The Exiled Robin

Two away defeats may not feel like ideal preparation going into a “should-win” home game, but the encouragement players and fans alike could take from the spirit and the long spells of control and quality in the matches at Swindon and Southampton bodes well in terms of driving us towards that elusive first league win. The possession and chances created at Southampton in particular should give everyone the confidence that we’ll soon be taking great strides up the table, but there remains a concern – one which I’m certain Sean O’Driscoll will bring up in his pre-match press conferences – that the pressure of performing in front of an expectant and increasingly (largely understandably) impatient home crowd will prove to be this young team’s undoing yet again.  It will only take a couple of misplaced passes, or a rush of blood to the head of a defender for anxiety to sweep around Ashton Gate in a manner that simply can’t have been replicated with a smaller, less dominant away follow...

It’s not very often that Bristol City play a team that are placed higher in the league than Manchester United, or have just won at Liverpool, but that’s the fate to befall us on Tuesday when we travel to what has been a successful stomping ground for us in recent history. There is little doubt the Saints have moved on somewhat since a Christmas-time backs-to-the-wall 1-0 win there in their promotion-winning season, but those recent good outcomes (City have won four consecutive matches against Southampton), along with the expectation that many of the starting XI who won at Anfield on Saturday will be rested for the cup-tie, has led to some raising of hopes ahead of the journey down to the south coast. To put this in some perspective, Southampton rested nine players for the last round, and won 5-1 at Championship side Barnsley without the likes of Osvaldo, ex-Bristol Rovers and England striker Rickie Lambert and Wanyama, whilst City may also make some changes – O’Driscoll hin...

Aside from a postponed first round League Cup tie ( which we lost, of course ) two years ago, this weekend sees the return of a much-anticipated Westcountry derby after a six-and-a-half year absence.  Let's hope this long-awaited Derby return has a similar result to the last one, albeit without the pitch invasion this time around! Very kindly, top Swindon blogger Ron Smith, of The Washbag has offered his thoughts to Stu Radnedge on the other 'Robins' ahead of Saturday's clash. Saturday's match marks the battle of the Robins and the only 'local' derby City have to enjoy in this division. Do you perceive there to be a bitter feud between the teams or are we more like friendly foes? "It's the only local derby we've got to enjoy in League One also. There is a rivalry, however it has fluctuated over the years and is somewhat a distraction from our true foes."   Seeing as we're nearing the end of September, how do you feel...

The old adage that the best thing to do after falling off a bike is to get straight back on certainly feels like it rings true in BS3 this week as Sean O’Driscoll and  his young side quickly return to perform in front of their own fans  at Ashton Gate and look to right the wrongs of Saturday’s 3-0 humbling. This Tuesday sees City's rearranged match against Shrewsbury Town, and following Saturday’s heavy home defeat,  many are labelling this ‘must-win’  and, perhaps more worryingly, saying our tough start to the season (having faced promotion contenders Bradford, Wolves and Peterborough at home thus far) is now over with us facing a 'small club like Shrewsbury', suggesting a win should be mandatory.  Funnily enough football doesn’t always work out like that, but wouldn't it be nice if it did on Tuesday?! It's the first match between the two sides for 15 years and the Salopians haven't won at Ashton Gate since 1961, their only ever victory in BS3 ...

After a win against the G*s and a refreshing international break, it’s back to the serious business of the league as City welcome a familiar face in Peterborough United to Ashton Gate. The Posh have hit the ground running so far with a flood of goals and currently sit in third position with all but one of their squad having played Championship football last term.  Whilst I'd love to say this was a top-of-the-table clash against our promotion rivals, i n contrast City boast a bill of fresh faces and are very much a work in progress with a mixed set of results to date. Posh also boast one of the longest-running and betterclub podcasts  around and I’m pleased that Lewis Hancock sought out two of its stalwarts, host Jamie Jones  and regular contributer John Verrall to introduce us to one of the favourites for the League One title. You were relegated alongside us last campaign. Whilst ours was warranted, did you consider your demotion to be unlucky (P...

The reported news that a deal has been struck on the future of Ashton Vale appears to signal the end of Steve Landown's desperate fight to establish a new facility for City, and for the city.   Whilst I'm sure the club will issue a short, formal statement in due course, talking about covering all options and ensuring there are back-up plans in place, everything now points to the fact that should the Ashton Gate re-development be given a green light, it will immediately revert from being the publicly-intimated Plan B, to the preferred option.  The only option. I've suggested ever since those revised plans were first announced that the club was on the verge of giving up on Lansdown's Ashton Vale dream and the postponement of the Ashton Vale enquiry, due to start in early October, is almost certainly in no small part due to the legal costs still being racked up by the day, an outgoing that would only have increased exponentially once the hearing got underway.   ...