--- source: thedugout.football generated: 2026-08-01T14:02:56.486Z last_updated: 2026-07-30T11:19:02+00:00 data_provider: API-Football canonical: https://thedugout.football/clubs/bristol-city/news/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnJpc3RvbHBvc3QuY28udWsvc3BvcnQvZm9vdGJhbGwvZm9vdGJhbGwtbmV3cy9icmlzdG9sLWNpdHktdmVyZGljdC1qaWdzYXctdGFrZXMtMTEwODQ1Njk --- # Bristol City verdict: 'Jigsaw' takes shape as time afforded to fill gaps - **Source:** - **Published:** 30 Jul - **Club:** Bristol City - **Original URL:** https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/bristol-city-verdict-jigsaw-takes-11084569 The 43-year-old's assessment of what had been an impressive win against Premier League opposition was predictably level-headed. Praise was afforded to his squad, but delivered with the caveat that there's always scope to get better; a reason for excitement after what had been an strong display. From the first whistle, City had asked questions of Newcastle United. Sam Greenwood had already called Ewen Jaouen into action before he whipped home a free-kick to open the scoring midway through the first half. Then, before the Magpies could produce a response, Lorent Tolaj had doubled the advantage. Skubala's side had to defend well to maintain their lead as the top-flight outfit enjoyed a string of set-pieces, but within minutes of the start of the second half, the margin stood at three goals. Max Bird and Jason Knight combined cleverly, with the latter driving a low shot into the bottom right corner. By that stage, chants of 'Premier League, you're having a laugh' had been audible around BS3 more than once. A Harvey Barnes strike on 78 minutes threatened to take the shine off City's night slightly, but the Reds ended the evening on a positive note when Sven Botman turned Sam Bell's cross into his own net. There were no big celebrations; it had just been pre-season after all. Instead, the Robins squad and Skubala made their way around Ashton Gate to applaud the 21,000-strong crowd before heading back down the tunnel in the knowledge that such a result and display would count for very little in the long run. Like the players, we're just getting back into the swing of things after a summer away from football. In our first attempt to dust off the cobwebs, here are the stand-out talking points from the Robins' 4-1 friendly win over Newcastle United... Forgive me for starting the first verdict of the new campaign with a caveat, but it feels only right that we lay out the facts before we begin to get over-excited by what was - it has to be said - a very impressive Bristol City display on Wednesday night. The Robins have been back in training now for more than a month. Michael Skubala's side returned to the High Performance Centre for testing in late June and have since spent the best part of four weeks - including a week at a Spanish training camp - working together under their new manager. Newcastle are behind City in that sense. A handful of the players that featured for the Magpies on Wednesday evening had only returned after the World Cup on Monday, while the likes of Dan Burn and Bruno Guimaraes remain on a break having reached the latter stages of this summer's tournament. Their training camp begins later this week. All the latest news, views, interviews, gossip and analysis concerning the Robins, delivered straight to your inbox. It's completely free and you can sign up HERE The Premier League season gets underway - for Newcastle - on August 23, 17 days after the Reds' first competitive fixture of the campaign, next week's Carabao Cup meeting with Walsall. Assuming most clubs follow a similar programme, it would be fair to suggest Eddie Howe's side are two-to-three weeks behind the Robins in terms of fitness, sharpness, etc. Of course, thinking in such a way doesn't account for the gap in level between the two teams, and it should be remembered that Newcastle played Champions League football last term. Skubala's side, therefore, deserve credit for getting the better of a group of players that have impressed in the top flight in recent years. However, it would be remiss of us not to mention the likely physical gap present between the two groups of players, at this stage, particularly given fans and the manager alike were impressed by the intensity of the Reds. Whether the game would have panned out the same way if played in a fortnight's time, we will never know. Now, with that glass-half-empty start out of the way, we can get a bit more carried away. For many of the more than 21,000 supporters in attendance at Ashton Gate on Wednesday evening, the win over Newcastle will have been a first opportunity to see Michael Skubala's Bristol City in action after his appointment as manager two months ago. The change in the dugout since that final-day win over Stoke City all the way back in May has perhaps been overshadowed by what has been a summer of drastic alterations on the pitch in south Bristol. Seven new faces have arrived in BS3 so far, and six of them featured against Eddie Howe's side in midweek. Sam Tickle, Lisav Eissat, Sam Greenwood and Lorent Tolaj were in from the start, and all caught the eye for the right reasons. Tickle's two saves in the opening period - particularly the intervention to deny Sean Neave from point blank range - were Radek Vitek-esque. Eissat's pace and willingness to step out and engage with Newcastle's attackers was a sign of something different in the Robins' backline. Greenwood's work ethic and free-kick alone