Struber settling nicely at new-look Bristol City – Oppo Profile
Friday, 3rd Oct 2025 13:26 by Clive Whittingham

Last season’s beaten play-off semi-finalists Bristol City lost manager Liam Manning to Norwich over the summer, but as Dave Featherstone (@FevsFootball) tells us the arrival of Gerhard Struber has rapidly improved the team’s aesthetics and attack.

How was last season? Bit of an anti-climax in the end the way the play-offs went?

If you take the playoff defeat out of the equation finishing sixth was anything but an anti-climax. A season of two halves saw us much improved through February, March and April and that was enough. Even then we had to wait on Blackburn not scoring in injury time in the final game to avoid throwing away a playoff berth. We limped over the line, and it proved a step too far against Sheffield United over both legs. I think in hindsight winning a few six-pointers 2-1 meant sixth flattered us a bit. But nobody else wanted it, so I wasn’t complaining.

Thoughts on Liam Manning leaving for Norwich?

Mixed feelings on Liam Manning. I get why he’s going. Norwich City is a bigger club, has greater financial resources, but it also feels like he’s walked away because he can’t spend like he did last summer - which he helped waste. I know that sounds a bit weird following a sixth placed finish, but the money spent on Armstrong (yeah, yeah, you told us!), Mayulu, Twine and McNally (who was the pick of these four) failed to deliver value and it was mainly a costly way to provide depth to the players already here, including Sir Nahki of Wells, who had a fine season. We now have a season with little ability to trade, unless we want to get rid of someone like Knight. And that’s not mentioning the lip-service paid to the academy, which has been a rich source of squad investment budget in the past.

Pretty strong start to the season, what have you made of it so far?

Yeah, it’s been a good start - 13 points from eight games, just one defeat is the tangible stuff. But it’s been much more enjoyable to watch too. It looks like the Championship is going to be a tightly contested league this season, and we’ve probably left a few points ‘out there’ too.

Bristol City in the league so far…
Sheff Utd 1-4 Bristol City Campbell 14 – Twine 5, 51, McCrorie 26, Mehmeti 46
Bristol City 0-0 Charlton
Derby 1-1 Bristol City Morris 86 – Twine 35
Bristol City 4-2 Hull Riis 18, 42, Mehmeti 32, Bird 78 – Gelhardt 3, Joseph 90
Sheff Wed 0-3 Bristol City Amass og 6, Riis 18, Mehmeti 32
Bristol City 1-3 Oxford Mehmeti 53 – Prelec 19, Placheta 45, Leigh 90
Preston 0-0 Bristol City
Bristol City 1-1 Ipswich Atkinson 18 – Clarke pen 52

Opinions of Struber so far? What's he changed from Manning?

Trying to stay true to my vow of waiting for 12 league games to have passed before reaching my first conclusions, but the early signs are encouraging. Its chalk and cheese compared to Manning, including Struber the person too. I can see why Barnsley players said they’d run through brick walls for him. He’s very much the man-manager, focussed on crediting the players not himself, whilst being very honest about what he expects.

From a football approach, Struber’s Red Bull Football based style is very different to Manning’s City Football Group (Pep-ball) approach. And City are reaping the benefits. If Struber had to hard-sell his system to the players, then game one (4-1 away win at Sheffield United) did it for him. The perfect execution of what Red Bull Football is all about – win the ball and attack in numbers, taking advantage of ‘chaos’ in the opposition structure. Under Manning it was more – win the ball and reset, regain structure, which also let the opposition do the same. One of Struber’s early training sessions had him explaining that when we win the ball we must take advantage, in his words “in the merciless moments we must kill them”! Robins Fans have really taken to him, not just at Ashton Gate but also around the city too.

How did your summer transfer window go?

What summer transfer window!?

We were quiet. We used/wasted £10m last summer, so without any players to trade, we were looking at the out of contract market this summer. Not really the financial platform to build a sixth place finish upon, but hey-ho.

