Bristol City manager Nigel Pearson has revealed that he is wanting to work with a smaller squad next season with the Robins not set to bring in a host of players for the ones that leave the club.

The Robins are facing a huge summer transfer window where they will be needing to make the right sort of additions to their squad and also decide on the long-term futures of many players. Pearson has been handed the job on a full-time basis and will now need to shape the squad in a way that can see them improve upon the results he has had so far at Ashton Gate.

Bristol City have as many as 13 players out of contract in the summer and it is being reported by Bristol Live that Pearson already knows the ones he wants to keep and the ones he wants to allow to leave. The Robins will be needing to find a couple of replacements for players that do leave the club. Having used around 38 different players this term it might be good to move a few on.

Speaking to BBC Radio Bristol, via Bristol Live, Pearson suggested that he is looking to work with a smaller squad for next season and that they could be set to allow seven or eight players to depart Ashton Gate with only a few coming in.

He said: "There will be departures this summer, absolutely, and there will be additions.

"If seven or eight go then it doesn't mean that seven or eight will come in. I would prefer to work with a more robust, smaller squad to make sure competition is very keen amongst the players.”

The verdict

You can understand why Pearson feels that he wants to work within a tighter nit squad than the Robins have had this season, with him needing to try and find a settled group of players who can all pull in the right direction. Changes are needed to the squad and there will be players in the group of 13 who need to move on for the sake of themselves and the club.

Pearson has shown in the past that if he can get a smallish squad of players together and united then he can achieve success in the English second tier. That will have to be the aim this summer, but Bristol City need to make sure they do not leave themselves too short in terms of personnel for next term.

If Bristol City can make the right sort of additions to their squad and bring in three or four players of real quality then it would have been a successful window for them. Their business will do a lot to determine whether Pearson can be a success at Ashton Gate or not.