Lee loves the Robins’ Fast Show ‘IT WAS A GENUINE TACTIC’
LEE JOHNSON revealed his Bristol City side’s fast start was a pre-planned tactic following Andreas Weimann’s strike after just 29 seconds.
Weimann bundled home a cross from Niclas Eliasson with less than a minute on the clock for what proved to be the only goal.
The Robins ended Swansea’s unbeaten Championship run with a deserved victory, leaving manager Johnson to celebrate his team’s first win on Welsh soil since 2010. “It was a genuine tactic to try to get at Swansea early and disrupt them,” he said.
“I’m not saying they were complacent, but we got the goal and that’s credit to the lads. It’s very tough come to a place like this and win and we could have put the game to bed on three or four occasions. It’s only three points, but we showed a lot people what we are about. “Our team ethic means we are greater than the sum of our parts. There are a lot of experts in football who write people off, but we will keep our heads down and work hard.” Weimann’s fifth goal in as many games this season since joining from Derby for £2million in the summer did the damage for Bristol and he – as well as winger Eliasson – were excellent. “Andreas has found a real home here. He hasn’t played through the middle for a long time, but that was a big reason for him coming here and I wanted to give him that opportunity,” Johnson said. “I remember when we were trying to negotiate with Derby, I said ‘For God’s sake, don’t tell them we’re signing him as a striker!’ The last time he played up front through the middle he scored 12 goals for Aston Villa in the Premier league.”
Swansea were shocking in the first half and failed to trouble visitng keeper Niki Maenpaa (left) as they turned around behind following Weimann’s early strike.
Home boss Graham Potter responded with two half-time substitutions as the woeful Tom Carroll and Joel Asoro were replaced by Jefferson Montero and Matt Grimes.
Swansea improved after the break and had chances through Bersant Celina, Grimes, and Potter’s third substitution Leroy Fer.
Potter, who has confirmed the signing of Tottenham defender Cameron Carter-vickers on a season-long loan, said: “It wasn’t the best of starts, that’s the first thing to say. That can happen in football, but it’s disappointing and we have to improve on that.
“We recovered quite well but we were not quite at our normal level.”