With Christmas Day now in the rearview mirror, attention can turn to what really matters the most over the festive period, Boxing Day football. This year Bristol City welcome Luton Town to Ashton Gate as they look to end a four-match winless run.
Having impressed in 1-1 draws with both Sunderland and QPR in recent weeks, the Robins produced one of their worst performances of the campaign so far as they were easily beaten by West Brom at The Hawthorns last time out.
The frustration from supporters has been clear following the full-time whistle on Sunday, but Liam Manning has insisted that his side is heading in the right direction, in spite of recent results.
Luton similarly have had a mixed start to the campaign under the management of Rob Edwards. The Hatters currently sit 15th in the table, two points adrift of the Robins having been relegated from the Premier League last season.
Though the Reds are expected to be boosted by the returns of Kal Naismith and Mark Sykes in the coming weeks, it seems as though Manning will have much of the same side to pick from as he did against the Baggies. The only potential returnee could be Nahki Wells, with the City boss revealing a late call would be made over the 34-year-old’s fitness.
With all that being said, here’s how we think Bristol City will line up for this festive clash at Ashton Gate…
Goalkeeper and defence
He may have conceded two against Carlos Corberan’s side, but without Max O’Leary, City could have lost by a lot more than just two goals. The academy graduate will almost certainly keep his place between the posts this afternoon.
Ahead of him, our bet is that Manning will revert to a back three now that he has both George Tanner and Ross McCrorie at his disposal again, especially after Zak Vyner had a difficult afternoon at The Hawthorns on Sunday.
The 27-year-old doesn’t deserve to be dropped from the starting line-up in his entirety as he has impressed when deployed at centre-back this season. We expect Vyner to slot into the right of a back three with Rob Dickie next to him and Luke McNally on the left.
This system has worked well for the Robins in the past and provided a sense of defensive steel that was missing against West Brom last weekend. Of course, there is every chance Rob Atkinson could be handed his first start of the season, but Manning has been reluctant to throw the former Oxford United man into the fold in recent weeks.
Midfield
The shift to the back three will mean that the Red almost certainly select two wingbacks to get up and down both flanks. On the left, Cam Pring will probably keep his place. Though the defender wasn’t at his best against Albion, he has become an everpresent in recent weeks and offers an attacking threat that cannot be undervalued, particularly at Ashton Gate.
On the opposite wing, we think McCrorie will be handed his first start since returning from injury. The Scotland international looked bright off of the bench at The Hawthorns and his inclusion in the starting XI would give Manning’s side a greater balance both in and out of possession that they have been missing during his absence.
Between the two wingbacks. Our bet is that Max Bird will partner Jason Knight. With the added defensive stability of three central defenders, Bristol City should be able to cope without the defensive presence of Marcus McGuane in the middle of the park.
Knight has shown that he can do the dirty work even without McGuane by his side and Bird’s ability on the ball will be crucial to unlocking Luton’s defence. His range of passing in particular could be incredibly useful considering the attack talent both around and ahead of him.
Attack and striker
It would be a surprise to see the Robins start with anything other than two number 10s behind a solo striker as Manning has stood by this plan, rightly or wrongly, for much of the season so far.
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There is a case for both Yu Hirakawa and George Earthy starting in those positions as they have been two of City’s better attacking players in recent weeks. However, Manning isn’t somebody who tends to make too many changes to his team, even after heavy defeats.
Because of that, we think Scott Twine will continue as the left-sided attacking midfielder with Anis Mehemti deployed off of the right. Twine has been a regular, when fit, under the 39-year-old and while the game passed him by against West Brom, his ability to create something out of nothing will likely see him keep his place.
Though Mehemti similarly struggled to make an impact on proceedings at the weekend, the Albanian international has been one of the Reds’ better players this term. The 23-year-old still tops the Robins’ scoring charts the expectation is that he will once again be named in the starting line-up. Of course, there is every chance Earthy and or Hirakawa could start instead.
Ahead of the attacking midfielders, we think that Fally Mayulu will be given another chance to lead the line. The Frenchman started for the first time since September against the Baggies and while he didn’t have the desired impact, Wells’ injury situation may force Manning’s hand.
With two more games to come in the next five days, the Robins boss will be reluctant to risk the 34-year-old if he isn’t deemed fully fit. Given City’s shortcomings in the final third this term, it would be naive to rush the veteran forward back into the fold and risk extending his spell on the sidelines.
As well as Wells, Sinclair Armstrong is also expected to be sidelined for the next few weeks. With Harry Cornick seemingly now out of the picture, Mayulu appears to be the only available forward option, unless Sam Bell starts as a conventional number nine.
Bristol City XI (3-4-2-1): Max O’Leary; Luke McNally, Rob Dickie, Zak Vyner; Cam Pring, Jason Knight, Max Bird, Ross McCrorie; Scott Twine, Anis Mehmeti; Fally Mayulu