Adam Randell: 'I came to Bristol City with the idea to play, I want to show I've got more'

Adam Randell has been a regular starter for Bristol City under the management of Gerhard Struber since joining the Reds from Plymouth ArgyleBristol City midfielder Adam Randell joined the Robins from Plymouth Argyle this summer(Image: Photo by Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images)

Less than 24 hours after he had completed his eighth successive 90 minutes in Bristol City’s defeat to Blackburn Rovers, Robins midfielder Adam Randell once again found himself on a football pitch, albeit in very different circumstances.

Against Valerien Ismael’s side on Tuesday evening, the 25-year-old tore around the field in his usual combative style, but at St Pauls Community Sports Academy a day later, Randell was stationed between the posts as part of a Robins Foundation football session during the EFL Week of Action.

To the relief of the majority of supporters and his head coach Gerhard Struber – who joked, with his tongue firmly in his cheek, that it was good to see the midfielder involved, having had “not so much game time” in recent weeks – the 25-year-old left the five-a-side court without issue after getting stuck in with the young supporters.

Randell only made the switch to south Bristol this summer, making the permanent move away from his boyhood club, Plymouth Argyle. Whilst he is still settling into life in BS3 himself, he enjoyed the opportunity to give back to some of those who have rallied behind him during the early stages of his City career.

“I think showing support to those who support us every week is massive,” the midfielder told Bristol Live on Wednesday evening. “To be able to contribute to the wider community is really important, as is getting people enjoying their football and staying fit.

“It’s a new experience for me. Obviously, Bristol as a place is much more diverse than Plymouth, which is new for me, but I’m really enjoying it, getting stuck in and meeting loads of new people, so it’s been really good.”

When it was confirmed that Randell would be trading Home Park for Ashton Gate in the summer, most supporters viewed the 25-year-old as the cherry on what was already a rather impressive midfield cake. In Jason Knight, Max Bird, and Joe Williams, City already had three Championship-proven options at their disposal, with it far from a certainty that the former Argyle man would be an automatic starter under Struber.

Bristol City looking to build on last season’s play-off finish under Gerhard Struber and you won’t miss a beat with our free newsletter.

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

With three months of the season now in the rear-view mirror, however, Randell is the last man standing in the Robins’ midfield. With all of Knight, Bird, and Williams sidelined by injury, he has started all 14 of the Reds’ Championship games so far and been partnered by Zak Vyner in each of his last seven outings.

By his own admission, the workload has been greater than he anticipated when he made the decision to move to BS3, but that is a challenge the boyhood Plymouth fan is relishing as he looks to showcase his ability in red and white.

“I have played a fair bit and maybe a bit more than I expected, but it’s been good and I’ve really enjoyed the minutes that I’ve been getting,” Randell smiled. “I feel as though, personally, I’ve been progressing, and I want to continue as much as possible.

“I came here with the idea to play; I didn’t want to just be a bench player or someone in the squad. I wanted to come here and show what I could do, and I’ve had the opportunity to do that, and it’s something that I want to build on.

“I want to keep improving, keep showing that I’ve got more and more, and keep helping the team to achieve their goals.”

Adam Randell joined Bristol City from Plymouth Argyle this summer(Image: Frankie OKeeffe/PPAUK)

On his partnership with Vyner in the middle of the park, the 25-year-old added, “He’s been good. I get on well with Zak, and to see him in midfield, it’s not a surprise that he’s doing well; he’s obviously a very technical footballer.

“Even as a big centre-back, he’s one of the most technical centre-backs I’ve played with, so he’s adapted really well to playing in there, and physically, he’s got the attributes he needs to do well in there as well.

“I’ve got no doubt that he’s doing well, and he’ll continue to do that as well.”

As a result, in part at least, of those aforementioned injuries, the Robins have suffered a dip in both form and performance level over the course of the last couple of weeks. Having kicked off their block of games between the October and November international breaks with three successive wins over Norwich City, Southampton, and Birmingham City, the Reds have now lost back-to-back games for the first time under Struber.

A bad day at the office against Stoke City saw the Potters run out 5-1 winners at the bet365 Stadium last weekend, before City produced what was likely their flattest display of the campaign so far as they were frustrated in their 1-0 loss to Blackburn on Tuesday evening.

Despite having a reasonable share of the ball against Rovers, Struber’s side were unable to register a shot on target over the course of the contest, and by the time the full-time whistle was blown, the Reds looked like a team running on empty. Naturally, no one in the Robins’ camp is looking for excuses as the players look to bounce back quickly, rather than feel sorry for themselves.

“It’s hard to say exactly what it is that didn’t go quite right,” Randell admitted when asked about the Blackburn loss. “There will have been a touch of legginess there, and it’s something that we need to deal with, especially with the lack of depth that we’ve got at the moment.

“It’s something that we need to make sure that we get right. We need to make sure that we recover well and make sure that we’re going into every game with the best physical fitness that we can. But it’s also the mental challenge of wanting to go again. After you lose, it’s never easy to go again and try to get back to winning form, but that’s exactly what we need to do.

“The first few games of the season, we were obviously playing well and scoring loads of goals,” he added. “It’s a well-driven group; the lads want the best. It’s a really honest, hard-working group, so everyone will be working towards the same thing and putting the effort in, no doubt.”

City’s next and final chance to get back to winning ways before the November international break comes on Friday evening. Struber, Randell, and the rest of the fit members of the Robins squad make the trip to Vicarage Road to face Watford, who have lost just once at home this term, in front of the Sky Sports cameras.

Bristol City Live on Whatsapp

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’.

No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Bristol Live team.

We also treat community members to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out at any time you like.

To leave our community, click on the name at the top of your screen and choose ‘Exit group’.

If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

Click here to join our WhatsApp community.

Under the management of Javi Gracia, the Hornets have impressed in recent outings, beating high-flying Middlesbrough 3-0 at home last weekend and holding many people’s early promotion favourites Ipswich Town to a 1-1 draw at Portman Road last time out.

Naturally, Watford’s good form, the Reds’ recent struggles, and the current injury predicament at Ashton Gate have had an impact on the confidence of supporters set to make the trip to Hertfordshire, but for Randell and his teammates, there is only one goal in mind.

“It’s going to be tough,” the 25-year-old conceded. “They’re obviously a good side, they’ve got a lot of key players who can threaten you, but we’re going there full of confidence and with the idea that we want to win. We want to come back with three points and nothing else.

“Obviously, the last couple of games have taken the sting out of the first three in this block,” Randell added. “If we were to get another win on Friday – which is exactly what we’re aiming for – then we’ll be in a very good place, but I still believe we’ll be in a very good place either way.”

When asked if he had a message for supporters, he concluded, “Keep supporting us.

“It’s massive for us; the support that we get, especially on away days, is huge, so we appreciate all the support, and it will be massive again for us on Friday.”

OPINION

Adam Randell: ‘I came to Bristol City with the idea to play, I want to show I’ve got more’

Tags: