Just how good was Cameron Pring against Birmingham City? On leaving the ground after our 4-2 victory, all I could hear people talking about was just how impressive he was.
It was a performance that shows just how far he has come and just what an influence he is starting to have on this side. It’s easy to be critical of Nigel Pearson’s treatment of the left-back at the start of the season, with many fans not understanding his omission from the side, but we don’t know what goes on behind the scenes and since his reintegration into the starting line-up he has been excellent and Saturday was his best performance in a Bristol City shirt. Nige even said after the game that Pring can get better.
Of course, it wasn’t just the Cam Pring Show with, I would suggest, every City player contributing to a well-earned and well deserved victory in an entertaining and open game.
With confirmed hamstring injuries to Tommy Conway and Andi Weimann, Pearson didn’t have too many options to choose from, in a squad perspective and the starting XI practically picked itself. With injuries and players out of contention, youngsters Dylan Kadji and Omar Taylor-Clarke joined Sam Bell on the bench.
I think most of us would agree that the 4-3-3 formation was a factor in the performance and result, although the manager felt that the shape argument is something that other people like to talk about. We looked comfortable with a back four and the three in midfield with Kal Naismith as the pivot, allowing Alex Scott to express himself more and we won the midfield battle.
Mark Sykes played in the front three, in a position that I’m sure he feels he was brought to the club to play in. Sykes has played right wing-back to limited success, having started off the season brightly in the unfamiliar position and then having a dip in form and finding himself out of the starting line-up.
With the injuries to Conway and Weimann, he got his chance up the pitch and he made the most out of it, scoring two goals and working well in the three with Antoine Semenyo and Nahki Wells.
Our record against Birmingham isn’t great in recent years and we have often been outmuscled and outfought by them. But Rob Atkinson and, in particular, Zak Vyner were impressive in the centre of defence and Vyner didn’t allow the experienced pro Troy Deeney to dictate proceedings.
Vyner’s reading of the game, timing and composure was excellent. On the right side George Tanner is performing consistently and is comfortable in the right-back role.
I’m often critical of Matty James in this column but he showed an experienced head in the middle of the pitch and as I mentioned, his performance and that of Naismith, allowed Scott to express himself, who showed again just why so many Premier League clubs are rumoured to be looking at him in this January transfer window.
It was definitely Scott’s best game in a couple of months and only the final ball was missing. A couple of times he made a brilliant driving, jinking run, ala Jack Grealish but just couldn’t find the right pass at the end.
Richard Gould said pre-match on BBC Radio Bristol that we have had bids for four or five of our players, with none reaching the figures that the club wants. Scott must definitely be one of them and I will be very surprised if the water is not tested further.
Ideally, if we do sell Scott, we can do so on the basis of loaning him back for the remainder of this season. Gould said that we cannot spend money on a transfer fee without selling first.
Our first two goals were excellent, the first from Semenyo after a delicious outside of the foot pass to Pring, whose powerful first-time cross was chested into the net. Semenyo was delighted and it was a striker's goal, in the six-yard box. Wells got the second after a headed clearance from Naismith, showing great strength to hold off the defender and firing in past former City loanee (albeit the one game) John Ruddy in the Brum net.
We conceded a poor goal from the penalty spot after Juninho Bacuna somehow managed to escape three or four challenges on the left-hand side before feeding Deeney, who in turn found Tahith Chong and the former Manchester United youngster's quick feet foxed Pring who appeared to slip and conceded a penalty.
Coincidentally, there was a discussion on Friday on BBC 5Live about our lack of penalties and we go and concede one. I was a little disappointed that Max O’Leary hadn’t done his homework on Deeney, who always seems to just smash the ball high down the middle. To be fair, he may have had his head taken off and found himself in the back of the net with the ball anyway had he stood his ground.
The third was all down to Pring, beating three Birmingham defenders with a run into the box and then beating a fourth with his cross, finding Sykes in the six-yard box who fired into the net.
The fourth was similar with this time Semenyo driving down the left and into the box and crossing for Sykes again to finish calmly. We did concede a second goal, again losing the ball in a challenge on the halfway and one ball opened us up with Reda Khadra finishing well past O’Leary.
The atmosphere from the get-go was brilliant. Some fans appear to have moved from Section 82 to Block A in the Dolman and with the opposition fans housed in the Atyeo Stand it makes for a cracking atmosphere.
Obviously, the club has to look at how this can be made to work and there not being an impact to existing season ticket holders in the Dolman Stand but it definitely created a better atmosphere and the players fed off of it.
Next up we have the FA Cup replay at Swansea City on Tuesday, and I don’t expect too many changes, again options are limited.
Our 3 Peaps In A Podcast Bonus show ratings were: Max O’Leary 6, Zak Vyner 8, George Tanner 6, Rob Atkinson 7, Cameron Pring 9, Kal Naismith 7, Alex Scott 8, Matty James 7, Mark Sykes 8, Antoine Semenyo 8, Nahki Wells 7 (subs have to have come onto the field before the 60th minute). A game average of 7.36 and a season league average of 6.32.
For Nigel it has to be an 8; the right formation, an entertaining open game and most importantly three points. Well done, Nige.
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