Although the season kick-off is three days away, and there is a feeling that Bristol City’s squad is set for 2022/23, in reality, these early games can be influential not only in setting the tone for the season but in driving transfer activity throughout August.
With the window not closing until September 1, Nigel Pearson has, in effect, eight fixtures in league and cup to confirm where his group are at, if further reinforcements are needed and whether that’s required now or in January.
In reality, every manager would like to get their business done in the first week of the post-season, wait a few weeks for everyone to have a holiday and then experience a full pre-season with the complete squad on board.
City did add three important players early on in Kane Wilson, Kal Naismith and Mark Sykes, which bodes well, but Pearson himself said at the end of June he still wanted 2-3 more, before adding goalkeeper Stefan Bajic.
Whether or not he gets those players remains to be seen, with a lot tied to any money potentially coming into the club, but with the curtain-raiser against Hull City on the horizon and five weeks of the window remaining, here’s a state of play regarding the squad and the manager’s options based on the 31 individuals who’ve been given numbers for the season.
Goalkeeper
It was a transfer few, if any, people forecast at the start of the summer but, based on Pat Mountain’s quotes last week, was one City were keen to make after he assessed 12 targets in the position, as Stefan Bajic has further swelled the goalkeeping department.
Very little is known about the Frenchman but it’s safe to assume that part of the Robins pitch to the 20-year-old to tempt him over the Channel was based on first-team opportunities and, taking into consideration sentiment in his home country, he appears a genuine high-level prospect.
Admittedly that’s before he’s been even tested in training, let alone the Championship, but the point is he’s very much a goalkeeper under first-team consideration meaning, once he’s returned from his wrist injury, City have three at that level, plus Harvey Wiles-Richards in reserve.
The teenager could be set for a loan, presumably meaning Josey Casa Grande or Mac Boyd will be the Under-23 goalkeeper, while there also remains the prospect of Max O’Leary heading out, as was the plan earlier this month before the prognosis surrounding Bajic’s surgery and recovery time became a little clearer.
Dan Bentley remains No1, and looks set to continue as captain, but there is a healthy amount of uncertainty in the position surrounding his competition, which is a positive, of course.
Centre-backs
What a difference a player makes. Kal Naismith’s presence in this area of the pitch already looks transformative for City. There are some who have claimed the Scot can’t be as good or as effective as he was for Luton Town last season, where he enjoyed a career-best year.
But, hear us out, he could be even better for the Robins. Firstly, last term was his first as a full-time centre-back, having gradually converted into the position towards the end of his time at Wigan Athletic. He should, naturally, improve even with a new system and teammates to learn and adapt to.
Secondly, pre-season has shown Naismith to be very much the main man back there; leading and guiding the defenders around him, setting the example and providing a constant presence. If City are to improve their woeful defensive record of last season, it’ll take a collective effort but the addition of Naismith will have proven a major catalyst.
In support of the Scot, Pearson has Rob Atkinson and Timm Klose - who look ready to start the season - plus Tomas Kalas, who will miss the start of the new season with some doubt as to when the Czech international will return to full training.
They can be considered Pearson’s frontline defensive options, all of which are strong but having just four for the campaign, and preferring a three-man backline, doesn’t allow for much margin of error in terms of injuries or fluctuations in form.
Which is why the back-up situation is interesting. Zak Vyner was, and could still be, on his way out of the club after Pearson lost patience with him towards the end of last season; nothing to do with his attitude or commitment, but quite simply he wasn’t a defender he could consider to be reliable enough to start regularly.
But with Kalas out, Robbie Cundy having long since departed and Nathan Baker not given a squad number due to his double-concussion last season, Vyner is now battling with Klose for that third spot against Hull City following a pretty solid pre-season.
Pearson has alluded to the fact he’s been unable to make reinforcements in certain areas and, as a result, can’t get players out of the door, and the 24-year-old undoubtedly fits into that category but fate has afforded him a second chance and, so far, he’s taken it. Albeit with the real test still to come.
Pearson would also like to loan out one of Ryley Towler or Duncan Idehen but as the numbers show, he simply can’t because it leaves him too short at the back. Should an injury befall one of Naismith, Atkinson or Klose before Kalas comes back, Towler and Idehen come into the equation as starters.
The former is more advanced than the latter centre-back but that equation, coupled with Vyner’s position in the squad relative to his manager’s view of the defender’s ability, highlights one area of the group where the manager would clearly like to make at least one more signing.
Wing-backs
Starting on the right, and after the experiments, both good and bad, of last season it now seems a very settled area of the pitch. New signing Kane Wilson has added much to the way City play and although the 22-year-old missed out against Bournemouth, the belief is, at this stage, he’ll be fit to face Hull City on Saturday.
His arrival and the very clear and obvious attacking thrust and creativity he adds to the team has pushed George Tanner into a secondary role, after his recovery from a hamstring problem, but they’re two nice options for Pearson to have, plus there’s clearly a scenario where they both play, either with Wilson shifted over to the left or Tanner deeper and the new man pushed into a winger’s role.
