Bayern v City (Post Match)

Pep's comments about Angelino and Maffeo were music to my ears. Apart from giving the two of them a fantastic tribute, he also sent a strong message to all the young players coming through the ranks - if you too work hard and keep your eyes on the prize then dreams can be realised.

We have some amazing young players in the under 16's and 18's, and I hope all of them paid attention to Pep's comments.

While I think of it the other fantastic young player we have at the moment is Patrick Roberts. When we get him back from Celtic he is going to be something very special.
 
Pablo1 said:
Watching Pep in action gave me a warm glow that I haven't had for a while watching City.
Onwards and upwards.
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Mark my words, give it 6 months and you'll be pining for the smell of moth balls and Werthers Originals and the sight of us stepping up when there's no pressure on the ball and Yaya in a two man midfield.
 






Bayern had an open training session at 10:30 p.m (local time) - I guess now City has an open training session in Munich, too.
 
Maffeo, Yoyo & Angelino in particular impressed last night after previously failing to do so in the past. A win is a win, but even though we lost we dominated the second half & only lost because of a flukey failed clearance which hit the ref & was deflected in leaving Gunn with no chance of saving the shot.

I thought Fernandinho looked off the pace, Fernando was invisible & Iheanacho needed to be a bit more industrious. Like I said a win is a win but even in defeat there were more positives than negatives. Looking at last nights starting 11, realistically only Fernandinho will probably be a starter once the real business of the Premier League begins, so it will be interesting to see how things pan out in the latter stages of pre-season.
 
jollylescott said:
Pep's comments about Angelino and Maffeo were music to my ears. Apart from giving the two of them a fantastic tribute, he also sent a strong message to all the young players coming through the ranks - if you too work hard and keep your eyes on the prize then dreams can be realised.

We have some amazing young players in the under 16's and 18's, and I hope all of them paid attention to Pep's comments.

While I think of it the other fantastic young player we have at the moment is Patrick Roberts. When we get him back from Celtic he is going to be something very special.
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I haven't seen enough of him to be honest. I know what he CAN do but remember how all the country slated us for not playing Adam Johnson, because they saw the odd wonder goal on the TV?Whereas we knew he was shite for 80 minutes and it was like playing with 10 men.

It sort of worries me that he is playing for Celtic, because the standard is dog-awful. Will it help him? Is it meant to help him, or just part of the great loan fee plan?

I do like Diaz - he has some really special talent - but again beating 2 men then running into 3 and giving the ball away is no good to us. Things to learn. But he is plenty young enough to learn that.

Denayer I truly equate to Dedryck in many ways. There is a myth about him that many fans think he is wonderful. At 22 next birthday I haven't yet seen why.
 
Jeez. Sad to hear about Barker. He was getting a lot of positive press a while ago. Hope he irons his game out.
 
Neville Kneville said:
Barker was less effective than other young players who were & potentially are, nowhere near his level of ability. Angelino has managed to maintain his level but Barker looks like he has lost his mojo. A couple of years ago, when Angelino made those kind of runs, it would have been in combination with Barker & more times than not, it would be Barker who applied the killer touches.

That was the time where, if Pep was manager, both would have been given just a taster of the first team & gradually brought through. Instead Barker has been playing no mark football for two years & is in danger of missing out, whilst some of the lesser players have managed to hold on through two more years of that awful fucking corpse, without losing it.

I can't fucking stand that man. Imagine those kids we saw last night, had just been given a little bit more encouragement & experience at first team level, how much better they might be right now. They did well as it is.

I hope Pep can repair the damage done by that con artist.
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Knev Knev. We have debated the merits of the Pellers youth policy (or lack of before). It’s fair to say you don’t have a lot of time for him however I think that Barker has to take his fair share of responsibility for where his career is at right now.

You could argue that he lost the will to live under Pellers but the fact is he is a very promising youth player in one of the two best youth set ups in the country, that would give most people enough motivation to run themselves into the ground on the training pitch for years on end. If we are suggesting he has suffered through lack of opportunity impacting his motivation then that reflects very badly on him.

