Rob Atkinson is set to be welcomed back into the first-team squad fold against West Brom on Boxing Day as Bristol City manager Nigel Pearson has further explained his public calling out of the Robins centre-back.
Atkinson was dropped from the matchday 18 as City lost 2-1 to Stoke City last Saturday with auxiliary centre-back Andy King guilty of two enforced errors that led to both Stoke goals.
When asked post-match as to why King, who had started the previous three matches, was preferred ahead of a more natural defender in Atkinson, who hasn’t played since November 8 due to illness following an injury, Pearson claimed it was a matter of “trust” while going on to say he needed to, “be more enthusiastic and work harder”.
Atkinson was then selected for the Under-21s on Monday and played 90 minutes as they beat Sheffield United 4-1 in the Premier League Cup, and the manager appears confident that his tactics have had the desired effect, with a message also to the rest of the squad.
“He’s been good, and he did well (for the Under-21s),” Pearson said. “Rob’s in contention for Boxing Day, it’s as simple as that. It’s not just Rob, it’s Rob and anybody else - we can’t afford to be coasting or just doing enough. We’ve had enough of that here over the years.
“Rob was signed in my tenure, I want him to be a successful player. But sometimes we need more. Rob’s a very laid back sort of guy so he’s not your average footballer. He’s quite an introverted person. I don’t need to go into too much detail.
“We’ve spoken, let's put it like that, and he’s fine. He’s in contention because we need our best players available. But they’re only our best players if they’re at their best.”
City face a West Brom side who have won five of their last seven Championship fixtures since Carlos Corberan replaced Steve Bruce in late October, as the Baggies begin to reaffirm their status as one of the heavyweights in the division.
Wednesday’s 1-0 defeat to Coventry City has halted their progress up the standings but they will pose a considerable challenge to the Robins who have won just one of their last eight games in all competitions, are concerningly just above the relegation zone and who continue to be plagued by individual errors at the back.
City’s 2-0 win at the Hawthorns in October - a game in which Atkinson started in - was the penultimate game before Bruce’s dismissal, as he was sacked five days later in the wake of a goalless draw with Luton Town, with former Huddersfield Town head coach Corberan then taking the reins in impressive fashion.
“Carlos has done fantastically well since he’s gone over to the head coach role at Huddersfield and since he’s gone into West Brom,” Pearson added. “He’s a very intense person. I’ve had a couple of chats with him after games and he’s very much in the moment.
“His style of play is to get really high intensity and I think it’s fair to say he is now maximising the potential of the West Brom squad which is a strong squad. They will pose us a really tough challenge but I think he knows we can pose that for his side too, so it’ll be a tough game for us.”
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