4 European Campaigns - Signs of improvement?

[ianw16]

I can't believe we still go with this 4-4-2 bullshit, regardless of opposition. If Mangala and Fernando had played, maybe we could get away with it, but without them it is totally naive. It's difficult enough to progress from groups like we usually get without handing the opponents the tactical high ground from minute one.
Sod it, put the EDS out for the remaining fixtures, because if we carry on like this we are not getting out this group. Concentrate on the PL and cups.

 

[sam-caddick]

I think first things first nine times out of ten you need a world class manager or if you are lucky a world class manager in the making i.e. Klopp and Simeone to win the Champions League.

That manager also has to be incredibly tactically flexible because you need to adapt quickly in the Champions League because of the strength of the opposition.

Whilst Pellegrini is a top manager his biggest issue for me is that it's his way or no way, he won't change the way he plays, one of the reasons Wenger has come up short so many times if you ask me.

The personnel needs to be right as well and every team member needs to put the team first and sacrifice himself when needed, you can't have the likes of Yaya Toure, despite his brilliance at times, going around as if the game is a walk in the park, Silva for example needs to learn to track his opposition runs when he has to and Sergio and Edin if played as a two or a one need to be tracking back working hard when not in possession.

To sum it up in regards to us I question whether we have a manger tactically flexible enough and whom possibly overestimates his opposition, I question whether certain players are willing to put the team first and not think individually, and I also question whether we really do have a plan b?

I also don't think we have enough pace in our side when it comes to players and as a team, on the break we look lethargic and show hardly any intent.

 

[siralanhowarth]

Going to be hard now..we don't seem to improve in Europe..we bought a centre half, who we needed and we don't play him in the CL ? and we need to play one up top and extra man in midfield! yaya is not playing well needs to be dropped to wake him up
really disappointed with the fans we are not helping too quite and not turning up for CL games! we don't seem too believe we should be there.. very disappointing !
Manager is under pressure as he does not have a plan B.. we have been found out! very concerned that we don't improve in Europe! I will tell you what , if we don't qualify I would hate to be in his shoes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[mad4city]

I think first things first nine times out of ten you need a world class manager or if you are lucky a world class manager in the making i.e. Klopp and Simeone to win the Champions League.

That manager also has to be incredibly tactically flexible because you need to adapt quickly in the Champions League because of the strength of the opposition.

Whilst Pellegrini is a top manager his biggest issue for me is that it's his way or no way, he won't change the way he plays, one of the reasons Wenger has come up short so many times if you ask me.

The personnel needs to be right as well and every team member needs to put the team first and sacrifice himself when needed, you can't have the likes of Yaya Toure, despite his brilliance at times, going around as if the game is a walk in the park, Silva for example needs to learn to track his opposition runs when he has to and Sergio and Edin if played as a two or a one need to be tracking back working hard when not in possession.

To sum it up in regards to us I question whether we have a manger tactically flexible enough and whom possibly overestimates his opposition, I question whether certain players are willing to put the team first and not think individually, and I also question whether we really do have a plan b?

I also don't think we have enough pace in our side when it comes to players and as a team, on the break we look lethargic and show hardly any intent.

Exactly this.
Also, if we could just whip the odd corner into the six yard box, rather than fannying about or rattling it off the near post defender and hey, here's a crazy notion, stop trying to be clever dicks with every single free kick. Sometimes - not 100% of the time - but sometimes the simple, direct option is the thing to try. They had a young, inexperienced keeper and it took us about 70. minutes before we gave him a save to make.

 

[City_Sean]

We've always played with too many individuals who just aren't suited to european football. The CL is dominated by team performances, where everyone works together and attacks and defends as a team, whereas our teams have always been built around one or two players who might do something on their own. Players like Tevez and Yaya just don't fit with the CL anymore.

We don't work as a team at all, we don't press as a team, we don't defend as a team, we don't seem to even have a coherent plan of attack in the CL, we just look like individuals trying to do our own thing. We don't even try to play like we do in the league, so obviously we don't get anywhere near our best. I have no idea why we play 2 up top, no one ever does in the CL. We need to decide on a way to play and actually learn how to do it, untill we decide on what we are trying to do it's hard to see us achieving it/

Atletico Madrid proves 4-4-2 can work in the Champions League providing you have the right players to press and compensate for the lack of bodies in the middle.

Agree, but when Simeone played 442 Villa and Costa would run themselves into the ground, I dont see Dzeko and Aguero doing that. 442 works if we press high but we seem to allow the other team to carry the ball 30 yards up the pitch before we even press.

 

[CityFan94]

I thought we showed signs of it last season, but this season has been poor.

What was the difference between last night and the Napoli game a few years ago? Very little.

The improvement and progression should be a lot further on that it is now. Last season was a sign we were going in the right direction, but this season we're no better in the CL than we were under Mancini.

 

[MeatHunterrr]

I thought we showed signs of it last season, but this season has been poor.

What was the difference between last night and the Napoli game a few years ago? Very little.

The improvement and progression should be a lot further on that it is now. Last season was a sign we were going in the right direction, but this season we're no better in the CL than we were under Mancini.

PSG have the players who are truly in it for the "project". Therefore they don't fear anyone. We have too many passengers.

 

[City_Sean]

I thought we showed signs of it last season, but this season has been poor.

What was the difference between last night and the Napoli game a few years ago? Very little.

The improvement and progression should be a lot further on that it is now. Last season was a sign we were going in the right direction, but this season we're no better in the CL than we were under Mancini.

PSG have the players who are truly in it for the "project". Therefore they don't fear anyone. We have too many passengers.

PSG also have players capable of playing multiple systems, we are stuck in this 4222 mode that offers us no pace.

 

[Tevez32mcfc]

My view:

Our football in Europe under Pellegrini is too expansive and we don’t seem to show any respect to the teams we are playing. It’s almost as if we line up without having looked at how the opposition play and just go with an attitude of 'let them worry about us'

As soon as the sides lined up last night you could see our side was far too attack minded. If you win a midfield battle in Europe you more often than not will get the result needed. Therefore we should of gone with the one striker and played Milner instead of Navas. As soon as these changes were made in the second half we began to dominate the game. No coincidence because we finally added the extra midfielder and stood up to them in midfield.

You can’t get away with just playing pretty attacking football at this level. When we weren’t in the champions league we watched other English sides in the group stages and they got the job done despite most of the games being awful to watch. I can’t recall ever watching an end to end group stage game in this competition.

Lessons to be learned but I’m still confident we will get there eventually.

 

[Gray]

First and foremost in Europe you set up not to loose and keep clean sheets.

We on the other hand constantly gift soft goals left right and centre and can't keep the ball for more than three or four passes.

We would struggle to beat lesser teams than AS Roma the way we play.