Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Twine can change the game, says Manning
challenging, obviously them then getting promoted brings different challenges. To be fair to him, I thought his level was good at Hull, it was just in terms of tactically where he was playing.
“I’ve spoken a lot about getting individual players in positions to bring their strengths, quite often he was out wide which, for me, I think his qualities are more inside the pitch, getting him into areas and putting real purpose in our back players to play forward into people like him. So I definitely think he’ll fit into the team well.”
Having arrived on Monday and trained at the High Performance Centre this week, Twine could make his debut against Watford today, and should Manning retain the 3-4-2-1 formation, in possession, that he deployed against West Ham, the 24-year-old may occupy one of the two number ten roles behind Tommy Conway, either as a starter or off the bench.
Manning has a number of options in that area of the field with Anis Mehmeti and Taylor GardnerHickman stationed there on Tuesday night but Jason Knight, who would have started if not for illness, now fit again and Twine at his disposal too.
Knight has tended to be City’s central playmaker this season and the arrival of Twine potentially brings into question how his role is going to develop, but Manning indicated he could have both in advanced positions by stating, “we occupy both pockets”, when asked if the Republic of Ireland international may now move deeper.
“I think with any lads in the team it’s about getting them in positions where they can bring their strengths,” Manning added. “As you’ve seen with Anis, with Knighty, it’s playing inside, it’s playing outside, running beyond; it’s having unpredictability and finding solutions to hurt the opposition.
“He’s (Twine) got the ability to change a game with moments of quality in terms of creating and scoring goals, set-pieces, but his allround game, his basics are at a really good level. You’ll see him work hard out of possession, the big bit he’ll bring to us is he’s quite comfortable receiving it in tight areas between the lines which I think will definitely add to the team.
“We’re trying to educate the lads that we’ll give you four, five solutions but you have to think and see the pictures in the right order, rather than it be patterned and robotic. The game for me is fluid, it changes, it’s cat and mouse. That’s why sometimes it can look a little bit chaotic, a little bit messy, but once you come through that and they understand what you’re looking for, then what you find is you hurt the opposition in every way possible.”
Bristol City return to Women’s Super League action tomorrow with an away game against Brighton.
City are level on points with West Ham at the foot of the table, but could join their opponents on eight points if they can take victory.
Leicester and Aston Villa were due to kick-off the 2024 fixtures last night, while Arsenal and Everton meet at 2pm this afternoon.
Along with Brighton against City, there are three other Women’s Super League matches scheduled for tomorrow afternoon.