Bristol City have clear Premier League warning when it comes to Luton Town – It’s a concern for Liam Manning | OneFootball

Liam Manning's Bristol City are in the play-off places in the Championship but their hammering at Leeds United will serve as a warning for the Robins.

After a magnificent few months, Bristol City have put themselves firmly into play-off contention ahead of the final day of the season, but the last few games will be a major concern to Liam Manning and the club.

The Robins have perhaps performed just ahead of schedule this season following Manning’s move to Ashton Gate in the November of last season.

In his first full campaign, City appeared set for yet another mid-table finish but have since propelled themselves into the top six and in pole position to face fourth-placed Sunderland in the play-off semi-finals if they gain a positive result against Preston on the final day.

It probably is the case, though, that significant improvement and a play-off push this season would have deemed good enough by supporters and the hierarchy of the club, so their current position is an overachievement.

An annihilation at the hands of Leeds United at Elland Road on Monday, however, was a well-timed reminder that timing is everything in football and perhaps promotion this season may not actually be best for the long-term.

Bristol City learning from Luton Town

A couple of seasons ago, Luton Town gained a shock promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs, beating Coventry City on penalties in the Championship play-off final, 12 months after they'd finished sixth and lost at the semi-final stage to Huddersfield Town.

The Hatters performed admirably at times during their stint in the top-flight but were still relegated with relative ease, despite both Everton and Nottingham Forest enduring significant points deductions during the campaign. Their apparent build towards promotion was really worth nothing in the end when it came to staying up.

This season, Town have been battling back-to-back relegations with a focus and overall feeling of the club having completely changed due to their season at a higher level. Promotion still came as something of a shock despite back-to-back top six finishes, and indicated that, as a club, they were way ahead of schedule.

Rob Edwards departed mid-way through the current season and was replaced by Matt Bloomfield. It took time for the former Wycombe Wanderers boss to find some form at Kenilworth Road, but they finally have just at the right time and their 3-1 defeat of Bristol City on Easter Monday could be crucial in keeping them up.

Manning and Bristol City, whilst obviously not considering the possibility of going up as a bad thing, will have to be cautious in the knowledge that the gulf between themselves and what they may face in the Premier League is so much that relegation is almost inevitable from the get-go. It's the case for already-promoted Leeds and Burnley, so will definitely be a concern for the play-off winner.

An extremely poor relegation, which we have seen in each of the last two seasons from the three newly-promoted clubs to the Premier League, can bring about a negative atmosphere and mood at the club with motivation decimated – especially if that initial promotion was achieved by a group of players playing above their expected level.

Manning and City destined for more

There will be a feeling that Bristol City are growing towards the Premier League naturally anyway and there is still a lot more growing to do under the management of the impressive Manning, who had previously done good work with both MK Dons and Oxford United.

Their 3-1 defeat to Luton, a side that now has Premier League experience and are fighting for their lives, and a 4-0 hammering at the hands of a Leeds side almost showboating as they try and secure the Championship title, will be stark reminders of just how far City have to go still.

Prior to those losses, the Robins had enjoyed a seemingly unsustainable run of form that saw them suffer just two defeats in their previous 16 matches in the league. That form, though, has ultimately got them in control of their play-off finish this weekend.

Any trade-off for a supporter seeing their side reach the Premier League for the first time, but knowing it will more than likely end in a painful relegation that could be followed by a Luton-esque fall towards the bottom end of the Championship, is still probably worth it.

The club’s hierarchy, though, whilst still desperate for the riches of top-flight football, will have to be cautious and wary of what may come their way – especially in light of the gulf between themselves and a team that, still at present, are in the same division as Leeds, let alone what comes next.