'Let's build on this' - Johnson

Saturday, February 29th 2020

Lee Johnson believes City can build on the performance at The Den as the Robins head into Saturday’s game against Fulham.

Pedro Pereira’s 10th-minute goal secured a valuable point to give City a boost ahead of the final 10 scheduled Sky Bet Championship games.

Here’s what the head coach told Robins TV:

Attitude and application

“I thought the boys were excellent today with their attitude and their application. After a poor performance [against Huddersfield] you saw a side who knew how I worked. We haven’t been able to bed in the new players as quickly as we would like, even though there has been some good individual work. But that team ethos and ethic is really important and it showed today.”

Valuable point

“Overall it’s a good point in the league table sense and it’s a good point in the spirit of our game and our performance. We had a great start in the first 15 minutes where we dominated the game, scored a good goal - I’m delighted for Pedro because his attitude has been exemplary while he has been out of the team – and we continued that in the first half.”

Tough opponents

“It was always going to be difficult with the size they have got from set-pieces. In the first half I think we limited them to one corner and they had a few more in the second half but the attitude for the boys to put their bodies on the line…We felt it was a foul [on Kalas] for their goal, that we should have had a penalty (handball) and maybe they should have had a penalty.”

Niki Mäenpää

“Niki was very assured. It’s difficult, when Bents pulls out on Friday with a groin injury, for a goalkeeper who hasn’t played a lot of football to come in, shows not only the professionalism of Niki but the goalkeeping coach Pat and everyone else around him. Niki looked in good shape, he caught crosses, his kicking was good and his organisation was very good as well and he is another one who should get huge credit today.”

The support and all to play for

“The fans were very good. We needed them and they needed us and that’s how we are going to be at our most powerful when everybody sticks together.”

“I think the performance can be one that can be built on in a positive way. I said to the boys ‘I was delighted with the application and attitude that’s now the baseline and now we continue to grow from that’ - I’m sure we will. We have a good week building into the Fulham game and there’s all to play for.”