I imagine for a lot of you, it will have felt like an age has already passed since Gerhard Struber was named as the new head coach of Bristol City, such is the ever-changing nature of the footballing world.
Advertisement
In reality, however, it was less than a month ago that the Robins unveiled the Austrian as their new boss, a little over two weeks after Liam Manning’s move to Norwich City was confirmed. On the day his arrival was announced, the 48-year-old met the local media for a first press conference and offered a little bit of insight into what supporters can expect from him and his team over the coming weeks and months.
In what, in hindsight at least, couldn’t have been much more poorly planned, I was unable to attend that press conference as I was on my summer holidays. While I watched on from afar, I didn’t get the chance to meet the new gaffer at that time.
READ MORE: Bristol City defender Haydon Roberts subject of transfer interest from League One side
READ MORE: Bristol City confirm appointment of new chief executive ahead of upcoming Championship campaign
Advertisement
That changed earlier this week, however, when I and various hosts of several City-focused podcasts were given the chance to have an off-the-record chat with Struber, his assistant Bernd Eibler and Tom Rawcliffe, the Robins’ new CEO.
Of course, the off-the-record nature of such a chat means that I am unable to divulge the intricate details of what was said during the informal sit-down. I am, though, able to share my initial impressions of the new head coach, having spent an hour or so in his company.
The one word that many Barnsley fans and reporters who have covered Struber’s teams in the past have mentioned to me since his appointment is passion. Whether it be through his actions on the touchline or his mannerisms in interviews, the 48-year-old is widely regarded as someone who wears his heart on his sleeve.
That was clear as soon as he started talking during this informal chat. Whether it be the way in which he discussed his principles of play, how he engaged with the supporters who were asking him questions, his work at previous clubs or even his early love for Bristol as a city.
Advertisement
No matter the topic of conversation broached, Struber spoke with an energy that felt infectious to me and to others in the room, at least judging by conversations I’ve had since.
Perhaps the best example of his passion came when officials and referees in particular were mentioned. While recounting a decision that had once gone against his RB Salzburg side, a club he left more than a year ago, in the Champions League, the emotion in his voice reached a level you’d expect to see from a manager moments after the final whistle.
That passion was clearly authentic rather than the over-the-top displays you occasionally see other managers accused of.
Advertisement
Of course, there is only so much you can take from an hour-long chat, but that 60 minutes or so was more than enough time to tell that Struber is a head coach who is incredibly invested in his craft, particularly on an emotional level. I wouldn’t expect that to be any different during his time in the West Country.
Any City fan who has been on Twitter, or X as it is now known, in the last few weeks will have no doubt likely seen a photo of the new head coach spotted around Bristol at one point or another. It seems as though Struber can’t step into a BS postcode without bumping into a supporter or two at this stage.
Having spoken to fans, I know that is something they love to see. Whether it be players or staff, they want the people who are associated with their football club to connect with the city in the way in which they do. Away from that, however, something that stood out to me was the balance the Robins’ boss looks to strike in his life.
Like any manager or head coach, he is clearly a little bit of a football nut, but that isn’t his everything and anything. The Austrian has various other passions away from the game with the aim of relaxing and taking a step away from what, ultimately, is his job, and made a real point of discussing them during the conversation.
Gerhard Struber was named as Bristol City’s new head coach in June -Credit:Paul Gillis / Reach Plc
That isn’t to suggest that it is the right or wrong way to go about the job. After all, different coaches have different methods.
Advertisement
The likes of Manning and Lee Johnson were confessed obsessives, often working long hours at the training ground and constantly thinking about work, while someone like Nigel Pearson seemed to be a bit more relaxed in that sense. All three of those former City bosses were successful in their own right, which shows there is no correct way to do things.
On the basis of my first interaction with the new Reds’ gaffer, he seems to be someone who is intense and hard-working when he’s at work, but also able to take a step back when and where he can.
As I’ve mentioned above, it would be wrong of me to publish every single detail Struber shared about how he plans to set up his side and how he wants his team to play. Two words I can share, however, that cropped up on more than one occasion were “entertaining” and “sexy.”
One of the criticisms some supporters levelled at Manning throughout his time at Ashton Gate surrounded just how fun his team were to watch week in and week out.
Advertisement
Like under any manager, there were matches like the 4-0 thumping of Plymouth Argyle or the thrilling 4-3 home win over Millwall that were a joy to witness, but equally, there were occasions when you could be left frustrated. Defeats to Swansea City at home and West Brom away last season immediately spring to mind.
Now, it has to be said that it is very easy for Struber to promise entertaining football before a ball is kicked, and I imagine Manning said similar when he was first appointed. However, it is clear that getting the crowd out of their seats and his players on the front foot is something that the new head coach views as incredibly important.
Undoubtedly, there will be occasions where he has to be a bit more pragmatic in his approach against certain opposition, but he appears to believe that he and his players are there to entertain just as much as they are to win.
Does that guarantee success? Of course it doesn’t, and neither would any other style of play. What it does do, though, is boost the excitement levels heading into the new campaign.
Advertisement
Possibly because it is a step into the unknown, and potentially because of the way in which he conveys his message with words like “sexy” mentioned time and time again, I left the chat with Struber and Eibler looking forward to next month’s trip to Sheffield United, something that I never thought I’d say after that bruising play-off trip. That is as a journalist, not a fan.
Do I know exactly what to expect on the pitch? No. Can I be sure it will be a success and the Robins will be there or thereabouts in the play-off race again this season? Certainly not, I’d be a fool to try and predict what will happen in the Championship.
But am I excited to see a Struber Bristol City team in action after my first interaction with the head coach? Absolutely, I am.
READ MORE: EFL summer transfer window LIVE: Bristol City, Bristol Rovers and rivals look to add to squads
Advertisement
READ MORE: Ex-Bristol City footballer apologises for part in £600k drug smuggling plot
