City vs Real Madrid Pre match Discussion Thread

[dancity19]

Sense Mr Sint 'elens, sense! It all takes time.

Chelsea played in the Champions League for the first time in 1998, Arsenal in 1997...us, last year.

(It's the "Premier League" though ;) !)

Tottenham and Napoli...??

Their first times, and mate it through the group stages.

I don't get the 'time' and 'inexperienced in the champions league' argument. As a name, and a set of supporters, yes, we are. But is our manager- no. Are our players- no. Do we have world cup and Champions Leage winning players in our team- yes.

We were dealt a stupidly hard group. We were dealt a tough group last year. If we don't make it through this year (which we prob won't) there is no great shame in that.

What there is shame in, is our performances in the Champions League so far, and I have no idea what time has to do with poor performances. It really is a poor excuse to be honest.

No one expects us to win the champions league, or even the group, but we should have given the games a better fist so far (especially Ajax).

Fortunately, I class the Premier League as by far and away our priority, and we are doing pretty well in that.......

Put the rags,Chelsea,Arsenal in our group. Do you see any of them getting out-no

Read what I said mate. I actually said that there is no shame in not qualifying from our group. They would struggle to get out of it definitely.

IF you read my post, you will see I am talking about this argument of time. We have underperformed in the Champions League so far this year, without question. And, we probably should have done better against Napoli last year too.

It's funny, we came so close to beating Real, and if we did what a different campaign we would have had. But in fairness, anything but a Real win that night would have been unfair.

But again, you might want to read what I actually write, rather than come back with a response that doesn't really answer any of my points....?

 

[Chippy_boy]

To many people (inclusing myself) believing the hype about how we should be qualifying easily!

I didn't realise it took the rags 4 yrs to do anything in the competition. We are but babies and no matter hoe much we spend,it takes time. Premiership and a good cup run would be fine again this year.

Sense Mr Sint 'elens, sense! It all takes time.

Chelsea played in the Champions League for the first time in 1998, Arsenal in 1997...us, last year.

(It's the "Premier League" though ;) !)

Tottenham and Napoli...??

Their first times, and mate it through the group stages.

I don't get the 'time' and 'inexperienced in the champions league' argument. As a name, and a set of supporters, yes, we are. But is our manager- no. Are our players- no. Do we have world cup and Champions Leage winning players in our team- yes.

We were dealt a stupidly hard group. We were dealt a tough group last year. If we don't make it through this year (which we prob won't) there is no great shame in that.

What there is shame in, is our performances in the Champions League so far, and I have no idea what time has to do with poor performances. It really is a poor excuse to be honest.

No one expects us to win the champions league, or even the group, but we should have given the games a better fist so far (especially Ajax).

Fortunately, I class the Premier League as by far and away our priority, and we are doing pretty well in that.......

I don't there's anything mysterious about our underperforming in the CL this year though.

When you look at our league performances this year, we have struggled there too. It's just we have got away with it against weaker competition. So this year it's been (a) group of death and (b) us not playing that well generally. You can't expect to play poorly and still win against Dortmund, Real or Ajax, and we haven't.

Perhaps the most surprising situation was against Real. Apart from the 1st ten minutes, they bossed that game and yet we nearly mugged them in their own backyard. 2-3 flattered us, although it is sickening not to have got at least a point having been nearly gifted 3.

 

[sam-caddick]

I want us to go for it tonight; no three in midfield, defensive tactics and sitting back, just a good old fashioned you have a shot we have a shot.

We have nothing to lose, and at the end of the day the only thing that Madrid have over us in the Ronaldo factor, we have enough fire power to score past them and I say just go for it and have an entertaining game of trying to outscore them, what do we have to lose?

I just cannot see the positives in playing a three man central midfield and one striker, our best defensive tactic is our attack. We have in my opinion on a whole, probably the second best striker force in the world after Madrid, 4 top class strikers with the abilty to destroy any opponent, lets try and do that tonight and show the world that next season Man City is going to be the team to watch.

 

[Chi-town blues]

Mancini oooohhh
Mancini ooohhhh

 

[Deleted member 52846]

To many people (inclusing myself) believing the hype about how we should be qualifying easily!

