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Sinclair Armstrong has impressed for Bristol City ahead of the November international break(Image: Photo by Alex Pantling\/Getty Images)<\/p>\nEXCLUSIVE: Bristol Live sat down with Bristol City forward Sinclair Armstrong to discuss his first 18 months at Ashton GateSinclair Armstrong has impressed for Bristol City ahead of the November international break(Image: Photo by Alex Pantling\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve had it a lot this season, when I\u2019ve played,\u201d Bristol City<\/a> forward Sinclair Armstrong smiles when Will Still\u2019s description of him is mentioned. Following the Robins\u2019 impressive Ashton Gate win over Southampton, the Saints boss labelled the 22-year-old \u201can absolute unit and a pain in the backside to defend against,\u201d a tag he is more than happy to bear.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you get these compliments, it is what you want as a striker,\u201d he says. \u201cYou do feed off of these compliments and knowing that I can do that to top defences, it obviously brings confidence into myself.\u201d<\/p>\n Confidence has not always been something the Ireland international has benefited from at Ashton Gate. Having made the move to BS3 from Queens Park Rangers<\/a> last summer, Armstrong was part of the team that, under the management of Liam Manning<\/a>, ended City\u2019s nearly two-decade wait for a play-off finish, but as an individual, he didn\u2019t quite make the splash he had hoped to in red and white.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Bristol City boss Gerhard Struber up for Championship award after Robins’ impressive October<\/a> OPINION<\/p>\n Things started well for the forward, with his first goal coming on his home debut against Millwall and a second following soon after against Oxford United. However, Armstrong\u2019s third of the campaign, the Robins\u2019 fourth in a 4-0 win over Wayne Rooney\u2019s Plymouth Argyle<\/a> in November, proved to be his last. An injury sustained against Sunderland early in December saw him miss the majority of the festive period, and in the second half of the season, Nahki Wells found himself at the top of the striking pecking order<\/a> as the Reds booked their place in the top six.<\/p>\n \u201cThe team was obviously doing very well last season, and I was frustrated with myself and the performances,\u201d Armstrong reflects. \u201cWhen I look back at some of the performances I had and when I’ve had difficult games, I look back and think that’s not myself.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it’s more so me getting frustrated that I’m not maximising what I have. I feel like God has given me everything to play at the highest level and when I look back to last season and being frustrated that I was being left out – I understood why I was left out, I can take accountability of that, I wasn’t stupid and I wasn’t na\u00efve – I understood that I was dealing with a bull in Nahki Wells.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n All the latest news, views, interviews, gossip and analysis concerning the Robins, delivered straight to your inbox.<\/p>\n It’s completely free and you can sign up HERE<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cOf course, it was frustrating, and I did let out my frustration towards the end of the season, but I look back and with reflection and with accountability, I understand why I didn’t play in the biggest moments.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was just up to me in the summer to say, ‘Okay, no one is going to work harder than me this summer.\u2019 To come back with a fresh mindset, a new mentality to take into the new season.\u201d<\/p>\n While there is no such thing as a quiet summer in the modern game, it was a busy off-season in south Bristol. A matter of weeks after the play-off semi-final defeat to Sheffield United, it was confirmed that Manning would be leaving Ashton Gate<\/a> to take over the reins at Norwich City, with Gerhard Struber named as the 40-year-old\u2019s successor.<\/p>\n The Austrian, a student of the Red Bull school of coaching, brought a very different playing style to the West Country that has been noticeable in the opening months of the campaign. Rather than the possession-based and occasionally pragmatic style often on show last term, Struber has built a team full of what he describes as \u2018monsters\u2019 who thrive on \u2018merciless moments\u2019<\/a> in transition.<\/p>\n That shift in intent has been welcomed by supporters who have been entertained in the early months of the former Barnsley boss\u2019 tenure<\/a>, but it has presented a different sort of challenge for those looking to impose the style on the playing field.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen he first came in, we knew straight away what he wanted,\u201d Armstrong explains. \u201cHe wants us to be an exciting team, really and truly. He wants us to be a team that keeps the ball, but he wants us to be a very, very aggressive team as well, and I’m not going to lie, at the start, I probably did struggle with that, in terms of the press.<\/p>\n \u201cHe told us this press called gegenpress, which is where you win the ball after six seconds, and I’m not going to lie, I’m obviously not perfect in terms of the pressing. Sometimes I lose the ball, and I’ll make a fuss, and it will take me five seconds to get going again, but I think what he’s kind of instilled into me is that he doesn’t care if I lose the ball; he just wants a reaction.<\/p>\n \u201cWith the pace that I have, I feel like if I do go at a defender, it’s more than likely that I will probably get them to kick the ball off the pitch, or we will win the ball back. It has been good and I’m still learning a lot under the gaffer as well, so long may that continue.\u201d<\/p>\n Up until the October international break, however, it wasn\u2019t often Armstrong who was responsible for leading that press. As had been the case for much of the season prior, the 22-year-old had found himself playing a supporting role to summer signing Emil Riis<\/a>, who was viewed by most as the first-choice number nine having joined the Reds following confirmation of Wells\u2019 release.