The 116th season of Bristol City’s existence and their sixth straight in the Championship won’t linger long in the memory as, in many cases and at many times, it felt like a slog and a physical, mental and emotional test of everyone involved.
It began with the continuation of a dreadful run at Ashton Gate and as well-organised but limited attacking team ground out results, but ended with the polar opposite as free-flowing City couldn’t stop scoring, amid calamitous defending, and looked strong in BS3 as they toiled on the road.
It was, as a cursory glance of the results will tell you, a deeply inconsistent nine months which fluctuated between promising to seemingly perpetual doom from week to week, only for Nigel Pearson and his team to pull out results when they needed it the most and restore faith in the project.
Ultimately, 17th is not where City want to be in the table and it simply won’t be anywhere near satisfactory in 2022/23, as the manager himself has indicated. But with the curtain closed on the campaign and thoughts turning to the summer transfer window and beyond, we asked eight City fans for their opinions on what’s happened, and what needs to happen next…
How would you rate City’s season out of 10 in terms of your expectations last summer?
Jon Dinham, 39, Bedminster: 5 - I expected a bit higher in terms of league position, probably similar to what Richard Gould said in a recent interview about the club’s expectations. Pearson probably expected better himself. There's been too many bad performances for me, though I'm much happier with how City finished the season.
Wayne Moore, 45, Whitchurch: 6 - there were some good and bad games, the late goals were killing us, but I felt we finished well. Most games were entertaining.
Garry James, 70, Corfu: Sadly only 5 out of 10. Far too inconsistent week after week and seemingly unable to manage a game whilst leading.
Dave Featherstone, 51, Downend: On balance a 6/7 out of 10. From a pure footballing perspective, the league position was probably a tad lower than I hoped (17th versus 14th), but factor in injuries to key players at certain points of the season, the emergence of several young players and never really being in any danger of relegation or even a relegation battle for that matter, then we did fine.
If you then factor in the fact that we avoided the need to panic buy in January, reduced costs of the squad overall, I see it as a pretty satisfactory season, where the trend is upward.
George Townsend, 17, Kingswood: I'd say 6.5, as I wasn't expecting much last summer, though of course, we've improved in terms of position in comparison to last season, the rebuild has properly begun, and plenty of young players have made their mark.
Charlie Birleson, 21, Bedminster: Before the start of the season I said I’d just be happy to avoid a relegation dogfight, so I’d say 5.5/10. The back end of the season was enjoyable to watch and we got some really good results but the first half of the season, at home especially, was quite shocking in terms of results and the quality of football played.
Alex Drewett, 41, Keynsham: I would rate City's season 6 out of 10. We've stayed up which is the biggest positive. Given the positions we've been in towards the end of games, we should have been more comfortable but, all in all, lots of room for improvement.
Aaron Eamer, 34, Horfield: Six, probably. I think I was expecting a little more fight through the mid-point of the season but soon came to realise this season was very much a transitional one for the squad and our next step forwards.
What pleased you most about the campaign and what was your biggest disappointment?
Jon Dinham: I have been encouraged by the two young signings we made last summer in George Tanner and Rob Atkinson. That gives me confidence in Pearson's ability to find quality from the lower leagues. Alex Scott and Antoine Semenyo's progress is another big positive.
Negatives would be the Danny Simpson, Nathan Baker and Andy King signings when working with a smaller squad, we need fitter, more robust players than that. The biggest negative, however, would be how defensively disorganised City looked for most of the season.
Wayne Moore: My biggest disappointment is Kasey Palmer as I still feel there’s a player in there. The youth coming through is a massive boost and Andi Weimann’s goals. We finished the season looking like a cohesive team.
Garry James: Weimann returning from a bad injury and having his best ever goal return. Dropping so many points from winning positions was more than disappointing.
Dave Featherstone: As above, the emergence of the young players was a big plus and shows that having a genuine pathway to the first team without necessarily going down a lower league loan route for EFL experience can be fruitful and cost effective too.
I think some of our players developed quicker from training as part of the first team group and learning from the likes of “Kingy” and “Jamo” (often referenced by the young players as being very influential). Nor can I forget how entertaining the Weimann-Semenyo-Martin forward three have been.
