£2.5m QPR transfer hasn't been roaring Bristol City success - should Robins trust in his potential? | OneFootball

Sinclair Armstrong hasn't quite made the impact at Ashton Gate, but he still has youth on his side.

Bristol City made a fairly big financial outlay to sign Sinclair Armstrong from Queens Park Rangers in the summer, but the 21-year-old has struggled to live up to the hype.

With Tommy Conway’s desire to leave well-documented ahead of the summer 2024 window, Bristol City were always going to be searching for reinforcements up front. They ultimately secured two signings, opting to bring in Fally Mayulu from Rapid Wien, followed by Armstrong from QPR.

Purchased for a reported £2.5 million, his departure frustrated a number of Hoops fans with another talented youngster not afforded the chance to flourish at Loftus Road.

Instead, Liam Manning was hopeful Armstrong could showcase his true potential at Ashton Gate, but after 26 league appearances, it appears, on the face of it, the R's have come out on top in this deal.

Sinclair Armstrong's 2024-25 struggles

Armstrong made the move to QPR after a successful trial period in 2020 and, over the course of four seasons, racked up more than 60 appearances for the R's.

Although he was never a prolific scorer for the Hoops, he impressed with his dynamic ability, pace, and strength at such a young age, which clearly scared Championship defences.

Bristol City would have been thrilled to secure his signature, but he has shown that he remains a very raw talent.

So far, in his first season with City, he has scored just three goals and has failed to find the back of the net since November, when he struck in a 4-0 win over Plymouth Argyle. His other two strikes came in victories against Oxford United and Millwall near the start of the campaign.

His finishing has certainly come under scrutiny, and despite averaging 2.53 shots per game and 1.19 on target per 90 minutes, he has managed to score just the trio of goals.

Nevertheless, it must be considered that he hasn't been a regular starter for much of the season, with the experienced Nahki Wells often preferred. As a result, he has accumulated just 1,209 minutes, which is hardly sufficient time to properly assess a young player.

To counter this, Manning has given him four consecutive starts, and while he hasn't scored, he has played a key role in linking up play during a period in which City have earned 10 points from 12.

Liam Manning highlights Armstrong's "potential"

Supporters can often be quick to judge a player, but when it comes to Armstrong, it’s crucial to take his age and the potential he clearly holds into account.

This is something that head coach Liam Manning has certainly recognised. He’s made no secret of his belief that, if Armstrong were already fulfilling his potential, he’d be worth a great deal more than he is now.

"Patience is probably something that doesn't exist a huge amount in the world today, but I was quite clear from day one when Sincs came in that he's not the finished article," Manning said speaking to Bristol Live.

"He's potential, we've signed potential. If he were the finished article he'd be worth a fortune playing in the Premier League so we wouldn't have been able to get him.

"I think it was quite clear that when he came in, he needed work and him having consistency, him being coached, him having stability I think has been really important for him.

"His character is excellent. When he's been in the team, he's trained hard and I think he's responded really well to that. He's in a good spot and he's performed really well recently."

Bristol City clearly have faith in his future, and with a contract running until 2028, the club have given him ample time to find his feet and become the striker that the Robins desire.

On a personal note, Armstrong will recognise the need to improve his finishing. This will likely come with more minutes on the pitch and valuable lessons learned from a Championship stalwart like Wells.

If the 34-year-old departs Ashton Gate, Armstrong could well become Manning's first-choice striker for next season, and supporters will be hopeful that he can deliver a far more prolific return.