City vs Bayern Munich Post match Thread

[bayern blade]

[quote="cibaman"]The trip to Russia is starting to look ominously make or break. CSKA aren't a great side, just one of those workmanlike teams that we often seem to struggle against. We should get a result there, but we should have won in Ajax, got a result in Napoli. We did well against Plzen, but against a poor team, just like Villareal.

I think it will be 2-1, just dont know which team will get the 2.[/quote]

Agreed, you simply have to take at least 4 points off them. Given that you beat Pilsen at home that should take you through whatever the result when you come to our place. Win both games and you are as good as through with two games left.
As you say CSKA are not a great side, if your nerves hold you are capable of winning in Russia.

 

[supercity88]

That link gives a fair assessment of things. I thoroughly believe the biggest issue for our side is Aguero. Against the rags he was phenomenal but that was 4-4-2 v 4-4-2 and our midfield controlled the game. In games we play against a 4-3-3 or 4-1-4-1 formation, as with Bayern, Aguero is less effective. We don't get hold of the ball enough in the middle with only two central players and Aguero floating around. So he becomes redundant. He is an exceptional player but I really think that the Aguero factor causes problems. He has to play because he is that good, but is he going to be able to produce in a game against a side with a formation like Bayern?

For me if we matched Bayern's formation with Fernandinho holding, and from left to right, Nasri-Silva-Yaya-Navas and Negredo up top, we would have been much more effectice (obviously those 4 across midfield are to be debated) but it would enable us to control possession better and pass and move in a way that Bayern did. Another way would be to keep it tight and pack the middle with the likes of Milner, Yaya, Fernandinho who can keep the ball and save the likes of Navas and Aguero and their pace late on when the pressing game has worn the opposition down. What is clear, either way is the energy that Bayern displayed. Their second goal, there was a solid mass of city players stood still.

I love Aguero, but he isnt great as a lone striker and he cannot play in the hole behind Negredo/Dzeko when against teams with 3 central midfielders. Silva or Nasri or Yaya would be more effective in that role.

 

[Anonymous]

Was ANY City player up to scratch last night ??

Seemed to me that our best efforts came from the three who came on late , before that i thought i was watching wax figures in blue!

 

[grahamgor]

Good analysis of the match here:

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.zonalmarking.net/2013/10/02/manchester-city-1-3-bayern-munich-bayern-dominate-midfield-through-numbers-pressing/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.zonalmarking.net/2013/10/02/ ... -pressing/</a>

Pretty damning assessment of Pellegrini's tactics.

I think that is why there is so much anger Ric, it was so obvious he had got it spectacularly wrong and did nothing to correct it

This is the Conclusion:
A little bit embarrassing the truth be told.

'Put simply, City and Pellegrini appeared extremely naive here, with their two strikers not contributing anything defensively in the first half. This meant Bayern had the run of the midfield, and when Nasri was sucked inside they had space to exploit down the right, too.

Bayern’s pressing was also crucial in their dominance – they won the ball high up, denying City the opportunity to put together passing moves, or knock the ball in behind the Bayern defence.

Pellegrini explained his lack of changes after the game. “I think we were trying to play in a different way – I think that they had possession of the ball and I don’t think we can make the change to [get] 5% [more] of possession – David Silva was just maximum for 20-25 minutes, when he went in, we had more possession.”

But that suggests he had no other options. Milner could have been introduced earlier with Nasri moving inside to help in the midfield battle, while Javi Garcia was another option – Toure could have been moved higher. Bayern are a fine side, but City shouldn’t have been outplayed so conclusively.'

It's understandable that Pellegrini didn't want to risk Silva earlier on his return.His 20 minute all-out stint curtailed Bayern's domination, his was the assist which led to Negredo's superb goal and his free kick only narrowly failed. Guardiola looked a very worried man in the closing minutes because he feared City might snatch a draw and, if so, the German media would attack him for premature withdrawal of his key players.
Still, Pellegrini did have other options-not garcia of course! He could certainly have brought Milner on earlier, indeed he could've started with him instead of either Nasri or Navas. Nasri tends to lose focus when things aren't going well and Navas lacks the physical strength for a clash with the likes of Bayern.
Milner is depicted by some on this forum as a limited English- style player.In fact he's more Bundesliga -style. He combines skill with tactical awareness and ruggedness, In this match he linked up well with Silva and it took a blinding save from Neuer to foil his strike, plus he assisted Negredo's close header.
Pellegrini needs to trust Milner more than he's done so far.

 

[Kippaxblue5]

Pics and comments on the Bayern game are now online at
<a class="postlink" href="http://rtfract.com/citoct13.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://rtfract.com/citoct13.htm</a>

 

[Citizen of Legoland]

What I want to say is: You have a squad with a lot of very skilled players. Honestly among the best squad’s in the world. But that doesn’t make a brilliant team by default. What you need even more than skill is a plan and an identity.

An excellent and informed post, Tiberius.

A lot of City fans on here appear impatient for success. It seems they believed world domination was just around the corner after winning the Premier League, but sport doesn't work that way. Our owners are investing heavily in the best facilities money can buy and recognised that Mancini wasn't quite the man to entrust the future of the footballing side of the club (not just the first team) due to his divisive/difficult/abrasive managing style. I heard rumours that Mancini rarely went to the youth games or training sessions in his time as manager - something, if true, that is unforgiveable - and I was a Mancini supporter.

I'm convinced Pellegrini is only here short-term; here to oversee the transition from a raw cash-rich English team to a more European model where youth can develop and the club can be recognised as progressive. This is the holistic model they spoke of at the end of last season. It will take time, and changing manager always carries a risk that the team may go through periods of adjustment. Certainly, nine games isn't enough to judge a man.

