Atletico (A) - Post-Match Thread

[HarrytheBlue]

It was a proper old fashioned European Cup match, harking from the days when men were men and no quarter was given.

Atletico's approach to the game was pretty much exactly what most of us FOCs fully expected... Win at any cost. Pep will have expected a rough ride, and planned accordingly. That's how to win the toughest matches.

I enjoyed every minute of the game. It was proper edge of the seat stuff. The sort of game I would have loved to play in, and frequently did on a Sunday morning in years gone by.

City were superb. Best performance of the season in my opinion. From back to front, every player gave their all, and were brilliantly controlled.

John Stones was colossal, and Fernandinho showed once again, how the game should be played. One of the greatest players ever to play football - a master of the game.

Whether we win the CL this year or not, last night's match was a magnificent display of just how good this City team is. We can take on anyone, however they want to play.

Up the Blues!

All things considered, the ref, the violent cheating (coached cheating), the head butts, the provocation and the natural ability they unquestionably have, that was the best City performance I've seen in my life - and I've been going since 68!! Franny, Mike Doyle, Mike Summerbee, Dave Watson, Joe Royle, George Heslop, would have downed the bastards on the spot. Since then, Nigel dJ, Gerry Gow, Stuart P and Andy M especially and a few others would have done likewise.

 

[mattcity5]

I wouldn't be at all surprised if UEFA fine both clubs for players losing control, even though City players didn't lose control.
Felipe will get a derisory fine for not leaving the pitch whilst Savic will get away with it as they'll say the ref dealt with it at the time. It's bent.

A proper organisation would ban Atletico from UEFA competitions for a season, but we all know that won't happen.

I don't blame Atletico that much. We knew they were like this, but the main problem was the ref let everything go and so it all escalated throughout the match.

After Felipe getting away with that assault in Foden, there was a shove by Savic on him completely off the ball in the first half that the ref should have pulled him up for and had a word about at the very least (should have been a yellow imo), but nothing. And so it continued.

This was all on the ref letting that bunch of dickheads do what they want.

We did well to stay calm, though we did stop playing a bit. I think a few of the midfield/forward options stopped wanting the ball as much as usual (possibly tiredness) and we were forced to either play risky short balls or lose it long. Brilliant to see them off in the end, though we did need that save from Ederson right at the end.

 

[HolisticJim]

Because when we did play out from the back and get it to Mahrez, KDB and later Sterling, they immediately lost it

And hoofing the ball up the field didn't immediately lose it???

Absolutely ridiculous that we train with Pep for 6 years to keep the ball from the back and in one of our most important games we resort to belting it up field (which we don't train for) because its too hard!!!

 

[Trevor Morley's Tache]

Walker got a three match ban for similar

Exactly.

We will continue to be refereed to a different standard in every competition we play in.

 

[Bobby the blue]

Its there way and they are good at it, i would not want to watch it every week, but 60K do because that way has made them successful. They I imagine had to play like that to compete with Real and Barca and it helped them beat them to titles. I didnt like how Wimbledon played, but it made them successful, just because we play football in what is considered the right way it does not give us the right to tell others to play like us.

Peak Fernandinho would be perfect for Atleti, but because he plays for us we overlook his mastery of the dark arts. That is hypocritical because we enjoy the way he plays.

There dark arts and a bit of shithousery or whatever it’s called these days but Fernandinho never goes out to injure people or take it too far. That’s not hypocritical or blue tinted specs either. That last night was bordering on Sunday league antics.
And yeah we do play football the right way and we should be applauded for it and those no marks yesterday should get no praise from anyone in football.

To try and compare them to Wimbledon of years gone by as well is an insult to the dons. Yes those boys knew there limits and mixed it up by never resorted to 90 minutes of that bullshit.

It was a proper old fashioned European Cup match, harking from the days when men were men and no quarter was given.

Atletico's approach to the game was pretty much exactly what most of us FOCs fully expected... Win at any cost. Pep will have expected a rough ride, and planned accordingly. That's how to win the toughest matches.

I enjoyed every minute of the game. It was proper edge of the seat stuff. The sort of game I would have loved to play in, and frequently did on a Sunday morning in years gone by.

City were superb. Best performance of the season in my opinion. From back to front, every player gave their all, and were brilliantly controlled.

John Stones was colossal, and Fernandinho showed once again, how the game should be played. One of the greatest players ever to play football - a master of the game.

Whether we win the CL this year or not, last night's match was a magnificent display of just how good this City team is. We can take on anyone, however they want to play.

Up the Blues!

I’m 40 and forgive me as I don’t know your age but I really don’t recall this level of thuggery from teams for a constant 90 minutes. Maybe I’m a tad angry still at what went on last night but I just can’t agree that last night was a proper European football match and blood and guts type game.


It wasn’t. It went too far. The assault on foden in the first few minutes or the prick savic barging into foden when he was nowhere near the ball. They left the foot in after everything and that challenge on foden at the end where he had already won the ball could have broke his leg. Then the reactions after like they had done fuck all wrong. Na I’m not having any of that.

another lad has likened them to Wimbledon etc. Those boys could control there emotions and played on the edge and dare I say wouldn’t really have wanted to seriously injure someone for the whole 90 minutes. They would probably even pick you up after a challenger or have a wry smile.
This lot were totally out of control. Just look at the way the acted after the game and in the tunnel.
It’s not right and it’s not football.

Look I’m not trying to get into any kind of argument with you or anyone as we are all city fans and we see things differently in just passionate about what I saw last night and I didn’t like it one bit.

 

[A57 the snake]

I thought eddy had a good game last night seemed to go back to old school goalkeeping when we needed it just prove he really is a excellent All round keeper.

 

[Cobwebcat]

I don't know what happened to us after we came out for the second half, but it was shocking.

No pass into midfield, Eddie having to kick long, Gundo gassed, Sterling anonymous.

If this was Pep's Champs League aberration for this season, at least it came now.

Cancelo out of the semi first leg, Walker and Kev possibly out, Phil kicked to shit.

Saturday is going to be a painful day I fear.

Stones and Eddie were heroes and Fern settled us down when we needed it.

Love Zinchenko even more after going after Savic.

Well done boys, had our luck, but showed immense bollocks.

I think the players were knackered

 

[HarrytheBlue]

Did anyone notice as we came out for the start of the second half that KDB face was bright red, looked to be really angry or Frustrated. I thought at the time that Pep may have had a go at him at half time but in hindsight maybe he had his knock then and knew he would have to try and run it off or his game was over.

On the other hand he may have looked flushed as Gingers normally do in Spain.

His face always looks flushed. It's called perpetual maximum effort.

 

[jimharri]

It speaks volumes when he says he's proud of that "performance".

 

[burning blue soul]

Is it just me or did anyone else get a flashback of Joleon Lescott heading it back to Djibril Cisse last night when the ball skimmed of Fernandinho head? Was quite similar just a hopeful ball put in and Ferny just couldn't get their with a header and went into the path of the Atletico player, Ake done incredibly well on the cover! Talk about heart in mouth moment.

Yep, I had flashbacks!