Flexibility can make the difference for Bristol City, says McCombe

If tactical dexterity can be regarded as a reliable yardstick by which to measure a team's credentials in the ultra-competitive Coca-Cola Championship, Bristol City have every chance of sustaining their promotion push.

Robins manager Gary Johnson may have come in for criticism from fans prepared to question his team selection and tactics this season, but there was no doubting the methods which brought victory over Plymouth Argyle in midweek.

When Johnson's initial gambit of playing a 4-3-3 formation failed to yield dividends, he withdrew striker Alvaro Saborio, introduced centre-back Louis Carey and switched to a 3-5-2 line-up in an attempt to create additional width.

And when that yielded no tangible advantage, he threw attacking midfielders Ivan Sproule and Gavin Williams into the fray and reverted to a more familiar 4-4-2 system, prompting a match-winning three-goal salvo in the space of six minutes.

Changes on such a scale within a single game would more than likely have proved beyond the squad at Johnson's disposal in previous seasons. But the arrival of players of the pedigree of Paul Hartley, Evander Sno and Saborio mean Bristol City are now able to adapt to just about any situation.

According to defender Jamie McCombe, such versatility renders the Robins a match for the biggest clubs in the English second tier.

He said: "It's something we've worked on more than ever in training since we reported back in the summer.

"We used to switch between 4-4-2 and 4-5-1 on a regular basis and then tried a 4-3-3, with some success, last season. But playing with wing-backs and three centre-backs is something we've only been able to add to our repertoire more recently.

"It's possible now because we have a lot of very intelligent players here and they understand the game and are bright enough to pick up on things quickly.

"The preparation we put in on the training ground was there for all to see the other night. It means we can change formation and personnel at any time.

"In the end, it was one tactical change too many for Plymouth. They came with quite a clever game-plan to close us down and hit us on the break and it worked for a long time. But we knew we would wear them down eventually and the changes the gaffer made in the second half meant we were able to create more chances."

Barnsley boss Mark Robins is likely to adopt a 4-4-2 system against City at Oakwell tomorrow. But McCombe reckons he and his team-mates are well-equipped to deal with any surprises on the day.

He explained: "We're experimenting with different formations all the time in training. We don't just work on our own formation and shape, but also on playing against and breaking down all the various systems.

"Very often we'll split into two teams, one playing 3-5-2 and another 4-3-3. Other times it will be 4-4-2 against 4-3-3 and so on. What it means is the lads are familiar with different ways of playing and are able to cotton on quickly to what the opposition are doing and adapt their own game-plan accordingly.

"This is by far the strongest squad of players there has been at the club since I joined.

"When you have that kind of depth, it increases the options open to the manager.

"Now that nearly everyone is back to full fitness, picking the side must be a bit of a headache."

If a minority of Bristol City fans have been critical this season, it is arguably because expectations are so high. When that criticism became more vocal and took on a personal element in the wake of last Saturday's disappointing 1-1 draw with Peterborough, manager Johnson and defender Bradley Orr felt compelled to defend themselves and their colleagues in public.

McCombe shrugged off such criticism. He said: "There are two ways of looking at it. Fans are always going to have their say and they are entitled to that - and there are always going to be those who like to moan.

"But that happens because of where this group of lads has taken the club over the past few seasons. We've gone up, established ourselves in the Championship and reached a play-off final.

"It's because of what we have achieved that the fans expect so much."