I didn't realise it took the rags 4 yrs to do anything in the competition. We are but babies and no matter hoe much we spend,it takes time. Premiership and a good cup run would be fine again this year.

Sense Mr Sint 'elens, sense! It all takes time.

Chelsea played in the Champions League for the first time in 1998, Arsenal in 1997...us, last year.

(It's the "Premier League" though ;) !)

Tottenham and Napoli...??

Their first times, and mate it through the group stages.

I don't get the 'time' and 'inexperienced in the champions league' argument. As a name, and a set of supporters, yes, we are. But is our manager- no. Are our players- no. Do we have world cup and Champions Leage winning players in our team- yes.

We were dealt a stupidly hard group. We were dealt a tough group last year. If we don't make it through this year (which we prob won't) there is no great shame in that.

What there is shame in, is our performances in the Champions League so far, and I have no idea what time has to do with poor performances. It really is a poor excuse to be honest.

No one expects us to win the champions league, or even the group, but we should have given the games a better fist so far (especially Ajax).

Fortunately, I class the Premier League as by far and away our priority, and we are doing pretty well in that.......

Maybe it was a psychological "we may only be here once" attitude and desperation with teams like Spurs and Napoli. Look where they both finished in the league in the season they were in the CL - fifth - and failed to qualify for it again for the next season. They earnt what they could by getting where they got to but they aren't there for the long haul.

With us it's different. We don't need things to happen immediately, things can be more progressive. It isn't desperation with us to get far, we will be there every season for the foreseeable future. Just like United Chelsea and Arsenal i think we will grow as the years go on rather than be a here today with loads of hype and furor and gone tomorrow situation.

 

[Chippy_boy]

Just like United Chelsea and Arsenal i think we will grow as the years go on rather than be a here today with loads of hype and furor and gone tomorrow situation.

Not if Platini gets his way.

 

[blue rebel]

Sense Mr Sint 'elens, sense! It all takes time.

Chelsea played in the Champions League for the first time in 1998, Arsenal in 1997...us, last year.

(It's the "Premier League" though ;) !)

Tottenham and Napoli...??

Their first times, and mate it through the group stages.

I don't get the 'time' and 'inexperienced in the champions league' argument. As a name, and a set of supporters, yes, we are. But is our manager- no. Are our players- no. Do we have world cup and Champions Leage winning players in our team- yes.

We were dealt a stupidly hard group. We were dealt a tough group last year. If we don't make it through this year (which we prob won't) there is no great shame in that.

What there is shame in, is our performances in the Champions League so far, and I have no idea what time has to do with poor performances. It really is a poor excuse to be honest.

No one expects us to win the champions league, or even the group, but we should have given the games a better fist so far (especially Ajax).

Fortunately, I class the Premier League as by far and away our priority, and we are doing pretty well in that.......

Maybe it was a psychological "we may only be here once" attitude and desperation with teams like Spurs and Napoli. Look where they both finished in the league in the season they were in the CL - fifth - and failed to qualify for it again for the next season. They earnt what they could by getting where they got to but they aren't there for the long haul.

With us it's different. We don't need things to happen immediately, things can be more progressive. It isn't desperation with us to get far, we will be there every season for the foreseeable future. Just like United Chelsea and Arsenal i think we will grow as the years go on rather than be a here today with loads of hype and furor and gone tomorrow situation.

Totally agree but do you not think it could be "psychological" for where we are now? When I first saw our group I thought WOW great what exciting matches we are in for, everyone else seemed to be saying "hardest group", "no chance", "won't qualify" etc the fans, press and the whole media circus have said the same. These other teams are champions in their own countries, well SO ARE WE, we are English champions, they are supposed to be our equals not our betters. For the rest of this campaign lets start believing and next season in the CL believe from the start

 

[Chippy_boy]

Tottenham and Napoli...??

Their first times, and mate it through the group stages.

I don't get the 'time' and 'inexperienced in the champions league' argument. As a name, and a set of supporters, yes, we are. But is our manager- no. Are our players- no. Do we have world cup and Champions Leage winning players in our team- yes.

We were dealt a stupidly hard group. We were dealt a tough group last year. If we don't make it through this year (which we prob won't) there is no great shame in that.

