How high are Bristol City’s expectations following last season’s success?

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Daniel Wales looks at what expectations those associated with Bristol City may have for next season.

Transcript

00:00Now, Bristol City face a challenging campaign on the horizon,

00:04obviously breaking that playoff duck,

00:06as we've mentioned so many times this summer,

00:08and then the bit of the whirlwind with the Liam Manning situation

00:11and him leaving, but now they are on to this new beginning,

00:14this new chapter under Gerard Schruber.

00:17Can they make sure they replicate and continue to compete?

00:20I mean, you have to look at the quality of the division next season.

00:24You've got the likes of Birmingham City, Rexham both investing,

00:28West Brom have a new young manager,

00:30you've still got both the Sheffield clubs in there,

00:33you've got Norwich with Liam Manning, funnily enough,

00:37Leicester City, Ipswich Town.

00:39These are going to be really, really challenging opposition

00:43for the likes of Bristol City,

00:45who have tread water in the Championship for so long.

00:48They finally broke the top six.

00:50I mean, you look at the chances of teams who get the top six

00:53in the season after get it as well, it is quite low down.

00:56It is something that Bristol City need to try and break

00:59and get up there.

01:00So, Dan, our Bristol correspondent, we'll go to you now.

01:03Dan, just give us a bit of a rundown on where Bristol City are

01:06heading into this season, the expectations behind them,

01:09how do they sort of adjust to losing their manager

01:12and making sure that they remain positive

01:14and really go for it again in the Championship,

01:17because it's going to be some task, as I say.

01:20So, Dan, what are your thoughts on where Bristol City are at

01:22and what more can you tell us?

01:25Well, Charles, in terms of expectations,

01:27I think that Bristol City are certainly a club,

01:29because of their new direction,

01:31that perhaps don't quite know exactly what to expect

01:35at the start of the new season.

01:37New head coach, new assistant coaches, obviously.

01:40But the crucial thing is they did finish in the Championship playoffs

01:43last season, and so that will form at least part

01:46of the foundations of some expectations,

01:48because you can't just go from that

01:50to then not expecting anything.

01:52Supporters will be hoping for continued success

01:55and building on those foundations to some degree.

01:58Obviously, they know that perhaps there will be

02:00a betting-in period for the new manager,

02:02and whether it works straight away remains to be seen.

02:05But if he is to hit the ground running,

02:08or at least be quick enough in getting Bristol City playing,

02:12the supporters will suddenly once again be thinking,

02:14well, yes, OK, this could be a year where we can do really well.

02:18You know, they did really well last season

02:19to get into the top six with, if we're brutally honest,

02:23a squad that could be seen as an average Championship side.

02:27But Liam Manning did well to get them playing the way they did

02:30and perhaps get some players over-performing their own ability

02:34and ultimately get them to finish sixth in the table.

02:37Yes, of course, when the playoffs did come around,

02:40it perhaps wasn't the outcome that anyone wanted at the club,

02:43given the fact that they lost 6-0 in aggregate to Sheffield United.

02:47But, if we're honest, the red card in the first leg of that game

02:50probably killed the tie.

02:51But I think what's more pressing is, or perhaps more important,

02:54is the fact that they got there at all.

02:56Because, of course, it had been so many years

02:58since Bristol City had got into the Championship playoffs.

03:01And now you've given the supporters a feeling of that

03:03and then the taste of that.

03:05They'll want and perhaps expect more.

03:07Yes, Liam Manning has gone and dealing with that

03:10was never easy for anyone at the club

03:12because not only was he leaving after success in the season before,

03:16he was leaving to a Championship rival in Norwich.

03:19And so that in itself was a huge blow

03:21and a bit of a kick to lots of supporters and staff at the club.

03:26But, ultimately, they've brought in a head coach in Gerhard Struber,

03:29who comes from a Bundesliga side in FC Köln.

03:34And, according to Craig Fleming, his new assistant head coach,

03:37will play an exciting brand of football.

03:40And he thinks, well, Fleming has made clear that

03:43he thinks he will be suited to working with Struber well

03:45in terms of the football that they'll try and get their team to play.

03:48So, I think the Bristol City supporters, they'll hear that

03:51and they'll think, yeah, actually, this could be a good season for us

03:55if we make a few more useful signings.

03:58Then, why not?

03:58Can this team be, once again, pressing high up the league

04:02and, hopefully, challenging towards the playoffs

04:04and not be, perhaps, scraping it on the last day of the season

04:06like they did in the last campaign,

04:08but actually be a bit more safe and secure in the top six

04:11and, perhaps, get a preferential tie

04:13when it comes to the playoffs themselves.

04:16Of course, finishing sixth, playing the team who finished third

04:20and playing them at home in the first leg.

04:24So, let's be honest, it was always going to be difficult for them.

04:28But, they tried but, ultimately, they just came up short in the end.

04:33But, this season, I think expectations,

04:35whilst they won't know exactly how to feel,

04:38there will be some expectations just given on what happened last season.

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