Lee Johnson: Bristol City keen to keep head coach following West Brom speculation

City head coach Lee Johnson answers to Mark Ashton (left) and owner Steve Lansdown (right)

Bristol City owner Steve Lansdown has made it clear that he is keen to keep head coach Lee Johnson at Ashton Gate "for the long term" following media speculation over the West Brom job.

After the turnaround brought by Baggies caretaker boss Darren Moore in an amazing five-game unbeaten run, there may yet turn out to be no vacancy.

But City have acted quickly to avoid any potential approach for Johnson.

"Lee is here for the long term", Lansdown told BBC Radio Bristol.

"I know nothing about it, other than what I've read on Twitter or whatever. It's not been mentioned to me.

"I'm not aware that the club has had any sort of approach."

Bristol City's Carabao Cup quarter-final win over Jose Mourinho's Manchester United was the highlight of their season

Johnson has another two years left to run on the new contract he signed in December 2016, tying him to Ashton Gate until the end of the 2019-20 season.

And City hope that Johnson can now build on a season which brought a Carabao Cup semi-final appearance, as well as a promotion challenge which faded in the latter part of the season.

"We stuck with him in the bad times, and he's given us some good times this season," added Lansdown.

"We now have to learn from what we've done this year and go again next year and look to go a few steps further, get in the top six and vie for promotion at the end of the season."

Johnson's men beat Premier League clubs Watford, Stoke City, Crystal Palace and Manchester United on their unforgettable run to the last four of the Carabao Cup.

But, after going down 5-3 on aggregate to top-flight leaders Manchester City, they never recovered from the seven-game winless run which followed and ended 11th in the table, eight points outside the play-offs.