Chris Hogg has insisted that Sam Bell has to “believe in himself” and try and contribute in the final 10 games of Bristol City’s season ahead of the Robins’ clash with Sheffield United.
The Reds travel to Bramall Lane to face Chris Wilder’s Blades on Tuesday evening as they look to extend their unbeaten run to six Championship matches and bounce back from their frustrating 1-1 draw with Hull City last time out.
Although the point picked up against the Tigers ensures City remain only two points adrift of the play-off places heading into their clash with the Blades, Saturday’s draw felt like an opportunity missed. Ruben Selles’ side played the majority of the game with 10 men after striker Joao Pedro was shown a red card just a minute after his opener in the first-half.
Despite their man advantage, Liam Manning’s side’s only goal in the game came from an Anis Mehmeti penalty as the Robins struggled to break down Hull’s low block. Bell was one of five City substitutes to take to the field in the second half as the Reds looked to make their dominance count. The 22-year-old saw plenty of the ball down the left flank but was unable to provide the moment of quality needed to unlock the Tigers’ defence.
While it has been a frustrating campaign for the academy graduate who will have been hoping to kick on having established himself as a first-team player in recent years, Hogg has challenged him to make his mark in the Reds’ final stretch of matches.
“I think Belly can play multiple [positions],” the assistant head coach said in his post-match press conference. “Obviously we’ve used him as a nine, we’ve used him as the width. For us, we just try and put people in certain structures and positions where we feel their strengths can contribute.
“I wouldn’t pigeonhole Belly into a winger as such. As you say, today I see it as a width player rather than a winger as such. He can play in, he can play on the wide one, it’s more of that combination between the pocket and the width really.
“Belly’s got to believe in himself, he’s got to play his football and really try and contribute in these last 10.”
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Having missed the majority of the first half of the season with injury, the versatile forward is yet to start a Championship game this season, with all 15 of his league appearances coming from the bench. In recent weeks however, Bell has come close to opening his account for the campaign, rattling the post with a long-range effort against Swansea City and forcing a good save in the lead-up to Harry Cornick’s goal against Millwall.
The first of City’s final 10 matches of the Championship season sees Manning’s side travel to Bramall Lane to face Sheffield United on Tuesday evening. Chris Wilder’s side currently sit second in the table, with only goal difference seeing them fall behind table-toppers Leeds United in the current standings.
When the two sides met at Ashton Gate earlier this season, the Robins let a 1-0 lead slip late on as they conceded in both the 86th and 98th minute to lose 2-1. While United will provide a tough test, City will be hopeful they can again go toe-to-toe with Wilder’s side.
Should results go their way elsewhere in the Championship, City could climb back into the play-off places with a win. Although the Robins come into this one as underdogs, stranger things have and will continue to happen in England’s second tier.