Champions League Final | Post-Match Thread

Love Pep, but I don't think there's ever been a game where pretty much everyone was in agreeance as to what the team and formation should be. Now granted, Pep has forgotten more about football than most of us will ever know, but it's mind-boggling to throw such a curveball in like that again.

Overthinking, arrogance, insecurity, I really don't know what it is, but everyone knew when they saw the team sheet that we were going to be in trouble. A lot of our players didn't turn up either, and whilst I'm sure the formation shift was a big factor, it can't solely be their excuse.

We'll be back I'm sure of it, let's hope by then that we've finally learned the lessons.
 
BlueBlood84 said:
At the start of the game I knew it could go either way, almost stuck a lump on Chelsea when the teams were announced.

Sacrificing control of the midfield for a more attacking approach and failing to register any noteworthy chance is abject failure.

I'm gutted for the fans who made the trip expecting a performance worthy of our season.
I defended Pep to no end trying to justify the selection and I will continue to support him as long as he's in charge.

I think this helps reveal the nonsense about us having two world class players in every position and do think that the bar others put in place to measure our success needs dropping down a peg or two. No doubt we'll still be down as favourites for all competitions and will have to put up with the dreaded quad talk and such like.

The positive I can take is that a humbling is probably necessary for those of us who's blind faith turns into arrogance.

Loss is a necessary part of football, it's a shame it had to happen at the final stage of a competition we've targeted for so long but maybe it will be the making of them. Some refocussing.

For all that happened in the game I think the image of KDB battered and bruised is the one that will stick with me. Horrible seeing him like that watching the game march towards the inevitable.

Anyway. Onwards blues. A bum note to end a solid season.
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I think he must have realised that Chelsea would break on us. I think he had some crazy idea that OK this will happen, but they will be out of position and my team will kill them on the transition. There must have been some rationale to it.

It annoys me that whatever the plan was it was clear that Chelsea were looking very likely to score and we had Rodri and Fernandinho on the bench and we didn't do anything.

We are never going to understand this.

I hope Pep recovers from this. It is very very damaging. A coaching failure if ever there was one.

But on the other hand the league season was a personal Pep triumph. I think we have to accept that our coach is a genius but he makes mistakes like us all.

I don't understand where the criticism of certain players is coming from. Those who question Sterling are being very unreasonable. I thought he was OK.

There are times when an extra defensive player adds coherence to your attack. We were so open we allowed Chelsea to get to 50-50 possession in the first half. Did we play a really bad offensive game? I don't think so. When you play against a 5-2-3 you are not going to slice through them. You are looking for 3-4 moments in a game, an you restrict their breaks. We totally lost control of that 1st half and it stemmed entirely from the tactical decision.

To be honest I don't know where Gundogan played. Did he play in the position where Rodri/Fernandinho would have played? We needed cover. If he was playing that role then why would you choose him over Rodri, or Fernandinho. Gundogan is not particularly good at defensive cover.

There is no point trying to 2nd guess what Pep was doing. I just hope he recovers.

At least we wont have to worry about complacency next season.
 
The most disappointing thing is the manner of the defeat. Whatever the rights and wrong of the line up that doesn’t excuse what appeared to be a total lack of fight and energy from our “star players”. Chelsea were quicker and stronger. Perhaps winning the league so early did us no favours and took our intensity away.
 
Unfortunately Pep has developed something of a mental block when it comes to the later stages of the CL. I think it started after Barca dumped his Bayern team out in the semi-final in 2015. Last season he went into defensive mode against Lyon, leaving a lot of attacking talent on the bench, this season it was the opposite extreme, opting to do without a recognised DM and consequently losing Gundo's influence in the attacking third.

There's no point slagging individual players for last night's performance, virtually all the starting XI were way below par, it was a collective failure that started from the top. Sterling's selection was controversial but he was by no means the worst player on the night.
 
Richard said:
Love Pep, but I don't think there's ever been a game where pretty much everyone was in agreeance as to what the team and formation should be. Now granted, Pep has forgotten more about football than most of us will ever know, but it's mind-boggling to throw such a curveball in like that again.

Overthinking, arrogance, insecurity, I really don't know what it is, but everyone knew when they saw the team sheet that we were going to be in trouble. A lot of our players didn't turn up either, and whilst I'm sure the formation shift was a big factor, it can't solely be their excuse.

We'll be back I'm sure of it, let's hope by then that we've finally learned the lessons.
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Ego. He has faced question marks over over-thinking and he wanted a personal triumph against his critics?

Very damaging for coach and club and players and fans. We all paid for this weakness. He does though have strengths so it would be stupid to hand him his P45.

One might ask Pep, look what went wrong? How can we help you not to do this stuff but it would be a very difficult conversation and would possibly lead to resignation. We just have to accept him as he is.
 
Gavrosh said:
Your swearing doesn't make you right REMEMBER that ok. Because you don't play a CL final without a holding midfielder exposing your centerbacks to counter stacks then say oh it's the players fault, everyone who knows even a little about football can see it's pep's fault, but hey if you want to suck up to him then good luck.
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Fuck off, prick
 
The more you think about it the more bizarre our team selection was.

