The bare facts of the match are that Bayern Munich beat Manchester City 1-0 in the Allianz Arena, Munich, with a goal in the 90th minute. The rest is interpretation. The papers, pundits (in the main) and even some of our cry baby fans with anger issues scream that Munich dominated possession, controlled the midfield even with a weakened team and showed that City are a long way from joining the upper echelons of European football. Whereas Arsenal, Chelsea, even Liverpool and especially poor, lamented Manchester United have that pedigree which is so important in this competition. Such views are suited only to making my roses grow.
"If there ever was a good time to take on the German champions at the Allianz, perhaps this was it.." because of an apparent lack of zip in bundesliga games", world cup fatigue and "several high profile injuries". Well, our fans have observed a lack of zip in our play, and there's more than a suspicion of world cup fatigue as a cause. Their team was "weakened" by injuries, to the extent that it only had 6 world cup winners playing, and one of their "injuries" came on he was able to show that his complaint had in no way damaged his ability to perform pirouettes, salkos and swallow dives. And, of course, we daren't point out that Zaba was absent through suspension for asking why physical assaults on our players didn't count for penalties when performed in the Nou Camp - just as they don't in the Allianz when performed to stop David Silva getting the winner. Fernando was injure too, but we mustn't mention that because he was bought specifically to patrol that inviting space in front of the back four which we (and Munich) noticed caused us such problems against good (and some not so good, early last season) sides, especially away. And Sergio didn't play either for 90 minutes. Then there's Ya Ya. Of course, we have those on here who argue that he's lazy and doesn't care - this in the face of last season's experience and that of all the big games he's turned in our favour over the years. He doesn't look fit to me, maybe he's still suffering from the family tragedy which struck in the summer?
But was the defeat such a disgrace? In Munich, 1-0, a last minute winner, a shot going well wide,deflected off the back of a Munich player. This century Arsenal are well practised in elimination at the hands of Bayern. They have played them in 3 separate tournaments, a total of 6 matches, of which Arsenal have won 2, drawn one and lost 3, but, significantly Munich have eliminated them on every occasion. Liverpool have never met them. Manchester United have met them on four occasions spread evenly through this century, a total of eight games. Those fans who argue so passionately that we are out of our depth "at that level" have racked up the incomparable total of one (that is ONE) win in those eight meetings, and have not eliminated Bayern on any occasion. Liverpool have, of course, been spared the ignominy of playing them, and only Chelsea have actually eliminated Bayern - on aggregate in 2004-5 (one win each) and, of course, on penalties in Munich in the final of 2012. I might add that "the world's biggest club" has a miserable record against the other teams at whose hands we have suffered - Barcelona and Real. United have actually eliminated Real from the tournament, back in 1968 for the one and only time, and they did eliminate a weakened Barca side in 2008, but who can forget the football lessons they were given in 2009 and 2011?!
The fact is that City are the victims of the seeding system which means we have played one of the"big three" in all four group stages, plus the "other" finalist. United and Arsenal are protected from meeting such teams in the group stage though Arsenal are getting into the habit of elimination as soon as given the opportunity to play Bayern. United have been eliminated every time they have met one of the big three (or big five if you include Benfica and Basel - who then lost 7-0 to Bayern in the Allianz!). Had City been gifted groups like the others (and Liverpool this year) have been gifted we would have a completely different view. We would have been eliminated by Bayern in 2013-4 as we were by Barca, but last night's result would have been acclaimed if it were in the knock out rounds. We certainly do no worse than those English clubs with pedigree! And I think we're forced to accept two conclusions: the "big" teams we play in the group are actually very good, especially at home and, secondly, they actually take care of the other English teams ( with no exceptions, since Chelsea in 2011-12) with greater ease. We are England's best team, but not yet Europe's.
