Johnson Slams Officials

Bristol City boss Gary Johnson was scathing of the officials after the Robins’ defeat at Loftus Road today.

Rangers took the lead late on in the first half courtesy of Jay Simpson, before Mikele Leigertwood doubled the lead with a well-taken strike from the edge of the area.

Nicky Maynard’s stunning solo effort halved the arrears but a tremendous rearguard action saw the R’s through in W12.

The sticking point for City manager Johnson was the indecision regarding a fleeting penalty appeal – Nicky Maynard’s third of the afternoon.

Johnson branded the officials as having ‘stupid frowns’ when consulting on the decision, a comment that may land him in hot water with the FA.

He told bcfc.co.uk: ‘I was on the halfway line at ground level, but the referee and assistant had a far better view.

‘I wasn’t necessarily screaming for a penalty, I just wanted a decision.

‘The referee looked at the linesman with a questioning face, and he looked back with the same face. Both had no idea and stupid frowns on their faces.

‘There was no decision made and the play went on. I think that’s terrible – you either want a yes or a no.’

He couldn’t hide his disappointment at the team’s display however with defending and attacking not yielding the desired result.

Johnson questioned the desire of his side at times with Rangers able to grind out an important victory against the long-ball tactics of the Robins.

‘I wasn’t happy with our performance and the lads know that,’ he continued.

‘We have to be doing more at this stage [of the season]. We have to be careful we don’t drift into the bottom half and start competing with those teams.

‘There was good football at times, especially in the first half, but we have to be more clinical.

‘We need centre-halves getting a cut eye by getting on the end of crosses. We want our midfielders running into to dangerous areas and dangerous balls being played into our strikers.

‘All the things that make you win games aren’t there at the moment. We’re okay in between the penalty boxes but it’s what’s happening in them that is costing us at the moment.’

City now host Watford in a mid-table clash at Ashton Gate, with an unwanted run of one win in nine games blighting their playoff hopes.

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