Champions League Final | Post-Match Thread

[M Gaudino]

i went out shopping in the sun to cheer me up and popped in CEX in Altrincham. Big tatood lad behind the counter is talking to his colleague saying how Liverpool are gonna win both titles next year (“Number 20 and no 7 on their way”).

It was one of those conversations where the other person obviously didnt care that much about football and this gobshite was just talking loudly for his own benefit, revelling in our defeat.

Obviously he had no hint of a scouse accent.

I asked him who they’d be playing in midfield next season and he said Thiago was the best no8 in the world. I decided to exit stage left after that.

 

[domalino]

So you think he got it right Yesterday?

I think across 3 games we were bad against Tuchel's Chelsea with Fernandinho playing, with Rodri playing and with Gundogan playing defensive mid.

Gundogan being picked isn't why we lost, just like Gundogan being picked against Liverpool didnt make Fernandinho fall over in our box and give Salah a tap in, or stop anyone closing down Oxlade Chamberlain.

We clearly have an issue against 532. It has been an issue for 3 seasons, ever since Wolves did a number of us in August 2018. It takes away what Pep has built this team around - wide players- and when we dont have a striker there is no alternative.

I actually think to win this game after 3 years of losing to 352 teams, Pep probably needed to try something even more wild, like he did in the lineup for the league game, but he backed out and compromised.

 

[jimmygrimblesboots]

Just someone speculating most likely

I think the exact opposite. The game was an absolute disaster and it doesn’t get any better when you break it down.

You said that Chelsea defended for their lives but aside from two or three good defensive blocks, we created fuck all. I don’t think I’ve ever seen us play with such little composure under Pep.

We had players misplacing simple passes and kicking the ball out of play. We had Ederson needlessly smacking the ball up front when he had two defenders open. We had Kyle Walker taking multiple long throw ins into the box.

As a team we lacked ideas and became desperate and that’s worrying in our biggest game of the season.

Add to the fact that Tuchel has already turned us over twice in the past month playing exactly the same way, it doesn’t reflect well on Pep in the slightest.

For the record, I’m not one who thinks Pep should be sacked or anything. No one could have done what he has for us this season. That said, his record in the CL with us simply cannot be defended. Every season we have got knocked out by sides we are better than.

We simply didnt turn up on the day , agree regarding our players misplacing passes etc and playing well below our normal standards , Pep's tactical "tweak" didnt help at all but it wasnt totally down to tactics , great players work things out on the pitch and we failed , and were basically clueless going forward
Its a bad 90 minutes in a season of success , in a one-off cup final , ive come to terms with it , its disappointing not a total disaster , and also agree we continually get beat by inferior teams , Pep has run out of excuses as far as the Champs league goes but if he manages us for sixty games a season he probably gets 80-90% of them right , no one is perfect. Just wish he had got last night right.

 

[chaddblue]

I asked him who they’d be playing in midfield next season and he said Thiago was the best no8 in the world. I decided to exit stage left after that.

Why is every single thing they do, done, got or had “the best in the world”

it’s never even one of the best, but always THE best

they’re a different breed

 

[lazerblue]

Still feeling pretty low this morning following last nights result but disappointed to see some of the comments on here regarding Pep and the comments around overthinking etc... The way I see it is that he simply tried to change things slightly to get a different result against a team that has beaten us twice recently playing the way people say he should have played. Exactly the same thing as v Lyon last year when we lost a game with a team he changed slightly to try and prevent the same result that occurred at home in the group stages to the same team. I have no problem with him trying to affect change, even if it is in arguably the biggest game of the season for this team. Didn’t someone once say that the definition of madness is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different result?

doing the same thing is what was required last night, doing the same thing sent us on a superb winning streak to win the title, not doing the same thing is what fucked us up last night!

 

[smallsteve]

Ha ha ha - quality, mate!

No, he’s just a very naughty boy!

 

[hampshireblue]

and once again we got caught by a quick break down our right. Not that disimmilar to the derby 2nd goal and another recent one.

 

[dodgecol]

And were you around in 2019 when we won 14 games in a row with Gundogan playing defensive midfield?

That was 2019, it is now 2021 and he has not played there all season, why suddenly play hem there in City’s biggest game in our history?
Don’t get me wrong he played ok but was in the wrong position.
A disaster from Pep

 

[smallsteve]

The next biggest regret, after losing in the final, was not seeing Foden come alive on the biggest stage after announcing himself to the world. instead, he (along with others) was stymied by a system that played to our weaknesses.
it will be a crying shame if he never gets another chance!

 

[domalino]

The next biggest regret, after losing in the final, was not seeing Foden come alive on the biggest stage after announcing himself to the world. instead, he (along with others) was stymied by a system that played to our weaknesses.
it will be a crying shame if he never gets another chance!

He has another chance in 2 weeks time.

