Moyes refuses to make excuses
David Moyes refused to make excuses for what was a very bad afternoon indeed.
The heavily frowning manager was deeply disappointed at a performance against Bristol City which left nearly everything to be desired and beyond that, the loss of Lucas Paqueta after supplying a sumptuous assist for Jarrod Bowen‘s goal. Dino Mavropanos was also withdrawn with a knee injury as more and more problems affect our central defenders.
But it was the performance against a Championship side which was the major issue on a day when we should have marched comfortably into the fourth round of the FA Cup. With more injury worries on our play it’s as well there’s a break in the action until we meet Sheffield United on the 21st of the month after the fourth two week break of the season.
An FA Cup replay is in fact probably the last thing we need given our situation at the moment but that’s what we face in the west country on the 15th.
Discussing today’s game the manager said: “We didn’t perform anywhere close to where I would have liked and I was hugely disappointed with our performance levels.
Look, we should have been two-nil up. Pablo Fornals had a great chance to make it two-nil and I think we actually had one after that as well. I’m not saying that would have wrapped it all up, but it would have made it a lot easier.
We started the game really well in the first ten or 15 minutes and I think the injury to Lucas Paquetá and him going off was something which probably affected the all-round levels after that.
It was a great pass from Lucas for the goal and we know what Jarrod can do in those positions.
It looked at that time like we might go on and get full control of the game, but we didn’t really do that. We didn’t grab it and we let Bristol City grow into the game and we didn’t handle that very well.
Whatever we did wasn’t good enough, I know that. The injuries happened and it’s football and you have to live with it when it happens.
You will pick up injuries and you have to deal with it. We’ve been quite fortunate this season as we’ve not picked up too many, but today we just felt as if we had one or two injuries.
Vladimír [Coufal] was also stunned by a couple of challenges, but we’ll check them and hopefully they’ll be OK.
We had a few knocks and bruises, but that’s what happens this time of year.
It will be a really hard game at Ashton Gate. When you’re the smaller club and you get a replay and a big side back it’s always a big night.
It’ll be a tough night for us, but they’ll be the same and they know they’ll be in for a game as well and hopefully we can get through.
We gave them a good game for most of the game, but we missed a chance or two right at the end as well but, let’s be fair, Bristol City certainly deserved their draw.
We’ve now got a replay at Ashton Gate and I’ve not been back there in a while, so I’m really looking forward to going back.
I’d rather not be going back for a replay, but I’m still looking forward to it nevertheless. Lots of games go this way and ours did today.