Gerhard Struber’s Bristol City twice came from behind to secure a draw against fellow Championship play-off hopefuls Wrexham

Bristol City boss Gerhard Struber watches on at Ashton Gate(Image: EFL)

Gerhard Struber told his Bristol City players to change their pressing triggers, behaviours, and to play forward midway through their clash with Wrexham, the Robins boss has revealed after the Robins’ draw with the Red Dragons.

The Reds twice came from behind to share the points in a 2-2 draw with Phil Parkinson’s side at Ashton Gate on Tuesday evening, as second-half goals from Sinclair Armstrong and Max Bird ensured City kept the pace in the play-off race.

Struber’s side headed into the interval in BS3 trailing after Oliver Rathbone lashed Wrexham into the lead with a little over 10 minutes to play in the first half. The lead was the least the away side deserved as the Robins were unable to ask too many questions of the Red Dragons’ backline.

OPINION

READ MORE: Bristol City 2-2 Wrexham reaction: Max Bird volleys Robins level after Joe Williams own-goal

That changed after the break, however, following the introduction of Armstrong, Delano Burgzorg and Jason Knight. City returned from the interval energised, and two minutes after the restart, they had drawn level thanks to Armstrong’s fourth of the campaign.

Reflecting on the shift in his side’s performance between the two halves, Struber told Bristol Live, “We have to be honest, our first half was really bad. We were absolutely not in our world of football.

“We were too passive, we go backwards, we had wrong triggers in pressing, so I think this was a first half that shows not in this world of football that we want. How we change in the half-time – and what we changed at the half-time was changing the behaviours, come back with different pressing triggers and of course, play forward, think forward and make it with a different dynamic.

“The subs that came in did a really good job; we could feel more forward runs, we saved the ball better, we create much more problems on Wrexham’s last line, and I would say the whole branding from us was much more inside in the second half. We bounce back in this game, and I think this speaks something from my boys.

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“We never give up, we were always on a big belief to change this result and of course, with Max Bird at the end, a really good moment for himself and also for the team with his long injury. Five months [he was] out and now he is back with a really important goal and with a good performance.

“Overall, second half, a really good reaction, a good performance. First half, this was absolutely too little for our standards. I could not see Bristol City football.”

It had looked as though the Robins’ hard work early in the second half may have been in vain when Joe Williams turned into his own net to restore Wrexham’s lead with a little over 10 minutes to play. However, City again rallied.

Two of the Reds’ substitutes combined as Knight chipped onto the right foot of Bird, who was stationed on the edge of the area. The 24-year-old midfielder volleyed off the underside of the bar and into the back of the net to send Ashton Gate into celebration.

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Although Struber had needed to make his emotions clear to his players at the break, he felt City’s second-half showing alone was more than worthy of a point.

“I think the boys feel me today, from a very disappointed side,” the head coach explained. “And I know they were not happy with the game that we played.

“I would say the changes help today. This was also really good to see how Sinclair Armstrong did his job, Delano brings physical power, and Knighty was, in the end, really dynamic and forward playing. We can see in the end which influence these boys have on our game.

“In more directions, I’m really happy with how the subs interpreted our style of play and helped the team in the end to realise more than a deserved point.”

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