Bristol City 'set to appoint' former Barnsley FC boss as new head coach ahead of ex-Wolves man
Bristol City are reportedly set to appoint former Barnsley boss Gerhard Struber as their new head coach.
The Robins flew into the semi-finals of the Championship play-offs last season, only to find themselves unable to get the better of Sheffield United.
Their misery was compounded following the end of the season, when Norwich City came calling to prise head coach Liam Manning from Ashton Gate.
Speculation regarding the club’s next hire has been rife and it was suggested Struber and Rob Edwards had made the final two.
Gerhard Struber nears England return
It appears Edwards, a former defender for Barnsley and the likes of Wolverhampton Wanderers, may have been pipped to the post.
According to The Telegraph’s John Percy, Struber is set to be unveiled as the new head coach of Bristol City.
The Austrian is believed to have impressed in talks, prompting the Robins hierarchy to decide on him.
Gerhard Struber at Barnsley
Struber last managed in England with Barnsley and managed to keep the club afloat in the Championship in the 2019/20 campaign.
After the Reds staved off relegation, Struber helped to lay the foundations for what would ultimately be a successful 2020/21 season.
Barnsley reached the play-offs, but Struber had departed for New York Red Bulls in the October of that season.
He was replaced by Valerien Ismael, who picked up the baton and took Barnsley into the top six.
Gerhard Stuber on Oakwell exit
Speaking to the BBC just before his Oakwell exit in 2020, Struber said: “For me, it is not the goal to always play in the relegation zone.
“I have other ambitions and aims and I cannot feel that the owners have the same ambitions and goals like me. My future is open and we will see.
“Every year, every season, this is a big, big fight with a big, big energy until the last game to stay in the league. One more time, it is a big question to the owners, is this the goal? For me, no.”
Since leaving South Yorkshire, Stuber has led New York Red Bulls, Red Bull Salzburg and FC Cologne.
He was linked with a shock move to Manchester United as an assistant in 2021, but a switch to Old Trafford did not materialise.