George Tanner woke up on Saturday morning with the words “centre” and “back” on his mind but before his new role was rubber-stamped by Liam Manning, the Bristol City defender thought it wise to have his breakfast in front of some footage of the man he was likely to replace.
With Zak Vyner ruled out of the clash with Huddersfield Town just 24 hours before kick-off, and no Rob Dickie as the Ashton Gate date came too soon for the 28-year-old, Manning had to restructure his defence without a specialist senior centre-back at his disposal.
It speaks volumes for how much Tanner has progressed that the 24-year-old was entrusted with the role, as Ross McCrorie and Haydon Roberts were placed either side of him. A right-back by trade - at least in a professional sense as he began his time in the Manchester United academy as a winger or striker - and the position he was largely signed from Carlisle United to perform in, Tanner has proved to be increasingly adept on the right-hand side of a back three.
But although playing in the middle may be a positional shift by a matter of a few yards in-field, it brings additional responsibilities, leadership and focus. To therefore get him in the best possible headspace, Tanner spent the build-up to the game reviewing Vyner’s clips, providing an insight into the spaces he needed to occupy in and out of possession, and what he should expect from opposition strikers.
In this case it was Dutchman Delano Burgzorg - “he’s a lot bigger than me”, being Tanner’s post-match assessment - representing a completely different challenge and skillset to the sort of players he’s been up against, namely tricky wingers. Burgzorg is a more overtly physical forward, looking to power his way through.
He was also the goalscorer in December at the John Smith’s Stadium when Tanner lost the ball from an attacking position as he tried to send a cleared corner back into the box, with David Kasumu robbing him and running from box to box to supply Burgzorg.
None of that came to cloud Tanner’s thinking, however, as he delivered a matured and polished display at the heart of a Robins backline that probably couldn’t have been conceived a few weeks ago. They did concede to Josh Koroma after Jack Rudoni’s shot was blocked by Cam Pring, and they did allow 13 shots - none of which were particularly threatening to Max O’Leary outside of the goal - which ultimately ended their four-match stand of successive clean sheets.
But any pre-match concern around the potential flaws in the defence in the wake of Vyner and Dickie’s injuries were largely dispelled over the 100+ minutes, with Tanner playing an influential role.
“I mean, I sort of half-expected it because Zak and Rob weren’t available so I was thinking about it overnight but it is what it is, a challenge and I enjoyed it,” Tanner said. “All I did was have a look at Zak’s clips in the morning to familiarise myself with the position and sort of went from there, really; areas he was receiving the ball and what passes he was making and, on the defensive side of it, his positioning and things like that. Little simple things but I thought it’d help me considering I’ve never done it before.
“I thought it was okay. At times it was tough because I was playing against a big lad, a lot bigger than me! But it was fine, it was a challenge and I thought I did alright.”
He was being modest because it’s a sign of Tanner’s evolution that there were precious pre-match anxiety around Ashton Gate, largely due to his performance levels this season, and the end result justified that. That said, the 24-year-old joked after the game he has little intention of becoming a centre-back long term despite having a taste of it against the Terriers. “I don’t think so,” he said. “I enjoyed it but especially on the right-hand side, it favours my game a lot more.”
Tanner’s time at City began with some thundering challenges which earned him instant favouritism, especially as they often occurred within a few yards of those situated in the Dolman and Lansdown stands and, as a result, fans could almost hear the impact.
But back-to-back hamstring injuries curtailed his rise during the 2021/22 season and he was limited to just one appearance in the second half of that campaign, coincidentally at Huddersfield as it drew to a close.
The following year saw him re-establish his place in the team under Nigel Pearson after having to bide his time with the former manager initially favouring a wing-back system which left him an eternal substitute. Eventually, though, his reliability as he returned to the team helped earn him a new contract.
And he looks to have made another clear leap forward in his development with Manning in charge, as the head coach has admitted he’s had to work with the defender around his confidence and self-belief, a telling admission in a way and perhaps something which has held him back ever-so slightly. Manning has previously said he’s among the best 1vs1 defenders in the Championship.
Perhaps 6-12 months ago, Tanner couldn’t have done what he did on Saturday or, at least, he wouldn’t have put together a body of work that would have earned the trust of his peers and enabled it to become a reality. But it speaks volumes about his state of being that he regards himself as one of the more important players in the City team, which then has a knock-on positive effect.
A defender's defender, he's commented previously on his love of the art; being dogged and winning his duels, which obviously remainds a fundamental to his game but there's also a greater patience in how he plays and his overall reading of situations means he rarely makes a rash or potentially costly decision.
“I probably feel more natural doing it this time around considering I’ve been playing in a back three recently, so I’ve had that experience,” Tanner added. “That has helped me. Especially this season I feel like I’m one of the most important players in the team. Days like this, I know I can step up and deliver, based on how well I’ve been doing in previous games. It just happens, doesn’t it? I’ve had a job to do and I did it.”
As positive as Tanner’s display was in speaking individually, he accepts collectively City weren’t at it on Saturday. Passive was a word Manning used repeatedly in criticising their use of the ball and there was a feeling within the dressing room that they hadn’t hit anywhere near the levels they’re capable of, and have shown this season.
That said, despite conceding late on to Koroma, with just nine minutes remaining, City’s body language remained strong and Tanner believes there’s an inner-belief now that they can still get something out of games they go behind in.
“As a team we know it wasn’t our best performance. The reality is we weren’t the best but to dig in and get a point, we’ll take it, especially with a bit of a makeshift back five but we know we can be better than that,” Tanner said.
“There’s a confidence within the team and I think when we go a goal down we know that we can create chances and go and score to equalise. Everyone stayed pretty calm and we just went for it towards the end and it worked.
“The gaffer’s given us a lot of information and structure to the team, so at the end of the game it’s not about going gung-ho, it’s playing in the structure and doing what we’ve been working on and we got the reward for it.”
That willingness to play to the final whistle also rejects the notion that despite being relatively comfortable in mid-table - and play-offs are now mathematically impossible, in case you were wondering - City will play out the remainder of the season in half-measures. Nahki Wells alluded to it in his post-match interview with BBC Radio Bristol that they are determined to preserve this unbeaten run right until the end.
As straightforward as he seems in his delivery, there is a boyish enthusiasm about Tanner and he’s spoken previously about how much football he watches on a daily basis. The end of the season therefore is not a time to be thinking of beaches, in his case it brings a degree of sadness given the lack of football that’s around the corner. In that sense then, he’s determined to make the absolute most of every opportunity he gets, in whatever position it may be.
“Just build on the performances that I’ve been putting in and finish the season strongly, just keep doing my thing and playing well and enjoy the games because the season’s over soon and it’s a sad time, really,” he said.
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