ROBINS’ CHRISTMAS FAIRYTALE:

REAL thought went into Bristol City’s 82-page programme marking such a momentous night. ‘The Big One,’ they called this and their manager, Lee Johnson, was depicted as Superman.

So favourable was his physique, you would be forgiven for thinking the cartoon might well have been drawn by the man himself. But this club are no joke, no cheap animation. They mean business and want you to know about it.

By the end, as this fantastic night was won in stoppage time, Johnson flew down the touchline in celebration like, well, Superman. A superhuman effort by all involved. Johnson calls them a ‘Premier League club in training’ and last night had the feel of a dress rehearsal for the big time.

The build-up was lengthy, the stadium announcer excitable. This pocket of Bristol wanted to offer top-flight razzmatazz, with the sense of making up for lost time, the first time Manchester United had ventured down this way since 1979.

Here came Ashton Gate’s biggest attendance since that day, 26,088, and their infrastructure suggests Johnson’s bold assertions are correct. They are ready for lift-off. The Robins are chirping this Christmas.

That has not always been the case. They spiralled into League One four years ago, multi-millionaire owner Steve Lansdown ruing the gross over-spend on average Championship players in pursuit of glory for his hometown club.

The stadium became a priority, at a cost of £45million, and is fit for the top flight. Local lads Bobby Reid and Joe Bryan, both excellent last night, have prospered too. Sitting third in the Championship at Christmas is no fluke and that largely comes down to the boss.

Johnson, a busy central midfielder in his playing days, is a savvy self-promoter but his record over the last nine months is exemplary, with only a handful of defeats since February.

He says he is progressive, a forward thinker, developing an app for his squad, filming training with a drone. Here, though, we saw another side during the opening third of their first League Cup quarter-final in 28 years.

Johnson used the arts his father, Gary, picked up while assistant to John Beck at Cambridge United in the early 1990s. Set pieces were key, Sergio Romero was roughened, the long throws were propelled. United did not enjoy it.

This occasion was as big for City’s manager as it was his employers. And to be honest, we knew it. A huge play was made of grabbing five minutes with Jose Mourinho — afforded to him before kick- off — and that £450 bottle of red wine bought in readiness for the Portuguese’s arrival.

There is, however, little wrong with individuals boosting their profiles before potentially careerdefining nights. Johnson, who Manchester City and Arsenal have previously discussed taking on as a coach, clearly thinks deeply about his profession and the meaning behind his actions.

That is summed up inside his office, with a quote from American actress Judy Holliday plastered on one wall. ‘Nobody can give a good performance unless the authors and composers have written a good part,’ it reads. ‘A fact which is often overlooked.’

It certainly was not overlooked on Bristol City’s night of wonder.