit of a rundown on where Bristol City are

01:06heading into this season, the expectations behind them.

01:09How do they sort of adjust to losing their manager

01:12and making sure that they remain positive

01:14and really go for it again in the Championship?

01:17Because it's going to be some task, as I say.

01:20So, Dan, what are your thoughts on where Bristol City are at

01:22and what more can you tell us?

01:25Well, I think as a club, they're doing all right.

01:27And I think expectations will be moderately high next season,

01:31just basing off what they did last year in the Championship.

01:34Of course, getting into the playoffs,

01:35well, scraping in just about on the last day of the season.

01:38To be fair, they could have made it much more easy for themselves

01:40if they'd just beaten Preston.

01:41But, of course, that was easier said than done

01:43because Preston were also fighting for their lives.

01:46But I think, obviously, then the loss of Liam Manning,

01:48that affected them as a club

01:49because not only did he leave having built what he built at Bristol City,

01:53but he also left for a Championship rival.

01:56And, well, that's not great at all, is it?

01:58Leaving for someone like Norwich City, who...

02:00Similar sort of club in terms of where they're at

02:03currently to Bristol City.

02:04Perhaps Norwich, perhaps a little bit more advanced, you could argue,

02:06just because they have been in the Premier League more recently

02:09and actually on a few occasions in comparison to Bristol City.

02:13But, overall, it was a bit of a kick to the Robins

02:16that they lost him to a club like Norwich.

02:18But, since then, obviously, they've brought in Gerhard Struber

02:21from FC Köln, a Bundesliga side.

02:24The chairman, John Lansdowne,

02:25has said that Struber is the perfect fit for Bristol City.

02:28And, obviously, he's got straight to work.

02:31They're currently in a pre-season training camp in Portugal.

02:34And he's been very impressed, has Gerhard Struber,

02:36with some of the training, the attitude that's been put into training so far.

02:40According to the lads that have been there in the squad,

02:43have shown a real promise and a real good attitude

02:46to the work they've been asked to do so far

02:48in preparations for the Championship season.

02:50So, that's the positives out the way.

02:53Obviously, they've also brought in a couple of new players as well.

02:56You look at Joe Lumley, the goalkeeper,

02:58someone who has Premier League experience

02:59and, actually, someone who wants

03:01and has made quite clear that he wants to experience

03:03the Premier League with Bristol City.

03:05Obviously, that would be getting promoted next season.

03:08And, also, they've brought in Emil Rees-Jacobsson

03:10from Preston Northend,

03:11a striker who's seasoned in the Championship,

03:15someone who knows that league very well.

03:17Maybe, perhaps, wouldn't be ready to make the jump up

03:19to the Premier League if they got there.

03:21But, certainly, for this level,

03:23I think it's a shrewd piece of business

03:24because they know he's probably going to score goals

03:26at this level and has done with Preston already.

03:29So, so far, they've done some good business

03:32and they've seemingly done quite well in pre-season

03:34in terms of training as well.

03:35So, Gerhard Struber certainly looking very happy.

03:37Of course, he's also got Bernd Eibler,

03:39his new coach, alongside him,

03:41who's also spoken highly of the club

03:43and working alongside Struber

03:45and has been impressed by the training himself so far.

03:48So, overall, there's a lot of positive signs

03:50at Bristol City at the moment.

03:52It's now, of course, just putting that into action

03:54when the season starts.

03:55Obviously, basing it off last season,

03:57you'd have to say expectations would be relatively high

04:00just because they got into the playoffs.

04:02Yes, they were then heavily beaten

04:03by Sheffield United in the playoffs,

04:04but let's be honest,

04:05that red card didn't help at all in the first leg.

04:08It essentially ended the tie there and then.

04:11So, they've got to build on the squad

04:13they had from last season.

04:14They're starting to do that

04:15with some moves in the transfer market.

04:16They've also got to build on the playing style.

04:18It's obviously remains to be seen

04:19as to how much Gerhard Struber

04:21will move away from what Liam Manning created,

04:24with Bristol City.

04:25But I think, to be honest,

04:27supporters will just be happy

04:28that they've got someone in

04:29who seems to get the club

04:30and seems to be very happy to be there

04:32and wants the club to make progress.

04:34He's already spoken about integrating

04:35a lot of the academy prospects

04:37into the first team

04:38and giving them a real pathway as well.

04:40So, that's a positive.

04:41So, overall, things looking good for Bristol City.

04:43Expectations will be high.

04:44So, let's go.

04:45So, let's go to Daniel Ticho City.

04:46Let's go to Danny Ticho.

04:47Okay.

04:49Let's go.

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