A 0-0 draw at Stoke City on Saturday was enough to stop the rot after back-to-back Championship defeats, but few inside or outside Ashton Gate will pretend Michael Skubala has cracked the code just yet. With roughly a quarter of the season behind him, the Bristol City head coach is, by most supporters' assessments, still very much finding his feet in the second tier.

Stepping up from League One

Skubala arrived at Ashton Gate having led Lincoln City to the League One title, a considerable achievement. The Championship, though, is a different proposition entirely. As fan writer David Pottier observed on BBC Sport, the opposition coaches he now faces week to week are technically more astute than most of those he encountered in the third tier, and the players they field are considerably more accomplished. That is not a criticism unique to Skubala; it is a reality almost every promoted manager confronts. The question is how quickly they adapt, and on the evidence of the first quarter, the learning curve remains steep.

A goal drought that cannot be ignored

The most pressing concern at Ashton Gate is the absence of goals. Bristol City invested around £9 million in two strikers during the summer window, yet only four clubs in the division have found the net less often than the Robins so far this campaign. More alarming still, according to the BBC Sport analysis, no City player had scored from open play in the six weeks leading up to the Stoke trip. The last was Dom Ballard's winner against Watford. In a division as competitive and tight as this one, a forward line that cannot convert from open play will cost points that are very difficult to recoup later in the season.

Goalkeeper switch and a tactical shift

If the goals question overshadowed much of the week, Saturday's team news provided its own talking point. Summer signing Sam Tickle, who had kept goal for 12 Championship matches since arriving from Wigan, was dropped to the bench. In his place came Brad Collins, a 29-year-old free agent with more than 100 Championship appearances to his name for Barnsley and Coventry City. Collins, according to the report, delivered a composed display in difficult conditions, and the expectation within the fanbase is that he will retain the jersey for the coming fixtures, barring a significant setback.

Skubala also altered his shape for the first time, abandoning the 4-2-3-1 that had been his default since taking charge and opting instead for a 3-5-2 formation. That allowed both Ballard and Swiss striker Lorent Tolaj to start together, though Tolaj's fitness levels were clearly not yet at full capacity, according to the report, before a planned substitution cut his afternoon short. Whether Skubala persists with the new shape or treats it as a one-off response to the conditions at Stoke will tell supporters a great deal about his tactical thinking going forward.

Points on the board and the tests ahead

City's podcast community had, before the current run of seven fixtures between the two international breaks, set a target of roughly 11 to 12 points as the benchmark for a top-eight push. Four games into that sequence, the Robins have managed just two points. The schedule offers little respite: a trip to Bolton is followed by a home fixture against Wolves on a Wednesday evening, with Norwich City arriving shortly after. City supporters, according to the BBC Sport fan piece, regard four points from those three games as the bare minimum if the volume of discontent is to be kept at a manageable level.

The bigger picture

Bristol City's board has spoken publicly about a multi-year project under Skubala, and it is still early in that process. The infrastructure work done in terms of recruitment and squad-building may yet bear fruit. But supporters are, understandably, impatient for signs that the ideas translate on the pitch. The formation tweak against Stoke, the goalkeeper change, the attempts to find a strike partnership; these are all indicators that Skubala himself recognises adjustments are necessary. What the next month of Championship football brings will likely define whether patience inside Ashton Gate holds firm or begins to fray in earnest.

Frequently asked

Why was Sam Tickle dropped by Bristol City?
According to a BBC Sport fan analysis, goalkeeper Sam Tickle was left on the bench against Stoke City with manager Michael Skubala opting to hand a debut to Brad Collins, a free-agent signing with over 100 Championship appearances for Barnsley and Coventry City. Collins is reported to have impressed in difficult conditions.
How many goals have Bristol City scored this season?
Bristol City have been one of the lowest scorers in the Championship so far this season, with only four clubs having netted fewer. Particularly concerning is that no City player scored from open play in the six weeks prior to the Stoke draw, according to BBC Sport.
What formation is Michael Skubala using at Bristol City?
Skubala had largely used a 4-2-3-1 system since taking charge, but switched to a 3-5-2 for the 0-0 draw at Stoke City. It remains to be seen whether that change becomes permanent or was a tactical response to the specific conditions of that match.