PREMIER BOSSES SHAMED BY CITY TACTICS

BRISTOL City’s gutsy win over Manchester United shames every lily-livered Premier League manager who parks the bus and cowers when the big boys come to town. As statistics on Match

of the Day demonstrated, the so-called ‘Best League in the World’ has become an attacking wasteland.

Goals-per-game are at a ten-year low, with the bulk of lower-ranked sides content to simply contain and frustrate.

Swansea and West Brom, the division’s bottom two, are prime examples. Both have conceded fewer goals than eighth-placed Leicester. Neither takes a regular hiding.

Apologists argue that sides like Swansea lack the players to compete, that an expansive game would leave them open to demolition.

But look at the evidence. Tony Pulis was sacked. So, too, Paul Clement. The Championship is beckoning both clubs. Other than cheating supporters and boring the general public, what have such tactics achieved?

Bristol City don’t boast anything like the riches of Swansea or West Brom. But that did not stop manager Lee Johnson setting up his team to attack.

At Ashton Gate, the Robins enjoyed 45 per cent possession and 11 shots. Yet more eloquent than any stat was the freedom of their football. The played two up front from the start, pinned United in and were rewarded with a 2-1 win.

Yes, Jose Mourinho weakened his side. But is the difference between a weak United and a strong Bristol City any different to the gap between two fullstrength Premier League teams? Let’s not forget the Reds still had ten internationals in the side.

The Robins will probably get taken apart by Manchester City, but at least they’ll have had a go. That is all most fans want to see.