Bristol City verdict: Robins encourage again as transfer window value visible before bonus break

First came Yu Hirakawa, then Rio Cardines and finally Michael Skubala. One by one, Bristol City's winger, Crystal Palace loanee and manager made their way to the Turf Moor away end and conducted a chorus of cheers.

The more than 900 City fans stationed to the side of Sam Tickle's goal had been on the rollercoaster with those on the pitch over the hour and a half prior. Less than quarter of an hour before they were able to share in a moment of collective celebration, it had appeared as though they'd be making the near-200-mile trip home empty-handed.

From the press box, the sense was that such an outcome wouldn't be just. The Reds, on the back of back-to-back wins over Portsmouth and Preston, had the better of the first-half chances, with only a top Max Weiss save denying Jed Wallace and taking the two teams into the break level.

As the second period got underway, the opening moments suggested the tired legs that showed themselves in glimpses before the interval hadn't vanished. Just as you began to wonder if a stalemate was the likely outcome, Burnley struck.

A good attacking move, the best produced by the hosts in the contest, ended with the ball landing at the feet of Aaron Ramsey on the edge of the area. With Lisav Eissat breaking towards him, the Clarets midfielder powered home. City were behind.

It had the makings of a familiar script, but this is a different Robins team to the one of years gone by. Having picked themselves up and dusted themselves down, Skubala's boys pulled level through Rob Dickie's 82nd-minute header. No time for celebration, back to their half for kick-off.

That desire to get underway once more was rewarded as the fourth official raised his board to indicate four minutes of additional time. Before such an announcement was relayed to those inside the ground, Hirakawa had slammed into the back of the net with his left foot and wheeled off into celebration; celebrations that continued in that aforementioned away end until the final whistle.

This hadn't been a smash and grab, despite the timing of the goals. City had deserved their victory and those on the pitch made sure they enjoyed it just as much as those watching from the stands.

To tell the truth, it was rather enjoyable to watch from the top of Turf Moor's main stand. With that in mind, we don't want to move on from the Robins' stoppage-time winner quite yet.

Instead, here are the stand-out talking points from the Reds' 2-1 victory at Burnley...

Normally, the start of September is reserved for the first international break of the season in the English footballing calendar. After three or four league games, fans have the chance to form opinions about who's a promotion contender, who's destined for relegation and who are going to make up the group in between.

This year, however, no such break exists. The 'start' of the season will span eight Championship games before the first pause in the second tier later this month. Bristol City, therefore, passed the halfway mark of the new-look 'start' against Burnley this weekend and, in a week that has caused plenty of optimism, encouraged once again.

That encouragement came from more than the final scoreline. It was a result of the fact that the Robins limited a side relegated from the Premier League last term to just two shots on target and an xG of 0.2. It was born from the fact that they had 14 attempts of their own, producing an expected goals tally worth more than four times that managed by their opponent.

Away from the statistics, it was a product of the fact that, having been faced with adversity in the space of Aaron Ramsey's early second-half strike, they stood up, were counted, and found a way to get the points they deserved.

A group made up, primarily, of players new to England's second tier, dug in to get a result and not for the first time this term. Winning is a habit that good teams get into and, so far, Michael Skubala's side are demonstrating such a tendency.

Of course, there is one major caveat to all that's written above: it is just a 'start' - something the Robins manager needs no reminding of.

"It's been good, but it's early days," Skubala said on the Reds' run of three straight wins. "It means nothing; nobody does anything in these months.

"But it's really encouraging to see the team fight, really encouraging to see the team play some good, attacking football, and it's really encouraging to see the subs come on and impact the game.

"It's an encouraging start."

As Skubala suggests, beating a low-on-confidence Burnley in September won't win you promotion, just as getting the better of Preston North End on deadline day won't secure a place in the play-offs.

Saturday's victory may not mean anything in the grand scheme of things come the end of the term, but it once again served as a demonstration of what the Robins could - and can - be heading into this new era. Viewed through that lens, it was an encouraging example and another cause for excitement for what the future could hold.

A key aspect of Bristol City’s encouraging start has been the different ways in which the Robins have found ways to win matches, particularly over the course of their last two games, away to Preston North End and at Burnley on Saturday afternoon.

While the starting line-up in both games more than pulled their weight - they secured the lead for the Reds at Deepdale and provided an excellent foundation at Turf Moor - it has been those introduced from the bench who have finished the job and secured the points.

Against North End on deadline day, Jed Wallace, Joe Williams and Gibson Yah's arrival, and later on, Dom Ballard's cameo, shifted momentum in the way of City just as the Lilywhites got on top. After the Clarets secured the lead on Saturday, it was the introduction of Yu Hirakawa, Ballard and Elijah Adebayo that sparked the Reds into life.

Now, Michael Skubala deserves credit for those changes. The Reds boss' willingness to switch things up is what provided all of those named above with the chance to influence proceedings. Similarly, the members of the City squad referenced deserve praise for taking those opportunities when they were presented.

