Bristol City are looking to secure back-to-back Championship wins for the first time this season when they travel to Fratton Park to face John Mousinho and Portsmouth on Saturday afternoon.
The Robins secured a much-needed three points against Plymouth Argyle last time out with goals from Anis Mehmeti, Sinclair Armstrong and Scott Twine helping City thrash Wayne Rooney’s side 4-0 at Ashton Gate.
Last weekend’s win over the Pilgrims leaves the Reds sitting 11th in the Championship table, five points off of the play-off positions and a comfortable 10 points clear of Hull City who occupy the final spot in the relegation zone. This Saturday’s opponents on the other hand are rooted to the foot of the table having won only two of their opening 16 matches.
Here’s a full transcript of everything Chris Hogg had to say in his pre-match press conference on Wednesday afternoon…
Well, Chris, first of all, it’s nice to catch up. What’s the mood in the training ground been like after a very convincing win and a performance against Plymouth last weekend?
It’s been good. It’s always nice obviously for the performance level and then coming in on the Monday and the place is obviously bouncing around and I think they’ve been pretty consistent that anyway the group and the way obviously we work, we try and stay pretty level on everything. So yeah it was nice. It’s always better driving in and coming in after a good performance and three points.
On reflection, was anything different on Saturday compared to recent games? I’m thinking of Watford and Burnley, do you feel you created as many chances and you were just more clinical? What was the difference on Saturday?
Hopefully, people are seeing that there’s been a consistency with the performance. Especially Waford for us, you look at the game, they had one shot on target from an extreme angle with really low XG that flies in off the post. Apart from that we control the majority of that game and becomes difficult when they do go 1-0 nup, then they go back into block and it’s around how do we break that block?
But in terms of performance, I’m really happy with a lot of the stuff we’ve seen over the previous three, four, five, six weeks really. I think the group are now starting to show a level of consistency in certain actions and their behaviours in certain phases, which has been pleasing. The challenge for that obviously is to sustain that and keep grinding through these winter months, to allow ourselves to keep performing well and like we did Saturday, be a bit more ruthless in front of goal. The group showed a really good level of patience a the weekend. Obviously, it took almost an hour really for us to break down the wall. But, once that did, I think you saw a confident group.
Anis Mehmeti, can I just get your take on him? Especially one of the goals has had a lot of views on social media across the country. At times he’s in the side, and at times he’s not. But when he’s in form and on fire, which to be fair to him, he’s been consistent this season. Just how good a player could he be for Bristol City?
I guarantee you, however many views there have been, Anis has probably been a large percentage. But no, honestly, working with Anis and whether he’s had good performances or not-so-good performances, he’s been in and out of the team, but he’s an absolute pleasure to work with. He epitomises somebody who sacrifices his life for football. He lives and breathes it, works hard every day, does his extras, is constantly talking football and he’s got a pure love for the game.
He’s got a pure love of the game, so credit to him. He’s a beautiful human being, great to work with and I’m really delighted for him to have the impact that he had at the weekend because you look at him every day in training and he takes chances, scores goals is creative and sometimes that hasn’t translated into a Saturday or Tuesday night performance. He’s a real threat and I’m delighted for him that some of his hard work has come to fruition the other day. Him going direct at speed is different to Anis when he’s going slower with more touches so it’s about encouraging him really around how he takes himself to the next level.
Are the goals just a bonus? He’s on six now so there’s nothing to stop him from getting into double figures.
It’d be nice. I think the manager spoke about before trying to spread the goals. We know we’re gonna have to spread the goals around the group really and we need everybody contributing whether that’s centre-backs, wing-backs, full-backs or midfield field players. We’re going to need everybody to chip in this year. So delighted that he’s had that return. The challenge for Anis is to keep pushing and making sure he’s having that impact throughout the next couple of months. As we go into the middle part and back end of the season, the challenge for everyone really is to step up in the key moments and score the goals that are required.
