Vitek is among City's best-ever keepers
Fan writer David Pottier reflects on Roy Hodgson's stellar start at Bristol City and reminisces about his favourite Bristol City goalkeepers.
[BBC] [Getty Images] There is no doubt Roy Hodgson has galvanised this Bristol City team into a more cohesive unit than his predecessor Gerhard Struber was doing through that dreadful run of one win in eight games, which cost him his job after nine months in charge. Six points from his two games at the helm would suggest Roy has still got it in terms of imparting his tactical know-how on a group of players that seemed increasingly struggling to come to terms with what Struber's tactics were. Those fans who held the whimsical notion that if Roy won all his seven games in charge it might yet enable City to reach the play-offs for a second successive season would surely have seen those hopes dashed as Southampton battered Wrexham on Tuesday evening.
The Saints moved into sixth place, nine points ahead of City with a game in hand. Reaching last season's total of 68 points is still within City's grasp and would see them secure eighth or ninth, a position one would normally associate with that points total, last season being something of an anomaly as it secured that final play-off place. City's victories against Charlton and Sheffield United were both deserved.
The win at The Valley should have been by a wider margin had Armstrong converted one of two one-on-one with the goalkeeper chances late on. Some smart saves from Radek Vitek kept that slender lead intact. At home against Chris Wilder's Sheffield United, City were ahead at the break but had to withstand a second-half onslaught by the Blades led by their inspirational midfielder Gus Hamer.
Through this period, the 22-year-old Czech keeper commanded his penalty area as well as producing a string of saves that had many City fans saying he is the best player to have ever worn the number one jersey. Going back over my 59 years of watching City I have seen a whole host of keepers, many of them good, but until now only two stick in the mind as being truly great. In this past 20 years, I think most City fans would agree that Adriano Basso is a valid contender for one of those accolades.