Sky Sports pundit and former striker Don Goodman believes Bristol City have underachieved this season and could face relegation if they don't strengthen in the transfer market this summer.
The Robins' run of five games without defeat has cemented 17th spot in the Championship heading into the final game of the season at Huddersfield on Saturday.
Despite the difficulties faced throughout the campaign, there have been numerous positives including prolific attacking trio Andi Weimann, Antoine Semenyo and Chris Martin plus the emergence of the youngsters coming through the ranks, with Alex Scott the most notable name.
City's recent form has provided room for momentum heading into the summer and into next season. Victories over Stoke, Derby and the 5-0 victory over Hull saw Nigel Pearson's side win by two clear goals for the first time this season and pick up their first back-to-back victories.
However, Goodman believes the results shouldn't provide a false narrative and suggests Nigel Pearson could have a relegation battle on his hands should they fail to improve and retain key players such as Antoine Semenyo.
Speaking on the Sky Sports EFL podcast, the former West Brom, Sunderland and Wolves forward said: "I think they are a million miles away to be honest with you. I file them in the category of underachievers along with the likes of West Brom, Stoke, Cardiff, Birmingham, Reading, teams like that.
"Underachieved and I’m going to have a keen eye on which players they are able to retain this summer. You know, the likes of Semenyo. Andreas Weimann has been sensational again, incredible and his shot to goal ratio is off the charts isn’t it.
“I just wonder whether they are a little bit hamstrung by FFP because there has been over the last season a lack of maybe investment.
"And as things currently stand, you’re talking about they’re unbeaten in five games they have just beaten with respect Hull, Derby County, a good draw with Sheffield United, beaten Stoke and drawn with Peterborough.
“These aren’t really sort of massively eye-catching results I don’t think. So I think this is a club that if it doesn’t improve over the summer will be in a relegation battle next season.”
Sky Sports presenter David Prutton also suggests City have to improve but suggests there have been enough positives to build a springboard to help catapult their position higher in the league table next season.
"They must do better. With the players that they've got and one in particular without his goals, they would probably be in real trouble," he added.
"As much as it's underwhelming finishing 17th, it could have been a lot hairier going into the last six months of the season. It's an intriguing one because it's a big city with two clubs who are fierce rivals both with a great following so it's a real hotbed of football that has flirted with the upper reaches of that division in the past.
"I'm intrigued to see what the positives of this season can springboard into the next."
On Saturday, CEO Richard Gould suggested the club have underachieved on the back of their pre-season targets having expected the side to finish closer to the top half of the league.
Gould was complimentary towards the work Pearson has done in terms of bringing through young players but was hoping to see the side with more points on the board.
He told BBC Radio Bristol: "All windows are important windows and all seasons are important seasons, in terms of league tables, we’re around nine points below where we would have wanted to be ideally, Nigel will say that himself in terms of looking at the division, it’s not where we want to be in terms of points.
“In terms of performances, there are some positive signs there. Those are ones that we want to build on.
“When Nigel took over the club was in a very difficult stage and it’s not all plain sailing but the amount of hard work that goes on behind the scenes, and amongst the supporters, they’ve been amazing this year because we’ve had some difficult games and lost a lot of games and some beyond the 90th minute and they’ve been there and we’ve been grateful for it.”
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