<\/p>\n The Dane started and impressed in all of the Robins\u2019 first 11 Championship matches, with Armstrong having to settle for cameo appearances from the bench. His impact in such showings was limited until last month\u2019s trip to Carrow Road<\/a>, where he played a crucial role in securing all three points. A similarly eye-catching showing followed three days later against Southampton<\/a>, with the City support cheering the forward\u2019s name as he made his way off the field on both occasions.<\/p>\n \u201cThe first few games I’d been playing 10, 15 minutes, and you feel like you can give a lot more,\u201d Armstrong says. \u201cBut I think it was just up to myself to continue to tell myself to just keep going. Situations can change; I’ve had situations before where I’ve thought I’m completely out of favour, and then I’ve found myself back in the mix again, so I just told myself that I know I’m a good player.<\/p>\n \u201cI just had to keep telling myself that. If I tell myself I’m good, I know I’m good. It was just about persevering through the challenges early on in the season. Whether I was getting five or 10 minutes, I’d tell myself to make sure it was the best five to 10 minutes of my life, and the rest will take care of itself.<\/p>\n \u201cIt felt like maybe after the Norwich game, after the Southampton game, I felt a bit more like myself. I was looking back and thinking, \u2018This is actually me.\u2019<\/p>\n Content cannot be displayed without consent<\/p>\n \u201cBut in this game, you get nothing for oos and aahs; you want to be on the scoresheet, you want to get the headlines. That’s just my opinion, and I look at the Birmingham game and, you know what, in terms of performance, this is me.\u201d<\/p>\n The Birmingham City game mentioned<\/a> came a matter of days after the win over Southampton. With Riis ruled out through injury and after two impressive displays from the bench, Struber opted to hand Armstrong his first start since March against Chris Davies\u2019 side in front of a busy Ashton Gate.<\/p>\n From the first whistle, it felt like the home crowd were willing the 22-year-old to find the net for the first time in nearly 11 months, with even Armstrong\u2019s header past Max O\u2019Leary in the pre-match warm-up cheered by those already in their seats. With 42 minutes on the clock and having linked play well for so much of the first half, the striker broke beyond Blues\u2019 backline and onto a Rob Atkinson through ball<\/a> before slotting past James Beadle to send BS3 into celebration.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can see I let out my frustration on the corner flag,\u201d Armstrong grins when asked about the emotion of that moment. \u201cIt’s been a long time coming.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was difficult knowing that I had so much more to give and that I wasn’t maximising what I had, but in terms of the lead-up to the game and when I found out I was starting, I felt like, ‘Okay, this is my time to show what I’m about.’ That wasn’t to anyone else, but to prove to myself that I am who I say I am.<\/p>\n \u201cAs soon as I was in, I knew it was in because I’ve been working on that so much in training, those one-on-ones. I felt like they’d been kind of letting me down last season, in the sense that I’d get myself into very good areas, but that end-product was what I was missing.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I’m on the training pitch with Alex Ball and when I’m training with Flem, I’m telling them that I want to work on this, because when I work on these certain details on the training pitch, it means that when it comes to the games, I’m like, ‘Okay, I know that I’ve been in these situations,’\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n \u201cLast year, to tell the truth, I wasn’t working on this kind of one-on-one in training where it’s almost like I’m coming up to the goal and thinking to myself, \u2018Okay, where am I going to go?\u2019 When it came to the goal against Birmingham, I knew that I had to pick my spot and hit it is hard as I can, and obviously it went in.<\/p>\n \u201cDon’t get me wrong, I’m still trying to improve on it as well, but as soon as I was in and I was one-on-one with the goalkeeper, I said it was going to go in.\u201d<\/p>\n The noise from three of the four sides of Ashton Gate when the ball found the bottom right corner was only matched when Armstrong made way for Fally Mayulu<\/a> in the 74th minute, and at the full-time whistle. The home crowd rose to their feet and chanted the forward\u2019s name when he was withdrawn, before the Irishman led Section 82 through a course of fist-bumps after some encouragement from Atkinson.<\/p>\n Content cannot be displayed without consent<\/p>\n His relationship with the fans has been far from straightforward<\/a> over the course of the 15 months he has been a City player. While Armstrong has done what he can to ensure that it hasn\u2019t impacted him in the bad times, he\u2019s made sure to enjoy the good moments.<\/p>\n \u201cI was really appreciative of the support that I’ve got from the fans as of late, because I know I’ve got a lot of stick recently,\u201d he honestly admits. \u201cWhich is obviously deserved, and when you’re not performing to your best, you’re obviously going to get criticised.<\/p>\n \u201cBut it’s up to me as an individual to understand that you’re either going to let that tear you down, or you can say, ‘No, I’m going to keep going and prove to myself that I believe that I’m good.’ Not only to show people, but to show myself that I can be so resilient, and persevere through the challenges.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can see the reception after the goal and when I came off, which is obviously really appreciated. It means so much when you have fans behind you.\u201d<\/p>\n The joy of Armstrong and the supporters was echoed by Struber after the full-time whistle, but the City head coach\u2019s praise came alongside another challenge. Perhaps in a demonstration of his own drive, the Austrian didn\u2019t want to focus on a single goal and was instead eager to push his forward<\/a> to repeat his heroics against Birmingham on a more consistent basis.