'Bristol City are a proper football club' - How the nationals reported Man City Carabao Cup defeat "The Robins have shown during this run that they are good enough for the Premier League" Bristol City were again the focus of national media attention last night as they took Manchester City all the way in their Carabao Cup semi-final. The eyes of the country were certainly on Ashton Gate and here is how the game was reported in the national media. Henry Winter, The Times "Before heading back into that revamped tunnel, Johnson’s players left the field to a standing ovation as many of the 26,003 present stayed on to salute them. Guardiola was typically gracious, talking to Aden Flint after the final whistle, and wishing Johnson’s fifth-placed side well in their promotion push, saying that the players, stadium and manager were ready for the Premier League. Bristol City left empty handed but with hearts filled with pride. For 44 minutes, Bristol City believed. Their fans made Ashton Gate shake with noise. They delivered some taunts to Manchester City fans, singing “just like Bristol, your city is red” and the more amusing “Johnstone’s Paint Trophy, you’ll never win that”. Andy Dunn, The Mirror "Quite simply, you can hold back this tide of talent for only so long. That Bristol City resisted it, countered it for long spells and cancelled out Sane and Aguero strikes with goals from Marlon Pack and Aden Flint speaks volumes for their character and for their manager, Lee Johnson. But for the most part, this was Manchester City asserting their Premier League-dominating superiority." Ben Fisher, The Guardian "After all, it is experiences like these, plus their more hardening lessons last season, namely an eight-match losing streak, that have paved the way for Bristol City’s marked progress from fighting against relegation to being talked about as one of the best attacking teams outside the top tier inside 12 months. Johnson hopes this run will galvanise his team, who can now guzzle a “full tank” of energy in every game, starting here against Queens Park Rangers on Saturday. The expected loan signing of the Saint-Etienne forward Loïs Diony will only enhance their promotion push. “Everybody’s buzzing about the city and that doesn’t end now,” Johnson said." Jim White, The Telegraph "But then Bristol are not a side to take lightly. It is not just the soaring architecture hereabouts that demonstrates their upward mobility. This is a club determined to reach higher things. A club which, with its rugby interests, already models itself on the Manchester operation’s growing global sporting business. And the intention was there, bouncing in the stands." "Because of this there can now be no doubt: Bristol have shown during this run that they are good enough to take the step up, that they can match the residents of the top flight, that they are Premier League ready. Their problem in this game was that, never mind the Premier League, Manchester City are on another level altogether." Brendon Mitchell, BBC Sport "Lee Johnson and his players earned plenty of plaudits after their first-leg defeat, with Guardiola describing Bristol City as a "fantastic team" and lauding their style of play and attacking intent as "good for the show". Despite trailing on aggregate throughout the second leg, the fact they became only the second team since October to score twice in a domestic match against Manchester City spoke volumes of both their quality and spirit. The Robins had already seen off top-flight sides Watford, Crystal Palace, Stoke City and famously Manchester United on their way to the last four - though two legs against the runaway Premier League leaders was always going to be a tall order." http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/bristol-city-proper-football-club-1114716
I have to be honest and say that I've spent most of today reading comments on loads of sites about last nights game and the vast majority of those who watched have been extremely complimentary to the team and to Lee. With all the crap that has gone on in the past, it is, as you say Wiz, "fantastic reading". Every now and again I go onto eBay to search for various things and strangely enough yesterday I looked for items surrounding the 2008 play-off final. One thing that cropped up was an enamel badge showing the emblems of the four semi-finalists from that year: Watford, Crystal Palace, Hull City and Bristol City. So, in 10 years, we are the only ones not to make it. This season, we have shown to the world that the infrastructure, the fan base, and, I believe, the team, are indeed a Prem side in waiting. Now is our time - lets get there!! COYR
Fantastic reading indeed. After the massive disappointment of 2008, It's taken a long time to get back to this stage with a lot of false starts and frankly baffling decisions along the way. And I know I've been one of the strongest and most verbal critics of the club and owner. But finally the infrastructure and backroom support seems to be in place, and all of this coverage will only raise our profile further. It's astonishing that the LC Semi was watched in over 100 countries. Talk about us getting worldwide exposure ! Then there's the bigger attendances and revenue that generates which should help us with FFP rules. Plus all the TV monies as we're on the box every couple of weeks. Unfortunately as the pundits also pointed out, it also makes our best players vulnerable to bids from elsewhere but there isn't a lot we can do about it. If their heads and hearts are with the club and they can ignore their agents, and they share the vision of reaching the promised land, perhaps they'll want to stay anyway ? But right at this moment I'm not sure we have the firepower to take us to the very top and we may have to wait another season to try and cement automatic promotion and hope we can keep our key players and add in areas where we could be stronger. But as Wiz says it is fantastic reading and likewise Up The City !
