Real Madrid (A) | CL | Post Match Thread

[blue by birth]

I disagree. I think gonzalez isn't up to speed at that level. It took well over a year to get Rodri's intensity levels to the right point and look how good he turned out.
Dias often messes up. I dont think that's just down to lack of pace.
And gvardiol may be played out of position but he can't defend in that position.

Gonzalez played very well on Saturday..
All players make mistakes
Gvardiol does fine

 

[the blue panther]

The better team won, and we deserved to go out.

But, WTF was Dias doing on that 1st goal? Missed his header, off balance and fell over. But, was there the slightest of pushes on him by Mbappe? I thought so when I watched it live, but it's very difficult to see on the replays. Dias didn't complain though, but, I thought at the time that if Haaland had been on and he'd done that to Rudiger - a slight nudge - it would have been disallowed for us and a free kick to Madrid.

Superb finish though, and the next 2 goals were superb as well. Overall, we were shite. But, we should have had a penalty for the foul on Macatee near the end, and VAR didn't even look at it.

Anyway, that's just me with my blue-tinted spec's on, trying to look for a positive after some very poor performances from a team of largely anonymous players on the night. It'd be lovely to get something against the scousers, Spurs and Notts Forest in the coming weeks, but, I'll settle for us beating Plymouth ....... not holding my breath though.

 

[theres only one carlito]

Wanted to sleep on last night before I posted. Got a few pelters on X for questioning certain players abilities to step up and really produce when the chips are down.
Firstly last nights performance was fucking unacceptable. There is no getting away from the fact we were shite in every department.
Positives for me were Kusanov. That kid is going to be a great great player for us. As for the rest where do i start.
I will be in a minority here but Ruben Dias can be sold in the summer for me. Fucking horrendous decision making when that ball came over to even attempt to head it. The lob was brilliant but the pile on Ederson for his apparent poor positioning needs to stop. If Dias does his job Mbappe doesn't even get the half chance so it was not on Ederson that goal. Sick of the blaming of Ederson. Fucking short memories he made 3 world class saves in Istanbul which literally kept us in the game yet it's his fault that Dias didn't do his job??!!!!!
2nd goal he just stands 5 yards away fro Vinicius allowing him time and space to square the ball! Fucking go to the man,make it difficult but no. He has been wank since he has been banging that bird on love island whoever she is.
Ake is a key defender for us. Just a shame he is injured so much but he is the first person who should be on the team sheet. Kusa was Excellent.
I questioned Fodens ability to really step up when the chips are down. He is 25 and has plenty of experience now. He needs to get a grip of games and start dominating them. Yes he is not being played in a central role which is annoying but come on Phil, you are 25 now!!
Don't start me off on Gundogan and Bernardo. Fucking anonymous the pair of them all game. Gundogan will always be a hero for what he has done but his return has been very poor. I personally would have played Kova in the middle but hey what do I fucking know. Savio was brilliant at the weekend so what does Pep do? moves him inside. Why?
I love Pep I really do. I hope the summer allows him to turn it around and get some better younger players in. We need major surgery. Stones, love the guy but I fear we wont see much more of him now.
We needed control in that game. Why not bring Doku on, put Grealish in central midfield as he did versus Forest.
I never expected to win, but to go out like that was very very frustrating. We looked scared and in awe of a Madrid team who are beatable. Frightening to think we pumped them 4-0 on the way to the treble.
I really think we need to reinvent ourselves. Pep looks physically and mentally drained.
My next choice of manager would be Ariolla at Bournemouth. Trust me he is an excellent manager.
Anyway to finish on a positive, FA Cup to play for, Target a top 4 (potentially 5) finish and lets go again on Sunday. I actually think we will beat Liverpool.
I muted the commentary last night after hearing Mcpointy, Camel gob and that **** Fletch wanking off every Madrid player at every opportunity.

Have to agree with you on the Diaz thing, I’ve noticed more errors in his positioning this season than usual. I wouldn’t sell him but he hasn’t had a great season, who has really? The midfield for me is a walking grave yard and badly needs life injected into it. It’s been horrible watching old, tired players driven into the ground both in terms of fitness and morale. With a manger seemingly saying “ I don’t care if you can’t run, get out there and try and run”. It’s painful and I cringe every time I see any combination of our midfield. As for foden, I’m still not convinced he’s not just a system player. When the system works he looks like a world beater in amongst it. But he never ever takes a game and drags others through or takes control or leads! And I won’t even mention international football because he’s the invisible man with England. one of the most experienced, decorated players in this team he should be setting the standards and leading by example. I don’t see it. Yet.

