Michael Skubala Praises Bristol City Players for Character in 1-0 Win

Michael Skubala hailed his Bristol City players for showing “real character” as they ground out a 1-0 win over Watford to halt a run of two straight defeats.

The head coach, speaking to BBC Radio Bristol after the final whistle, underlined how important the response had been from a rotated side under pressure.

“I’m really proud of the boys, it’s not easy to go off two losses and to bounce back,” Skubala said. “I thought they showed some good moments, some real character to defend well at times, to attack the game.”

Skubala leaned heavily on his squad, handing minutes to players who have been on the fringes, and they answered him with a disciplined display and a clean sheet that has been a long time coming.

“Also, lots of changes for the lads that haven’t played many minutes – I thought they showed up today as a good group, a true group and a squad,” he said. “We have to be proud of the guys, who have come in and put a performance in, who haven’t had so many minutes but we’re going to need them all.”

The shutout clearly meant as much to the coach as the three points. City have been opened up too often this season, and Skubala set his players a clear target before kick-off.

“The lads were challenged with getting a clean sheet because we haven’t had enough of them,” he added. “So I’m really proud of that because it just shows the growth we’re going through.”