Noexcusesforloss, admitsRobinsboss

Bristol City head coach Lee Johnson says his side’s display simply wasn’t good enough

BRISTOL City head coach Lee Johnson did not spare his words when assessing his side’s 1-0 defeat to Preston North End on Saturday.

Speaking to the press after the match, Johnson said: “I’m not going to make excuses on this one. It wasn’t good enough.”

Former Bristol City loanee Callum Robinson scored the only goal as Preston won at Ashton Gate. Robinson, who played six times for City during his loan spell at the club, had the easy job of tucking the ball in at the back post after nice work from Daniel Johnson ten minutes before half-time. Johnson had started with a 3-5-2 formation, but after City failed to have a shot on target in the first half, he changed back to a more familiar 4-4-2 just before the hour mark. City’s only shot on target was a free-kick that was tipped over the bar by Preston goalkeeper Declan Rudd with ten minutes left to play.

Afterwards, a disappointed Johnson, pictured, told reporters: “I feel a bit let down by that performance. I’ve got a lot of belief in these players and I’ll continue to have a lot of belief in these players but today too many, as individuals and a collective, didn’t get their game going.

“The frustration for me was that we didn’t even lose playing our way. Credit to Preston - they were dogged and they’ve got a midfield that’s got speed and bite and agility.

“The game got stretched, we got stretched, they stayed compact and, of course, once they scored it played into their hands. I’ll take it on the chin, I’ll apologise, because I don’t want Bristol City fans seeing a performance like that.”

He added: It isn’t a disaster because we’re 13th in the league, but that’s the bit that hurts more than anything because the international break is coming up and if you win that today, you’re bumped up to seventh or eighth and a point off the playoffs or whatever it is.

“Now we’re in no-mans land ... The next one at Leeds has to be spirited. I’m quite glad it’s away because we’ve probably got a better chance of getting something away.”