Bristol City manager Nigel Pearson has hinted he could switch to a back four next season should he sign the prime targets on his transfer shortlist although conceded there won't be a massive overhaul to his squad.
Pearson has juggled from a back four to a back three with wing-backs throughout the campaign before settling on the latter in an attempt to solidify the defensive weaknesses in the backline.
The manager, who admitted work is being undertaken behind the scenes ahead of the summer, wasn't prepared to go into detail regarding his targets but conceded the system could change depending on the players he can bring in.
When asked whether he would like to play with a back four going forward into next season, Pearson responded: "It depends on the players we have.
"The reason why we play with a back five or a back three in terms of central defenders has been out of necessity for a lot of the time but it also suits a blend of players that we have at the moment.
"Whether that changes will be dependant on whether the prime targets we are looking for are achievable. The next question might be who are the prime targets... I know who they are but whether we can achieve them is another thing.
"For me, it's always about trying to find the right system for the players that we have. We need a very reliable defence to start with, in terms of athleticism in midfield and have players that are capable of doing a job whether that be in a four or a three.
"You already know I like playing with a two up top and even though some people put it as a 4-3-3 with a flat three it's never been that - it's two up top with one behind and we've had some success with that.
"First things first, we need to try and achieve the targets in the positions that we have set out and we can go from there but however we play in whatever formation, I want us to play with a good intensity.
"That is one of the main things regardless of the system. I want us to play with a lot of intensity and one thing it lends itself to is pace and power and we've been able to be a success at times in terms of an attacking team.
"I don't want to change that aspect in what we already have - so improving the squad this summer will be important but it's not going to be a massive overhaul because I doubt that that will be possible."
Pearson has dropped less-than-subtle hints in the past that he will prioritise strengthening his central defenders while a move to sign a natural right wing-back appears a necessity.
The manager has started six different players in that problem position throughout the season with midfielder Alex Scott filling the void for large periods of the campaign.
The City manager has also suggested that a defensive midfielder is likely to be a priority after admitting in the home defeat to Birmingham City that the club "don't have any."
With the futures of midfielder Han-Noah Massengo, Robbie Cundy, Timm Klose, Callum O'Dowda and Andy King left uncertain beyond the season, Pearson will undoubtedly have a busy summer to land replacements.
There are also doubts over Tomas Kalas, Jay Dasilva and Dan Bentley with their contracts expiring in 2023 while Antoine Semenyo and Alex Scott are likely to attract interest from Premier League clubs.
Amongst all the uncertainty of players and the financial predicament of the club, Pearson is also wary of the market as it continues to recover from the pandemic.
He added: "Most of the squad will still be here next year and additions that we bring in will hopefully improve us in a way which will give us a better chance of being a bit more successful and a bit more consistent.
"That's the aim but it won't be a straightforward window again, talking to staff from many other clubs as well the challenge for everybody this summer is to see how the market reacts again I can't see there being huge changes again.
"I can't go into detail about how we are approaching it. I don't think it's appropriate for me to talk about other players, our strategy will be based on what we can appropriately do whether that be finances or the types of players and that's all I'm prepared to say publically.
"Our intention is to strengthen the squad but outside of that, I'm not going to get involved in speculation about players because, and I say this every year about being a manager, you'll know about when the deal is done but not before."
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