Football Newcomer Tanner loving Championship challenge with City
RIGHT-BACK George Tanner is ahead of schedule and enjoying life in the South West.
The defender was confirmed as a Bristol City signing on the penultimate day of the summer transfer window, and the Carlisle United player was brought in with a view to the long-term.
But such has been the rapid progression of the 21-year-old that it’s been four appearances in a row and a first goal for the Robins at the weekend.
The Blackpool-born defender has even been City’s third best player in those four Championship games, according to the respected
WhoScored.com website using Opta data to measure the performance of players.
So how did it feel to score the second goal in a great win at Peterborough United at the weekend?
“Over the moon, really. The ball just fell to me nicely so I just tried to guide it home,” he told the Bristol Post. “I’m delighted to have scored my first goal for the club. It’s a great achievement and I’m very proud.
“It was very important to bounce back after the defeat (to Millwall). You don’t want to lose two games on the bounce. We’ve managed to put it right and it’s a massive three points for us.”
The Robins are nicely placed in ninth position in the Championship going into the second international break, after a Severnside derby win going into the last break.
The next two weeks could be valuable time for Tanner to settle further into life in the West Country more after his move down from Cumbria.
The former Manchester United youth player says Bristol’s a nice city and that he’s thoroughly enjoying his time in BS3, though the step up two divisions has taken some adjusting to.
“It’s definitely a lot more intense and the ball is in play a lot more, so there’s a lot of constant running,” he said. “You need to be constantly switched on. In League Two the ball goes out of play and you get time to reset yourself, whereas in these games it’s constant.
“Especially as a right-back. You’re playing against top players and my concentration levels have to be top if I want to defend against them. My fitness levels as well. They’ve got to be much higher as well. It’s something I’ve coped well with and hopefully I’ll get even fitter.”
It was very important to bounce back after the defeat (to Millwall). You don’t want to lose two games on the bounce