Michael Skubala has called on the entire Bristol City squad to share the goalscoring load, warning that the Robins cannot rely on their strikers alone if they are to improve on a return of 12 Championship goals from their opening 11 games of the season.

That tally is the fourth lowest in the division. Only Charlton, with ten, and Lincoln, Derby and Preston, each with nine, have scored fewer. City have won once in their last six league outings, scoring just three times in that run, and the manner of Saturday's 1-0 home defeat to Sheffield United, in which they managed a single shot on target from seven attempts, left Skubala visibly frustrated.

Bravery in and around the box

"You want the strikers to score goals but I think the team has to chip in with more: more assists, more goals," Skubala told BBC Radio Bristol. "I like teams to be braver in and around the box. When we get there, can we play forward even though it's another ten-metre pass? Can we get the ball in the box? Can we create more chances?"

The numbers underline just how narrow City's contribution has been. Dom Ballard and Scott Twine have each scored three times, Lorant Tolaj two, and no other player has netted more than once. In terms of assists, Rio Cardines leads the entire Championship with six, but Jed Wallace and Tolaj are the only other City players to have contributed one apiece. In effect, a single winger's creativity is papering over a collective absence of end product.

Skubala pointed to the Robins' 20-shot, seven-on-target display against Blackburn the previous week as the template he wants his side to follow, even though that game also ended without a City goal. Against the Blades, by contrast, he said his team played "sideways too much" and "launched" the ball to Ballard without giving the striker any support.

New faces still finding their feet

The manager was careful to place the struggles in context. Bristol City made a significant number of signings across the summer, and Skubala acknowledged that the squad is still in the process of knitting together.

"Not only are they getting to know each other, they're getting to know how I want it to look and how I want it to be," he said. "I don't think it looked anything like I wanted it to look like, or the fans want it to look like, or even the players want it to look like on Saturday."

That is honest enough, and it mirrors the unease that has been growing among supporters who have watched a squad rebuilt over the summer still searching for a consistent identity. Press-release language about "processes" and "time to gel" tends to wear thin when results keep slipping, and Skubala will know that patience at Ashton Gate has limits.

Williams and Tolaj boost ahead of Stoke trip

There is, at least, some encouraging injury news ahead of Saturday's trip to Stoke. Both Joe Williams and Tolaj have returned from their respective injury absences and are available for selection, giving Skubala more options as he attempts to broaden the number of players capable of influencing the final third.

"We're looking at that, we've been working hard on that all week," Skubala said. "The lads have been brilliant in training."

Training-ground performances are of limited comfort to supporters checking where City sit in the Championship table, of course. With the likes of Preston, Derby, Lincoln and Charlton also labouring in front of goal, the Robins are not yet in a desperate position, but the gulf between chance creation and end product needs to narrow soon. A trip to Stoke on Saturday offers the chance to prove that Saturday's performance against Sheffield United was the aberration rather than the norm.

Frequently asked

How many goals have Bristol City scored in the Championship this season?
Bristol City have scored 12 goals in 11 Championship games, the fourth lowest total in the division at this stage of the season.
Who is Bristol City's top scorer this season?
Dom Ballard and Scott Twine are joint top scorers for Bristol City with three goals each, followed by Lorant Tolaj with two.
Who has the most assists in the Championship this season?
Rio Cardines of Bristol City leads the Championship for assists, with six to his name so far this season.