1. No idea about bristol city, but teams arn't that unique so there are rarely specific tips for each one that people can give.
2. Go to the tactics bible sticky above. Here are some links to what I would consider the most thought provoking and useful threads. They all show slightly different approaches but you should pick up one approach that you like or your own approach which may be a combination fo them.
Cleons Sheff Utd Project
One very effective approach but I find it difficult to pull off perfectly.
wwfans How to play FM07
May want to read alongside:
wwfans theories and frameworks, quite long
Also search for a thread called "Unbeaten Combination of Cleon and wwfan". I couldn't see it in a quick browze myself, have had a bit to drink......
IMHO anything by "Cleon", "wwfan", "Millie" and (recently) "Arteta is God" is worth a read, along with others who I may have forgotten to mention.
3.
IMO the manual is balls and other words which I can't say - far too ambiguous.
I didn't play any previous FM/CM but I gather that this version is much more different and challenging. The game is about countering the AI tactically and adjusting to various situtations within a match/season/career.