QF 1st Leg Post Match Thread

[Esteban de la Sexface]

How exactly did it pay off?

we are still in the tie. We played a champions league quarter final missing KDB, Bernardo, Stones, and a left full back. Aguero(always takes time to come back) and Silva were massively out of form. And we are still in the tie.

Spurs do not know how to play any other way than with a high press. They will not come to the Etihad and sit back on a one nil lead. With our full team, at the Etihad, we score at will against that Spurs team.

 

[stonerblue]

A very tense night that ended badly for us after looking pretty solid for 80 minutes.
Like most i was concerned when the line ups came out, rarely do we go 'defensive', and the lack of Sane and The Prince was a bit baffling. Surely Pep had other reasons not to start them that we don't know about. However with Laporte, Otamendi and Delph all looking strong the only concern at the back was Walker and his determination to 'lose it' and get his marching orders.
Sergio cut a lonely figure up front and had no help at all from a very poor Mahrez, who's predictability was easy to defend against.
At half time they were there for the taking and i was hoping for a left field substitution, starting the 2nd half with Leroy and Kev but it would be another 40 minutes before they were unleashed. Too little to late.
An away goal would've been nice but at one nil the second leg, and qualification, is not unattainable.

 

[goalmole]

Any reports of suicides in yet?

 

[Fordyboy46]

Afraid it looks like 2 penalty misses will fuck up our season plus the fact we never bought a proper left back in the summer.

We can go back to the summer of poor recruitment, only Mahrez added and has he improved us, no not one iota. So we're basically playing with exactly the same squad as last season, but you have to keep strengthening to stay at the top. We're still three players short in this squad, a left back, defensive midfielder, and another striker. Hopefully we're a lot more proactive this summer, transfer ban permitting.

 

[mikemcfc123]

we are still in the tie. We played a champions league quarter final missing KDB, Bernardo, Stones, and a left full back. Aguero(always takes time to come back) and Silva were massively out of form. And we are still in the tie.

Spurs do not know how to play any other way than with a high press. They will not come to the Etihad and sit back on a one nil lead. With our full team, at the Etihad, we score at will against that Spurs team.

I agree we are far from out but I wouldn't exactly say a 1-0 defeat means the selection paid off tbh. Although we'd be having a different conversation if that penalty had gone in.

 

[HarrytheBlue]

How exactly did it pay off?

This tie is Champions League in name only. It’s two Prem games or a Carabao Cup semi.

 

[jollylescott]

The thing is, do people believe we will keep a clean sheet in the return leg? If the answer is no, we have to score at least three goals or we are out. Tough task, as is winning 2-0.

Yes I do think we’ll keep a clean sheet. I think we’ll outclass them at home.

As for last night, Pep is eyeing up the next few games. It’s an incredibly difficult draw, and the team selection last night reflected him rolling the dice with a weakened team. On reflection, I’m ok with that. Tottenham have got their one win. We’ll win the next two.

 

[Marvin]

A very tense night that ended badly for us after looking pretty solid for 80 minutes.
Like most i was concerned when the line ups came out, rarely do we go 'defensive', and the lack of Sane and The Prince was a bit baffling. Surely Pep had other reasons not to start them that we don't know about. However with Laporte, Otamendi and Delph all looking strong the only concern at the back was Walker and his determination to 'lose it' and get his marching orders.
Sergio cut a lonely figure up front and had no help at all from a very poor Mahrez, who's predictability was easy to defend against.
At half time they were there for the taking and i was hoping for a left field substitution, starting the 2nd half with Leroy and Kev but it would be another 40 minutes before they were unleashed. Too little to late.
An away goal would've been nice but at one nil the second leg, and qualification, is not unattainable.

What did you make of Spurs stadium? It sounded loud on the TV.

 

[Fordyboy46]

What did you want him to do? Play KDB who is returning from injury? Bernardo was injured.
He was a little more pragmatic, i'm fine with it. He went to Anfield at the same stage last year without pragmatism and the tie was over after the first leg.
We are still very much in this tie.

This is top level stuff here mate, we can't just go and dictate games as we see fit. We are fighting for an unprecedented quadruple. Pep is trying to manage the squad as best he can. If we went gung-ho with full team last night, it effectively writes off the Palace game. We now have a number of fresh players to rotate in.

Pep took a gamble last night and it paid off.

I'm also struggling to see how it paid off, going for a 0-0 at one of the supposed weakest sides left in the comp isn't good enough. We won't get away with the same team and tactics against Juve or Ajax if we get through.

 

[marco]

we'l be OK chaps,,if we cant turn a 1-0 around and go through then we aint good enough to progress,thing is everyone on here knows full well we are capable of spanking them 4-0 on Wed and that's whats likely to happen