Bristol City

Image source, Shutterstock

Bristol City defender Jamie Knight-Lebel has signed a new three-year deal.

The 21-year-old has spent this season on loan at Swindon Town where he has made 31 appearances in all competitions, scoring three goals, to help the Robins to fifth in League Two, two points off the automatic promotion places.

Born in Montreal, Knight-Lebel joined the Bristol City academy as a 14-year-old and made his first-team debut as a substitute against Cardiff City in October 2023.

"I'm pleased to sign a new contract at the club. I've enjoyed my time here so far and I'm looking forward to pushing on next season and beyond," Knight-Lebel told the Bristol City club website., external

Only goal difference separates these two sides in 12th and 11th place respectively in the Championship table.

They are both nine points short of the play-off places before Saturday's game kicks off (12:30 BST).

• QPR are unbeaten in five league games against Bristol City (W2 D3), and are looking to complete the league double over the Robins for the first time since 2002-03.

• Bristol City are unbeaten in their past eight away league games against QPR (W5 D3), with their past two visits finishing level.

• Queens Park Rangers have picked up 10 points in their past four Championship matches, more than in their previous 11 games combined (W2 D3 L6).

• Since Roy Hodgson arrived at Bristol City, the Robins are the only side to win both of their matches in the Championship. A victory in this game would see him equal his total from his 20 league games in charge of them during the 1981-82 season (W3 D5 L12).

• No side has benefitted from more own goals in the Championship this season than QPR (6, level with Ipswich), drawing 1-1 with Preston last time out thanks to a Thierry Small own goal.

David Pottier
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

There is no doubt Roy Hodgson has galvanised this Bristol City team into a more cohesive unit than his predecessor Gerhard Struber was doing through that dreadful run of one win in eight games, which cost him his job after nine months in charge.

Six points from his two games at the helm would suggest Roy has still got it in terms of imparting his tactical know-how on a group of players that seemed increasingly struggling to come to terms with what Struber's tactics were.

Those fans who held the whimsical notion that if Roy won all his seven games in charge it might yet enable City to reach the play-offs for a second successive season would surely have seen those hopes dashed as Southampton battered Wrexham on Tuesday evening.

The Saints moved into sixth place, nine points ahead of City with a game in hand.

Reaching last season's total of 68 points is still within City's grasp and would see them secure eighth or ninth, a position one would normally associate with that points total, last season being something of an anomaly as it secured that final play-off place.

City's victories against Charlton and Sheffield United were both deserved.

The win at The Valley should have been by a wider margin had Armstrong converted one of two one-on-one with the goalkeeper chances late on. Some smart saves from Radek Vitek kept that slender lead intact.

At home against Chris Wilder's Sheffield United, City were ahead at the break but had to withstand a second-half onslaught by the Blades led by their inspirational midfielder Gus Hamer.

Through this period, the 22-year-old Czech keeper commanded his penalty area as well as producing a string of saves that had many City fans saying he is the best player to have ever worn the number one jersey.

Going back over my 59 years of watching City I have seen a whole host of keepers, many of them good, but until now only two stick in the mind as being truly great.

In this past 20 years, I think most City fans would agree that Adriano Basso is a valid contender for one of those accolades. The Brazilian was not the tallest but he stuck in my mind for being part of the 2007-08 side that reached the Championship play-off final. A deeply religious man, the "always believe" phrase is one he will be remembered for.

I have to go back to Roy Hodgson's first period in charge at Ashton Gate for my other choice and that is Jan Moller. The Swede was Bob Houghton's keeper when he managed Malmo to their European Cup Final appearance in 1979.

When Houghton came to Ashton Gate with Roy as his assistant, they persuaded the already financially strapped club to pay for this imposing shot stopper. The Swede, at 6ft 4in, is two inches shorter than Vitek but that height meant he too was able to command his penalty area in similar fashion.

Persuading Manchester United to let Vitek stay at Ashton Gate for one more season on loan is surely high on the agenda of things to do for the soon - hopefully - to be appointed sporting director.