There is also the loans (or lack of). We can only speculate on the reasons but he has done practically nothing on loan where in the same time the likes of Denayer have massively grown their reputations and gained full international call ups by going on loan. Barker had a failed stint at Rotherham!

So slag Pellers all you like but Barker has not made the most of his talent and the opportunity he still just about has!
 
SilverFox2 said:
Like all of us he enjoys his comfort zone and has had very little experience at top level so has really become accustomed to things working out for him at the lower level where if things did not work out he could the impression others were to blame (probably correct).
With the seniors he has had the double change of better quality of players (both against him and in his own team) together with a manager who wants his style of play to change to combining skill with effort both on and off the ball.
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I don't think that playing motm performances week in week out then finally, much too late, getting on the bench of the first team, then being left watching as people such as Manu Garcia, who struggled to even get in the kids team with Barker, were fast tracked straight onto the pitch at the Etihad, helped him one bit.

But the fact is, he was better at 17 than anything the ofher attackiing kids produced last night, & miles miles better than the player we are seeing now. Whether Pep can get that back, or shethrr like Gareth Bale, it's just an age thing he will come through, I don't know. But it's not looking great. Tbf, he did ok, but he's just 'done a job' tracking back etc & done nothing in attack.

That's not the player we watched every week.
 
Gaudion M said:
Knev Knev. We have debated the merits of the Pellers youth policy (or lack of before). It’s fair to say you don’t have a lot of time for him however I think that Barker has to take his fair share of responsibility for where his career is at right now.

You could argue that he lost the will to live under Pellers but the fact is he is a very promising youth player in one of the two best youth set ups in the country, that would give most people enough motivation to run themselves into the ground on the training pitch for years on end. If we are suggesting he has suffered through lack of opportunity impacting his motivation then that reflects very badly on him.

There is also the loans (or lack of). We can only speculate on the reasons but he has done practically nothing on loan where in the same time the likes of Denayer have massively grown their reputations and gained full international call ups by going on loan. Barker had a failed stint at Rotherham!

So slag Pellers all you like but Barker has not made the most of his talent and the opportunity he still just about has!
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There was a time when the club used to help kids rather than just expect them to do it for themselves. Down to thd fact that most will fuck up unless that happens.
 
Maybe just coincidence but of the four or five times I've seen Barker play in the last year I've never been too impressed. His attitude does seem to be very poor.
Noticed a significant improvement in passing from Fernando and Caballero. Though Zinchenko looked very promising in ball retention and dribbling. Very happy Fernandinho was captain.
The result was insignificant and I think a 0-0 was probably the deserved scoreline.
Maffeo and Adarabioyo dealt with Ribery and Green very well for most of the game. Caballero was fantastic and has looked a different keeper since halftime in the Capital One Cup final. No need for Bravo or Ter Stegen, by the time Willy retires Rulli will be ready to come back from his loan. Angelino looks like a potential future left midfielder and I see him as a natural successor to Kolarov complete with attacking workrates and free kick ability, but better defensively. Delph was one of our best players and very energetic. Still think the goal we conceded shouldn't have counted since the referee should have to stop play if he directly influences the direction of the ball.
 
Very impressed with the full backs Angelino more so, but he often does and Tosin. Tosin impresses me Everytime I see him.

Seems to be much discussion regards Barker. Some just love him despite his obvious flaws.
Anyone who's played at a decent level can easily see what's happening with Brandon. When he's the quickest or the strongest he really is a fantastic talent. He's a brilliant flat track bully.

You could see it at EDS level, some weeks he'd be fantastic, others anonymous. This normally depended upon the size and stregnth of his opponent.
He was often excellent in the youth CL, but many times he was far superior physically to his opponent.

To me it's obvious what has happened, he's been offered the chance to step up, train with the first team and been found wanting. He failed out on loan and his body language seems all wrong. Some blame Pellegrini, can't argue with that, he's partially to blame.

