AS Monaco (A) | CL | Post Match Thread

[Dax777]

I will reserve my opinion on where this team is heading until the new players bed in properly.

At present i am less than optimistic but it is early days yet.

We are as shaky as Liverpool. And they are top of the league. So im not too worried. We just need time to get better and we need Pep to let his best players play their best style

 

[ChicagoBlue]

I know everyone is angry, but…

We played well, controlled the game for the most part, rattled the woodwork twice, but are always susceptible to the fast break.

Moved the ball well, played at speed, but do not create nearly enough goalmouth chances for the level of possession and dominance.

Thought there were multiple excellent performances, but just couldn’t get that 3rd goal.

Players will be livid with the ref, and rightly so. Made it clear early on that he would be suckered by the kind of flopping he sees day in, day out in LaLiga, and in the end it decided the result.

Dier put his head down, Nico got the ball with the meat of his foot (no studs up), Dier didn’t get there, and then went down in stages to try to con the ref…and succeeded.

We have some shit refs in the PL, but there are some seriously shit refs in Europe and UEFA seems to love ‘em. Can’t touch a player without him flipping and refs fall for it every time!

Pissed off at the result, disappointed we couldn’t put the game to bed YET AGAIN, and the late twist against us is getting very, very old!

Donna saved us with the shot between O’Reilly’s legs, but powerless with the goals.

Stones doesn’t look fit, or has lost a step or three of pace. A presence on the ball but a liability on the ball in behind.
Hope Rodri is OK and just being managed.

Reijnders is an almost superstar, but…

Foden played very well without hitting the heights. Very unlucky with the shot against the underside of the bar.

Haaland scored two good goals, but should have scored that parry, too. Otherwise, anonymous.

Bernardo is excellent at keeping possession, but an anchor on the right wing, because he’s not kidding anyone that he’s going anywhere except backwards.

Doku bang average tonight, but doubled up constantly.
________
Nunes looks to have RB gig until Khusanov returns or Stones gets fit.
Nico did well again when he came on, even though people are split on the challenge. Rash in last minute, but Ref choked.
Savinho is kidding himself, but no-one else.

 

[handsofstone]

Felt very 1 step forward 1 step back

Played some good stuff, made some great chances, had some good control, but also we're very weak on the counter, didnt supply Haaland enough, didnt kill the game off and then punished by a late goals

Ref was wank but you gave them the option, we all know European refs are weak, put the game out of sight and take it out of their hands

Worries about Pep's subs, they seem to completely backfire

 

[dadnlad]

If you think thats bad, check out the free kick that led to the penalty. Absolute fucking cheating at its most obvious. City really need to start reporting these refs and kicking up a stink. Corrupt bastards!

it was shit decision but if dont show any effort to close game out you give refs oppertunity to be a hero

 

[blueyorkie]

Thought we played well in that game and should have put it to bed well before the end.

In terms of the penalty, I know I’m going to be in the minority, but they are always given in Europe and have been for a long while. Hoddles arguments I get some will agree with but it doesn’t matter if you play the ball or not.

What about the free kick that led to it?

 

[Ajm1985]

In control then Pep makes subs...

From the start of the second half until the substitutions, Monaco had their most sustained amount of pressure. We weren't in control at that point - Rodri was isolated & lagging, our passing was poor. The subs improved us and brought stability - his issue was he didn't go far enough & change the system, and/or take Bernardo off. Even then, we had chances to score.

 

[Gareth Barry Conlon]

And still played better than Nico.

We must have been watching different games. Rodri was clearly not fit. Reijnders and Bernado also didn't standout. Nico was as good as those 3.

 

[waspish]

Pep never wants his team to con referees dive “play the referee” which is a shame when the margins are so small now and with five subs tiring out teams now is none existent! We have that much of the ball we could easily work on passing in pen box learn to play the game that other do as in any touch fall down! I bet if one of our player went to head the ball didn’t get touched like he didn’t then dive hold his head then the whole Monaco team complained to the referee! Out play wouldn’t of gone down and carried on!

 

[meltonblue]

This is patently false.

It isn’t, did you really mean patently there?

 

[Sleeping_Easy]

Gvardiol isn’t quick and Alt Nouri isn’t either. Khusanov is obviously rapid and Nunes and O’Riley have pace.

I’d argue Ait Nouri is quicker than O’Riley. Not sure where this myth that Gvardiol is slow has come from. He’s not rapid but he’s quicker than CB’s we’ve had in the past who’ve successfully defending a high line

 

[SWPISHOME]

Yes but now judge the subs through the lens of Brentford on Sunday. What if the plan is to bench Bernardo and have Doku play 90?

