City v Real Madrid post match

[Craig]

The trouble is that there are only two positions he will be allowed to play. Replacing one of the Ferns or as a No10 where he will spend half his time faillihg to press their cbs along with Aguero.

What it needs is the manager to come up with a plan, & a team shape incorporating Yaya, in a role neither we, nor Zidane has thought of, which causes them a problem they hadn't considered.

Unfortunately we will have to wait until next season for that kind of thing. So he's either No 10 position, or not playing, or replaces a Fern, in which case we get fucking thrashed.[/QUOTE

He shouldn't start as a number 10 as it's a position he's rarely played and now he's not got the pace he had he'd be nowhere near as effective as he can be deeper. He needs to play exactly the role he played against Sevilla away where he was alongside Dinho with Fernándo behind them. Yaya was fantastic that night. He was also the best player on the pitch in the Carling Cup final and again played deeper but pushed forward when he got the chance to.

 

[davymcfc]

I thought in the first half we were the better team. We dominated midfield and although we didn't create any clear cut chances we looked dangerous going forward. The turning point was Silva's injury and more the fact that Pellegrini switched the formation to 4-4-2 as opposed to the 4-5-1. KDB was less effective out wide and we lost a grip of the midfield battle which meant Real Madrid dominated in the second half. Ultimately 0-0 is a decent result, we haven't conceded the away goal and I think we are more suited to playing away in Europe. I can't help feel it was a bit of a missed opportunity with Ronaldo out but the tie is right in the balance and we can still do it.

 

[cleavers]

Did we deliberately change tactics for the second half last night, or was it forced on us by RM (Silva getting injured) ?

First half we pressed them relentlessly all over the pitch, but couldn't force a decent opening, mainly because our final ball was off.

Second half we seemed to allow them to have the ball in the defensive and central thirds without much pressing, and they went left to right, and right to left a lot, with us hoping to hit them with rapid breaks.

I don't think we could have kept up the pressing for a full game anyway, so I felt it was deliberate and not forced, and suited our players better in the second half. It nearly backfired if so, with Hart making the 2 saves, but we also had 2 very rapid breaks, that could have taken us to Madrid with a lead.

Players that stood out to me, both fullbacks I thought dealt well with their wide threat, both centre backs played well, both Ferns were good, though Fernando faded, and was clearly knackered towards the end, Navas had one of his better games, and I was disappointed he was taken off, as he was supporting Sagna very well, and Sterling definitely left us more open down that side. The 2 disappointments for me were KdB (I would have preferred him central rather than left), and Sergio, who I thought was poor, and the only one who didn't put in enough work for the team. Kelechi looked a bit overawed, but he worked pretty hard, and Sergio prefers not to pass to him sadly. Sterling didn't contribute much either, but did make one fantastic run into the box which wasn't rewarded.

Overall I thought we played well, and if I'm right and it was a deliberate change then it was quite clever game management, I think we'll score over there, so I'm not disappointed at the 0-0, we need to try and get an early goal, if we do, then we are in with a very good chance of progressing.

 

[Eaglechief]

When we played them last time at the Bernabeu(sp) we only lost by a late goal, so how do you work out they will now put 3 or 4 past us?

Maybe you should be as two years ago in April you were decrying anyone who suggested we might win the title as equally delusional. Seems you have a history of making overly negative posts about how poor City are. Very interesting. Speaking of "delusional" - seems it's a word you use regularly when talking about other Blues. Very very interesting. Anyway crack on. Having had a quick browse of your post history you're going on my ignore list.

I don't think I was a overtly negative when Mancini was manager, most of the criticism has been aimed at our current manager, who thankfully will be gone soon.

I've bolded part of your comment about you ignoring me from now on, well thank fuck for that.

The less I have to read of your supposed football knowledge the better, most of it seems to be based around having sly digs at fellow supporters rather than just commenting about the game in question, which is what I thought forums were meant to be about.

 

[abu13]

I would love nothing more than for us to go on and win this trophy and see no reason why we can't, however even if we do go out next week we have made great strides in Europe this year. Topping our group for the first time in another tough group, beating a PSG side that few outside of our great club gave us any chance against and then last night holding Madrid in a semi final.

