Champions League Final | Post-Match Thread

[dublinblue12]

A potential positive maybe it might spur the players on to prove themselves next season - a cl and league win this eason as well as possibly a euros win for some players might have meant next season being a bit of a write off where the hunger was just not there. Also if we get to the final more or is could be there to witness a first win

 

[Shaelumstash]

The strangest thing was that the players that were rested and the system that was working spectacularly well all indicated that the 11 players that we thought would play Would indeed be picked.We go through all that only to change it at the last minute, move Gundo back move Foden centrally put Sterling on the wing and leave Fern on the bench. Even if you thought you had seen something at least start with the 11 that were working like a machine and then change it.

This all stems from the time at Barca where the players persuaded him to play the usual way and lost 4-0 to Real Madrid. He has never forgotten that. He may have been right and we would have lost by a bigger margin playing our usual way but unfortunately I doubt it.

Good post, but it was at Bayern they lost to Madrid, not Barca.

But I agree that’s where this tinkerman in the biggest games started.

At Barca he pretty much played the exact same team for 4 years straight, and they’re the best team of all time.

................Valdes
Alves....Pique...Puyol....Alba
................Busquets
.......Xavi..............Iniesta
RW.............Messi.........LW

The personnel in the front 3 changed season to season, but the shape didn’t. Messi sometimes played down the middle, sometimes from the right.

But the shape, and the personnel in that back 6 didn’t change. Everyone knew how they were going to play, but they couldn’t do anything to stop them, because they were just too good.

It’s been a recurring theme during his time with us. Generally when we’ve played 433, we are unstoppable, teams cannot live us. When he starts dicking about and playing novelty formations, we tend to go to shit.

Imagine in that Barca team above if in a final he dropped Busquets and played Xavi as a number 6? Would never happen in a million years.

 

[Manchester33]

A lot of teams that lose in a final go on to win the competition shortly afterwards. These clubs all lost in a final then went on to win it within 3 seasons.

Real Madrid lost final in '64 before winning in '66.
Ajax lost in '69 before winning in '71/'72/'73.
Hamburg lost in '80 before winning in '83.
Juve lost in '83 before winning in '85.
Marseille lost in '91 before winning in '93.
Milan lost in '93 before winning in '94.
Bayern lost in '99 before winning in '01.
Milan lost in '05 before winning in '07.
Bayern lost in '12 before winning in '13.
Liverpool lost in '18 before winning in '19.

There are quite a few teams that lost in a final and never got back there. But when you look at those teams we're comfortably better than any of them were (with the exception of PSG who've only had one shot at it). They include:

Reims, Valencia, Fiorentina, Frankfurt, Partizan, Panathinaikos, Leeds, Saint-Etienne, Monchengladbach, Brugge, Malmo, Roma, Sampdoria, Leverkusen, Monaco, Arsenal, Spurs and PSG.

There's nothing scientific in this what-so-ever. I'm just trying to make the point that this City team will win the competition one day. We'll get another chance and IMO it will be soon.

 

[wolviedinho]

Off topic but does anyone know when Khaldoon’s end of season review will appear on the OS? A few answers on FFP, super league and the Porto fiasco would help heal the wounds.

 

[Richard]

Off topic but does anyone know when Khaldoon’s end of season review will appear on the OS? A few answers on FFP, super league and the Porto fiasco would help heal the wounds.

This week apparently.

 

[argyle]

Off topic but does anyone know when Khaldoon’s end of season review will appear on the OS? A few answers on FFP, super league and the Porto fiasco would help heal the wounds.

It will be the same corporate speak. We've done fantastic, exceptional in the circumstances, better than expected, we've gone close, will try hard again next year.

All true of course but don't expect anything unknown.

 

[HelloCity]

 

[wolviedinho]

Pressure got to the players. It’s the only logical answer.

Or maybe Stones was looking his cagoule back ;)

 

[Richard]

Coming from Mahrez, who continually let his man run past him for 90 minutes, that's pretty ironic.

 

[Akpowell]

I was alright this morning until i came on here, im fuming again now

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

Saint-Etienne

I still remember that final. Really good, entertaining young team. They should definitely, but definitely, have won it. I was cheering for them all the way.
Perhaps this is odd, because even then I didn't like Leeds, but I remember disliking the fact that Bayern beat them the year before, as well.
Times have changed, eh. Nobody really cheers for an English team if it's not their team, it seems to me. Unless they're playing another English team that they hate even more.