I have been a bit disappointed that we conceded so many goals. When we concede chances, we concede them in batches and ultimately the numbers game says it will lead to goals. It feels like when we are “under the cosh”, we struggle to take the sting out of the game.
Part of that comes from playing a counter-attacking style, our attacks can feel a bit “boom or bust” and over too quickly from trying the killer-pass too soon. I’d have liked us to show a bit more composure and willingness to hold onto the ball when we’ve been under pressure. Maybe that will come as Pearson evolves the team this summer?
George Townsend: I've loved seeing the youngsters come into the side. Scott has proven himself as one of the best young midfielders/wing-backs in the league, Semenyo has proven to be a nightmare for defenders, despite this really only being his second season in the Championship. and Tanner has done a great job when he's been fit. The biggest disappointment has got to be conceding late goals so often.
Charlie Birleson: Watching Semenyo and Scott come through and turn into some of the best U23 players in the league has been a pleasure. The points dropped from winning positions has been really disappointing. Having to wait until pretty much November to see us win at home as well, that was dreadful.
Alex Drewett: The biggest plus point this season for me has been Scott and Semenyo developing, as both have been great to watch and leave a minor feeling of optimism. Biggest disappointment would be that of our senior players such as Tomas Kalas who I feel have been outshone by the kids on multiple occasions, but also Pearson’s game management which was severely lacking at times.
Aaron Eamer: The ability of some of the younger players has been a highlight. I sometimes question "is the investment worth it?" when you look at what clubs like Brentford do but there's something about seeing that progress.
Disappointments though, the opposite side; experienced players like Palmer, Wells, Kalas etc. not hitting levels we'd have hoped when signing them shows there's work to be done.
What do you think held City back from being, at least, a top-half team?
Jon Dinham: It’s almost impossible to be upper half with such a poor defensive record. As I said before it hasn't helped with some of the signings not being a success, but I still think City could have been set up to be harder to score against.
Also, could Pearson have recognised before the start of the season that the likes of Vyner and Bakinson were not going to be his type of players?
Wayne Moore: Our defence and the late goals. Our defence got better but it took until February.
Garry James: Defensively a shambles for the majority of the season and without Joe Williams for a long period we lacked creativity.
Dave Featherstone: A combination of things - injuries, squad balance and squad depth primarily. At times we have been without all of Andy King, Matty James and Joe Williams. In fact, Matty James and Joe Williams only started two matches together in the centre of midfield until they started the home game against Birmingham in gameweek 38!
Consistency or lack of it has been the buzzword. Perhaps it’s little surprise that at the back-end of the season the ability to select a settled match day squad brought our best sequence of results and performances, even though you could argue even then we didn’t have our strongest 11 available.
George Townsend: Injuries for sure, the financial situation, certain players at the club, home form at the start of the season, I could go on, though plenty of positives too of course.
Charlie Birleson: I’d say it’s fairly obvious - the points dropped from winning positions has let us down massively. If a few games finished in the 90th or 89th minute we would be top half or even pushing play offs.
Alex Drewett: It's three-fold really: sub-=standard recruitment, poor defending and poor management. Maybe three new players in key positions would have made a massive impact but instead we get the likes of Danny Simpson.
The defence have underperformed but with no protection and a barrage of individual mistakes, it’s inevitable we conceded so many goals. Finally, Pearson must hold his hands up because on multiple occasions he has not read the game or danger which has cost us a lot of points.
Aaron Eamer: Something I've been critical of all season is our inability to close out a game. The amount of points lost through late goals is unreal and I know some will say "yeah but we scored a couple too" but that's not the point. Yes, we do score a couple but to push on we need to prevent them at the other end and we've been relentlessly bad at it.
Has this season changed your opinion on Nigel Pearson at all, regarding his position as the man to take the club forward?
Jon Dinham: I didn't really know what to think of Pearson as he's not managed at this level for a long time. I have been critical of him but I have always wanted him to remain as manager. He's building his squad and needs the time to do that.
Wayne Moore: No, I still think he is the right man and I don’t get all the negativity. He’s made mistakes but that’s expected. He has the experience to hopefully get us challenging for a play-off spot. I didn’t like Lee Johnson, I felt he was too negative and a lot of the games were boring.
