Al Hilal (N) | CWC | Post Match Thread

Don Karleone said:
I wasn't too fussed about this competition at the start, but I got more and more into it as it went on. It was great seeing the new players and quicker football. Going off the comments, it seems we chucked that in the bin and reverted to type? That's annoying.
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I just wanted to watch City in a pre-season, which I was able to do once….
 
Just watched the highlights, check out Gundo for their first goal, ambling back instead of getting to the player who eventually forces the rebound for the header. Second goal how the fuck are we allowing that? Third is Koulibaly beating Ake and Dias in the air & fourth we leave guys unmarked in the box and lose headers again.

Seems to me like it’s the usual problems.
 
manimanc said:
I presume you didn’t watch us in division 3 with your entitled post?
What a load of drivel. Absolute nonsense. Proper rubbish post.

Ah now I know the meaning of the word drivel. Thanks for explaining it to me.

Love fans like you who are fuckin clueless.
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I think someone who has paid to travel over there to support us is entitled to be pissed off at watching a carbon copy of virtually every performance from last season.
 
The first half cost us. We played with high intensity, created many chances, but couldn't secure a bigger advantage. Both Gvardiol and Nunes picked yellow cards and Pep had to sub them off in the 2nd half, wasting possible changes in midfield and attack. Thought changes in attack were needed already before the ET.

My worry in the 1st half was that we pressed hard and couldn't sustain the intensity. Indeed, some players got tired, we couldn't control the transitions anymore and they had a field day countering us after the break.

The right rhythm wasn't there, the team is still very dependent on Rodri for balance between attack and defence. Let's hope Rodri will be able to play 80-90 minutes come September. Without him we are a bit soft in the middle and less organised.
 
Damien10 said:
Gundo instead of Foden or Cherki says it all for me.

If he doesn’t go then we will see it many times. It will be a long season.

Same with Ajanki.
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I said at the start of the transfer window ruthless Pep is gone, he has his favourites and his favourites will play. The old guard need to be ruthlessly taken away from him, they are not good enough anymore. In Peps words they are his players hes loyal to them because of what they've won. But they are not those players anymore we saw last season.

The old guard as an option needs to be taken away from him.
 
BuzLightyear said:
Spot on with everything you have written. I would add that there will be no space left in our team for the new signings to shine because of Pep's trust in the old guard. It's all very strange. The starting line up againt Hilal told us what to expect once the Premiership starts. And there we were thinking Pep had finally seen the light.
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The odd thing is, letting KDB go seemed like a line-in-the-sand moment. If you can let HIM leave, it must mean a change in approach? It should have been quite an exciting moment (as tough as it was to see him go), then we made Bernie captain.
 
First half, more than enough chances to be 3 or 4 nil up.
Second half, defensive frailties from last season resurface.
Any team with pace will expose us if we try and defend with such a high line.
Pep stuck to Plan A and his new assistants should have been telling him to change it, especially 5 minutes into the 2nd half when we defended like a bunch of kids and you could see panic had set in.
Ederson wasn’t hugely at fault but he had one of those games where you think if they put it on target, it’s going in. Even the last goal, he palmed it into a really dangerous area.
There are clean signs of improvement from last season but confidence just seems to crash as soon as things don’t go right for us.
Lots of work to be done for next season. Move on the players whose time at City is up, bring in at least one quick defender, have a decent Plan B when things aren’t going right and we will be there or thereabouts in the 25/26 season.
If Pep sticks to Plan A, we will be in a fight for Champions league places again.
Anyway, gives everyone a chance to recharge, including us, enjoy the Summer and let’s go again.
 
manimanc said:
I presume you didn’t watch us in division 3 with your entitled post?
What a load of drivel. Absolute nonsense. Proper rubbish post.

Ah now I know the meaning of the word drivel. Thanks for explaining it to me.

Love fans like you who are fuckin clueless.
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Didn’t miss a single game in “division 3” home or away. I’m currently in Orlando. Where are you posting your drivel from?
 
OrigamiNinja said:
The club have clearly decided that youth is the way to go. Most are all for that strategy. It’s a waste of time though, if the manager doesn’t buy into it and stubbornly sticks with experience instead.

Bernie is the prime example for me. Awful for 2 seasons. After the 2023/24 season, you can forgive Pep for showing him the loyalty and sticking with him. He deserved a chance to turn it around after what he had previously given the club. However, after dishing up another season of absolute shite, it should have been a case of “thanks for everything Bernie but it’s time for you to find a new club”. Instead, he gets the captaincy. It’s poor decisions like this, that ultimately end dynasties and turn us from the dominant force in English football to the next Liverpool of the 00s or United of the 10s/20s.
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One of our problems is that two of our biggest characters are not worthy of places in the team, Bernie & Dias. Then you have Rodders who is still getting his fitness back, then you are left with Big Erl from the captaincy senior group. Not a lot there unfortunately. Shameful really we’ve ended up like this.
 
HolisticJim said:
Can't understand why we bought them.
Pep does this and it's damned annoying.

Why buy players that we clearly need and then not play them. I can see a season of the old guard getting repeatedly caught out again. It's like the club have to sell them to stop Pep picking them.
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Because he's had a look at them and realised they ain't good enough.
 
OrigamiNinja said:
The club have clearly decided that youth is the way to go. Most are all for that strategy. It’s a waste of time though, if the manager doesn’t buy into it and stubbornly sticks with experience instead.

Bernie is the prime example for me. Awful for 2 seasons. After the 2023/24 season, you can forgive Pep for showing him the loyalty and sticking with him. He deserved a chance to turn it around after what he had previously given the club. However, after dishing up another season of absolute shite, it should have been a case of “thanks for everything Bernie but it’s time for you to find a new club”. Instead, he gets the captaincy. It’s poor decisions like this, that ultimately end dynasties and turn us from the dominant force in English football to the next Liverpool of the 00s or United of the 10s/20s.
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I completely agree re Bernardo. He's been great for us, a legend, but he's been absolutely dire for 2 full seasons yet gets the captaincy, incredible and worrying re Guardiola !
 
There is no hiding the fact we put in a shocking performance. Lost against washed old players from the Saudi League. Cherki played an insane ball for Foden’s excellent finish. Bar that all the other goals were horrendous mistakes from both sides.

I am not sure why we signed Khusanov and Reis when they can’t play. Surely a experienced and fast CB would have been more ideal.
 
manimanc said:
I presume you didn’t watch us in division 3 with your entitled post?
What a load of drivel. Absolute nonsense. Proper rubbish post.

Ah now I know the meaning of the word drivel. Thanks for explaining it to me.

Love fans like you who are fuckin clueless.
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Aahhh the ol' "but we were in Division 2 once!!!!"

Times have changed, move on.
 
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