Bristol City back Michael Skubala after four straight home defeats

Bristol City will give head coach Michael Skubala the opportunity to improve their results despite a sequence of four consecutive Championship defeats at Ashton Gate. Chief executive Charlie Boss outlined the board’s decision in a message to supporters, according to BBC Sport’s reporting, after a 5-0 home loss to Norwich City left the club in 17th place.

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Boss said the board had met earlier in the week and agreed that Skubala should have the chance to address the team’s home form. The Norwich result, he acknowledged, fell well below the club’s expectations and prompted difficult discussions internally. His message confirmed that the response to the defeat would be to give the current head coach more time to improve results.

The scale of Saturday’s loss came against a wider run of disappointing results. Bristol City have won only two of their past 10 matches, while Skubala has recorded five victories in his first 15 league games in charge. The four successive home defeats have made performances at Ashton Gate a particular concern, and Boss specifically identified that record when explaining the board’s decision.

Supporters voiced their dissatisfaction during the Norwich match, and Boss said their frustration was shared by the club’s owners, board and players. He also stressed that Skubala understood the need for improvement. Explaining why the club had chosen to continue with him, the chief executive said the decision reflected a belief that the coach and the wider organisation could work through the difficult period together.

Skubala joined Bristol City in May on a three-year contract after leading Lincoln City to the League One title last season. That success preceded his move into the Championship, but his opening months with the Robins have now brought scrutiny of results and public reassurance from the chief executive about his immediate position.

Bristol City’s next Championship fixture is away to second-placed Middlesbrough on Saturday, 21 November, with kick-off scheduled for 15:00 GMT. Their subsequent programme includes home meetings with Wrexham and Swansea, either side of a visit to West Bromwich Albion. Those two Ashton Gate fixtures are the next home league matches following the board’s decision to give Skubala an opportunity to turn that record around.