Wells Reacts to Claims Players have Stopped Caring
IslandStats.com
Nahki Wells insists the Bristol City squad are fully committed to ending a difficult and challenging 2020/21 season on a high, writes James Piercy Sports Editor of Bristol Live.
Bristol City has lost three and drawn one of their last four fixtures against teams positioned 11th or lower in the table with manager Nigel Pearson questioning levels of commitment and standards in the wake of their 3-1 loss against Coventry City on Easter Monday.
Frustrated supporters have claimed the level of performance displayed over the Easter Weekend, against Coventry and Stoke City three days earlier, is the hallmark of a squad going through the motions ahead of the summer.
Pearson has conceded that confidence and form within too many individuals is at a low ebb and a number of meetings and small team-bonding exercises, such as going for walks, have taken place to try and build collective spirit once again.
"I wouldn't say there's a lack of care, because as footballers we all care - 100%. But we have to find it in ourselves as individuals, and collectively, it will be brought out in a performance," Wells said.
"We take it with a pinch of salt (the criticism). I can't really speak for everyone, I have never been involved in a fixture at any football club where I haven't always cared.
"We're all really proud to wear this shirt, in facilities and stadiums like this but effort can't lack, desire, can't be lacking and not giving 100%. And at times we haven't done that. Because of that, at this level, you can come off short if you don't."
Bristol City is 14th, 14 points above the relegation zone, and 17 below the playoffs, with nothing tangible to play for in terms of what constitutes definitive success and failure, with Nottingham Forest the visitors to Ashton Gate on Saturday.
But Wells insists each individual at the club has their own motivations for delivering strong performances between now and the end of the season, which then needs to come together as a collective.
"It can be difficult to find the motivation [to focus on a league position when stuck in mid-table] but the gaffer has been immediately on top of us that that's not the way he wants us to go out this season, just finishing in mid-table," Wells added.
"We're better than that and the demand has to be higher to all finish as high as we can.
"Each and every one of us has a different motivation, a different circumstance. People's contracts are on the line, people still playing for their future at this football club. Under-par performances can discard you from the future.
"I'm driven to continue working hard and performing well and show my worth and that's got to be the aim until this season ends.
"Everyone has their motives but it's about coming together as a unit and using those desires and motivation to help us benefit as a football club."
Wells set himself an ambitious target of 25 goals this term but has often found himself out on the wing, rather than through his preferred position in the middle, which has limited his impact in the 18-yard box.
"This season has been a difficult season. In terms of my goal tally, I'm not happy with that," he said. "In terms of performances, I feel I've performed quite well for the most part. The goals don't justify what I've done.
"I've probably played more than half a season as a wide player, which is foreign to me, I've never done that before in my career. Circumstances have led to managerial decisions to take those measures and I feel I've done okay there.
"I don't think it gets the best out of me personally, I genuinely don't, but when I play there I don't feel I put too much of a foot wrong. I've done my duties as a wide player and some of our best results have come from that.
"But I'm not happy with how the season has gone. But I think the majority of the squad probably feel the same."