What there is shame in, is our performances in the Champions League so far, and I have no idea what time has to do with poor performances. It really is a poor excuse to be honest.

No one expects us to win the champions league, or even the group, but we should have given the games a better fist so far (especially Ajax).

Fortunately, I class the Premier League as by far and away our priority, and we are doing pretty well in that.......

Maybe it was a psychological "we may only be here once" attitude and desperation with teams like Spurs and Napoli. Look where they both finished in the league in the season they were in the CL - fifth - and failed to qualify for it again for the next season. They earnt what they could by getting where they got to but they aren't there for the long haul.

With us it's different. We don't need things to happen immediately, things can be more progressive. It isn't desperation with us to get far, we will be there every season for the foreseeable future. Just like United Chelsea and Arsenal i think we will grow as the years go on rather than be a here today with loads of hype and furor and gone tomorrow situation.

Totally agree but do you not think it could be "psychological" for where we are now? When I first saw our group I thought WOW great what exciting matches we are in for, everyone else seemed to be saying "hardest group", "no chance", "won't qualify" etc the fans, press and the whole media circus have said the same. These other teams are champions in their own countries, well SO ARE WE, we are English champions, they are supposed to be our equals not our betters. For the rest of this campaign lets start believing and next season in the CL believe from the start

It wasn't very long ago that people would say of foreign players, "will he be able to cope with the pace of the premiership", or "it will take him a long time to adapt" or words to that effect.

But you just don't hear that these days do you. Do you remember Aguero's debut? I thought "oh my fucking god, this guy is so awesome, he's going tear the PL to pieces". Mata was straight at it the moment he joined Chelsea. And Suarez looked real quality - if not perhaps in front of goal - as soon as he joined the dippers.

My point is not how awesome these players are. It's more "is the PL what it used to be"? I don't think anyone is playing like Arsenal played in the Bergkamp/Henry/Pires/Viera etc side. Or the scum when they had Giggs & Scholes & Beckham at their prime.

Remember when we would always have 4 sides in the CL quarters. 2 and sometimes 3 sides in the CL semis?

I just don't think our league is what it used to be. Either that, or the others have caught up. Dortmund (fucking DORTMUND) looked in a different class to us the other night.

 

[blue rebel]

[quote="blue rebel"

Totally agree but do you not think it could be "psychological" for where we are now? When I first saw our group I thought WOW great what exciting matches we are in for, everyone else seemed to be saying "hardest group", "no chance", "won't qualify" etc the fans, press and the whole media circus have said the same. These other teams are champions in their own countries, well SO ARE WE, we are English champions, they are supposed to be our equals not our betters. For the rest of this campaign lets start believing and next season in the CL believe from the start

It wasn't very long ago that people would say of foreign players, "will he be able to cope with the pace of the premiership", or "it will take him a long time to adapt" or words to that effect.

But you just don't hear that these days do you. Do you remember Aguero's debut? I thought "oh my fucking god, this guy is so awesome, he's going tear the PL to pieces". Mata was straight at it the moment he joined Chelsea. And Suarez looked real quality - if not perhaps in front of goal - as soon as he joined the dippers.

My point is not how awesome these players are. It's more "is the PL what it used to be"? I don't think anyone is playing like Arsenal played in the Bergkamp/Henry/Pires/Viera etc side. Or the scum when they had Giggs & Scholes & Beckham at their prime.

Remember when we would always have 4 sides in the CL quarters. 2 and sometimes 3 sides in the CL semis?

I just don't think our league is what it used to be. Either that, or the others have caught up. Dortmund (fucking DORTMUND) looked in a different class to us the other night.[/quote]



I think that might be a case of nail and head. Ajax at their place were the same although I don't think we were playing up to standard, the other leagues seem to have overtaken us never mind caught up :(((

 

[The Man With The Stick]

Modric was hailed in the PL for his tactical and tecnical awareness, yet in Madrid he's been criticised for his lack of it.
All the English teams have looked a bit 'schoolboy' and unorganised in Europe. We need to develop the tactical side of our game or be left behind. Might make the prem a bit less gung ho (fun) though.