All eyes are on the Richard Scudamore-influenced Lansdown family on who they appoint in that role. It is going to shape City's destiny for a few years if they are genuine in their commitment to having a real strategic plan for achieving the goal of Premier League status.

You can hear more from David Pottier on the Forever Bristol City podcast., external

Image source, Getty Images

Former Wales and Portsmouth midfielder Joe Morrell has taken interim charge of Bristol City's Under-21s team for the final three games of the season following the departure of Dennis Baraznowski.

Morrell, who retired from playing last October, has been coaching with the Robins academy squad for a number of months while he works towards his Uefa Pro Licence.

The 29-year-old began his career in Bristol City's academy and made his first-team debut aged 16, but never established himself in the squad.

Morrell went on to make more than 100 appearances for Portsmouth as well as playing for Cheltenham, Lincoln and Luton.

He won 37 caps for Wales, including at Euro 2020 and at the 2022 World Cup.

Bristol City interim manager Roy Hodgson told BBC Radio Bristol he was proud of the whole squad after a 1-0 home victory over Sheffield United made it two wins from two for the former England boss.

"The defending was key. The concentration and the determination from the keeper and defenders, supported by the midfield and the front players," he said.

"We were asked so many questions in that second half and to answer those questions makes me so proud of the players.

On goalkeeper Vitek: "These last two games he's been fantastic. He's got a great temperament and a real dominance in the air. I'd be surprised if he didn't go back to Manchester United eventually and be there a very long time.

"Every game teaches you things. Unfortunately, you need more time to process things and work on them, but it has been a fantastic two games.

"I' m not in favour of over-complicating and reinventing the game. There's a lot to build on for whoever comes in, and I hope they'll find themselves nearer the top than the bottom."

Roy Hodgson says he had no preconceived ideas about what to expect from his Bristol City after watching them beat Charlton Athletic in his first game in charge.

The Robins had drawn one and lost five of their last six matches under Gerhard Struber, leading to 78-year-old Hodgson being parachuted in for a seven-game stint.

But the interim manager was pleasantly surprised by what his players produced in their 2-1 win at The Valley in Hodgson's first game in the dugout since February 2024, with goals from Scott Twine and Noah Eile.

"The performance in general and some of the football we played was good and if we could keep that up, I'd enjoy watching that and I think the fans will enjoy watching it and it will give us more success than failure," Hodgson told BBC Radio Bristol.

[Did he sense a team low on confidence] "I would lie if I say I sensed anything. It's totally new to me what they've done.

"Should I be surprised? To be surprised, I'd have to have an opinion about what they're capable of doing and it's a blank canvas for me.

"I've selected a team and a style of play in conjunction with the other staff members and I know a lot more now having seen them for 90 minutes."

Image source, Getty Images

Bristol City have signed highly-rated forward Billy O'Neill from Irish side Bray Wanderers on a pre-contract agreement.

The 18-year-old scored 11 goals and provided 11 assists in 30 League of Ireland First Division games last season for the Seagulls, who were beaten promotion play-off finalists.

He has netted twice and registered one assist in six appearances this season.

O'Neill, who can play as a right winger or centre-forward, broke into the Bray Wanderers first team in 2023 at the age of 15 having joined their academy a year earlier.

The teenager will move to Ashton Gate and join up with the Robins' under-21 side for the start of the 2026-27 campaign.

David Pottier
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Mid-morning last Friday I had to do a mental check of the date to ensure it was not 1 April when I read the headline: "Struber sacked with Roy Hodgson named as caretaker boss."

I certainly did not see that coming - well, not Hodgson, but there was an increasing inevitability about the Austrian's departure being a matter of not if, but when.

I am old enough to remember Hodgson's first spell here early in 1982. It came in the midst of the Ashton Gate Eight crisis when, were it not for the financial sacrifice made by that group of players, the club would have gone under.

Hodgson took over following Bob Houghton's resignation and had a miserable run winning only three of his 20 games in charge.

