Sporting CP (A) | CL | Post Match Thread

[hilts]

Whenever I clock our starting eleven I always seem to conclude, even with the current crop of injuries, that we are more than a match for the opposition, but there's so many variables that you can't control. One domino falls there's a fuckin' landslide.

Haaland
Nunes
Savinho
Foden
Silva
Kova
Gvardiol
Lewis
Akanji
Ederson

May as well be Wolves, although we were lucky against them.

May as well be Derby:-)

 

[chaddblue]

The amount of penalties that has been scored against us over the last few seasons surely defies mathematical logic by now?

Not including shoot outs when is the last time an opponent missed a pen against us

 

[manimanc]

We need to take our medicine and suck it up.

We haven't got a right to win everything, quite simple really. We're in a bad patch and we need to get through it.

Thank fuck half of you didn't support us when we was really shite, you'd be lined up like lemmings on a cliff.

Roll on Brighton.

 

[Tolmie scores]

It makes those who vent to a certain extent look like know-nothings.

Those who criticise to a lesser extent, it looks like they know the past and can accept a slum in performance.

I think most can except slumps - poor performances - it's when effort drops that Blues young and old get frustrated - and effort means concentration, positioning, making best of what you have - Blues understand that there is a wealth of difference between say Ged Keegan / Steve Lomax to Bernie but the effort levels HAVE to be the same when representing City. It's the perceived lack of care and effort that irks many (second half you could see that in some)

 

[David White]

Piss poor second half. We had the opportunity to put the game to bed early doors and didn’t take it. Our tails were up and we started strongly, then we just gave up.

What is worrying me is that we have no plan B. Our plan A was becoming a slog last season as teams were working out how to play against it and this season teams have worked out how to counter attack it. We’re playing a high line with no pace and a threadbare midfield, it’s silly.

Sporting played well second half, but we let them and were powerless because we insist on playing slowly when we have possession, the press fell off that created a few chances for us first half and we have no ideas but to rinse and repeat.

We were toothless again and disappointing from back to front. 8 shots, 6 shots on target and 4 goals conceded. That’s just not good enough.

Before any of the slapped arse comments come my way, the level of expectation with this group of players, even if it isn’t the full first team is way, way greater than the expectation when watching Neil pointon, Murtaz Shelia, michal frontzek and antoine sibierski and for good reason.

We need a change in tactics big time in my opinion and with it we need these players to sort their own game out. No fannies and for the love of god we need to make our chances count.

Onwards to Brighton. Up the 3 defeats a week blues!

 

[willipp]

I’m just not sure how we solve our midfield issues with the players we have. Defensively we need to get the back 4 stable again and fit, but without Rodri and seeing the demise of Gundo and how ploddy Kovacic is, I just struggle to see what we do.

 

[borassic]

Feels like we are where we were in 2016/17, serious holes in the squad, ageing players unable to play they Pep wants and lots a square pegs. We need a huge rebuild but can’t see it with Pep leaving soonish. We are utterly lacking in creativity at the moment. We lack control, confidence and are utterly vulnerable to transitions and counters.

I think that Pep always wanted to play that system but it relied so much on fit centre halves and having Rodri. It doesn’t work at the moment and it’s so plain to see. Let’s get back to basics!

 

[blue whippet]

We were worse at the weekend.

Bournemouth were better than Sporting. We were our own worst enemy tonight but Bournemouth outplayed us. Had we our chances away first half and started the second half awake and still eating our oranges the sorry song and dance that followed might not have happened.

 

[madloaf]

Pace at the back is the problem. Kyle from 6 years ago playing tonight and we win
Few if any of our players are playing without and injury. However age is a predictable factor. We should be going all out for Davies. Kerkez. Frimpong and Livramento and.put Rico in midfield.

Pace at the back is the problem - so, i dunno, change the way we're playing?

 

[Trevor Morley's Tache]

Bit of a soft underbelly to the team this season.

And that's all I'm saying on the matter after tonight's shitshow.

 

[Blue and still suffering]

Haven't had a settled team all season which means we haven't been able to build any consistency. If players are chopping and changing they can't build up any form.
Looking at it objectively we were caught napping at the start of the second half then made two daft mistakes for their third and fourth.
We need to cut out the mental errors.