Playing a team that will sit deep and than use a quick counter attack, Pep goes without any protection of the back 4 !.

Chelsea goal our back 4 were all over the place , never seen them like that all season ( well since the spurs game ). I replay that Chelsea goal over and over in my head , but in my head Fernandinho is between our two centre backs and cuts the pass out. That's what we have done all season, giving the front players a platform. For some bizarre reasons Pep throw that out last night !.

City defence had no protection and our front players didnt have a solid platform to attack on. Just because City went without a DM.
 
Said it to loads of people after the match and I’ll say it again
We’ve not looked vulnerable to that through ball or ball over the top since Tottenham game, we’ve had Ferna or Rhodri giving protection to the back 4, last night he changes it in our most important game against a team with a lightning quick striker, they should’ve been 2 up before they scored. Gundo has had his best season for us playing in a more advanced role and so he takes him out of that position
It’s his quick interplay with KDB & Foden in and around the box that has unlocked defences all season so he’s basically taken that option away v a team who are brilliantly organised defensively
He’s put a player in who has not performed well for my months and is so out of form and low on confidence he’d struggle to get in a lot of sides at the moment
He’s not done this in a CC tie he’s fine it in a CL final

what the actual fuck Pep, WHY
 
Marvin said:
Ego. He has faced question marks over over-thinking and he wanted a personal triumph against his critics?

Very damaging for coach and club and players and fans. We all paid for this weakness. He does though have strengths so it would be stupid to hand him his P45.

One might ask Pep, look what went wrong? How can we help you not to do this stuff but it would be a very difficult conversation and would possibly lead to resignation. We just have to accept him as he is.
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I can't see Pep resigning after this remarkable season. I can see him now thinking that we need to make some real changes to personnel so we can retain the title. Chelsea pose a serious threat which I expect will prompt a really positive response from Pep.
 
Marvin said:
I think he must have realised that Chelsea would break on us. I think he had some crazy idea that OK this will happen, but they will be out of position and my team will kill them on the transition. There must have been some rationale to it.

It annoys me that whatever the plan was it was clear that Chelsea were looking very likely to score and we had Rodri and Fernandinho on the bench and we didn't do anything.

We are never going to understand this.

I hope Pep recovers from this. It is very very damaging. A coaching failure if ever there was one.

But on the other hand the league season was a personal Pep triumph. I think we have to accept that our coach is a genius but he makes mistakes like us all.

I don't understand where the criticism of certain players is coming from. Those who question Sterling are being very unreasonable. I thought he was OK.

There are times when an extra defensive player adds coherence to your attack. We were so open we allowed Chelsea to get to 50-50 possession in the first half. Did we play a really bad offensive game? I don't think so. When you play against a 5-2-3 you are not going to slice through them. You are looking for 3-4 moments in a game, an you restrict their breaks. We totally lost control of that 1st half and it stemmed entirely from the tactical decision.

To be honest I don't know where Gundogan played. Did he play in the position where Rodri/Fernandinho would have played? We needed cover. If he was playing that role then why would you choose him over Rodri, or Fernandinho. Gundogan is not particularly good at defensive cover.

There is no point trying to 2nd guess what Pep was doing. I just hope he recovers.

At least we wont have to worry about complacency next season.
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+1 to all of this.
 
Yep. Chelsea deserved their win, well done.
Pep brainfart did it again.
Not feeling that bad after the season we've had - was a free hit, we didn't get it, but we made serious strides forward this/last year.
Last night was another major step.
We stay in the news.
We continue to compete for the top prizes.
 
2md half was a Chelsea masterclass in how to disrupt a game. Ref let them do it. But what do you do? Book a player for feigning injury.

Losing KDB was a killer for us. We lost composure as the game went on. No one took control in his absence and organised our play. At that moment we had an enormous psychological blow as a team and no one stepped up. We played in Chelsea's half 2nd half but I never thought we have got them here.

Would we have managed to hurt them with KDB in the closing minutes? Maybe.

I think it was a mistake to throw Aguero on. The moment we went direct it became really easy for Chelsea to defend against us. We panicked. I think every single decision Pep made last night was awful. He got nothing right. The only player who came out of it with any credit was Jesus. I really think he gets a raw deal at City. His touch and control is exceptional. He should have started this game. I do hope that Jesus ends up as our centre-forward but I can easily see him being sacrificed in a move for a centre=forward which imo will be a mistake.
 
doobyedoobye said:
I can't see Pep resigning after this remarkable season. I can see him now thinking that we need to make some real changes to personnel so we can retain the title. Chelsea pose a serious threat which I expect will prompt a really positive response from Pep.
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It just gives him more reason to pressurize the board on getting Kane, Grealish and like, or alternatives.
 
doobyedoobye said:
I can't see Pep resigning after this remarkable season. I can see him now thinking that we need to make some real changes to personnel so we can retain the title. Chelsea pose a serious threat which I expect will prompt a really positive response from Pep.
Click to expand...
But I think this is an illusion. Last night proved that you can have a team of great players who can't perform if they're set up wrong.

They were set up right for most of the season, and they performed brilliantly.

Yes, we need to replace Aguero, but the team doesn't need a bunch of new players. We've got the players.
 
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