And in his expert eyes that meant kudos for the back four and goalkeeper Shay Given who managed a clean sheet, the first that City had produced in an away Premier League game since the win at Sunderland almost a calendar year ago.
“We had stand up to a real challenge at Blackburn; they are not an easy side to play against,” declared the boss.
“They are a team that is adept at putting the opposition under pressure and you have to deal with a variety of questions. I thought we dealt with those questions well on Saturday
“The back four was outstanding as was Shay behind them who was organising them. Every one of them stood up to be counted and the solid defensive platform enabled the rest of the guys to break at pace and cause Blackburn problems going the other way. It was a good all around performance by everyone at the back.
“There were some big performances from the guys at the back. They stood up to the challenge very well.
“We are the biggest story in town at the moment and we are going to attract attention; we have to work with it and the best way to stop people putting a negative spin on things is to win matches.
“We showed at Ewood the qualities that will sustain us on the journey that we have started. We will need more of the same.
“What also pleased me greatly was that we looked strong as a group. There are leaders all over the pitch and that helped us on Saturday and will do so again in the future.”
