Champions League Final | Post-Match Thread

[Father Paul]

What’s more frustrating is that we actually stopped doing it against Dortmund and PSG. The reason we actually got to the final this year was that we played a deeper defensive line, didn’t give so much space behind and didn’t insist on pressing so much.
It’s a massive reason why we turned our season round also. And I reckon that’s the influence of his Assistant.
But in the key moments, he just couldn’t resist it.

I know it is easy to be accused of the benefit of hindsight but that selection and set up not only was it a failure but it had very little chance of success against a team such as Chelsea. I know it's against his religion but if he felt we had to depart from the script that got us to the final, the best option might have been to match Chelsea up with a back three dropped back 5 or 10 yards and flood the midfield with Jesus or maybe Kun up front. It may have been a bit of a bore but it is likely we would have stayed level long enough to establish the right to dominate. No guarantee of course but the key thing is that what Pep decided to do had little or no chance of succeeding.

 

[FantasyIreland]

I'm still fucking livid. Not the defeat, but the manner of it.

That's what is doing my head in.

I'm trying to forget it/move on but what is preventing that is the knowledge that if we reach another final,he is capable of doing it again.

 

[Sir peace frog]

Absolute Legend.
Thank you.
If you're reading this Sergio I'm sorry you were disrespected at the end.

disrespected , in what way ?

 

[nicko]

Hindsight?

It wasn't hindsight.....as soon as that team went up,the outcome was predictable.I literally went from total confidence to little faith in an instant.

The players played poorly,but they were set up to do so.

It was an unnecessary and baffling fuck up,similar to those on previous big occasions,and the ones we thought he would learn from and not repeat.....

Totally agree

 

[meeesh]

Kompany, David Silva, Aguero they deserved a CL title imo. Much much lesser players than them won one.

They'll get a statue instead

 

[East Level 2]

Just about to head off to work. This will be fun.

:-(

I'm planning to use the "were you there?" approach with rags (apart from one), dippers and a couple of Chavs if they tell me their team has won the bloody thing.

 

[Sheik Battle and Goal]

Hindsight?

It wasn't hindsight.....as soon as that team went up,the outcome was predictable.I literally went from total confidence to little faith in an instant.

The players played poorly,but they were set up to do so.

It was an unnecessary and baffling fuck up,similar to those on previous big occasions,and the ones we thought he would learn from and not repeat.....

My thoughts totally

The evening was ruined before a ball had been kicked

 

[Eric Hitchmough]

That's what is doing my head in.

I'm trying to forget it/move on but what is preventing that is the knowledge that if we reach another final,he is capable of doing it again.

Exactly. And as much as the players under-performed, I genuinely feel sorry for them because they looked lost with no holding midfielder support. Probably as baffled as the fans.

 

[horlock_was_super]

So. Got home yesterday morning at 6:30. Back in the house for 7:30. Sat knackered and too tired to sleep for most of the day. Avoided the news and watched a bit of shite telly on and off. Couple of glasses of a very nice Malbec finished off the day.
Up and at ‘em today no point in moping about is there?
Off the top of my head. Remember this is the club that:

1. Won the league then got relegated the very next season and scored over 100 goals whilst at it (though conceded 100 too)
2. Had a chairman who told a jubilant cup final winning team that they’d done really well and earned the club a lot of money so we were now able to buy some decent players.
3. Became the first team to lose a F A cup final to a team later relegated the same season.
4. Went 34 (thirty four) years without winning anything.
5. Got relegated with virtually the last kick of the game (Luton) and won the league with virtually the last kick of the game (QPR).
6. Won our last away game 5-2 and still managed to get relegated to the third tier.
7. Took 250k supporters to a midweek evening away game in the same third tier.
8. Got 30k fans average in the infamous 3rd.
9. Are the first team to achieve 100 points in the top flight.
10. The only team to ever complete a domestic treble - the double is so old hat.
11. Are currently the Champions of England ( the UK isn’t in Europe anymore so how can that trophy mean anything over here now? * )

There are many more reasons to be - as we always have been - proud to support OUR club.
We’ve been in the shit down the years and kept our heads held high many times before, so crack on my fellow lovely sky blue lads and lasses, Pep messed up - shit happens.
Only the most moronically gormless rag ( yes, I know - are there any other kind?) would attempt to take the piss, won’t stop em though, easiest reply is the US election mantra of 4 more years! Though the irony would be lost on them, how ironic that they say Yanks don’t get irony, well, neither do rags and they hate Yanks. mufc putting the ’moron’ in oxymoron.

