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Home discomforts, Pearson's project and derby delight - Bristol City's 2021/22 fixtures in focus
The Robins are entering a new phase, chapter and period of their existence with the great unknown ahead of them

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Bristol City manager Nigel Pearson jokes around with Owura Edwards at the Robins High Performance Centre

The new era at Ashton Gate and although the same manager presides over Bristol City after a dismal end to 2020/21, this already feels like a very different team – whether or not that’s a good thing we will just have to wait a see.

But the departure of so many first-team regulars, new arrivals starting to appear on the roof, the continual development of, we think, some of the brightest academy talent for at least two years, and the presence of Nigel Pearson gives the Robins a welcome freshness.

The manager wants to bring a new culture and identity, which he will be installing the foundations of over pre-season, but this forthcoming campaign will be 46 steps towards a much larger prize in the distance, and will require some patience.

With the fixtures now confirmed for 2021/22, here are some of the early talking points and what they mean for Bristol City’s season at this fertile stage.

Derby double header
They immediately stand out, far beyond any fixtures on the schedule, and undoubtedly have caused the Heddlu and Avon & Somerset Police to collectively groan at the staffing that’s likely to be involved, but back-to-back matches against Swansea and Cardiff is a bit special.

Not only that but they both come so early in the season when the buzz of – hopefully – being back in grounds still hums away and with – again, hopefully – the sun still shining on Saturday afternoons.

Swansea at Ashton Gate is first up on August 21 and then seven days later and it’s Cardiff City over the border on August Bank Holiday weekend, which has supporters glowing in anticipation already.

But aside from the obvious emotional ties, bragging rights and all the rest that comes with these games, they also act a good bellwether as to where City will be at this stage of the campaign.

Swansea are now established as a play-off team under Steve Cooper, although a summer of change could curtail their consistency somewhat, while Cardiff under Mick McCarthy are as stereotypical a solid Championship outfit as could possibly be imagined.

One or both are likely - but not definite, of course, it is the Championship after all - to finish inside the top 10 by the first week of May, 2022, whereas for City it’s all very unsure at the moment, for a multitude of reasons.

Beating them, or at least remaining undefeated, would be considerable, for the fanbase but also providing a real early boost and sense of confidence for Bristol City’s campaign as a whole.

Challenging autumn run
City’s opening run of games, derby dates included, can be described as agreeable: newly-promoted Blackpool plus the familiar sights of Boro, QPR, Preston (okay, maybe not them), Reading and Luton, they don’t face a genuine “big team” – if that’s a thing in the Championship – until September 25 with Fulham.

However, such is fixture karma, for that pleasure (at least, let’s hope it is) the pain isn’t too far away and October into November then shapes up to be very challenging indeed with four straight games against teams who either finished in the play-offs or who were relegated from the Premier League or who are called Nottingham Forest.

Bournemouth, West Brom, Forest and then Barnsley. Now, you could make a strong case that the Tykes are looking increasingly less fearsome following Valerien Ismael’s switch to the Hawthorns but, as it stands, the same players remain and they also have a knack of picking decent managers.

As for Forest, the great underachievers of the Championship they may be but you have to feel with Chris Hughton having his feet under the table and two transfer windows behind him, they will be considerably more fearsome than before.

Of course, as challenging as that run may seem on paper, emerge from it with at least three positive results and that will say a lot about the Robins. But it also places even more emphasis of getting off to a reasonably good start in August and early September.

Christmas cheer
Everybody wants a nice run at Christmas; minimal travel with moderate opposition to mitigate against the inevitable build-up of injuries and overall fatigue that invariably happens around that particular time of year.

The festive period isn’t necessarily defining in terms of the overall season but can have a major impact if results are poor, influencing both positively and negatively the January transfer window and sometimes forcing clubs to make decisions they don’t necessarily want to.

In City’s case, the run of four matches across Christmas and New Year looks okay. I mean, there are gimmes in the Championship but of Huddersfield, Luton, QPR and Millwall can you realistically see any of them finishing as a top six side next season.

