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.
49. Stefan Marinovic
Stefan Marinovic joined from Vancouver WHitecaps in 2019 and made one apearance after providing cover for Frank Fielding and Niki Maenpaa. Marinovic later joined Wellington, Hapoel Nos HaGalil, and Hapoel Tel Aviv, but is now a free agent. | Getty Images Photo: Alex Caparros/Getty Images
50. Louis Britton
He is now in the National League North with Chorley. | Getty Images Photo: Dan Mullan/Getty Images
51. Robbie Cundy
Joined from non-league Bath City in 2019 but only made his first league appearance for the club in 2021. Decided against renewing with City, and is now in League One with Barnsley. | Getty Images Photo: Gareth Copley/Getty Images
52. Sammie Szmodics
Szmodics joined from Colchester United in 2019 but was limited to just four appearances and joined Peterborough United. The Posh signed him permanently and he was sold to Blackburn in the summer. | Getty Images Photo: Michael Regan/Getty Images