And then he will continue to get chances every year that he is at Manchester City football club.

 

[Gumzy97]

Had the full banter in the gym today from a Chelsea supporter, had the whole champions of Europe you’ll never sing that shit, I said congrats etc. Said he wasnt worried as he knew Pep would over think said you won’t win the champions league with Pep then laughed. I Said we won the double had a better season really than you. He replied with who gives a fuck about the league when you can win the champions league.

I replied with you want the league next season though, he replied with don’t think Chelsea will win it next year we will be in the club World Cup after we win the super cup. Villareal are shit we will beat them easy. To many games for Chelsea to play.

 

[bobbyowenquiff]

Puzzles me how the greatest manager ever couldn't see what the fans were screaming about.... ie the gaping hole.
It's only by good fortune we weren't three down at HT.

I mean he selected the wrong formation but had plenty of time to correct it before their goal.

With a first class striker Chelsea would be unplayable. They could do worse than sign Sergio for 12 months.

 

[dhruvblue]

What were those assistants doing to let Pep go through with that idea last night? Are they just yes men?

He is surrounded by yes men from top to bottom

 

[bobbyowenquiff]

Only thing we can hope is that this is the kick we needed, we got beat badly by the dippers and roared back to win the league and carabao this year.

Fuck knows why we picked both an FA semi final and CL final to change things because we may have had 4 on the table but lets go out in the summer, sign Kane and Grealish and Messi and whoeever fucking else we want and turn this narrative around, we NEED to strengthen and put doubt back in the minds of other teams.

There's no point signing anyone unless we get a new defensive midfielder to replace Fern. Pep doesn't seem to trust Rodri 100 per cent in the big games. Look at the difference Kante made last night.

 

[Shaelumstash]

The levels of self-delusion in this thread are reaching incredible levels.

What was the lineup that won 21 games on the bounce? I'd love to know. Name the XI.

Was it the 343 with Cancelo in midfield and Ake in a back 3 against Newcastle? Was it the 4231 we played against Chelsea with Rodri and Gundogan in a double pivot?

Did you want Jesus up front like we played 11 of the 21? Or a false 9 like we played the other 10? Cancelo at RB like he was for 7 of those games? or RB like he was for 8 of them? Or on the bench like he was for the rest?


There was no lineup that won 21 on the bounce. There were 21 different lineups in half a dozen different formations, and for almost every single one of those 21 games, people on here complained that he was changing the lineup too much, or trying something new. And then we'd win, and no one would credit Pep for coming up with a great formation or selection, they'd just keep quiet until the next lineup came out and it was time to whine again.

How can people not remember these things that happened just months ago?

Also, I'm sorry if this is rude, but who the hell thinks "Table doesn't lie" is a clever thing to say when out of the 19 point deficit to us, about 15 of those points difference between the side came under Frank Lampard?

How many of those wins came without one of Rodri or Fernandinho in holding midfield?

 

[dhruvblue]

I think loads of posters have.
The goal was a catalogue of errors
Walker getting caught up the pitch, Stones in no man's land, Dias going over to the right of the pitch to cover, Zinchenko letting his man the wrong side of him.
This is very similar to the Dallas goal for Leeds, Shaws for United and the Ziyech goal for Chelsea.
Caught out on the right and left back and centre halves unable to cover

People were saying Pep was hiding his tactics from Tuchel but In todays video world nothing is hidden. If we concede same type of goal thrice no opposition manager is going to miss that.

 

[super_city_si]

We clearly have an issue against 532. It has been an issue for 3 seasons, ever since Wolves did a number of us in August 2018. It takes away what Pep has built this team around - wide players- and when we dont have a striker there is no alternative.

I actually think to win this game after 3 years of losing to 352 teams, Pep probably needed to try something even more wild, like he did in the lineup for the league game, but he backed out and compromised.

This part is so true. Its really in his head.

 

[Cheesy]

Its no more strange than 100 other changes he made this season that worked.

Just wondering if you can name a match in which Pep fielded a first XI that was playing together for the first time this season in that good run?

 

[Legal Alien]

No one is defending but many are using it as a cop out saying it’s purely the reason we lost. We didn’t turn up but we had our moments and didn’t take them

The team was unbalanced and disjointed though and players semingly didn't know what to do. If Fern would've been playing that ball to Havertz doesn't get to him.

My thing is why the sudden change, as i said earlier, if you're going to change the system like that, why not try it against Brighton or Everton?...not in the biggest game in the club's history!

 

[BlueAnorak]

I agree last nights team selection was wrong. But you are aware that there is a middle ground between Pep the fraud and the sun shines out of his arse?
If you think last night was indefensible, tell me what you would like to see happen?

Of course there's a middle ground.
He's a great coach but as a manager he overthinks it especially in critical games.
I don't think we'll ever win the CL with him in charge but I love the way we normally play.
I ust don't understand why he has to overthink it