Bristol City owner Steve Lansdown snubs Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho for Robins’ Lee Johnson ahead of Carabao Cup clash
Lansdown insists he is happier with Johnson at the helm of his club than the Special One because 'he has his heart in it'
BRISTOL CITY owner Steve Lansdown declared: “I’d rather work with Lee Johnson than Jose Mourinho.”
The billionaire businessman will entertain Mourinho and his Manchester United superstars at a sell-out Ashton Gate tomorrow night.
Deep down, Lansdown will be praying his beloved Robins will soon be flying the Premier League flag alongside the Red Devils on a regular occasion.
And he is delighted that the young manager, whom he was under immense pressure to sack a year ago, will be leading the charge.
Johnson, 36, who played under his dad Gary at the club, has led City to third place in the Championship and the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup.
And with United coming to town, Lansdown said: “I really wouldn’t want to work with a Mourinho-type character.
“I’m enjoying working with Lee and his management team Dean Holden and Jamie McAllister because they have their hearts in this club.
“Lee wants to learn all the time — he’s like a big sponge, saying, ‘Give me as much information as you can so that I can be better’.
“And that’s great because we want to encourage that. If he keeps getting better, then we’ll get better. That’s the strength that we’ve got — stability. We have Lee, myself and the rest of the board, who have all been here a long time when we could have given up a long time ago.”
Lansdown could certainly have given up on Johnson last season when the fans were screaming for his head after they lost eight games in a row.
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Signing striker Matty Taylor from neighbours Bristol Rovers did not help his cause, either.
Wanted posters were hung up around the city calling for Johnson to go and the manager and his family had to move for their own safety.
But Lansdown is not one to be bullied having learnt previously that sticking to your beliefs can pay off. Remarkably, the owner also had to back Gary Johnson in 2005-06 when he lost nine matches in a row.
Johnson Snr repaid the faith by leading the Robins to promotion to the Championship and came within ONE game of taking the club into the Premier League.
Only a sensational Wembley volley by Bolton’s Dean Windass ruined the party — and Landsown believes his club is ready to try again.
The retired co-owner of financial giants Hargreaves Lansdown admitted: “The pressure to sack Lee last season was unbelievable. But I didn’t want to part company with Lee — we had built something here.
“I didn’t want to throw what we had built out of the window and each of the other directors felt the same.
“We stuck by him and the decision was vindicated because we finished the season strongly and we are doing well now.”
Lansdown outlined his dreams of pulling off a magical result against one of the biggest clubs in world football.
Lansdown, 65, said: “Logic tells me, ‘No, we can’t beat them’ but my heart tells me, ‘Maybe’.
“The guys can do it. It depends on the team Mourinho picks and how he sets it up.
“We are in such a positive mind that we are going into the game in a confident manner without being arrogant. We all want to be successful.”