I imagine at 5pm on Saturday, you all celebrated and enjoyed the victory and by about 5:10 pm you started to think about Portsmouth. How nice and how important would it be now to it up with a similar performance at Fratton Park and make it two wins in a row? Or am I being greedy?
No, no, nothing greedy about it. I think we spoke about previously, in the Championship, it’s about runs and it’s about if you’re winning how far can you extend it. We’ve had obviously a good couple of runs this year where we’ve had a couple of wins, and draws and then started winning again. We’ve also had phases where we lost back-to-back games, obviously, most recently.
So it’s about us stringing together a real positive run and it all comes from our performances and the daily things we do at the training ground. I said there’ll be ups and downs throughout these winter months for sure. It’s around us keeping the squad fit, and healthy, keeping them in the sweet spot around their motivation and some of the messaging, to go and attack teams and try and be the dominant team in games. But also do what’s required really in terms of who we come up against.
So your reference to the squad being fit and healthy. How is the squad looking going into the weekend? Marcus was missing last weekend. Is he fit for this weekend?
Yeah, it was a little back spasm with Marcus. I was winding him up because I do a lot of driving and I was saying he’s like an old man because it’s similar to my back and I know how that feels. But yeah, a little back spasm and he’s trained this week so he’s back fully fit. The rest of the group had been pretty good.
Obviously, we’ve got boys returning now on the grass with medical and sports science departments who are getting closer in. George Tanner, Kal Naismith’s been outside as well, as have Ross [McCrorie] and Syksey as well. Those four boys have been out on the grass and are progressing pretty nicely so fingers crossed that in the coming weeks, we can see them returning.
Then Portsmouth, newly promoted. Fratton Park, dare I say, possibly the noisiest ground in the Championship and on their day they can score goals as well. So what are you expecting from Portsmouth on Saturday?
Like every game, you just don’t know. So we prepare, we do everything in terms of the tactical and everything. It’s about always going there and being excited to go and play another football game. The environment at Fratton Park, I’ve been there numerous times. It can be a really energetic place if you allow them to get on top. Then on the flip side of that, if you can try and control the game, it should be an enjoyable day for us.
But there’ll be a well-organised team. I know the manager and staff really well, good people, well organised, and diligent. They will have done the work on us and be doing everything they can to stop us but also to try and be aggressive and implement their style of play. It’s an exciting challenge for us to go there really, to try and keep the consistent performance levels and go and take the games to them.
I know from speaking to you and Liam this season, you’re only thinking of Portsmouth but at the back of your mind, how are you managing the squad? Because it’s not just an away game on Tuesday, but it’s Sunderland. You’re then back at Ashton Gate. Is fatigue squad management in your mind at all this week?
I think it’s always at the back of your mind. But I think what you’ve got to do is try and trust the program a little bit in terms of how we design preseason linking into these winter months because you want to try and go with your strongest team in terms of who’s going to win you on that day. So listen, it might change as we go through depending on what the needs are versus the opposition but, I think what you look at really is who’s in form, what the connections are like and, if we need to tweak certain bits, we will. But I think the lads are doing a good job at the minute of looking after themselves.
Finally, in recent interviews with Liam, I’ve been not nagging him, but going on about the strikers scoring goals. It’s only right after he did find the back of the net on Saturday, Sinclair, Armstrong, what might that do for his confidence? He’s still a young man and when the ball hit the back of the net, what could that do? Could it kickstart his season?
Yeah, you’d hope so. I think what people do forget about Fally and Sinclair is how young they are and where they’re at on their journeys and their professional careers. Our job is to try and develop them over these coming months and years to make sure they can go on to have a really good career and help Bristol City Football Club be successful. So, yes, it will give him confidence. I think he’s already equaled his total for previous seasons, so that’s great in terms of where he’s at on a personal journey and it’s understanding that he’s going to be a good player for the football club as Fally. It’s just going to be a case of timing when we can knit it all together and get him in the team and for him to make the impact when he does, which he did on Saturday. So I was delighted for him.
