Liam Manning, the head coach of Bristol City, has a tendency to alternate between his primary strikers, but he may make a compromise.
Liam Manning, who has been committed to playing just one striker during his tenure as the head coach of the Robins, is receptive to the notion of starting Nahki Wells and Tommy Conway combined for Sunday’s Championship match against Swansea City.
With the former making seven starts and the latter 15, including Tuesday’s 3-2 loss at Ipswich Town, Conway and Wells have essentially taken turns starting the same position for the squad. They have only started one game together, the 1-0 loss to Leeds United last month.
Given the Robins’ run of four straight league losses, Manning will have to make a difficult decision regarding who should lead the City attack for the Swans visit. Conway scored off the bench at Portman Road, and Wells had one of his best games of the season. This matchup will likely have a significant impact on fan sentiment toward the team, the club, and the season as a whole.
Wells played through the middle and Conway was to the left, how City had ended the game in the previous match against Coventry City, when they were in the same team under Manning. However, because of the strength of the opposition, they never really got going as a partnership or showed any signs that it could be a successful option going forward.
Speaking on Friday, though, Manning said he was still considering starting both players from the start of the game. The players will find out on Saturday before their last practice of the week, when he still has to select his squad for the Sunday lunchtime kickoff.
City, who are currently placed 18th in the Championship for goals scored overall, have failed to be a reliable offensive force despite scoring twice at Portman Road. Something that has been felt deeply at Ashton Gate, where they have only scored 21 goals in 18 games so far this season and have failed to score in four of their six home league games in 2024.
Manning stated, “There’s definitely a possibility for both of them.” “I haven’t chosen my team for the weekend yet, but I have a general idea. I plan to work on it this afternoon, give it some thought overnight, and finish it first thing tomorrow morning.
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It’s not impossible that they could play together. To be fair, Tommy had a little slump, but I felt he played extremely well the other night. He has been training really well for the past few days, so like most young players, he is in a great place right now. We must continue to press him.
“At the same time, I was having a conversation with Nahki and realized that he had been coming and going, and that it can be challenging to establish rhythm at times. It was almost fair to Nahki to say, “Well, you’re going to get a few games to see how you do,” because Tommy had been handed a run of games at one point. Furthermore, I felt he performed admirably the other night.
Conway might be evaluated as a wide forward or in the No. 10 position, depending on how he lines up against Leeds. If Wells is to lead the line once more, Conway will have competition from Jason Knight, Mark Sykes, and Harry Cornick for two slots in the attacking midfield/forward positions. Anis Mehmeti is expected to stay on the left, while Scott Twine has not participated much in training this week.
Due to cramps, Cornick was substituted for Sykes after 62 minutes at Ipswich. Manning called Cornick’s defensive play “excellent,” therefore his availability for the weekend is not anticipated to be impacted. However, Manning will probably need different attributes in that region of the field in a match when City will be expected to win rather than contain.
Despite past setbacks, the head coach is hopeful that one player who was previously injured will be available, however he declined to disclose the specific identity.
Twine (quad), Matty James (achilles), and Kal Naismith (hamstring) have all been on the verge of making a comeback, or they have all had minor ailments that have necessitated an additional few days of recuperation, only to be left off the matchday roster. George Tanner was originally scheduled to play this weekend, but he has missed the last two games due to a sprained knee.
Since Twine has only “done bits” in terms of his output at the High Performance Centre, Manning disclosed that Naismith hasn’t trained this week, ruling out his attendance on Sunday. Tanner and/or James, by process of elimination, will either be given a chance to play at Ashton Gate.
“Hopefully someone has returned, but I won’t say anything at this time. Right now, it seems like I mention it in every interview. On Sunday, I want to see some new faces,” Manning continued.
“When they’re fit and available, I’ll add them. I have never been able to sign someone off on medical advice, and I never will. Naturally, I work hard to get them back as soon as I can, and I have to give the staff credit for their efforts. However, we also need to consider the player’s response and, of course, the progressions and stages that players go through. Players can experience setbacks for a variety of reasons. And naturally, we then need to respond to that.
“They seem like they’re getting close, but then they might advance to the next level, which would set them back a little.” It irritates me because I want as many players as possible available to choose from, competition among the group, players striving to get into the starting lineup, and the more injuries, the less of that I can accomplish. Alternatively, we reintegrate them and they experience something again.
Before the Ipswich loss, Manning mentioned that left-back Cam Pring was still dealing with a minor ailment that he was playing with. Despite the possibility of playing in two games in less than a week, the 26-year-old’s return to the starting lineup and 90 minutes of action are not expected to affect his availability.
Manning stated, “It’s just about managing it and getting through to the end of the season; it’s nothing major.” “It’s just something that’s ongoing and he can manage and be okay with; it’s not something where he’s doubtful because of it.”