Karl Robinson focussing on promotion after Manchester City outclass Salford
CAN'T WATCH: Salford City manager Karl Robinson with Alex Bruce and Director of Football/Assistant coach Ryan Giggs. Pic: Martin Rickett/PA Wire.
Karl Robinson echoed the thoughts of Salford's "Class of 92" owners after this humbling FA Cup defeat in a Manchester derby with a difference.
Robinson is the latest manager employed by the former Manchester United sextet of Gary and Phil Neville, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, David Beckham and Nicky Butt with the task of lifting Salford out of League Two.
And he was able to put some perspective on the 8-0 third round tie drubbing when he said: "We have one goal - and that is to get out of this division."
That has proved something of a problem for the club since four promotions in five seasons following the Class of 92 take-over in 2014 propelled them into the Football League.
They were in the eighth tier of the English football pyramid - the Northern Premier League Division One north - 10 years ago but under management duo of Anthony Johnson and Bernard Morley quickly moved up three tiers.
Former Fleetwood and Preston manager Graham Alexander was employed to steer them out of the National League and into League Two in 2019 but the upward trajectory has stalled since then with Alexander, Richie Wellens, Gary Bowyer and Neil Wood all trying and failing to clinch League One status.
The closest they got was a play-off semi-final defeat to neighbours Stockport two years ago but hopes are high that this could finally be the season they achieve their ambition under former Milton Keynes, Charlton and Oxford manager Robinson.
Salford came into the tie on a run of six wins and six clean sheets that has lifted them into the third automatic promotion place at the half-way stage of the campaign and Robinson - who has just celebrated a year as manager - is confident this heavy defeat can actually help their promotion bid.
He joked: "I said to the players I would have taken eight goals conceded in seven games - I just didn't expect them to all come in one game!
"We're proud of them, I really am. They never let me down. We make human errors but that's part of the level we're at. Some of the things we weren't so good at, we'll make sure we're better. We'll learn from today.
"It's about dusting ourselves off. We've come on so much in 12 months and to be where we are in the league. This is a glimmer of what we want to be and we know we've got so much to improve and we know where we want to be.
Robinson insists that having high-profile owners who were so good in their playing days is more of a help than an added pressure. "We speak consistently - they are always there offering help and assistance.
"We don't waste their experience. It would be naive as staff and players if we didn't listen to them. Yes, they played at a higher level, but they can speak to players in League One and Two.”
Salford will resume their promotion bid on Saturday when they take on Fleetwood at their Moor Lane stadium where their average crowds are 2,800 - they took double that to the Etihad for the biggest game in the club's history.
Scholes and Butt were among the spectators while Giggs was in the technical area alongside Robinson. It was just as well that Gary Neville was away on a skiing holiday because he was the target for most of the vocal hostility from City fans.
Like his former United pals, he wouldn't have enjoyed seeing some of City's richly-talented youngsters take their chance to show Pep Guardiola they are good enough to be part of his expected squad re-build.
James McAtee, who has spent a couple of seasons learning his trade at Sheffield United, bagged a 20-minute hat-trick in the second half while debutant striker Divin Mubama and defender Rico O'Reilly scored their first senior goals for the club.
Jeremy Doku gave Salford's defence a torrid time and scored two - one a penalty - while Jack Grealish ended over a year without a goal by converting a spot kick.
But while Guardiola was delighted with his youngsters he revealed after the game that one of his 'old guard' Kyle Walker wants to leave after eight years when he was won everything there is to win.
Walker, 34, was left out of the City squad for the game after informing City's director of football Txiki Begiristain on Thursday of his desire to move - and Guardiola will not stand in the England defender's way with a move to the money-spinning Saudi Arabia League an option.
"Two days ago Kyle asked to explore the options to go to another country to play his last years," said Guardiola.
"It's impossible to explain how important he has been for us but 'm pretty convinced that there's no-one in our job who can perform at their best level if they don't want to be at the club."
City have already agreed as £33.6m deal with Lens for Uzbekistan international defender Abdukodir Khusanov. They are also in negotiations with Brazilian club Palmeiras for teenage defender Vitor Reis and are keen on Eintracht Frankfurt forward Omar Marmoush.
Ederson 6; Simpson-Pusey 7, Ake 7 (Akanji 46, 7), O'Reilly 7; Savinho 7 (Foden 55, 7) ,Gundogan 7, Nunes 8, Grealish 7; McAtee 9, Doku 8 (Kovacic 74, 6); Mubama 7.
Young 7; Shephard 5, Tilt 5, Garbutt 5; Ashley 5 (Watson 58, 5); Mnoga 5 (Taylor 58, 5), Lund 5 (McAleny 70, 5), Fornah 5, Berkoe 5; Kouassi 6 (Stockton 70, 5), Adelakun 5 (Wright 87, 5).
Josh Smith 7.
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