Further to this, with regard to last night not only did we hold them but for the first time I saw a Madrid team come our place and completely change their system due to their respect of us as a team.

I suspect they may have too much for us next week but hope i'm wrong. its a one off game and anything can happen. But regardless of what happens nobody should be disapointed with our performance in Europe this year and it bodes very well for the future.

 

[BillyShears]

Did we deliberately change tactics for the second half last night, or was it forced on us by RM (Silva getting injured) ?

First half we pressed them relentlessly all over the pitch, but couldn't force a decent opening, mainly because our final ball was off.

Second half we seemed to allow them to have the ball in the defensive and central thirds without much pressing, and they went left to right, and right to left a lot, with us hoping to hit them with rapid breaks.

I don't think we could have kept up the pressing for a full game anyway, so I felt it was deliberate and not forced, and suited our players better in the second half. It nearly backfired if so, with Hart making the 2 saves, but we also had 2 very rapid breaks, that could have taken us to Madrid with a lead.

Players that stood out to me, both fullbacks I thought dealt well with their wide threat, both centre backs played well, both Ferns were good, though Fernando faded, and was clearly knackered towards the end, Navas had one of his better games, and I was disappointed he was taken off, as he was supporting Sagna very well, and Sterling definitely left us more open down that side. The 2 disappointments for me were KdB (I would have preferred him central rather than left), and Sergio, who I thought was poor, and the only one who didn't put in enough work for the team. Kelechi looked a bit overawed, but he worked pretty hard, and Sergio prefers not to pass to him sadly. Sterling didn't contribute much either, but did make one fantastic run into the box which wasn't rewarded.

Overall I thought we played well, and if I'm right and it was a deliberate change then it was quite clever game management, I think we'll score over there, so I'm not disappointed at the 0-0, we need to try and get an early goal, if we do, then we are in with a very good chance of progressing.

Interesting what you say about the possibly change in tactics second half, but for me I certainly felt that we ran out of legs and they forced us backwards and also got much more control of the midfield rather than us deliberately giving it up to them. Maybe with the limited squad options in centre mid though it was a deliberate tactic. Either way we could've nicked it in the end and so could they. Draw was a fair result and overall for us it definitely feels like we have an excellent chance of progressing - or as I like to say it - getting to the final of the European Cup. :)

 

[cucumberman]

When we played them last time at the Bernabeu(sp) we only lost by a late goal, so how do you work out they will now put 3 or 4 past us?

Indeed, we also had back then Barry, Garcia and Nastacic, positions that we have improved on now.

 

[blue ranger]

Personally enjoyed the game last night. With credit to Pellers it would seem that we now believe we can compete against Europe's elite and we certainly did that. The only thing missing last night was a bit of quality in the final third.

I felt we were on top first half but the injury to Silva probably cost us the result. In that first half he looked back to his best and we seemed to be able to compete much better in midfield than we did second half.

Won't criticise Pellers as when Kelechi came on I didn't have an issue with it. But we seemed to drop back into our 442 formation and at times KDB, Aguero and Kelchi were all stood up front leaving us out numbered in midfield.

From a city view Otamendi had a great game alongside VK. But as a football fan I have to say it was worth the admission fee just to see Luca Modric, the way he dominated possession of the ball and his choice/pass selection was right out of the top drawer. He did one pass I think in first half playing it first time and and sending 2 city players the wrong way. What a class act and let's hope someone like Gundogan can do that for us next season.

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

Too many of our supporter base have been spoon fed a diet of flat-track bully or dross down the last 30-odd years.

This is the absolute pinnacle of the game. Say it slowly, we are playing Real Madrid in a European Cup semi-final and more than holding our own.

The first 35 minutes were a pleasure to watch, tactically, we were at a very high level, the press, the intensity. It made me proud to watch.

Obviously, those on the outside, couldn't give a toss if either side won by four clear goals, as long as they got their personal fix.

The two teams last night have a duty to themselves, only. That was the outcome of last night.

We were always going to have to score over there, even if we had won by a couple goals. Clean sheet was the fundamental upside.

 

[abu13]

What really struck me last night was just how long their defence has been together, when you look at how we tend to chop and change.

Marcello Pepe and Ramos. they seem to have been there for ever.