Champions League Final | Post-Match Thread

[bondsman]

Rumours, one confirmed statement from Laporte,

He’s the one I’d want to keep. So much better than Ake.

 

[willipp]

Fuck it, the sun is shining, can of beer in hand, no better time to be a blue. chins up lads and lasses.

My gloom is slightly better today and improving. In the garden with tunes on, Prosecco with the wife and kids having water fights on the field behind our garden. Needed an afternoon like this.

 

[Elbow beards]

My gloom is slightly better today and improving. In the garden with tunes on, Prosecco with the wife and kids having water fights on the field behind our garden. Needed an afternoon like this.

Same mate. It's amazing when a bit of sun (and beer) does

 

[Blue Maverick]

This is a theory and a belief but it's being stated as though it's stone cold, incontrovertible fact. That you put our strongest eleven on the field, there's only one way they play and, of course, we win. There are numerous weaknesses in the theory, the most notable of which is that Pep shares everybody's view on what the best 11 is and there's some disturbing evidence that he doesn't. What everybody ignores is that this strongest eleven hasn't played together very often at all, and even in the CL QF and SF he seemed uncertain as to whether Cancelao or Zinchenko suited best or if Rodri should play in place of Ferna. Then there was the question of whether we should play a false 9 or not. His experiment with Torres as number 9 worked well at Newcastle but the final trial at Brighton was ruined by the worst referee in England. Then there was the problem of Chelsea's well organised lines of 4/5/6/7 and where Vity really needed the numbers. So selection was by no means as simple and straightforward as many think and the idea that there is one "strongest line up" for all occasions and that Pep overthinks borders on nonsense. The second weakness in the argument is that City played badly because they were playing in a formation they didn't understand and weren't familiar with. I reject this because what City did badly were the basics of control and passing. I think the evidence is clear that the occasion overwhelmed City, not the system. It is not the Pep way to throw players in without preparation, unable to say how they were to deal with something as obvious as a through ball. Our back four simply never played and this chaos was reflected up front where the final ball "didn't come", more often than not because there was no-one to receive it. No number 9 in the team and passing too cumbersome to get a false 9 in there with any support. Ferna came om eventually and made little or no difference and your assertion that had he started City would have been more relaxed and allowed the others to play really does require a leap of faith to believe. We conceded one goal and never looked like scoring one ourselves. We were beaten, we were well beaten and on Saturday night it was hard to see what would have changed that. But if you want to believe it was all because "Pep fucked up again" you cling to your illusions.

It’s not an illusion and as for Pep to throw in without preparation he was experimenting with all sorts look at the one man midfield with Rodri been over run against Chelsea, the various changes in the latter matches he was preparing them for a final and not once did anyone see that team selection it was not even hinted at, because we had a DM in every single game. The players underperforming was probably due to lack of confidence in the what was been asked just like Lyon last year, we ripped Madrid a new one and then what he changed it and the players were all over the shop! The team would’ve been more relaxed and with that breeds confidence, Gundogan Foden KDB didn’t seem to know where to be at times. 60 games you play a system and everyone is used to it then the 61st after 5 days prep! Pep fucked up and by all accounts was nervy before the game this obviously translated to the players, why was he nervy he has the best team on the planet he was nervy because he wasn’t confident why wasn’t he confident because he over thought it again. He’s a flawed genius we have to accept that but what if he does it again and again? He is not beyond critiscm no one is.

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

This is a theory and a belief but it's being stated as though it's stone cold, incontrovertible fact. That you put our strongest eleven on the field, there's only one way they play and, of course, we win. There are numerous weaknesses in the theory, the most notable of which is that Pep shares everybody's view on what the best 11 is and there's some disturbing evidence that he doesn't. What everybody ignores is that this strongest eleven hasn't played together very often at all, and even in the CL QF and SF he seemed uncertain as to whether Cancelao or Zinchenko suited best or if Rodri should play in place of Ferna. Then there was the question of whether we should play a false 9 or not. His experiment with Torres as number 9 worked well at Newcastle but the final trial at Brighton was ruined by the worst referee in England. Then there was the problem of Chelsea's well organised lines of 4/5/6/7 and where Vity really needed the numbers. So selection was by no means as simple and straightforward as many think and the idea that there is one "strongest line up" for all occasions and that Pep overthinks borders on nonsense. The second weakness in the argument is that City played badly because they were playing in a formation they didn't understand and weren't familiar with. I reject this because what City did badly were the basics of control and passing. I think the evidence is clear that the occasion overwhelmed City, not the system. It is not the Pep way to throw players in without preparation, unable to say how they were to deal with something as obvious as a through ball. Our back four simply never played and this chaos was reflected up front where the final ball "didn't come", more often than not because there was no-one to receive it. No number 9 in the team and passing too cumbersome to get a false 9 in there with any support. Ferna came om eventually and made little or no difference and your assertion that had he started City would have been more relaxed and allowed the others to play really does require a leap of faith to believe. We conceded one goal and never looked like scoring one ourselves. We were beaten, we were well beaten and on Saturday night it was hard to see what would have changed that. But if you want to believe it was all because "Pep fucked up again" you cling to your illusions.

This is a rather fine post, actually. A necessary counterweight to the “it's all on Pep” school. Pep made an incomprehensible decision in picking Sterling. It probably weakened the team, tactically. To say that it accounted for sub-par performances all over the pitch is a stretch. And there were — sub-par performances, that is.

 

[Bantamgaz]

Never mind the media they will do there best to shit stir things now :( they wanna unsettle you

 

[west didsblue]

We lost a game
It happens and it hurts
We’ll get over it and learn from it
Too much fucking analysis

 

[FantasyIreland]

We’ll get over it and learn from it
Too much fucking analysis

Pep seemingly hasn't learnt though.

The analysis is justified,because the winning formula was abandoned.

 

[Grassland Blue]

agree to every word of this post, loss to those two hurt much more;
the only thing that annoys me a little is even Liverpool won the league but we are yet to win the CL..
none of our guys were switched on for the biggest game of their lives which is surprising;
i dont want the league cup anymore but badly want at least another CL final in next 3 years for us to give a shot

So when De Bruyne came off injured he wasn't watching the game intently, every pass etc. from his seat?
Aguero wishing to get out there and play his part? Frustrated.
Even Sterling was trying but too easily disposessed.
The reason why we didn't play our best was this.
Some of our players were shuffled around to accomodate an out of form Sterling. When players play in their usual positions they will know each others movements in the game. Passes will be made to feet without thinking etc. This was the main reason why we weren't so effective.
Plus I want us to win EVERY trophy we can. Success breeds success.

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

Well, whoever's right and whoever's wrong. I think one thing is incontrovertible.
The fact that this post-match thread has run to more than four hundred pages — something which I don't remember seeing before — would seem to indicate that people are in need of some sort of therapy. Which would seem to indicate that some sort of trauma has happened.
In a competition that doesn't count.