Rodri and Stones couldnt play 90 so had to come off.

Substitutions are just about the current game happening.

The team that ended the game should and could have won.

Bit of a post with mixed messages, "Judge the subs through lens of Brentford on Sunday".
"Substitutions are just about the current game happening".

Not having a pop just don't really understand it.

What's important is the game tonight and getting the job done, everything else is irrelevant, including the Brentford game on Sunday, no point looking ahead at future games, get the job done at what's put on front of you first.

Understand Rodri had to come off as he was having issues before the game, Stones barely had to break sweat so the jury is out on that substitution imo.

Savinho, Absolutely nothing else to say about the guy other than he's a complete waste of everyone's time. Bobb could have been brought on and wasn't. Bernardo lasting 97 mins, Doku whipped off after 60 mins with the game far from won.

No intensity in our play again, It's boring. A game that passed us by yet again by dicking about and not killing the game off. No point beating around the bush about it, Monaco are fucking gash and we should be putting them to the sword.

 

[noseve]

Reijnders is going to be dropped as soon as Cherki is for, at this rate

I'm not sure that Pep sees them competing with each other. Think he'll like Cherki out wide

 

[peter.evans]

I’m more annoyed about the free kick that led to the goal..it was a perfect tackle

Absolutely it was never a foul and then he gives a pen for that. Fucking criminal !

 

[Marvin.]

Well said Erling. He’s either calling out his teammates or he’s calling out the tactics - either way, he’s right and I’m glad it’s been said.

Statement of the obvious I'd say. A frustrating game because we should have won that but on the other hand, I thought we performed a lot better than we did last season in Europe.

I think some of you think we are Champions League winners, and PL Champions, and you expect us to win every week. The reality is we have to rebuild and there are lots of good signs this season.

 

[Kippax77]

Wasn’t in Europe though. Don’t disagree it wasn’t a pen for me but you see softer ones given all the time in this shite

It's supposed to be a sport played worldwide called football.
Next you'll be saying there's a north south divide with the rules

 

[CTID1090]

His substitutions are absolutely shocking, it's a continuous theme of poor substitutions either that or the lack of substitutions.

Absolutely no way should Bernardo Silva have stayed out wide right for 97 minutes, Doku should have stayed on the pitch, he's arguably being our best player over the last 4/5 weeks, Why take him off at 2-1? It's stupidity. Kill the game and then take him off if needed.

Pep obviously hasn't learned his lesson from Brighton away a few weeks ago, being ahead in a game and dicking about with a one goal lead instead of killing teams off.

They hit the bar twice, the reijnders chance came from a counter attack. I said we needed another goal, you would always hope to get another as 2-1 is a dangerous lead to have. However we aren’t blessed with the most attacking depth right now, do you want Pep to go out there and score the goal himself? I heard his back isn’t the best anymore

 

[Eaststander1]

I’m confused by the fact the VAR was showing the referee that Nico touched the ball, not Dier, yet he still came to the conclusion of a penalty?!

Because all the referee sees is a boot that shouldn't be that high in the penalty area, or anywhere else come to that ... he will only see it as dangerous play.

 

[cleavers]

Nico was fine apart from penalty decision, Rodri was running out of steam and was poor in second half

...and had been booked, and that twat in charge would have given him another card.

Right decision bringing him off.

 

[GrumpyLegacyFan]

Just back to the hotel.

What a weird fucking game. If we had pushed just that bit harder - could have killed the game, and I would have left Doku on - but then again, I don’t have a trophy cabinet like Pep.

More worryingly than issues on the pitch, was the utterly shocking away end!!!

I was embarrassed. I know it’s an expensive away game and a pint in Monaco is about €100, but it was a convention of tourists and the very best non-singers from the third tier of the Colin Bell and East Stand.

Half the away end was sitting down (I have the photos) and there were only a few pockets of singers - including the big Polish Blue bloke and an amazing young lad in a Goater shirt who tried to get the singing going for the entire game - I told him he was a superstar on the way out.

The guy in front of me had a Real Madrid Screensaver on his iPhone. At least the Chinese tourists I was chatting to tried to join in.

Seriously - worst away end in my 40+ years - tonight I saw a vision of the future of football - scary as fuck!

 

[Zenmanc]

Fuck excuses and thanks to Erl for having the balls to basically say we brought it on ourselves. I think Erl as captain would see an even more ominous presence than he already is.