After an excellent start to the season which saw Bristol City fans dreaming of a play-off challenge, Lee Johnson's side have suffered a steady decline which sees the club sit only two places above the relegation zone.

Boasting a squad which includes talents such as Chelsea loanee Tammy Abraham and experienced playmaker Lee Tomlin, Bristol City fans would have had higher expectations for this side.

It was expected that Bristol City would be in a much healthier position at this point of the season, especially after a strong second half to last season and a positive start to this campaign.

However, Lee Johnson's side have struggled to recover from the downward spiral and the slump of form which has seen Bristol City in free-fall.

Reflecting on the first half of the season, it could be argued that one or two of Bristol City's players have failed to perform and showed that they are out of their depth.

This article will look at TWO Bristol City players who are seriously out of their depth at the club.

Gustav Engvall

When Gustav Engvall joined Bristol City in the summer from Swedish side IFK Göteborg, there was an air of excitement about the 20-year-old Swedish international.

However, it seems that Engvall has struggled to settle and to acclimatise to the physical nature of English football.

Despite arriving in the summer with high reputation, Engvall has only made two substitute appearances for Bristol City in the Championship.

Lee Johnson's reluctance to use the Swede would suggest that the 20-year-old striker is currently out of his depth.

There is no doubt that Engvall is extremely talented and still could have a very bright future at Bristol City.

However, in a relegation battle, the Swedish striker could find himself out of depth in a crucial period of the season.

Korey Smith

The central defensive midfielder played an integral role in Bristol City's promotion from League 1 and also proved to be one of Bristol City's stand-out performers last season.

However, this season, Korey Smith has been unable to re-find his form after returning from a long-term injury which saw him sidelined.

The defensive midfielder has looked out of depth this season as he has struggled to provide the necessary cover and shield the back four.

The usually tenacious central defensive midfielder has looked lost and tactically unaware - this is one of the reasons why Bristol City have failed to recover from their bad run of form.

Following the arrival of Jens Hegeler from Hertha Berlin, Lee Johnson may now look to use Korey Smith sparingly in the final stretch of the season.

Bristol City fans - are Engvall and Smith out of their depth? Do they have a part to play this season? Let us know in the comments below...