Bristol City v Leeds Preview

Posted on | February 4, 2012 | No Comments

This game has taken on a completely new dimension in the last few days, after Leeds made the decision to sack manager Simon Grayson. A lot of people in the football world are surprised at the move, with the Whites still in contention for a playoff place as they occupy 10th position. Opponents Bristol City replaced their manager earlier in the season although the Robins are still struggling around the bottom places, with the club currently occupying 20th spot.

While Bristol City might be sat just two places above the drop zone, the Robins are still six points above the bottom three which at least gives them a few points to play with. However, there is no getting away from the fact that the Ashton Gate outfit have experienced an awful campaign and their plight was worsened further this week when top scorer Nicky Maynard left the club. With his contract set to expire at the end of the season, City opted to cash in on the former Crewe striker although it remains to be seen how they’ll fare in his absence. In terms of recent results, the Robins are certainly struggling after losing three of their last four games. However, having only lost one of their last six at Ashton Gate, their home form is at least promising.

Even though Leeds are performing reasonably well in the league, there have been rumours for weeks that Simon Grayson’s job has been at risk. Unfortunately for him, a 4-1 defeat at home to Birmingham on Tuesday proved to be the last straw for the Leeds hierarchy, even though the Whites are just four points away from 6th position. Overall, their form over the last couple of months has been poor though and two wins out of nine clearly wasn’t acceptable to United chairman Ken Bates. With the club without a victory in their last five games on the road, their supporters may also be slightly concerned as they take the trip to the South West.

The home side approach this fixture with mixed news, with Derek McInnes firstly set to be without Louis Carey as he serves a one match suspension. On a more positive note, Marvin Elliott and Liam Fontaine are poised to return following spells on the side lines. There is little to report for Leeds on the other hand, although the Whites are expected to make changes following Simon Grayson’s departure. Having recently joined the club, Robbie Rogers and Adam Smith could be handed starting debuts.

Looking at Bristol City’s away form and Leeds’ away results, most people would be looking to tip a home win in this clash. However, with City recently losing their top scorer and Leeds about to start a new era following Simon Grayson’s dismissal, our prediction will be a 2-0 win for the Whites.

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5. Leeds v Ipswich Preview

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