Hogg opens up on a difficult week for Robins

Bristol City’s stand-in manager Chris Hogg has revealed how he’s dealt with helping the club’s players and his friend and boss Liam Manning after the death of the Robins’ manager’s baby son.

The Bristol City manager Manning is having a leave of absence with his family after their young baby boy Theo John Manning died last week.

Stockton-on-Tees-born assistant Hogg, who joined Manning at Ashton Gate from the same role at Oxford United last season, help mastermind Bristol City’s first away win of the season at Middlesbrough on Saturday, with goals from Anis Mehmet and Yu Harakawa clinching a shock win.

And Middlesbrough fan Hogg, who had trials under Tony Mowbray before joining the Boro legend as a defender during his spell in charge at Hibernian, will remain in charge for their visit to Stoke City tomorrow night.

On Saturday both sets of fans joined a minute’s applause before the EFL Championship clash, and after the 2-0 win, Hogg took every player and his staff to the far corner of the Riverside Stadium where more than 500 travelling fans handed over a banner reading ‘Fly High Theo’ which had been placed among supporters during the game. They all then savoured a moment, Hogg said, would stay with him forever.

He said: “You can see the relationship between the players and supporters and it’s united the city and football and it has been really heartwarming and shows the power of football and community which can be a hard world to live in.

“The support for Liam and his family has been huge and a huge source of strength. I can’t thank people enough.

“I had to take a minute to compose myself to speak to the players after the game but they’ve been great all week, he has such great relationships with them and it visibly affected them all but they’re good people who care for about the manager.

“It’s been tough but they’ve knuckled down, trained properly and we gave them everything before the game and the over-riding emotion for me is I’m so proud of them and seeing the connection with the fans at the end is something that will probably live with me forever.

Emotions were understandably high in the visitors’ dressing room after the game and Hogg emerged to give an insight into an intensely difficult week for his friend and family which had ended with three valuable points and now level with Boro.

Hogg, who went to Conyers School down the road in Yarm before his failed Boro trials, added: “When you're giving a real close friend support and in such a situation, your focus is on them and what they want and need.

“And I have to say, the football club's been outstanding in terms of the staff; they've come in every day, lending me support where they can and there's not one individual who hasn't stepped up and come together and been united behind me, the players and the football club.

“For me, it's a case of cuddling my family, kissing my kids, trying and stay as level as I can, sleep as much as I can, a lot of breathing and trying to stay as present as I can in the moment and consistent with my own behaviours because ultimately, in times like this, it demands that, as soon as people see me being up and down, it lends to the players.

“I think it's really important we express our failures and emotions as a group, and know what's coming, and try and accept we were going to be emotional at times

“We spoke about it to give them a couple of strategies to deal with that and it was tough but the players were terrific and grew in confidence as the game went on.

Meanwhile the Riverside doesn't seem in the mood for the visit of former boss Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United on Wednesday night.

Michael Carrick’s side were booed off at full-time, despite completely dominating the game and registering more than 20 shots to the visitors’ five and they have won two in five at home, scored just 10 in the league in total and have slipped down to ninth.

Increasingly frustrated, but remaining patient, Middlesbrough manager Carrick said: “It’s not going in and it’s plain to see. What goes on between boxes is hugely important to us but we have to find a way to score goals.”

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