Al Hilal (N) | CWC | Post Match Thread

[bellsouth]

The question should be, why is Pep letting it happen all the time. We have seen it over the last couple of seasons and teams have worked out a system to beat us, Pep should fixing the problem and drop 10 yards deeper and get some pace at the back, Walkers recovery pace is missing and should be the first thing to fix

We could just keep Walker and problems solved - sort of

 

[Silvatoure21]

I've been saying since i watched them play Real Madrid that Al Hilal are a very good side ... hardworking, organised, very game, Italian manager etc.... the signs have been there all week that this match clearly wasn't gonna be an easy game for City.

All the usual defensive problems remain for City at the back I'm afraid, we get caught on the break far too easily, and we also missed chances upfront that, if converted, could have put us through .... but the plusses are that we did manage to score three times in this game, we've had a good run out, and our players can now return home to get some well earned rest.

All we can do now is learn from it, and prepare as well as we can do for the new season, which begins for us at Wolves in a little over six weeks tiime .... and they're gonna be itching to beat us after losing Nunes and Ait Nouri too.

But if Pep can't see these defensive problems, and adequately fix them, it could well turn out to be yet another fruitless season for us.

View attachment 161701
Haaland scored again .... ....

Should have been 4 or 5 at halftime. Hopefully pep can figure out that the high line with these slow defenders will never work

 

[ancoats]

We could just keep Walker and problems solved - sort of

Walker lost his pace and hunger

 

[Colin Bells Boots]

I knew we were in trouble as early as Sunday when a mate of mine said "Let's face it, this is pretty much a bye" :-(

Optimism is fine but needs to be balanced by realism.

We deserve what we get ( most of the time ) and being over-confident can bite you on the arse .

 

[Colin Bells Boots]

We could just keep Walker and problems solved - sort of

When he asked to leave for AC Milan, he signalled the end of his City career.

 

[paulchapo]

I knew we were in trouble as early as Sunday when a mate of mine said "Let's face it, this is pretty much a bye" :-(

You should have told him, yes, like beating Wigan, the rags and Palace in the cup finals was a given.

 

[Father Paul]

This is it exactly. If we'd lost 4-3 and we'd been working through growing pains with the January additions and our new summer signings, I suspect the tenor of the forum would be a lot different.

The angst and anger is amplified (sorry about the alliteration) because damned near all of us know what is going to happen with the lineup and then the subs made last night. And it happened. And we're all worried as hell that it doesn't matter who Hugo signs, it's going to be Pep's guys that dragged us down last year doing it again this year.

I did not see it but apparently the Chairman had a face like a dying wasp after the game. Pep may find out rather quickly how little loyalty is shown in the modern monied football world if this view which has emerged that he favours the old gaurd is true.

 

[ancoats]

We conceded four goals. Against Al-Hilal. That isn't going in the right direction. All of them were poor goals to concede. Even when playing badly last season, we usually dominated the stats. We lost 4-0 at home to Spurs and had 30 shots to their 6. However, the failings are there for all to see and they are exactly the same failings.

The stats can lie, but the results don't

The number of chances we make should produce a far better goal ratio, which should be enough to win most games.
But I also feel 50% of our chances are what I call snap chances, with little time to think and just instinctive.
Maybe the way we create our chances gives the keepers and defenders a better chance of blocking them, It's so tight in the 6-yard box, your luck needs to be high.

We need more shots from outside the box and better at set pieces and corners, the tap-in goals or walk-them-in goals are good on the eye, but the percentage of converting them into goals is high

 

[Gorton_Tubster]

We conceded four goals. Against Al-Hilal. That isn't going in the right direction. All of them were poor goals to concede. Even when playing badly last season, we usually dominated the stats. We lost 4-0 at home to Spurs and had 30 shots to their 6. However, the failings are there for all to see and they are exactly the same failings.

I'm not as panicked as you are tbf. As ever we will see once the season starts.

 

[noseve]

A lot of the posters currently slagging the team off and Pep are the same posters who couldn't even be arsed with this tournament and thought it was bollocks.