Having occupied the position for much of last season, Alex Scott will hopefully be deployed more in a central berth but remains an option on the right. As does Mark Sykes, who’s been trialled there in pre-season, further enhancing the depth in what was a previous area of weakness.
The left flank remains much the same as it was last season with Jay Dasilva having usurped Cam Pring as one of City’s best performers over the second half of 2021/22. Those two will fight it out against once more in the coming campaign but, as mentioned, Wilson is also in the conversation, maybe not initially at the start of games, while Towler, should he stay at City, is also naturally left footed and has the technique and control in possession to play there, even though you do sacrifice a bit of offensive penetration.
Centre midfield
An integral area of the field and one in which City have proven quality but also with some significant ifs and buts. Joe Williams and Matty James seem to be Pearson’s preferred starting duo but both have experienced injury problems over the last 12-18 months and cannot be expected to each play 40+ games. It could happen, and would be fantastic if it did, but recent evidence suggests it’s not a realistic target.
It’s also worth highlighting that after bemoaning the lack of a true defensive midfielder, City are yet to add one in this transfer window.
The closest he’s got is the control and leadership of veteran Andy King or the energetic enthusiasm and tigerish technique of Han-Noah Massengo. The former had two separate surgeries last season on his hamstrings, and having taken a player/coach role is likely, at best, to match his 10 starts from 2021/22. Massengo, meanwhile, is in the middle of a fully-fledged contract saga that could see him leave Ashton Gate, could see him stay and be subconsciously marginalised ever so slightly by his manager or, best-case scenario, could agree new terms.
Either way, King and Massengo don’t exactly make for straightforward reinforcements to James and Williams who, themselves, have very obvious red flags with regards to their potential availability.
Scratch beneath that quartet and you’re left with Josh Owers and Dylan Kadji, two talented academy products but who are yet to play in the Championship and, you’d imagine, like Towler and Idehen in defence, ideally would spend some time away on loan.
There’s no doubting the ability of the senior members in central midfield but there are also too many question marks and potential pitfalls not to consider this a very obvious area in need of at least one reinforcement before the window closes.
Attacking midfield
We somewhat deliberately left off Scott in discussing the deeper part of midfield and the teenager could be part of that particular debate but it just feels that, initially at least, when he’ll start games it’ll be in an advanced role with two more recognised holding players alongside him.
That could change, depending on how well Scott plays and also the relative strengths and attributes of the oppisitons but, for now, we’re considering him among City’s healthy complement of attacking midfielders.
The man in possession of the shirt in that area is, of course, last season’s Player of the Year and top scorer Andi Weimann who will nearly always be in the starting XI in some way, shape or form; it could be as a No10, as a withdrawn striker, right-winger or right wing-back. Weimann, alone, makes Pearson’s squad seem that little bit bigger given the sheer volume of positions he can cover.
So too, presumably, Sykes who’s been trialled all over the park over pre-season but looks best suited to a central role where he can drift into pockets and also play efficiently in transition as City look to make those fast breaks.
The similarities between Weimann and Sykes are obvious, whereas Scott and his academy colleagues Ayman Benarous and Sam Pearson provide more orthodox playmaking abilities when on the ball.
It’s an area that is very fluid in terms of the requirements and how it won’t just be one attacking creator on the pitch, plus as we’ve mentioned it’s interesting that nearly all the players in this department - Scott, Weimann, Sykes and Benarous - have, at one stage, played as a wing-back.
Such is the plethora of options and combinations, you can see why the more rigid Kasey Palmer was moved on by his manager.
Strikers
Finally, the top end of the field and City’s main position of strength with all the individuals retained from last season: Chris Martin, Andi Weimann, Antoine Semenyo and Nahki Wells.
Semenyo is obviously injured and may not be back until early to mid-September, but Martin and Weimann are very much here to stay for 2022/23, while Tommy Conway and Sam Bell have shown great promise since joining the first-team set-up and were this week rewarded with extended contracts until 2025.
One, if not both, will likely stick around for the forthcoming campaign and should see an upturn in minutes, particularly while Semenyo remains on the sidelines.
Wells’ path is a little harder to predict as his contract runs out in 2023 and with no credible offers made for the Bermudian. Pearson doesn’t want players to run their contracts down but in the cases of Massengo and, at the other end of the age spectrum, Wells, he may not have much choice. The 32-year-old didn’t play anywhere near enough football last term and although Semenyo’s injury offers him a glimmer of opportunity to impress, he still remains fourth choice when all are fit.
That City's fourth-choice striker, and he won't want to hear that term, is a forward of such quality and repute speaks volumes for Pearson's options in this area of the field which become increasingly pronounced with the reintroduction of five substitutions over the course of a game.
Having a number of attacking players in the matchday 18, drastically improves your ability to win a game or, at the very least, challenge the opposition for 90 minutes.
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