In the wake of jeers aimed at his team by a section of Bristol City fans at Ashton Gate, Liam Manning has stood firm, branding the backlash as “unjust” given the Robins’ solid performance against Sheffield Wednesday. Despite a goalless draw under the floodlights, Manning defended his players’ efforts, highlighting their resilience against a tough Owls defense.
Referee Anthony Backhouse’s final whistle was met with mixed reactions, with murmurings of discontent echoing around the stadium. Despite dominating proceedings for much of the game, Bristol City couldn’t break the deadlock, leaving them in 13th place in the Championship table with 10 points from their first eight matches. Goalkeeper James Beadle’s heroics kept the opposition at bay, earning City a hard-fought point.
Manning expressed disappointment at the booing, emphasizing that his players gave their all and didn’t deserve such a response. He lamented the short-term mindset prevalent in modern football and urged fans to back the team rather than criticize. Despite the draw, Manning believed his side did enough to secure a win and praised their overall performance against Sheffield Wednesday.
Acknowledging the challenges faced due to a shorter turnaround time compared to their opponents, Manning underlined the physical demands on his team following a tough fixture at Swansea. He commended Bristol City’s first-half display, citing their control and attacking prowess. While recognizing the need to work on defensive solidity, Manning remained optimistic about his team’s potential and their determination to secure victories in the upcoming games.
We had opportunities in certain areas with Syksey and Yu a few times, but unfortunately, we couldn’t capitalize in the first half.
“We need to improve. In most of our eight games, we’ve created more than 15 chances, which is impressive. The team put in a tremendous effort tonight. They didn’t lack will or try, giving their all.”
