Manning hopes extra day off will refresh City
BRISTOL City’s squad were afforded an extra day off by head coach Liam Manning to rest tired minds, before switching their focus to Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday and the opportunity to right the wrongs of the defeat to Queens Park Rangers.
The Robins delivered a desperately disappointing display at Ashton Gate to fall to a 1-0 loss against an Rs team who had just one clean sheet in their previous eight games. Ilias Chair’s first-half strike proved the difference, but what was most troubling was City’s inability to break down QPR.
Although Manning was keen to reinforce post-match that he was not using tiredness or fatigue as an excuse, because ultimately City were below par in a number of aspects, he did concede an extra 24 hours rest and recuperation should have the desired impact.
In 2024, City have played 12 matches inside 48 days, five of which have been away from home – for context, Saturday’s opponents have played nine, with just three on the road, although the game in BS3 was three days after a trip to Stoke City – and the intensity of the schedule has impacted not just the general preparations, but also time away from the training ground for the players, as often they are called in for a recovery session at the High Performance Centre in the near aftermath of a match.
Whereas against Southampton, City finished the game looking the fitter and stronger side, there was a visible drop-off in intensity and speed in the second half against QPR, perhaps impacted by the opposition but the home side undoubtedly looked leggy and a little weary when in possession.
City’s players will reconvene at the HPC today to begin work for the weekend trip to Hillsborough as the schedule does lighten somewhat, with a full week then following until they welcome Cardiff to Ashton Gate.
Across March, the trip to Ipswich on the first Tuesday of the month is their only midweek fixture, with the international break also occurring towards the end of the month.
“Collectively, people coming on and people starting weren’t at the races,” Manning said. “It has been a relentless period, game seven in 23 days, it’s been so full-on, mentally we looked a bit flat, rather than the energy and the buzz we’ve shown in the last couple of games.
“They’re off Sunday and Monday and back in on Tuesday. I think a couple of days will be good and needed. It’s not just been the last 23 days, but for two-and-a-half months we’ve been doing a game every four days. The lads have been incredible, in 22 games this is probably only the second one where you’re going, performance-wise it wasn’t where we wanted it to be. So 20 out of 22 being of a consistent level is demanding, it’s challenging, but at the same point, it’s not an excuse.
“Manchester City do that over and over again. Understandably they’re the best team in the world, but if you want to be successful, you have to aspire to hit levels consistently whether you’re playing once or twice a week. There are bits we have to learn, bits we have to get better at and bits we have to improve.”
One of those areas will be how City break down teams who are happy to let them have the ball, rather than the Robins being able to attack in transition, as was the case against Middlesbrough and Southampton.
In eight matches under Manning where they have experienced 50 per cent or more possession, City have drawn four and lost four, showing a very clear fault in this squad, something which was also identified as a problem during Nigel Pearson’s time in charge. It will likely be tested again on Saturday, given Wednesday average 42.4 per cent possession this season, even less than QPR (45.4).
Evidently having honed a style against Boro, where they had 30 per cent of the ball, and Saints, 33 per cent, to then make the shift on Saturday proved a step too far, with minimal time on the training ground in between. That was more keenly felt in the second period as with 60.5 per cent of the ball, the Robins mustered just three shots on goal, compared to the Rs’ nine, as the hosts were indebted to Max O’Leary in keeping the deficit to a single goal.
“It’s just a different expectation, in terms of we’re going out to have 55-60 per cent of the ball, rather than everyone’s quite content to play Middlesbrough and Southampton with 30-35 per cent; so there’s a different expectation in terms of how the game is going to be controlled and looks,” Manning added.
“I’ll welcome time on the training pitch, you do have to learn to play the structure against a block. What we’ve done well is press, learn to block and defend like we did at Middlesbrough, play on the counter and build-up – there have been so many positives. We need time on the grass now to shift the control we’ve shown at times into goals.”