Interim Bristol Rovers manager Andy Mangan raised the prospect that he could take charge of the Gas following Joey Barton’s sacking after a 2-1 over Northampton at the Memorial Stadium.
Mangan was placed in temporary charge of the first team in the wake of Barton’s exit on Thursday and such was his players’ response that he is already quizzed about the possibility of taking over on a permanent basis.
When asked about being in line to replace Barton, Mangan told reporters in his post-match news conference: “That’s a really difficult question to ask because Joey’s my friend.
“I’ve been asked to take over the team because of what’s happened this week and all I can do is do my best.
“If we keep winning, then who knows what will happen, but all I can do is every single day come and try to make my players better.
“But I have to say the staff have been fantastic and I’ve got nothing but thanks to everyone at the club.
“Joe and me have been together longer than everyone else here so it’s been tough.
“But it’s been wonderful seeing the way people have been coming together and long may that continue.
“I don’t know what happens next – all I can do is keep working diligently every day.”
Mangan saw striker Chris Martin give his side the perfect start, back-heeling Aaron Collins’ cut-back beyond Cobblers goalkeeper Lee Burge after 10 minutes.
Antony Evans doubled the lead on the half-hour, calmly beating Burge from the penalty spot after the former Sunderland goalkeeper felled Collins.
Emmanuel Monthe halved the lead in the 57th minute when he nodded in Mitchell Pinnock’s free-kick to set up a tense finale.
“I’m an optimist and I think we can beat everyone else, but we can be miles better,” Mangan added.
“Victory felt really good because what happened was a complete shock and to be thrust into it and come away with a 2-1 is something we should all be proud of.
“It’s been a tough week for everyone and the players have to take a lot of credit because they performed to their maximum.
“After the first 10 minutes we were magnificent and when the onslaught came the lads should take credit for standing firm.”
Northampton manager Jon Brady, whose side are now only outside the Sky Bet League One relegation zone on goal difference, expressed frustration with the outcome.
He said: “We started well and had two or three chances, and then gave away easy goals that left us having to fight our way back into the game.
“We got a goal back and pushed and pushed, and we were knocking on the door, but we’re giving ourselves a mountain to climb every single time.
“We dominated every facet of the game. We had 60 per cent possession, but the game’s not about possession, it’s about how you use that ball and having purpose.
“We didn’t put the ball in the back of the net and then it’s too easy for the opposition to score.
“I’m really disappointed but we played quite well, but didn’t come away with anything which is frustrating.”
Michel proud Girona's Champions League bow despite late defeat
Michel has urged his team to be proud of their Champions League debut, despite a heartbreaking late defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
The visitors neutralised PSG's attack for much of the game, only for Paulo Gazzaniga, who had made a number of good saves, to let Nuno Mendes' tame delivery slip through his hands and into the back of the net.
The goalkeeper's own goal was the first in the 90th minute of a Champions League game since November 2022 (Porto's Ivan Marcano vs Atletico Madrid), while it was the first-ever such goal that proved to be the winner.
Despite the defeat, the Girona head coach praised his team's effort and the performance of his goalkeeper up until the goal.
"Now in the dressing room, people are a little bit down," Michel told reporters. "I told them that we have to be proud of the game we played.
"PSG subdued us, Gazzaniga made some good saves. There were two or three that could have been goals.
"We have to recognise that their victory is deserved but we are proud of the way we work.
"Let's see if we get another chance to come to Paris next year."
The Spaniard admitted his players were nervous in their first taste of Europe's elite club competition, but he was satisfied with their game as they faced a top-level team.
"At the start of the game, we were very nervous, you could see that. But as the first half went on, we found personality, commitment, attitude," he added.
"In the second half, we were tired. PSG pressed us more, we were continually defending a lot. We passed our first experience in the Champions League.
"We competed against a great team where the pressure can stiffen you and the team gave a good performance."
Girona face Feyenoord in their second league-phase fixture.
'Worse than giving birth' - Luis Enrique notes tough nature of PSG win
Luis Enrique compared Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League opener to childbirth as he admitted he did not enjoy watching their tense late win over Girona.
PSG secured victory after Girona's goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga, who had thwarted numerous efforts from the French champions, made a calamitous error in the final minutes.
Nuno Mendes' tame, low delivery into the box slipped through the goalkeeper's grasp and into the back of the net, snatching PSG all three points in a 1-0 win on Wednesday.
Though winning in fortuitous circumstances, PSG have now only lost one of their 37 home games in the group stage of the Champions League (W29 D7) since the start of the 2012-13 campaign, and Luis Enrique acknowledged the tough nature of this victory.
"I think we were superior, but Girona played us in circles and made us dizzy," Luis Enrique told Movistar Plus.
"At half-time, we said that if we didn't press, we were going to suffer. We had to win, and it was very difficult.
"It was very difficult. I told [Girona manager] Michel that this was worse than giving birth, with all due respect."
Under the new Champions League format, teams play eight matches against eight different opponents, with the top eight sides in the 36-team league automatically advancing to the last 16, and the next 16 playing a further knockout round.
Luis Enrique observed that the format creates uncertainty about the significance of results.
"Winning a match or any title is difficult, but we don't know the dimensions of this competition with this format," he added.
"We are going to have to play matches against teams that have easier schedules than ours. How many points are we going to need? There are many unknowns that need to be cleared up."
Despite the victory, PSG suffered a setback as striker Marco Asensio limped off just before half-time. However, Luis Enrique was confident in the strength of his squad.
"He felt a twinge. Marco had started the season well. This is professional football, and we have a very good squad."
PSG will next play Reims away in Ligue 1 on Saturday.
Atlanta United 2-2 Inter Miami: Miranchuk stunner ends visitors' winning run
Aleksei Miranchuk's stunning late goal salvaged a 2-2 draw for Atlanta United, ending Inter Miami's winning streak.
The visitors brought Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez off the bench in the second half but were unable to make it six wins on the bounce.
Miami had the better of the first half, with Julian Gressel forcing Brad Guzan into an acrobatic save before David Ruiz snuck in behind the hosts' defence to slot a lovely low shot into the bottom-right corner.
In the 56th minute, Saba Lobjanidze met Pedro Amador's whipped cross with a thumping header, nodding it through Drake Callender's legs, and the keeper arguably should have done better.
But just three minutes later, Miami were back in front – Leonardo Campana's free-kick from just outside the box took a huge deflection off the wall, giving the keeper no chance.
Messi led the search for a late third, with his low shot palmed away by Guzan straight into Suarez's path, but Amador was perfectly placed on the line to block it.
Atlanta then went straight up the other end, with Miranchuk floating a wonderful shot into the top-left corner after cutting inside from the right before Lobjanidze's late effort deflected off Ian Fray onto the post.
Miami are now eight points clear at the top of the Eastern Conference, while Atlanta sit in 11th.
Data Debrief: Campana makes Miami history
Campana may have got a bit of luck with his goal due to a wicked deflection, but he will not care one bit, as that strike was his 30th goal for Miami.
He now becomes the outright all-time leading scorer for the club, overtaking Gonzalo Higuain, though Messi is just three behind him.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
