Lee Johnson Gives Insight v Brentford.

Lee Johnson gives insight into Bristol City's formation for Brentford clash

Midfielder Korey Smith could be deployed in defence once again.

Lee Johnson insists he will not hesitate to deploy Korey Smith as a makeshift right-back at Brentford this weekend if he feels it is in the best interests of the team.

Arguably Bristol City’s most effective ball-winning midfielder, Smith has played the last two games on the right side of the back four after being called upon to fill in for others.

Unable to call upon the experience of Mark Little and not prepared to trust in Adam Matthews any longer, head coach Johnson switched Smith the right-back for the crucial Championship relegation spat at Wigan earlier this month.

And the former Norwich and Oldham man made a seamless transition from central midfield warrior to defender, playing a starring role in a 1-0 win at the DW Stadium.

He was equally impressive in the role when the Robins thrashed promotion-chasing Huddersfield Town in front of the Sky TV cameras at Ashton Gate ahead of the two-week break for international matches.

Little may have announced his return to action in an under-23 fixture after recovering from the hamstring strain that side-lined him for six weeks, but Smith looks set to continue in his new role when City return to the business of battling relegation against Brentford at Griffin Park on Saturday.

“He is probably the best one versus one defender we've got, he is aggressive, has pace and power, has bite in the tackle, is good on the ball and athletic enough to get up and down.

“Those are the qualities we want in all positions and it comes down to whether we want to take Korey out of the middle. We've seen the way he runs and the way he hustles, but he is equally at home at right-back.

“I played him there a few times when I had him at Oldham and he ended up being man of the match in some of those games. I thought he was one of the best, if not the best player on the pitch, when he played right-back at Wigan. Korey is a versatile type and playing him there is certainly not something I’d be frightened to do in the future.”

Marlon Pack and Gary O’Neil have performed admirably in the centre of midfield in recent games and their burgeoning partnership means Smith’s influence has not been missed in that particular department in recent outings.

Having spent much of this season on the treatment table battling one injury after another, Smith is just happy to be back in the team and able to help the Robins fight to secure their Championship status.

He recalled: “I've played there once before under the gaffer at Oldham. I think we had a bit of an injury crisis, so I played there and did a decent job. Like I said, when you've been out for a long time, you just enjoy being back on the pitch. Wherever I play towards the end of the season, as the fans know, I’ll always give 110 per cent. We got the win, so that was the most important thing.”

He added: “Obviously Litts (Mark Little) has been injured and Zak (Vyner) played there in the last game. A few of the boys just said ‘it’s no problem for you’. I feel I've got the attributes to play in most positions on the pitch – at the end of the day it’s about going out there and giving your best wherever you’re asked to play. That’s all I tried to do. If I can help out between now and the end of the season playing there, or anywhere else on the pitch, I’ll do that.”

http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/lee-johnson-gives-insight-bristol-15760

 

So brave...
'Lee Johnson insists he will not hesitate to deploy Korey Smith as a makeshift right-back at Brentford this weekend if he feels it is in the best interests of the team.'