Every word Russell Martin said on defeat to Manchester City

Q: Russell, that was a spirited defensive performance, are you happy enough with that?

RM: Yeah, it wasn't just defensive, mate. I thought we were brilliant with the ball. I thought we were fantastic with the ball. For so long, we defended with the ball as much as we could.

The courage to play football was brilliant. We've done about seven interviews now and we've spoken a lot about the defending, which was brilliant. The way they defended the box, the guys stuck at it.

But the courage to take the ball and play in the way they wanted to play was amazing, especially after going down 1-0 so early. This was one of the toughest places to come in the world.

I have nothing but pride and gratitude for the players today because if we're going to lose, we need to lose in our way. It didn't feel like that last week or the week before. Today I have nothing but pride and positive things to say about the team.

I think we really hurt them on the ball at times and not many teams do that. If we can take the same mentality, willingness to run, defend, dig in and fight in tough moments we showed today, but also the way to play football that we want to play with the ball, then we're going to be fine.

Q: You mentioned them going ahead on five minutes, but the team kept their composure, is that really pleasing?

RM: Yeah, I think it helps that we had Jack (Stephens) and Adam (Lallana) on the pitch today. It really helped. I thought they were both outstanding. It helped the young guys a lot around them.

I think whatever we do tactically with the shape and build-up and all that stuff, just their mentality helps the team. So, I think their inclusion was big for us today.

Q: You mentioned Jack, he's obviously missed five games. Was it a no-brainer for you to bring him back?

RM: 100 per cent. Yeah. I think, especially in a tough time, when you see someone day-to-day, he's an amazing footballer. You saw that last season when he played different roles for us and what he can do with the ball.

(He has) Brilliant awareness, technically really good. He maybe lacks the athleticism that some players have, which is a bit more eye-catching, but in terms of mentality and willingness to play the way we want to play and the belief the other players have in him, he's huge.

Q: Do you think you're a bit unlucky to get a booking today?

RM: Do you know what? I don't really speak out about that, but I'm going to miss next week's game for throwing my arms up in the air at a bad decision. Flynn takes the ball and then gets booked for it.

We had an apology last week about a decision that was made that we weren't given. I didn't say anything after the game in the press, but today I am. I didn't swear at a fourth official. I threw my arms up in the air at a bad decision and I got booked for it.

So, I'm not happy about that because I miss the game next week. If I'm wrong and I deserve a yellow card, then I hold my hands up, but today I think that's nonsense. I'll probably get fined for that as well, but it is nonsense.

Q: Can I ask about the fitness of the three of the lads? Flynn looked a bit battered towards the end there. Yuki was not fit to start and Tyler came off at half-time, probably tactical?

RM: Yeah, Tyler was tactical. He looked knackered. So, we spoke about this on Thursday. He's an 18 year old lad. The level of intensity has gone through the roof for him compared to what he's used to.

He's playing against the best team in the country, in Europe, and it just wasn't quite his day. Defensively, we needed a bit more help with Adam, who knows and understands the game a bit more.

And also, we felt Adam's runs in behind (would help) because he's one of the best at it. We felt it could really hurt them and it did on a few occasions. So, it was just a tactical one. Tyler's been amazing. He'll be fine. He'll learn a lot from today.

Yuki, we maybe could have brought him on but chose Breezy just because we've had to monitor him in training. I wanted him in the squad just in case. Hopefully, he'll be fit to start on Tuesday.

And Flynn just seems a bit battered and bruised. I thought he was great today. The Flynn that we know and love was really, really back. So many of them played with a spring in their step and big courage today, which I love.

Taylor Harwood-Bellis was fantastic. Kyle on the right was really brilliant. So, yes, they need to live there now. But hopefully, all three will be fine for Tuesday.

Q: Bernardo Silva was complimentary to your side after the game. I saw you speaking with Pep Guardiola at the final whistle. I guess he was complimentary to you as well?

RM: Yes, as was Phil Foden. I think they felt that we were really brave with the ball and we did, like Phil said, we did some stuff to them that not many teams do. Pep congratulated us on the way the team looks and the way it plays.

I think, yes, it's not easy to play that way and he probably understands that more than anyone. But we really believe in it. We have to believe in something and I've seen so many teams get promoted and just change and then end up nowhere.

We've been a little bit, in between the last few weeks, not quite where we want to be because we have to be extreme in some ways. To take the ball in places people would not enjoy taking it usually. We have to play with extreme courage all the time.

In moments when we've gone ahead, especially recently, it's been quite tense and not us. I just don't enjoy that. So if we lose, I can accept it when the lads show a level of courage like they did today.

I hope now we can get them to live there all the time because if they can do that here, they can do that anywhere. So whilst compliments are nice and all that, it still hurts to lose. But there is a way for us to lose.

I'm going to live and die by the sword in what I believe in. Otherwise, I just can't do it. The players really believe they're fighting. Subjectively we should be doing better. Objectively we should be doing better as well.

Q: Just with the suspension you will now serve, is there any way you can appeal it?

RM: I don't think so. I don't know how that works for yellow cards. So I am annoyed about it, but I probably shouldn't say any more about it.

Q: Is this the kind of performance that underlines your belief. Do you believe this will still be possible?

RM: Yeah, and I hope the away fans who were amazing today, I hope they felt proud of their team today. Our job is to give them a team to be proud of, that plays in a way that they can identify with.

That team today ran so hard and played with so much courage. Today gave me more belief than I have. I believe since the start of the season that the players can play this way in the Premier League and enable us to stay up in the Premier League.

Today has given me even more belief in that. But we have a massive two weeks coming ahead starting on Tuesday.

Q: You've spoken about the players and the fans and courage. When you say you live or die by the way your team plays, do you have to have courage? It would be easy to think, what's going to happen to me?

RM: Yeah, I think I took my first job nearly five years ago now in League One, in a relegation zone with a chairman that was so brave. When he offered me the job, I said to him how I saw the game.

He told me he didn't care if we got relegated as long as he had something that he felt he could be proud of with his team and would develop players and improve them and show the best version.

I was at the fortune of that and there have been some moments of real difficulty at MK, at Swansea and here, where it gets questioned a lot. Then you have to make a big decision. We've always made the decision to be who we are.

If I end up losing my job at some point, which is somehow in five years I haven't yet, but it's inevitable at some point as a manager, at least I can look at myself and know that I've stuck to what I want and who I want to be as a person, first and foremost.

Then everyone else will have an opinion on football. We all have different opinions and there is no right or wrong way. I've said that from the off. This way is right for me because of how I see the game and how I would have liked to have played the game.

Also, my skill set in trying to deliver said product on the pitch is why we got the job here in the first place. So to then get to the Premier League and change is completely illogical to me, whatever level it will be.

Whatever level I manage at, and I hope to embark on a long managerial career, the teams will always have the same principle, ethos and vision of the game. They'll all look different.

The three teams we've had have always statistically looked the same, felt the same, and tried to dominate the ball and be brave. Some of the players have had big success and gone on to brilliant things. So that will be no different.

But how they've done it in terms of shape, formation, distance, all that stuff is really different. So I'm learning all the time. I have a lot to learn. I'm not very good at the moment because we've lost seven games or whatever it is.

So I need to get better and improve but I love my job and I love the way the team played today. I can't stand on the side of the pitch watching something that I don't feel connected with or enjoy or love. Because then I just don't see the point in that.