Sproule to outrun Wolves at Ashton Gate

Ivan Sproule’s hamstrings may be a touch tighter after his high-octane wing-play against Portsmouth but the Bristol City winger has plenty left in the tank for the clash with Wolves.

The Northern Ireland international, a £500k signing from Hibernian in 2007 gave Portsmouth’s own speed-merchant, £4.4million signing Nadir Belhadj, a run for his money at Ashton Gate on Tuesday night.

And he’s hoping his flying form will help City step up for the crunch games that lie ahead in the Championship.

"It's another big game,” said Sproule on the visit of league leaders Wolves. “It's a bit like last season when the big games started to come at this stage and you find they keep on coming till the end of the season. We're back to the bread and butter.

"So far they've been the best team in the league. They've got a strong squad, they've got a good manager. I'm sure Wolves, like a lot of other clubs will be thinking they should be in the Premier League.”

City were one of the victims of Wolves' devastating early season form, slumping to a 2-0 defeat at Molineux. Mick McCarthy’s side have struggled in recent games though and Sproule believes there could be a reversal of fortunes for the Robins at Ashton Gate.

“We went to their place and let ourselves down a little bit,” he said. “But we've found a bit of form of late ourselves and we're quietly confident. No matter whether you're sitting 19th or top of the league you can lose a game. That's the Championship for you.”

One of the reasons for City’s rejuvenation is Johnson’s switch to 4-3-3, a formation the Northern Irishman is fond of, although he’s yet to score this season.

He said: "The gaffer's tinkered a wee bit with the formation and it's probably a bit more like my Hibs days the way I'm playing because there's three up front.

"Goals will come. As long as you're either assisting or setting them up you're playing your part. Now I've been moved further up the field hopefully sometime maybe Nicky (Maynard) can square me one and I'll tap it in. I'm not worried as long as we keep on winning.

"We gave a Premier League team a run for it and that's given the team a lot of confidence,” he added. "The onus is on me now to just worry about the full-back. My main job as I've always done is to make the full-back worry about me. At the moment the full-backs are always on the back foot so long may that continue.”

The longer it continues the shorter Sproule’s hamstrings will become. "I knew about it (on Wednesday morning) when I went to get out of my bed. Belhadj is a cracking player and I put him on the back foot going one way, but I can assure you he put me on the back foot going the other way.

“That's why we want to get back to the play-offs this season to get that crack again to get to the Premier League because it would be wonderful to bring that kind of opposition to Ashton Gate every week.”

In the Pompey replay Johnson opted to leave the strength and power of Dele Adebola and Stern John on the bench and plump for the pace of Nicky Maynard and Peter Styvar alongside Sproule in attack.

A race between Maynard and Sproule for the next tap-in is an exciting contest. "Nicky is fairly pacey,” said Sproule. “But I'd put the mortgage on me."

Bristol City boss: Wolves are human

Bristol City boss Gary Johnson is unwavering in his prediction Wolves will win promotion - after they’ve dropped three points at Ashton Gate.

The City manager is convinced his side are unfazed by taking on the league leaders and are well primed to do so after 180 minutes of FA Cup action against Premier League Portsmouth.

“It's always nice to have a big game after a big game because hopefully the lads are still up for it,” said Johnson. "We always feel big teams are beatable in this division when we're at Ashton Gate. We've had too many draws but that doesn't stop us thinking they're beatable.

"It will be a fantastic game but we shouldn't go into it with any worries that we're playing top of the league.”

And Johnson is looking forward to seeing his latest signing Peter Styvar test his talent against Championship as opposed to Premier League opposition.

The Slovakian striker, signed at the start of the transfer window from MSK Zilina for a reported £400,000, had a baptism of fire at Fratton Park then Ashton Gate, pitting his pace and trickery against some of the most experienced and respected defenders in the world.

“If your first two games are up against Sol Campbell and Sylvain Distin on your own, it's ‘oh my God, welcome to English football’,” said Johnson.

“He's played against the best and to be fair he kept the ball for us. There's a good player there. And we'll see at our own level, and with our team maybe creating a few more easier chances, Peter is very good at sniffing out goals from short range and long range.

“You can't have enough players in your club like that. Of course he's got to get to the tempo of the game but he won't come up against players like that (Campbell and Distin) every week in the Championship.”

