Liam Manning reveals the lesson 'sloppy' Bristol City must learn after imploding at Stoke City

Liam Manning reflected on a sloppy, out-of-character performance by Bristol City as they were thrashed 4-0 by Stoke City in their final game of 2023/24 and wants the depth of the display to serve as a marker for what can’t be repeated next season and beyond.

Outside of a few brief periods in the first-half when Scott Twine had a goal ruled out for offside and was denied by Stoke goalkeeper Daniel Iversen, the Robins were distinctly second best, miles away from what they’ve produced during the seven-match unbeaten run that lifted them into the top half of the Championship.

Million Manhoef was unplayable at times for the Potters, scoring twice, with further goals added by Tyrece Campbell and Luke Cundle while the hosts also struck the crossbar twice, further emphasising just how emphatic it was.

Everything that could go wrong, did for the Robins who would have finished ninth had they secured three points and the only conclusion that can be drawn, and indeed was by the head coach, was an end-of-season attitude to the game which ultimately cost them.

“From the start, it was just really out of character,” Manning said. “Nothing like we’ve been in the last seven. I thought the first sort of 25 minutes, it was sloppy, turnovers were cheap, far too stretched - all the bits we’ve been really good at in terms of compactness defensively, were not right.

“Obviously, rightly so, we went one behind and then from about 30 to 45 we kind of got ourselves back into it and stopped the flow of attacks, had a little bit of the ball and created some good moments ourselves and then completely imploded in the last few minutes of the first half. To go in 1-0 is different to going in at 3-0 so, the second-half then becomes too big a challenge.

“Ultimately, sloppiness is a lack of focus, and the players are honest. None of the lads want to go out and perform at that level. Their training levels have been phenomenal this week despite the position we’re in. None of it was intentional, it was just we compounded a mistake by following it with another one.

“You then try and chase it, you make a mistake and then you chase it by trying to do something outstanding rather than getting back in credit by doing the basics really well.

“I’ve said to the players, we don’t want to lose or lose in that manner but, at some point, what it does do with the run we’ve been on, we can send the lads away saying, ‘there you go, that can’t happen again’ - that’s the motivation to come back again day one of pre-season and make sure on a bad day we’re not anywhere near that level; our bad days are six out of 10.”

City had weathered a bit of an attacking storm for much of the opening period, with Manhoef and fellow winger Bae Jun-ho outstanding, but up to the 44th minutes, the scoreline was only one goal with regret that Twine had not taken his chances to equalise.

But just as Manning was preparing his teamtalk, the Robins defence disintegrated with Campbell and Manhoef putting the game beyond the visitors with two goals inside two minutes.

Manning neglected to make any changes at the break, instead bringing on a quartet of players just before the hour-mark, but by that stage Manhoef had added a fourth to provide further gloss for Stoke, and humiliation for City.

“The starting XI had got us into that position so it’s, ‘what are you going to do to get us out of it?’ Manning added. “You’re looking for a response from people, which didn’t work because we conceded really early at the start of the second half, hence we then made four changes and tried to shift it but the game was done.”

Manning indicated it was, understandably so, an angry dressing room which at least shows the players did care by what was being served up, falling well below the standards they have previously set themselves.

So many usually consistent individuals fell well below their level, while collectively having been ranked as the third-best defence in the league for goals conceded prior to this fixture, they were a shadow of that.

City finish the campaign in 11th, three places and three points better off than last term.

“It heightens emotion but the group know. All the bits they were ranting about at half-time, they know, which I think is a powerful thing, because then you can coach people to get better,” Manning said. “When you’re thinking, ‘I’ve done okay’ or not taking responsibility then that, for me, is alarm bells.

"But they’ve really made progress in terms of taking responsibility, accountability and reflecting on performance. It’s a disappointing end but I don’t want it to cloud the progress that has been made.”

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