However, Skubala wouldn't be able to make such alterations, and the substitutes wouldn't be able to have that sort of impact had it not been for the work done over the course of the summer window. Yes, the starting line-up has been strengthened, but it is when assessing the strength in depth available to the Robins' new boss that the value of the additions made truly becomes noticeable.

"You see at Preston, and you see it here," the City manager told Bristol Live after the full-time whistle. "The changes impacted the game.

"I think the work that we've done in the window has been good to allow us to have that depth, that variety and tactical variety so that we can change things when we need to. I think you only have to see Elijah come on, with a completely different threat to Dom and Tolly - who are great players.

"It's a different profile, and I thought he caused them some problems when he went on the pitch."

Of course, it is far too early to brand the Reds' summer a success or failure - we need to see how this group of players cope over what will, no doubt, be a gruelling Championship campaign - before we can cast such judgement.

What is inarguable, however, is that Skubala has a greater depth of quality and range of players in his squad than either Roy Hodgson or Gerhard Struber had at any point of last season. Though that presents a headache, it means you can make the sort of tweaks that win you football matches.

The lack of injuries present in the group at the time of writing naturally has a part to play in that, but in a way that feels rather circular, squad fitness should only be benefited by a larger roster.

Already, after game five of the league campaign, it feels as if the benefits of that "aggressive" first window have been clear for all to see. If you missed it at Preston, Hirakawa's strike at Turf Moor was the clearest example yet, and I doubt you missed that one.

Of course, the flip side to that depth mentioned above is that Michael Skubala and the Bristol City coaching staff are only allowed to name 20 players in a squad on a game day. When you have what is almost a 25-man playing group - with a couple of youngsters included - players are going to have to miss out.

In truth, the Robins faithful are becoming used to that now. In the opening weeks of the campaign, it was Tomi Horvat who wasn't included. Against Portsmouth, it was Emil Riis and Sam Bell, and at Turf Moor this weekend, it was Rob Atkinson.

The defender missed the midweek trip to Preston with what Skubala described as a personal issue. Whatever that was, it had passed by the time the Reds boss met the media on Thursday afternoon, when he confirmed that the defender had taken part in training and would be available for selection against Burnley on Saturday.

That confirmation, partnered with the 28-year-old's omission from the matchday squad to face the Clarets, will have no doubt raised some eyebrows amongst supporters. But as was the case when it was Horvat, Riis and Bell who were left out, this was little more than a tactical decision.

"It's just the depth, you know," Skubala replied when asked about Atkinson's absence. "We've got great depth in the group. I've got Noah and George as defenders on the bench; I wanted more attacking options on the bench.

"It's just [the sort of] decision you have to make when you have such a strong and deep group."

Undoubtedly, over the course of what the Reds hope to be a 50-game-or-more season, everyone in the City roster is going to be required at one point or another. Injuries occur, suspensions are picked up, and players' form will go through peaks and troughs.

While those factors listed above continue to be navigated well by the Robins, Skubala is going to continue to face those difficult selection decisions. It is a headache most managers would long to have.

Hopefully, a group which made note of the lack of competition for places when they met their new boss this summer will be able to embrace the newfound battle. Scott Twine, for example, has seemingly used it as a source of encouragement, having been an unused substitute in the opening day defeat to Millwall.

To put any nerves to rest, though, it doesn't appear as though Atkinson's recent omissions have had anything whatsoever to do with the late summer link with a return to Portsmouth.

Talking of a south coast club... Bristol City now have a week to rest, recover and prepare before they are next in action, when they make the trip to St Mary's to face Portsmouth's local rivals Southampton on Saturday afternoon.

Originally, the meeting with Tonda Eckert's side was scheduled to be the final game for City in a stretch of five matches in 15 days. Now, though, given the Reds' meeting with Lincoln City has been delayed by a week due to the Imps' progression in the Carabao Cup, it is game one of a run of three in seven days, leading into the first break of the campaign.

On the one hand, the postponement of Michael Skubala's reunion with Lincoln feels like it has come at a bad time. City are on a roll, having won three games on the spin, have found their footing under the new manager and would, on paper, have a good chance of getting one over the 43-year-old's former employer.

In the Reds boss' eyes, however, a gap between fixtures is what will benefit him and his playing group more, after a week that has seen the Robins cover almost 800 miles over the course of back-to-back trips to Lancashire.

"It's a good thing," Skubala said on the postponement. "We've been on the road for the last week against Preston and here. It's a long way.

"We've travelled well, and the lads are tired, so we'll get recovered and go again for what will be a really, really tough game again on Saturday."

While City focus on their recovery, Southampton will face a high-flying Swansea City side, who currently top the table, on Tuesday evening. After a difficult start to the term, Eckert's Saints will be desperate to secure the points.

I've covered Championship football for far too long now to suggest that means the rested Reds will be favourites, but it is unlikely to do Skubala and his players any harm to have an extended break while their next opponents face Vitor Matos' Swans.