Remember the five pillars? Bristol City fans have been sold enough plans to fill a boardroom. What we rarely seem to get is sustained progress on the pitch.

After all the huffing and puffing, money spent and another managerial appointment, will we finish in our familiar position of 12th? Right now, even that would mean climbing the table.

The comparison with last season is uncomfortable.

After 11 league games, five fewer points, seven fewer goals scored and four more conceded. Five defeats against two. That is regression, whatever language the club chooses to wrap around it.

City have committed a reported £9m to Dom Ballard and Lorent Tolaj. Why can't Scott Twine play behind them when everyone is fit? I appreciate Tolaj has been injured, but spending that money demands a convincing explanation if the preferred formation leaves one on the bench.

Did we recruit these forwards to build an attack around them, or buy them and then wonder how they fit?

Watching the ball hoofed towards Ballard makes it harder to defend. Give him service he can use and team-mates close enough to combine with him. Hopeful balls forward make life easier for opposition defenders.

The uncertainty started against Millwall on the opening day. Why spend pre-season developing an approach, then change it when competitive football begins? Adam Randell's dismissal did not explain the decisions made before kick-off.

Over the opening 10 league games, there was only one unchanged starting XI, four central starts for Twine and two starts together for Ballard and Tolaj. Injuries force changes, but they cannot explain why every selection prevents recognisable partnerships developing.

After defeat by Sheffield United, Michael Skubala admitted City could not handle opponents playing more directly but this is the Championship where coping with physical football is a basic requirement. Hearing that after a summer's preparation should set alarm bells ringing.

Jason Knight's suggestion that City needed to ensure it was "just one of those days" offered little reassurance after successive home defeats without scoring. His interview quite rightly drew criticism. Supporters deserve more conviction from their captain.

Swansea decided performances under Alan Sheehan were unacceptable, appointed Vitor Matos with a clear attacking brief and now lead the Championship. Change guarantees nothing. Neither does protecting disappointing football with another long-term plan.

For me, patience has evaporated. City cannot keep spending money, changing managers and asking supporters to lower their expectations.

Communication when things have gone wrong has too often been poor. With changes to the executive structure, those now responsible must explain their decisions and accept scrutiny.

Skubala needs to get more from this squad. If he cannot, those who appointed him must be prepared to act.

Is promotion genuinely the ambition, or will another season drifting towards 12th be quietly considered acceptable?