But we've all played football with the kid who is quicker and stronger than everyone at 15, built up ad the star only for him to be waving his arms around, blaming anyone but himself and screaming this is shit 3 years later when everyone is physically matched or the opposition are smarter.
As some have said, other less dominant EDS players were promoted in front of him, Pellegrini was not the only one making this decission. Bryan & Barker looked dominant at EDS, yet neither have stepped up. Garcia, I agree never really lights up EDS but has looked at home in the firsts. I can only imagine this is the case in training.

There is talent in Barker, he holds his position well, he's not lazy and will work backwards. He's two footed and a nice finisher. There is talent. But can he express that talent when playing with the big boys?
I see a last chance loan in his future.

Also, sadly last night showed that Bony, Fernando & Delph are still way off and Toure may just not have it anymore.
Early days though, Pep on the touch line is a sight to behold. It's obvious why he is so highly regarded. You can see clear progression already.
 
i had to watch it on my phone, but Yaya looked rather slim compared to last season? or is it just my phones small screen making him slimline?
 
Neville Kneville said:
Barker was less effective than other young players who were & potentially are, nowhere near his level of ability. Angelino has managed to maintain his level but Barker looks like he has lost his mojo. A couple of years ago, when Angelino made those kind of runs, it would have been in combination with Barker & more times than not, it would be Barker who applied the killer touches.

That was the time where, if Pep was manager, both would have been given just a taster of the first team & gradually brought through. Instead Barker has been playing no mark football for two years & is in danger of missing out, whilst some of the lesser players have managed to hold on through two more years of that awful fucking corpse, without losing it.

I can't fucking stand that man. Imagine those kids we saw last night, had just been given a little bit more encouragement & experience at first team level, how much better they might be right now. They did well as it is.

I hope Pep can repair the damage done by that con artist.
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You're laying all the blame on Pellegrini as usual, but we don't know whats going on. Perhaps it should be on Barker just as much?

There's been quite a few posters who've said they've heard his attitude isn't right, and his form dropped off immediately after he was given his new contract in 2015. Wouldn't be the first kid to lose his way after signing his first big deal.

Like you said - all the other kids have managed to retain their promise and spark - only Barker seems to have been affected. Bit odd that isn't it?

On top of that- Pep is here now, Barker has played with him for 2 weeks. The slate is wiped clean, the kids are getting a chance. So why did Barker still look so disinterested in the game? Why is he still happy to sit on the fringes while the game passes him by, instead of going looking for the ball, like Bytyqi did? Why does he look so fucking miserable when he's playing for the first team against Bayern Munich, while Tosin, Maffeo and Angelino look like it's the best day of their lives?

Perhaps Pellegrini was right to not play him, perhaps there was a good reason why it was Barker who was left out of the starting lineup in the FA Cup. There are hundreds of kids who look promising at 17/18 and never make it into the first team, even at clubs where the managers always develop the youth players well.

The man didn't utilise the youth we had at our disposal very well, but not everything is Pellegrini's fault - and I don't see any evidence that Barker not living up to his early potential should be laid at exclusively at Pellegrini's door.
 
There's no point moaning about Barker's attitude, we don't know the reasoning for his dip in form/confidence. He's been out on loan and he's come back to exactly where he was, he's probably somewhat disillusioned. He needs to learn that throwing in the towel won't get him where he wants to go, working hard and proving himself is how he might have a decent career in football. He's a young lad and I don't want to call it attitude as most lads at that age will have their moments.

Pep will speak to him I'm sure and tell him exactly what we're thinking - he'll say it's okay if you lose the ball, it's okay if you misplace a pass occasionally or have a poor touch. What isn't okay is not fighting to make up for your mistake. Winning the ball back when you give it away, and working for the team. The biggest factor in whether a wide attacking player does well always boils down to confidence. Someone with little technique or ability but a load of pace can be a world beater when confident. Equally, someone with all the technique and ability can look horrific when low in confidence. Pep's style ensures that even if a player has the odd game where it's just not happening for them, they remain confident and they work hard for the team so others can at least remain effective.
 
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