Bristol City have a tricky situation with Han-Noah Massengo as youngster goes through rough patch

Han-Noah Massengo is a player that could excite any Bristol City fan but at the moment, there is a question mark on where he can fit into the side.

The return of Matty James, as well as the string of games that Joe Williams is managing to play, has meant a slight rejig of the team and currently he isn’t in it.

As a result, the young French midfielder has had to take his place amongst the substitutes. Against Birmingham he wasn’t brought on whilst against Blackburn, he came on for the final half an hour.

The 20-year-old’s spell out of the side has perhaps coincided with playing with a consecutive amount of games in a side that has struggled for form.

A harsh decision on the weekend perhaps, but Massengo conceded a penalty when he was introduced, pulling the shirt of Jan Paul van Hecke. Fortunately Daniel Bentley spared his blushes and Andreas Weimann went on to score a late winner.

But there have been other moments where the concentration or the decision making of the youngster has either proved costly or been bailed out.

Against Coventry, an undercut back pass allowed Coventry in and the defence could not deal with Viktor Gyökeres’ late run for his winner with the midfielder perhaps best suited to accept a cynical yellow card, one of the dark arts of the game.

There was also Cardiff’s first goal in the Severnside Derby, where on the edge of the box, he gave the ball away and James Collins scored from the resulting cross.

This is not finger pointing by any means, as there are 10 players on the pitch and they all equally have a part to play in getting a positive result for City.

His job is a helpless task as most of what he does is at a high intensity, where he is that bridge between the defence and attack, moving from box-to-box, whilst also having to close down the opponent. It is why some times in his decision making, he may feel fatigued, which has led to some of his lapses in concentration.

But you can see why perhaps Massengo has been taken out of the side as for this youthful City team, they’re in a side going through a transitional phase, but players like him need to be protected.

Earlier on in the season, Massengo had a similar situation where he was struggling without an experienced presence next to him and at times, had to be put on the bench.

Back in February, Nigel Pearson touched upon Massengo’s story of his season so far and said that the midfielder himself knows he could do better.

"What he has been able to do this season is play his way through a very difficult patch of form that he had.

“He’s been really good recently, but he’s not been at his best (before that). He knows that he works hard at his game.

"For a young player to have that opportunity, whether that is circumstances or selection, doesn’t really matter. What he has done is found a way of being game-effective and dealt with his own disappointment that he’s not been able to play as well as he can do. That speaks volumes in itself.”

Massengo does possess the character to bounce back from his disappointment at the moment as he’s had it already this season. His performances improved when key players came back and in January, he registered his first goal contribution for the club.

There’s a feeling that he will come good again as he’s done this before, he’s a young player that is still developing and it is a sign of a good player if they can bounce back from difficult spells, especially at his age.

Fortunately for him, he has a fan base that adores him that can get him through this period, no matter what his form, his chant is sung by the home crowd. As well as the fans, he has teammates in his position who have been there and done it in their careers who can resonate with how he’s feeling.

But there also needs to be a discussion about his long-term future. There is the consideration of the transfer window opening in the summer and with clubs looking on that he will need to deliver on his performances one way or another.

Massengo is not a player that looks like he is angling a move but instead a young player in need of a confidence boost to get him to the standards that have been placed on him.

But once the season ends, the topic of whether he stays or goes will become high on the agenda again.

French side Olympique Lyonnais were the latest club to be linked with a move for him with BristolWorld exclusively reporting that Alex Jeannin, a former player of Rovers, had been watching him.

That was in addition to the reports that Bournemouth, Leicester City, Southampton were tracking him, as well as Freiburg and Watford.

Out of City’s three young players; Alex Scott, Antoine Semenyo and Massengo; that have cemented themselves in the team, it is Massengo that is perhaps the player that supporters would be most consigned to letting leave.

He is out of contract at the end of next season whilst with Scott and Semenyo, there is a bit of security on their deals whilst at the moment, they are more prominent members of the first team squad.

There have been efforts by City to extend Massengo’s stay at Ashton Gate with the club signalling their intentions back in early January, though no progression has made as of yet.

There is also the financial situation to speak about, Pearson himself said he was keen to avoid a situation similar to Famara Diedhiou, where he ran down his contract and was allowed to leave on a free transfer.

But at least one player may have to be sold for a reasonable fee given the financial situation the club finds themselves in.

Massengo is City’s player for the time being and at least for the final nine matches, there will need to be an improvement in form for his sake as well as the team.