Carey perfect fit for new City role - I have no doubts he's right man for job

The Reds confirmed on Wednesday afternoon that Carey, the club's record appearance holder as a player, had been appointed head coach of City's Under-21s side ahead of the new season, 12 years after his final appearance as a player.

Since the departure of Dennis Baraznowski in April, the Young Robins have been without a permanent boss. Former City midfielder Joe Morrell took interim charge for the final weeks of the season, but has since been confirmed to have departed the club, following Carey's appointment.

Carey is well known to the Reds faithful, having played 646 times for the Robins across two stints. Up until now, however, his coaching career has seen him work away from south Bristol, with his two most notable roles coming at Southampton and Forest Green Rovers.

Having coached Carey the player early in his City career and having worked with Carey the analyst on Robins TV post-retirement, Rosenior knows the new Young Robins boss as both a coach and a man better than most. In the former centre-forward's eyes, the Reds have got the perfect man for the job.

"I'm absolutely delighted," Rosenior told Bristol Live when asked about Carey's return to BS3. "I think it's a terrific appointment. I've known Louis since he was a very young boy coming through our academy.

"We brought him through, helped him get into the first team by coaching him through the reserves. I actually played with him at centre-half when I should have been retired, but I was playing with Louis and bringing him through. I've known him for a very long time, but that's not the reason why I'm delighted he's got the job.

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"I think he's just perfectly qualified for it. The transition between the academy and the first team is something he's been through and understands from a personal point of view, but then his career has taken him away from Bristol City, which I think is important.

"That experience, over eight years at Southampton, time with Forest Green, he's got experience of being outside of that environment. He's learned his trade, and I've worked with him quite a lot recently on Robins TV, and I know what an excellent communicator he is and how open he is.

"There are lots and lots of very good coaches, but coaching isn't just about what you do on the football pitch; it is how you relate to people, and Louis is a very relatable person. He's someone who cares about people, and that's really important when you're working at that Under-21 level because it's such a vital, sensitive time for players when they're trying to make that big transition between the academy and the first team.

"I think Louis is perfect for that role.

"When you're doing Robins TV, you're talking, you're looking at the detail, and he loves watching the game," the former striker continued. "He loves talking about the game, and I love talking to him about it.

"We get on; I've known Louis a long time, but it's really good fun working with someone who sees the intricate details. He wants to get that across, and he understands how to put it across in the right way as well. He's always constructive in the way he talks about people, which is really important.

"It's easy to go on and be someone who just criticises all the time, but it's more difficult to do it in a constructive way, and Louis does that brilliantly. I think people within the club, the new people within the club, have identified that.

"Obviously he's gone through a rigorous interview process, there's no doubt about that, and I think they've come to a really clever decision. There's no doubt that his past association with Bristol City would have come into their thinking, but I think these are people who just want to be successful and they recognise that in that role between the academy and the first team, it is vital that someone who totally understands what they're doing is put in that role.

"It's an important position, and I think they've given it to exactly the right person."

The Robins' academy pathway has been a topic of much conversation in recent seasons, both in supporter circles and within the walls of the High Performance Centre.

In the past, City's system has brought through the likes of Carey, Joe Bryan, Bobby Reid, Wes Burns, Lloyd Kelly, Antoine Semenyo, Alex Scott, Tommy Conway and Sam Bell. In recent years, however, fewer graduates of the Reds' youth ranks have been able to make their mark in the first-team.

Debuts were handed to both Leo Pecover and Olly Thomas last term, but shortly before his sacking in March, Gerhard Struber suggested there was too big a gap between the Under-21s and first-team.

Since his appointment, Michael Skubala has emphasised his desire to utilise the homegrown talent at City's disposal. According to Rosenior, Carey's skillset and willingness to voice his opinion should help academy prospects get their opportunity, while his ability as a coach should ensure the youngsters are equipped to take their chance when it comes.

"The difficult thing about that job is getting those players the opportunity," he explained. "You have to convince a lot of people above you, and you have to be in their corner.

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"Louis is strong enough, open enough, and honest enough to fight his corner, and that's why I'm delighted with this appointment because Louis isn't a yes man, by any stretch. He's got a really strong opinion, and he'll go in there with those strong opinions about players to get them that opportunity.

"I remember when I was at City, to get young players opportunities, it was really, really difficult to persuade the people in the first team - and rightly so. They needed convincing, but I think Louis understands that and he wouldn't back anybody who he didn't think was ready.

"He's a tremendous coach, he understands a game inside out, and he understands how you develop individuals," Rosenior continued. "That's what that role is all about. It is a difficult role, but it's an enjoyable role as well, and I think he'll absolutely love it.

"He's been out of the game for just a little while, which has given him time to think about what he's all about and about his next role. I know he'll be delighted to be working within an environment he knows really well and for the club that he absolutely loves.

"I'm sure the fans love all that, but the reason why Louis has got the job is that he's gone through a process where he was proven to be the right man for the job. It's not about his past association; it's about whether he can do the job, and whether he can do the job well.

"I have absolutely no doubts that he can."