Barca v City Post Match Thread

[City Raider]

Referred to individual errors, not just in this game but going back to Celtic. Honeymoon well and truly over.

Ta! Can't really argue with any of that. Sometimes I think we're not a very intelligent team, not at that level. Again and again these top teams school us mentally. Talent is there, hopefully the rest will come with experience but we're learning very slowly.

 

[B\connellblue]

I thought the game plan was going superbly well up until the red card and but for some wasteful finishing we should have been at least level if not winning.

Individual errors cost us again but he is a few months and one transfer window into a 3 year job and those players not able to cut it will get replaced, starting with 2 new full backs please.

Bravo dropped a major howler, no doubt but all keepers do, Joe included so i dont see the point in trying to claim otherwise.

Ilkay played well, unlucky not to score and set a couple of chances up that should have been put away.

Zab and AK at full back are no longer good enough and should be replaced and they will be.

Otamendi made some excellent interceptions tonight and Stones is an absolute Rolls Royce of a player and with 2 decent full backs either side of them im sure would help.

Top of the league, 2nd in the CL group.

• Hardly doom and gloom is it?

• its so frustrating to see the same players make the same mistakes and cost us on a regular basis. We were holding our own yes but our finishing leaves so much to be desired. All the more reason to play kun. I hope there isn't something going on there because we are toothless without him. 2 weeks after championing stones for english captain The media will slaughter him tomorrow.

 

[OrigamiNinja]

I almost find myself longing for the opposition to score a good goal against us. I don't remember a single goal we have conceded this season where I haven't cringed at our "defending".

Pep is trying to polish turds with the likes of Kolarov, Otamendi and I'm sorry to say a well and truly past it Zabba. That's 3 of our back 4 that are simply not good enough. Their replacements don't inspire any confidence either as the likes of Sagna and Clichy are certainly not the answer.

We will get away with it most weeks in the Prem because usually we will be up against much weaker sides than us but against the top 4/6 and in the Champs League we will be found out.

I was concerned with our transfer dealings in the summer because I felt that yet again we were ignoring our biggest weaknesses, then we started like a train and I thought maybe my concerns were misplaced. Well after watching us against Celtic, Spurs and now Barca I am well and truly convinced my original thoughts were correct.

Pep will get it right, he's too good a manager not to however he will not get it right with some of these players. The sooner he realises this and stops trying to polish turds the better.

 

[Scaring Europe to Death]

Best we’ve played all season, but miss two penalties against Everton.
Best we’ve played against Barcelona, but it could have been 0-8.

Looks like I picked the wrong week to give up heroin.

 

[Armaan]

Bravo isn't a top class keeper in my opinion....Spuds Rags Arsenal Chelsea Stoke all have better keepers than him.
Regardless of it not being a shot he got beat by it was his fuck up that reduced us to 10 men when we were the better team.

Barca fans seem to rate him quite highly.

 

[Chippy_boy]

Same old City, too soft in midfield. 50/50 all seem to end up with the opo side gaining the ball. A ruthless mindset is needed. No guts no glory. Tough game on Sunday, I'm not confident about this one.

Strangely I thought that was about the only bit that we did well tonight. Terrible defending and toothless in attack, but we bossed midfield I thought.

 

[robbieh]

To be honest the players have fucked up in the last four games. Too many missed chances and errors. The tactics are fine, whether we have the players to carry them out properly is very debatable currently.

Nail on head Millwall.The question I ask myself is whether we could have transitioned to the style he wants slower. Perhaps leaving out the the defensive histrionics but playing a high press like Liverpool. We certainly have far better players than the scousers. A solid defense allied to the energy Pep demands would surely have been enough to win the league. As it stands we will be lucky to win anything.

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

I had us down in the Matchday app for a 2-1 win. I was thinking about sticking in a 4-0 but then history got the better of me. I can't say I am surprised at the outcome. Just when yer need everybody to be on song and as tight as a fish's, we go kamikaze after going down to ten. Of all the teams who are the dog's at tearing a team of ten apart we just happen to play 'em tonight. I thought up to the sending off that was the best performance we have played against Barca. They will know that if we keep the full team on the pitch for the ninety we can do 'em. Why didn't Aguero start? Is he carrying a knock or strain?

 

[Millwallawayveteran1988]

But surely we knew this, Zabaleta/Kolarov/Sagna/Clichy was never going to be a sustainable fullback situation & I'm surprised it is here again this season, and we were after Laporte alongside Stones so it wouldn't be surprising to see another CB.

No doubt we need to cut down the number of mistakes, but that's part of the transition, getting used to playing this style. I don't expect to see us fluent at this for at least a year, and have been impressed with what we've managed so far. This performance away at Barca for 60 minutes was far improved on past years, if you choose to focus on a poor last 30 minutes with 10 men so be it, I'd rather look at the first 60 & say we're heading in the correct direction.

Like you say I think it's going to take longer than expected. It's just extremely frustrating seeing the same mistakes time and time again.

 

[CTID1988]

Barca fans seem to rate him quite highly.

Bet they do tonight