We made the smart signing of Emil Riis Jakobsen to replace Sir Nahki of Wells. Joe Lumley came in to replace Stefan Bajic and start the season as number one whilst Max O’Leary recovered from ankle surgery caused by the Loftus Road pitch / surround. But the big signing was Adam Randell for something like £700k, possibly with a view to replacing Jason Knight, but thankfully he remained. We moved Marcus McGuane on as a result.

That was it, until just before the start of the season where Struber used his network to secure Manchester United keeper Radek Vitek on loan. He settled in immediately and looks very good.

And with the summer deadline looming, we picked up Boro’s Neto Borges on loan, and there were even rumours of a Turkish bid for your old boy Sinclair Armstrong. Alas, nothing materialised. Shame!

Ins >>> Adam Randell, 24, DM, Plymouth, £700k >>> Emil Riis, 27, CF, Preston, Free >>> Joe Lumley, 30, GK, Southampton, Free >>> Adam Randell, 24, DM, Plymouth, Undisclosed >>> Yu Hirakawa, 24, RW, Machida Zelvia (Japan), Undisclosed >>> Radek Vitek, 21, GK, Man Utd, Loan >>> Neto Borges, 28, LB, Boro, Loan

Outs >>> Taylor Gardner-Hickman, 23, RB, Birmingham, £1.5m >>> Nahki Wells, 35, CF, Luton, Free >>> Kal Naismith, 33, CB, Luton, Free >>> Ayman Benarous, 21, CM, Plymouth, Free >>> Marcus McGuane, 26, DM, Huddersfield, Undisclosed >>> Stefan Bajic, 23, GK, Strasbourg, Free >>> Sam Bell, 23, LW, Wycombe, Loan >>> Jamie Knight-Lebel, 20, CB, Swindon, Loan >>> Adam Murphy, 20, CM, Swindon, Loan

Where is the team strong and weak?

I would probably simplify it as the core bunch of first-team options is strong, but the depth is weak. Injuries are likely to be the reason for any struggles. If we can keep the core fit, and we still have Luke McNally, Cam Pring and Joe Williams to come back in, then we can have another successful season. Those three have yet to kick a ball this season, and both Max Bird and Jason Knight will miss Saturday’s fixture.

In terms of individuals, Anis Mehmeti is having a fine start to the season, building upon being City’s top-scorer last-term, whilst Zak Vyner is rapidly becoming a true fans favourite, no longer caveated by ‘got a mistake in him’. Adam Randell has been class so far, overshadowing Knight, last season’s player of the year.

Revised expectations for the season?

As per pre-season we are in a bunch of teams that can make the Play-offs, but as above, if we stay fit, we look a match for most opponents. I thought it might take Struber a good while to get Red Bull Football ingrained, but I think the simplicity of it has meant the players have taken to it pretty well. I think there is more to come too. A lot will depend on whether the Parachute Payment teams get their act together or not, or maybe if the promoted teams meet expectations of their summer spend. That’s not just restricted to Birmingham and Wrexham, but Charlton too. The cliché of no easy game seems even more true this term. I’m quite looking forward to playing a non-Marti Cifuentes Hoops, as he seemed be a bit like Kryptonite to City over the four meetings. Haven’t really seen much of your boys this season but not expecting a dull 0-0. Cue a dull 0-0.

Links >>> Bristol City official website >>> The Exiled Robin — Blog >>> One Team In Bristol — Message Board >>> Bristol Post — Local Paper >>> One Stream In Bristol — Podcast >>> Fevs Football Analytics - Contributor's page

Pictures - Reuters Connect



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Lblock added 22:05 - Oct 3
Spin the wheel on this one
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francisbowles added 09:48 - Oct 4
Yes but don't let if finish on red.
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TacticalR added 14:37 - Oct 4
Thanks to Dave.

Despite not spending much over the summer, there are goals in the team, with City having scored 4 goals twice already this season.
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