 

[Saddleworth2]

our midfield was bypassed last night. RM considered they were irrelevant and went direct at the defence instead. Khusanov and Guardiola were ok but Dias had a poor game. Mbappe was something else. Phil and Gonzalez were very poor, Gundo and Bernie anonymous. Savinho central? Why? Mamoush is the type of forward that needs the ball played into space for him to run onto. That didn't happen at all so he was anonymous too. We played like the game was over after they scored their first and that is what I found most difficult. Fight to the end eh?

 

[St Helens Blue (Exiled)]

You’d sell Dias because of a bad decision?

Everyone’s shit, but we’ll beat Liverpool?

I would sell Dias because his decision making has been abysmal for a long time. More interested in banging birds off love island! Joking apart. I just feel he is way to rash. Look at VVD how composed he is. Calmness. Komapny was the same, calmed everything down. Dias going to head a ball that he was never going to head, fucking bizarre

 

[Boris Yeltsin]

Gonzalez played very well on Saturday..
All players make mistakes
Gvardiol does fine

How many times has Gvardiol messed up this year in defence?

I dont disagree that nico played well against Newcastle. This is Real Madrid though. His intensity wasn't at their level. Not saying he was the only one but he was blowing out of his arse after 20 mins.

 

[St Helens Blue (Exiled)]

It took Rodri a good few months to find the intensity level required. How the fuck can Gonzales do it all alone with zero support from Gundogan and Bernardo. Every time I see them in a european game I just know we will be over-run in the midfield.

 

[TheGhost]

I would sell Dias because his decision making has been abysmal for a long time. More interested in banging birds off love island! Joking apart. I just feel he is way to rash. Look at VVD how composed he is. Calmness. Komapny was the same, calmed everything down. Dias going to head a ball that he was never going to head, fucking bizarre

3 weeks ago Dias was the only player holding the defensive unit together. Now we need to get rid.

 

[blue b4 the moon]

Wanted to sleep on last night before I posted. Got a few pelters on X for questioning certain players abilities to step up and really produce when the chips are down.
Firstly last nights performance was fucking unacceptable. There is no getting away from the fact we were shite in every department.
Positives for me were Kusanov. That kid is going to be a great great player for us. As for the rest where do i start.
I will be in a minority here but Ruben Dias can be sold in the summer for me. Fucking horrendous decision making when that ball came over to even attempt to head it. The lob was brilliant but the pile on Ederson for his apparent poor positioning needs to stop. If Dias does his job Mbappe doesn't even get the half chance so it was not on Ederson that goal. Sick of the blaming of Ederson. Fucking short memories he made 3 world class saves in Istanbul which literally kept us in the game yet it's his fault that Dias didn't do his job??!!!!!
2nd goal he just stands 5 yards away fro Vinicius allowing him time and space to square the ball! Fucking go to the man,make it difficult but no. He has been wank since he has been banging that bird on love island whoever she is.
Ake is a key defender for us. Just a shame he is injured so much but he is the first person who should be on the team sheet. Kusa was Excellent.
I questioned Fodens ability to really step up when the chips are down. He is 25 and has plenty of experience now. He needs to get a grip of games and start dominating them. Yes he is not being played in a central role which is annoying but come on Phil, you are 25 now!!
Don't start me off on Gundogan and Bernardo. Fucking anonymous the pair of them all game. Gundogan will always be a hero for what he has done but his return has been very poor. I personally would have played Kova in the middle but hey what do I fucking know. Savio was brilliant at the weekend so what does Pep do? moves him inside. Why?
I love Pep I really do. I hope the summer allows him to turn it around and get some better younger players in. We need major surgery. Stones, love the guy but I fear we wont see much more of him now.
We needed control in that game. Why not bring Doku on, put Grealish in central midfield as he did versus Forest.
I never expected to win, but to go out like that was very very frustrating. We looked scared and in awe of a Madrid team who are beatable. Frightening to think we pumped them 4-0 on the way to the treble.
I really think we need to reinvent ourselves. Pep looks physically and mentally drained.
My next choice of manager would be Ariolla at Bournemouth. Trust me he is an excellent manager.
Anyway to finish on a positive, FA Cup to play for, Target a top 4 (potentially 5) finish and lets go again on Sunday. I actually think we will beat Liverpool.
I muted the commentary last night after hearing Mcpointy, Camel gob and that **** Fletch wanking off every Madrid player at every opportunity.

Can't argue with any of that, I'd say Dias though is still a player, he's not been on it for big parts this season and may also be less than 100%.

For me, unless we buy another CB I'd go with a rotating Ake, Dias & Kusa, keeping Gvar on the left.

With all the expected departures we could use Johnny as a third choice DM until he's out of contract. We certainly need a RB to mirror Gvar.