demonstrated why he's been signed, while Tolaj was a menace at the top end of the pitch - a menace who added to his goal tally. While Jed Wallace and Gibson Yah - and Brad Collins, who started between the posts at Forest Green Rovers - didn't have the opportunity to leave quite the same impression, they have shown in previous friendlies the value they will add to Skubala's squad. The Reds' new manager compared the squad-build taking place in BS3 this summer with a jigsaw puzzle that is still in the process of being put together. Of course, it won't be until the competitive stuff gets underway in a week that we all truly begin to determine whether or not the right pieces have been placed in the right places, but the early signs against Newcastle suggest those acquired so far are slotting together well. Yes, it was only a friendly, but the cohesion on show between a group of players who have played just a handful of games together so far should provide fans with some excitement. It is not unusual that after such mass change, teams struggle to gel quickly. A week out from the start of the new term, though, City's puzzle doesn't look too far away from matching the picture on the top of the box. There are still, though, a couple of key pieces missing that could prove vital, which takes us to our next point. In terms of where Bristol City remain short ahead of the start of the new season, Wednesday's performance didn't tell supporters anything that they didn't already know. Between the posts, at centre-back, left-back, central midfield, attacking midfield and out wide, the Robins' ranks look incredibly well-stocked - perhaps to a degree that if the window were to close today, Michael Skubala would have enough to navigate a Championship campaign. At right-back and up front, in particular, however, City's options look slightly thinner. If we start on the right side of defence, George Tanner played the first hour or so against Newcastle, before he made way for academy prospect Marley Thelwell. Though Tanner is an very good defensive full-back, questions remain around his ability to impact games in an attacking sense. Thelwell has looked more front-footed for the Reds' Under-21s, but is a novice at Championship level. Between now and the end of the window, a more Ross McCrorie-like right-back feels likely to be on City's shopping list. Links with Harry Clarke have been present throughout the summer; it will be interesting to see if that progresses beyond the interest reported so far. In the striker position, all the signs so far suggest that, in Lorent Tolaj, the Robins have got a very, very good centre-forward. With the news that Emil Riis is set to return to training in the coming days, Skubala is also soon set to have a Championship-proven frontman at his disposal. Behind that pair, however, Sam Bell is the only obvious alternative. Of course, that could change if Elijah Adebayo has a future at Ashton Gate beyond his trial - something that is not yet clear at this stage. If the former Luton Town man doesn't earn a deal in BS3, however, another striker feels a requirement before September 1. However, having hit the ground running in the transfer market in the first month and a half of the window, the Reds don't intend on doing business for the sake of it. As Skubala explained to Bristol Live, City "know what we need to do, but we're not in a rush to do that now." With their business completed so far, City have afforded themselves the chance to take their time between now and deadline day. The need for immediate reinforcement has reduced, and therefore the Reds can - to a degree - wait for the right deals for the right players to become available. Such is the nature of pre-season; just when it feels as though it has truly got going, it is already nearing its end. For Bristol City, this summer's friendlies will come to a close this coming weekend when they take on both Plymouth Argyle and Exeter City this weekend. If Wednesday's meeting with Newcastle was the Robins' toughest test - on paper this summer - Saturday's double-header will be the closest thing to a dress rehearsal Michael Skubala's squad have ahead of the new campaign. Two separate teams will play as close to a full 90 minutes as possible against the League One and League Two opposition, in order to best prepare the entirety of the City squad for next Thursday's clash with Walsall. Yes, exceptions can and may well be made, but the intention is to step things up another notch. In a way, therefore, the coming weekend may well offer the greatest insight yet into just where the Robins are in their preparation process, particularly as the above slack afforded to Newcastle in regard to their fitness and sharpness won't apply to either Argyle or the Grecians. Hopefully, the Reds can come through the two games unscathed. With the squad - or jigsaw - looking in good shape, Skubala and his staff will no doubt be eager to carry their recent momentum into the first competitive game of the new manager's tenure. Join Bristol City Live's Whatsapp community for all the biggest Bristol City stories sent straight to your phone Bristol City Live is now on WhatsApp and we want you to join our community. Through the app, we’ll send the Bristol City news, live match coverage, team news, transfers, fixtures, analysis and more straight to your phone. To join our community you need to already have WhatsApp. All you need to do is click this link and select ‘Join Community’. 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