LIAM MANNING wants Ashton Gate to become a cauldron as Bristol City target promotion to the Premier League.
And Robins gaffer Manning knows the fans have a crucial role to play against Sheffield United in the Championship semi-final first leg on Thursday night.
Manning has been using images of Robins fans celebrating the end of a 17-year wait for a play-off place last weekend as he plots a route to Wembley glory.
And he also eased the mounting pressure by sharing videos of City’s Japanese star Yu Hirakawa crowd surfing with delirious supporters after sixth spot was secured.
It is all part of a bold left-field strategy as he bids to spring an upset when he pits his wits against Chris Wilder’s Blades.
Manning said: “Our media department capture a lot of images and videos and we use a lot of them in all our team meetings.
“We use them as title pages and graphics and we were spoilt for choice at the weekend.
“That’s because there were so many incredible images of people on the pitch and ones of pure emotion.
“And it’s fair to say that they just showed that’s what the game does to you with those incredible highs.
“But elsewhere we also saw the scenes of some unfortunate fans at clubs who experienced incredible lows as well.
“We’ve just tried to capture those images because you want the lads to be emotionally invested in the club.
“And, for me, one of the best ways to achieve that is for them to see the impact that they can have on people.
“We showed them a couple of images of the fans and a video of Yu crowd surfing and that got a right good laugh as well among the lads.”
City must upset the odds to find a way past the Blades when their two-legged stress-fest gets under way at Ashton Gate on Thursday night.
And while there is a feel-good factor among his players, Manning insists they are not just in the play-offs to make up the numbers.
He said: “We should be proud of what we’ve achieved because a play-off place has been a long time coming for this club.
“I really enjoyed seeing how happy the fans were after the Preston game when I walked round with my son Isaac because it really was special.
“I’ve told the players to savour the experience of reaching the play-offs and I had a celebratory beer with my No 2, Chris Hogg, and a Chinese with our families.
“We’ve also drawn on recent high-pressure games like the defeat last week at Leeds because that’s an important experience we can learn from.
“But my players, my staff and myself are driven and ambitious, and we don’t want to just be part of the play-off, we want to compete and progress.
“The play-off place is the accumulation of many people’s efforts behind the scenes over the course of the season.
“It’s such a collective effort and, by way of example, our kitchen staff are phenomenal with all the care that goes into food for the players.
“It’s my job to put out a side that equips itself well.”
BRISTOL CITY v SHEFFIELD UNITED VERDICT
JUSTIN ALLEN’S guide to the Championship semi-final
United have had a good season. They finished the season averaging two points per game — before their points deduction — but have missed out to Leeds and Burnley, who both amassed ONE HUNDRED!
BLADES fans were gutted not to get promoted automatically after they lost four of their last six games — crucially three in a row to Oxford, Millwall and Plymouth.
I always fear for a club that misses out on automatic promotion but they have had the time to mentally reset.
They are up against a Bristol City side that just about clung on to their play-off spot after just one win in their last five games.
Sheff U won 2-1 in October at Ashton Gate but the Robins were brilliant in the March return, although they needed a late leveller.
The Blades should edge this over two legs. A big performance from Championship player-of-the-season Gus Hamer will be needed — but City carry a threat through Nahki Wells and Anis Mehmeti.
(First leg, Thursday May 8, 8pm; second leg Monday, May 12, 8pm)
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