Match Day Thread Bristol City v WBA

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https://the72.co.uk/2025/04/07/bristol-city-west-brom-prediction-the72/

 

Bristol City predicted team vs West Brom: Manning faces stick or twist dilemma for crucial clash

Bristol City are looking to keep their place in the play-off places against West Brom at Ashton Gate this evening

How are the nerves? If the weekend's meeting with Watford was the start of crunch time, it is hard to find the words to describe just how big this evening's meeting with West Brom is in Bristol City's campaign.

Liam Manning's side and their supporters have had just two days to enjoy their 2-1 win over the Hornets. While Mamadou Dombia ensured it was far from straightforward for the Robins, first-half goals from Ross McCrorie and Nahki Wells proved to be enough to see City over the line and into the Championship play-off places.

On paper, tonight's clash with the Baggies could be season-defining. Tony Mowbray's side currently sit eighth in the Championship, just three points adrift of the Reds and the top six. While they travel to the West Country off the back of back-to-back defeats against Norwich City and Sunderland, they have been in and around the play-off places all season so have to be taken seriously. City know themselves just how good Albion can be at their best having been comfortably beaten at The Hawthorns earlier this term.

The quick turnaround has meant that the Robins have had very little training, but more importantly, recovery time. Still, there is a chance Scott Twine could be ready to return to the fold and Manning seemed confident that both Joe Williams and McCrorie would be fit and available once again.

A win tonight could be enough to send City as high as fifth in the table and would open up a six point gap between the Reds and West Brom. Of course, history suggests things are very rarely that straightforward in the Championship, especially when the Robins are involved but if you can't dream now, when can you?

With all of that in mind, here's how we think Manning will set up his side against the Baggies this evening...

Goalkeeper and defence
We've suggested Liam Manning could have one or two big decisions to make this evening but unless anything has been picked up in training over the last couple of days, naming his backline should be relatively straightforward.

Max O'Leary is undoubtedly Bristol City's number one. He didn't have an awful lot of work to do against Watford but he was solid enough when called upon and will maintain his 100 per cent record of starting every Championship game this season.

Ahead of him, our bet is that the Robins head coach will stand by the back three that have started each of the last three matches. Rob Dickie has been back to his best after a bit of a dip in form earlier in the season while Cam Pring and Zak Vyner have offered a solid-enough presence on either side of the former QPR man.

Both academy graduates have the pace to cover Dickie and therefore allow the 29-year-old to push forward when in possession. His passing range is crucial to how City try to play as it allows them to progress through the thirds at speed. This trio also ensures that the Robins can roll into a back four if and when required with Vyner afforded room to push up the right flank.

Midfield
This is where Liam Manning starts to face those big decisions we mentioned earlier, particularly when it comes to Joe Williams and Ross McCrorie. Both players are understood to have come through the win over Watford unscathed but considering their injury records and the quick turnaround, is it worth risking losing them for the remainder of the run-in?

Given the importance of this game, that may well be a risk worth taking... however, and this could well be wrong if McCrorie is deemed ready, our bet is Haydon Roberts will start at left wing-back. When the Scotsman was rushed through two games in quick succession earlier this season, he picked up a hamstring injury against Cardiff City and given the lack of defensive cover, City cannot afford for that to happen again. Yes, this game is massive but we're not at the last chance saloon stage yet, so we expect McCrorie to be handed a bit of a rest.

On the opposite flank, it is hard to look past Mark Sykes. The Ireland international is playing the best football of his City career currently and has made that right wing-back position his own since returning from injury. He has played an awful lot of football recently but so far, the former Oxford United man seems to have coped with that well enough. The ideal scenario would be that City get ahead and then afford the winger a rest once the game is already won.

Between the two wing-backs, we think that Manning will opt to stick, rather than twist when it comes to Williams. Yes, like McCrorie, the midfielder needs to be managed but he adds an extra dimension to the midfield that cannot be undervalued. On top of that, the 28-year-old has been training for the best part of four months as his absence against Burnley was just a precaution. Having only played just over 60 minutes on Saturday, he should be ready and able to start again.

Next to him, who else could start other than Jason Knight? The Reds skipper has played every minute of Championship football so far this term and has no sign of slowing down. He is the heart of this team and while he is injury-free, he is the first name on the teamsheet.

Attack and striker
Like in the midfield, Liam Manning again has some important calls to make when deciding who starts as the two number 10s behind his centre-forward and a lot could hinge on whether or not Scott Twine's groin issue has settled down. The attacking midfielder missed the clash with Watford but the Bristol City head coach insisted there was a chance he could return against West Brom.

A bit like with Ross McCrorie, we don't think the Reds will risk losing the former Burnley man for the remainder of the run-in by rushing him back too quickly. If his flare-up has died down, he can offer a strong alternative from the bench.

That means two from Max Bird, Anis Mehmeti, Yu Hirakawa and George Earthy will need to fight it out for the attacking midfield places. While it wouldn't be a shock to see the Reds' top scorer Mehmeti restored to the starting line-up, we think Manning will opt to stick with the combination of Earthy and Bird that had such a big impact last time out.

Like Jason Knight, Bird is one of the first names on the teamsheet at Ashton Gate and he has looked particularly dangerous when deployed in a more advanced position. While Earthy hasn't been quite as effective as the former Derby County man during his loan spell in BS3, he had such an impact out of possession against the Hornets and is playing with a level of confidence that simply cannot be undervalued.

Ahead of the two attacking midfielders it is again, as it has been for so much of the season so far, a straight shoot-out between Nahki Wells and Sinclair Armstrong to lead the line. While Manning could be tempted to freshen things up given the quick turnaround, our bet is that Wells will get the nod.

The Bermudian international is in good scoring form and he was withdrawn early enough against Watford that the quick turnaround shouldn't pose too much of an issue. Whoever starts will likely be withdrawn on the hour mark, a change that has almost become expected in every game this season.

Bristol City XI (3-4-2-1): Max O'Leary; Cam Pring, Rob Dickie, Zak Vyner; Haydon Roberts, Joe Williams, Jason Knight, Mark Sykes; George Earthy, Max Bird; Nahki Wells
https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/bristol-city-predicted-team-vs-10088727

 

FULL-TIME: BRISTOL CITY 2- 1 WEST BROM
THEY HAVE DONE IT! Roberts' goal is enough to secure all three points for the Robins in the end and Ashton Gate is bouncing like I have never seen it before. Maybe we should start getting excited....

We'll have the reaction from BS3 as it comes.
(Bristol Live)