Flitcroft believes battered Barnsley will bounce back

The Reds’ dreams of making a Wembley return, five years on from reaching the last four of the FA Cup, were ruthlessly dashed by a Carlos Tevez-inspired City, who ran riot during a one-sided Etihad Stadium contest and could have scored many more goals.

It was a sobering 90 minutes for Reds chief Flitcroft, whose side were dumped to the foot of the Championship table on goal difference shortly before the kick-off following Bristol City’s win over Middlesbrough and Peterborough’s draw with Ipswich Town.

But the 39-year-old, whose side host play-off candidates Brighton and Hove Albion tomorrow, said: “We have had a chat and cleared it and put it to bed. We got smashed off Bristol City a few weeks ago and put that one to bed as well. We will be all right when we hit the Championship trail again on Monday and Tuesday.

“The players will be up for it and ready. We are not going to come up against a force like Manchester City again this season and I think the players know that. The physicality and power of that team is something we will not come up against in the Championship.”

Flitcroft, whose elder brother Garry played over 100 games for City, admits he was left awe-struck by the display of the Blues, who combined panache and power in a thoroughly dominant performance.

At the heartbeat of it all was Tevez, who just 48 hours on from his arrest by police on suspicion of driving while disqualified, blasted a predatory treble with Flitcroft left to drool over his showing.

Flitcroft said: “Tevez’s power, explosion and movement was just incredible. He is a ghost; we talked to the players after the game about getting closer to him in the box, but what they spoke about was the way in which he pulls off the shoulder and the power in his shot and getting everything on target. It was brilliant.”

Admitting he made a mistake in not starting the game with Jacob Mellis, who came on after 52 minutes, he added: “In hindsight, I wished I had started with Mells because I think he makes a real difference. That would have given us a little bit of a foothold in the game.

“But we gave the ball away against a team who were just breathtaking. They were explosive and physical and also technicians.

“On that performance, if they are the second best team in the country at this minute, then I would not have liked to play Man United. They were on form and up for it and so ruthless.

“To batter us to a pulp at half-time and then come out in the second-half and try and drill us into the floor left a massive impression on me on what champions are about. That ruthless streak is something I took home because at times, they just floored us.”

City will play either rivals Manchester United or Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-finals. The winner of Millwall and Blackburn – who replay on Wednesday – will face Wigan.