Bristol City ought to brace themselves as Wolves and Nottingham Forest lurk: View | OneFootball

Bristol City currently sit 14th in the Championship table, which is the same spot as they finished last season, while both the Robins faithful and other second-tier fans will have become accustomed to the West Country outfit occupying a mid-table spot.

The club made the decision to dismiss former manager Nigel Pearson of his duties back in October, as the club sat 15th in the Championship table following a 2-0 loss to Severnside rivals Cardiff City.

The Robins may have only climbed one place since that significant club decision, but it is clear to see that they are making progress under Liam Manning.

Manning has worked well with his side's young talent, such as former Derby County attacking midfielder Jason Knight, and youth academy product Sam Bell.

City's FA Cup third round success against Premier League outfit and reigning UEFA Conference League champions, West Ham United, is indicative of the performances the Robins are able to produce.

21-year-old striker Tommy Conway was the hero of the FA Cup third round for the Robins, netting the equaliser at the London Stadium for his team as they drew 1-1 in the original tie, before bagging the winner in the Ashton Gate replay.

Conway is one of the Robins' best young prospects

So far this season, the Robins academy graduate has scored six goals in 23 Championship outings and 16 starts, so he is in a decent position to better his 2022/23 second-tier return of nine goals in 34 appearances and 25 starts.

The fact that Conway played a full 90 minutes against promotion contenders Leeds United, as well as being named in the starting 11 for both FA Cup clashes with the Hammers, shows how much Manning rates his starlet.

According to FotMob, Conway had a passing accuracy of 100% during the third round replay with David Moyes' men, which demonstrates his successful link-up play with teammates, while he has also maintained an impressive passing accuracy of 84.5% during the Championship season.

The 21-year-old's rise to prominence has been fairly quick, as he spent the first half of the 2020/21 season on loan at National League South side Bath City, and later on in the same season he scored his first ever Championship goal.

By the 2022/23 season, he was a regular in the Robins' matchday squad, and he has become a key asset for Manning and co at Ashton Gate.

Robins must brace themselves for further interest in Conway

The striker's positive performances in the West Country have not gone unnoticed, while both Wolves and Nottingham Forest of the Premier League were credited with interest in Conway by Football Insider, alongside Scottish giants Celtic and Rangers.

As per FotMob statistics, Conway is clearly an accurate shooter, firing 16 of his 33 attempted efforts on target so far in the Championship, so as the youngster earns more playing time, it could be inevitable that we see him on the scoresheet more often.

The fact that Conway scored the only goal of the game from the penalty spot as the Robins defeated play-off hopefuls Sunderland back in December epitomises his calmness under pressure.

During the same month, he had the least touches of any outfield player during his team's 1-1 draw with Huddersfield Town but was still able to score, which shows his clinical edge.

For the time being, all associated with the Robins will be delighted with the ace's progression, and will hope that his exploits can help fire them up the Championship table.

But come the end of the season, Manning's men will be bracing themselves for a Conway exit, should the youngster's positive progression continue.

He has a clear eye for goal at a young age, which makes him an attractive prospect for any potential suitors, while his goals against David Moyes' side show that he has what it takes to find the back of the net against top-flight opposition.