Johnson wants his flying Robins to stay grounded

Posted Sunday, February 03, 2019 by PA

Lee Johnson urged his flying Bristol City team to keep their feet on the ground after they swept into the Sky Bet Championship play-off places with a fifth successive win.

Add two FA Cup victories in January and the vibrant Robins have won seven successive games and are unbeaten in 13 stretching back to November.

Their run of league successes is their best in the Championship since Johnson’s father Gary was manager at Ashton Gate in 2009.

Johnson junior said after the latest sucess: “I don’t mind our supporters getting ahead of themselves and partying. But my job is to keep the players focused.

“There is still plenty of room for improvement and a lot we can work on. Take your eye off the ball in the Championship and you can soon be on the slide.

“It was a strong performance against a good Swansea side. I’m pleased with the clean sheet and felt we defended really well as a team.

“What encourages me most is that we are on a great run with a lot of quality players out of the team or even the squad for one reason or another.

“We are going to need them, with the FA Cup to consider as well as the League, and I feel we are much stronger in terms of depth than a year ago.

“The players coming off the bench are all making an impact. Today all three added energy at a vital stage.”

Andreas Weimann headed the hosts in front seconds after the interval, placing his effort perfectly from Jamie Paterson’s cross for his first goal since August.

And it was Weimann’s clever through-ball that allowed Callum O’Dowda to make the points safe on 74 minutes with a cool low finish.

Swansea contributed plenty to an entertaining game, almost equalising on 62 minutes when George Byers’ shot was tipped onto a post by goalkeeper Frank Fielding.

More than 3.000 Swans fans spent much of the game venting their anger at the owners amid disenchantment with a final day of the January transfer window that saw three players depart and none brought in.

Visiting boss Graham Potter said: “The boys gave everything at the end of a tough week. We didn’t have the ideal preparation, but that is not an excuse.

“I understand that this is a disappointing time for our supporters and it is a challenge for all of us. But we have to come together as a club and move on.

“Nothing that has happened has come as a shock to me. We knew the main focus of the transfer window was hanging onto our players and the positives were that we kept Dan James and Leroy Fer.

“It was an even game first half, with both sides playing well. We got off to the worst possible start to the second half, but still had chances before the second goal took the wind out of our sails.

“We kept going against a very good side. George Byers has hit a post and there were other opportunities.

“I knew when I took the job how tough life is for clubs coming down from the Championship and all I can do is work as hard as I can to move us forward.”