Wolves top the table by four points, despite two draws and a defeat in their last three league outings, and in 2003/04 were plying their trade in the top tier, playing the likes of Campbell and Distin every week. Their football this season has been worthy of a return to those heights.

"They've had a fantastic start, an unbelievable start,” said Johnson. “If you get a run of 10 or so wins on the trot you’re going to be in a very strong position.

“We've got to worry about us. It's not a six pointer, but we've got to make sure we pick up the points so we're up near the play-off spots where we want to be.

“There are more consistent teams (in the Championship) and Wolves are one of those, but they do have an off day. And if we can have a good day to coincide with their off day then we have a fantastic chance.”

The manager was pleased with his side’s performance against Portsmouth and has been boosted by news that the back spasms which forced fans’ favourite Cole Skuse off in the second half should not prevent him turning out on Saturday.

“Just listening to the TV and radio after the Portsmouth game our supporters seemed to be quite happy with the effort we've put in and the way we're playing,” he said.

Johnson will be shunning all media in the run up to today’s match though as City adjust to a later kick-off time of 5.20pm. He said: "We try and keep ourselves away from the TV and radio for the scores. That can sort of affect you as you can find yourselves dropping down the league a couple of places even though you haven't played."

Basso out to keep Wolves from Bristol City's door

Bristol City goalkeeper Adriano Basso is infamous for his religious beliefs and an engaging optimism which his team-mates will do well to tap into ahead of the visit of Wolves tomorrow.

City’s proud statistic of not surrendering six points in a season to any side since Bradford’s visit to Ashton Gate in March 2007 could come under intense scrutiny against the leaders.

Wolves coolly despatched the Robins 2-0 at Molineux in September and, despite a recent run of poor results, are favourites to take all three points tomorrow.

But Basso, who missed the early-season defeat because he was recovering from injury, begs to differ. “I think (Wolves) have low confidence at the moment and to be honest I don’t think there’s too much difference between the teams in our league,” said the Brazilian shot-stopper, unfazed by Wolves title of Championship frontrunners. “The only thing that makes the difference sometimes is if we lose concentration.

“We know that we’re going to work hard to defend well and keep a clean sheet. If we do that we have a chance to win the game.

“Hopefully we can suprise them. Since I have been here they have beaten us in the league, so I respect them, but I think a defeat is not going to happen (at Ashton Gate).”

A much-quoted statistic in the run-up to City’s FA Cup replay with Portsmouth was that it has been 15 years since the club last beat Premier League opposition. Their record against Wolves is almost as poor, although last season City drew with them both at home and away in their charge for the play-offs.

“No team in this league is unbeatable,” said Basso, drawing on the spirit engendered in last season’s run which took fans, bookies and pundits by surprise as newly-promoted City reached the upper echelons.

“If we win this game we get close to the play-off positions. As you get closer your confidence and belief increases. “Like last season, as we get higher in the league we get more confident and have potential to put this team in the top again.”

And Bristol City’s latest extended brush with Premier League opposition has, in Basso’s opinion, given the perfect preparation for facing a team like Wolves, who possess knowledge of life in the top tier and have players who would be at home there.

He said: “I think we worked very hard as a team to keep a clean sheet (at Fratton Park) and the last game (at Ashton Gate) gave us a little bit more knowledge about the game of Wolves. They play like a Premier League side as well, the kind of football they play.”

The key though for the Brazilian is the old cliche of ensuring their own house is in order before worrying about the opposition. “We must just think about ourselves,” he said. “In the last few games we did well. If we keep doing this we have a chance.”

City are again virtually injury-free. The ice pack strapped to Basso’s calf yesterday was a formality, a regular companion after training on hard ground.

James Wilson (knee), Chris Weale (thumb) and Christian Ribeiro (knee) are the sole Robins’ injury worries leaving manager Gary Johnson a pleasing selection headache, not least for the hotly-contested three-pronged attack which has served City well since Christmas and which will seek to silence the Wolves at Ashton Gate.

Bristol City (from): Basso, Henderson, Orr, B Wilson, Carey, McCombe, McAllister, Fontaine, Elliott, Skuse, L Johnson, Williams, Noble, Murray, McIndoe, Styvar, Maynard, John, Adebola, Akinde, Sproule.