STEVE COTTERILL has been appointed as manager at City.

It was no surprise to me that Sean O’Driscoll was sacked last Thursday. What did surprise me was that according to fan websites and twitter there was a majority who wanted him to have more time.

His record on the pitch was appalling. The lame fight against relegation last year was disappointing in itself but to only win two league matches this season with the quality of players within the squad is dismal. There were times at Ashton Gate when I was hoping he was doing the team talk in the away dressing room and sending them to sleep instead of our team.

So the 49-year-old from Cheltenham is the choice of the City board, if not the choice of the fans. He took his home town team from the sixth tier to the third tier of the league in five years. To Cheltenham fans he is the ‘Messiah of Whaddon Rd’.

The other clubs he has managed would not describe him quite that way. He has held a string of posts and is not averse to walking out when a better offer comes along – ask the Stoke City fans. To me, and I am sure others, he has something to prove following his heady days at Cheltenham. Perhaps his time to shine again has come at Ashton Gate.

Following O’Driscoll’s departure, his assistant John Pemberton took the team to Preston and presided over a 1-0 defeat. The second half was better as we chased the game and Wagstaff came close with a shot against the woodwork.

I love the FA Cup. We are the giants waiting to be felled at Tamworth on Sunday and live for the nation to see as well.

This will tell our new manager a lot about his squad. It’s important that we are in the third round draw with the chance of being the minnow ourselves and a big pay day.

I think City will be in that draw but it may take a replay to do it. The Cotterill reign begins on Sunday and the coming weeks will be fascinating as he stamps his style onto what I believe is an underachieving squad.