Bristol Live picks out 4 potential speaking factors forward of Bristol City’s pre-season journey to Swindon Town
12:13, 24 Jul 2026Updated 15:34, 24 Jul 2026
Bristol City gamers Lorent Tolaj and Noah Eile alongside Michael Skubala(Image: Rogan/Bristol City and Getty Images)
For soccer supporters, pre-season is all the time an attention-grabbing interval. Having spent two months with out membership soccer, it returns to the agenda with one main caveat: the outcomes do not matter till the actual stuff will get moving into August.
Still, followers journey in numbers to pleasant fixtures to get an early take a look at their facet and new signings in motion earlier than everybody else. For Bristol City supporters, that first alternative, on these shores, comes this weekend towards Swindon Town.
Michael Skubala and his gamers will make the journey to The County Ground on Saturday afternoon to face Ian Holloway’s Robins of their third pleasant of the summer time. Swindon completed final time period ninth in League Two, three points shy of Grimsby Town and the play-off locations.
While it will not be the Reds’ trickiest check of the summer time, with Newcastle United, Plymouth Argyle and Exeter City all still on the agenda between now and the beginning of the season, it’s anticipated to be problem for City as the Championship marketing campaign edges nearer and nearer.
Ahead of the quick journey alongside the M4, Bristol Live have picked out 4 things supporters ought to be searching for as Skubala and City’s preparations for the new season step up one other gear…
What will Michael Skubala’s Bristol City appear like?
We’ll begin with a reasonably apparent level. As we talked about within the introduction, for many, Saturday’s journey to The County Ground might be a primary probability to see a Michael Skubala Bristol City workforce in motion.
Yes, a good few supporters did make the journey to the Pinatar Arena final Friday to see the Robins take on Stockport County, however Tuesday afternoon’s draw with Newport County was performed behind closed doorways on the High Performance Centre. The weekend’s go to to Swindon will, subsequently, in all probability have essentially the most eyes on it of any City pleasant thus far this yr.
Now, there may be all the time a component of intrigue round simply how groups will arrange after a summer time spent on the grass, however these curiosity ranges are spiked tenfold when there was a change of supervisor over the low season.
Outside of assumptions formed by references from those involved at Lincoln, nobody is strictly certain how Skubala’s Robins will look to play. City’s new supervisor admitted after his appointment that he’s maybe extra adaptable than most, in an period the place each coach has a enjoying philosophy.
He has, over the course of his profession thus far, not been wedded to one methodology, formation or system. Because of that reality, how the Reds arrange at The County Ground will doubtless supply the very best perception thus far into precisely what followers ought to count on to see week in and week out at Ashton Gate over the approaching months.
Of course, pre-season is a time for experimentation and taking risks, so what’s seen on the pitch this weekend is unlikely to be the completed article. It will, nevertheless, be the very best perception that almost all of us have had into the Robins’ new supervisor and his strategies since his appointment again in May.
Once we have all had our first glimpse, we are able to actually begin to get excited concerning the new marketing campaign.
Where do Bristol City’s signings match with new roles potential?
I’m certain you do not want me to remind you that Bristol City have been reasonably busy on the switch entrance this summer time.
At the time of writing, seven new faces have arrived by means of the High Performance Centre doorways – Sam Tickle, Sam Greenwood, Gibson Yah, Jed Wallace, Lisav Eissat, Brad Collins and Lorent Tolaj – whereas three senior gamers have departed for pastures new – Sinclair Armstrong, Ross McCrorie and Joe Lumley.
In some instances, it’s apparent the place these new additions will slot into Michael Skubala’s plans. For instance, count on to see Tickle between the posts on Saturday afternoon, Tolaj will virtually definitely get some minutes up entrance and Greenwood will doubtless characteristic in attacking midfield.
With a few others, although, it’s much less clear. If he’s match to characteristic after that head damage in Spain, will Eissat play as a centre-back or left-back? The Romanian worldwide has performed in each positions over the course of his profession. While that adaptability is one in every of his main property, it is going to be attention-grabbing to see the place he is utilised when Michael Skubala has – virtually – a totally match squad obtainable.
