Green shoots and physical presence: How Bristol City's summer signings have fared so far in BS3

Bristol Live assesses the starts that all five of Bristol City’s summer signings have made to life at Ashton Gate

Dan Carter is the Bristol City reporter at Bristol Live. He joined the title in November 2024 having previously been a football reporter at Breaking Media. Before that, he was a sports journalism student at the University of Gloucestershire where he also covered the Robins whilst on placement. In his role, he wants to keep supporters informed with the latest news in and around Ashton Gate whether that be on matchdays, during transfer windows or everything in between.

Radek Vitek, Adam Randell, Emil Riis and Neto Borges all joined Bristol City this summer(Image: Rogan/Bristol City and EFL)

It was a summer of change at Ashton Gate this year, as both on and off the field, Bristol City underwent a handful of alterations following what was their most successful Championship campaign in almost two decades.

The headline news was the switch in the dugout, where Gerhard Struber put pen to paper on a three-year contract to become the Robins’ new head coach following Liam Manning’s move to Norwich City. However, once the Austrian’s appointment was confirmed, attention shifted to the make-up of the squad he would be working with.

The plan had never been to rip up the group that had proven so successful last term and start from scratch. Instead, for those in charge at the High Performance Centre, it was a case of adding a little more quality to help the Reds go a step or two further this time around.

In total, five new players arrived in south Bristol. Three were permanent additions, while the other two made the temporary switch to BS3 on loan. All five signings have since made their debuts for City, and across the board, the initial signs have been positive, even if it is still incredibly early days.

With nine games played and the October international break now finally drawing to a close, we have taken the chance to take a look at how each of the summer additions have fared so far at Ashton Gate…

Signed just a day after Gerhard Struber’s appointment was confirmed at Ashton Gate, Adam Randell has quickly become part of the furniture at Bristol City. Through a combination of his own good performances in pre-season and injuries elsewhere in midfield, the 25-year-old has established himself as a regular starter, as demonstrated by his inclusion in every league line-up so far this term.

After solid, if unremarkable, showings against both Sheffield United and Charlton Athletic, it was in the Reds’ draw with Derby County that the former Plymouth Argyle man stood out. Throughout the contest, Randell broke up play and kept the ball moving in possession, a habit which he has continued since the trip to Pride Park.

It has been in the absence of City captain Jason Knight that the midfielder has truly shone, however, as he’s stepped into the void left by the Ireland international in a way that few players could manage. Randell’s performance against QPR last time out, on a day too many in red and white dropped below the standard, was that of a leader, as he tried his best to drag the Robins to all three points.

Given their injury list in the middle of the park, Struber and his staff cannot afford to lose the 25-year-old for any stretch of time at this stage. The head coach will provide all the latest team news from the Reds’ camp in his pre-Norwich City press conference on Wednesday.

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Joe Lumley

The only summer signing yet to make his league debut for Bristol City, Joe Lumley has so far carried out the exact job he was brought to Ashton Gate to do: provide an experienced head as the Robins’ second-choice goalkeeper. The only surprise has been that, up until now, he has acted as Radek Vitek’s deputy rather than Max O’Leary’s.

Lumley’s only competitive minutes so far have come in the Carabao Cup, where the 30-year-old kept a clean sheet in the first round as the Robins beat MK Dons 2-0 and played the full 90 minutes in a 2-0 defeat to Fulham. Across the two matches, the former Southampton stopper didn’t do an awful lot wrong, but also didn’t do enough to suggest he should be starting more regularly.

With Max O’Leary closing in on a return from injury, it will be interesting to see the make-up of Gerhard Struber’s goalkeeping pecking order over the coming weeks.

Emil Riis

It would be fair to say that Emil Riis was perhaps Bristol City’s headline addition of the summer transfer window. For a few years now, supporters have been eager to see the Robins secure the services of a proven, experienced, ready-to-hit-the-ground-running forward, and in the Danish striker, they appear to have got exactly that.

Although it took the former Preston North End man a few games to open his scoring account, his performances against both Sheffield United and Charlton Athletic showcased the other aspects of his game. On both occasions, his hold-up and link-up play, as well as his pressing ability, were clear to see, and it didn’t take long for the goals to follow.

Perhaps the greatest evidence of Riis’ importance to Gerhard Struber’s side is the fact that the Robins are yet to score a league goal when the 27-year-old hasn’t been on the field. While he has had games in recent weeks where he hasn’t been quite as impactful as an individual, he seems to have a knack for getting the best out of those around him.

If this were a report card, I would likely give the Dane a B+. He has come in and scored goals – as the Reds’ hierarchy, Struber, and supporters would have expected – but he perhaps could have and should have scored more. However, it is clear he is the best striker currently at Ashton Gate, and therefore, it hasn’t come as a surprise to see his minutes managed so far in an effort to avoid injury.

Bristol City’s Emil Riis and Scott Twine celebrate in the Reds’ win over Hull City(Image: Photo by Harry Trump/Getty Images)Radek Vitek

Most Bristol City fans wouldn’t have known an awful lot about Radek Vitek when he was first linked with a loan move to Ashton Gate this summer, but with his performances over the course of his first two months of the season, the Manchester United loanee likely won’t be forgotten in a hurry.

Though he has never played in the Championship before, the 21-year-old has taken to second tier football like a duck to water, providing an assured and reliable presence between the posts. It would be impossible for me to recount every single save he has made as a City player, but stops from close range against both Hull City and Charlton Athletic stand out, particularly the one to deny Oli McBurnie.

When it comes to both set-pieces and claiming crosses, Vitek has given the Reds a different dimension. The stopper’s height and reach mean that he serves a commanding presence inside the penalty area, something which has proven vital in what feels like a very direct and physical Championship this term.

Perhaps the only area in which fans will feel he could improve at this stage is with the ball at his feet. Occasionally, Vitek’s distribution can be a bit wayward, and once or twice, it has put Struber’s side on the back foot. On the whole though, the young ‘keeper looks a smart addition.

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Neto Borges

More so than any player mentioned above, it feels like Neto Borges’ Bristol City career is still very much in its infancy. So far, supporters have only seen a little over 200 minutes of the Middlesbrough loanee in action following his late move to BS3, and while that isn’t enough to form a complete opinion, the early signs are positive.

On his first City start against Ipswich Town, the Brazilian provided a resolute presence out of possession as Gerhard Struber’s left wing-back, but also wasn’t afraid to venture forward and cause problems with his delivery from wide areas. Those problems were then realised against QPR when it was Borges’ quick thinking and smart cross that carved out Emil Riis’ opener at Ashton Gate.

Struber has spoken an awful lot about wanting players with different qualities,are capable of playing in the same position. After his first month or so as a Robin, it feels like, in Borges, the Reds head coach has a wing-back who is completely different to both Cam Pring and Ross McCrorie, but in a way that should mean City have an extra sting to their bow.

Green shoots and physical presence: How Bristol City’s summer signings have fared so far in BS3

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