It's exactly seven years ago to the day since Bristol City appointed former midfielder Lee Johnson as their first-team manager. He had cut his cloth at Oldham Athletic and later Barnsley, and was tasked with keeping the Robins up.
He did just that, and guided them to safety with an 18th-placed finish, but a year later despite the tremendous form of Chelsea loanee Tammy Abraham, they had a finish of 17th, and confirmed their place in the Championship in the penultimate game of the season.
Johnson revolutionised City however, and after being allowed to spend a club record fee of £5.3m on Famara Diedhiou, the clubs fortunes improved with an 11th-placed finish. Players from abroad would continue to be recruited, whilst also scouring the lower league for the best young talent around. It was a campaign that was best remembered for reaching the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup, famously knocking out Jose Mourinho's Manchester United in front of a sold-out Ashton Gate. It would take eventual winners Manchester City to knock them out, with Pep Guardiola complimentary of Johnson's side.
A season later, Johnson, nearly matched the efforts of his father, who remains the closest to delivering the Premier League club to the West Country. He earned an eighth-place finish in 2018/2019, missing out by just four points to Frank Lampard's Derby County.
Unfortunately that would be the closest that City would get as the following season they finished 12th, and it would turn out to be Johnson's last at the club. He was sacked after suffering a Severnside Derby defeat to Cardiff City in the COVID-19 era, and later replaced by his assistant Dean Holden.
Since then, the club has changed with Nigel Pearson now at the helm, and a lot of the players Johnson brought in are no longer here. Several remain and are an integral part of the first-team picture whilst others are just hanging on. Here we take a look at those who came and went during Johnson's tenure in charge of City.
1. Adam Matthews
Lee Johnson’s first signing, joining on loan in March 2016. Two loan spells at the Robins, left for Charlton in 2019 and recently played versus Man United in the Europa League for Omonia. Photo: AFP via Getty Images
2. Josh Brownhill
Joined on a free from Preston, spent three-and-a-half years at the Gate, now a key part of the Burnley side that seven points clear in the Championship. Photo: Charlotte Tattersall/Getty Images
3. Gary O’Neil
Joined from Norwich City on a free transfer and spent a season-and-a-half before joining Bolton. He’s now a Premier League manager with AFC Bournemouth, managing Antoine Semenyo. Photo: Bryan Lennon/Getty Images
4. Lee Tomlin
He was at Bristol City before Johnson joined but signed permanently in the summer of 2016, a year later he was sold to Cardiff. Player-coach at Ilkeston Town after reversing his decision to retire. Photo: Pete Norton/Getty Images