 

[Cobwebcat]

Good post, but it was at Bayern they lost to Madrid, not Barca.

But I agree that’s where this tinkerman in the biggest games started.

At Barca he pretty much played the exact same team for 4 years straight, and they’re the best team of all time.

................Valdes
Alves....Pique...Puyol....Alba
................Busquets
.......Xavi..............Iniesta
RW.............Messi.........LW

The personnel in the front 3 changed season to season, but the shape didn’t. Messi sometimes played down the middle, sometimes from the left.

But the shape, and the personnel in that back 6 didn’t change. Everyone knew how they were going to play, but they couldn’t do anything to stop them, because they were just too good.

It’s been a recurring theme during his time with us. Generally when we’ve played 433, we are unstoppable, teams cannot live us. When he starts dicking about and playing novelty formations, we tend to go to shit.

Imagine in that Barca team above if in a final he dropped Busquets and played Xavi as a number 6? Would never happen in a million years.

Yes I meant to type Bayern!

 

[Manchester33]

I still remember that final. Really good, entertaining young team. They should definitely, but definitely, have won it. I was cheering for them all the way.
Perhaps this is odd, because even then I didn't like Leeds, but I remember disliking the fact that Bayern beat them the year before, as well.
Times have changed, eh. Nobody really cheers for an English team if it's not their team, it seems to me. Unless they're playing another English team that they hate even more.

Yeah, I never got the whole 'support English teams' rubbish. I want every other English team to do terribly!
My dad loved that St Etienne team too. He ever bought one of their shirts! :')

 

[bluemoon32]

Thought i'd get a load of shit in work today but most fans of other clubs were just full of " what the fcuk happened" or were as confused as we are about the side put out by Pep

 

[elbearos]

I don't even think Chelsea are any good, they did what 90%+ of the Premier league do ,everybody back, hope to get one on the break

 

[Airbags Optional]

Said in the match thread that rudigier should have been sent off for that challenge on Kev and still stand by it. We played shit but that was an awful challenge, shoulder to the face and no attempt at playing the ball at all

 

[Eccles Blue]

You know, after long reflection, one thing I don't seem to have heard is why a team who are used to adjusting to changes couldn't adjust to this change? It wasn't Pep on that pitch it was 11+ players who are paid, and paid well, to perform.
I have always said and will continue to do so, that they don't go out on the pitch thinking I will not play my best today. We all have off days and unfortunately ours came at a crucial time.
I still reiterate however that they should, maybe, have adapted better to Pep's selection. So not 100% Pep's fault. :-) JMHO

 

[Roachy]

You know, after long reflection, one thing I don't seem to have heard is why a team who are used to adjusting to changes couldn't adjust to this change? It wasn't Pep on that pitch it was 11+ players who are paid, and paid well, to perform.
I have always said and will continue to do so, that they don't go out on the pitch thinking I will not play my best today. We all have off days and unfortunately ours came at a crucial time.
I still reiterate however that they should, maybe, have adapted better to Pep's selection. So not 100% Pep's fault. :-) JMHO

Too true EB. The players didn't turn up for the whole match. No way was that down to Peps inclusion/ommision of one player.

 

[beano46]

I'm in the still fuming camp, no forgiveness for Pep from me just yet. Watching his post match presser just pissed me off even more.

 

[ws01]

You know, after long reflection, one thing I don't seem to have heard is why a team who are used to adjusting to changes couldn't adjust to this change? It wasn't Pep on that pitch it was 11+ players who are paid, and paid well, to perform.
I have always said and will continue to do so, that they don't go out on the pitch thinking I will not play my best today. We all have off days and unfortunately ours came at a crucial time.
I still reiterate however that they should, maybe, have adapted better to Pep's selection. So not 100% Pep's fault. :-) JMHO

It's a game of fine margins. I don't rate Chelsea, though they do have enough talent, as under Tuchel they're a dour side who are quite hard to break down. He uses Kante to run around and clean things up (something that Frank and old mate Chain Smoker didn't do), which is what he's best at, and use their speed to break as fast as they can when he does. Quite simple really.

IMO the team adjusted the best it possibly could, given the changes made. The changes we made played right into their hands, and gave away certain advantages we would naturally enjoy, tipping the balance in their favour. Taking away those was enough for them to do what they did. That we weren't able to do enough to get the win in this situation is far more on our manager than them.