Gary Johnson signalled his intention to defeat championship rivals Reading when his Bristol City side take on The Royals at Ashton Gate this afternoon. Speaking ahead of the clash dubbed a derby because of the relative closeness of the two sides, Johnson said, ""It is one we can look forward to because if we've got aspirations and ambitions to get where Reading have been, then we've got to show that we're good enough to compete with the likes of Reading."
It is a rallying call that comes with a tinge of regret, for a manager that took his side to the Championship play-off final last season, only to lose 1-0 at Wembley to Hull City, the club now causing a stir in The Premier League. With this season's Championship league table taking shape after 14 games played Bristol City lie in 8th place, 3 points and 4 places behind today's visitors Reading.
Last season Bristol City did not lose in both home and away fixtures to any Championship side, but failed to beat the top brass sides around them, which ultimately led to the Reds slipping out of the top two and into the unforgiving play-off system. This season, The Reds have threatened to make the same shortcomings again, losing to both Wolves and Birmingham and failing to take all three points off of Cardiff and Sheffield United.
Johnson knows that City will be up against it to make sure Reading aren't added to that list, "They've still got a Premiership club and Premiership players. They've got a work rate second-to-none and they've got quality. Put all those together and it makes them a very dangerous club team. And we've got to match them all over the field."
That work-rate and desire is epitomised by the Irish trio of Kevin Doyle and brothers Noel and Stephen Hunt, whose work-rate off the ball is just as impressive as their quality on it. Reading, still managed by Steve Coppell, a manager who in 2007 was awarded the Manager of the Year award for guiding The Royals to an 8th placed finish in The Premier League.
The following season saw them relegated back to the Championship, where despite their fourth placed position they are struggling away from home, winning only once this season. The Ashton Gate crowd will need to provide a cauldron of noise and make Reading's players nervy and anxious, whilst trying to silence the sold out Reading following.
Stern John, the Trinidad and Tobago international on loan from Southampton is in line for his first start in a Bristol City shirt but Jamie McAllister and Louis Carey are still sidelined by toe injuries.
Probable Line-up:
Adriano Basso GK,
Bradley Orr RB, Jamie McCombe CB, Liam Fontaine CB, Brian Wilson LB.
Gavin Williams RM, Lee Johnson CM, Marvin Elliott CM, Michael McIndoe LM
Stern John CF, Dele Adebola CF
ROSS VERBALS
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