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

We fucking did :( after a brilliant 1st half it's hurt me (sounds daft) watching that 2nd half collapse.

We have seemingly lost the knack of turning brilliance into goals.

 

[bluegaz13]

Ironically we played some of our best football this season in the first half.

Great half for Foden and Simpson Pusey impressed although he maybe should have done better for the first goal.

On another night the game would have been out of sight by HT with a hat trick for Haaland.

However :

It’s been said some many times this season…only one of Kova, Gundogan, Bernardo or even De Bruyne in the midfield at the same time…..then we need some legs and physicality….be it Nunes, or one of the youngsters (O’Reilly, Wright)

There have been opportunities, especially last season when Pep could have blooded some of the youngsters in games that were won by about 50 mins….giving them the experience some lack now.

As much as a genius as Pep is….he can be very blinkered and also shows far too much loyalty to some of the old guard.

For all Grealish’s critics….tonight shows exactly why he should be in the team….apart from the control he gives us….compare with Silvinho who can be very careless with the ball and left us vulnerable to the counter attack on numerous occasions…..come on Pep, try Jack in the middle when he comes back….he’s got to be better than the current options.

I think Akanji believes his own hype….watch him for the second goal….no effort to catch or keep up with the scorer….really lazy. He needs Dias next to him to keep his concentration. That score doesn’t happen with Ruben in the side.

We have definitely took our eye off the ball and have suddenly become and look like an aging team, especially where it matters most….the engine room (Midfield) ….probably not helped by having the most players at the Euros.
The midfield are as culpable as the defence for the current frailties and are far too easy to play through.

It’s unbelievable to think that we have a battle on our hands for top four this season….the last three results are a continuation of most of the previous games this season.

 

[eyalluvitt]

I can’t believe how we turned an excellent first half performance into an absolute shit show of a second half. Just threw the game away with a mixture of arrogance and incompetence. You’ll not see many more amateur hour penalties all season than those two tonight. Ludicrous from Josko and Nunes.

Whilst we’ve been crucified by injuries that was still a good eleven out (JSP excepted as not really a fair environment for Pep to throw him into).

We need to get through this slump and injury crisis as painlessly as possible.

We could do with Pep having one of his reshuffles - the inverted RB is causing us a huge amount of problems for little reward.

Baffled by the lateness of the subs and the decision to give Kev 7 minutes. At least no new injuries on the face of it.

Even Haaland would have scored against our defense tonight

 

[dobingsdobber]

If the players knew then the rumours would be in full flow no way could they keep it a secret That’s why the LFC players were only told just before the announcement

Was just trying to think of an excuse mate.Bloody needed one after that!!

 

[Pubteam Lomas]

Savinho was beyond awful tonight. It was fucking shameful what he did in the 2nd half. The most selfish fucking 20 minutes i've seen in a long long time. A one off hopefully...but i didn't like it at all.

Petty and was very Robinho like with the yellow and then the 'challenge'. Not a yellow as such but refs give em.

 

[paulchapo]

Worse second half performance I’ve seen in many a year

Like Peps first season when as soon as we conceded one goal we quickly shipped another. Also every attack from the opposition had us wide open and they always looked like scoring. I'm hoping if we ever get some key injured players back for longer than one game before they're fucking injured again we might steady the ship. Sadly I fear even that won't be enough. Age and poor recruitment are catching us up now. Will Pep stay to rebuild again? I'm beginning to doubt it.

 

[chaddblue]

Maybe the players know Pep is going and a general malaise has set in.

The Sporting players definitely knew their rag was leaving... they looked ok

 

[Kippax77]

We seemed to brag as an organisation how much money we made last summer.
Yet, yet it's results/goals that football is and always been about.

Listen we looked quality tonight in the 1st half with 7-10 players missing.
But their is no fucking leader on the pitch representing Manchester City at the moment.
Its all playstation stuff and we crumble when some team takes it to us

 

[ProofMCFC]

It’s not the first time Kevin thinks he’s bigger than the club. If he’s spitting his dummy out again then move him on in January for all I care.

Nah don’t mind it actually, atleast someone has a bit of an ego about him and demand better.