City 2 Bristol 1 - Stats Link & Post Match Reaction & Debate | Vital Football

City 2 Bristol 1 - Stats Link & Post Match Reaction & Debate

Johnny Baguette

Alert Team
Stats Link:
http://www.manchestercity.vitalfootball.co.uk/stats.asp?a=588913

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Manchester City 2-1 Bristol City
Ally McCoist

Former Scotland striker on BBC Radio 5 live

It's what that man has done all his life and he's one of the best in the business at it. You know he'll be alert in the box and it's a brilliant cross in - he's onside and he just reaches the ball just before Fielding.

There has to be a certain degree of sympathy for Bristol City because they have worked their socks off tonight but that's why Sergio Aguero is as good as he is.
 
Phil McNulty

BBC Sport chief football writer

Bristol City magnificent but Manchester City find a way to win (very late) again.
 
Johnny Baguette - 9/1/2018 21:43

Phil McNulty

BBC Sport chief football writer

Bristol City magnificent but Manchester City find a way to win (very late) again.

Something the rags were always lauded for
 
BBC with all the big guns out tonight...

Gary Lineker
@GaryLineker

Great sides tend to win games late and Manchester City do that frequently. Fabulous effort from Bristol City. Well played.
 
Aden Flint:

"Disappointed to concede but we can hold out heads high. We played well. We've taken probably the best team in the world all the way.

"We are still in the contest and looking forward to the next game.

"Second half, we were penned in a little and they were building pressure that told in the end."

Bobby Reid:

"Very disappointing. We are still in the game and our fans will be right behind us at Ashton Gate. We gave it our all and just came up short.

"We beat Manchester United and we have a chance. We have to take it to them. It gives us great confidence going a goal ahead and holding on for so long."
 
Ally McCoist

Former Scotland striker on BBC Radio 5 live

The one thing Lee Johnson put across before the game was that Bristol City were going to have to defend well tonight, but equally important to that was what they would do when they had the ball and they were magnificent.

They obviously had a plan to defend well, which is natural when you're up against an opponent like that, but when they had the ball they showed great intent to attack and score.
 
Much as I was appalled by our defence’s lack of composure tonight, I am going to qualify that performance a little. We have a massive game coming at Liverpool and I suggest we have played within ourselves. Yaya can’t be pitched in that role for the second leg. He stifled us from playing out. Mangala regressed terribly. We will have the FA Cup clash following that game then West Brom at home so I would say go full strength at Ashton Gate. In the meantime we need more options for the business end. A centre back is for me a top priority. Still. Great sides win late when they have to.
 
Pep Guardiola:

"Big congratulations to Bristol City, they came here to try to play. It was a good game and they are up in the Championship so a lot of respect for them.

"The Championship is probably the hardest second division in the world. That's why there are a lot of surprises and problems to other teams in the cup competitions.

"It's a semi-final, I don't care what the competition is it's a semi final so it's not easy to reach and we knew they would be difficult opponents.

"We created a lot of chances and that's why we win in the end, but today we knew we are not going to finish our job - that will have to happen away in Bristol when we travel there.

"They were really good, so we tried so hard, all the players tried and we're really happy."
 
Lee Johnson:

"Very proud of my team. Disappointed with their goal late on but the boys were magnificent. We came here and tried to play our game and caused a few problems. You concede possession now and again because of the quality of the opposition. It is only half time and we are well in this tie.

"I said to them 'you've been fantastic. We rode our luck but we broke and got men in the box. The pressing was amazing for the first goal. They can't be disappointed as we are still in the tie. They have shown the world we are good footballers."
 
Pep Guardiola:

"My players were fantastic because in football you can win, you can lose, but we try until the end. We win many games in the last minutes because we don't give up. A semi-final is always complicated.

"I said congratulations to Lee Johnson on full-time, they are a fantastic team for many reasons. They can play, they are fast, they know exactly what to do. It will be tough in Bristol.

"Every team creates problems. Wolves, Huddersfield last season, tonight too."
 
Yaya's legs were going at the end of last season, and the job's been completed on the evidence provided so far this.
It's very difficult to make a case for Yaya starting any game now in the rest of the season in my view.
 
The whole defence was pretty slow apart from Zinchenko I thought.
I agree with you Colin, Yaya’s time is up as is Mangalas and Danilo needs to improve an awful lot if Pep is going to keep playing him out of position.
Can’t take anything away from Bristol though, they played with skill and courage and there will be a few people missing from work today down in the South West I reckon.
Plenty of voice from the Bristol supporters. I think they enjoyed their trip. :001: :001:
 
Breath of fresh air to hear a manager being genuinely appreciative of his opponent. Well done Pep :001:

It felt like a grind at times last night and the contrast between Yaya's contribution and how Fernandinho does that job has never been starker. That certainly didn't help our defence either in offering any protection or providing them with the options to play required under Pep. It was reminiscent of how we were when Pep first arrived. He may well be able to close games out when they are won but is not suited to the pace at which the ball has to be received and distributed from that central role. His absence of pace in both movement to get into position to receive the ball or move it quickly when he was given it seriously hampered us. I agree with JB - we cannot start at Ashton Gate with Yaya in that role.

That said young Oleksndr did Mangala no favours whatsoever when he received the ball from Stones before the goal. Zinchenko was stood watching the ball being played to Mangala instead of moving outside him to the wing to provide an option for a pass. Mangala could and should have done better but he wasn't helped by his team mate.

Bristol did indeed do very well :005: but contrary to the media presentation of them as 'plucky underdogs from the bottom reaches of the Football League' they are in currently fourth in the Championship 2pts off an automatic promotion spot. It was never going to be a walk in the park irrespective of our record breaking win - that is the nature of cup football, especially a semi final.
 
Good summing up, Skoorb, especially the last paragraph. As you suggest, BC are not 3rd or 4th division cannon fodder. They beat four premier league sides to get to this point.
Ashton Gate will be a cauldron and we need to be full strength, barring the goalie position, of course.

 
I'm not convinced we need to go full strength there, simply swapping Yaya for Fernandinho would completely change the performance of that side imo.
 
Bluedub - 10/1/2018 09:45

I'm not convinced we need to go full strength there, simply swapping Yaya for Fernandinho would completely change the performance of that side imo.

You may well be right, BD. We'll soon see.

 
Bluedub - 10/1/2018 09:45

I'm not convinced we need to go full strength there, simply swapping Yaya for Fernandinho would completely change the performance of that side imo.

You are quite correct, sadly the City great Yaya's time has come to make way, he may be able to do a job elsewhere but I think he has stood still while city has moved on a pace and i think that is why Pep sold him in the first place.


What a fabulous player he has been for us and will always be remembered as such.