After a couple of weeks of fixture chaos, the curtain will finally be pulled on the festive period of the football season after Bristol City’s clash with Derby County this afternoon.
The Robins have managed to win two of their three games between Christmas and New Year’s Day. While that represents a positive upturn in form, Liam Manning’s side will be disappointed to not have come away with a 100 per cent record having let a lead slip twice in their 2-2 draw with Plymouth Argyle last time out.
Both the players and supporters inside Home Park were clearly frustrated to see the Reds surrender the win so late in the match and that irritation was only amplified by the fact that for so much of the game, City kept the Pilgrims at arm’s length.
Derby similarly had a difficult start to 2025. Paul Warne’s side made the trip to Hillsborough to face Sheffield Wednesday and the high-flying Owls flexed their attacking muscles to secure a 4-2 victory over the Rams.
It seems as though Manning will have much of the same side to pick from that featured on New Year’s Day, with the 39-year-old confirming Saturday’s game would come too soon for Kal Naismith, Mark Sykes and Sinclair Armstrong to return. Similarly, the Robins are expected to be without Cam Pring after he picked up an injury against Argyle.
With that being said, here’s how we think Bristol City will line up for their first home game of 2025 against Derby…
Goalkeeper and defence
Although some have suggested Max O’Leary should have potentially been a bit more proactive to come and claim the ball before Playmouth’s late leveller on Wednesday, the Robins keeper made some big saves to help Manning’s side weather the early storm at Home Park. As has been the case all season, he will almost certainly continue between the posts.
Ahead of him, it would be a shock to see any change to the back three that has almost picked itself over the festive period. In Zak Vyner, Rob Dickie and Luke McNally, City have a defensive line that provides an excellent platform from which the more creative players can build from in possession.
With Naimsith not expected to return, Rob Atkinson would have been the only alternative option to turn to, had he not completed a loan move to Portsmouth for the remainder of the season yesterday.
Midfield
As was the case when picking the back three, it feels as though Manning has now settled on a central midfield pairing that will start most games. Max Bird and Jason Knight have been excellent alongside one another over the festive period and in the absence of Joe Williams, they have provided a much-needed balance that cannot be undervalued.
Of course, Manning may instead opt to start the more defensive presence of Marcus McGuane. However, the former Barcelona B gem hasn’t started since Bristol City’s 2-0 defeat away at The Hawthorns and considering the recent upturn in form, it would be a surprise to see him restored to the starting line-up.
At right wing-back, our bet is that Ross McCrorie will return to the team in place of George Tanner. Tanner impressed against Argyle in what was his first start since November, but with the quick turnaround between games, we think Manning will rest and rotate out wide to reduce the risk of injury.
If it is McCrorie who starts, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Tanner introduced on the hour mark. The City head coach has regularly managed players’ minutes by removing them midway through the first half, particularly over the last few weeks.
On the opposite flank, we expect Haydon Roberts to be given the nod with Pring unlikely to be fit. The former Derby County loanee came off of the bench against Argyle when Pring sustained his injury and while he wasn’t at his best, Manning did suggest he would now have an opportunity to show why he should be starting on a regular basis.
The only obvious alternative at left wingback would be Elijah Morrison. The youngster has been with the first team in recent weeks but hasn’t made the matchday squad so it would be a surprise if he were thrust straight into the starting line-up.
Attack and striker
No one is a guaranteed starter heading into Saturday’s game because of the hectic schedule, but if there was one attacking player almost every Bristol City fan would expect to feature from the off against the Rams it would be Anis Mehmeti. The Albanian international has been in fine form since the November international break and heads into this weekend’s clash with three goals in his last two games.
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The 23-year-old winger will likely occupy the left of the two number 10 positions unless Manning opts to take a risk and freshen things up unexpectedly.
In the other attacking midfield role, our bet is that Scott Twine keeps his place. The former Burnley man wasn’t at his best last time out, but he still produced the moment of quality needed to create Knight’s second-half goal with an excellent first-time pass.
That will mean Yu Hirakawa will once again have to settle for a place on the bench. The Japanese international has impressed as a substitute in recent weeks so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him given the nod as a number 10 if the Robins do decide to make one or two changes.
Finally, upfront, it will almost certainly be Nahki Wells who leads the line. The Bermudian may not have scored in City’s last two matches, but he has made the attack tick with his impressive forward play that has managed to get the best out of those in and around him.
Some were surprised to see him replaced by Sam Bell so early in the draw with Argyle, but that decision will have likely been taken to ensure that he is able to go again against Derby. With Armstrong still sidelined and Fally Mayulu struggling in his last two appearances, Wells is the only logical starting option in the number nine position.
Bristol City XI (3-4-2-1): Max O’Leary; Luke McNally, Rob Dickie, Zak Vyner; Haydon Roberts, Jason Knight, Max Bird, Ross McCrorie; Anis Mehmeti, Scott Twine; Nahki Wells