Well you've got your wish. The lads will be home tomorrow you fucking wankers

From my point of view, the concerns from last night would be the same had we managed to sneak through on penalties, or even had it been a friendly, or UCL final.

I'm not ticked off because of the result, but because we're still buying players as full-backs who can't defend.

Any talk about what to do up the other end of the pitch is not addressing the issue. All talk of missed chances is valid, of course, but we should be able to defend a 3-goal haul against this lot shouldn't we? They were no mugs, but no world-beaters either.

It would be good if we could buy a player whose YouTube videos actually include footage of them doing some defending, just for once?

 

[noseve]

Should have been 4 or 5 at halftime. Hopefully pep can figure out that the high line with these slow defenders will never work

It was a marked contrast, how quickly Inzaghi reacted to Doku skinning Cancelo in probably our first attack

 

[Trevor Morley's Tache]

It's a discussion forum.

This thread is a post-match thread to discuss what happened in the game.

If we used your methodology, then we would have no threads.

The reality is that when somebody like Al-Hilal are scoring four goals against you, and when those four goals came through exactly the same failings as last season, then there is much to discuss.

Alternatively, we can all sit there like an American crowd, draw up banners asking for Erling to give us his shirt or a kiss, and we can happily clap, pretend everything is just fine, and just say, "ah, bless them. It happens".

That isn't support. It doesn't show you care. It's just blind cheerleading.

Who's cheerleading?

I'm as pissed off as anyone with those mistakes last night, but some of those moaning at certain players, or having a go at Pep are the same people singing their virtues in previous games.

Sometimes you just have to accept that the opposition got it right, and we didn't.

 

[Silvatoure21]

It was a marked contrast, how quickly Inzaghi reacted to Doku skinning Cancelo in probably our first attack

Yup!! They double teamed him immediately. Pep should have had Foden Cherki and Nico G come on at the cooling break.

 

[Kaini Industries]

Pep looking relaxed in the post-match press conference. Not exactly giving the impression that going out of this competition is a crushing blow or he's going to be called in to explain a geopolitical embarrassment.

 

[Man_City_Loyal]

A lot of the posters currently slagging the team off and Pep are the same posters who couldn't even be arsed with this tournament and thought it was bollocks.

Well you've got your wish. The lads will be home tomorrow you fucking wankers

I'm genuinely at a point when I can't be arsed with the fucking moaning, whinging, self entitlement right across this board. Whether it be about City or in Off Topic. Maybe it's the internet in general. But I'm fed up of wasting my time reading the same old miserable as fuck posts. Maybe need a break from this toxic shithole. Because that's what it's fast become

Not worth your time. Its remarkable how many are now bothered because we lost.

Some who havent posted at all during the group games but back out posting doom and gloom because we lost

 

[SilverFox2]

Is the real reason for our defeat that we simply are unable to convert good chances into goals?
By all means criticize our defence for the 4 goals conceded but Haaland included what excuse have our shot takers for missing chance after chance.

 

[69FACUPfinal]

Would Everton or Spuds or even the rags have lost?

I did wonder! But then I thought probably raggies would- but not a guaranteed loss.

I'm just annoyed about it - so needless.

 

[WestGorton]

I didn't watch it but have seen the goals. They are a good side and drew with Madrid and Salzburg. Was never a gimme. Nevertheless, the high line is a joke and needs dumping.

 

[69FACUPfinal]

I thought Dias was easily our best defender. Made numerous blocks and interceptions. If he hadn't been there it could have been embarrassing. Gvardiol had his worst game in some time. And RAN went missing in defense possibly he had instructions from Pep. They had the freedom of the pitch on their right wing, our left. I'm yet to be impressed with RAN defensive work. Don't care that he's great going forward if he can't defend. Hopefully it's a simple tactical fix for the coaches.

You mean we have coaches?????You mean the sort that aren't wrecked by jolly dippers?

 

[super_city_si]

Thinking back over the game, pep completely killed Ait-Nori and Nunes as attacking threats by having Doku and Savinho stay wide, complete opposite of the central positions system that murdered Juventus and back to the boring ineffective side to side recycling of the ball. Why?