He was relieved of his duties with a few fixtures remaining as City were relegated to the fourth tier just two years after their last game in the top flight.

Hodgson's appointment made the national sports headlines as the 78-year-old came out of retirement two years after leaving his last job at Crystal Palace.

At Monday's press conference, the assembled media were there to hear what he and recently appointed City CEO Charlie Boss had to say about how all this had come about and what the expectations were, since it was only to be a temporary arrangement covering just the final seven games of this season.

Roy spoke well, there is no doubt about that, while Charlie looked less self-assured in front of the camera.

I think few of the fans watching the live stream believed it when Boss said it was his decision - based on an assessment of what needed to be done - to exit Struber.

Evidence of the increasing influence former Premier League CEO and now City director Richard Scudamore is having around he place was clear, as both Boss and Hodgson referenced the approach as coming from him.

Personally I would like to have seen Hodgson asked for a longer commitment of, say, six months as City embark on their search for the new post of sporting director and a head coach.

Boss said Hodgson would offer his advice on both appointments while he was here, although I had a wry smile as the former England manager said he did not know what the role of sporting director entailed.

This is a vital close season period coming for City if next season is to be seen as one of hope rather than the relegation fight many are predicting.

The Lansdown ownership is very much under scrutiny in a way they have not been this past 20 years.

The social media platforms are awash with what needs to be done and from all of it, I would like to give credit to Bristol City FM for this excellent summary of the current situation., external

History has been brutally consistent: under the current ownership model, good decisions are the exception, not the rule.

Hope is not a strategy, and blind faith is not loyalty. Until there is a genuine change in ownership - or at the very least a complete abdication of football control - Bristol City will remain what they are now: a club with solid infrastructure, a proud support, and absolutely no idea how to turn either into progress on the pitch.

Until that changes, the sense of being rudderless and directionless is not pessimism. It is simply an honest assessment of reality.

You can hear more from David Pottier on the Forever Bristol City podcast, external

Image source, Getty Images

Championship clubs spent just over £69.5m on agents fees over the past 12 months according to figures released by the Football Association,, external an increase of £6m on the previous year.

The figures cover the period from February 2025 with Ipswich Town the top spenders, paying £11.7m having spent the first three months of the accounting period in the Premier League.

Southampton (£8.3m) and Leicester (£5.8m), who were relegated alongside Ipswich are the second and third-highest payers on the list.

Troubled Sheffield Wednesday were the most frugal when dealing with agents, spending £534,559.

Wrexham come in sixth on the list with an outlay of £3.6m while current Championship leaders Coventry spent just short of £1.5m.

Championship agents' fee spending, external

• Ipswich - £11,738,920

• Southampton - £8,381,358

• Leicester City - £5,866,587

• Sheffield United - £5,005,498

• Norwich - £4,020,206

• Wrexham - £3,660,584

• Swansea - £3,088,645

• Middlesbrough - £2,900,314

• Bristol City - £2,774,990

• Hull City - £2,450,431

• Stoke City - £2,088,886

• Birmingham City - £1,996,502

• Millwall - £1,982,348

• Preston North End - £1,831,233

• QPR - £1,829,036

• Watford - £1,612,833

• Coventry - £1,497,990

• Derby - £1,409,507

• West Brom - £1,346,030

• Oxford - £1,235,536

• Charlton - £904,698

• Portsmouth - £831,818

• Blackburn - £676,980

• Sheffield Wednesday - £534,559

"I thought it was a terrible decision and I think the manager has been hung out to dry.

"It screams to me of an owner trying to deflect from the decisions they've had to make instead of standing by them.

"I don't really get the purpose of a Roy Hodgson coming in for the last seven games who then also says he's not here for anything longer than this. If I were a Bristol City fan, I'd be scratching my head."

The 72+ team are joined by Middlesbrough loans manager Tommy Smith to chew over Bristol City's decision to dismiss boss Gerhard Struber and replace him with veteran 'short-term' manager Roy Hodgson - and if the problems actually lie elsewhere...

