‘To not see this season as anything but an overall success seems crazy to me’

I would like to open this week’s piece with a few predictions for what is left of the season. The first is: we will not get promoted. I know that while it is still mathematically possible, fans will implore you to “always believe”. But, trust me. The promotion dream is over.

My next prediction is that we may well see some youngsters getting a bit of a run out once that slim mathematical chance has gone. I’m hoping we’ll get a decent look at both Walsh and Eliasson and perhaps one or two of the Academy starlets too.

My final prediction is that, sadly, there will still be some deluded fans who seem to think our poor form post-Christmas should result in a change of manager. To these fans I say one thing: be careful for what you wish for.

To not see this season as anything but an overall success seems crazy to me. The lowest place we can finish is 11th. I can’t imagine there are many City fans that wouldn’t have taken that at the start of the season although I accept the point that given we were in the top-two in December, the season is tainted with a little disappointment.

The club have been heavily criticised by some for their poor dealings in the transfer market in January. I personally still maintain that on paper all three signings looked to have decent potential, but many have suggested City took the cheaper options available to them.

That suspicion was pretty much confirmed by Johnson this week saying the likes of Mitrovic and Grabban were not the type of player “we are in the market for”. These comments seem to have angered some fans, but I fully understand the clubs’ stance in this regard.

Those fans calling for speculative spending seem to have short memories. Having lost to this weekend’s opponents, Hull City, in the play-off final ten years ago, City did indeed invest heavily in wages in the following years. The likes of David James and Nicky Hunt, among others, signed up with eye-watering pay packets.

It’s fair to say that the strategy didn’t work then, and there is no guarantee it would work now. It also frustrates me that some fans seem to neglect the fact that we are generally competing with sides that are awash with the riches of Premier League parachute payments or questionable financial backers, such as Wolves.

City are moving in the right direction, and if we can keep the majority of the current squad together I would suggest Johnson would have a decent chance of getting us into the top six next season.

The Bobby Reid interview this week made uncomfortable viewing for City fans as the Championship Team of the Year forward refused to answer questions committing himself to the club beyond the year left on his current contract.

The young Bristolian has been a revelation, and much of his success should be put down to the coaching staff and the work they have clearly done with him to help him to develop in his new role as a 20-goal-a-season striker.

I feel the same way about Bobby as I do about the rest of the players that may have their heads turned this summer. I would not begrudge him the chance to play Premier League football and as long as City command a suitable fee I’d wish him all the best should he leave. The questions will arise, however, if he decides to take a sideways step and join another Championship rival, but only time will tell as to what will be his fate.

As mentioned above, City take on a much-rejuvenated Hull side that have managed to stem their rotten mid-season run under manager Nigel Adkins. I would expect Johnson to change things around a little bit with hopefully an attacking look to the side, as anything but a win would surely confirm our status as a Championship team next season.

Finally, I want to ask City fans to join in a minute’s applause against Hull for lifelong City fan Tony Sharp who sadly passed away last week. Sharpie, as Tony was known, was the uncle of a good friend of mine and I know Saturday will be an emotional day for the family. They have asked City fans to applaud when the game hits the 78 minute mark, the age he would have turned this weekend.