Bristol City boss says 'something really growing' as Robins hammer Plymouth Argyle ahead of Portsmouth clash

Bristol City manager Liam Manning believes he can see “something really growing” at the Robins after his side hammered Plymouth Argyle 4-0 ahead of their trip to Portsmouth next weekend.

The result helped Pompey gain a point on Wayne Rooney’s side as John Mousinho’s men picked up a point in a 2-2 draw at Swansea City. Up next for Pompey is a clash with Bristol City, who have claimed 25 points from their opening 18 games of the campaign.

The Robins piled the pressure on Rooney as his Plymouth team suffered a second-half capitulation in their hammering at Ashton Gate. The home side finally made incessant pressure pay on 57 minutes when Scott Twine got a telling touch to Anis Mehmeti’s right-footed drive to beat Dan Grimshaw from close range.

Mehmeti’s brace put the game beyond doubt before Sinclair Armstrong added a late fourth – causing previously supportive Argyle fans to turn on their team, who have now conceded 27 goals in 10 Championship away games this season. Reflecting on the win, Manning said: “It was important to stay patient today and I thought our fans, as well as the players, were brilliant in that respect. The message at half-time was to stay brave because it’s easy to get frustrated when efforts are blocked and you aren’t capitalising on a lot of momentum.

“We are still growing as a team and the lads are learning all the time. We have a culture that encourages improvement through hard work and the players really buy into that. I can see the roots of something really growing. Building a team takes time, but the signs are very promising. Anis Mehmeti deserves a lot of credit for his goals today. He loves the game and always carries a real threat.

“We defended solidly again, which is important, and it was great to see Sam Bell back after a lengthy injury as a substitute late on. We worked in the summer on securing greater strength in depth and even though we still have a few players out, the bench is now pretty strong with good competition for places.”