Bristol City

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Bristol City manager Michael Skubala has "no doubts" new strikers Lorent Tolaj and Dom Ballard can form a strong partnership.

The pair have arrived this summer from Plymouth and Leyton Orient respectively.

Despite often playing as lone strikers, Skubala hopes they will have an impact together.

"Lorent played in a front two at times at Plymouth," Skubala told BBC Radio Bristol.

"Dom Ballard led the line by himself but caused aggro for centre-halves and scored some good goals.

"It is part of his journey to learn how to play in a front two if we do that. They can both do it.

"I have no doubt Dom Ballard and Lorent Tolaj can be a great partnership for this football club."

Goalkeeper Sam Tickle has also arrived from Wigan and Skubala is urging fans to be patient.

"Dom, Tolaj, Sam Tickle, they've all got to step up to another level. They are going to take time, we need to be patient. We haven't brought them here just for Saturday."

Skubala's first match in charge will be on Saturday at home to Millwall.

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Bristol City and Millwall begin their Championship campaign with a meeting at Ashton Gate on Saturday (15:00 BST).

The Michael Skubala era at the Robins began with an ignominious home defeat to Walsall in the EFL Cup first round last weekend while the Lions edged QPR on penalties to reach round two.

City's 4-1 win over Sheffield United last season was their first on opening day since 2020 while Millwall's 2-1 success at Norwich was their third victory in the first league game in four years.

• Bristol City have lost five of their past seven home league games against Millwall (W2), as many as in their previous 39 matches (W17 D17).

• Millwall did the league double over Bristol City last season; only twice before have they won three successive meetings with the Robins in the Football League (4 in January 1932, 3 in September 2021).

• Under Roy Hodgson, Bristol City finished last season losing two of their final seven games (W3 D2), winning as many games as in their previous 14 (D3 L8).

• Millwall earned more points away from home than any other side in the EFL Championship last season (41 – W11 D8 L4), with the Lions unbeaten in their past nine league trips since a 2-1 defeat at Coventry in January (W6 D3).

• Only Coventry City (29) and Southampton (28) scored more goals from set pieces (excluding penalties) than Millwall in the EFL Championship last season (26), with their eight from throw-ins more than anyone else.

Birmingham are keen on Bristol City midfielder Max Bird, 25, who has just a year left on his Ashton Gate contract. (Birmingham Live, external)

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Thursday's gossip column here.

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Former Bristol City and Fulham defender Joe Bryan has announced his retirement from football.

The 32-year-old left-back made 464 career appearances for six clubs, including 44 in the Premier League for Fulham, and scored two of his 32 goals in the 2020 Championship play-off final.

He was released by Millwall in the summer and has opted to hang up his boots.

"Whilst not the perfect ending everyone hopes for, I am at peace with the decision to retire and move into a new phase of my life," Bryan wrote on social media, external.

Bryan emerged from the academy at his hometown club Bristol City, spent loan spells at Bath City and Plymouth Argyle, and went on to play 230 times for the Robins in both the Championship and League One.

He helped City reach the semi-finals of the League Cup in 2017-18, scoring against Crystal Palace and Manchester United.

In August 2018, Bryan was close to joining fellow Championship side Aston Villa but instead chose to join Fulham in the Premier League.

He stayed with them for five years, through two relegations from the top flight, and played 119 times.

After a loan spell in France with Nice, Bryan joined Millwall in 2023 and played 81 times for them in the Championship.

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Bristol City manager Michael Skubala was frustrated by his side's ponderous approach during the shock Carabao Cup defeat at home to League Two side Walsall.

Skubala was taking charge of the Robins for the first time since leaving Lincoln City at the end of last season.

His side had 71.9% of possession and 33 shots on goal against the Saddlers but were knocked out as Aaron Pressley's second-half strike proved enough for the visitors.

Skubala told BBC Radio Bristol: "I am not happy with the result. It's very frustrating, we gave them a cheap goal and created a lot of chances but didn't put the ball in the net.

"We are disappointed and we didn't have the quality we needed in the final third.

"They caught us in transition twice and that's the nature of these games. It wasn't until we were 1-0 down that we moved the ball quickly and got in behind them. We wanted too many touches and didn't take enough risks, trying to score a perfect goal."

City started with five debutants and introduced striker Dom Ballard in the second half after his big move from Leyton Orient.

Skubala hopes that another week in training will lead to a much-improved display in the Championship opener against Millwall on 15 August.

"It's not a great start to the season but the bread and butter starts next week," he said.

"The cohesion is not there yet and that will take time. We are not happy losing to a League Two team and we have to be better."

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Bristol City summer signing Dom Ballard is "a special player" according to BBC Radio London's Leyton Orient commentator Dave Victor - but that does not mean he is a complete one yet.

Ballard joined the Robins on Tuesday after impressing at Leyton Orient in League One last season, scoring 23 times to be the league's top goalscorer.

"He's a player who is still learning the game," Victor said.

"He still makes mistakes. He's only 21 and I know that one of the things he has said he wants to do is [improve] his contribution off the ball.

"When he's one-on-one with the goalkeeper, you know it's going into the back of the net, but possibly his running off the ball is not the level that it will need to be in the Championship."

Listen to the full analysis below or on BBC Sounds here

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Bristol City head coach Michael Skubala joined BBC Radio Bristol's Ed Hadwin for the first episode of Sound of the City leading into the start of the new season.

You can watch the entire episode to hear what Skubala had to say above.

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Motherwell have signed Canada defender Jamie Knight-Lebel on loan from Bristol City.

The 21-year-old has spent the past two seasons on temporary deals with Crewe Alexandra and then Swindon Town.

"I want to welcome Jamie to the club," Motherwell boss Alfred Johansson said.

"He is a talented young player who has two very strong seasons out on loan playing regularly. A physical and strong defender, he will provide competition in the defensive positions and bring international experience.

"Bristol City rate him highly, and this loan move will provide him with the opportunity to play in a style suited to his game. We look forward to introducing Jamie to the squad, and I'm excited to be working with him."

Bristol City manager Michael Skubala says he was really pleased with the intensity in his side as they beat Newcastle 4-1 in a pre-season friendly.

The match was Skubala's first at Ashton Gate since he was appointed and was watched by a crowd of just over 21,500.

New signings Sam Greenwood and Lorent Tolaj both got on the scoresheet, before Max Bird made it 3-0.

Harvey Barnes pulled a goal back for the Premier League side but Sven Botman's own goal made it 4-1 at full-time.

On the aspects of his side he liked, Skubala said: "I thought the intensity in the team, the way we played fast and forward, the way that we got off the back of them, the way we looked a threat whenever we moved it through the structure and the patterns we wanted.

"I thought the transition moments were exciting, we looked like we could go and score in transition and there's stuff to work on still when we're a little bit lower and being a bit more solid.

"But saying that I thought the centre-halves tonight putting their bodies on the line blocking shots, blocking goals was exceptional.

"There's always things to improve on and doing it against a top opposition like that shows our weaknesses."

Bristol City, Stoke City, Sheffield United and Preston North End are battling for the signature of Ipswich Town right-back Harry Clarke, 25, with the Robins the most advanced in their pursuit of the Englishman. (Talksport), external

For more transfer news and rumours, read Thursday's full gossip column here.