Gerhard Struber protecting 26-year record as Bristol City aim to continue strong start vs Oxford United

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The Championship season has thrown up some surprises already. However, the unbeaten start for Gerhard Struber at Bristol City is among the most impressive of them all.

Taking over from Liam Manning, especially after that top-six finish last season, was always going to be a challenge for the next Bristol City manager.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
1	MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough	6	5	1	0	11	4	7	16
2	Stoke CityStoke City	5	4	0	1	9	3	6	12
3	Bristol CityBristol City	5	3	2	0	12	4	8	11
4	LeicesterLeicester	5	3	1	1	8	5	3	10
5	West BromWest Brom	6	3	1	2	7	6	1	10
6	CoventryCoventry	5	2	3	0	15	7	8	9

Gerhard Struber stepped in with a decent reputation behind him, but no one would have expected him to hit the ground running with positive results in the way he has so far.

Last time out, Bristol City punished Sheffield Wednesday with a 3-0 win. Next up, is a home tie against Oxford United, and it’s safe to say the Robins have history on their side.

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Bristol City are unbeaten against Oxford United since 1999

If Bristol City can avoid defeat in this weekend’s Championship clash with Oxford, they will maintain a 26-year unbeaten record against the U’s.

Going back to 1999, there have been five meetings in the league between these two sides. During that period, Bristol City won three games and drew twice.

Last season, Bristol City won 2-1 at Ashton Gate before being held to a 1-1 draw away from home. Prior to that, there was a run of three meetings in the League Cup, of which Oxford did win two, but also suffered a 5-1 hammering just two years ago.

Gerhard Struber will be eager to keep that run going for Bristol City. But, it’s also worth noting that Oxford have only lost one of their last eight trips to Ashton Gate.

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What is the secret to Gerhard Struber’s early success at Bristol City?

Obviously, Gerhard Struber is a very accomplished manager, so it shouldn’t surprise us he’s doing so well.

The goals of Anis Mehmeti have helped propel Bristol City forward. New signing Emil Riis has also chipped in with three goals and an assist. It’s safe to say the goals are flowing, as evidenced by a 4-1 win over Sheffield United and a 4-2 win over Hull City.

However, we are really impressed with Bristol City’s defensive work, too. They’ve conceded four goals in five matches, and kept two clean sheets along the way.

That defensive resilience was a big part of Liam Manning’s tenure, and Struber has maintained that effortlessly.

No one is expecting them to repeat their play-off feat of last season. However, at this rate, we could well see Struber make Bristol City the dark horses of the second tier once more.