TOTO TOTALLY FED-UP NOW
Weimann tames Wilder’s high-fliers and has Robins back on song
IPSWICH defender Toto Nsiala is feeling the pain of near-certain relegation back to League One.
The former Everton youngster was eyeing the big time again when he moved from Shrewsbury last summer.
But his debut season in the Championship could not have worked out any worse as the Tractor Boys toil at the bottom.
Saturday was all too familiar as Hull winger Kamil Grosicki (above) struck twice to clinch his side’s first away win of 2019.
Nsiala said: “That summed up our season. They had three shots on target to our six. But they scored from two of theirs and we had two cleared off the line.
“It’s good to be involved, but I can’t say I’m enjoying it because we’re not winning.”
MATCH STATS
Sharp Hogan Weimann
ANDREAS WEIMANN hopes his stunning hat-trick will kick-start a goals-and-glory run-in for Bristol City.
The one-time Premier League striker with Aston Villa is desperate to get back in the top flight with the Robins.
And the 27-year-old Austria international wants the chance to keep the goals flowing by remaining a central striker rather than being deployed as a stand-in winger.
“I hope the boss lets me stay in the middle – that’s my best position,” said Weimann. “But, of course, I will help out the team if I have to go on the wing.”
Weimann’s sizzling performance saw him twice haul City back into the game, first when he cancelled out Billy Sharp’s 23rd goal of the season and then one from on-loan sub Scott Hogan, his first for the Blades.
Weimann capped it with a late winner from a Famara Diedhiou pass that stunned the 30,000 Bramall Lane crowd. The stats said it all. He became the first player to score there in 10 hours and 30 minutes of football, he put paid to the Blades’ 10-match unbeaten run, he ended a poor Robins spell of six games without a win, and he ensured City’s first double over United in 23 years.
Blades’ boss Chris
Wilder (right) hid his disappointment well.
He said: “I’m absolutely sure the lads will come roaring back. They will go to Preston next Saturday with a backing of 6,000 fans – and if that doesn’t lift you, nothing will.” Robins manager Lee Johnson hailed Weimann’s performance and said: “Now we have to believe we can make the play-offs. “Tuesday’s game at Boro is huge and we must be up for it.” Weimann added: “This REF: puts down a marker, especially with our massive game against Middlesbrough. This is a very important win for us. Now we need to push on. We showed great character to twice come back and then to get the winner.
“I won’t ever forget my three goals. The first was a flick-on header over the keeper, the second was a nice connection with my right foot, but the third one made me nervous.
“I played a one-two with Fam and I felt nervous with just the keeper to beat and me on a hat- trick.
“But I managed to find the net and that gave us the win we deserved. It feels great to get my first-ever hattrick. This game will be right up there with the highlights of my career.”
Johnson joked: “I don’t know what job is harder – being a manager or being Prime Minister. We’ve both had our ups and downs. After we lost some of our best players last summer, lots of people didn’t think we could recover.
“But we have great conviction, other players have come through – and here we are, a point off the play-offs.”
SHEFFIELD UNITED: BRISTOL CITY: MOTM ATT: ANDREAS WEIMANN (BRISTOL CITY)