Bristol City are in the Alps on a pre-season trip that will be in-part a bonding exercise but also present various physical challenges for the squad as they begin their preparations for the season ahead, which kicks off in just over a month at Hull City.
Last Friday, the Robins opened their doors to local media to observe a training session and speak to Nigel Pearson plus new signings Kane Wilson and Kal Naismith, with the manager in particular emitting considerable positivity about how the players have looked in training so far.
There was certainly real intensity to how the ball was moved around, and no quarter given from players whether in or out of possession; this isn't just about getting mentally and physically conditioned, with competition for places, it's about getting yourself in the team.
There were some missing men at Failand: Antoine Semenyo's injury kept him inside, although he was walking around the canteen freely; Tomas Kalas continues his recovery from groin surgery; Dylan Kadji was seen in a protective boot due to an ankle injury; Nahki Wells, Andi Weimann and Alex Scott all had previous or current international commitments; Tyreeq Bakinson and Saikou Janneh, meanwhile, were training with the Under-23s.
Here are four others observations from the morning session at Failand before the squad flew to Europe...
GI Joe Williams
Kane Wilson will experience plentiful “introductions” to life in the Championship over the next few months having made the switch from Forest Green Rovers to City earlier this month. The 22-year-old openly admits he has a lot to learn and the added pace and technical prowess of moving up two divisions will take some getting used to.
On Friday, City’s new right-back was provided with such an induction as collecting possession and look to turn, he felt the full force of a Joe Williams reducer, with the midfielder’s tackle ever so slightly from behind. Wilson was left limping and smarting from the Scouser’s industrious midfield player with Curtis Fleming having a polite word to Williams and the former Wigan player smiling but also furious that he felt he played the ball.
Wilson ran it off and speaking to media after the session even joked, “I’ll nutmeg him next time - make sure you print that”, but it was but one piece of evidence of how Williams is in training: exactly how he is on a Championship matchday.
“Train as you play” was Pearson’s call, as he looked on at the intensity of the way the ball was being moved around the field, with Williams the personification of that mantra. The midfielder is fully committed at everything he does, sprinting to every loose ball, playing passes with velocity, geeing up his teammates and also enthusiastically cracking jokes when required.
There will be some reading this probably groaning at the above in the context of Williams’ injury issues but that all-action style is exactly what makes him the player he is and, as Pearson pointed out afterwards, there’s a reason he’s so important to City.
Of players who made at least 10 starts last season, only Robbie Cundy had a better points per appearance record than Williams, with the now departed centre-back 1.57 to the midfielder’s 1.32.
Coaching dynamic
It was but one session and, as Pearson explained after, the observational role he took as the sessions were taking place was to have a more objective viewpoint of what was taking place but also for reasons of leadership.
City were at the end of week one of an extensive pre-season, and the last thing the manager wants is for the squad to be bored of his voice each and every day at training, lessening its impact and validity the more he speaks. Mentioning no names of previous City managers, of course.
There was verbal direction - complimenting Will Buse and Harvey Wiles-Richards for fine saves as the goalkeepers trained by leaping onto crash mats; “great run, Zak - like that a lot” also rang out after Vyner had made a burst forward.
But in the main, Pearson set the tasks and then let his coaches direct things. Head of fitness and conditioning Paddy Orme is becoming increasingly influential on the grass, as well as leading various physical exercises, he also conducted one of the activities witnessed surrounding build-up and developing patterns of play.
Basically two teams were set up, with the defence merely in position but not there to tackle; the onus was then on the team in possession to play some quick passes into space, down the channels and cross to set up shooting opportunities.
Orme and Fleming were there in tandem, shouting encouragement, reacting to fine crosses and good finishes. As it came to a close, with City switching pitches, Orme then engaged in a quick free-kick contest with Khalifa Cisse, trying to curl a ball from distance into mini goals.
Bristol Live understands that his job title remains the same but Orme’s role is very much part of the first-team training beyond just getting the players fit.
Dasilva bombs on
On that subject, Andy King was very much more involved on the playing side than in a coaching capacity with the 33-year-old out of contract this week but with an agreement expected shortly. Although King was part of the team, there were obvious indicators of the role he plays, whether he’s classified as a coach or not.
During the aforementioned exercise, as Jay Dasilva raced forward down the left channel to send a cross into Sam Bell or appeared on the end of a Kane Wilson centre from the right, King jogged back with him, pointing to various advanced spots on the field and telling the left wing-back where he should be. “See Jay, that’s what you can do in those sorts of areas” was the message, essentially imploring Dasilva to take up greater attacking positions when out of possession.
And the 24-year-old was certainly enjoying himself. After notching his second goal past Will Buse he sprinted back to halfway shouting “two! Two!” for all to hear.
He then claimed a hat-trick of sorts, cutting inside onto his right and firing past Buse. Proudly and repeatedly slapping his right thigh and shouting something unintelligible, he clearly savoured the moment.
Dasilva did find the target for City last season with a rather flukey cross that swung into the far corner against Stoke. It will be interesting to see when the campaign kicks off, if this wish to get him higher up the pitch and into scoring positions proves a quirk of training or a genuine tactical ploy by Pearson.
Where will Sykes play?
If there’s one thing that unites City’s three new signings, other than them arriving on free transfers, it’s that all are, to varying degrees, tactically and positionally flexible, capable of playing multiple positions.
Naismith has played pretty much everything in his career, outside of goalkeeper, but is now specialising as a centre-back after being moved back there towards the end of his time at Wigan Athletic before making the role his own at Luton Town.
It’s very early days but for all the debate over where the Scot will start for the Robins in 2022/23, it would seem - based on his words and how he lined up last week - that he's going to be a centre-back for the vast majority, if not all of the campaign.
As for Wilson, he can play anywhere down the right - either as a full-back or winger - and his positioning may be a little harder to define given the grey area that exists between those sort of roles.
But the one with the greatest level of intrigue is Mark Sykes; he began his career as a central midfielder, has played right wing-back (albeit briefly) for Oxford United, as well as right-winger plus has started in an advanced playmaking role.
Again, we would like to emphasise, this was one session right at the start of pre-season with a single match yet to take place, and not even the full squad present, especially in an attacking sense with no Wells, Weimann or Semenyo, but Sykes appeared to naturally drift and occupy a kind of inside right attacking position.
Not quite a striker, not quite a winger, there was something of the Weimann about the way he found areas of space in between positions, working off Chris Martin who was the further forward.
This could very well change, and it will evolve as the season develops, but the 24-year-old looks, on first impression, an alternative to Weimann or someone who can fill the Austrian’s “false 10” role, allowing him to play higher up the pitch.
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