Yes, I know that the first goal was the penalty - that's the passage of play I'm talking about.
Don't worry - you clearly want to avoid the question, or you have never seen a proper defender.
In what way was he possibly displaying any defensive instinct whatsoever?
shouldnt off been off side though when scored he could clearly see along lineAit-Nouri was great last night
Sometimes Pep wants the impossible with the fullbacks ? he wants them tucking into midfield or going on the overlap. It's so easy to point fingers when we lose, but not from last night's game, everybody gave it 110% and should take a lot of credit
YawnValverde scores that chance he had in the first couple of minutes 99 times out of a 100, and everything else would have been irrelevant.
We huffed and puffed a bit, but we don’t look like a well drilled team, either going forward or at the back.
No complaints about the red card - it was a lazy handball. The only major positive was Khusanov; he was absolutely outstanding and should have played far more regularly than he has this season.
Ultimately, it was a very similar outcome to when we played them last season and I don’t see any material improvement over the period.
The selection, tactics and cohesion of the team are all still up in the air, and we look like a side in need of change and reinvention.
Not reallyNot good enough this year, the fluidity this team has had over the years just isn't there. Changes are needed at the end of the season.
YawnAll season I've been slamming Ait-Nouri for being too easily drawn to the ball, like watching an under-10 match - he did it again for the first goal. A proper left back would never have allowed the shot in the first place.
No penalty, no red for Bernie.
You just can't compete at any serious level without natural defenders. I don't watch post-match coverage - I assume that RAN was panned for this, was he?
It's true - that was shambolic defence-wide.Look, it was an attack by Madrid in their half and with the City defence all over the place chasing back
You are picking out one player when clearly the whole back 4 was out of shape ? For me, Pep gambles far too much on our fullbacks in asking them to do other duties like being an inverted midfielder or winger
That's the gamble Pep takes and some learn quicker than others, but last night, Rayan Ait Nouri was good
We'd still get Real MadridThis is why the lowest 8 clubs in the so called play off's gets the advantage or a double bite of the cherry.
Needs changing to the top 16 places straight into the knockouts and the top 8 get seeded and the other 8 go into the pot
We'll just have to disagree about what a defender's priority should be.
The tie was decided in Madrid: last night our chances of progressing were slight. What I wanted was a good performance and on the whole that is what I saw. It wasn’t perfect but it was a lot better than the first leg and much better than West Ham on Saturday. There was energy and intent.
It was,of course, ruined in the 20th minute by the kind of decision that drives me mad, a handball decision which “leaves the ref no choice” . The jTV commentators agreed a red card was the right decision. Then we got the usual strangulation, rugby tackles. players held in som macabre embrace- no hair pulling to be fair- but none of this merited a whistle. No, the only crime that should ruin a game is a handball.
City responded very well and never gave in, but unfortunately the Trossard look alike opened the way for the game to be decided by probably the most odious, snivelling, moaning player in the game today.
All about opinions, and I respect yours, but - for me - R.A.N. did OK, but I disagree that he was great.Ait-Nouri was great last night
Sometimes Pep wants the impossible with the fullbacks ? he wants them tucking into midfield or going on the overlap. It's so easy to point fingers when we lose, but not from last night's game, everybody gave it 110% and should take a lot of credit
I disagree, what we lacked for most of last night was 1 player more.All about opinions, and I respect yours, but - for me - R.A.N. did OK, but I disagree that he was great.
I'll agree that he tried hard enough last night, but he's too slow and too negative - often turning back or inside - even stopping - instead of driving forward. Yes, he's got clever feet/dribbling skills, but like many of our recruits in the last 2 years, he's far from top level - imho - and that's what we lacked last night all over the pitch.
Well, as I wrote, Savinho just signed a new deal. No way any team is going to have a go at a loan for him. Disagree on Nunes. He's solid at the right and he's an overlap threat. Perhaps Marmoush. Trafford has expressed his disappointment that he wasn't told Gigi was coming. We shall see.Savinho, Nunes, Marmoush, maybeTJ, plus the crocks
James Trafford could end up a double cup winner, don't think he'll be in a rush to leave.
Look like it was going in, but even if it did hit the post it would’ve gone in off Bernie’s back anyway. Not blaming Bernie at all. It was a natural reflex. We all would’ve done the same. The blame lies with the other defenders all sprinting towards the ball, leaving three Real Madrid players in space just before it happened.Clearly handball, but can anyone 100% say it was going in & not hitting the post?
You are embarrased after that? Lol you know nothing about football.5-1 SAYS WE DID.
These new faces have to be class players, not another player with potential.When you face Real Madrid or the so-called elite clubs its always the same old shit ?
You need to take every chance you get because you know they will get help and the benefit of the doubt from the officials.
This is why Manchester City have to be almost perfect in both legs and we have only done it once in Pep's 10 years at City in the Champions League. This City squad are not the finished article and can not produce the goods every week because it's still in the early stages of a new build, the squad is still top-heavy with players that offer nothing ?
This summer has to be the major clear-out of the likes of Stones Ake Grealish Lewis Kovacic Phillips and also Silva who is leaving anyway
We have the base and foundations and 4 or 5 new faces in the summer and i think we will be ready