“He’s getting docked two-weeks wages” were the jokes shared by both Curtis Fleming and Brian Tinnion following Bristol City’s 0-0 draw with Portsmouth at the Robins High Performance Centre.
They were referring to the rather bizarre sight of Under-23 defender Callum Wood, clad in temporary Pompey blue, white and red, stretching on the goalline to block Tommy Conway’s shot and deny City a late goal that would have probably proven the winner.
It had echoes of 12 months ago whereby the visitors borrowed Marlee Francois for a friendly, with the winner going on to score against his employers in a 3-3 draw.
However, it did emphasise that for the most part this was a fiercely competitive fixture and although, to the naked eye, the scoreline may indicate a bit of a summer stroll in pretty challenging heat and humidity, it was anything but.
City had their moments previous to that Conway effort with Nahki Wells spurning two good chances, Mark Sykes inexplicably shooting over on the turn from close range and Zak Vyner striking the crossbar, while there were some notable strong individual performances out there.
City still have four more friendlies to build minutes, develop their tactical approach and hone the system on and off the ball, before Hull City on July 30, so ultimately the biggest success is that all 26 players used - for City and those briefly loaned to the opposition - came through it unscathed, injury-free and with greater match fitness developed. But here are five talking points from the Failand stalemate…
Wilson, high wide and handsome
Apologies for talking about Kane Wilson yet again but a) he’s a nice shiny new thing and shiny new things are always captivating, and b) he really does impact the way City attack.
Right from the kick-off, Wilson was stationed bang on the half-way with his heels touching the sidelines - as high and wide as he could possibly be in that situation - and that was the case for most of his involvement.
It will undoubtedly evolve as the season progresses and teams adapt, but the 22-year-old is regularly, outside of the front two, the furthest man forward in a red shirt. It gives the midfield a constant out-ball, spreading the play, but also creates some extra room to manoeuvre for the strikers because at least one defender is constantly having to be pulled very, very wide to try and close him down, as a Joe Williams or Matty James pass is swept out to him.
Wilson’s crossing wasn’t at its best against Pompey but the sheer volume of balls that were coming into the box from that right channel was relentless at times, especially in the first half.
However, he’s not just about getting chalk on his boots. At one point, as Timm Klose drifted wide, almost into a right-back position, Wilson then drifted inside assuming the No10 role, called for the pass, turned and then ran at the defence before flipping a pass out to Mark Sykes on the overlap, as he had interchanged positions.
Positionally and in his approach to the game, the summer arrival from Forest Green Rovers is an attacking transfer made by Nigel Pearson despite ostensibly being “a defender” as he gives the Robins such better spacing and offensive drive when moving forward.
Now, there is a caveat to this, of course, which comes in the defensive side of the game as teams will clearly try and exploit the space he leaves behind, putting pressure on the right-sided centre-back - at the moment Klose - to cover. Wilson has a tremendous engine to get back but it will leave City vulnerable at times, depending on the quality of the opposition.
But as Fleming noted after the game, these games are about Wilson knowing what he needs to do in this team and his colleagues working out how to maximise his talents and familiarise themselves with his habits.
Relationships matter
To continue that theme, these games - with Plymouth, Forest Green, Exeter and Bournemouth to come - are about minutes in the legs but also intended to help build a sense of team chemistry. That can be achieved on the training ground to a degree, and the trip to Austria was another tool to help that, but the inconsistencies and problem solving a match presents cannot be replicated anywhere.
The unfamiliarity of the opposition and the constant chopping and changing of teams also presents new challenges for players to work out, both as individuals and collectively; if I look to press, what is my colleague’s likely reaction? Which foot are they most comfortable receiving the ball on when turning into space? What runs do they tend to make in transition?
All this stuff was unknown to Wilson, Sykes and Naismith six weeks ago, both from their own perspectives and their new teammates’ understanding of their own games. It’s obviously considerably better now, but will need time to develop, to become second nature and symbiotic through the squad.
However, while that’s pretty common sense stuff with any new signing, particularly ones who are likely to become crucial first-team players this season, two more well-known faces also need it.
In terms of Championship football last season, James and Williams were ships passing in the night in midfield; the duo played just nine games together as starters, and the constant change in that department was unquestionably a large reason why City lacked consistency for such large periods of last season.
Injuries were the reason and that remains the challenge to keep them both fit but, based on the early exchanges this summer, that pair is, at this stage, Pearson’s preferred two for the base of the midfield, and they need minutes together to make them even better.
Both provide stability in front of the defence and in getting City on the counter, how Pearson very much wants to play. They are positionally smart but James’ slight lack of athleticism - although his fitness is unquestionably elite level given how much work he gets through, always appearing unflustered and in control - is mitigated by the unbound energy of Williams, tearing around the park.
Seeing the pair of them together for 46 games, we know, is ambitious given past records but anything north of 30 matches is a reasonable target for their influence to spread throughout the team and bring that lost consistency and composure.
City’s high press vs Pack
The roles of Williams and James in possession are pretty evident, as are the positional assurances they provide, but they’re also crucial in dictating how the Robins press when off the ball.
Williams, as you might expect, is relentlessly vocal - both to his teammates, occasionally the opposition and, every now and again, the officials, often with a cheeky smirk on his face or particular tone to his voice. "The Radio" would be an apt nickname for the Scouser.
