After a promising start to the season where an eight-game unbeaten run ignited dreams of an unlikely play-off charge, Bristol City's season is turning out to be one of frustration.
They head into their Boxing Day game with West Brom three points above the drop zone having picked up three victories in their last 15 matches and with games at Millwall and Coventry to follow, Nigel Pearson will need his side to be at their best if they are going to catapult themselves up the table during this festive period.
The irritation also stems from the fact that on their day, City can be a match for anyone in the league, but that day is far too irregular at the moment and individual errors continue to prove costly.
Such is the nature of the Championship, just a few consecutive victories can turn the table on its head but with just three back-to-back wins during Pearson's tenure as manager, it is certainly more hope than expectation.
In the season of Christmas miracles, here are a few things that Pearson will be hoping for a change a fortune during this festive season.
Tomas Kalas to stay fit
Tomas Kalas' absence from the Bristol City side has been severely felt having spent so long on the sidelines. Not only is he arguably the club's best central defender on his day, but when the going gets tough he's the sort of player you would want to be in the trenches with.
With his all-committed approach, it is no wonder Pearson is so eager to get him back, particularly with the soft goals his team continue to concede. Kalas hasn't started a game since March having struggled with a knee injury but he finally made his long-awaited return to action in October, coming on as a substitute in the 2-0 victory over West Brom.
Another sub appearance against Millwall followed and it seemed as though the tide had turned on his injury problems only to pick up another issue that will rule him out until the New Year.
Pearson won't rush him back too early and risk more problems but he needs his trusty lieutenant back in the heart of the defence for the second half of the season - especially if there's any sort of relegation battle on the horizon.
There's also the matter of his contract expiring in the summer and if that doesn't get renewed due to his high wages and injury record, a positive impact on the field to get City up the table would be a welcome parting gift.
A new defender
As far as a Christmas wishlist goes, a new defender will be a right at the top of Pearson's. He wasn't handed the opportunity to bring in another new option in the summer following Kal Naismith's arrival and that bugbear has been a constant message throughout the season so far.
Pearson has been loud and clear that the club will target a new central defender if resources allow and you can rest assured they will move quickly to try and snap up their target(s) should the City hierarchy give the green light.
City are comfortably inside the FFP threshold and therefore a points deduction won't happen. That could mean there might be some Christmas coins to spend next month although there's no chance of any lucrative deals being completed.
City's need for a defender has increased during the season. One because Timm Klose has fallen completely out of favour, two because the same old errors continue to hamper City's progress and three because Pearson can't continue to risk playing Andy King at the back once there's an injury or two.
A right-sided defender who is also adaptable to playing in the middle would be ideal otherwise it could be a long and difficult final five months of the season.
A transfer fee for Massengo
Pearson has already conceded that Massengo leaving the club in January will be the best-case scenario for all parties and that could mean, albeit unlikely, that City may receive some much-needed cash for the young midfielder.
With his deal expiring in the summer, Massengo can agree a pre-contract with a foreign club next month meaning he will move abroad at the end of his contract for just a nominal compensation fee due to his age.
That would probably be the most likely scenario although there is the chance that a club, perhaps an English side, may launch an offer to try and beat the expected competition to sign him in January.
As we are all aware, every penny in the transfer coffers is important and therefore if City can recoup any of the initial £2.7million they paid Monaco for him in 2019, it would be an unexpected bonus.
Of course, until Massengo leaves there is still the very slim possibility he could sign a new contract but that really be an amazing U-turn.
Antoine Semenyo finds his form
This is important for one of two reasons. Firstly, because Semenyo is one of the best players in the Championship on his day.
His form in the second half of last season was terrific and it helped ensure City's Championship status. A shin injury picked up over the summer on international duty may have played a part in his drop in form this time around but the Ghanaian striker hasn't hit the target in his last 14 league appearances with his last coming in the 3-2 defeat against Norwich.
With a lack of goals coming from midfield, there is a lot of pressure on the shoulders of Tommy Conway and Nahki Wells to continue delivering. Before the World Cup break, the goals had dried up by City's standard with eight in 10 league matches and Semenyo will look to start getting himself on the scoresheet.
Secondly, it's inevitable that Semenyo is going to leave the club in the near future - if not in January then certainly in the summer. The club are going to activate the one-year option in his contract to keep him tied down until 2024 and an improvement in his form will only see his value increase heading into the window.
Kane Wilson gets going
No one has endured a more frustrating season than Kane Wilson whose career at City has yet to get underway. He arrived in the summer as the answer to the club's problems at right wing-back but took a while to get up to speed in the Championship having moved from League Two.
He made just four appearances from the substitute bench until a game against Queens Park Rangers when he suffered a serious knee injury that required surgery. That was in October with a four-month timeline and therefore Wilson could be back around February although there will be an extra period to ensure his match fitness.
Wilson offers the unexpected from the right side and with 13 league assists last season, he has the ability to make a difference going forward - something City's wing-backs have lacked this campaign.
In recent weeks, Pearson has had to revert to playing Weimann back in the wing-back position and Wilson's return to fitness will also provide the Austrian with the opportunity to slot back into his favoured No10 role where he is most effective.
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