IT IS little wonder that manager Steve Cotterill is rather a frustrated man. City need to get their act together quickly in this year’s Championship or they will be finding themselves back where they were in May pretty sharpish.
But, in the terribly overused cliché, it really is a game of two halves. When City are away from Ashton Gate, they are not too bad.
At home, well, that is a completely different story. Of the six points that City have managed to squeeze out of the Championship so far this campaign, five of them have been when the squad have been on the road.
That included the shock victory at promotion favourites Middlesbrough back in August. But out of the four home matches so far, only the draw against Leeds United on August 19, has resulted in any precious points.
While it is still very early in the season, the last thing that any manager wants is to see his side languishing at the bottom of the table – in last place as well.
Another draw, this time 2-2 at Ipswich, kept City’s points total turning over but they need more than just one point at a time if they are going to stay up.
Cotterill has told his players to finish teams off once they have got them on the ropes. They did just that at Portman Road where two goals in four minutes from Luke Freeman and Jonathan Kodjia put City in front.
But, whether it was nerves at landing a much-needed win or whether Ipswich simply upped their game, City found themselves on the back foot and holding on. With four minutes left, though, they were undone when Ryan Fraser secured the dramatic equaliser.
When you are struggling, the football gods never seem to smile on you. The tide has to turn and, with three of the next four league fixtures at home, surely City will eventually break their duck?
And that may come this Saturday when City entertain Milton Keynes Dons, who are just one point above them at the basement end of the Championship. Get that win and there will be a big sigh of relief around Ashton Gate – and Cotterill will pray it is the first of many victories on home soil.