City vs Real Madrid Post match Discussion Thread

[LoveCity]

Garcia made a difference when he came on and we reverted to our usual shape. I don't really understand why we had to stray from our usual formation and it was encouraging to see Garcia play well. I think Mancini no longer trusts Barry, like Lescott, at Champions League level after repeatedly average performances. Garcia played very well in this competition for Benfica last year, was quite bad against Real in the away game, but did a very good job of helping thwart Real's dangerous counterattacks in the second half which have blown many a team away.

 

[Anonymous]

Ronaldo is apparently one of the best players in history. We kept him fairly quiet, and in the second half I'd go as far to say that Kompany and the 19 year old Nastasic had him in their pockets.

We were playing against the team that won the league ahead of the best football team in history, and we completely outplayed them in the second half, and had 65% of possession over the whole game.

We were playing against the new "Galactico's" with the most expensive player in history, and a collection of some of the best players in the world. David Silva was the best player on the pitch by miles.

Overall it's been a fairly disappointing CL campaign, despite having the toughest group there has ever been in the competition, but tonight there is plenty of room for optimism.

Stop it you rational and sane blighter you.

 

[BlueMoon312]

Immediately after the game, I was infuriated with the squad and the outcome of the CL campaign for the 2nd straight year. As I was driving home however, I thought more and more and came to think more optimistic about the whole situation that had unraveled. Looking back even 5 years ago, the thought of CL was a mere dream. Look how far we've progressed. Yes, money has had a fair share to do with our progression, but we still need to realize this. IMO, we havent been at this level in CL long enough to even know how we play compared to the rest of Europe. We are still searching for our identity as a club. I truly believe that we are on the verge of taking that next step next year, especially if we get a favorable group draw. Maybe it is just me.

 

[Burtonblue]

You have an unhealthy dislike of Nasri, other than that, i agree.

Their wingers were Di Maria and Ronaldo, none of which had any effect on the game.

It's like I'm talking to children.

Didnt Di Maria send in the fantastic cross for the goal?!

And people need to understand the difference between 3 at the back and 4 at the back. Genuinely do not think Mancini is a good manager. the 3 at the back system is terrible, the only time it worked was when city were a man down and he switched to 342 against united (i think)

IMHO the team should be

----------Hart
maicon-Nasty-Komp-Zab
---------Garcia----------
-----Nasri----Toure---
---------silva----------
-----tev----aguero----

I think that gets the best out of every player. Zab is the most committed player on the pitch, maicon adds width. Komp is class. Nasty is up and coming - needs intergrating. Toure is box to box, adding muscle to Garcia in the defending phase, and breaking forward in the attacking phase. Nasri is a clever passer. Silva with space to float about, with two forwards to thread through balls to and tevez and aguero are pure class.

A better manager can make this team play scintillating football, too me city just seem laboured atm.

Ah ha!
Brilliant!
You sound as if you have real managerial potential my friend.
And there I was thinking Mancini was a good manager....
I guess we were just lucky to win that league thing last year.
Thanks for clearing all that up for me..how could I be so blinded by that scrap of progress I thought we'd made over the last few seasons.
Guess the other 45000 odd idiots I was the game with tonight were also wrong when foolishly showing their support for Mancini..
Fact is Mancini is a very good manager and is not afraid to admit his faults in public. You do not get to where he is by being the muppet you are suggesting he is.
In this campaign he has been let down by his players making a number of basic errors and some baffling officiating. It happens. Nothing to do with the manager.

 

[MC ID]

Their are pros and cons to take away from the game, I'm not that dissappointed as I think we gave a decent account of ourselves after we switched from 3 at the back. I think it's a good formation and with the leagues increasing use of 4-2-3-1 it will serve us well but mancini should of realised it wasn't going to work against Real Madrid.

 

[teddykgb]

I agree with others that Garcia probably had his most promising display for us thus far in his limited time. One frustration I have with him, however, is that his movement really stinks after he wins the ball. There were multiple times he broke up play and got the ball to Yaya only to strand him there by standing far too close to him and not opening a triangle for the next pass. It's awesome to break the play up, but we need him to open up into space and help us turn the defense into attack. He need not be an attacking mid, but he can't play like a virtual 3rd CB who treats the ball like a hot potato either.

 

[MissingCityInMelbourne]

Why take Kun off !?

This one has slipped the net. What a completely ridicolous decision to take him off with 5 mins to go and needing one goal to win it and bring on fucking Milner.

Kun himself was that baffled he sat down on the stairs from dugout asking Bob for an explanation.

 

[Freestyler]

Re: Why take Kun off !?

If he took him off after 75 minutes i could understand perhaps, but with 3 minutes remaining it was stupid.

Dominating the game, creating chances and he took him off the pitch. Was it really worth it for 3 minutes? no, should have been Dzeko making way.

 

[sam-caddick]

Re: Why take Kun off !?

Maybe because we are out of the CL anyway and Mancini was looking towards the Chelsea game?

That's what I think.

 

[TCIB]

Re: Why take Kun off !?

So yaya could push forward more but that said so did Milner.
They were still dangerous on the break so i can see why he shuffled it around a bit with milner having some defensive nouse it seemed reasonable.

I can see your reasoning though.

Edit: I agree it maybe should have been sooner but we were attacking well at that point so it's a toughie.