Bristol City looked like they'd overstretched and were cost cutting when they chose Dean Holden as their new manager in the summer, but a bright start has them tracking in the play-off places ahead of tonight - we spoke to Stan from the One Stream In Bristol Podcast.
How have you started the season?
We’ve started the season very well. There was one winless streak a few games ago that worried a lot of the fans, people were fearing that our streakiness under Lee Johnson hadn’t truly gone away. We’ve not been playing the most exciting of football but to grind out wins on numerous occasions has been a different sort of entertaining.
City league results so far…
Bristol City 2-1 Coventry Paterson 1, Kalas 82 — Godden 33
Stoke 0-2 Bristol City Wells 45, Weimann 89
Bristol City 2-0 Sheff Wed Rowe 59, Paterson 90
Forest 1-2 Bristol City Freeman 35 — Weimann 12, Wells 22
Barnsley 2-2 Bristol City Helik 2, Woodrow pen 90 — Hunt 47, Bakinson 51
Bristol City 0-1 Boro Saville 73
Bristol City 1-1 Swansea Wells pen 83 — Lowe 51
Bournemouth 1-0 Bristol City Groeneveld 81
Bristol City 1-3 Norwich Hunt 15 - Pukki 6, 14, Buendia 45
Huddersfield 1-2 Bristol City Koroma 43 — Dasilva 77, Paterson 83
Cardiff 0-1 Bristol City Martin 2
Bristol City 1-0 Derby Diedhiou 78
Bristol City 0-0 Watford
Reading 3-1 Bristol City Ejaria 54, Meite 76, Joao 90 — Wells 73
What have you made of Dean Holden so far — not a particularly inspiring appointment at the time but gone ok?
There were bedsheets hung up around Ashton Gate when he was announced as our new head coach. Many accusing the club of lacking any sort of ambition. He’s won the fans over quite quickly, he’s a very straight talking man and is a breath of fresh air in comparison to Lee Johnson. He’s doing a good job and we’re delighted to see him playing many of the young exciting players we have in our club.
How was your transfer activity in the summer in the end?
Very mundane if I’m honest. Chris Martin came in on a free and confused a lot of the fanbase. In all honesty he’s been exceptional. We also signed Chris Brunt who has been anything but exceptional as of yet. Semenyo and Vyner are like new signings at the moment with the quality of their performances.
Ins >>> Joe Williams, 23, CM, Wigan, £1.5m >>> Chris Martin, 31, CF, Derby, Free >>> Chris Brunt, 35, LW, West Brom, Free >>> Adrian Mariappa, 34, CB. Watford, Free >>> Alfie Mawson, 26, CB, Fulham, Loan >>> Steven Sessegnon, 20, RB, Fulham, Loan
Outs >>> Niclas Eliasson, 24, LW, Nimes, £2.4m >>> Sammie Szmodics, 24, AM, Peterborough, £900k >>> Rory Holden, 22, CF, Walsall, Undisclosed >>> Matty Taylor, 30, CF, Oxford, Free >>> Bailey Wright, 28, CB, Sunderland, Free >>> Korey Smith, 29, DM, Swansea, Free >>> Robbie Cundy, 23, CB, Cambridge, Loan >>> Marley Watkins, 29, RW, Aberdeen, Loan >>> Cameron Ping, 22, LB, Portsmouth, Loan >>> Hakeeb Adelakun, 24, AM, Hull, Loan >>> Kasey Palmer, 23, AM, Swansea, Loan >>> Niki Maenpaa, 35, GK, Released >>> Ashley Williams, 34, CB, Released
How has Nahki Wells gone for you so far?
He’s done alright. He’s been playing out wide on the left recently, clearly not his best position. He had the most miserable penalty miss you’ll ever see a month or so ago. Since then he’s only scored one and his been largely ineffective. Perhaps without Eze behind him he’s struggling to get going - who wouldn’t. I would love to see him and Semenyo play together as Semenyo has been our leading creator and sometimes he needs a better finisher to put the chances he creates away.
Where is the team strong and weak?
That’s a tough one. Our wingbacks are a massive part of our game, I’d say that Dasilva has been one of our better performers this season and when Hunt is on his game too we really look a threat out wide. We’re a bit weak in central defence. Mawson, Kalas and Baker could be the ideal three in many fans’ minds. Unfortunately I think they’re all injured at the moment! We need more potency going forward, I’m not sure how we get that however!
How do you think the season will go?
I think it’ll be okay. I reckon I’ll be content by the end. Probably not a top six finish but a top ten season with many young players getting game time and improving will be more than enough in my eyes. We’re a club that has a fantastic academy so if we can harness that and gradually improve under Dean Holden I’ll be a happy Ciderhead for sure.
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