Chairman's Interview

[alexmcity]

Maybe starting our best 11 once in the three games would have countered that “way to beat us”?

Maybe if Aguero was more serious with the pen we would have beaten Chelsea with 9 changes. Or if the referee/VAR had given that pen vs Sterling.

Your post above about Pep being somehow suspended from determining the starting XI in the knock-out games is pretty harsh. We won all 6 games before the final. And we suffered from refereeing decisions and individual mistakes in previous seasons: Liverpool, Spurs, Lyon...Aguero missed a pen vs Spurs and Laporte gifted them 2 goals. And they still needed a handball to progress. That's also on Pep?

If Khaldoon treated Pep like many fans treat him on here, he wouldn't have stayed beyond the 1st season (16/17). There are some brainless clowns on here.

 

[chesterbells]

Ha. I have seen lots of guff written since Saturday. All understandable emotional venting. Have read or seen nothing which makes me think we lost because Gundogan was picked at DM instead of Rodri and Fern and Sterling was picked as a result. Not one bloody word. We were better by the better team on the night, coached by one of the best young coaches on the planet who has come up with a system and set of players that negate our strengths and accentuate their own. I wondered if the poster has spotted something I had missed. If Pep made a mistake it was expecting our usual tactics to work because we had different and better players on the park.

Yep, so you’ve seen nothing ‘that makes you think’... but you certainly are aware of all the criticism. If you don’t agree that’s fine, I just thought you were being a bit disingenuous about claiming not to know what his tactical mistake was.
My own view is that having worked so well in the semi final, why on earth did he not stick with the same. What his selection did do, imho, was sow doubt amongst the players where there needn’t have been any.
You seem to dismiss it as only one player, but I think this underplays the importance of the role Fernandinho has.
We may still have lost the game, because Chelsea were playing like liverpool at their peak against usual, very close, very physical one on one, bullying our players all over the pitch, so we had no rhythm or confidence. Nevertheless, it was still a tactical error which reduced our chances more than then needed to be.

 

[ancoats]

very clever by city tv to hold it in parts again ? money for transfer targets and names being put forward ? maybe on hold until we he somebody in line and done in the pipe line ?

i have a good feeling that city have something BIG happening in the back ground right now and its close
so hold back the 2nd part and keep everybody guessing

 

[Saddleworth2]

Yep, so you’ve seen nothing ‘that makes you think’... but you certainly are aware of all the criticism. If you don’t agree that’s fine, I just thought you were being a bit disingenuous about claiming not to know what his tactical mistake was.
My own view is that having worked so well in the semi final, why on earth did he not stick with the same. What his selection did do, imho, was sow doubt amongst the players where there needn’t have been any.
You seem to dismiss it as only one player, but I think this underplays the importance of the role Fernandinho has.
We may still have lost the game, because Chelsea were playing like liverpool at their peak against usual, very close, very physical one on one, bullying our players all over the pitch, so we had no rhythm or confidence. Nevertheless, it was still a tactical error which reduced our chances more than then needed to be.

I dismiss nothing. If you believe that Gundo playing DM instead of Fern is game changing, fine. I hardly would call it a tactical mistake though, simply you believe Fern would have done a better job. Of course he got that opportunity once Kev was injured. Anyway, I am in the wrong thread to discuss this. My fault.

 

[alexmcity]

My own view is that having worked so well in the semi final, why on earth did he not stick with the same.

If an "analysis" makes the best manager around look completely out of his depth in the CL (knock-out) games, then something with the "analysis" is seriously wrong.

Many posters on here imply Pep's a genius but a bit of an idiot in the CL. He doesn't deserve that.

So, why did Pep make that "tactical mistake"? Here are some possible reasons.

First, Rodri showed sings of losing form in April/May, despite having an excellent 2nd half in Paris. Fernandinho was far from being as good in the 2nd leg vs PSG as he was portrayed. The first half at the Etihad was poor, PSG hit the bar and were the more dangerous team. Dias was MOTM because he had a lot to do, more than in Paris, despite PSG being without Mbappe! Also, Mount was toying with Fernandinho at Wembley, where Fernandinho had a pretty poor game vs Chelsea. Also, the referee Lahos might have shown Ferna a yellow pretty quickly

Second, Pep wanted to surprise them. He won 14 from the previous 15 finals he participated in! Anyone who thinks Pep has a problem in finals doesn't know what he is talking about.

Third, Pep doesn't want just to win, he wants a spectacular win. That may be interpreted as arrogance and as an weakness. But if Pep wasn't like that, City wouldn't have broken so many records playing fantastic football.

Fourth, Pep might have started Sterling also because he was afraid that James could create a lot of problems to Zinchenko and wanted to engage James with a forward, and when James attacked, Sterling could be isolated one vs one with Azpi who is much slower than Sterling.

Fifth, Chelsea play a completely different system compared to PSG. Why do people think that what worked vs PSG would have worked against a team with a much better defensive organisation than PSG?

Sixth, the system we played in Porto was heavily used in January and February when Kevin was injured, and also vs Spurs at Wembley, but back then Gundo played Kevin's role and in the final he played Rodri's role. The system wasn't new, we used it at Anfield, Old Trafford, Wembley, etc.

Etc.

The idea that Pep didn't have any good reasons to play the formation he did doesn't hold water. It wasn't a clear tactical mistake, imo. It didn't work out, but I think the reasons had something to do with the fact that the pressure of being favourites got to the players, they didn't handle it well.

 

[Keeper!]

very clever by city tv to hold it in parts again ? money for transfer targets and names being put forward ? maybe on hold until we he somebody in line and done in the pipe line ?

i have a good feeling that city have something BIG happening in the back ground right now and its close
so hold back the 2nd part and keep everybody guessing

4pm tonight?

 

[BringBackSwales]

Naturellement BBS, although I think it is probably in video 3 and suspect it ended up on the cutting room floor!! :-)

I am hoping it says you will pick the team for future big CL games

 

[BringBackSwales]

very clever by city tv to hold it in parts again ? money for transfer targets and names being put forward ? maybe on hold until we he somebody in line and done in the pipe line ?

i have a good feeling that city have something BIG happening in the back ground right now and its close
so hold back the 2nd part and keep everybody guessing

I thought part 2 was tonight ancoats?

 

[Eccles Blue]

I am hoping it says you will play pick the team for future big CL games

Of course, the only problem being that I would just have John Boy playing in all positions completely on his own....might let Kyle in though, he has the pace. Then KDB, as long as he is wearing a face mask and can get his own back on that little so and so who broke his nose, I suppose KDB would have to be there. Plus Gundog, he gives his all, Rodders of course as he can put in the miles. I'd be tempted to let Eddie leave his goals and play midfield, just running back to goal when the opposition looked as if they might just get into our half...So to counteract that we'd have to have Fernie wouldn't we...I'd let Pep have a go at picking the other four and the subs bench. :-)
Actually with John Boy there and Kyle we would be completely safe!! ;-) :-)

 

[DMA's]

I thought part 2 was tonight ancoats?

Yeah would expect part to be tonight. usually stagger it over a few days if I remember correctly