“I should’ve scored against Stoke,” Max Bird confessed, replaying the events from the Tuesday night visit to the bet365 Stadium over in his mind.
“The keeper pulled off a good save and I hit one over the bar which I should’ve put away.
“I can feel it coming.”
Bristol City midfielder Bird has been a hit for the Robins since arriving from Derby County in the summer after signing permanently in January but seeing out the remainder of last season out on loan with the Rams.
Appearing in all of City’s 12 Championship games so far this season, Bird has been utilised in both the no.10 and no.6 roles by manager Liam Manning, showing the trust that the Reds gaffer has in him to perform in two different positions.
Burton-born Bird has most recently been deployed in the no.10 position and, given the more advanced role, is desperate to add to his two assists this season and bag his first goal in red.
“I don’t want to speak too soon but I can feel it coming,” Bird reiterated in his press conference prior to Saturday’s clash with Preston North End.
“I’m getting in good positions. I had a chat with the manager this morning and he said the same thing, that I’m getting in the right positions. I just need to take the opportunities when they come. It’s something that I want to add to my game and get better at…providing the chances for others, creating chances whether I play in the 10 or six. I need to be able to do that and hopefully get on the scoresheet soon.”
The more advanced role is something that is relatively new for the 24-year-old.
Bird was most commonly deployed as either a no.8 or no.6 at Derby, with license to find a pass or dribble from deep, but it’s clear that Manning is confident in his foretelling that the Englishman can operate higher up the pitch.
There is a respectable mentality that Bird possesses, with him keen to perfect all of his required duties and a self-awareness that there is more to be done to get there.
“I want to be able to play both to the best of my ability (the no.10 and no.6),” Bird declared.
“After training I’ve been staying out practising, taking the ball on a quarter turn instead of a half turn because in the 10 you play a lot with your back to goal. Learning how to receive the ball in those positions is a lot different to how you receive it in holding midfield.
“I want to be able to do both to a very high level and then you’ve got that versatility as well to be able to do both. I enjoy playing both positions. Both positions have advantages and suit parts of my game. I do need to learn the 10 a bit better.”
Bird is a collected character, both on the pitch and seemingly off it, but, in addition to his commendable mentality, has a raw honesty.
“There have been games where I’ve played there well and there have been games where I’ve been absolutely rubbish,” admitted Bird.
Pretty brutal. But the presence of his honesty does not omit any confidence, with Bird believing he is more than capable of becoming the ten that his boss needs.
“I feel as though I can see stuff maybe other people can’t and I like taking that risk and I don’t mind giving the ball away in those positions too much because if I give it away three times, the fourth time it might come off.
“I was told that from a manager I’ve worked with in the past and the coaches here want me to be brave in those situations, especially the gaffer, and take that risk. I need to improve on certain elements of playing in the 10 but I enjoy it. I enjoy learning and developing that position and to add those goals and assists is the next step for me.”
Two months into the season, it seems that Bird is comfortable in knowing his teammates.
Head coach Manning and assistant Chris Hogg always talk about consistency in messages, togetherness and relationships, and it’s clear that this is something that quickly rubs off on players joining the squad.
As the Robins have acquired depth in the forward and midfield positions, Bird has found himself playing with different personnel frequently, but it’s something that he feels is important rather than a hinderance.
“It’s relationships, I think,” the midfielder said.
“You’ve got to know, for example…the differences between Nahki Wells, Sinclair Armstrong and Fally Mayulu. You’ve got to know what their strengths are, what their weaknesses are, where they like the ball being played. A centre half could have a five-yard head start and with Sincs you know that if you play the ball in there, he’s still likely to get on the end of it, for example.
“It’s building those relationships on the pitch and that’s for intelligence, in working on and developing it on the training pitch. We have a lot of depth in the forward areas but to build those relationships, be on the right wavelength, like you see with all the top teams, is very important.
“I think that’s a big part of my game and if we are going to become that bit more ruthless in front of goal and start taking chances, then that’s something that we need to keep improving on.”
For City, the attack, of which Bird is becoming more familiar, is always the first line of defence.
Against Leeds United on Saturday, the Robins conceded 68 per cent possession and so were often pressing from the front whilst the Whites attempted to play out from their defence.
Defensive improvement and playing in different ways is something that assistant head coach Hogg has been open about amid City’s seven game unbeaten patch, and Bird was quick to acknowledge the more watertight team.
“We’re just a bit more solid,” Bird confirmed.
“Not just the backline. We defend as a team so our defensive structure from the top of the pitch, leading to the back four and Max O’Leary in goal, has been a lot better. We’ve worked on it in training too, so it’s no surprise there that we’re a bit more solid.
“We’re defending our box a bit better which is pleasing to see, and, in the games, we feel comfortable. Against Leeds we were in that deep block at times, but we felt comfortable there. We’re not stressed out that we need to get out of this, we need put pressure on the ball, press really high and go chasing. We were comfortable in that position.
“So, I’d say we’ve just been a bit more solid. We need to ruthless in front of goal, that’s for sure, and hopefully that’s when we can start turning those draws into victories.”
City will be keen to extend their unbeaten run to eight games on Saturday at Deepdale.
A win would be their second of the season away from home and would hopefully see them climb the table slightly more this early in the season before a tough home tie against promotion chasers Sheffield United next Tuesday.