McCarthy: United Line-Up Has Added to Pressure Friday, 25th Sep 2015 15:25 Town boss Mick McCarthy admits that there’s additional pressure on the Blues to beat Bristol City at Portman Road on Saturday after he changed his entire XI for Wednesday’s Capital One Cup third round defeat at Manchester United. McCarthy fielded a team of youngsters, players on their way back from injuries and new signings working towards full fitness rather than his regular side as he viewed the Championship game against the Robins as a greater priority. Asked whether there is extra pressure this weekend because of that, he said: “Loads, it’s up to the rest of the lads who didn’t play to perform. “We’ve performed well this season, except for one game where we were out of sorts, and we just expect a performance from them. “They give me everything every week so I can’t question them on that. There was always going to be pressure on this game, Bristol City have started not so well, we’ve had a good start and it’s our home game, so it’s about us and how we play.” He believes the Robins, second bottom with only one win so far, are yet to settle into life back in the Championship having won the League One title last season. “I know they came up at a canter at the end, Bristol City, but it’s step up in football. We saw that on Wednesday night. “We think we’re doing alright and I reckon if I put the team that played on Wednesday night against the team that I left out during the week, week in, week out, both teams would win some games, no question. “Put any team out against Manchester United and it’s a step up in class. And Bristol City have stepped up a league, and it’s different. It’s harder, we’ve got better players in the league. “It’s how they settle down. We all know some teams have good starts, some have poor starts. I look at Crystal Palace some years go, they were in the bottom three in October and they got promoted via the play-offs. That’s what can happen. “They can suddenly get a canter on depending on what results they get. It’s up to us to make sure it’s not us that gives them the leg up.” Bristol City manager Steve Cotterill has lined his side up in a 3-5-2 formation but has faced criticism for doing so given their lack of results, however, he has said he will continue to play that way. McCarthy says that the system makes them dangerous when they're attacking but says it can leave them vulnerable at the back: “They’re a threat because they pour men forward, but as has been seen it can be a threat to their own side if they leave themselves wide open. “I know Steve’s been answering questions this week ‘Are you going to continue doing what you’re doing?’ and, of course, as a manager I know full well you stick your chest out and your chin up and be your belligerent best - if that’s what you believe in then you stick to it. But I wonder when he’s coming here. We all need to get results and I’m no different.” McCarthy will almost certainly return wholly or largely to the team which started last Friday’s 1-1 draw at home to Birmingham. Former Robin Dean Gerken is fit after suffering a groin problem in that match and seems likely to start in goal, although Bartosz Bialkowski did little wrong at Manchester United. Skipper Luke Chambers will return at right-back with Jonas Knudsen on the left and Tommy Smith and Christophe Berra in the centre. In the middle of midfield Cole Skuse will face his old club, his hometown side, for the first time with Jonathan Douglas likely to continue alongside him. Kevin Bru returned against the Red Devils after his hamstring injury and impressed but probably won’t be given another start so soon but may be on the bench and may well be considered for the XI at Blackburn next weekend. Ryan Fraser is likely to come back into the side on the left, while Ainsley Maitland-Niles will probably get the nod ahead of Larsen Touré on the right. Tommy Oar could well have won himself a place on the bench with his performance at Old Trafford. Up front, with David McGoldrick and Daryl Murphy having started on Wednesday, Brett Pitman, another ex-Bristol City player, and Freddie Sears are likely to get the nod this time around. The Robins have a doubt over midfielder Korey Smith, who is rated at 50/50 to make Saturday’s match having suffered a groin injury in the 2-0 home defeat to Reading last weekend. On-loan Aston Villa defender Nathan Baker is set to return having missed the game against the Royals with a back problem. Boss Cotterill admits that his side need to be more wary of being caught on the counter-attack and despite their disappointing start to the campaign says no one at Ashton Gate is too downcast. “You cannot walk around moping, because that is a recipe for disaster,” he said. “We are back smiling on the training ground and that is how it has to be. "That is a reflection on how young they are and the fact that many of them have only known success. They have not known the adversity bit until now and they are having to learn to cope with that. "It amazes me that people thought this season would be like the last one. There was always going to be a period of this, predominantly at the beginning of the season.” Regarding Town, he added: “They’re a very good club and it’s a credit to them that they’ve been able to build a squad big enough that they can change a lot and still go up to Old Trafford and give a good account of themselves. “Mick’s teams have played the same way throughout the years. They’re always very organised, they play with Mick’s passion and they’ve always been good teams. “He’s done well with getting teams out of this league and into the Premier League. He was close to doing it last year with Ipswich and I’m sure he’ll want to go one step further this year. “We know it will be a tough game. But we also know that if we go there and play well, we can cause them problems.” Historically, Town have the edge, winning 28 (26 in the league), losing 18 (18) and drawing 12 (12). Bristol City last won at Portman Road in September 1978, a run of 10 games without a win on Suffolk soil. The Robins have won only once this season, 1-0 away at Middlesbrough in August, the only occasion on which they have kept a clean sheet. The teams last faced one another at Ashton Gate in January 2013 as the Robins sought in vain to avoid relegation to League One. Former Town striker Jon Stead netted a last-minute winner as they came from a goal behind to beat the Blues 2-1. Town had gone ahead in the first half through Daryl Murphy and ought to have been two in front when Lee Martin spurned a gilt-edged chance, but Steven Davies netted straight after the break and Stead claimed the three points in the final minute. In the previous December at Portman Road, Tommy Smith’s second goal of the 2012/13 season saw Town to a scrappy 1-1 home draw. The Robins had gone in front via Neil Danns in the 11th minute and might have been further in front before Smith equalised on 32, the Blues having a couple of chances to win it late on. Skuse moved to the Blues from his hometown club, who he had joined as a schoolboy, following their relegation in the summer of 2013 after making 245 starts and 62 sub appearances, and scoring nine times. Gerken also left Ashton Gate the same summer, joining the Blues after a trial during pre-season ahead of 2013/14, having made 60 appearances for the Robins after signing from Colchester in July 2009. Pitman was with the Robins from 2010 to 2012 between his two spells with AFC Bournemouth. While with Bristol City he scored 20 goals in 36 starts and 45 games from the bench. Town assistant manager Terry Connor played for the Robins between 1991 and 1993. Bristol City’s 22-year-old Irish defender Derrick Williams regularly trained with the Town Academy during the school holidays as a youngster but ultimately opted to join Aston Villa as a scholar. Town are staging a promotion at Saturday’s game with season ticket holders able to buy a further four tickets for £10 for adults, £8 for concessions and £3 for juniors. Saturday’s referee is Peter Bankes from Liverpool, who has shown 39 yellow cards and no red in nine games so far this season. He will be taking charge of his first Town match. Bankes, who is in his second season as a Football League referee, has taken charge of one Bristol City game, April’s 2-0 win at Chesterfield in which he booked only two Spireites. Town squad from: Gerken, Bialkowski, Chambers (c), Knudsen, Parr, Berra, Smith, Malarczyk, Skuse, Douglas, Bru, Fraser, Maitland-Niles, Touré, Oar, Tabb, Sears, Pitman, Murphy, McGoldrick.
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