West Brom expected lineup for Bristol City, forcing Nigel Pearson to make one change at Ashton Gate.
Bristol City host Carlos Corberan’s West Brom in BS3 as the Championship returns following the international break
All things considered, outside of some early discussion around Nigel Pearson’s contract and Steve Lansdown’s financial input into Bristol City, it was a relatively quiet and serene international break for the Robins, free from any angst that can sometimes linger in these periods of inactivity.
That is largely due to City’s result prior to the first recess of the 2023/24 campaign as the Robins bounced into the break from a 2-1 victory at Swansea City which left them eighth in the table, two points outside the top six, and proved just reward for their best performance of the season so far.
That all said, here we are to rain on any parades, as had City drawn or lost in south Wales, they’d currently be occupying the bottom half of the table and the general atmosphere and discourse would be very different.
The point is, rather than us completely escaping reality or downplaying what has been a fundamentally decent start, is the Championship is always capable of delivering a swift kick to the crotch on a game-to-game basis and you’re only ever a few matches away from a very different outlook on things.
With West Brom in town, it represents an opportunity to potentially bridge that gap into the top six and also claim a first home league win of the season, which would not just eliminate nagging concerns over the two identities of this team, but also give Robins fans something to finally shout about in BS3. Here is how we think City will line up…
Goalkeeper and defence
First name on the teamsheet? Well, in practical terms it’s Max O’Leary but metaphorically maybe it’s also the City No1 (although, let’s be honest, it’s Matty James or Jason Knight ). Minus a bit of a whoa moment as Ben Cabanago’s header found the crossbar in Swansea, the 26-year-old had another accomplished game before the break and there’s absolutely no reason to be discussing any change in that area of the field.
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