City 3 - 1 Barcelona - Post match thread :-)

[Harvster]

Just remembered the most important issue arising out of Tuesday's game.

Not seen Moonchester for a while, was shocked at how much beef the old fella has put on, hope he's okay

 

[middleton___blue]

Still made up with the result a few days later! Top performance 2nd half and pretty good performance 1st half imo. That ref was as bent as a £4 note though, glad we put a statement out on Tuesday to the rest of the teams in the CL to show we mean business.

 

[Chi-town blues]

Oh what a night .........

 

[KDBestplayerintheworld]

Still made up with the result a few days later! Top performance 2nd half and pretty good performance 1st half imo. That ref was as bent as a £4 note though, glad we put a statement out on Tuesday to the rest of the teams in the CL to show we mean business.

That ref was a scandal indeed, not booking Digne after 6 mins, not giving the clear pen instead booking Sterling for diving, not booking Busquets after 3 fouls inside 5 mins but immediately booking Zaba after a light push middle of the park ... Absolutely scandalous.

 

[Neville Kneville]

That ref was a scandal indeed, not booking Digne after 6 mins, not giving the clear pen instead booking Sterling for diving, not booking Busquets after 3 fouls inside 5 mins but immediately booking Zaba after a light push middle of the park ... Absolutely scandalous.

Realistically, against top European sides, on another night we are not going to win, with reffing like that. We 'escaped' him.

On another night, we play slightly worse, Barca play slightly better, he decides the game.

With refs like that, the odds are in their favour, irrespective of whether we play better than them next time we meet.

 

[KDBestplayerintheworld]

Realistically, against top European sides, on another night we are not going to win, with reffing like that. We 'escaped' him.

On another night, we play slightly worse, Barca play slightly better, he decides the game.

With refs like that, the odds are in their favour, irrespective of whether we play better than them next time we meet.

I usually think the whole pro Barcelona conspiracy is a bit exagerated but on Tuesday it was horrible. If we hadn't won, the club should've spoken out publically against him, and even now after we won, maybe even more if you win.

 

[Neville Kneville]

I usually think the whole pro Barcelona conspiracy is a bit exagerated but on Tuesday it was horrible. If we hadn't won, the club should've spoken out publically against him, and even now after we won, maybe even more if you win.

It's not just Barca though, they are one of the main beneficiaries but it's all of the 'traditional' UEFA clubs to some extent.

We would be likely to suffer, if we played a UEFA semi v Utd or Liverpool. Some refs are better at hiding it than others (he was obvious on Tues) but they all bend over for the usual suspects, whether on purpose or subconciously.

I bet we'd still cop it in a big knockout game v AC Milan, even though they've been shit for years.

 

[KDBestplayerintheworld]

It's not just Barca though, they are one of the main beneficiaries but it's all of the 'traditional' UEFA clubs to some extent.

We would be likely to suffer, if we played a UEFA semi v Utd or Liverpool. Some refs are better at hiding it than others (he was obvious on Tues) but they all bend over for the usual suspects, whether on purpose or subconciously.

I bet we'd still cop it in a big knockout game v AC Milan, even though they've been shit for years.

Hm I'm not so sure about that, I would think most European refs don't really care if City win or Liverpool or United or AC Milan. Maybe Barcelona, Madrid, Munich & Juventus are slightly favored though.

 

[middleton___blue]

That ref was a scandal indeed, not booking Digne after 6 mins, not giving the clear pen instead booking Sterling for diving, not booking Busquets after 3 fouls inside 5 mins but immediately booking Zaba after a light push middle of the park ... Absolutely scandalous.

Totally agree that we got naff all all game and how we didn't get that pen was a joke. unfortunately it's something that seems to be a theme in the CL. wonder why.....

 

[Neville Kneville]

Hm I'm not so sure about that, I would think most European refs don't really care if City win or Liverpool or United or AC Milan. Maybe Barcelona, Madrid, Munich & Juventus are slightly favored though.

Some of the decisions Liverpool & Utd have benefitted from, even against 'elite' teams in Europe, shows they are high up the pecking order imo.

