Football City youngster Bell’s form is proving too good to ignore
SAM Bell’s form with the Bristol City Under-21s this season has become impossible to ignore, writes Richard Forrester.
While his academy strike partner Tommy Conway leads City’s scoring charts this season with eight following a brilliant breakthrough campaign, Bell continues to quietly go about his business with Ali Hines’ side.
On Monday afternoon, the young Robins hosted Newcastle at the High Performance Centre in the opening game of their Premier League Cup group. With City cruising at the summit of their Development League, the contest against the Toon promised to be a tougher test against a Category 1 academy side.
Not that it proved to be a problem as Bell inspired City to a dominant 4-0 victory with the 20-yearold showing his ruthless touch in front of goal with a superb hat-trick. His pace alongside Sam Pearson unplayable, his finishing unstoppable.
That’s now 10 goals in his last nine matches for the youth side.
“He will have to remain patient” were the words from City boss Nigel Pearson last month when addressing Bell in a Thursday press conference. Although there was a nod to his form and recognition of his future in the first-team when he added: “He’s on fire at the minute. He’s had one of those starts to the first-team experience that’s not as positive as some other players have but he’s in a really good place now, his game’s developed enormously.”
Bell is not the finished product but he has all the hallmarks of a player who will score goals for fun when he develops physically and gains more experience. He is slowly inching his way back into first-team contention having been out of the squad for the first 17 league matches. He was introduced for 17 minutes in the 1-1 draw with Swansea at the end of last month, earned a further 15 minutes against Middlesbrough and made the bench in the draw at Watford. Pearson is correct, there is no need to rush him into the starting XI, with arguably five forwards ahead of him in the manager’s plans.
Andi Weimann, Antoine Semenyo, Conway, Nahki Wells and Chris Martin have all been rotated in a bid to get City firing on all cylinders. That competition for places meant Bell became a square peg in a round hole last season. Three of his four league appearances came at right wing-back including the difficult 45 minutes at home to Birmingham when he was replaced at half-time.
Bell might not be the answer to City’s lack of goals just yet, but it might not be long before he is called upon regularly. That could depend on what happens with Semenyo after January. It’s no secret that City need to sell before bringing in new faces.
Pearson will have to weigh up the risk vs reward factor of cashing in one of the key assets like Semenyo to allow him to bolster a defence that continues to hamper City’s progress. Bell’s form could make that decision a little easier if they have a replacement ready to step in to Semenyo’s boots.
They will be big boots to fill but with the financial position City find themselves in, tough decisions will have to be made.