By
Ant Banks
Fan writer
- Published1 minute ago
At 16:40 GMT on Saturday, Bristol City's latest three-year plan showed signs of lasting fewer than three months.
With chants against the head coach, Michael Skubala's position looked less than secure following on from a feisty fans' forum where his position was questioned.
The truth is that Skubala should not be currently under threat - and far from what away supporters were shouting.
At Bolton, the football attempted was far closer to what the fans want than has been seen to date.
But the issue is that any football which is a close cousin of the blue quarter of Bristol, as has been seen so far, will diminish patience.
In the end, Skubala got a birthday treat with the three points - his substitutions making the difference, albeit after a wrong turn earlier in the contest when changes saw City have their worst period of the game.
Notwithstanding that, Saturday was a sign of green shoots with an improvement in both style and intent.
The issue is that Skubala is both benefitting from and hamstrung by the aforementioned three-year plan.
The average life of a Championship manager is about 10 months. They must deliver both in the now and with an eye to the future.
It is a bizarre problem Skubala faces, in that a part of the fanbase have forgiven some understandable poorer decisions as he finds his feet, on the auspices of a wider plan.
The reality is that City signed 11 players in the summer and added the returning Luke McNally from injury and Yu Hirakawa following his loan spell at Hull City.
The players likely to leave in the next two windows for both contract and managerial choice include Scott Twine, Jason Knight, Tomi Horvat, Adam Randell and Joe Williams.
Sporting director James Ellis said to fans at the forum in Bolton before Saturday's game that transfer activity for the first year of the three-year plan had been "front-loaded".
However, there is a reasonable case to make that up to 10 players, including key pillars, will need to be replaced next summer.
Squad replacement of around 20 in three successive windows does not lend itself to consistency in team selection, so at what point do you judge Skubala?
But, like any coach, he needs results and performances in the now. On that basis, the Bolton game was a massive step forward.
City played with intent, the passing was in the right areas and the football attempted was entertaining.
It could have been 6-5, but it was far closer to a City side the majority of fans want to see than the nadir of Sheffield United.
Skubala has shown bravery in changing formation, changing goalkeeper, and on Saturday changing the tactical approach to be less direct.
The fanbase need to back this, not because of a fabled three-year plan as a get out, but because honesty over what we've seen in the short-term and how that can improve is the only way to stop 16:40 on Saturday occurring again.
And in home games, where we have struggled, and against a less open side than Bolton, the getting out of jail will not be as easy.
You can hear more from Ant Banks on theForever Bristol City podcast,external.
