Stoned Rose said:
Bizarre game of 2 halves.
1st half I thought we were fucking excellent. In fact I'd ay it was the best we've played this season and the best we've played in the competition since we started in it. We looked 'serious' and were high energy, high tempo and totally bossed the game.
2nd half we were flat as fuck and I cant explain that, given the 1st half and the fact we were 45 minutes from 3 points against a who we are definitely better than.
I said before the game I didnt like the look of the 2 man midfield of Fernando and Yaya in this competition. I feared Yaya would get 'passed round' and his utter lack of a defensive football brain would expose us. IMO he was utter shit in the 2nd half and I mean shit to a truly unacceptable level. His limitations in this competition come to the fore game after game after game.
The 'penalty' was clearly ridiculous. Add that to the penalty we didn't get v Bayern, the penalty we didn't get v Roma and the fact Maicon wasn't sent off for a foul that stopped a definite goal scoring opportunity and that's to many incidents to be anything but bent as fuck.
I still think we'll qualify in 2nd place but am not sure I want us to if I'm honest. Firstly the competition is clearly bent and secondly looking at the likes of Bayern last night and Madrid tonight, if we faced either of them and they were in the mood, we'd get a proper fucking towelling off them, especially if over 2 legs.
While I can agree with much of the above the part I highlighted is what concerns me about City. We can give ANYONE a "proper fucking toweling off" on our day, too, but we just seem incapable of creating that level of performance often enough.
When you look at the top teams, they simply show up and spank the opposition. Yes, the premier League is different, but Europe isn't! Hardly ever see the REAL top teams slip up at this level. Hell, United still did well long after their sell by date, but it is the MENTALITY to go and do the business that we seem to lack. We have too many players who seem temperamental in their performances, too many who show up every now and then, but not every game, too many who rest on their laurels too often.
When you look at Madrid tonight, their best players simply "create" goals for themselves from opportunities that arise. Ronaldo's goal was sensational....simple, quality, and created by two players who "show up" for every game.
I don't have the answer to our CL woes, and I'm not sure anyone at the club does, but if we go out at this stage, and don't buck up in the league, then it might be curtains for Pelle at the end of the season. Ridiculous as that sounds, we simply have not progressed this season, in either competition, and the Liverpool 3-1 and spanking Sheffield Wednesday in the League Cup are the only results I can look at and say we looked good.
Need to sharpen and solidify the midfield and defence or someone is going to turn us over....and I don't mean the likes of United and Chelsea, I mean the likes of West Brom, Palace and Swansea, who are all showing more than we are this season.
Not good.