<\/p>\n For some players, that approach may have had an adverse effect. For Armstrong, however, the ambition of his head coach is no different from his own hunger<\/a> to grow and succeed.<\/p>\n When asked about Struber\u2019s post-Birmingham comments, he replies, \u201cPeople can obviously push you in terms of the gaffer, his assistants, and your teammates, but you have to push yourself. I don’t believe God has brought me this far to only bring me this far; I still have so much more to give, and it’s just down to myself to be motivated and be disciplined in everything that I do every single day.<\/p>\n \u201cBut the gaffer is 100 per cent right; you can’t introduce a vibe to somebody that they can’t maintain. You look at the Birmingham performance, and everyone is like, \u2018Wow,\u2019 and now, for me, it’s like, \u2018Okay, I need more performances just like that. If I can get one, it’s a case of trying to get two, trying to get three. That’s the next challenge for me.<\/p>\n \u201cRight now, I’m focusing on having a good performance and knowing that if I have a good performance, the goals will come as well.\u201d<\/p>\n But what would represent a successful season for Armstrong? \u201cEssentially, to just play football,\u201d he smiles. \u201cI think that’s success.<\/p>\n Join Bristol City Live’s Whatsapp community for all the biggest Bristol City stories sent straight to your phone<\/strong><\/p>\n Bristol City Live<\/a> is now on WhatsApp and we want you to join our community.<\/p>\n Through the app, we\u2019ll send the Bristol City news, live match coverage, team news, transfers, fixtures, analysis and more straight to your phone.<\/p>\n To join our community you need to already have WhatsApp. All you need to do is click this link and select \u2018Join Community\u2019.<\/a><\/p>\n No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Bristol Live<\/a> team.<\/p>\n We also treat community members to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. If you don\u2019t like our community, you can check out at any time you like.<\/p>\n To leave our community, click on the name at the top of your screen and choose \u2018Exit group\u2019.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.<\/a><\/p>\n Click here to join our WhatsApp community.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI’m already winning in life; I think I have the best job in the world, I wake up in the morning with a smile on my face and thank God that I’ve been able to do what I love since four years old. I think playing is a success.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, if you ask the gaffer, if you ask Knighty the skipper, if you ask the CEO, the owner, they’ll have ambitions of where they want to take the club to, and they’ll have ambitions of where the club needs to be at the end of the season. I’m not the one to answer that, but if I talk from an individual standpoint, my success would be to just play as many games as possible and just see where we’re at, at the end of the season.<\/p>\n \u201cYou look at the season and the teams in the league, everyone’s all over the gaff,\u201d he laughs. \u201cYou get three points and you’re in the play-off spots, you lose three points and you’re out of the play-off spots, you’re out of automatics, you’re in the relegation zone, which just goes to show that the league is absolute chaos. But listen, you don’t win the league in November, you win the league in May.<\/p>\n \u201cThere’s still a long way to go, and we will see what happens at the end of the season. It’s up to us as players to just focus on what we do on the pitch and the rest will take care of itself.\u201d<\/p>\n READ MORE: Jason Knight, Cam Pring, Joe Williams, Luke McNally: Bristol City issue November injury update<\/a>READ MORE: Bristol City loan notebook: Ian Holloway’s Jamie Knight-Lebel change, Adam Murphy facing England, Sam Bell in form<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"EXCLUSIVE: Bristol Live sat down with Bristol City forward Sinclair Armstrong to discuss his first 18 months at…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":574795,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8818],"tags":[381,2686,748,393,14590,4884,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-574794","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-bristol","8":"tag-bristol","9":"tag-bristol-city-fc","10":"tag-britain","11":"tag-england","12":"tag-football-league-championship","13":"tag-great-britain","14":"tag-uk","15":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115561288297869312","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/574794","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=574794"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/574794\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/574795"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=574794"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=574794"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=574794"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1763325202_519_0_JS385291421.jpg\")
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Bristol City boss Gerhard Struber during the Robins’ draw with Watford(Image: Bradley Collyer\/PA Wire)<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/0_JS383395925.jpg\")
Emil Riis and his Bristol City teammates celebrate in their defeat to QPR at Ashton Gate(Image: Bradley Collyer\/PA Wire)<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1_JS385345923.jpg\")
Sinclair Armstrong featured off the bench for Bristol City in their win over Southampton(Image: EFL)<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1761740732_676_0_IMG_8825JPG.jpg\")
Sinclair Armstrong scores Bristol City’s only goal in their 1-0 win over Birmingham City(Image: Photo by Rogan\/Bristol City)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/1744476931_129_0_WhatsApp-Phone.jpg\")
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