If anything, you’d probably consider them in City’s grouping of clubs that could go either way next term; depending on recruitment and then how they respond to in-season issues that may or may not crop up.

Maybe we’re doing them a disservice and a suitable counter would be to highlight how hard-working they are as teams – particularly Luton and Millwall – so while they not provide the same quality as others, it’s a grind getting past them.

And coincidentally those two sides also beat City across the festive period last year. But overall it’s not a run of games that musters any great trepidation … at least not yet, anyway.

Ashton Gate under the lights
The FA Cup and Carabao Cup plus those annoying schedulers at Sky Sports could throw this particular segment up in the air but it’s interesting that of the 10 midweek evening fixtures listed, six are at home and after November 2, the Robins have only one outside BS3 (at Barnsley on March 15).

That’s positive from a logistical perspective, for both the squad and supporters – not having to travel back from all corners of England late night on a Tuesday – and therefore doesn’t impact preparation for the following weekend fixture.

But also means that the games that are played in midweek should have a real sense of occasion about them in Bristol, under the floodlights amid “traditional” English conditions.

Of course, this is all ignoring the elephant in the room which is City’s risible home record.

And just to address that, because it very much needs to. If the Robins don’t beat Blackpool on the opening weekend, they then have Swansea, Preston, Luton, Fulham, Bournemouth and Forest at Ashton Gate before we hit November.

Nobody wants to be pessimistic here but that Tangerines came is significant for symbolic as much as sporting reasons given City’s last three points at their home was back on January 26.

Race for the prize
Who knows exactly what constitutes success for City this season; improvement and a sense of progress undoubtedly, but how much separation is needed between 19th and where they land on May 7 for the consensus to be, it’s a job well-done?

At a guess, in terms of supporter sentiment, mid to lower mid-table would probably be around par and anything above that greeted with celebration. (This is all completely ignoring how context sporadically shifts throughout the season dependent on form etc).

But wherever City find themselves in the league table for 2021/22 - and the Championship is bonkers, we have to always remember that, only a few teams are ever promotion or relegation certs, the rest just bounce around for nine months – their last five fixtures are more than manageable.

Whether it be a push for the top 10 (we’re not using the p-word for obvious reasons) or an anxious look down the bottom (ditto, the r-word) having these opponents down the stretch is welcoming; on the assumption they will be the teams we expect them to be.

• April 15 Stoke (A)
• April 18 Sheffield United (H)
• April 23 Derby/Wycombe (A)
• April 30 Hull (H)
• May 7 Huddersfield (A)

Okay, so the Blades could well be a top-three side but outside of them these are all teams likely to struggle or drift in and around the similar positions we expect City to be, based on our baseline expectations.

If points are needed, for whatever reason, they are the sort of opponents you’d select at this stage.
https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/bristol-city-fixtures-202122-pearson-5571912

 

Good spirits, happiness, comradeship, discipline and an acceptance of a new direction, a more humble, determined approach, this is what seems to be the message and reports coming out of Ashton Gate lately, no wum but the MA/LJ/DH era has long gone, we obviously are team building at the moment, contracts have been signed,mature proven quality players are joining us, there is obviously more to come but the signs are looking good.

A new manager, new CEO and new head of the medical department, a new season approaches, pre season is organised, we are well and truly on our way. Up the City.

 

I think to end up being a top 12 side only for 3 years after the amount of signings and huge investment on spend demonstrates just what lacklustre leadership we have suffered from the CEO and all concerned, that was what we achieved after 8,9 or 10 windows , NP has not yet completed his first, he has cleared out the dross, completed contract signings and started the ball rolling on replacements.

The times are changing, truth, prudence and quality value for money is now king, extravagence and inexperience is not an acceptable standard any longer, false promises such as European qualification with in 5 years are regarded as a nonsensical distant memory, we are under new leadership, new CEO, new manager, horizons have changed, realism has set in.

I am feeling very positive about our team and next season, mid table finish would suit me fine, if we get back our spirits, show some guts, see some smiles back on fans faces like we had under Cotts I'll be more than satisfied, as has been said, "Who knows but it needed changing"