Bristol City’s Goalscorer David Clarkson and Sven – Freaky, freaky

David Clarkson spoke about the freaky and audacious 40 yard goal he scored to seal the win against Leicester on Saturday and explained:

“I read the throw out to be fair. The keeper tried to throw it to the left back and I knda read it and it fell perfect for me. I just thought ‘hit it, he’s off his line’. It could have gone anywhere and I was delighted when it went in.

I didn’t have a clue whether it was going in and I just wanted to hit the target. It seemed to be in the air forever and took an age to go in. If you don’t shoot, you don’t score. I;ve never scored from that distance before in my life unless it was in the U-10s when you want to shoot from anywhere. It’s just one of those things. You see players doing it now and again. It just fell perfectly and I hit it.

I was thinking that I should take it to the corner at that stage, but luckily it went in. I’m sure I would’ve got a bit of grief for it if it hadn’t.

I’m not sure if it was the goal of the season, but I’m absolutely delighted to have scored a goal like that. It’s one of the highlights of my career probably.”

Bristol turned the tables on Leicester in the second half and Clarkson said:

“I was warming up at half time in case I was needed, but whatever the gaffer said, it worked. It was important for us to come out in the second half fired up. We kinda got a grip of the game, created a few chances and go the first goal.

Brett coming on and scoring kick-started us and we defended well and got the second goal and killed them.”

And the Scotland international forward revealed that the Robin’s large squad has its advantages. He said:

“We’ve got a big squad now and everyone’s waiting for their chance. It was good for me to come on and for Brett as well. I’m sure he’ll be delighted to come on and get his goal and hopefully give the gaffer a problem and something to think about. He knows what he’s got on the bench plus there are players coming back (from injury).

I’ve not been on for a while and so for me to come on with still a bit of the game to go and try and put your stamp on the game was good. And I managed to get the goal which was absolutely great.

It’s a great result which sends us home on a high and the fans home on a high and hopefully we can kick on and get the results.”

On the lack of reserve team fixtures, Clarkson said:

“It gets you games, but at the same time you can work just as hard in training. Sometimes training is better than playing reserve games. It’s up to the boys like me to work hard in training to be sharp when you get the chance. If you get a run in the team you get your sharpness back.

If you’re just training you have to work that extra bit harder to make sure you’re at your best and the boys and myself have been doing that.

It’s difficult sitting on the bench and watching people get their chance, but you’re there to support the boys and you want the team to win. At the same time it’s up to us to come on and score goals and give the gaffer something to think about which we did.”

Former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson was not a happy man and when someone suggested it had been a bad day at the office, he agreed. He said:

“Definitely. Once again we showed we are a good football team and can play very good football. I think we were in total control for 45 minutes, but it was a day when we couldn’t score and gave away two goals much, much too easy. Too easy and it’s a pity because if you’d left after 45 minutes you wouldn’t believe we would lose the game.

You have to take your chances and we created chances first half, we created chances second half and we didn’t take it. And then you are punished and we were punished.

Bristol City played much better in the second half. They went to 4-4-2 and put more pressure on us, but they scored too easy in my opinion.

We know how to play football and we do it very well, very often, but of course we have to score more goals and we can’t concede goals like that. Too easy.

The first goal was a good move from Bristol City, but you have to read that he will pop up there. We didn’t and it was a goal.

What can you say about the second goal? It’s like an own goal even if it was taken very well by the Bristol City player. Bad day.”

The Thai consortium that own Leicester have said they want to be playing Premier League football next season, but Sven brushed off any talk of pressure. He said:

“It’s nothing we talk about every day. I think it’s more positive than negative that you’re working in a club that has such ambition. It would be much worse if we had no pressure and who cares where we are. If we want to finish high up in the league, we can’t lose football games as we did today”

Looking forward to tonight’s Forest game he said:

“I didn’t know (they had won against Cardiff) and so congratulations to them. After this it’s even more important to us.

We’ll give the players a couple of days off now.

Bristol City 2 Leicester City 0 - P**s and Vinegar

In the post-match press conference the written press invariably have to wait until the television and radio guys have wrapped up their interviews before asking their own questions. However, the newspaper reporters will also have their own portable recorders running so as not to miss anything. And so it was on Saturday when Sven-Goran Eriksson stood in front of the board bearing the logos of the sponsors.

The Sky interviewer positioned him and then turned to the assembled press and said: “Right, everybody happy?” To which the Swede instantly replied: “No, I’m not happy.” And you could understand why.

Last Tuesday night I watched Walsall squeak past Fleetwood in an FA Cup replay after the non-league outfit had dominated the first half. The Bescot faithful jeered their side off at half time, but Walsall scored in the 58th minute and then at the death to see them through.

On Saturday it was practically a carbon copy, although in fairness to Bristol City they looked much more interested than the west midlands outfit.

My clipping from this morning's copy of The Sun

The Sun’s football website: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football



Substitute Brett Pitman’s 57th minute goal- his first for the club – and David Clarkson’s 90th minute lobbed volley from 40 yards settled the game, but Leicester must have kicked themselves all the way home for not making the most of their first half possession.

David James clattered Andy King in the 22nd minute to give away a needless penalty and then redeemed himself by saving Steve Howard’s spot kick with his feet.

Foxes skipper Howard has – by all accounts – been playing out of his skin this season and, while it was obviously a great opportunity to take the lead, the Leicester camp will have been wondering how they didn’t turn their dominance into goals.

Both sides started with 4-3-3 formations, but whereas Leicester looked to attack, Danny Rose (on loan from Spurs) and Albert Adomah did little to support striker Jon Stead who at times could be seen frustratingly waving his team mates forward desperate for their support.

In the second half Robins manager Keith Millen changed to a 4-4-2 formation by bring on former Bournemouth striker Pitman, 22, for midfielder Lee Johnson while Erksson understandably persevered with the line-up that had them on top in the opening 45 minutes.

Pitman scored 28 goals for the Cherries last season as they stormed to League One promotion and also added another three before his £800,000 move to City in August, but had not figured in many of this season’s games.

The Jersey-born hit man started the first three games following his transfer, but from then has had to make do with a few minutes here and there as a substitute as he built up his fitness to cope with the higher level of Championship football.

His goal showed everyone that he hasn’t lost any of his goal poaching prowess while he’s been busy in the gym.

Full back Jamie McAllister pulled a free kick on the right back to Pitman in the area and he rifled the ball home despite a desperate goal line lunge from Ritchie Wellens.

Clarkson’s goal was worth the entrance money.

Former Robin’s number two Chris Weale threw the ball out to full back Gary Cunningham on the left, but Clarkson was sharp enough to intercept the ball and hit the ball back over the back peddling keeper for his third of the season.

Afterwards Millen refused to be drawn into comparisons with Eriksson or accept he had won any tactical battles with the former England chief and when asked if he would be opening a bottle of wine for the Swede he nodded, but joked: “Mid you he might not want any as the stuff I have tastes like vinegar.”

I suspect that Sven refused; after all he was already leaving with a bad taste in his mouth.

More quotes tomorrow from Eriksson, Millen, Clarkson and Pitman