Every word Liam Manning said on Bristol City play-off loss, referee 'concerns' and Dickie appeal

A full transcript of Liam Manning’s post-match press conference after 10-man Bristol City lost 3-0 to Sheffield United in their Championship play-off semi-final first legLiam Manning cuts a dejected figure after Bristol City’s first leg defeat to Sheffield United(Image: Kieran McManus/EFL)

Bristol City were given a mountain to climb in the Championship play-offs as they were beaten 3-0 by Sheffield United in the semi-final first leg at Ashton Gate on Thursday night.

City were forced to play the entire second half with 10 men as Rob Dickie was shown a straight red card in first half added time for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity against Kieffer Moore, which also saw the Blades awarded a penalty – that Harrison Burrows converted.

The Robins’ remained compact after Manning made a double change at the break but late goals from substitutes Andre Brooks and Callum O’Hare put the result beyond doubt, and possibly the tie.

Here is a full transcript of every word the City head coach said post-match…

Liam, tough one tonight.

Yep. Very.

What are your initial reflections?

I just feel a bit for everybody associated with the club really. Firstly, look credit to Sheffield United in terms of they still have to do a job when we go down to 10 and, you know, when you look at the strength of their squad, the depth they have on the bench, most of their bench I think walks into most Championship teams. Such a strong side; credit to them.

Up to the sending off, I thought it was a good game. I thought it was a really good advert for Championship football. I thought we had really good control, got into decent areas. Joe Williams obviously had a decent effort hit the bar. They had some really good moments on counter-attack, which, you know, they’re so dangerous on transition. Then the whole game just completely changed because of a major error.

Do you feel it wasn’t a penalty or red card? What was your view?

For me, he’s waiting for contact. There is contact, but the red has to be for no intention, I’ve been told, to play the ball. Rob kicks the ball, so I don’t get how you can not attempt to play the ball yet kick it. So I think it is one of those.

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We flagged concerns earlier in the week around his [Oliver Langford] performance level this season. He has given out previous reds that have been incorrect and he unfortunately done another one tonight.

Will that be one you’d be looking to appeal?

I don’t know how that works now. I need to look into it to be honest.

How’s Joe because he looked clearly frustrated?

Yeah, he’s on crutches. So not looking good either.

What’s the injury?

Ankle.

What did you make of the way your team recovered after that red card?

You know that about the lads. You know they’re gonna run, fight, compete. I actually think we started the first 20 minutes of the second half…I thought we had quite good control, kind of kept them outside and in front of us. It does become a little bit…if you give them spaces like you saw first half, the quality of the speed they move with, they’re so dangerous on transition that you can cause your problems.

So it becomes, when you’re a man down, how do you control space? How do you keep them outside and in front of us and frustrate them probably more than anything? We did it for a period, but not long enough, and ultimately the goals were a little bit softer for me.

Does that make it more frustrating that you dug in but were left with a mountain to climb?

Yeah, of course.

When you said you flagged up concerns, were you unhappy with the appointment of the referee?

We just felt it was too big a game. I think, you know, when you look at his previous where he’s sent people off and then they’ve come back and said he’s got that one wrong. If that’s the very best in the Championship, which I don’t think he is, for a spectacle like tonight, it’s just too much potential for errors.

I’m not questioning that it’s deliberate or anything. We all make errors, but for me it was a concern.

Did you ask for a different referee?

We called up to ask the question – why the appointment? But we were told it was suitable.

In terms of any appeal process, can you get it overturned?

I actually don’t know, to be honest. It’s so soon after the game. I’ll be finding out when I go downstairs.

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What did you say to the players at the end there?

Of course naturally they’re…I think everybody in the stadium, everyone’s probably angry, frustrated, disappointed. We’re all probably sharing the same emotion. The lads are gutted. They’re so desperate to do well and that’s what I quite liked about us in the first 30, 40. We didn’t get it all right, but we actually came out and did us. We went and took control of the game and showed some bravery to play with quality.

So then I think it is one of those, it probably hurts twice as much. The fact that you don’t feel it’s completely on you and look, it shouldn’t have got to the area where we’re defending and Rob’s defending like he is, is that’s on us as well. So I’m not passing the blame everywhere else.

But one of those, we’ll regroup. I just spoke to the lads in there, they’re gutted. But what I do know about them, we spoke a lot about it bouncing game to game, we’ll keep fighting, we’ll keep believing until the final whistle on Monday and you only have to look at the history of sport to see there’s been a huge number of comebacks and upsets and we’ll take belief from that and we’ll go in fighting on Monday.

Every word Liam Manning said on Bristol City play-off loss, referee ‘concerns’ and Dickie appeal

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