It isn't necessarily a plan by refs, it just happens naturally. Same as it did under Ferguson in he Prem. Not quite the same under Mourinho tbf even though he's trying to make it so & Mike Dean still obliged.

 

[bucks]

Must say I don't think Sterling did himself any favours with the swallow dive. FfS the guy stood on his foot yet he launched himself forward with both feet trailing in the air behind him. If he'd crumpled more realistically he might have had more chance with the bent bastard. Needs to be a bit cuter in Europe

 

[Terra Passenger]

Must say I don't think Sterling did himself any favours with the swallow dive. FfS the guy stood on his foot yet he launched himself forward with both feet trailing in the air behind him. If he'd crumpled more realistically he might have had more chance with the bent bastard. Needs to be a bit cuter in Europe

+1

I wasn't actually sure if Sterling was stepped on - hard to tell even looking at the replay. That said, I thought it was a clear foul and that the defender at least tripped Sterling with his leg.

Sterling exaggerated the contact and the ref didn't have a clear view of the play - this lead to a yellow card against Sterling. Extremely harsh and a total miscall.

Sometimes exaggeration works out - forces the ref to make a call - sometimes not.

 

[Stevieatlasblue]

Its about time some Blues had the balls and apologise to our wonderful manager for not seeing the bigger picture.

Sorry for the late reply oakie..but Yeh some of our fans need to wake up and smell the coffee.

 

[blueyorkie]

I don't feel like Pep already made up his mind about this.

I think Stones is a given now, and rightly so, so much potential in him both as a defender and a "footballer".

But Otamendi / Vinny and even Kolarov as center back I don't think anyone is ruled out yet.

Otamendi always very energetic, but still looks like a headless chicken during large parts of the game. Often running out of position to attempt an impossible interception and leave loads of space in behind him. We've seen this a couple of times against Barcelona too.

Vinny I think still the best of the lot, but relying on him is a real problem. You want a partnership you can count on.

I really like Kolarov as an alternative, always calm, great passing and vision, but obviously less defensive ability than the others.

Agree with that, Otamendi seems to have reverted to type, going to ground far too often, he seemed to have stopped but Pep needs another word

 

[SWP's back]

1) Play Aguero
2) Play a 4-1-4-1 no more False Nines and Three At The Backs etc
Hopefully Pep learns from his mistakes sometimes you can overthink it

Ffs

 

[mcfcphil]

Must say I don't think Sterling did himself any favours with the swallow dive. FfS the guy stood on his foot yet he launched himself forward with both feet trailing in the air behind him. If he'd crumpled more realistically he might have had more chance with the bent bastard. Needs to be a bit cuter in Europe

I don't think people appreciate the pace the game is played at. the bloke stood on sterling's foot as he was pushing off it. of course he's going to launch forward with both feet trailing. it would be pretty remarkable if he didn't.

 

[Armaan]

I don't think people appreciate the pace the game is played at. the bloke stood on sterling's foot as he was pushing off it. of course he's going to launch forward with both feet trailing. it would be pretty remarkable if he didn't.

Exactly. No blame on sterling there what so ever.

 

[The Light Was Yellow Sir]

1) Play Aguero
2) Play a 4-1-4-1 no more False Nines and Three At The Backs etc
Hopefully Pep learns from his mistakes sometimes you can overthink it

Oh dear. Aguero has played as well in the last two games as I have ever seen him play. The two games immediately he was left out.
Does the phrase 'cause and effect' ring any bells?

 

[The Light Was Yellow Sir]

I think Tuesday night showed how exciting this brand of football is likely to become. It's going to need a few people to change their mindset as this will be high risk-high reward football. On occasion it won't come off as the players have to be on it all the time. Passing sideways to players in space is not what we are going to be doing. Mistakes will be made as players will be put in uncomfortable positions but, if we are going to truly kick on, it is the only way forward. What a time to be a blue.

 

[cleavers]

I think Tuesday night showed how exciting this brand of football is likely to become. It's going to need a few people to change their mindset as this will be high risk-high reward football.

One of the things that impressed me most was the fact we went longer and more direct especially second half, its good that we can change that way, as there will be games we will need it.