Monaco - Post Match thread.

[bluemoonmatt]

Presumably Pep can also see this so why does he stick with a system that in the toughest games requires Sagna and Clichy to perform like Alves and Alba, something they are clearly incapable of doing?

What alternative options are available to him at the moment, Clichy, in particular would have been sat in a casino last night if we had Sidibe or Mendy. But we don't (yet).

 

[Man_City_Loyal]

It's all about TV coverage.

I said last night on the train back that it won't be long before the final is a round Robin. More viewers per se. Oh and of course we know who will take part.

Not looking forward to the new structure they bring in, where clubs like liverpool/United can qualify on previous campaigns :/

 

[inchy14]

We came second in our group. As far as I remember most blues were delighted when the draw was made, given most of the alternatives.

Then most either don't know football or take shit for granted. We were always going to find it tough against such an attacking force.

 

[lancs blue]

What alternative options are available to him at the moment, Clichy, in particular would have been sat in a casino last night if we had Sidibe or Mendy. But we don't (yet).

It's not a question of alternative players right now but adapting the tactics to the available players. Why ask Sagna and Clichy to get forward when they don't even have nuisance value in the attacking third?

 

[Mike N]

We scored 6 goals and lost the tie. That's absolutely criminal.

 

[Benarbia]

We scored 6 goals and lost the tie. That's absolutely criminal.

We let in three at home that was a worse crime

 

[kevin horlocks wand]

BBC going with
"Guardiola criticises players' approach"

No he didnt, he blamed himself

Fake news.

Its Guardiola takes the blame for Man City exit

 

[JMason1996]

It was an if not a given . May not have needed them yet we all knew that line up couldn't defend for toffee,and against the highest scorers in Europe.

I don't think we were ever going to keep a clean sheet against them regardless. Full backs are useless and leave the defence exposed, bring their full backs in and thats 99% of our problems solved.

 

[r.soleofsalford]

It's not a question of alternative players right now but adapting the tactics to the available players. Why ask Sagna and Clichy to get forward when they don't even have nuisance value in the attacking third?

I`ve been banging this drum for ages. zaba is still our best attacking fullback by a mile. all these to do is get in the way

 

[bluemoonmatt]

Then most either don't know football or take shit for granted. We were always going to find it tough against such an attacking force.

Agree with this, forget now who the options were but Monaco were not top of my wanted list, it was only a couple of years back Monaco dumped Arse out and that was a weaker Monaco and a stronger Arsenal than todays respective outfits.

 

[Mike N]

I`ve been banging this drum for ages. zaba is still our best attacking fullback by a mile. all these to do is get in the way

By a country mile.

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

BBC website: “Manchester City are the first team in Champions League history to be eliminated in a knockout tie after scoring five goals in the first leg”








Can we have a trophy, please?

 

[lancs blue]

I`ve been banging this drum for ages. zaba is still our best attacking fullback by a mile. all these to do is get in the way

There was a classic example of this in the second half, Sterling was on the corner of the area and backheeled a ball into a channel where Zaba always makes a run in those situations - Sagna didn't have a clue what was happening and no doubt some thought it was a shit idea from Sterling.

 

[B\connellblue]

The easiest thing in football is making yourself difficult to beat( its why there is always giantkilling). We see it all the time at home where limited teams manage to keep us out, yet one of the top coaches in the world can't set us up like that. Once you have real pace up front it should be a doddle. Just what did de bruyne have to do to get subbed? On recent form should have been nowhere near the team. Monumental fuck up by pep coming a week after his team selection blew any remote chance of us winning the league . He ain't fooling me .

 

[rapidCT]

Careful Bill, you'll get CC1 along in a second to tell you to go back to rag cafe. You're not allowed an opinion on Pep it seems.

I

The owner/chairman took a huge gamble when they sacked Mancini. He wasn't and isn't and probably never will be an A list manager but it worked for City in no small part down to the fact that Cook/Marwood whoever brought in some very good players, Yaya, VK, Zabba, Tevez, de Jong, Silva, Kun despite the fact that we had no silverware to show for the last however many years

Despite winning the PL twice we have purchased far inferior players since and some areas notably FB have been criminally neglected.

Agree with everything, but I remember that Mancini starting to have problems with the players. Bringing in Pelegrini, I think was a mistake.

 

[robbieh]

The easiest thing in football is making yourself difficult to beat( its why there is always giantkilling). We see it all the time at home where limited teams manage to keep us out, yet one of the top coaches in the world can't set us up like that. Once you have real pace up front it should be a doddle. Just what did de bruyne have to do to get subbed? On recent form should have been nowhere near the team. Monumental fuck up by pep coming a week after his team selection blew any remote chance of us winning the league . He ain't fooling me .

Pretty much this. A bit more pragmatism. Sterling and Sane on the break. Maybe even with KdB as a false nine and we would be in the last 8.

 

[BLUE THUNDER]

wtf is wrong with KDB. He couldn't hit a barn door with his passing. I cant believe how he misses so many passes.
Starting with Clichy, Sagna, Kolarov and Stones in back four, what did people expect.Team selection killed us. To throw away a 2 goal lead like that is spineless. Pep has next season to turn our weakness around as honeymoon will be over. Today was weak as piss!

 

[MarsLlama]

Yeah we officially signed someone in January no matter what way you slice it pal. Semantics at the end of the day. The forward line has been significantly improved. I expect the back line to be replaced near enough in the summer

But even if we accept that we signed Jesus in January, it does nothing to contradict the point about good young players being unavailable in January because he committed to joining in the summer.

 

[argyle]

Don't confuse the prem with champion league. Totally irrelevant .
Being 2 goals up we had something to protect and protect we should have done..
We didn't need Silva and kev we needed Yaya and nando. If then we happen to need a goal you bring on a fresh kev and David. It's basically football tactics. Our manager got it more wrong last night than could have been deemed possible.

Funny that picking up your stoke point he got that the wrong way round too.

Very odd.

Completely agree.

Of course he can't help that our attack miss chance after chance yet again.

Really Bizarre from Pep. Supposed to be a master tactician yet left Fernandinho and the defence completely exposed and Aguero isolated.

 

[MarsLlama]

Agree with all that but why, why were we so abject in the first half? Why did we do the opposite of what pep said we needed - intensity, fight, energy, wanting it more? Thats the bit I really really struggle with. Twice this season, I really thought we had turned the corner and were consistently getting better under Pep. Now I don't know. Sunday is a huge test for our mentality - we may win lose or draw but whichever I want to see a mentally strong team.

We have and we are. One loss doesn't change that, especially not a loss on away goal ruling to Europe's team of the season. Let's see how we do in the big three PL games coming up before we start to panic.