John Eustace admitted relegation-threatened Blackburn had let their travelling fans down by gifting Bristol City all five goals at Ashton Gate.
Tommy Conway capitalised on a bad error by Dominic Hyam to shoot City ahead in the 24th minute and doubled the advantage with a first-half penalty after the defender had brought down Mark Sykes.
Anis Mehmeti fired the third in the 73rd minute after another Hyam slip and two late Nahki Wells goals, the first another penalty, awarded for handball against Kyle McFadzean, completed mid-table City’s biggest Championship win of the season.
The result left Rovers just three points above the drop zone with four games left and head coach Eustace, who made four half-time substitutions, admitted: “I could have taken the whole team off.
“Tonight was so unlike how we have been recently. There wasn’t the fight we have been displaying and we gifted them all their goals.
“We have let our fans down. I said there would be highs and lows when I took the job and tonight is very much a low.
“I am very disappointed, but I know I have a good group of lads and we will go again against Leeds at Elland Road on Saturday.
“I expect a response from the players in that game and it’s important the supporters stay with us. We are all in this together and before tonight there have been a lot of positives.
“I don’t think the result will affect confidence. Individual errors have cost us, the first ones just as we seemed to be taking control of the game.
“All games are tough in the Championship and we will continue to take each one as it comes.”
City head coach Liam Manning was understandably buzzing.
“I’m delighted,” he said. “The togetherness and willingness to run, while staying focused and in control, was tremendous.
“Tactically, a lot clicked. We felt we could hurt them down the sides and that’s how it proved.
“The balls forward were good and our forward players were prepared to chase lost causes.
“Our front players need to be our first defenders. Two or three of Tommy Conway’s goals this season have come from being exactly that.
“The international break was hugely important for me in terms of working with the players on grass and we have seen the benefits in the matches since.
“Nahki Wells’ goals took him to 100 in Championship football, so it’s a proud night for him and his family.”
PSG not obsessed with scoring twice against Dortmund - Luis Enrique
Paris Saint-Germain lost their Champions League semi-final first leg 1-0 to Borussia Dortmund last Wednesday, but that does not mean they will go all out to score twice in the return game, manager Luis Enrique said on Monday.
The Ligue 1 champions overturned a one-goal deficit against Barcelona in the quarter-finals, winning 4-1 in the second leg, but PSG are prepared to take the game with Dortmund to extra time if that is what is needed.
"The aim isn't to win by two goals, but to win, if you think you have to score two goals, that seems like a big target," Luis Enrique told a press conference ahead of Tuesday's game in Paris.
"We just want to play and score. If we score in the 89th minute, it will carry on. We don't need to score right away, we just want to win the game.
The Spaniard wants his side concentrated on all aspects of their game, not only in attack, and a goal from the Germans won't be the end of the world.
"You could score twice in two minutes, but you could also concede a goal," he added.
"We have to be 100 per cent focused on attack and defence. If we concede a goal, it is not serious, we have to stay calm. If we score twice very quickly, our opponents will have to react.
"It will be an even game with a high level of play on and off the ball, so it will be tough for both teams."
Since last week's loss, Luis Enrique has declared on more than one occasion that PSG will win the return game, saying: "That is the only sentence I know in French, 'on va gagner' we are going to win.
"It is a sentence I like, and I always think my team will win, so that is what I say."
PSG have home advantage for the second leg, and Luis Enrique has no doubt that the Parc des Princes will once again be a driving force for his team.
"I think the role of the fans will be vital, as it has been throughout the season," the manager said.
"We have a total guarantee that the fans will be fully behind us as they have been all year, particularly when we need them, and this isn't a normal thing.
"We will all be together, and I hope we can celebrate a victory and a place in the final."
Van Dijk insists he will be part of Liverpool's transition from Klopp
Virgil van Dijk says he will be "part of" the big transition following Jurgen Klopp’s departure at the end of the season.
The German will leave Liverpool after nine years in charge, with a deal agreed for Feyenoord manager, Arne Slot, to replace him.
Van Dijk, who signed for Liverpool in January 2018, is going into the final year of his contract, and admitted he has not heard anything about an extension.
"There is nothing for me to discuss because there is no news," Van Dijk said.
"I think the club is very much busy with who is going to be the new manager and that is the main focus.
"I am very happy here. I love the club, and you can see that as well. It’s a big part of my life already. The focus is now on the last two games and then the club will focus on who the new manager is and there will be a big transition, and I am part of that.
"When the season is over and there is news, we will focus on what is coming next, but it is a fact that there will be a lot of changes happening, and it will be interesting. I am here to be a part of that and looking forward to it.
"I am the captain, so I want to help, I will help, and I should help. If he [Slot] is the one who comes, then let’s see.
"There will be a lot of changes happening. I wouldn’t say scary is the right word, but it is quite interesting and exciting what will happen now."
Liverpool beat Tottenham 4-2 on Sunday, putting recent setbacks behind them to return to winning ways at Anfield.
The Reds won the EFL Cup in February, and though a Premier League title now looks unlikely, Van Dijk is hopeful that they can finish Klopp’s reign strongly.
"Listen, if you said at the start of the season that this is how it would have gone, then I think we would have taken that," he added.
"We are winners, and we were close. We weren’t good enough in the decisive moments, but that is life. We have to stick together, and we will.
"A few of us have been in title races and on the losing sides at times and it hurts. But we have to take this experience with us, and you only improve if you learn and that is the aim, and we can take that into next season. We want to give the manager a good farewell and do it for ourselves as well."
Zidane rules out Bayern move as Bundesliga giants linked with Ten Hag
Zinedine Zidane has ruled out taking over at Bayern Munich, amid suggestions Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is also of interest to the Bundesliga giants.
Bayern have been frustrated in their search for a successor to Thomas Tuchel, who is set to leave the club at the end of the season after overseeing their first failure to win the Bundesliga since 2012.
Preferred candidate Xabi Alonso – who was also linked with Liverpool – has reaffirmed his commitment to Bayer Leverkusen, while Julian Nagelsmann decided to continue as Germany boss after being linked with a return to the Allianz Arena.
Ralf Rangnick was the latest coach to be linked with the Bavarian giants last week, only for the Austria boss to follow Alonso and Nagelsmann by saying he will stay in his current role.
That leaves Bayern back to square one in their bid to find a replacement for Tuchel, who has refused to rule out a dramatic U-turn. One man who will not be taking over, however, is Zidane.
While attending the Miami Grand Prix, the former Real Madrid coach was asked by Sky Sports Germany if he expected Los Blancos to overcome Bayern in the teams' Champions League semi-final tie.
Asked who he thought would reach the final, Zidane said: "Hopefully Madrid, but it's going to be a difficult game."
Zidane was then asked whether he was in contention for the Bayern job, to which he said: "No. I'm just going to watch the game."
Another man touted as a possible candidate to replace Tuchel, Julen Lopetegui, has reportedly agreed to take charge of West Ham at the end of the season.
On Sunday, a report from Sky Sports claimed the Bundesliga giants are also considering a surprise move for United boss Ten Hag, who coached Bayern's second team between 2013 and 2015.
Ten Hag has come under severe pressure this season with United facing a fight to qualify for the Europa League, but the Dutchman is reportedly uninterested in a move.
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