Roy Hodgson has suggested his illustrious managerial career has likely concluded following a hard-earned 2-0 Championship victory over Stoke at Ashton Gate.
The veteran manager, having just completed a seven-match interim spell as the Robins’ head coach, stated he would not actively pursue another role, though he did not entirely dismiss a return to the game if the circumstances were right.
Delano Burgzorg fired Hodgson’s side ahead inside a minute, capitalising on a nightmare blunder by Stoke goalkeeper Viktor Johansson, who lost control of the ball in his own box.
Substitute Sam Bell finally killed off battling Stoke after 88 minutes, side-footing home from eight yards after Rob Dickie headed down a Mark Sykes corner. This left Hodgson to celebrate with City fans, 44 years after his first short period as Ashton Gate boss ended.
After clinching a top-half finish, he said: “I don’t know what the future holds, but I didn’t actively seek this position and, much as I have enjoyed being back at Bristol City, it seems unlikely that a similar situation will arise again.
“If someone says ‘we need you to do a job’ and I think I can then maybe, but it’s a long shot. I am certainly not going to be putting my name out there because there are lots of managers and coaches needing jobs.
“The game had been very kind to me and I don’t need the work anymore. It’s nice to go out on a win and, while I didn’t think it was one of our better performances, I couldn’t fault any of the players for effort.
“Next week I have a meeting planned with the club’s chief executive and then another with the owner, who was not able to be here today.
“I have left it in their hands to talk about the next manager and recruitment for next season, but of course if I am asked for an opinion, I will be happy to give it.”
Mark Robins felt his Stoke side – who finished the season 17th – recovered well from the early setback and was heartened by the reaction of travelling fans at the end of the game.
“The supporters were brilliant from the moment they met us off the bus,” he said. “It is so important that they see the positives and don’t allow negativity to creep in.
“It has been a challenging season for many reasons and we haven’t managed to better 14th place, which was one of the aims at the start of the campaign.
“Injuries have hit us hard. Viktor Johansson has made a mistake today, but I can say that if he had been available for all our games we would be 10 points better off. He has signed a new contract, which is a massive boost for everybody.
“I thought we played better than Bristol City. It’s never ideal to concede so early, but the reaction was good and we created so many good situations.
“What we have to be better at is getting the ball forward quicker, which we did in the second half and making sure the movement is right in the box to get on the end of crosses.
“There will be a top eight to go for next season, which will hopefully create a lot of interest and we have to get the players in to create healthy competition.”
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