By Graham Ford

LAST week I wrote that four points from the two matches would be acceptable after a run of four successive defeats.

City managed those points with the help of two own goals across these games, and dreadful goalkeeping from Ipswich. We were playing the two lowest teams in the League. Was it too much to expect six points? Millwall came to Ashton Gate ravaged with injuries and City were gifted an own goal. At that point they should have managed to force home their advantage for a win.

Instead they huffed-and-puffed and allowed Millwall to smash home a deserved equaliser. This is not good enough to most of us fans. Lee Johnson says he is looking for some trades in the January window. The fact that he now feels the need to strengthen a squad, considerable in number, in my view reflects badly on the recruitment that has taken place in the last two transfer windows. We had no choice but sell our three best players last summer but we have not replaced them with anything like the quality needed for even a top ten finish. However, I do think Adam Webster in the back four has some class. Comfortable on the ball, he sweeps forward in the way Louis Carey did in his pomp.

Czech international Kalas is a strong defender and Lloyd “he’ll play for England one day” Kelly is a prized asset. The latter’s inclusion is making it harder to play DaSilva, a quality loanee from Chelsea. Matty Taylor is struggling with an injury and Andreas Weimann has been unable to build on his exciting start to the season. City now head into a tricky run of games. Away to Birmingham City on Saturday will be another very difficult game and with Derby and Norwich coming up soon, if City are not careful the comfortable gap between them and the bottom three could be much narrower come the New Year. Many of us are worried and looking down and not up the table.

The optimism of Lee and his team talking about us being on the cusp of success is not convincing. Perhaps we can turn it round at the weekend. A point would be fine this time and three a real bonus. Finally, it was great to a home tie in the FA Cup against Premiership strugglers Huddersfield. That’s something to look forward to after Christmas.