Adam Matthews: Crunch time for Bristol City's loan signing from Premier League Sunderland Adam Matthews faces a potentially make or break scenario when he lines up for Bristol City's Under-23 side in an FA Development League fixture against Ipswich Town at Filton this afternoon. Omitted from head coach Lee Johnson's first team squad for the last three Championship matches against Brighton, Birmingham and Reading, the 24-year-old loan signing from Sunderland will today be given an opportunity to prove he is worthy of a recall to the senior side. If Matthews wants to play any part in Saturday's home Championship encounter against Mick McCarthy's Ipswich Town, he must first demonstrate he is fit enough to play for 90 minutes at under-23 level. please log in to view this image Johnson has become increasingly frustrated by the Wales international's lack of fitness and he criticised him publicly after being forced to substitute him during the second half of last month's 2-2 draw at Barnsley. Matthews was then left out of the squad at Birmingham for disciplinary reasons after reporting back late from international duty with Wales. Although Johnson put that down to a genuine misunderstanding, he again left Matthews out at Reading, citing continuing concerns over the right-back's hamstrings. With the January transfer window set to open in little more than a month from now, Johnson may feel he has to enter the market for another right-sided defender to provide competition and cover for Mark Little, who has featured regularly in recent weeks. If a fully fit Matthews is unable to break back into the first team picture following three successive defeats that have seen the Robins slip out of the play-off places and drop to 13th in the table, then the writing could be on the wall for the Sunderland player, who joined the Robins on a season-long loan in July. Since then, the Welshman has made seven appearances for City, completing just one game against Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road on October 18. http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/adam-m...e-sunderland/story-29939580-detail/story.html
Johnson has publicly warned Matthews, so if this guy is not up to it, ship him out, but who's fault is it that we sold Ayling and loaned out Zak Vyner to Accrington,just leaving us with Little for cover, a little bit of bad judgement and planning from our management surely.
Yes, apparently, Ayling playing really well at Leeds too- Noticeable that Villas scorers were Adomah and Kodjia on Saturday- Why is it that players always seem to do so well, After, they leave us?
A LOT OF THEM DO a lot don't, when they said Ayling was going to LEEDS ..WELL I thought there was a misunderstanding or he had bopped Lee on the nose or something!
To be fair Wiz we all thought getting Matthews on loan was a good bit of business following the succesful loan spell last season We then had 3 right backs, and in the opinion of most, Ayling was the second best of them. The lad wanted to play evey week, so selling him to Leeds for a sizable fee made sense for all parties. In hindsight ............... Ayling would have played every week!!! In my view we need a right back and a centre forward in the window as our main priorities
I have to agree with you, I was one of the enthusiast's for Matthews as well but times and circumstances change very quickly and we are left like turkeys looking forward to Christmas and I did say management issues, not head coach, I don't blame Leapy Lee entirely but with all of the lack of fitness, injuries, misdemeanours that surround our club at the moment we seem to be lacking in certain areas of seniority.
'bad judgement and planning from our management surely' Not at all, Junior is beyond reproach. It's always someone else at fault. Preview of Thursday's Press Conference They’ve got a good side that we have to respect. That’s probably down to the physicality of the Championship. We’ve got a lot of younger players, under the age of 23 or 24. To get a team that is ready-made, full of 6ft 4in players, who are strong, quick and good on the ball costs millions - like I was. Johnson praises the work of Mick McCarthy at Ipswich, a very experienced Championship manager. We’re probably looking too deep into it – sometimes things are not as bad or as good as you think at the time. City boss says current Ipswich crop includes "dangerous players". City chief admits his side are making it tough for themselves by conceding first more often than not. Just a random selection of comments since Cardiff, take your pick for this Thursday. ps - One thing he won't say about Cole Skuse - 'Dad even played him RB so I could stay in the side'.
Getting rid of Ayling felt wrong when it happened. However, I would have chosen Matthews over him at the time - would anyone not have? Didn't Matthews get injured almost straight away? He is either finding it tough getting his fitness back or he has upset LJ somehow(?)
When teams pay the sort of money those two went for wouldn't you expect them to be decent players who are likely to go onto bigger and better things!!!!!!
Yea me.. Matthews was a competent steady 'right back' . Ayling had a bit more than that for me and above all loved playing.. We've swapped a give it all for a couldn't give a ****.. Ayling was a character too.. don't you feel the dressing room has diminished since he's gone..
Have to take your word for that as I've not been in the dressing room. Fair play to you for getting a seat in there though
I really don't, I'm not sure how you can make those sort of statements unless you are interacting with the players regularly