As for last night's game, yes MP got his tactics partly wrong. Many are asking why he didn't change tactics until 70mins, but I recall the start of the second half until Bayern's second goal as being a bright and relatively untroubled period for us, the goal came as much as a shock as the first goal - pretty much out of nothing. On another day, even when outplayed, if Yaya had got through instead of being taken out by Boateng and got the second, we could almost have ended up with an undeserved point<br /><br />-- 03 Oct 2013, 13:31 --<br /><br />

What I want to say is: You have a squad with a lot of very skilled players. Honestly among the best squad’s in the world. But that doesn’t make a brilliant team by default. What you need even more than skill is a plan and an identity.

An excellent and informed post, Tiberius.

A lot of City fans on here appear impatient for success. It seems they believed world domination was just around the corner after winning the Premier League, but sport doesn't work that way. Our owners are investing heavily in the best facilities money can buy and recognised that Mancini wasn't quite the man to entrust the future of the footballing side of the club (not just the first team) due to his divisive/difficult/abrasive managing style. I heard rumours that Mancini rarely went to the youth games or training sessions in his time as manager - something, if true, that is unforgiveable - and I was a Mancini supporter.

I'm convinced Pellegrini is only here short-term; here to oversee the transition from a raw cash-rich English team to a more European model where youth can develop and the club can be recognised as progressive. This is the holistic model they spoke of at the end of last season. It will take time, and changing manager always carries a risk that the team may go through periods of adjustment. Certainly, nine games isn't enough to judge a man.

As for last night's game, yes MP got his tactics partly wrong. Many are asking why he didn't change tactics until 70mins, but I recall the start of the second half until Bayern's second goal as being a bright and relatively untroubled period for us, the goal came as much as a shock as the first goal - pretty much out of nothing. On another day, even when outplayed, if Yaya had got through instead of being taken out by Boateng and got the second, we could almost have ended up with an undeserved point

 

[terry_phealens_mum]

Was ANY City player up to scratch last night ??

Seemed to me that our best efforts came from the three who came on late , before that i thought i was watching wax figures in blue!

True but Bayern had brought off two of there best players, Robben and Ribery, by that stage<br /><br />-- Thu Oct 03, 2013 1:41 pm --<br /><br />Really thought this was how we should of lined out

------------------hart-------------------
clichy ----nasty----kompany---richards

Navas---Fernadinho---Milner-----Nasri
--------------------yaya---------------------------

----------------Aguero/Negredo/Dzeko

 

[mancity1]

Was ANY City player up to scratch last night ??

Seemed to me that our best efforts came from the three who came on late , before that i thought i was watching wax figures in blue!

Some played to about the standard they have in premiership games in my opinion which again is not good enough in those games least of all against Bayern but to a man no I couldn't say anybody put a shift in worthy of any note.

We would have been better off parking the bus ourselves to be honest putting 10 men behind the ball at all times.

Like against Manure as we did , Bayern took off three of their star performers and took the foot off the gas.

While Silva at least had some of the ball and passed to Negredo for the goal the last 15 minutes was more of Bayern coasting than anything we did.

75 minutes for one shot on goal on our own patch I think says how much we let Bayern overpower us compared to their 12 for the same period.

We couldn't even get it out of our half unless we hoofed it there and even that was a struggle at times because they pressed us so far forward and closed down our full backs who lack of skill on the ball was exposed.

Lets face it Zabba , Kolorov, Clichy and Micah are serviceable but they will never play in a City team striving for Euro glory.

If Hart gets his act together their will be some damage limitation on the score front but lets face it he is off with the fairies at present and has even lost his anger and decibel volume on the pitch which is a clear sign he has lost the plot.

The back four as a group have lost a lot of confidence in each other as it showed again last night.

With Nasty being found out as a foul merchant near the box this only adds to the myriad of issues we have to deal with before we even think of ourselves as premiership contenders this year.

The players we have are good enough to make a fist of this years title and provided they don't go AWOL on CSKA's artificial pitch should finish second to Bayern but if we stuff up a third time and don't start winning games away from home ( we will have to win 9 of our remaining 16 away games imo to automatically qualify for chumps league next season ) its adios Manuel.

 

[super_city_si]

That link gives a fair assessment of things. I thoroughly believe the biggest issue for our side is Aguero. Against the rags he was phenomenal but that was 4-4-2 v 4-4-2 and our midfield controlled the game. In games we play against a 4-3-3 or 4-1-4-1 formation, as with Bayern, Aguero is less effective. We don't get hold of the ball enough in the middle with only two central players and Aguero floating around. So he becomes redundant. He is an exceptional player but I really think that the Aguero factor causes problems. He has to play because he is that good, but is he going to be able to produce in a game against a side with a formation like Bayern?

For me if we matched Bayern's formation with Fernandinho holding, and from left to right, Nasri-Silva-Yaya-Navas and Negredo up top, we would have been much more effectice (obviously those 4 across midfield are to be debated) but it would enable us to control possession better and pass and move in a way that Bayern did. Another way would be to keep it tight and pack the middle with the likes of Milner, Yaya, Fernandinho who can keep the ball and save the likes of Navas and Aguero and their pace late on when the pressing game has worn the opposition down. What is clear, either way is the energy that Bayern displayed. Their second goal, there was a solid mass of city players stood still.

I love Aguero, but he isnt great as a lone striker and he cannot play in the hole behind Negredo/Dzeko when against teams with 3 central midfielders. Silva or Nasri or Yaya would be more effective in that role.

I'd love to see that team & formation for away games.

 

[citymad]

Just watched Mullers goal again from last night. I was shocked at how Clichy just gave up as soon as Muller went past him. Didn't even try to go with him just stood there with his hands up like a Sunday pub player. He may have prevented him getting past Hart if he just tried.