There are too few games that I can say are really special – especially those I’ve not played in – but watching my first professional club, Bristol City, do the improbable and knock the holders, Manchester United, out of the League Cup on Wednesday when the cliche “proper cup tie” perfectly summed up the occasion, is one of them.
What made it so enjoyable and refreshing for everyone watching, apart from United supporters, was the positive, aggressive, high-intensity mentality that Lee Johnson has instilled in his players, and which they showed right from kick-off.
They pressed United at every opportunity, attacked and snapped at the heels of their more illustrious opponents and showed no fear in taking the game to a team in another stratosphere for budget and reputation when they could have just sat back and “parked the bus” – a term first coined by José Mourinho.
Yes, his side missed chances and on another day could have won the game but the Bristol City players and manager deserved the luck that came their way for the sheer desire to attack in the first place.
As a former Bristol City apprentice it was great to see the refurbished Ashton Gate at capacity, filled by fans who had every right to be proud of the team, no matter the result. Last season the chairman, Steve Lansdown, placed his faith in a young, hungry manager when things looked extremely bleak. The decision is now being rewarded, not only with the outstanding result against United but also the superb position City find themselves in challenging for promotion to the Premier League.
While watching a lot of top-flight matches this season, especially those involving Manchester City, I have been surprised at the lack of similar performances from more established, economically competitive teams, most of whom have adopted a more cautious approach in taking on the bigger sides, at home or away.
It is understandable to take the view that the most probable way to get a result against better teams is to sit back and wait for set pieces or counterattacks to come your way while defending deep for large periods.
However, any fan would surely much rather watch their side take the initiative, play with passion and intensity and create a “cup-tie” environment where they are on the front foot, closing down and playing with a passion and enthusiasm that then makes for matches like the one we saw between Bristol City and United.
Even if United had won the match, as expected, I’m sure the home fans would have applauded and appreciated the guts and determination their team showed regardless.
I’m the first to admit this way of playing is not a guarantee of a positive result but neither is playing passively and giving the initiative to teams and players of such a high level, where the slightest mistake may almost certainly lead to a goal. Playing positively enables players to really test themselves against the best, to express themselves and go toe to toe with players they respect.
It’s also a stern test defensively, where they are truly accountable instead of being given the safety net of defending deep for 90 minutes. They can really measure themselves and may even surprise themselves and gain confidence to perform at the same level in the longer term.
I’ve been in both positions throughout my career while playing against top sides in the Premier League and there is nothing more soul-destroying than sitting back, playing defensively and losing (un)comfortably.
I’ve come off the pitch and thought I could have been more aggressive, expressive and really tested. There have been other occasions – even in defeat – where I’ve been proud of my teams and my own performance in taking them on and giving 100% in trying to win the game.
Much has been rightly made of Manchester City’s amazing start to this season and the question of how can they be beaten or will they go through a season undefeated?
Maybe the answer to that question lies partly in taking the risk of a sound thrashing and following the example of the fearless Robins players’ high-intensity and nothing-to-lose performance against Manchester United at Ashton Gate.