Nigel Pearson acknowledges it will be sensational if Bristol City can pull off an FA Cup giant-killing but confirmed he won't be pulling out any more dance moves should the unexpected happen.
The Robins host Premier League champions Manchester City on Tuesday night following a run of 12 games without defeat but Pearson was keen to keep level-headed about the prospect of entertaining the world's best in a first career match-up against Pep Guardiola.
Even with the number of star-studded names expected to feature for the visitors tomorrow after Guardiola promised a strong side, Pearson admitted he won't compromise his tactics that have proved the foundations to remaining undefeated in 2023. Although he recognises the only way his side can pull off a result is if his players are at their absolute best and Man City's have a rare, collective off day.
Since the second half of the FA Cup draw with Swansea at the beginning of January, Pearson has adopted a 4-3-3 formation which allows Alex Scott to play in the No10 position. There is also a reliance on the forwards to press high up the pitch and hit their opponents on the counter-attack when the opportunity allows.
"We will only have an opportunity to do something special if the whole team plays at its max and they're not at their best," Pearson said. "I don't think we're going to play differently from how we always play. I would expect us to have long spells without the ball but that usually happens to us with the way we play anyway.
"They're one of the best sides in the world so there's no point worrying too much about that. We just have to be as good as we can be and be the best version of ourselves that we can be.
"The big thing for me is that I'm really hopeful the players look forward to the challenge and play with the same character and commitment that they've shown over the last few weeks because that's the big thing that has changed our fortunes this season.
"It will be sensational if something like that happens of course (to get a win) because they are an outstanding team and squad of players with an elite manager who is up there with the very best.
"The main aim for us is to perform as well as we can and for some of our players to have earned the opportunity to play against such a good team and see how good they can be on the night."
Pearson was sacked as Watford manager two days before taking on Guardiola in July 2020, but wouldn't entertain the question about going up against one the Spaniard, insisting the focus should be on his players being rewarded for their performances over the last two months.
"This is not anything but an opportunity to get the best performance out of our own players," he added. "Outside of that, I don't see anything that's particularly important.
"We've worked hard to go 12 games unbeaten and we needed a good run. We'll be fighting as hard as we can to keep that going."
Pearson went viral on Saturday evening after the cameras spotted him doing a jig following City's match-winner against Hull City. As it turns out, the City manager used to be a ballroom dancer "a long time ago" with former keeper Kasper Schmeichel reiterating those claims.
In 2020, the ex-Leicester City captain claimed in an interview on Peter Crouch's podcast that Pearson was an "unbelievable ballroom dancer" who can also "do the splits."
However, the City manager ruled out any prospect of it happening again telling the media: "I very much doubt it, I don't like being caught doing stuff like that. I probably wouldn't do it, no. Not now you're all watching."
SIGN UP: For our daily Robins newsletter, bringing you the latest from Ashton Gate
READ NEXT
