CSKA Post Match Thread

First time poster, go easy

I felt the need to register and post after tonight's display. I've read the majority of comments.

People blaming the ref/uefa/fans are missing the point. After a shaky 20mins we decided to play and apply pressure and We were 2-0 and cruising at half time. Yes we looked susceptible to the counter, we always will with yaya in a midfield two. What happened after half time was a disgrace and indefensible. It was a shambles, every player dropped their performance level. Silva and zab hitting hopeless cross field passes only to be intercepted said it all.

You can not expect to progress in this comp or deserve to if you can't see out a half against a very poor cska when 2 up. Remember they were missing 3-4 of their starting 11 and they only had 6 on the bench due to injuries/suspension. They were there for the taking. Never mind a missed pen at 2-0, we should of seen it out, no excuses.

What is really concerning is pellegrini bottled it. Yaya, for several reasons, not all of his own fault is not up to it (most worryingly is he doesn't look anywhere near match fit). Everyone could see he was a liability, not tracking, easily bypassed, not even retaining possession. He was the clear and obvious substitution. Bring on fern and navas and put silva behind aguero. Solid midfield to see it out. Instead he waited too long and kept yaya on, effectively playing with 10 men (penalty lies with him and kolarov).

Another worrying point is pellers isn't learning. We all know 4-4-2 in Europe won't cut it, especially if he's sticking with yaya. Against Roma we saw it after 20mins. First 20mins tonight it was clear to see. Why does this continue to happen, questions need asking and answering by pellers. This CL campaign has been shambolic.

Yaya tonight was a joke, we all realise that. He's been great for us but unless things change soon he needs to go. He was fantastic last year with his attacking threat, we let his poor defensive duties slide because of it. Now he offers neither and it's unacceptable. Will pellgrini drop him though?

Dzeko, he divides opinion. Tonight was one of his too frequent amateur performance. Didn't link with the team, can't control a ball for his life and offers little. The guys too inconsistent. He's useful against a poor team who park the bus at home but Away in the CL? Not worth the risk.

I like pellers, he had a good first year, we will see how he goes this year in the PL with proper contenders though. I fear for him as we all know the owners want world wide popularity and that comes with progression in the CL. Not getting past the group stages would be a huge blow to the owners (far more than us fans). If he didn't win the league on top of absolute failure in the CL then I wouldn't be surprised of the owners look somewhere else unfortunately.

He's been here 16 months now, he really needs to learn from these mistakes and start making some bold decisions.

Thoughts?
 
KnaresboroughBlue said:
blueinsa said:
KnaresboroughBlue said:
Or you can stick your head in the sand and pretend that it was a good performance and we were just unlucky with refereeing decisions.

Or we can admit we didn't perform but we're still in a position to win a game which we were until we were cheated yet again.

Like it or not, you can't legislate for a corrupt ref like tonight.

That corrupt that he he didn't give Zabaleta offside for our 2nd?

I agree he made some poor decisions but there's a tendency on here at times to alway try and lay the blame at the door of somebody else though rather than looking at our own failings.

The Zabba one was marginal. Very marginal. I wouldn't complain if that went against us as it was so tight.

The Dzeko challenge was a stonewall penalty and a definite red card.

The CSKA penalty was a blatant dive.

Not excusing our own bad play, but the referee had a stinker.
 
Paul_Powers_Tash said:
Once again Pellegrini proves he's a one trick pony. He has his plan A and a small modification that he no doubt refers to as plan B. Thankfully this works most of the time in the domestic competitions, but when it comes to outsmarting the best managers in the game in the CL we come away second best.

For everyone out there scratching their heads wondering why we get out played in the CL let me let you in to a little secret, it’s not the players fault. We have an amazing array of talented players but we consistently fail to take account the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition and fail to put together a plan to contain them, and then beat them. No matter what we play plan A or plan B.

Until we start to be more aware of the opposition and be humble enough to recognise their strengths and ruthlessly expose their weaknesses we will forever underperform at the highest level because we will be beaten by managers and teams that do.

We have one of the best squads in world football and I often wonder how we would progress in the CL and at home if Mourhinio was our manager? Personally I think we'd be imperious in the Prem and mentioned in the same breath as Madrid, Barca and Munich abroad?

Please tell me I’m wrong and why.
We were painfully aware of the strengths of the opposition under Mancini and tailored our own game to them. That got us nowhere either.
 
Another shocking refereeing performance but the sad fact is that the players are running out of excuses now.

Quality squad, and they need to collectively find a way of winning these games.

Successive squads under successive managers have underperformed in Europe now

I just can't explain why
 
Pingu the Penguin said:
Another shocking refereeing performance but the sad fact is that the players are running out of excuses now.

Quality squad, and they need to collectively find a way of winning these games.

Successive squads under successive managers have underperformed in Europe now

I just can't explain why

I would argue 2-1 up to CSKA away from home is not under performing. The refs decision was what led to an underperformance nothing more nothing less.
 
KnaresboroughBlue said:
blueinsa said:
KnaresboroughBlue said:
Or you can stick your head in the sand and pretend that it was a good performance and we were just unlucky with refereeing decisions.

Or we can admit we didn't perform but we're still in a position to win a game which we were until we were cheated yet again.

Like it or not, you can't legislate for a corrupt ref like tonight.

That corrupt that he he didn't give Zabaleta offside for our 2nd?

I agree he made some poor decisions but there's a tendency on here at times to alway try and lay the blame at the door of somebody else though rather than looking at our own failings.

People keep doing this. I don't think anyone is trying to say that wasn't a rank bad performance in the second half but a shit performance and shit decisions are not mutually exclusive. Without one or the other we would have probably won today.
 
Pingu the Penguin said:
Another shocking refereeing performance but the sad fact is that the players are running out of excuses now.

Quality squad, and they need to collectively find a way of winning these games.

Successive squads under successive managers have underperformed in Europe now

I just can't explain why
I don't think the problems are major. For example, had Lampard been available tonight and brought on with 30 mins to go I don't think we'd have capitulated. For me it's down to belief (bottle) and nous. We displayed neither in that second half and I think Lampard would have helped the rest of the side with this.
 
Just watched the replay of the penalty incidents.

Every City player appealed for the Dzeko one.

No CSKA players appealed for theirs.

Strange that.
 

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