Lee Trundle offers Liam Manning hope as Bristol City pressure builds | OneFootball

FLW spoke exclusively to Lee Trundle to discuss Bristol City's start to the season under Liam Manning.

Bristol City are looking to bridge the gap to the Championship play-off places this season, in what is Liam Manning's first full season in charge of the Robins, whilst Lee Trundle has called for patience after a tricky start to their campaign.

It has been a disappointing start on that front in the Championship. City picked up five points from their first three games of the campaign, but they suffered their second consecutive 3-0 defeat as they were beaten by Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park on Saturday.

The Ashton Gate faithful have been optimistic that their club will be able to compete further up the table in 2024/25, after seeing an upward trajectory of league finishes in recent seasons.

It was another inconsistent campaign for the Robins last season as they finished 11th in the table, but they lost just two of their final 10 games to offer supporters plenty of hope going into the summer.

Since their 19th-placed finish in the 2020/21 campaign, the club have improved upon their previous finish every season, with 17th, 14th, and most recently an 11th place finish last time out. Bristol City may have spent much of their recent history in mid-table, but they have the opportunity to progress under Manning.

Lee Trundle on Bristol City's start to the season under Liam Manning

The Robins have brought in Luke McNally, Marcus McGuane, George Earthy, Scott Twine, Fally Mayulu, Sinclair Armstrong and Yu Hirakawa this summer, with some of those signing for hefty fees as well.

They may have some talented players at their disposal at this stage, and a good coach in Manning, but if they are to establish themselves as promotion contenders, they will need more consistency to guide them there.

Lee Trundle was nothing short of a magician at times in the EFL, and is still revered by many Bristol City supporters, given his talent was clear to see, and he provided some memorable moments with the Robins.

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, via online-casinos.com, Trundle explained his thoughts on Manning and their start to the campaign.

Pressure is growing on Manning on the back of consecutive 3-0 defeats, against Derby County and then Blackburn Rovers, but Trundle believes he only needs a few results to turn the tide.

He said: "It’s a young squad and the Championship is tough.

"It’s a slog and as a manager your ideas must be fresh. With games coming thick and fast, you have to get the best players out most of the time as if levels drop, anyone can beat anyone in this League.

"You can beat a Leeds or Burnley and lose to a Plymouth.

"The team are a middle of the Championship side and if they can get momentum, win a few on the bounce then there can be excitement around the place."

Bristol City's 2024/25 aspirations

Of course, after a period of selling your best players, there comes a point when a club must look to retain as much star quality as possible and really push for a big season, which they look to have done this summer.

After a few seasons of mid-table mediocrity, the Robins have put themselves in a strong position both on and off the pitch to kick on, and a sprinkling of extra quality signings could give them the edge over the weaker opposition in the league, which is where they came unstuck last year.

The second tier looks particularly competitive in the middle section of the table this year, but there is no reason why Bristol City can't be serious play-off contenders after good investment from Steve Lansdown.

While Derby and Blackburn have both been strong so far this campaign, they are two sides that City would be hoping to compete with, so it is certainly concerning that they have been beaten comprehensively in the last two games, but there are so many games left to play.