00:00Now for Bristol City, obviously staring at the back of a fantastic season
00:05delivered under Liam Manning.
00:07He is news that he could be possibly departing the club.
00:11Now, there must be some underlying issues here in terms of investment,
00:15in terms of projects moving forward.
00:17First time in 17 years that they've reached the top six in the Championship,
00:21an incredibly tough division to get out of.
00:23Probably the toughest in Europe, for sure.
00:27An amazing job delivered, especially if you look 2025.
00:32Bristol City were one of the standout outfits in an incredibly tough division again.
00:37But then suddenly, season ends and Liam Manning, you think,
00:41will go straight into the new season with so much confidence.
00:45Maybe that's not the case.
00:46Norwich City possibly going to be activating his release cause of around £800,000.
00:52But these are Championship rivals.
00:55These are rivals in Norwich, will have ambitions for promotion,
00:58as well as they have done in the last, you know, 10 years or so.
01:02They've been up and down quite a few times.
01:04Dan, our Bristol correspondent.
01:06Dan, just a word on the situation.
01:08Obviously, Liam Manning, a massive season.
01:11You know, he obviously quoted and said it was exhausting for him and the players,
01:14and he wanted a break.
01:15But this could change the landscape of a lot of things.
01:18What would this mean for Liam Manning?
01:19And what would it mean, most importantly, for Bristol City if he is to leave the club this summer?
01:25Well, Charles, it will certainly be a huge blow if he is to depart Ashton Gate.
01:30Certainly not a move that many people would have seen coming,
01:32especially even just a week ago,
01:34because of what he'd said in club media as well,
01:38about, you know, the connection he'd come with the fans,
01:40about praising the season that they've just had at Ashton Gate,
01:44getting into the playoffs.
01:46It really seems as if they were gearing up for a good summer
01:48and then an even better season next season at Ashton Gate.
01:54But it would appear that all this is to come crashing down.
01:57Of course, Bristol City still have the capability of doing that
01:59if recruitment is good and if someone has to replace Liam Manning,
02:03the next person also is of that ilk.
02:06But it's just frustrating if it is to happen because of the development
02:09in the bond that he's formed at the club and that isn't, you know,
02:15re-established very quickly no matter who comes in.
02:19So it will be a huge blow.
02:21Obviously, Norwich have now made that official approach.
02:25There's meant to be compensation fee in around the region
02:27of about £800,000 to Bristol City.
02:31But, of course, that pales into insignificance,
02:34given what Bristol City will lose in terms of their footballing prowess
02:38and coaching at least.
02:40So it does seem a bit of a strange one,
02:42given what has developed there this season.
02:45Although you could argue that Liam Manning doesn't tend to stay at clubs that long.
02:48He didn't stay at Oxford United that long before he then went to Bristol City.
02:53But certainly for supporters of Bristol City, not good.
02:56And it perhaps indicates that he wasn't confident of being backed in the summer,
03:02you could argue.
03:03Although is it just a case of him jumping ships?
03:05That's also another argument.
03:06We don't know the ins and outs of it.
03:08At this stage, I'm sure that might come to light in the coming weeks.
03:11But let's hear now from Liam Manning himself,
03:13speaking just a week ago about his development
03:17and the season he'd had at Bristol City,
03:20where they got into the playoffs
03:21and was so happy and was so secure with what was going on at the club.
03:27Naturally, I think, you know, when I joined the club, you could sense and feel the frustration,
03:32you know, with the fans, with, you know, in the building.
03:34I think you could just sense it.
03:36I think, and for me, the only way you change that is by the work you do
03:39and, you know, by what the fans turn up and see on a Saturday.
03:42And I think what we've shown, what we've brought is a group of lads
03:45and a group of staff that we're all in that give everything.
03:47Good days, bad days, natural, that's part of the game.
03:50But I think, you know, when I look at, you know,
03:52the vast majority of the games this season,
03:53it's not, we haven't lost games or performed poorly
03:56due to attitude, application or competing.
03:58You know, it's quite often been about quality.
04:00So I think, you know, the fans see that.
04:02The fans, you know, they get it.
04:03They're real as well, which is probably why it was, you know,
04:05nice to get the reception we got off, you know, the last two games.
04:08I think, you know, the fans saw, you know,
04:11a group that have given everything over the course of the season
04:13and, you know, continue to do in the last two games.
04:16From that interview, you probably couldn't gauge at all
04:18that he was thinking about leaving,
04:20although perhaps it even hadn't crossed his mind at that stage,
04:22even though it was only about a week ago.
04:25And yet here we are with him on the verge of leaving for Norwich City.
04:29So football does move that fast.
04:31And obviously Norwich have identified Manning as the person they want.
04:35And it looks at the moment like they're going to get him
04:38in what will be a huge blow for Bristol City.
04:43And I'll give her the purpose of that.
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