Well that was a real game of 5 minuntes v the rest of it.
Until the first goal we showed practically no interest in trying to win the game. We were awful. No pace, no passion, no idea on how to break them down. I don't know what Pep was expecting, but surely they knew they were going to sit back and try to nick a goal on the break? I had tickets for tonight but couldn't make it in the end and I'm glad I didn't bore myself and son with that. It would've put him off going again!
Seriously, Stones isn't a right back. He just isn't. I don't see why we can't play Stones in central defence and play that youth player at right back. Let's be honest, we played most of the game like we didn't care about it so what could a reserve get wrong? At least we'd have players in position who knew what they were doing.
However, the strike from Stones had Kompany written all over it. I can't believe it took us so long to realise that their keeper was as bad as Claudio Bravo was. I have no idea what he was looking at, but the ball came straight at him! Even the second goal I thought he could've done much better with.
The second goal was exactly the kind of goal that wins the CL. Haaland had no right to see that as even a half chance, it was absolutely world class. The more I see of this guy the more I'm convinced he will be the greatest centre forward ever to have played in England. I honestly think he's better than Aguero and Aguero is my all time favourite player. Haaland's ability to finish is something I've never seen before - there's clinical and there's Haaland clinical.
I thought Akanji looked decent and I think when he beds in, he will be a great buy. He certainly looks good on the ball and likes a tackle.
I just wish we didn't have to keep on bringing on Bernardo and Foden to rescue the game. We need to be able to rest them sometimes and get the others to grab the game by it's neck.
I have no idea what Pep says to Grealish before a game, but honestly I wish he'd stop. I don't want to pick on him, but I'm coming to the conclusion that he's wasted here. He doesn't take people on, he doesn't do anything other than play it safe. When he gets the ball, I know where it's going next - backwards to Cancelo. He looks anything but a £100m player to me. I wish we'd let him run at players and put them on the back foot. We've bought a flair player and we're trying to make him into a stiff - why?
Anyway, apart from about the last 15 minutes that was a dreadful performance.
We won, we move on I suppose.
