Nigel Pearson hides it well, or at least masks the feeling of pride with a healthy dose of realism, but the more positive performances his Bristol City put in, the more he’s going to have to get used to people saying nice things about his team.
Chris Wilder was pretty much the lone complimentary voice last season when he declared that Pearson had, “sorted City out,” as he spoke in the wake of Boro’s 2-1 defeat at Ashton Gate in February, in which Antoine Semenyo and Alex Scott had delivered stellar displays.
But the Robins are developing beyond mere individuals standing out over the 90 minutes, and each game passes with a knowing feeling that, even in defeat - as was the case on Wednesday - these are performances of a true collective, with players operating together at an increasingly high level.
