It's been a rollercaster ride for Bristol City so far this season, with the Robins now starting to find their best form after a difficult start to the season. Manager Brian Tinnion was replaced by Gary Johnson but the former Yeovil boss then saw his new side lose 11 games on the bounce to slip into the drop zone. However, more recently City have found some consistency and six games without defeat means that Johnson's men are now within just four points of the top half of the table. Givemefootball's Mark Shail caught up with in-form winger Scott Murray after the players returned from a three-day break in Portugal.
Q:HOW WAS THE TRIP TO THE ALGARVE?
A:It was a nice break but we did plenty of training while we were out. We didn't have a game last Saturday so the manager thought it was the ideal time to get away for a few days. The weather was great and it was just good to have a change of scenery and we also managed to sneak in a couple of rounds of golf.
Q:YOU SCORED TWO GOALS IN THE CLUB'S LAST LEAGUE GAME, YOU MUST HAVE BEEN PLEASED WITH THAT?
A:Yes, it's always nice to score goals but the most important thing was that the team got the three points because we need to move away from the relegation zone as quickly as possible. We've got a nice little run going at the moment and the boys are playing really well, especially at home.
Q:WHAT WAS THE PROBLEM IN THE EARLY PART OF THE SEASON?
A:I don't know really. We lost a couple of games and then we just seemed to lose our confidence and we started playing like a nervous team. We were going out onto the pitch just hoping not to get beaten rather than thinking we were going to win. When you get on a run like that it came be really hard to get yourselves out of it.
Q:HOW DID THE TEAM MANAGE TO TURN THINGS AROUND?
A:We just needed one positive result to get our confidence back because deep down we knew that we weren't playing that badly. I remember we lost 1-0 at home to Bradford and we absolutely dominated the game but just couldn't score. They won the game late on with a fortunate goal, but from that match on things have gone much better for us.
Q:AND IT'S SCUNTHORPE THIS SATURDAY?
A:It's a very important game for us because they are only a point ahead of us so a win could see us go above them. They had an impressive start to the season but have struggled a bit lately so it may be a good to play them. We're playing with much more confidence now and with us being at home we'll be going into the game looking to take all three points.
Q:HOW ARE YOU ENJOYING YOU NEW ROLE ON THE LEFT?
A:It felt a little bit strange when I first played there, because I've always been a right winger, but I'm starting to enjoy it now and it seems to be working. The manager doesn't want me just to stay out wide on the left flank - he's always telling me to roam around and make it difficult for the defenders to pick me up.
Q:IS IT TOO MUCH OF AN ASK TO THINK ABOUT THE PLAY-OFFS THIS SEASON?
A:Right now are main priority is to get away from the relegation zone and make sure we're still in this division at the end of the season. Having said that, we're only a couple of good results away from climbing into the top half and then you never know. There are still plenty of games left and lots of points to play for.
