Champions League with Pep

There is a lot of if and maybes. Most of the defeats we just weren't good enough. We all moaned about refs and Pep team choice. But on the field we didn't deserve it.

IMO there are two years that are different though.

The Madrid semi final tie in 2022 is the one the that stands out for me. We were magnificent at home. Missed a load of chance but still scored 4. They seemed to score with every half chance. (Watch the highlights if you want to be annoyed). The away game was edgy but the played well and were deservedly ahead going into injury time. Then..


2024 quarter final. We were not as obviously dominant but definitely the best team over the two legs and I think we deserved to win. We would had a really great chance of winning it.
 
Last edited:
johnnytapia said:
We got battered away at Liverpool. Nothing to do with the ref. Like rabbits in the headlights
Click to expand...
Completely agree. The first goal went in and we fell apart, pretty much till half time. Tbf we were a bit unlucky not to get a goal back in the second half which would have given us a chance in the second leg. The first first goal was offside as well which didnt help.

BUT I really think the coach attack affected us. There must be highlights on the Internet of the players before the start and they looked rattled.
 
Last edited:
Man_City_Loyal said:
tbf if we won that day I don't think Pep stays as long as he does.
Click to expand...

You could be right!

I can't help it but have a strange conspiracy theory after watching the City interview -- that Pep left because of Noel Gallagher openly saying we wouldn't win the title this year.

I think he stated in the interview.. "when you have doubt, then the next guy has doubt, then it spreads.." that was like one of the first time I've seen him be absolutely honest about what pisses him off!

Pep's seems like an old ship's captain who's always been about environments that believe in him 100%.
 
Last edited:
From 1992 - 2014 Bacon won 2 times in 22 years*. Took him 7 years to win it, took Pep the same. That is a comparable like for like, so I'll go along with it.


*Both absolute shite performances - they were outplayed for 90 mins v Bayern and the woodwork saved them. And John fucking Terry gave them the 2nd win.
 
johnnytapia said:
We got battered away at Liverpool. Nothing to do with the ref. Like rabbits in the headlights
Click to expand...
Had VAR been involved that season definitely one of their goals was offside and City denied a clear penalty.
Then at home, City and the stadium should have been rocking at 2 up at half time - again VAR would 100% awarded City's second right on half time. City came out deflated, (understandably) and chasing the game....
 
Mad Eyed Screamer said:
Had VAR been involved that season definitely one of their goals was offside and City denied a clear penalty.
Then at home, City and the stadium should have been rocking at 2 up at half time - again VAR would 100% awarded City's second right on half time. City came out deflated, (understandably) and chasing the game....
Click to expand...
How the fuck that goal wasn’t given was beyond me, but that ref was a twat, I reckon it will cone out in years he had either been bought or plain hated Pep.
 
The Chelsea one stings because it's the game where Pep completely fucked it IMO. The team and system were perfectly setup and he moved everything to get Sterling into the team.

Even the players by all accounts were baffled when they heard the line up.

In others we were unlucky but that's just knockout football.
 
Blue Maverick said:
How the fuck that goal wasn’t given was beyond me, but that ref was a twat, I reckon it will cone out in years he had either been bought or plain hated Pep.
Click to expand...
He was Spain's number 1 ref - and pro Spanish governance.
Of course, Pep the Catalonian, gave him the excuse the ref was praying for when walking angrily towards him on the pitch. The ref couldn't get the red card out quick enough.
We had the same ref in a big game the following season - but with VAR he couldn't fuck us over and behaved himself... and we won!
 
Without looking at the records how often have the most successful clubs in the CL actually won it?

Do they average a much higher win rate than once every 10 years?
 
Hard to say we 'should' have won more. Its a knockout competition and we were unlucky to go out to Lyon, Spurs, Madrid away and we dogged the final to Chelsea. I'd say we were the best side in Europe all those years, so yeah in terms of that we underachieved.

But it's hardly Peps fault the ref can't see a handball, Sterling can't score an open net from 3 yards and Cancelo can't track a runner. Chelsea was his fault though.
 
The Fat el Hombre said:
Gundo out wide didnt help...
Click to expand...
I still recall my disbelief at the team selection that night. Me and hub were driving back from somewhere to get home in time to watch. Check app fully expecting to see Bernie in the line up. ( I fell big style for Ilkay 2021 :-)). The coach attack didn't help.
 
johnnytapia said:
We got battered away at Liverpool. Nothing to do with the ref. Like rabbits in the headlights
Click to expand...
That was another game where he got the team badly wrong. Didn't he stick Gundo on the right wing or something?

But you also can't overlook some dubious refereeing decisions in both games. At least one of their goals in that first leg was probably offside and our disallowed goal was probably onside.
 
We deserved to win more, without a doubt. 3 would have been a fairer reflection of our place in the European hieracrchy. But in the cups you have a bad or unlucky half hour and you're out. It happened to us on several occasions.

I believe that from 2018 to 2024 we were the best team in Europe.
 
FrankSwift1 said:
There is a lot of if and maybes. Most of the defeats we just weren't good enough. We all moaned about refs and Pep team choice. But on the field we didn't deserve it.

OMO there are two years that arw different thoigh.

The Madrid semi final tie in 2022 is the one the that stands out for me. We were magnificent at home. Missed a load of chance but still scored 4. They seemed to score with every half chance. (Watch the highlights if you want to be annoyed). The away game was edgy but the played well and were deservedly ahead going into injury time. Then..


2024 quarter final. We were not as obviously dominant but definitely the best team over the two legs and I think we deserved to win. We would had a really great chance of winning it.
Click to expand...
Without a shadow of a doubt we outplayed Real on both of those occassions.
 
Prestwich_Blue said:
That was another game where he got the team badly wrong. Didn't he stick Gundo on the right wing or something?

But you also can't overlook some dubious refereeing decisions in both games. At least one of their goals in that first leg was probably offside and our disallowed goal was probably onside.
Click to expand...
Might have had something to do with the team bus being bricked as well !
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Unread Posts

Don't have an account? Register now and see fewer ads!

SIGN UP
Back
Top