But among the instructions he gives out are when City’s opponents are in possession in their own defensive third, telling strikers when to go, when to sit or spread out, knowing that he and James represent the second major block in City’s defensive structure.
The Robins willingness to press high up did work on a few occasions against Danny Cowley’s side, often with Sykes the beneficiary as the “pocket player” - as Fleming referred to him - was able to find space quickly having nicked the ball off a defender or one of Marlon Pack or Ryan Tunnicliffe, then creating chances.
However, it does come at a price and there were a few signs that the system needs to be refined, particularly in the first half with Pack often the intended prey given his propensity for dropping deep and demanding possession so close to his own area.
Just after the half-hour mark, the Robins had Pompey penned in on a goal-kick, and Sykes and Williams closed down Pack who maintained his composure and rolled a pass into a Tunnicliffe, who with a quick flick around the corner as he had James for company, left City wide open to the counter, with oceans of space in midfield. Thankfully, the final pass up the field was sloppy and allowed Rob Atkinson to intercept.
On a second occasion, young Pompey defender Hadji Mnoga was isolated on the right touchline, with Sykes and Andi Weimann bearing down on him but he wriggled a pass through the duo and the visitors were away, with the midfield this time outnumbered as opposed to being breached.
Again, it taps into the concept of developing relationships and knowing when to press and how each individual does it, to ensure each phase of that defensive side of the game is sufficiently locked down.
A different Dasilva
Lee Johnson would often note that the biggest hurdle for Jay Dasilva wasn’t his size (no jokes please) but more his character. Laid back with a capital L, mild mannered, even shy and timid to an extent, the full-back sometimes lacked that bite and presence to match his very evident skill and ability on the ball.
It’s taken some time, and we’re basing this on only what we’ve seen of the 24-year-old in training and the two pre-season games but there is something a little different about Dasilva 2022; whether it be Pearson’s management, his own status in the team, which he has successfully re-elevated over the last six months, his transition from prospect in his early 20s into a proper adult, or just the fact he’s been at the club long enough to seem part of the furniture, his personality is very much coming through.
He’s far more audible on the field, demanding the ball and delivering instructions but, beyond that, is his general conduct around his teammates; warm and friendly with the younger players, cracking jokes and just looking ultra confident and happy in himself, with no sense of arrogance either.
No longer a wallflower, his seniority is there beyond his ability and how he performs on the field. To be honest, it's not dissimilar to Antoine Semenyo who just carries himself so much differently, and all the better for it, under Pearson than he did in previous regimes.
James Taylor put in a strong shift against Pompey, and Cam Pring could well be back in contention for Saturday’s trip to Plymouth but if you were making predictions right now, it’d be Dasilva starting at left wing-back against Hull City on July 30.
We all know what he can do on the ball, in terms of his touch, close control - there was one moment against Pompey where he somehow broke his way through a three-man press on the touchline - and his dribbling penetration but he was also snappy and committed in the tackle on Tuesday, not holding back and showcasing that aggression that Johnson felt he needed to enhance.
We don’t want to get too ahead of ourselves here, but a City team with Wilson on one wing and a developed Dasilva on the other, is a very exciting and enticing prospect.
Towler vision
Ryley Towler has delivered some social media gold for the Robins with his distinctly charming and humorous West Country ways, but the young centre-back’s passing range is no joke.
Granted, it was in the closing stages of the game whereby Pompey had a mixture of young talent and players borrowed from the City academy but Towler delivered some absolutely delicious long-range passes with his left foot, while also showing tremendous calmness and composure in possession.
In one passage of play, the ball was rolled back to him, just inside his own half, with Williams, Nahki Wells, James and Zak Vyner all screaming for a pass from different directions. It was confusing enough in the stands to envisage which decision he was going to make - a ball down the channel into Wells, diagonal passes to find Williams or James in midfield, or the safer and regulation pass along the defensive line to Vyner.
But there was no doubt in Towler’s mind as to what he was going to do. Ignoring all four of those options, he took a quick glance to his right and pinged a perfect 50-yard crossfield ball right into the path of George Tanner sprinting forward from right wing-back which had City instantly on the attack.
A little later, with a Pompey forward bearing down on him and smelling blood, Towler showed great presence of mind to not become flustered and simply dummied one foot over the ball, before turning gracefully into space, while still under some intense pressure.
There was also time for a fine piece of old school defending with the visitors on the attack down the City left and within sight of goal but Towler timed his slide tackle to absolute perfection, scooping the ball out, getting on his feet and then dribbling forward to get the Robins heading in the right direction.
Of course, Towler needs gametime to develop this outstanding attributes he possesses but also test the simpler side of the game that will truly dictate whether he can become a reliable enough defender - the only real guide for Pearson, with the rest, nice extras to have in his locker: as witnessed by what befell him against Millwall last December, where two pretty rudimentary errors in his defensive decision-making led to goals.
You could make a case that of City’s centre-backs, if we’re considering the first-choice three as Klose, Naismith and Atkinson, with Tomas Kalas injured, and Zak Vyner’s position a little uncertain, perhaps Towler is that fifth man that Pearson needs, effectively replacing Robbie Cundy.
But that will mean a role whereby he’s in and out of the team, with piecemeal appearances here and there, whereas what’s probably best for his development - as is also the case with Duncan Idehen - is 30+ games elsewhere in the EFL.
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