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Bristol Post

Sport

Richard Forrester

Kal will be key, the wonder of Wilson and the specific areas of concern for Bristol City

Bristol City Andi Weimann Nigel Pearson Alex Scott Antoine Semenyo Chris Martin Kal Naismith Sunderland Tommy Conway Hull City

Nobody is writing Bristol City off per se, but they seem to be something of an afterthought within most of the pre-season discourse as to what everyone should expect from the Championship.

Not good enough to challenge in the higher echelons, not chaotic enough to be considered a relegation contender, it’s all a little bit, dare we day, boring. Hence why they’ve mostly been placed in the 12-16 bracket.

That sort of chat will please Nigel Pearson no end. The Robins have their own internal targets - which seem much higher than external forecasts - but will be happy for the focus to be placed elsewhere in the division as he looks for some tangible and clear progression this campaign.

Ahead of the big kick-off, with Hull City up first offering a small taste of potentially what is to come, we posed some questions to Bristol Live’s Bristol City correspondent Richard Forrester for his thoughts and opinions for the new season…

City will finish the season in... 11th place

I genuinely think there is potential for City to finish higher but there's the lingering feeling their season will be hampered by injuries and therefore highlighting the lack of squad depth. Although there's still time to change that with the market open until the beginning of September but it sounds like business could be few and far between.

But there's no doubt for me that there will be progression on the pitch with a clear plan and system in place. Morale in the camp is better than 12 months ago and the players are obviously a lot fitter. Challenging for the play-offs is a stretch too far but mid-table would be considered a good season for City.

The biggest improvement Nigel Pearson needs to make is… well, defence is the obvious shout

He can't afford to have another season where his side concede 77 goals or heads will roll as they say. Being a bit more specific, the manager and his side perhaps need to show better game management to stop those late goals going in.

Pearson was almost like a broken record at times last season when saying his side needed to score two or three just to win a game of football. Scrappy 1-0 victories are more than welcome.

Improvements in regards to personnel needed to be made and there has been a conscious effort to get the right characters through the door and the wrong ones out.

The thing I’m most excited to see with this team is… Alex Scott and Kane Wilson

Scott because it's another year of development and if he continues his progress at the rate he has shown it will be a privilege to watch his performances before the inevitable big clubs come calling. We have to enjoy it while it lasts.

And Wilson because he has been brought in to transform the way City play as an attacking unit. In pre-season he has played so high up the field and his figures for Forest Green last season (three goals, 13 assists) highlight the ability he has if they set up to play to his strengths.

You can bet Chris Martin will be on the end of some of those crosses. It will also be intriguing to see how the 22-year-old handles the step up from League Two to the Championship.

The thing I’m most concerned about this team is… the lack of depth

Injuries could play a big part in City's season. Joe Williams is one of the best midfielders in the Championship when he's fit but there's always that fear he could pull up with his hammy considering the rigours of the Championship.

Antoine Semenyo is recovering from injury and he may take a while until he's up to match fitness and back to his best. While City's first XI on paper remains strong, and the players coming undoubtedly have bright futures, their lack of senior experience may be exposed when the going gets tough.

The home game I’m most looking forward to is… Sunderland

I know it's early doors but it's difficult to look past it. The atmosphere is going to be electric inside Ashton Gate and you know Sunderland will take a good following.

City have already sold out over 20,000 tickets for it and there's going to be a real buzz around the place especially if they can pull off a victory against Hull on the opening day.

The away day I’m most looking forward to is… Blackpool

Last season was miserable on a baltic February afternoon, a 3-1 defeat, a very sad half-time pie and a not very happy Nige.

So it can only get better this time around. August bank holiday weekend, the sun could be shining while feeling that sea breeze walking down the promenade to the ground. Not holding out for much on the pie, though.

Bristol City’s top scorer will be... Andi Weimann

Just the 22 last season for Andi and he's looked sharp in the pre-season matches he's featured in. He's confident he will continue riding the wave of his form and momentum especially after scoring his first international goal for Austria in the summer.

My only slight concern is that Weimann could suffer burnout at some point. He has only had 10 days off due to his international exploits over the summer and as we have seen with Tomas Kalas, he may need to be managed carefully in some matches.

City's most important player this season will be... Kal Naismith

He's come to City on the back of a pretty remarkable season for Luton, winning their Player of the Year in the process.

City needed an authoritative figure in the heart of that defence this summer and Naismith ticks all those boxes. He's so vocal at the back, he'll bring an organisation and calmness to the defence and on the back of City's defensive record last season, he's going to have a huge role to play if they are going to achieve any success this season.
Dan Bentley also deserves a mention as club captain.

City’s breakout player this season will be... Tommy Conway

Nigel Pearson's already confirmed he won't be heading out on loan. He only make six appearances last season but I expect him to feature more prominently this time around. He also showed a glimmer of class to grab an assist against Bournemouth in a brief cameo towards the end of last campaign.

He's looked very sharp in pre-season including the two goals against Exeter and is regarded as one of the best finishes at the club. With Chris Martin, Nahki Wells and Weimann to help guide him they've been there, done it and got the t-shirt and that will only benefit Conway's progression.