Bristol City are looking to end a three-game winless run in the Championship when they travel to The Hawthorns to face West Brom this weekend.

The Robins are unbeaten in their last two matches having picked up points against both Sunderland and QPR, but both 1-1 draws were frustrating for Liam Manning and supporters alike for very different reasons.

Last weekend's draw with Marti Cifuentes' side leaves the Reds sat 11th in the Championship table, seven points adrift of the play-off places and 10 clear of the relegation zone. Sunday's opponents are also in the hunt for the top six but are only two points behind sixth-placed Middlesbrough.

Here's a full transcript of everything Manning had to say in his pre-match press conference on Thursday afternoon...

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Let's just do the bumps and bruises. Anything picked up from the weekend that's going to cause a problem from this weekend?

No, nothing major. Pretty much good to go, I think.

In terms of those getting close to getting back, is anybody in contention?

George Tanner has been back fully training this week. Obviously, we've managed to get another week into Ross as well. Twiney's been building it up. It's been good to get out on the grass and get some work into the lads so it's been much better to have those back definitely.

It's not as busy as perhaps it used to be, but there are still quite a few games coming up in the next couple of weeks. It's not a bad time to get anybody back, is it?

It's good. We're going to need everybody. You need the depth, you need to make the changes, you need the options. We saw that in the last week how important it is to be able to freshen things up and that's what we've got. We've got the options, we've got the depth. Then it's on the lads when they're on there, to do as much as they can for the team, which is really important and then off the back of that try you create me and the staff some headaches.

After the frustrations of not taking your chances at the weekend, you've spoken about how players have got to take those chances when they get them. Is it the same as this week or it is working on trying to improve everyone's decision-making in front of goal?

Whether it'decision decision-making, whether it's execution. I think said to the lads afterwards last week and started this can't knock attitude last weekend, can't knock attitude against Sunderland and that's the bit. I think the frustration then comes from probably being so dominant which again, you know, we've been guilty at times in those games of not having that element of control, not creating like we did, not, restricting them to hardly anything.

When you've got that much control and you dominate that much, naturally the expectation is that you win the game and with the margins, we're not the first team to have done that this season. We won't be the last team. So as frustrating as it is the only thing you can then do is work to try and put it right and that's the bit. The lads are really honest. That's what's great about the group culturally. You can be really, really tough, really honest and the lads know. I think that's the biggest bit for me, we're not hiding anything. We're not sat here saying one thing externally and something different internally. Everybody knows. We've made so much progress in how we control games, and the way we dominate.

The hardest bit is now you've got to go and win at the weekend. You have to make that count. Ultimately need people to step up and grab the opportunities and be the one that in that moment is the one that takes responsibility, comes forward and shows that moment of quality. Whether it be decision or execution in the final action, that's what you need, is people to step up.

I'm sure knowing the way that you analyse things, are you looking at yourself and thinking, I can't score the goal, but is what we're doing in training the right thing to get them where they need to get to?

Yeah, definitely. When we don't get a result or we don't perform and even when we do well, the first thing I do is reflect on everything I do. I internalise everything straight away. Could I have done better? Could I have done more? Did I get this right? That right? I always reflect on myself and that's why Hoggy is great for me, because I'll ask Hoggie those questions as well. Did we get it right? Should we have done something different? He'll always be honest, which I think is really important and then, of course, you then look at lads stepping up as well.

That's where we're at culturally now. The lads look at themselves first and go, right, did I do enough could I have done the XYZ? We're all in it together and I think that's the biggest bit. We all feel the same pain at the weekend and the same frustration and then you come in this week and you have to then work. There's only so much we can do in terms of plans and learning to dominate games but ultimately it comes down to when you're in their box, you have to be ruthless and clinical.

I was looking through some of the statistics, which you can take what you want out of that, but for most of the sort of big chances, xg, all those kind of things, you're sort of between seventh, eighth, ninth. So your position in the table is slightly underperforming where you should be effectively is what the numbers would say. Is that how you feel?

Yeah, I would say so. How many games have we done now? A fair few right? I think if you look back at all the games when we've not won games, most of them I've come away going, we should or could have got something from it. I hate using those words because you get what you get. We get a point at the weekend because we didn't do a good enough job. But I think when you look at progress from last year to where we're at, there are a lot more games we're coming away disappointed not to have won, which again shows the progress.

