Lee Johnson Transcript

Full Lee Johnson transcript: Bristol City boss on January transfers, Brentford and interest in Lloyd Kelly
Everything the Robins boss said.

Good start, good finish, not great in-between

I would agree. First-half they had a lot of territory, but I always felt, the way we research the opposition, their strengths and weaknesses. Often expectation of a league position or we’re expected to win because we’re at home can make it feel it feel worse than it is. I always felt like we had opportunities to break, today, in my opinion, the difference was that final pass. Their line was very, very high and we had opportunities just to lift the ball over the back line to runners, even the one where Famara lobbed the ‘keeper was onside. We just failed on that element, that little sparkle, that little element.

The boys are working their socks off against a very good side. The Championship is brilliant, it’s bloody tough! Every single team, look at the results today. The positives are it’s six unbeaten and we wanna beat Rotherham. We know we need to up our home form a little bit, there’s no hiding from that. And there’s no hiding from the fact that our last three games we’ve conceded poor goals that are the last goals that have meant that the game’s ended in a draw. If somebody picks the ball up, beats five players and sticks it in the top corner from 30-yards, you can put your hands up. But all three goals, the Norwich one, the Derby one and this one has been defendable, and we’ve got to improve on that. We talk about steel, we need a little bit more steel and a little bit of sparkle. If we put both of those right, we’ll go on to win games very, very comfortably.

please log in to view this image

Eros Pisano of Bristol City celebrates scoring a goal to make it 1-0 (Image: Rogan/JMP)
We might be able to get that in January, we might not. If we have to promote it from within, absolutely no problem. I think we’ve already done that with O’Dowda’s performances of late and Paterson’s performances of late and Diedhiou. We’ll get the boys we’ve got going. Good to have Matty Taylor back at it today because he’s been 3/4 weeks out with a groin problem. He literally hasn’t changed, one day, so fair play to him for getting out there and putting a shift in the last 20 minutes.

There’s a lot of positives, some people will go home with glass half full, others will go home glass half empty. I think Saturday - is it Saturday? My days go with the Christmas period - becomes a good game for us because it’s another home game. The challenge is to not great an anxiety in the performance or within the crowd and give the boys an opportunity to go and get a result. To get that confidence, we know we’re a confidence team, and you need to give confidence.

You know about Neal Maupay…

The action started because we kicked the ball out of play. They had two throw ins, worked the line, we’ve lost a runner which is the worst part of it and we didn’t adjust to that which is the second point, and the third is we’ve let him come across us very easily. He’s sharp and he can technically execute things really well, he must be up there with the top scorers, 14 goals/15 goals or whatever it is. If we could have, we’d take him! He’s got a bit of bite to him too. But, listen, we’ve got some top players as well, Diedhiou’s on the back of three goals and an assist.

He was a threat today, wasn’t he?

He was, the glancing header was a great chance. That was the big chance I thought. The volley was not easy to execute but the header from Paterson’s ball was a big chance seeing as how could he is at getting across people. So, I think, I said to the lads that there’s so many good parts to our performances and they’re working their socks off out there and we can’t do is let expectation defeat us and not kill off the player’s confidence. We are where we are in my opinion, and that’s doing alright.

If we can manage to get a win on Saturday, it’s a fantastic run of results. You’ve got to control the controllables, whether that be me as the manager or the players as individuals. They’ve got to enjoy it, they’ve got to enjoy playing at home. I thought the singing sections was superb today in the way they kept going. And, as I say, we are where we are at the moment. We can be a powerful force in this division with a couple of little tweaks with lads coming into form/back into form and a potential signing or two.

On potential signings

It’s a really difficult market. We’ve got good players and they’ve got to be affordable, available and accessible for us and our resources and there’s a very, very small pool of players that are better than we’ve got, available and, by the way, probably expensive. We’ve got to get that balance and make sure we do what’s right by the club.

Would you be happy with this squad for the rest of the season?

I would be happy. I think we do need, like I say, a couple of bits of help. A couple of bits of help would bring other people’s games out even more. A good player makes other players great. That’s what could be difference. You have to look at loans. The market is so fine that you have to look at anything that presents itself. The important thing is that the player is committed to Bristol City. Whether it be short term or long term.

Was the goal Pisano’s or an own goal?

I haven’t seen it. I know Pisano’s claiming it but he’s Italian, so they try and claim anything! It’s good that he scored that goal because when he was at Verona, and one of the reason’s we signed him was, that he scored goals. His brain and his aggressiveness when in the box and I certainly wouldn’t want to mark him. It’s fell to him today and that’s something that he should be getting, 3/4 goals.

Lloyd Kelly and Ollie Watkins was a really good duel, what was your take?

please log in to view this image

Tomas Kalas of Bristol City challenges Ollie Watkins of Brentford
I think they’re two great, young players. I think Watkins is a superb player and we were interested in him when Brentford got him. There was a sprint where Lloydy put the afterburners on and got there and they were both at full speed. I think we have to remember how young Lloydy is and how early in his career it is. He didn’t have the best game today but he had some really good actions and some not very good ones. One thing I felt, I tried to adjust at half-time, was that the opposition’s line was so high we were turning down opportunities to leave the ball over the back line. He’s half been training as a centre-half, he’s not instinctive when playing forward, even though he’s so composed.

Actually he’s not a player that’s got unbelievable vision, he likes the game in-front of him. Even today, when he didn’t have his best game, you see the potential. The big thing for him is keeping his feet on the ground. People are writing articles all over the shop, some of them are true, some of them are not true. It’s tough for him. I’ve been in that situation myself, probably not with the level of clubs but I know how hard it is. You think about who’s watching you and try to get hold of the scout list and your agent tells you someone is coming. Your Mum, your Dad or your family is chipping away and tell you that the big move’s coming, but no. Concentrate on the process, keep working hard and he’s done great - he’s 20 games into his senior career.

Is there interest?

Of course, there is. If you’re a Premier League club and you’re not interested in Lloyd Kelly, you’re not doing your recruitment right. Twenty years old, playing for England and can play multiple positions. Whether someone pushes the button on it is a different matter. I guarantee, statistically and with the eye, every Premier League club would’ve had a look.

On trying to sign Ollie Watkins

I wanted to try and sign him actually. He was top of the list when we signed Niclas Eliasson and I’m not talking out of line, I spoke to Niclas about it. I think at the time, the price was hiked a bit for us which we didn’t like. He is a good player but we’ve got other good players, O’Dowda was in the building as well which is somebody who we believe in and we go again, boys! I’ve got a game of Monoloply tonight with my 10-year old girl.

On Nathan Baker

It depends how you look at it. You could see him as a warrior or a little bit fragile. Baker at his best is up there with the best in this division. I think the challenge is to keep him at his best - mentally and physically. It’s difficult. We want the best of Nathan Baker. We’ve got a physio department that work hard, a sport science department that work hard. If a player gets a calf strain you can’t question his heart. You question their heart when they get a knock and they don’t want to play, he’s got a hole in his calf. Bailey Wright’s character is important to keep in the squad, to keep in the team. I’d love to see a fully fit Bailey Wright back in the squad and I think he’s getting there.

On Korey Smith

Korey’s now running with some assistance from an Alter-G which is a basically a big sling and it reduces the percentile of how much weight they put on. So it starts off at 90% and it reduces to zero, which is running with full load. So, he’s out on the grass but he’s a long way to being back fit, you’re looking at February/March.

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport...s/full-lee-johnson-transcript-bristol-2365761

 

LJ has already given us the answer,' They’ve got to be affordable, available and accessible for us and our resources and there’s a very, very small pool of players that are better than we’ve got.'

Well that's his answer.