In the 17th of a series of pre-season reports, HarryFromBath assesses the mood around the Championship clubs by delving into their forums, looking here at how things have progressed for the Robins this summer. A report on Reading will follow later today and all of the teams in the division will be covered between now and the start of the season.

“A long, hard season is coming up”, “I’m quietly optimistic but also quite prepared for a season of mediocrity in mid-table”, “Like others, I feel we will have a shaky start as new players bed in but will improve as the season progresses”, “I hope we don’t struggle and will be happy with mid-table.”

Robins are approaching the coming season curious to see how the next chapter in their evolution will play out. Many anticipate a transitional season given their high-profile departures this summer. Others are simply hoping to see an end to their recent pattern of long winning and losing streaks.

“I’m hoping for upper mid-table but with more consistency through the season”, “I'm really hoping that there won't be terrible runs of games like the last two seasons”, “I’ll accept a few places lower than last season if we manage to keep a more consistent pattern of results throughout the season.”

“I’m not optimistic for this season. Bobby Reid and Aden Flint are massive losses. The replacements look inexperienced. It’s all part of the rebuilding process though, hopefully we will see the younger players in our squad rather than loaned out to other teams. The long-term plan will come together.”

“We will make a slow start but improve as players gel. We have several players who have not been able to complete a full pre-season and I think we will be a bit of a slow-burner. As players return and become fully fit we won’t be at our best but as September ends I expect us to be at full strength.”

Lee Johnson

“The only thing that is easy to call this season is that this will be the season that Lee Johnson can be judged more accurately than in previous seasons.” The 37-year-old is entering his third full season in charge at Ashton Gate. For many Robins, this is now his team playing his preferred style of football.

“He appears to have learnt from his transfers, insisting on having more say on them. This may be talk but the trend from bargain foreign Football Manager-database-unearthed gems to hardworking, fast English-based players has been obvious. It will shorten the time taken to fit into the Championship”

“Lee has proved himself capable of competing with the very best and also churning out defeat after defeat so who knows. If he has a Plan B and C worked out on the training ground, I can see a top half finish or a play-off push. If, however, he has learnt nothing we will be scrapping around relegation.”

Players Progressing In and Out of the Club

“It has been an interesting transfer window and I’m really looking forward to what will happen in the coming months. We knew Reid and Flint were going, but the way we’ve replaced them is different to the way in which City have normally operated in the transfer market. Let’s see how it plays out.”

Johnson has added six new players this summer. The defence has been strengthened by the addition of 29-year-old right-back Jack Hunt from Sheffield Wednesday along with footballing centre-back Adam Webster, the 23-year-old switching from Portman Road on a four-year contract.

Adam Webster

Midfielder Hakeeb Adeklun, 22, has been bought from Scunthorpe along 27-year-old former Bath City and Norwich City winger or striker Marley Watkins. Two other strikers added to the squad this summer have been 24-year-old Mo Eisa from Cheltenham and Andreas Weimann, 26, from Derby.

“Webster also looks very composed at the back”, “He’s a complete contrast to Flint. He’s very much a good reader of the game, calm in possession and good with both feet”, “He seems a mile ahead of everyone else, a solid player who is comfortable on the ball and not afraid to bring it into midfield.”

“Jack Hunt looks good going forward but he’s not at the races defensively yet”, “He seems to lack pace”, “I’m not sure about Hunt defensively and think our full backs could remain our Achilles heel. We could also do with a goalkeeping upgrade, but it has been a very good window on paper.”

Jack Hunt

“I like the look of Eisa already. He is very direct, gets the ball and goes straight to goal”, “He looks to have real promise”, “He has good touch and pace. He got the ball caught under his feet he found his footing to get a good shot off. He’s still raw and needs coaching as his vision is still a bit lacking.”

“Johnson has cleverly picked Weimann to fulfil the role of high pressing striker, just as he did with Reid last season”, “Weimann looked classy and he adds a bit of guile. He will be all endeavour and few goals, not a bad thing if others as are scoring around him. He won't give backlines any peace.”

Centre-half Aden Flint (to Middlesbrough) and striker Bobby Reid (to Cardiff) are the highest profile departures, but defender Hordur Magnusson (to CSKA Moscow) keeper Luke Steele (recently on trial at Sheffield United) and midfielder Gary O’Neil (recently on trial at Bolton) have also left the club.

Other players leaving include defender Scott Golbourne (on loan last season at Milton Keynes) and striker Gustav Engvall, now at KV Mechelen in Belgium having been on loan at Goteborg since March while 21-year-old right-back Zak Vyner has joined Rotherham on a season long loan.

Pre-Season Results

After a 4-0 win at Bitton, City beat Cheltenham 4-2 before drawing at Newport 2-2 and at home to Shrewsbury 1-1. They drew with Real Balopecida Linense 2-2 and lost 1-0 to Rayo Vallecano before their final run-out, a home game with Bournemouth last Friday night which ended in a 1-1 draw.

Friday’s starting line-up against the Cherries (above) is expected to closely resemble the team for the opening day fixture at home to Nottingham Forest. Apart from some new personnel, Robins have noted that the shape and style of play in pre-season have been broadly very similar to last season.

“I was hoping we would switch to some version of 4-3-3 this season but it is still a basic 4-4-2, leaving loads of room in midfield for the opposition”, “The style of play is still clear. It seems like we will be a bit more reserved in our pressing but this will be interspersed with quick bursts of intense pressure.”

“Time will tell but it doesn’t look a strong squad to me. On the plus side it is hard-working, but on the downside it’s lacking that little bit of quality”, “It still lacks some steel and presence in midfield”, “We’re missing our version of N’Golo Kante, someone to grab the game by the scruff of its neck.”

One player has really caught the eye. “I don't know what Niclas Eliasson has been taking but he looks 10 times the player he did last season”, “He looks a different player doesn’t he? I like the mix of him and Paterson. Eliasson is your classic wide winger while Paterson can find much more space inside.”

Making Progress

“We won’t go down but I can’t see us making the play-offs”, “Despite the increased strength of the Championship this year I expect us to play the same high tempo football we played before Christmas last season. I expect us to be in and around the play-offs come the end of the season if not higher.”

“Given the turnaround of players and particularly the loss of key players, could this realistically go down as a transition season?” Few Robins are worried about relegation, but some are keen not to lose the sense of progress that has been the hallmark of the club since their relegation in 2013.

“We have gone from bottom of League One, to runaway winners of League One, to looking out of our depth in the Championship, to then staying up and then to finishing in the top half, along with reaching the semi-finals of a major cup competition. In what world is that not showing progress?”

“We have improved our league position year on year in the last four seasons. That's not even slightly debatable, that's indisputably progress”, “The problem is that being Bristol City we could just as easily be a surprise package as we could be in a relegation battle. We never do things the easy way.”

Websites

The busiest Robins’ message-board is the lively and knowledgeable OTIB.

@HarryFromBath

Photo: Action Images

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