Bristol City player ratings vs Watford: Cam Pring explosive while Joe Williams is everywhere

Bristol City thrashed Watford 4-1 courtesy of Cam Pring, Mark Sykes, Andi Weimann and a Wesley Hoedt own goal

Max O’Leary - 6

His rating, if anything, is testament to the overall team performance because O’Leary didn’t have a huge amount to do outside of two saves low to his left which he parried to safety, but they were stops you’d expect him to make. Did what he needed to do with the ball at his feet which decreased as the game went on because so much of the game was played higher up the pitch.

George Tanner - 7

After Jack Clarke and Scott Twine, he had Ken Sema to contend with and the Swede did work a few openings down that left flank, most notably in the first half, but overall he was kept quiet or restricted by Tanner in the impact he could make in the final third. There were also some purposeful balls into Sykes that set City on their way.

Zak Vyner - 7

Just so elegant and athletic back there, with his reading of the game impeccable. Watford tried to go wide, play through the middle or send balls into the box but, for the most part, Vyner dealt with it. His performance would perhaps warrant a higher rating but, a bit like O’Leary, as the game wore on, he wasn’t really threatened.

Rob Dickie - 7

For Vyner, read Dickie, with the added benefit of the centre-backs line-breaking ability on the deck. He was big and strong, as he always is, and nullified the Watford threat throughout.

Cam Pring - 8

In what has been a largely consistent campaign by the left-back so far, without some of the fireworks of last term being replicated, he’s perhaps lacked that one true explosive performance, which he certainly delivered in Hertfordshire. Assigned with constantly exploiting the space behind young Ryan Andrews, as City focused a lot of their attacks down that flank, he scored the opener with an opportunistic finish and was a driving force, on and off the ball.

Joe Williams - 9

Somebody ate their greens on Christmas Day. Whenever the ball was loose, invariably Williams was there to win it back with a diving challenge or through the art of anticipation. His commitment was further personified with some huge tackles to help out his defence while an outstanding performance was marked with his pitching wedge over the top which gripped the turf and sent Andi Weimann through to score the fourth.

Taylor Gardner-Hickman - 7

It’s testament to his poise in the middle of the park that Manning kept him in the side and decided to swap out Matty James for Williams, from the Hull game. Gardner-Hickman continues to make you double and triple check he’s only 21 because he plays with such maturity and intelligence.

Mark Sykes - 8

He continues to do utterly mad things, such as trying to lift the ball over a Watford player when facing his own goal, losing it and then presenting the hosts with a goalscoring opportunity. But when he gets going, he’s a hard man to stop and even when he’s not properly on his game, he always makes things happen. After being denied a certain goal by Wesley Hoedt’s own goal intervention, he got on the scoresheet quickly in the second half with a poacher’s finish.

Jason Knight - 8

You’re loath to say “captain’s performance”, as it's the most obvious of cliches, but with the armband around his shirt it didn't diminish his influence nor inhibit his display because Knight was, as he always is, everywhere. The fact he’s leading a Championship side at the age of 22 says everything about him as a player and personality. A gem.

Anis Mehmeti - 7

There was so much good in Mehmeti’s performance that you want to score him higher but he did ever so slightly let himself down with the final ball as he twice shot wide and there were at least two occasions where he held onto it a fraction too long when a teammate appeared open. That said, the fact he creates so much when he’s on the field and interlinks with Knight so effortlessly, plus his growing relationship with Pring, he’s setting himself a higher bar with each passing game.

Tommy Conway - 7

Was initially guilty a heavy touch that killed a promising early move but after that Conway ran the channels with enthusiasm and importance, as witnessed by the second goal; the 21-year-old peeled off to the left flank before sending in a fine cross that Hoedt couldn’t deal with as Sykes was on hand to convert.

Substitutes

Matty James (for Gardner-Hickman, 68) - 6

A sensible decision by Manning to rotate his three centre-midfielders and give Gardner-Hickman a rest with James the perfect addition to manage a game you’re leading in with 20 minutes remaining.

Andi Weimann (for Mehmeti, 77) - N/A

Nahki Wells (for Conway, 77) - N/A

Sam Bell (for Sykes, 87) - N/A

Harry Cornick (for Williams, 87) - N/A

Subs not used: Stefan Bajic, Jamie Knight-Lebel, Raekwan Nelson, Ephraim Yeboah

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