Aaron Wildig showed Newport County influence at Bristol City

In a behind-closed-doors friendly, every shout was heard as the Championship club enjoyed a 2-0 win over Newport County AFC.

It was a useful exercise for both the Robins and the Exiles as they both work towards getting the proper stuff under way on August 10.

There is a danger of reading too much into pre-season action but there were plenty of snippets of interest from the West Country clash as County count down to Cheltenham away…

CLEAR LEADER

As he did in Undy, Pontypridd and Barry, Aaron Wildig wore the captain’s armband in Bristol and he is a front-runner to succeed Ryan Delaney.

The absence of supporters around the pitch meant the 32-year-old midfielder could be heard loud and clear.

He was demanding, forthright, calming and also protective when defending novice midfielder Kai Whitmore after a hard but fair challenge led to some barbs from Nahki Wells.

Wildig’s influence is welcome due to the inexperience in the squad and he will be a key figure in the opening months as County get to grips with this new style.

This could be a big year for the clever midfielder – he made 41 appearances last season but will be keen to add to his goals and assists.

Without Scot Bennett and Harry Charsley, County really need Wildig to stay fit to help Whitmore and Cameron Antwi to fulfil their promise.

PLAY: Nelson Jardim wants County to be brave on the ball (Image: Kian Abdullah/Huw Evans Agency)

PRESSURE ON THE BALL

As has been well-documented, this is a new style of play for County and there will be big demands on those at the back.

The Robins were several levels up on the three Welsh opponents previously faced and there were some hairy moments in the face of the press, but the Exiles rightly stuck to their guns.

It was similar in the Covid season when Michael Flynn got County playing out for the back and making the most of Matty Dolan and Josh Sheehan’s ball-playing skills.

The then boss constantly stressed that he couldn’t hammer his players for mistakes when he was asking them to change habits.

Arguably, Flynn was able to make such a change because of the complete absence of groans from the stands and demands to ‘stop messing around’.

There will be some teething problems over the coming weeks in League Two and there will be times when players ‘relapse’, but the aim is to iron out a few creases in the build-up to Cheltenham.

It will be interesting to watch how Nick Townsend develops – he had a strong 2023/24 and is one of the best ‘keepers in the division but now he is tasked with doing more with his feet.

Last season Townsend made 32.7 passes per 90 minutes whereas Notts County's Aidan Stone was on 57.4, Swindon's Murphy Cooper was on 47.3 and Crawley's Corey Addai was on 41.7.

Of those with a reasonable amount of appearances for data purposes, Townsend was top with 22 inaccurate long balls per 90.

The goalkeeper is no longer just being judged on his shot-stopping.

INFLUENTIAL: County striker Courtney Baker-Richardson (Image: Kian Abdullah/Huw Evans Agency)

COURTNEY A COMFORT

After sitting out the games on the plastic pitches of Pontypridd and Barry, striker Courtney Baker-Richardson made a welcome return up front.

The 28-year-old provided County with a focal point and tried manfully to release pressure when the Exiles were under the pump.

He is strong presence up top who occupies defenders and ensures that no clearance is a routine one.

With County opting for a 4-3-3 formation under Nelson Jardim, Baker-Richardson can bring the wide players into play but it would be nice to have a proper look at Luke Jephcott in that role.

The striker fluffed his lines when presented with a golden chance at 1-0, that after being shunted out of position because of another outing for trialist Hamzad Kargbo.

Jephcott was rusty in the second half of last season but really needs to hit the ground running in League Two this time around.

As for Kargbo, he is a handful but is that enough? Jardim & Co will no doubt judge on what they see in training rather than snippets in friendlies.

THREAT: Left-back Anthony Glennon, pictured against Barry, is settling in at Newport County (Image: Kian Abdullah/Huw Evans Agency)

GREAT GLENNON

Of all the signings, Anthony Glennon is the one that has really caught the eye in the summer.

The composed left-back looks likely to be a real threat going forward and his delivery will cause opponents problems.

The summer signing from Grimsby looks to be one of the few nailed-on starters at the moment and the full-back positions will be strong with him down the left and Shane McLoughlin down the right.

Providing cover and competition is key and at the moment there is a hole in the squad down the left.

McLoughlin or Kyle Jameson are probably the back-ups for Glennon and it will be interesting to see what happens with trialist Cameron Evans.

The former Swansea academy defender has something about him and slotted in at left-back in Bristol after previously being used at right-back.

The 23-year-old – the younger brother of Jack, who was briefly with County in 2021 – was with Taunton last season in the National League South, playing in the middle, and could be one to keep an eye on.

That he is still with the club on trial suggests that he is giving the coaches something to consider.