Football City appear to have done excellent work over the summer

BEFORE last season was even out, Steve Lansdown moved to set expectations for what the summer transfer window would have in store for Bristol City.

- DanCARTER

Though fans had hopes of heavy investment after a first playoff finish in 17 years, it was clear from the owner's early messaging that the Robins wouldn’t be throwing money around recklessly.

“We'll carry on doing exactly what we're doing,’ Lansdown told BBC Radio Bristol when asked about transfer plans during the playoff campaign. “We'll look to keep developing the youngsters through the academy, giving them the opportunity and giving them the pathway.

“We'll look to keep our recruitment looking for value for money out there in the marketplace. There are one or two positions we want to fill. I think it’s fair to say we need somebody up front so we will be in the market looking for players, but we're not going to go wild”

With the window now in the rear view mirror, it would be safe to say Lansdown, the recruitment team below him, and City as a whole stood by their word.

By no means did the Robins “go wild” In actuality, they were far from it. Instead of spending beyond their means or gambling on unknown quantities, they produced a transfer window with no major thrills, but equally no standout risks and that approach can be admired

With a few hours to reflect on the previous four months of movement in and out of Ashton Gate, it seems as though most supporters have been left with a feeling of contentment, even if they’re still pining for that little something extra.

In the wake of last season’s playoff semifinal defeat to Sheffield United, I suggested the Robins’ priority this summer simply had to be keeping the core of the group that achieved that sixth-placed finish last season in place together. With Liam Manning departing BS3 and Gerhard Struber taking his place in the dugout, maintaining some sort of continuity only became even more important.