Arguably you'd be slightly more concerned if you were going and crikey, we've scraped a point or three points there and we're miles away from them. Whereas every single game we've been in, bar, Blackburn and Portsmouth, the two which hurt me because it felt like it was on us, every other game I think we've been in. We've been competitive, we've a lot of the time been the more dominant team that deserves, is that the right word? I don't know. But, arguably your performance sometimes merits more than what you get.

One of the things I think you would say looking at the forward areas of your squad coming into this season was Nahki Wells, great experience, lots of goals, lots of experience there. Scott Twine you bought in late, but again has got a record of goal-scoring. A lot of your other attacking threats have got a lot of potential, but probably not that background of actual goals put in the back of the net. Was that ever a concern for you or was it always you felt that the upside, the potential improvement was there to get them to where you need them to be?

I think we also have to be realistic about where we're at as a club. We're not in a position to go out and sign finished articles that have big histories of being current performers and scoring loads and loads of goals. We take an element of people with potential, whether it be from the academy or whether it be externally and our job jobs to coach them to get better. You're working with potential ultimately and I think what we've added a little bit when you look at a Twiney who unfortunately we've not had for the volume of games I would have liked, you see his quality at the weekend and arguably he could have more assists when you look at the games he did play at the start. It's trying to get that blend. The lads are heading in the right direction.

We all want it now and I totally get that, totally understand that, but you look at Anis' progress from last season to this season, he's already done more than what he did last season, so he's got better. I think that the challenge is basically just the consistency you do it. Rather than one in eight or one in four of five, it's every other game if you want to really compete top end. They're the bits where we want to accelerate it. We want to win now. We want to convert the numbers that we're creating at the minute. I think that's the biggest bit. We're creating it, it's now making sure that you get the rewards. The lads are working so hard and giving everything which everybody can see, it's now get the rewards at the end of it.

You're coming up against a team at the weekend that are in a different way, but perhaps a little bit similar to you in every single game, but probably drawing more than they would like.

You see the weekend, the margins are so fine. You can be dominant, but you slip up once, you make a mistake or a moment of magic because I think the level now, teams are so well organised and there are so many good players at the level that that can happen. They're exactly the same West Brom. We know what to expect. They're extremely well organised, extremely physical, real clear way of playing so we know that we have to be at our best again in what's a difficult away match.

Knowing particularly defensively, that's what Carlos Corberan has made his career on, being really tough to beat and then sort of layering on top of that. When you've been away from home they have been some of your best performances this season. Is that something that you think might bring the best out of your squad?

You'd think so. We shouldn't go into any game fearing anybody. Of course, we show the respect that every team in this league deserves but I think it always comes back to us and what we've got is some really good relatable experiences that we can call on far this season. With Norwich away, Middlesbrough away and even Sunderland recently was a strong performance away. We have to use those experiences. We'll do all our work, we'll prep, we'll plan, the lads will be quite clear in what we try to do and ultimately the second the whistle starts it's about understanding us and trying to find a way of getting success and getting the win that we want and need.

Sinclair Armstrong missed the weekend's game, how's he doing?

He's going to be a couple of weeks. Nothing major but when you've got such an explosive athlete I think you have to be a little bit careful. So he's going to be a couple of weeks.

What is the injury?

Hamstring.

You've had a few of those. Is that a concern to you at all this season?

It's just the game. The whole game when you look at it, I'm going to go on a rant now but when you look at it, I find it astonishing there's been more money spent on sports science, strength and conditioning, this that and the other but yet, injuries have gone through the roof. It's something that the game has to look at as well.

We've made changes from the start of the season here that you don't necessarily see the impact of straight away because you're trying to change three, four, five years worth of certain ways of working. Rather than continually doing what we've always done and expecting different results, we're making quite a few changes in-house. I've been quite pleased with where the lads have been physically. Obviously, it's been frustrating to lose certain players to injury, but we're making changes to go in a different direction.

Before Sincs' injury, it felt like things were settling down and you were getting players back. Do you feel you're heading in the right direction?