Listen to the latest episode of the 72+ podcast on BBC Sounds

Image source, Opta

Charlton Athletic will hope to take a major step towards Championship survival when they host struggling Bristol City on Friday (kick-off 15:00 BST).

The Addicks are on 48 points and nine clear of the relegation zone, with 50 points generally considered the magic number needed to stay up in the second tier.

Nathan Jones' side are without a win in their past two games (D1 L1) since winning two on the bounce against Birmingham and Middlesbrough.

The Robins' play-off ambitions have deteriorated after five games without a win (L4) and just one victory from their past eight. They have slipped from eighth and within a point of the top six to 16th and 12 points adrift on that run.

It is that recent form which prompted the City hierarchy to sack head coach Gerhard Struber and place Roy Hodgson in caretaker charge of the club he managed in 1982 until the end of this season.

• Charlton have alternated between defeat (2) and victory (2) in their previous four home league games against Bristol City, with this the first time they've hosted them since a 3-2 win on Boxing Day 2019.

• Bristol City have lost just one of their past five league games against Charlton (W2 D2), going down 3-2 at the Valley in December 2019.

• Charlton have lost four of their nine home league games in 2026 (W3 D2), one more than they did in 22 at the Valley in 2025 (W15 D4 L3).

• So far in 2026, only already relegated Sheffield Wednesday (10) have failed to score in more different Championship games than Bristol City (8).

• Charlton have had more different substitutes score for them in the Championship this season than any other side (9), while only Ipswich (17) have had more sub goals overall than the Addicks (13).

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views after Bristol City announced the sacking of boss Gerhard Struber with former England manager Roy Hodgson taking over at the Championship club until the end of the season.

Hodgson returns to a club which he led for four months in 1982 in his first managerial job in English football.

We had a large number of responses so, thanks for getting in touch and here is a selection of the views of Bristol City fans:

Jess - Roy is a legend and no doubt fans will give him a warm welcome but it's really hard to see the positives in this, or understand the club's vision. What's the point in overhauling the set-up when we aren't investing in the squad? We do the same thing over and over again and expect different results - madness!

Kris - Fans of other clubs often ask me why Bristol City have never made it to the Premier League as they seem equally perplexed as us City supporters. I think I have boiled it down to Steve Lansdown conservatism and poor managerial appointments. This is the first managerial appointment he's got right in a while in my opinion but reverted to type with this sacking after failing to back Struber with a sufficient squad to make it through the season. Beyond frustrating!

Tom - Quite predictable really as very poor form for the past two months. Struber has to take some blame for that but the transfer window was a disaster in January and he deserves more time. I don't see the point in the Lansdowns carrying on, as it's one bad decision after another and you can't keep blaming managers. Surely it is time to let someone else have a go at board level and getting us to the next level.

Matt - So frustrating to be owned by a local billionaire who shows little ambition for doing what's necessary on the playing side to get the club into the Premier League.

Mark - It's not April Fools' Day yet is it?

Image source, Getty Images

Neville - As a Palace exile in Bristol I think it is a sensible appointment to take the team through to the end of the current season. Roy gets to work quick and in both of his spells at Palace the effect was immediate.

Margaret - Bad mistake! The football has been great this season and it's not Struber's fault we sold our best players in the January transfer window. I like and respect Roy Hodgson but we should have stuck with Struber, he is a talented manager who knows how to motivate players. Shame on you Bristol City!

Mark F - The fans need to get a grip. Lansdown has poured so much into this club and turned us from a League One side into a big Championship team. Yes we all want to go to the Premier League but these things can take time and impatience is no excuse for the fans to turn on an owner who has spent £300m of his own cash stabilising us as a solid team.

Tony - Struber had to go, as the performances of late are nothing short of appalling. He lost the dressing room.

Marc - Why appoint Roy Hodgson, when he is only likely to stay until the end of season when Bristol City can not go up or down? It seems a pointless appointment, because although I have respect for him it is very unlikely he will be manager for the 2026-2027 season at 78. We sold our best players to our rivals when Struber was there, he even said Bristol City do not invest enough.