Perhaps simply as attention-grabbing as the questions round how the new items will match within the jigsaw is the likelihood that the arrival of these new items might push these current from final season into new roles.
For instance, it has been famous by one or two current in Spain final weekend, and the eagle-eyed watchers of ‘Robins Uncut’, that Noah Eile has may have operated as a right-back at factors over pre-season thus far.
While the Swede completely performed as a centre-back beneath Gerhard Struber and Roy Hodgson following his deadline-day transfer from New York Red Bulls, the suitable facet of a defence is an space wherein City lack depth after McCrorie’s departure.
Should Eile share the load with George Tanner at right-back towards Swindon on Saturday, it might counsel that Skubala views him as an answer to the slight drawback the Reds have in that place. If that resolution works over the course of pre-season, it might maybe have a bearing on the Robins’ switch exercise between now and the top of the summer time.
Which Bristol City kids are in first workforce rivalry?
It has been every week wherein Bristol City’s Under-21s have been introduced into focus with the appointment of Louis Carey as the Young Robins’ new head coach. The return of the Reds’ file look holder has, understandably, brought on fairly a buzz amongst supporters.
Of course, the first objective of Carey – or anybody in such a task – might be to be sure that City’s homegrown expertise could make the development from the academy to the first-team, one thing I feel everybody concerned at Ashton Gate will admit hasn’t happened quite often enough lately.
In saying that, Michael Skubala has proven an early willingness to utilise the Reds’ personal. Jamie Knight-Lebel, Elijah Morrison, Leo Pecover, Marley Thelwell, Dan Ezendu, Taine Anderson and Freddie Godden all travelled to Spain for final week’s coaching camp, whereas Luke Skinner and Jack Griffin had been concerned towards Newport County.
It isn’t uncommon to see kids bedded into squads within the first few friendlies of the summer time, with minutes usually shared round. The coming weeks, nevertheless, will doubtless present simply the place such prospects sit within the pecking order as City look to build towards Walsall in lower than a fortnight’s time.
Given that aforementioned lack of depth at right-back, there could also be a window of alternative for Thelwell to stake his declare for an everyday position. Similarly, with Luke McNally nonetheless a means away from full fitness, that is Knight-Lebel’s probability to present that he could make the leap up to Championship degree.
Involvement towards Swindon alone will not assure which kids do or do not determine in Skubala’s plans for the upcoming marketing campaign, however it is going to point out simply who from the Robins’ personal pathway has impressed the new supervisor.
Bristol City damage and fitness latest
So far this pre-season, Michael Skubala has taken a really wise, even perhaps risk-free strategy, with members of his Bristol City squad who’ve been carrying knocks, niggles or minor accidents.
The Robins boss defined to BBC Radio Bristol final week that neither Jed Wallace nor Yu Hirakawa had been doubtless to feature against Stockport County – and, it seems, Newport County – having checked again into the High Performance Centre later than nearly all of the first-team squad.
Emil Riis is one other who has not performed a component in both of the friendlies performed thus far. While it hasn’t been confirmed that the Dane is injured, some eagle-eyed followers noticed the Dane in what appeared to be the remedy room within the episode of ‘Robins Uncut’ documenting Lorent Tolaj’s first day.
Whether or not any of Wallace, Hirakawa, Riis or Lisav Eissat – who, as we talked about, was forced off early on against Stockport after a head damage – characteristic at Swindon Town will supply some perception into their situation. Judging by Skubala’s feedback thus far, they will not be risked if there’s any doubt over their skill to come by means of unscathed.
Of course, with one eye on the beginning of the season, which is now lower than two weeks away, you surprise if anybody who misses the journey to The County Ground might be slot in time to characteristic towards Walsall. If they’re, will they really feel sufficiently ready if they’re to solely handle two pleasant appearances over the course of pre-season?
Perhaps I’m being barely pessimistic with that suggestion. After all, these but to characteristic in friendlies have been concerned in coaching classes, with the choice taken to shield them from any longer-term points.
After the competition, Bristol Live will doubtless have the ability to get the latest damage replace from Skubala or a member of his employees forward of Wednesday’s assembly with Newcastle United. Hopefully, that may put any uneasy minds at relaxation.
