Champions League Final | Post-Match Thread

Del_Bosque said:
Still keep asking myself why did he pick Sterling, can't get it out of my head
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I guess he looked and looked at the Chelsea defence and midfield and thought Raheem's pace and direct running was the key to unlock it and he was to score early on.

It does seem very weird to pick a player who had struggled so much for form in the second half of the season but Raz can be decisive as he was for England against Croatia.

If we had played any other team in the final I think Pep would have stuck with the obvious 11 and we would have won. Chelsea's strong defence and energy in midfield worried Pep and made him try to do something clever.
 
He was undoubtedly concerned about the full backs pushing up on us but leaving the middle wide open & then us not attacking from wide positions was a bigger problem.

Anyway time to put this to bed, he dosen't get much wrong apart from in CL knockout games.

Roll on next season.
 
He took Phil away from the position he was absolutely nailing though. Genuinely looking a world beater in. Took away our width, the ability to put a ball into the box, and goalscoring threat.

Makes no sense at all.
 
Scottyboi said:
Will never forget all the city fans around me when the team news dropped, all of us suddenly resigned to a sure defeat.
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Same reaction where we were. Had a great trip but from that point on felt like us and those around knew what was coming. I thought I was getting over it but I finally got round to reading that "Life inside the hurricane" article by Fernandinho today and it just brought it all back and I thought how the hell can you have left him out of the team for our biggest game ever.
 
Still gutted about it all to be honest. I know I need to grow a pair but I’m still seriously deflated by it. If it takes us another 10 years to reach a final, due to health issue, I think this was my last chance.
 
During the commentary on tonight's France v Germany match, I heard Clive Tyldesley "claim" that Gundogan said he was uncomfortable with the position and role he was given against Chelsea.
As Rodney Marsh said in his interview "You can tell the manager of your doubts, but you do as you are told".
Does Pep allow any discussion?
 
Fiftyyearsandcounting said:
Does Pep allow any discussion?
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I wonder about the assistants role in team selection and tactics.

Many, many years ago on a project management course, the lecturer told me ......................
"You are one of the best project managers I've met, the team can do the task any way they want as long as they do it your way'.
In other words I was autocratic not democratic failing to listen to suggestions..
 
The First Earl said:
Still gutted about it all to be honest. I know I need to grow a pair but I’m still seriously deflated by it. If it takes us another 10 years to reach a final, due to health issue, I think this was my last chance.
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You dont need to grow anything......you are entitled to still feel such disappointment,it was a massive mind boggling fuck up and opportunity wasted.
 
The First Earl said:
Still gutted about it all to be honest. I know I need to grow a pair but I’m still seriously deflated by it. If it takes us another 10 years to reach a final, due to health issue, I think this was my last chance.
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It’s still painful and always will be ... because we weren’t ourselves and, even if to lose, at least lose being our best selves. After all that, to not even face the big moment on one’s own terms - especially when great enough to do it - it just feels like we betrayed ourselves and shrank from the test. Why even bother if not to be true?
 
The First Earl said:
Still gutted about it all to be honest. I know I need to grow a pair but I’m still seriously deflated by it. If it takes us another 10 years to reach a final, due to health issue, I think this was my last chance.
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I think their are quit a few of us in the same boat and also some of the player are in it with us. Not for health reasons obviously but for their age.
 
The First Earl said:
Still gutted about it all to be honest. I know I need to grow a pair but I’m still seriously deflated by it. If it takes us another 10 years to reach a final, due to health issue, I think this was my last chance.
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What hurts even more is everytime a post, picture or video pops up on Instagram of Chelsea players celebrating. Nothing against Chelsea winning it but not the way they did. We just gifted it to them before the first whistle!!

I hate having to live with "What if"!!!
 
Fiftyyearsandcounting said:
During the commentary on tonight's France v Germany match, I heard Clive Tyldesley "claim" that Gundogan said he was uncomfortable with the position and role he was given against Chelsea.
As Rodney Marsh said in his interview "You can tell the manager of your doubts, but you do as you are told".
Does Pep allow any discussion?
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I was even wondering that, if the players stood up and told Pep that they needed Ferna to hold the midfield, would he have listened?