The sun is out the sky is City blue, the pubs will be open soon and it’s a bank holiday. MCFC are okay.


( * of course I wanted to win it! We WILL come again)

 

[FantasyIreland]

Exactly. And as much as the players under-performed, I genuinely feel sorry for them because they looked lost with no holding midfielder support. Probably as baffled as the fans.

Couldnt agree more.....why the fuck would you play an alien set up and give the opposition a huge advantage in one of the biggest games of our existence?

Arghhhhhhhh!!!

 

[omcfc]

I'm trying to take it in perspective. In Autumn Spurs and Liverpool were taking turns at the top and we were 8th and getting slapped for 5 by Leicester at home.
I don't think I'd have believed anyone if they said we would win the league by 12 points and bag the league cup.

Anyway, it's not helping fml. Need a few more days yet.

 

[Brightwell Bros.]

We invited friends round for a meal in the garden yesterday. They know nothing of football except what I tell them, and that was simple enough. "We've known our best team and best formation for a month and the only issue was between two players for one crucial position and at the last minute the manager chose neither of them."

That cuts through all of the noise.

 

[wolviedinho]

Exactly. And as much as the players under-performed, I genuinely feel sorry for them because they looked lost with no holding midfielder support. Probably as baffled as the fans.

Come on it’s not all down to the DM. We have played Chelsea 2 games before the final with a DM and still lost. The more time to reflect the more I blame the players. No matter the formation or tactics they did not do enough individually to win. The mental collapse is what worries me. Every now and again the players go missing.

 

[Brightwell Bros.]

So my question now is the team did know this was the plan and they worked on it on the training pitch for the 2 weeks leading up to this or did they find out about it on the evening of the game? Because it looked like the latter and that is incomprehensible to me.

 

[kunaguero10]

Exactly. And as much as the players under-performed, I genuinely feel sorry for them because they looked lost with no holding midfielder support. Probably as baffled as the fans.

The front 6 in possession seemed so nervous in the first 30 mins, almost as if you could feel they sensed this big hole behind them where Fernandinho should be, and any loss of possession would see Chelsea cutting through us in an instant

Plus, in possession they literally had fewer options for a pass every time, as Fern always comes close and shows for the ball (something which Gundogan lacks btw). The centre halves didn’t know what to do with the ball either as Fern usually knits between defence and attack, so a massive loss both defensively and offensively.

 

[Chippy_boy]

There you go again billy bigs balls. 2 minutes on here etc etc. Blah blah blah

so you’re a Fanboi of the mega post fraternity?

I couldn’t give 2 fucks how many posts someone has on here if they raise a valid point.

you come across as Kevin the teenager, which is what you probably are (in your head at least).

And you come across as a right dickhead, which I guess is an accurate reflection.

As I said, jog on, dickhead.

 

[Xhavenjoe]

Whe the team was leaked about 5 minutes before it officially came out, this forum were thinking it was a hoax as Sterling starting and no Rodri or Fernandinho seemed inexplicable at the time.
That selection deserves to be on "Ripleys believe it or not"

 

[r.soleofsalford]

Peps team selection, no Fern, wtf, out muscled and out fought

 

[give it to gordon]

My thoughts totally

The evening was ruined before a ball had been kicked

Same here , after feeling quietly confident all week at 6:45 to all drained away and I mean all.
I thought I have wasted my time looking forward being as relaxed as you could be for a final to complete fear.
All i could think of was whats wrong with

Eddy
Walker, Stones, Dias, Zinchenko
Silva, Fernandinho, Gundogan
Marhez KDB Foden

That's the team I was 100% would play and win. That team was in my head since the semifinals and quarterfinal wins. I mean why change it why why .
Even now it still winds me up , I wasnt fussed at the final whistle as I didnt think the team Pep picked would win, I sort of gave up.
But now a few days later I find myself getting more and more pissed of with that team selection. I get the feeling that Pep bottled it, he seem more scared of Chelsea than of Chelsea being more scared of us.

Chelsea finished 19 points behind us yet Pep changed a winning formula to play them !
I can only think what the City players must have thought , if I was a player I would be thinking " what the fuck is the boss doing "

 

[Boo or Boo-urns]

Even the BT pundit for Chelsea (Joke Hole) was positively whooping with joy when he saw Pep's teamsheet.