Football has evolved again from Pep's last two styles and I think it's time to move towards 4-2-3-1 next season with Rodders/Nico and Stones as a rotation, maybe last 20 mins of most games for one or the other of them.

Even now we should have enough quality for the 3-1 part of the formation.

What is imperative is moving on Gundog/Bernie/Kev/Nunes and bringing in quality options to bolster the squad.

None of this Pep likes to work with a small 17 man squad, he needs to be told 23-25 players are needed, a few injuries/suspensions/loss of form and we're fucked & end up rushing unfit players back to get crocked again. For one of the best run & biggest clubs in the world sometimes it's amateur hour.

 

[JOGAMIGMOG]

Summer will witness a big turnover of players.

Last night was the final demonstration to everyone connected with City as to how big the gap twixt us and the top team is now.

Two years ago we beat them 5.1.... now we've been beaten 6.3.

They've learnt and invested further in elite talent......and we've regressed as a result of not investing in elite talent.....as difficult as that is.

Most of us appreciate the strengths and weaknesses of our squad, and Pep knows more than us.

It will take one more window to make us competitive, if not Champions, in the PL, and 3 more windows to make us competitive in the CL, which we must qualify for for next season.

On other threads, City fans rally around 'legacy fans' for their loyalty through the tough times, but some of the ignoramus’s on the MDT are slaughtering our 'legacy players', most of whom have delivered unparalleled success, glory,records and enjoyment.

It's embarrassing, unnecessary and unworthy from idiots who don't even go to games. It's also a reflection on the danger of social media in the hands of hysterical,ill-informed fools

Some great players will be leaving the club in a few short months time. Players who have given their best, but who are now beyond their best.

These players now need our support & appreciation as never before, and it's our duty to provide it......not criticism or abuse.

The replacements to the departees need to be elite footballers, athletes and personalities. Second best or bargin buys will not get us back to the level of 2 years ago or Madrid last night.

The events of this season, unplanned and unprecedented, are a wake up call that the club must not ignore....success is cyclical....and you should do thing when you CAN not when you MUST......additionally you must plan for the unexpected and have a deliverable 'disaster plan'.

Pep and Rodri had been commenting for 18 months prior to the start of this season, about concern re player loading, fatigue and increased susceptibility to injury and sickness.

Despite attempts to sign Paqueta and Rice we signed Kalvin Phillips who was sub elite. That continued with Nunes who was a star for wolves but an also ran for us.

Erling was the blockbuster but we needed three more players of his elite quality.

Player availability is a variable, but if we are to build a technically superb team of powerful, fast, intelligent footballers to match last nights opponents record breaking investment will be required.

It's a big challenge that everyone at the club must rise to !!

Good though obvious points well made. The first challenge is to get those ex-great players out the door. Everyone has seen how past it these players look. And they’re on BIG money.

 

[St Helens Blue (Exiled)]

3 weeks ago Dias was the only player holding the defensive unit together. Now we need to get rid.

Dias is a good player. Is he elite when it comes to world class defending, No way. I would have no issue if he was sold. We need to stop being sentimental. The cull will be a big one and we have to accept it.
The club messed up post Istanbul. The reliance on an ageing team has caught up with us. I will be eternally grateful for what they gave us but it is time for some huge changes.

 

[Bluemoonadam]

We didn't deserve anything we looked levels below them in both games, I was slated in the pre match for saying they'd batter us, tbh I knew we had no chance as soon as I found out we'd be playing them.

 

[richards30]

We never stop. I don't know what you expect when City go to Real Madrid without Haaland and Rodri and lose Stones within a few minutes. City are in transition, we still have Gundogan and KDB rotating between games.

We will have to wait but you can already see the new City if you look. Pep loved his team. He was loyal, but we have already re-assembled a side. Now they need to reach their potential. It's Pep's job to facilitate that, it's your job to watch. How we are because it's going to happen again.

I hope so Marv, just dont think it will be as quick as some think though.

 

[blue by birth]

How many times has Gvardiol messed up this year in defence?

I dont disagree that nico played well against Newcastle. This is Real Madrid though. His intensity wasn't at their level. Not saying he was the only one but he was blowing out of his arse after 20 mins.

Gvardiol has been one of our better players
Nico was on his own in midfield as Bernie and gundo went missing
Guess we will have to disagree mate..

 

[Roachy]

The better team won, and we deserved to go out.

But, WTF was Dias doing on that 1st goal? Missed his header, off balance and fell over. But, was there the slightest of pushes on him by Mbappe? I thought so when I watched it live, but it's very difficult to see on the replays. Dias didn't complain though, but, I thought at the time that if Haaland had been on and he'd done that to Rudiger - a slight nudge - it would have been disallowed for us and a free kick to Madrid.

