Bristol City interim boss Roy Hodgson says he is "very satisfied" after overseeing a 2-0 win over Stoke on Saturday, claiming 11 points from his seven Championship games in charge of the Robins
Daniel Carter
23:59, 02 May 2026Updated 00:00, 03 May 2026
Roy Hodgson has completed his short-term spell at Bristol City
Roy Hodgson has completed his short-term spell at Bristol City(Image: Getty Images)
Roy Hodgson insists he "couldn't be happier" following Bristol City's final-day victory over Stoke, with the 78-year-old "very satisfied" with the contribution he made during his interim stint at Ashton Gate.
The Robins brought the Championship season and former Liverpool manager Hodgson's brief tenure to a close with a 2-0 triumph over the Potters on Saturday. Hodgson will now return to retirement, having briefly stepped back into soccer to help Bristol City in the club's time of need.
On Saturday, strikes from Delano Burgzorg and Sam Bell proved sufficient for City to collect all three points before a sell-out crowd. Middlesbrough loanee Burgzorg handed the Robins the advantage after just a minute of play, capitalizing on a Viktor Johansson error to open his account in red and white.
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That early opener appeared destined to be the decisive moment, until Bell tucked home from close range two minutes from time. While, in Hodgson's estimation, it was far from the Robins' most polished display since the March international break, that mattered precious little to the former England manager, who was keen to prioritize the result over the performance.
"Funnily enough, I didn't think it was one of our better performances, if I'm perfectly honest," Hodgson explained. "I think probably that a bit of the nervousness and the desire to finish well rubbed off on us all in a way.
"But, there were some good qualities to the team. I've seen us pass the ball better and control games better in some of these previous ones when we've actually been very good at doing that at times. Today was less of that, and we were put under pressure by the very talented wingers Stoke have got, and the number of crosses they get into the box.
Bristol City won on Saturday
Bristol City won on Saturday(Image: Getty Images)
"I can't fault the attitude, the desire, the discipline and the willingness of all the players to do what was necessary to get us a result. I couldn't be happier. Sometimes getting a victory like this is more satisfying than one where it has been fairly easy because you've dominated the game from start to finish."
Following Saturday lunchtime's triumph against the Potters, Hodgson has accumulated 11 points from his seven matches as interim manager. Under the 78-year-old's stewardship, City have defeated Charlton, Sheffield United, and Stoke, while suffering losses to Norwich and Birmingham City.
In reality, the consecutive Easter victories were sufficient to eliminate any lingering relegation concerns among the City supporters. The additional points secured against QPR, Southampton and the Potters have ultimately ensured the Robins conclude the Championship campaign in 12th position.
Entrusted with stabilizing matters heading into the final stretch, Hodgson has fulfilled the brief set by the Robins leadership and been rewarded with a legacy cap for his contributions across two spells at the club. He can now return to retirement content with his achievements at Ashton Gate.
When questioned by Bristol Live about his satisfaction with performances, he responded: "Very satisfied. I think 11 points from seven games, four of which have been away from home, and against teams of very good quality [is a good return].
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"Stoke at the start of the season were racing, Southampton was a tough one, Birmingham have been going quite well in recent weeks, QPR, Charlton, Sheffield United; there's been no games really where we've been handed, if you like, a team which has been struggling or coming to the end of a season in a bad way.
"We've had to fight and work hard against similar quality teams the whole way through. To take 11 points from that, especially with only three games being here, I think we can be more than satisfied.
"Everyone likes to get a pat on the back," Hodgson remarked on his legacy cap. "Everyone likes to hear a kind word, everyone likes to receive praise, and I'm no different. It's much nicer than having people boo you off the field or accost you on the street to tell you that they don't think you're any good. It's nice when it's the other way around."