Western Daily Press (Saturday)
City chief Pearson is happy with new arrival
NIGEL Pearson likes what he sees from new full-back George Tanner, who joined Bristol City on the penultimate day of the summer transfer window.
The reported £300,000 defender is set to contest the right-back spot with Danny Simpson and Zak Vyner, and though explained as “a good investment” for the Robins, Pearson believes the player can compete for first-team football right now.
The Robins’ recruitment plans include looking at windows in advance, and the right-back role was identified as a position to strengthen next summer. However, the chance to bring in Tanner now was too good an opportunity to pass up, according to Pearson.
“He’s been very good (on the training pitch),” Pearson said. “That was an example of a left-field one (transfer) where it shows you that we’ve always got an angle on what we’re looking for. Not just in the short-term but in the medium- and long-term too.
“He’s a really good one, a really good investment for us. Ideally we’d like to produce players for every position ourselves, but that’s almost impossible. That’s too big an ask for the academy.
“Our academy does exceptionally well producing players, but George is quite an accomplished player already. It was an opportunity to add in a position that we would probably be only looking at in two windows time. But that’s where flexibility comes in. He’s an investment for us.”
Pearson is less enamoured by Tanner’s former head coach Chris Beech however.
Despite Carlisle being one of Pearson’s former teams that he has managed – overseeing the wonderful Jimmy Glass goal-scoring moment in 1999 – the City boss did not like the statement made from his old side as Tanner departed.
Beech spoke to the media to explain the sale of Tanner last week and explained that he thought the player’s mind was elsewhere as his side lost 2-1 to Hartlepool in what proved to be his final game for the club as 48 hours later he signed a three-year contract at Ashton Gate.
“I think it did, in retrospect, affect him on the Saturday (against Pools) – that’s one of the worst performances I’ve seen him play,” Beech was quoted as saying by The News and Star. “That’s what happens when you get your head turned.”
Beech added that his former player had been taught how to take throw-ins while at Brunton Park.
“I had to teach him how to take a throw-in, would you believe, see out a diag(onal) when it’s still our ball, and winning his aerial battles.
“The two headers he hasn’t won this season have cost us goals – at Swindon he didn’t win a free header on a wide free-kick, and he had a free header at Hartlepool and turned it into a goal against.
“Someone’s just paid a hell of a lot of money for him. Back in our day you didn’t go anywhere unless you could do that, but it’s a different time now.”
But Pearson defended his new player. The 21-year-old former Manchester United academy prospect could be in line to make the Robins senior matchday squad soon with his manager’s expectations ‘loose’ on what can be achieved this campaign.
“I thought it was a bit poor of Carlisle to make the statement that they did when he left. Especially by his ex-manager,” said Pearson. “At the end of the day he shouldn’t have played that Saturday against Hartlepool. If he’s their scapegoat then good luck to them.”
It remains Carlisle’s only loss this season, while Bristol City have gained a good defensive prospect who steps up two levels in the football pyramid.
The Robins host fellow mid-table side Preston North End hoping to end a long run without a home win.
City have triumphed in back-toback away matches, but have not won at Ashton Gate since before Pearson took over.