Does Pep need to be more pragmatic away from home in Europe?

[AFC60]

Is it right that Pep has only won 4 out of 24 away knockout games in the CL?

I'm sure some **** on Talksport earlier said this. Didn't seem right.

Pep is absolutely atrocious away from home in Europe. I don't know if that stat is correct but I wouldn't be surprised if it was.
The fact that my club (Arsenal) beat his all-time greatest Barca team in our home leg tells you all you need to know. We faced them twice at home and they failed to win both times. Not only that, but we even beat his Bayern team at home. We're talking about Wenger beating Pep here, Wenger doesn't know anything about Champions League football.

 

[blueparrot]

If we go to Anfield next season and concede three quick goals yet again serious questions will have to be asked.

Unless we are 18 points ahead again in which case we might think losing at anfield is worth sacrificing one game for the whole season. It's unfortunate we played there twice this season and individual mistakes have cost us in both games but we aren't out yet lets see if they can press like that on our bigger pitch. If we had a left wing back 3 at the back would stretch them even more. I agree Gundogan was a mistake though.

 

[Armaan]

Real are the perfect example of balancing attack and defence. They can play beautiful football but they can also be resolute and defend when necessary. Past couple of seasons they’ve won it and it’s down to finding the perfect balance between defence and attack. We’re too lopsided, this approach is never going to work against the best sides. Peps Barca was a one off and he really needs to change it he’s going to find European success with city.

 

[supercity88]

I think he was pragmatic amd it backfired. Gundogan was awful. We looked better when de bruyne went central. We need an energetic player in there like Fred...it is a big weakness and our lack of balance at full back showed. Robertson and Alexander Arnold gave good support and pinned Sane back. Walker didnt have anyone in front of him. Tactically we were poor. Should have swapped sterling fro bernardo if we wanted any change from the everton game.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

Was that not the plan before Sane needlessly gave the ball away and Salah scored?

I've said it already but the defeats to Liverpool this season have been down to our mentality rather than tactics.

No it wasn't the plan and this mentality stuff is bollocks. It's about tactics, both our own and our response to the other team's. Pep is known to study the other team in great depth therefore he should know that Liverpool tend to struggle when they have the majority of the possession.

Leicester 2-0 Liverpool - 70% possession
Spurs 4-1 Liverpool - 64% possession
Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea - 54% possession
Liverpool 1-1 Everton - 79% possession
Liverpool 0-0 West Brom - 70% possession
Swansea 1-0 Liverpool - 72% possession
Liverpool 2-3 West Brom - 69% possession
Rags 2-1 Liverpool 68% possession

 

[RayCTID]

It's a tricky one to call because you can be defensive but still can be swept aside against the scousers ( or any other tough side who wants to make a fast start in the Champions League).

 

[Danamy]

We aren’t Barca though. I like the way we play but it’s a two-leg tie and there has to be a Plan B if Plan A isn’t working. Everyone knows that Liverpool struggle to break down a determined defence. We know that we always concede early against Liverpool. So stop being pig-headed, start conservatively then open up when we’ve shut the crowd up and they’re getting tired and frustrated.

I think you're missing my point, the players are brain washed to only thinking one way and to ask them to change for a one off game is never going to happen, it never happened at Barca so it's not going to start now. It's not only us though, Klopps Liverpool only know to play one way but it just so happens it's our Achilles heel, that's why no other team has been able to replicate what Liverpool do to us because they're not brain washed and trained to play that way?

To add to the above this is also what Pep meant at his press conference when he said if he asked the players to play a different way they'd think he was scared and gone mad, especially when up to now we've been blowing teams apart and breaking records playing that way?

 

[AFC60]

I do have to say one important thing about Pep though, he really has taken City to a new level and that was clear from watching the other teams' forums. Nobody wanted to face City.
Bayern fans were hoping to avoid City, Barca fans as well, Juve fans as well. That really says a lot. That means even they don't believe they have the answer to Pep's football at City.
Only fans which didn't mind facing City was the Madristas, but then again they have a strong reputation for arrogance.

 

[Danamy]

I do have to say one important thing about Pep though, he really has taken City to a new level and that was clear from watching the other teams' forums. Nobody wanted to face City.
Bayern fans were hoping to avoid City, Barca fans as well, Juve fans as well. That really says a lot. That means even they don't believe they have the answer to Pep's football at City.
Only fans which didn't mind facing City was the Madristas, but then again they have a strong reputation for arrogance.

I wasn't able to listen to the draw live but my mate decided to think he'd wind me up by texting me we drew Barca away first leg, my reply was I'm happy with that, when I found out the truth I was absolutely gutted for obvious reasons, it was the worse draw we could get and it's now becoming a reality.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

I think you're missing my point, the players are brain washed to only thinking one way and to ask them to change for a one off game is never going to happen, it never happened at Barca so it's not going to start now. It's not only us though, Klopps Liverpool only know to play one way but it just so happens it's our Achilles heel, that's why no other team has been able to replicate what Liverpool do to us because they're not brain washed and trained to play that way?

To add to the above this is also what Pep meant at his press conference when he said if he asked the players to play a different way they'd think he was scared and gone mad, especially when up to now we've been blowing teams apart and breaking records playing that way?

I'm not missing your point mate. I'm saying that a coach has to look at a game and take the approach most likely to win. And if it's our Achilles heel then we should do something about it. What's that quote about insanity being repeating the same event and expecting a different outcome?

A good coach should be able to train his players to play a different game once in a blue moon. When Burnley came to us in the league, Dyche had them playing a pressing game that they don't usually play. It was a full-on high press all over the field. Now it didn't pay off in the end but it took a penalty then two goals in the last 20 minutes to win it. I really admired Dyche a lot more after that as he'd achieved that in a week.

So Pep knowing that Klopp has his measure and that Klopp knew he was unlikely to change should have seen him come up with something totally different. Three at the back and a false-nine, let them attack us for 60 minutes then make the changes and cut loose when they're committed to going forward. We used to criticise Pellgrini for being pig-headed, seemingly not studying the opposition and not having a plan B so what's the difference?