Garry James: I was just a bit worried that Pearson couldn't sort us out defensively and make us harder to beat, we were far too soft and naive. If we struggle for the early games, alarm bells will be ringing out.
Dave Featherstone: No, if anything it has reinforced it! I can see the plan. I can see that the plan is working, even if it’s a bit slower than hoped. But there is an acceptance that you sometimes need to go backwards to go forward, but if the plan is based on solid foundations (that is why we needed an experienced manager like Pearson), then it will start to show progress. Against a backdrop of record financial losses, this was never going to be an overnight turnaround.
George Townsend: Not at all, I still think the future is bright under Nigel Pearson, he was never going to change the whole club in a single season, and there's no point bringing in the biggest and best players without the infrastructure to do so - we need a long-term solution, and NP seems to understand that.
Charlie Birleson: I have always been a big fan of Pearson. I can see why he divides opinion but I think he has the foundations of something quite special beginning to form. I am a big fan of how he has dealt with the players who clearly aren’t on board with the project, I feel we have lacked a manager like this over the last few years.
Alex Drewett: No, not really. He is a good manager in some respects, but the lack of coaching has sadly been evident, so I can only hope things change over the summer. Yes, he can take us forward but more work is needed for sure.
Aaron Eamer: I've been pretty neutral on Pearson since his appointment to be honest. I don't think he inherited greatness to move forwards with and he hasn't had the opportunity to do what he feels is needed with the squad either.
We've had a year in there where many clubs weren't really trading players due to Covid finance restraints so I guess there's a little more time to play with for me.
How many players do you think the club need to sign to improve on this season’s performance? Who or what type of player would you like to see arrive?
Jon Dinham: It's difficult to say how many we need to sign without knowing who will be sold. We've signed Sykes and we definitely need a right-back to compete with Tanner so Pearson can play four at the back.
If we continue to play direct football then a back-up/rotation target man option for Martin would make sense. I expect Pearson will be trying to bring in a defensive midfielder too.
Wayne Moore: We need a right-back/wing-back. A really competitive central midfielder and another striker. The defence is fine if Timm Klose signs.
Garry James: At least five players. Personally I'd love a real pacey wide man, a quality defensive midfielder, a decent No9 to give Chris Martin a break, a full-back and a centre half.
Dave Featherstone: If I assume King, Klose and Robbie Cundy all accept their new deals, then I don’t think we are a million miles away. With Mark Sykes already onboard, the obvious gap is a right back/wing back to compete with Tanner. If the stories of Kane Wilson are true and we get that deal over the line, I would be sat happy that the core of the squad is already sorted. Everything else becomes dependent on who leaves and how much budget that fees up to replace them.
In terms of type of player, I think we will see pace, power or leadership as the key qualities to recruit. It is difficult to suggest possible incoming players without knowing who they are replacing and how much budget is available.
George Townsend: I think I'd be happy with 3-5 first team players, though the signings of Tim ap Sion and Ben Acey from Guernsey already look like great moves on our part, and glad Mark Sykes has signed for us as well.
We desperately need reinforcements in central defence and midfield, right-back/right-wing-back too. I would love to see Kane Wilson sign, and other promising players from lower leagues or youngsters let go by Premier League clubs.
Charlie Birleson: After Sykes, I’d say around 4-5 but that also depends on what happens with the players who are attracting interest.
I’m a huge fan of Kane Wilson and think he’d fit our system perfectly. As well as him or another right-back/right wing-back I’d like to see us bring in a striker; similar build to Martin, a bit of a target man. Michael Smith is one name I’d like to see us go for. Also a centre midfielder in more of a holding/shielding role, similar to pack or maybe pack himself. I think it looks like we need a centre-back as well depending on the Nathan Baker situation. Another winger could be handy too.
Alex Drewett: We need a right-back, centre-back, central defensive midfielder, a centre forward and two wide men. No, I don't think Kane Wilson is the answer, I would rather Kaine Kesler, the young right-back who was on loan at MK Dons from Aston Villa.
I would even consider selling Dan Bentley to fund a move for Plymouth goalkeeper Michael Cooper. In other positions, Panutche Camara from Plymouth would be okay, Mitch Pinnock from Northampton and there is a wealth of young talent across the EFL, plus a few Premier League loans would be ideal. We just need power and pace in central midfield and pace and technical quality in forward areas.
