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Manchester City scored six goals against Manchester United for the second time this season in Premier League 2, but their head coach was more pleased with the discipline and mentality they displayed than the goals they scored.

After taking a two-goal lead within 15 minutes, City were buoyed by a red card for United defender Sonny Aljofree on Saturday and a quick third to end the contest. United would try to limit the goals against them from then on, bringing in 36-year-old manager Tom Huddlestone, and the second half was a much slower affair.

Still, City remained patient, adding three later to complete their defeat, and head coach Brian Barry-Murphy decided to focus on his team’s mental toughness.

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City had beaten United 6-1 in the reverse game, a scoreline that Barry-Murphy felt gave a false impression of the game, and he praised his players for learning the lessons of that game and also for their recent defeat in the UEFA Youth League in Hajduk Split.

“Despite the outside perception, I think we had a very healthy respect for the opposition,” Barry-Murphy told MEN Sport. “We were clear that we felt that the score in the relevant match was a bit misleading because it was difficult for long periods. We have very dangerous players who can score goals late in the game when they stretched and did it.”

“So we were aware of that and you saw how much we respected the opponents for how we played in the first half. The game obviously changed significantly when a man was sent off. Before that, our game was exceptional.”

“We had some moments out of possession that cost us in the first game. It’s normal, the rivals have quality. It was good for us to see that and how we’ve learned from that and we’ve understood it. In the first game we were a bit careless in some actions defensively, I really wanted to see how the players adapted to that and reacted very well.

“It’s very easy to assume that the game will look the same based on the score, but every game is different. United will have prepared for us in a very detailed way, the players got over that today, which is an integral part of their learning.”

In particular, Barry-Murphy praised the discipline of the players in reacting to the game-changing red card, and made sure the tactic of bringing wingers to the baseline to cross players in the middle was brutally brutal. effective.

“There is a perception that the game will naturally follow a path of dominating the game, creating chances, scoring. It doesn’t work like that,” he said of the red card. “It’s understanding how the nature of the game can change, we had to be very patient and precise. I thought we were, and for players to get their reward at the end of the game after doing that and being so disciplined was really rewarding.”

“(Similar goals are) probably something that we’re aware has to improve because we have games that work very well, but also games where the opponents do something different. We couldn’t find the solutions in Croatia and we took a lot of things in that game we have to do better this week and every week going forward.

“Those things, we talked at the time about how invaluable they are. The proof of the pudding is how we go back to the training field and work on these actions that can make us even better the next time we face this. The players seem to take that into account , there were definitely signs of that today.”

And Barry-Murphy also singled out starting scorer Micah Hamilton for his training performances this week, who justified his selection ahead of top scorer Carlos Borges.

He said: “Today was more about Micah and coming back from injury and showing his quality for as long as he could. I’m delighted for Micah on a personal level, he’s had some setbacks on and off the pitch, in the gym and on The Games There were times this season where it really looked like he wasn’t going to play, but seeing him come back to the team and perform so well gives us that momentum to make sure he can keep going.

“He’s a very talented player and he had some unique qualities that are amazing to see. To show them, he has to be in the physical condition that he can be. Right now he’s fighting to get there, but this week in training he was at such a high level I had no choice to play it. It was that simple.”

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