You're always going to get injuries. I think just the sheer volume of games, but then the demands of the game and the programs. Injuries will always be a part of it. Mine's probably more just the fact that there's been so many consistent hamstring injuries across football. I'm sure if you speak to every head coach, and manager and you look at squads, there are just so many players with hamstring injuries, yet nobody's 100 per cent sure why.

Like I said, we're doing our stuff in-house to work out what do we need to tweak and change to try and prevent them. But naturally, you change your program for three months, it doesn't mean that the outcome is going to change straight away. It can take a little bit longer than that. It's frustrating to lose players, but we're in a position now where we've got depth and competition to be able to bring people in.

I wanted to ask about, Joe Williams as well, because I think the last time I asked you he was seeing a specialist about his injury. I just wondered where he was with his rehab.

He had a meeting on Tuesday in London and it went well. He's moving in the right direction and you know, still a few weeks away, but it was a good meeting on Tuesday.

When we spoke a few weeks ago you mentioned Rob Atkinson needed to play for the under-21s as he needed minutes to keep fresh. Since then he hasn't featured for them particularly and instead travelled with the first team. Is he at a level now where he's fit to take his chance when it comes?

I think so. I think the challenge Rob's got at the minute is just what's ahead of him. I think. You know, Luke's been outstanding, Rob Dickie's been terrific, as has Zak Vyner. It's slightly different when you're a centre-back. When you're an attacking player coming back, they're positions you tend to change. Obviously, you don't tend to too often make changes to that position in game. He's had to be a bit patient. I have to say, he looks much better physically to me and he's going to continually push and work.

That competition can only be a good thing when you've got so many players fighting for what's really two places in the team?

I think everywhere. I think it's throughout the whole squad to be totally honest. I think that's what we were able to do in the summer and I think we've seen the benefits at times of that. I spoke last weekend after the game about people stepping up, that's where we're trying to change things and move it towards. If people don't deliver then they won't play. I think that's the biggest bit. It's okay performing well and me coming away saying we played well but you have to win games and I think what you need is people to step up in crucial moments. The pressure is on everybody to deliver and I think if we want to shift things and become a high-performing team, that's what you have to do.

You mentioned on Saturday that you can't put the ball in the back of the net yourself, but you said how you wanted to see what you see on the training ground transported onto the high-pressure environment. I'm just intrigued if you think it's a psychological block that's stopping that from happening consistently.

If I had that I'd be able to change it quite quickly right? I think it will be different for each individual and I think it's just a consistency element of it and of course, some of it will be psychological, some might be technical. It's difficult. We train, we try to replicate and get as close to the game as possible. For me, it's no different to sparring in boxing. You want it as close to the match and as competitive and as edgy as possible but what I can't replicate is that there's three points in the line, there's a league position and there's 25,000 there putting you under a bit of pressure to do it as well. They're the bits which sometimes take a little bit longer with certain lads than others but again, I think it won't be for a lack of effort and work.

I think the reflections from the weekend, the individual work they're trying to replicate if a certain player gets this type of chance consistently, let's go and recreate that picture on the grass. Let's look at the video. Let's recreate it on the grass so they're practising in those same positions. It's not just generic finishing stuff, it's looking at what happens in the game and then trying to recreate it so they get repetition of it. It's constant. I don't have a crystal ball, what I can't ever put is a timeframe on when it's going to drop or exactly what it is. All I can do is make sure that we do the work to try and give the lads every opportunity, for it to happen.

You mention the big crowd. Obviously a big away following before Christmas, how big an impact does that have?

The fans on the road have been unbelievable. It doesn't surprise me. We've had some good performances and good results away from home. I think it is massive. I think the noise away is excellent so again, I think we ask that again. Delighted that they're coming. My part will be making sure the lads give everything they can and then, hopefully, the away fans, I'm sure will enjoy a drink on the way and give everything they can and they get behind the lads.

Can you just say a few words on the improvement that you've seen from Anis Mehmeti over the last year?

First and foremost he deserves credit. He's someone that obsessed and loves football. We have an international break and he's going to watch a League One game or a League Two game. He's in love with the game which for me as a head coach is a dream to work with because he can't get enough football. I have to drag him off the grass constantly because he's practising so I think he deserves a huge amount of credit for that.