Superb finish though, and the next 2 goals were superb as well. Overall, we were shite. But, we should have had a penalty for the foul on Macatee near the end, and VAR didn't even look at it.

Anyway, that's just me with my blue-tinted spec's on, trying to look for a positive after some very poor performances from a team of largely anonymous players on the night. It'd be lovely to get something against the scousers, Spurs and Notts Forest in the coming weeks, but, I'll settle for us beating Plymouth ....... not holding my breath though.

That first goal was absolute criminal. Mbappe was sandwiched between Stones and Dias and they just let him do what he wanted. In reality we were never in it and got seen off royally.

 

[StillBluessinceHydeRoad]

It was all very depressing, Real Madrid were simply (a lot) better and a dismal CL campaign is well and truly over. Scousers by the thousand have rediscovered their relish for City bingo (cheque book manager version) and even chronically miserable glory hunters from (not so) near Manchester have rejoiced at our demise in a tournament they can't qualify for. Their team is just as bad as it was yesterday and as it has been for a good while.

McNulty enjoyed our "shocking decline and fall" and was quick to declare it "the end of an era". I'm not going to criticise players who have performed heroically over many years of unrivalled success for City but suffice it to say that many of these lads have played hundreds of games and have earned a well deserved rest. Pep's judgement that this is the end of a cycle rather than an era. I look forward to the summer transfer window - after all, the last time Pep couldn't succeed in English football we enjoyed a window which was followed by England's only 100 point season ... oh! and then its only domestic treble. Not bad for someone who didn't coach tackling and expected his goalkeeper to play football!

 

[Sleeping_Easy]

There’s work to be done in the summer that’s for sure but I don’t know what a lot of people were expecting from the first phase of the rebuild in January. 2 of the players we signed, Khusanov and Reid, were quite clearly for the future. It’s good to see Khusanov getting minutes and there’s huge promise but there’s also mistakes but that’s to be expected. Marmoush has done well since joining but last night wasn’t the best version of him. Part of that he has to shoulder the blame for but I can’t remember one time he got played into space or got a good cross. Nico did ok in the midfield but as we all seen with Rodri it’ll take time for him to adapt to what is a very demanding position in a pep team.

We’re not in the shit and we’re not back. We’re just part way through a tough rebuild. 3/4 more in the summer and we’ll see a different team. I’ll save my wishes for who they are for the transfer thread though

 

[The Light Was Yellow Sir]

I would sell Dias because his decision making has been abysmal for a long time. More interested in banging birds off love island! Joking apart. I just feel he is way to rash. Look at VVD how composed he is. Calmness. Komapny was the same, calmed everything down. Dias going to head a ball that he was never going to head, fucking bizarre

Think I’d get rid as well. Seems like every team we play knows to let us have the ball and ensure Dias has it more than most. If it’s Stones on the ball somebody tries to close him down, if it’s Dias, they just let him wander ever further forward with the ball. From there the transition is hugely simple; hit it over Dias’s head and make sure someone is running forward.
When Arsenal went down to 10 they just played as if it was attack v defence but as a 10 v 10 with Dias just being allowed the ball as he poses no threat.

 

[TheGhost]

Think I’d get rid as well. Seems like every team we play knows to let us have the ball and ensure Dias has it more than most. If it’s Stones on the ball somebody tries to close him down, if it’s Dias, they just let him wander ever further forward with the ball. From there the transition is hugely simple; hit it over Dias’s head and make sure someone is running forward.
When Arsenal went down to 10 they just played as if it was attack v defence but as a 10 v 10 with Dias just being allowed the ball as he poses no threat.

It’s not really Dias’s job to be dictating play

 

[mancity111]

We're having such a bad season that it might affect 25/26 thats my worry.
This is different then 19/20 or 16/17, some of the players will not recover mentally from this season, are we going to sell half the squad?

People keep saying KDB, Gundo, Bernardo have lost thier legs or Stones, Ake are injury prone and should be sold, then we have Nunes, Ederson, Kovacic who'll probably go this summer.

So are we giving Pep a new squad?

We have 4 new players from the January window in an effort to maximize our chances of qualifying for next years Chumps League and we loaned out a player who for at least 18 months wanted to leave and has played his last game in a City Shirt.

Early days of course but it looks like these players have a future at the club and Pep wants to play them.

In the summer we know that Gundy will leave , KDB will leave , Silva will leave , Ederson is most likely to leave and you could argue for at least two others of Grealish , Stones , Ake may leave so they will need to be replaced and of course replaced by quicker preferably younger , more physical and of course less injury prone players in their positions.