The sad part is the players looked lost because of the setup and Sterling was grilled for his display but is it his fault? Is it their fault? We cannot blame the players when you give them a task to do that they are not familiar with in the most important day of their career!
 
daflanger said:
What hurts even more is everytime a post, picture or video pops up on Instagram of Chelsea players celebrating. Nothing against Chelsea winning it but not the way they did. We just gifted it to them before the first whistle!!

I hate having to live with "What if"!!!
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Just console yourself that we only won the premier league and the league cup. We could have had a proper shit summer if we'd got the wooden spoon like another team.
Ah well onwards and upwards.
 
Fiftyyearsandcounting said:
During the commentary on tonight's France v Germany match, I heard Clive Tyldesley "claim" that Gundogan said he was uncomfortable with the position and role he was given against Chelsea.
As Rodney Marsh said in his interview "You can tell the manager of your doubts, but you do as you are told".
Does Pep allow any discussion?
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I doubt it as Pep seems to be a "my way or the highway" style manager. Fortunately for us his "way" has been incredibly successful in the Premier League and the League Cup.
Failure in the FA Cup can sometimes be put down to the PL and CL being priorities during the second half of the season. (And blind officials.)
Pep has a style that confuses many opposition managers, so why would he want input from the players? He gets it right 95% of the time; but we know he overthinks things and getting it wrong against decent teams is sometimes the result.
I was in the ground when I heard the team, and it seemed to deflate the fans as many have said. - And yes, it still hurts. We got through to the final without facing Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juve or Bayern. It won't be that easy in future.
 
The First Earl said:
Still gutted about it all to be honest. I know I need to grow a pair but I’m still seriously deflated by it. If it takes us another 10 years to reach a final, due to health issue, I think this was my last chance.
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Rest assured, it won't be 10 years. We'll win it this season. It's a process. We've done the hard part now, reaching our first final. We know how to do that now. Next step, just like Chelsea, is to win it. his time next year you will be re-watching Foden's winner, time and time again.
 
East Level 2 said:
I doubt it as Pep seems to be a "my way or the highway" style manager. Fortunately for us his "way" has been incredibly successful in the Premier League and the League Cup.
Failure in the FA Cup can sometimes be put down to the PL and CL being priorities during the second half of the season. (And blind officials.)
Pep has a style that confuses many opposition managers, so why would he want input from the players? He gets it right 95% of the time; but we know he overthinks things and getting it wrong against decent teams is sometimes the result.
I was in the ground when I heard the team, and it seemed to deflate the fans as many have said. - And yes, it still hurts. We got through to the final without facing Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juve or Bayern. It won't be that easy in future.
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Excellent post. I would add - does Pep actually have a Plan B? His "never give the ball away" Plan A may fall down against the more decent teams, and as you said, our path to the final avoided some dangerous teams, and Mbappe missed the SF 2nd leg.

I would also add that Phil Foden has suffered more than most from Pep's "must keep the ball" policy, and tends to pass the ball on quickly than rather use his natural skills. "my way or the highway" - yes - or the bench.
The phrase 'absolute power corrupts absolutely' comes to mind and the team selection for CL Final illustrated this. Or the previous selection against Chelsea too. Manchester City belongs to us all - not to Pep and his whims. Pep has built something unique, but something inside him seems to want to pull a few bricks out now and again. I don't know why.
 
LangleyBlue1970 said:
Rest assured, it won't be 10 years. We'll win it this season. It's a process. We've done the hard part now, reaching our first final. We know how to do that now. Next step, just like Chelsea, is to win it. his time next year you will be re-watching Foden's winner, time and time again.
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I hope you're right but first, Pep must free Phil from the shackles he still has on him. Phil still plays with fear after 4 years off and on the bench. He dare not give the ball away or Pep will remind him "Keep the ball".
 
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