Then you see in games, I had a look at some of his bits the other day, if you look at just the volume of chances and the areas that he's getting into are much better. I think he's been a bit more direct. I felt last year at times he'd slow down too much with the ball and give people time to recover and sort of deny himself space whereas now he's going a lot quicker, he's been a bit more direct which we've been working hard on. Then like I say he's getting the opportunities now and he's obviously improved on last year. But what I think he's capable of and if we want to get where we want to get to, he is someone who I think has got a lot more to come in terms of being even more clinical and more consistent.

Can I just ask for a bit of insight on what you do behind the scenes with him in terms of on the training pitch and one-to-one chats?

We do it with quite a few of them. It's about improving, it's about getting better. So I code, the staff code, we watch every game back, we clip the team unit and the individuals within it. We're then quite selective in terms of how often we sit with the lads and what we show them because again I think there's lots of bits around physically overloading people but there's not too much research around psychologically overloading them. You can give them too much as well and especially attacking players, I think they need a bit of freedom and off-the-cuff creativity.

We'll be a little selective but then we'll be consistent with the stuff that we do work on. So Anis is a good example in terms of we'll look at his video around those moments of when he can be direct and how. We'll look at it in matches and then we'll go out and we'll replicate it whether it be in small numbers, in a small number session or it might be just unopposed where it's there's the video, now we're going and train it. We'll put a ball in, go be direct and then we'll just continually review that process rather than just change game to game. It's almost like consistently we know he needs this, let's keep working at it. Like I said, he's got better, he's still got a lot to come as well.

The $64million question, what's it going to take for Bristol City to go from a midtable side to a serious promotion-chasing side and one that can eventually land that elusive place in the promised land?

I think it's numerous aspects. I think we're trying to change quite a lot in terms of creating an edge, creating an accountability, I think that is a big part. We've got a really young, hungry, driven, ambitious group that are going to improve. I think we all want it now, but I'm also quite clear that the penny drops at different times with different people. Our job is to try and accelerate that. I think when I look at it, as I said a minute ago, I've not come across a team this year where I've gone there miles ahead of us. I don't remember any game being dominated and I think that's the big bit for me.

When you look at the performances, results aside, it's been very close in every game. There's arguably more where we've come away disappointed at not having more than where we've scraped things. It's not something I could have said last season, so it definitely again shows that we're heading in the right direction. I think it comes with a little bit of experience learning how to win games. I think when you look at the club for a period it's won some, lost some, won some and lost some. There's no given right just because you perform well that you win every game.

I think that's the bit, learning how to win games, learning how when you're 1-0 up, how do you see it out? How do you manage that situation? Again, it can be difficult at times in training. Sometimes you have to suck up a few bad experiences along the way to try and make sure it doesn't happen in the future. It's on everybody, me, staff, players, everybody at the club, the fans, everybody to turn up and give absolutely everything every single day and prove yourself. I think that's the bit that we're on about with the lads at the minute.

You spoke early about buying players with potential that you can develop. Rather than a £25million striker, am I right in thinking it's a case of evolution rather than revolution?

Yeah very much so. Especially in the division. If you look at some of the other clubs, the wages they pay, but also the fees they pay, we're not in that position. So you have to be smart, you have to be intelligent. I think the club has a really good history of it. It's why I joined and I think it's why the club appointed me as well in terms of developing players because we're not in a position to go and spend the sums that you have to, to go and buy a proven goal scorer at the level. They cost a huge amount of money, so what we try to do is be smart with our recruitment.

You look at Yu Hirakawa, someone who probably wasn't on a huge number of radars that's got huge potential. Anis probably being another one. Then for me, it's making sure that we do the work, which again, I think is a big part of how we are, and then try and accelerate it. We need the lads to step up quickly. Unfortunately, not everybody's going to. I think we have to be quite clear on that, not everyone's going to. When you're signing potential, not everybody's going to hit the level that you need them to, you don't always get them right. But I think the work that we're doing at the minute, there's so much alignment, the club's in a really good place from that perspective.

It is about chipping away that continuously and continually improving. When I look at how we were from when we joined last season to the end of the season and how we've started the season to now, we've definitely progressed. We're definitely a much better team with players that are improving. Like I said, the frustration is we probably all want it now. But you, you don't just change that overnight.

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