Aaron Eamer: We need a few more in the Klose mould. It's difficult to put a number on how many players we need because it depends on their quality. There's not much point signing a player for the sake of it, they need to offer something that can take us forward and want to be that player.
Which player are you most excited about watching next season?
Jon Dinham: Next season I'm most excited about watching Semenyo. That's if we can keep hold of him! At only 22, if he can avoid serious injuries then he will only get better. City must do all they can to keep him.
Wayne Moore: Semenyo as he’s improving and he is a handful for any defender, Scott is another exciting player.
Garry James: I'm really looking forward to seeing Semenyo kick on along with Alex Scott who had a superb start to his career.
Dave Featherstone: I was looking forward to seeing more progression from Ayman Benarous and am gutted he’s suffered an ACL injury. He made huge strides this season. But the player who I really am really excited about is Joe Williams. Pearson might bemoan stats, but it is clear that some stats are important.
He mentioned in the interview with Geoff Twentyman that we earn more points with Joe on the pitch. Using my own method which looks at the match position whilst a player is on the pitch rather than a simple end of match result, Joe is miles ahead of anyone else. He averages 1.86 points per 90 minutes, which over a season would result in 85 points.
The nearest challenger (of players who’ve played 1000 minutes plus) is Scott who earns 1.40 points per 90 (64 points). That is one method of showing the importance of Joe.
It is therefore vital that Joe gets a full, uninterrupted per-season under his belt and comes back ready to play 40+ games. His range of passing and ability to receive the ball in tight spots is something we need in the team to evolve the way we play. We saw flashes of what he is capable of this season, more please!
George Townsend: In terms of our new signings, Acey for sure. He looks like a really promising young man, and all reviews that I've seen from Guernsey have been positive. Would especially love to see him play alongside Alex if he does make it into the first-team squad this season considering how well they know each other and the way the other plays.
Charlie Birleson: It was Benarous but sadly we probably won’t see him until December/January now. I think Atkinson could have a huge season, as I thought he really improved after he came back from injury this year. His partnership with Klose is blossoming really nicely so hopefully he signs on. Cundy looks to be turning into a great little player as well.
Alex Drewett: Alex Scott. If he stays and is played in his natural position, his ceiling is high but he needs the freedom to play.
Aaron Eamer: Can I say Han-Noah Massengo? No, but seriously... when he's on his game he can be great. It's just finding that fit for him (if he stays) and building consistency. I'm interested in the whole midfield though really. A fit Joe Williams would be nice.
How confident are you that City will be better next season?
Jon Dinham: I'm very confident City will be better next season. I think Pearson will sort out the defensive problems and that should mean less late goals conceded and more clean sheets which should put us in a higher league position. I think that top half is realistic.
Wayne Moore: Very confident, we looked good at the end of the season and with a couple of good signings we will definitely improve. We need to do our business early so we can prepare properly.
Garry James: I just want us to be competitive and manage games from winning positions. It's the hope I feel every season. I would hate to think we could have a worse season than the one just gone. Top half should be the least we're aiming for.
Dave Featherstone: Very…
George Townsend: Better? 100%, though it's hard to predict in which ways this'll be. The squad will surely improve with signings and outgoings, some of our newer players from last season will gain more experience so should improve, and hopefully we'll continue climbing up the Football League.
Charlie Birleson: I think it depends largely on the recruitment, if we bring in a few and get rid of dead wood in the process I feel we could do quite well. I think Pearson’s plan is starting to fall into place.
I would be buzzing with a top-half finish but keep the good home form up and sort the late goals out and I think we could surprise a few next season.
Alex Drewett: It’s all dependent on recruitment. If we recruit well, get a couple of decent loans, we’ll be okay. But we need to be able to out work teams and match them physically, plus win tight games when both are poor.
Aaron Eamer: At the moment, I'm not confident we will be better. It won't be until we've seen the majority of new faces come in and seen how they fit in with the culture during preseason that I'll start to wonder what can be.
I think some individuals can be better but whether they can be together and are other teams going to surpass how much we can grow? I don't know just yet.
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