Barca v City Post Match Thread

[OB1]

Personality didn't help Joe. I agree with that.

But really.. no way that Pep was going to play without a keeper who wasn't world-class playing it from the back.

There's no way - even if Joe was an absolute angel and backed everything that Pep desired - that Joe would have been our starting keeper at the start of this year.

At best, Joe could have hoped for a backup role - and training his ass off to hopefully become sufficient on the ball to start under Pep's system (I personally doubt that this would ever have occured - either you're great on the ball at birth or you're not - Joe is not).

So now you are saying Mr Ed's opinion wasn't 100% wrong?

 

[OB1]

I am sorry but I consider that statement to be a load of bollocks.

I have seen nothing from Bravo yet that makes me think that Hart could not have continued as first choice.

Specsavers, mate.

 

[Terra Passenger]

So now you are saying Mr Ed's opinion wasn't 100% wrong?

Beats me. I've backed up a few pages and can't see what Mr Ed's opinion is.

Let me know what that opinion is and I'll let you know what I think.

 

[mat]

4 typical city cock ups lead to 4 goals.

As an aside if that pen had gone in I'd have demanded a retake. I thought fringing your kick was banned?

 

[OB1]

Don't jump the gun there, integrating a player from South America who has never played in Europe and is 19 years of age? I think patience is imperative. Neymar was much further along by comparison and 21 years of age before he came to Barcelona and even then many questioned whether he could 'do it in Europe'.

No one's jumping the gun. However, if Jesus is a world class player and the early signs are good, it is possible that he will make an impact quickly; it's also possible that he will take time to settle or not fulfill his potential or... He does look a tough little chap though so I like his chances of doing well for us.

 

[OB1]

It's not just, in fact it generally isn't the forwards, take the Stones header, I know it's fast play but it should hit the target. But it's the combination of gifts given, and chances not taken, and our last 2 games are the same, not saying we would have won last night anyway, but sometimes we don't give ourselves a chance. Nice play alone isn't enough, not at the levels we are trying to be at.

Don't get me started on our dead ball stuff either, some of it is well below what a top team should be doing.

We don't take enough chances and it's not a new problem. Stones could have scored twice last night; the first in particular was gilt edged and he blew it by trying to place it when he just needed to power onto it.

 

[Gelsons Dad]

Has anyone dropped the Yaya bomb yet?
In my opinion he is what's missing from our desire to build from deep as he was perfect at holding the ball in front of our back 4 whilst under pressure. It's the other (apart from clinical finishing) missing ingredient right now. Gaz Baz was the other player we could rely on for this, he could always turn away from a player and keep possession then offload an easy pass.

The score last night didn't really do justice to our overall performance but we were second best and when the opposition has Messi to creat and finish from what were really nothing more than scraps we were always going to lose.

I'm not too pessimistic but I don't have too high expectations for this season.

Pep is good but he's not god. He can only work with the players he has and we don't yet have those one or two world class players that make the difference.

 

[Gelsons Dad]

No one's jumping the gun. However, if Jesus is a world class player and the early signs are good, it is possible that he will make an impact quickly; it's also possible that he will take time to settle or not fulfill his potential or... He does look a tough little chap though so I like his chances of doing well for us.

I'm not convinced Jesus is a world class player. You can watch all his games(edited to show all his involvement) on youtube. He's got some way to go before I would put him in the world class tier of players.

 

[Barcon]

Sure. Same Pique that was subbed off due to the injury sustained from Silva's foul?

The referee was the same one who was voted worst in WC2014. He was poor on the evening - apart from inexplicably waiting an inordinate amount of time to book Silva he failed to ever book Zabaleta who got away with mutiple fouls, including the shirt grab that is supposed to be an automatic. Moreover Sterling should've been booked for clearly taking Neymar out early on a mini break

Yeah, that's the one. What's your point?

And as per persistent fouls, Suarez and Digne were at it all night without getting a card.

 

[Terra Passenger]

Has anyone dropped the Yaya bomb yet?
In my opinion he is what's missing from our desire to build from deep as he was perfect at holding the ball in front of our back 4 whilst under pressure. It's the other (apart from clinical finishing) missing ingredient right now. Gaz Baz was the other player we could rely on for this, he could always turn away from a player and keep possession then offload an easy pass.

The score last night didn't really do justice to our overall performance but we were second best and when the opposition has Messi to creat and finish from what were really nothing more than scraps we were always going to lose.

I'm not too pessimistic but I don't have too high expectations for this season.

Pep is good but he's not god. He can only work with the players he has and we don't yet have those one or two world class players that make the difference.

Yaya is great going forward... when the mood strikes

He's also phenomenally great on defense on the much rarer occasion that he cares to put in a defensive shift.

It's no wonder at all that Yaya won so many back-to-back-to-back African footballer of the year awards.

And yet, Yaya is totally lazy. Rarely presses these days. And rarely has the energy to drive forward in unstoppable fashion.

Yaya, these days, is a huge defensive liability - and, moreover, doesn't contribute nearly enough going forward to merit a starting position on the pitch.

Pep has handled the Yaya situation perfectly, IMO - Yaya will hopefully transfer in the winter window to some Chinese team. I wish him good luck there - but for CIty, Yaya isn't good enough currently - not even close.