I know you’re having an espresso right now. I bet after the week coming up you’re gonna need a double.
Yeah, I always do. I always do. I’ve got two young boys at home and I do a lot of travelling so I do live on double espressos. So like you said when I came in, unfortunately, I’m no George Clooney but I do like their espressos.
Liam mentioned after the game on Saturday the work you’ve done in particular is Sincs and Fally on the training ground. I just wondered if you could delve into a bit of what it is you’re working on with him and the areas of his game you think he needs to improve.
It’s a collective with other staff. We’ve got a great group of staff, who take hours up, hours on designing sessions, and game plans and obviously, we all play a part in that. So I think it’s really key areas that they need to be in to try and finish chances and I think if you look at a couple of chances that we’ve had that have been on certain angles, at certain pace, at certain tempo, we’re trying to have a look at technique based stuff.
But also, a lot of it comes down to the mindset and being cool and calm and in clear moments you don’t go over the top with too much. You look at some of the best finishers over generations, they always seem in full control of the situation. Whether they’re under pressure, whether they’re free on goal and they’ve got real-time. I think it’s always around taking that last breath and being cool, calm and collected in that final action. So there’s a lot of things going on with a lot of the players. With those two in particular it’s been around just being strong, being calm, being balanced and a lot of technical work.
He was probably one of the calmest men in the stadium when he went through. It’s probably an element of calmness we didn’t see when he was first starting games after the preseason. How far do you think he’s already improved since he arrived?
I think he’s done really well. I think if you look at his start of the season, some of his performances were really good and he’s got a couple of goals. It’s been one of those things where he comes out of the team and Nahki’s come into the team and shown his qualities, shown his experiences and brings a lot to the football team. So the three players really, it’s a really nice triangle of competition and who can bring the best version of them to help the team win on a Saturday.
I think the manager will only ever pick the team and will only ever look at a team that will help us win on Saturday. So they’ve just got to keep pushing. That goes for all the positions really. I think if you look at the weekend now where obviously Marcus missed the game, we’re very fortunate to be able to put Twiney in the team and make that adjustment with the depth that we’ve got in various positions. Now it’s about the boys really trying to earn the right to play and the challenge is for them to keep it shirt.
I guess while they’re trying to earn that right, there can’t be many people better with more experience in the Championship to learn from than Nahki?
No, and what I still love about him is he gets angry when he misses chances in training. He creates his mindset in this ruthlessness with his finishing and from all angles but he practices and he does it every day. Even now at the end of what’s been a really good career, he’s still got time then to keep adding to his goals. The boys, you can see it. He’s really good with them talking to them, talking about various finishing, getting them doing certain practices as well and getting them involved in stuff. So yeah, we just hoping that obviously whoever plays can impact the game really well.
Obviously, Sam Bell came back at the weekend. When he first broke through here, he quite often played through the middle. I just wondered how you and Liam view him. Is he just a wide player, do you think? Or is he someone who could play as a nine if needed?
He’s a footballer and that’s what I’ve spoken about quite a lot with the players. If you look at George Earthy coming into the team, he’s played right-back, right wing-back, number 10 and he’s played a little bit when he rotates as a six. So Belly’s just a footballer, he’s a great kid and he’s somebody who’s worked tremendously hard to be back in the position he’s in. I think for us it will be utilising his strengths, which I think are pretty evident around how he can attack space, how he moves and some of his quality on the finishing action. So, yeah, I see him doing a bit of everything really.
I just wanted to go back to Anis because we spoke to him just after the international break and he said how we wanted to add that consistency to his game. I think he was excellent at the weekend and he probably admitted himself he wasn’t quite as effective against Burnley. You’ve played and you’ve coached. How do you think he discovers that consistency?
I think you look at every level, it’s quite hard to be at your optimal every game. You have your unique ones like Lionel Messi who can run a game and do that but I think you’ve got 11 other players from the opposition who are well coached, well drilled, well conditioned and may have different physical capabilities to you. Someone might be bigger or stronger, quicker, or more agile. Whatever it is, it comes down to the problem-solving in game of putting yourself in good positions and testing people in various ways to see where you can get success.
That’s the challenge for us all really. It’s the same as staff, we try and look at the opposition and go over where we can hurt them and how we can give the best information to the players. It’s the same on an individual level for the players really, can you test them in various ways early to figure out where you can get success? Sometimes it’s really tough because he’s up against good players and at the weekend I thought he did a good job at finding the right space and made the right decision on the football in terms of being direct at times and getting at people.
It’s easy to forget as well that he’s only 23. He arrived two years ago in January. Do you think there’s a bit people must forget that because he’s been at the football club for a while, that he’s still so young in terms of his career as well?
Yeah, definitely. I think the bigger picture stuff with the group really is it’s a relatively young group. We’ve got some young players, we’ve got the experienced ones along it in Rob Dickie, Nahki and a few others. But society, in general, we’re so now in the now and it. So a lot of people expect high levels of output every game, every day and that’s what we strive for.
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But I think it’s understanding the human behind obviously the performances. So he’s still young but again the expectation on all of our group really is we have to perform and we’re here to be successful. It’s not a school camp where we’ve got loads of time to develop people. We have to develop by trying to win, so that’s the challenge for us all really.
I’m sure you won’t want to give too much away that you mentioned Mark Sykes, Kal Naismith, and George Tanner. I can’t remember who else now either.
It’s not easy, is it?
Will any of them be ready to feature on the weekend or still too soon?
Probably too soon for the boys I mentioned there But they are getting back close which will be great for us in the coming weeks.
Just a bit more long-term, Ayman Benrous is someone I know you’ve been asked about before and Adam Murphy. I was just interested to know how they’re getting on with their recovery.
Yeah, both are pretty similar really in terms of where they’ve been at. It’s more longer term with both trying to obviously get their bodies back and going. Murph’s been fit and being involved with the 21s a couple of times in training and stuff and they’re longer-term still with them and still with the medical staff.
At the other end of the pitch. We’ve spoken a lot about the attackers but I wanted to mention Luke McNally because I think when he arrived there were a few fans questioning whether another defender was needed , but he’s really established himself as a consistent starter. I just wondered how impressed you’ve been with him and how much he’s improved since he arrived.
Again the reason we wanted him here is because we saw his attributes, over time really and myself, the gaffer and the club aligned on that with what we’ve seen over the previous season. It’s always difficult when you do come to a football club and are getting adjusted but I think he’s done a terrific job. So the last five or six, seven, eight weeks he’s shown a real consistent level again in his performances, shown his good attributes and adjusted to being in the team as a partnership really with obviously Zak originally, then as part of a two, then back with Rob and then as a part of a back three.
We try and sign people who are footballers rather than specific stuff so we can play multiple ways and be adaptable. I think he shows good strength on that and he’s brought a good character to the group. He’s a great lad. So, yeah, I think he’s done really well in terms of being solid, stable and doing the basics well, which is all you can ask.
I might know your answer to this already, but, when you’re coming into a game like Saturday when a team’s not necessarily been at their best this season, does that come into your thinking or preparation at all?
What would my answer be?
I’m going to say no.
That’s true. One thing you learn throughout the years, there are no easy games, there are no games where you can go into and you know what’s going to happen. But as I said, they’re going to be well coached, well drilled, fighting for their lives to get points and we’ll be the same in terms of going and scrapping and fighting to try and get the three points.
So I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to be a challenge, it will be a battle, but I think no matter what in the Championship, you see the results every weekend. It’s such a competitive league. We’re not allowed to bet and I’m not a betting man, but whoever does bet on it, fair play because you just can’t tell every week. Again, it will come down to us at the weekend around what we’re trying to be, bringing ourselves and bringing our personality to the game.