Leverkusen (H) | CL | Post Match Thread

[The Future is Blue]

I don’t post often as you can see but visit this site most days for opinions on what we’ve witnessed. My take is that we were spoiled with players David Silva, Yaya, Fernandinho, Vincent, Sergio and a few other legends who were obviously very talented but also physically strong and tough in the tackle. Since those players only KDB, Rodri and Erling have been anywhere near that level imo. However stocks of great players worldwide is in short supply so no surprise our current team don’t look as good. We can still endlessly recycle the ball with the best of them but with little or no end product. Wingers who can pass ten yards backwards but can’t engage their opposition player, take them on and deliver a telling and dangerous ball into the box where the world’s most lethal finisher is waiting. I miss Sane and Mahrez whose first thought was to go forward with pace rather than looking for a pass back to a fullback. I didn’t rate Sterling as a footballer but he was very effective getting on the end of things and scored plenty of goals unlike our current crop. Just wish they had more desire about them! Frustrated….

 

[East Level 2]

The club will have loads of money ;-)

Oh goody, we'll be able to buy more top players from Wolves.

 

[Matt Diablo]

It’s not his fault that he’s playing there though

For sure - just as our vast success was on Pep it equally works in reverse too . . .

 

[Big Joe Corrigan]

I don’t post often as you can see but visit this site most days for opinions on what we’ve witnessed. My take is that we were spoiled with players David Silva, Yaya, Fernandinho, Vincent, Sergio and a few other legends who were obviously very talented but also physically strong and tough in the tackle. Since those players only KDB, Rodri and Erling have been anywhere near that level imo. However stocks of great players worldwide is in short supply so no surprise our current team don’t look as good. We can still endlessly recycle the ball with the best of them but with little or no end product. Wingers who can pass ten yards backwards but can’t engage their opposition player, take them on and deliver a telling and dangerous ball into the box where the world’s most lethal finisher is waiting. I miss Sane and Mahrez whose first thought was to go forward with pace rather than looking for a pass back to a fullback. I didn’t rate Sterling as a footballer but he was very effective getting on the end of things and scored plenty of goals unlike our current crop. Just wish they had more desire about them! Frustrated….

I think you missed Bernie off the list.

 

[Father Paul]

I don't agree about the recruitment, with some it's too early to really say, in some cases far too early.

Marmoush - started well, but don't feel he's improving, but he won't get much game time with Haaland here, not his fault.
Doku - world class in some games, third class in many, can be a good signing, but needs to learn about "team".
Savinho - started OK, has gone downhill after the first handful of games, last night a new low, seen enough.

Reis - will be a good player for us when he learns a bit more, which currently he is doing.
Echeverri - if he doesn't mess about, I think he's a good player, who made (or his agent did) a bad decision.
Khusanov - I think he'll become a favourite here, but give him time, and just been injured.
Gonzales - Already is a very good player.
Ait Nouri - Very unconvinced, but very early days.
Reijnders - Same as Ait Nouri, though has played more, and isn't impressing at the moment.
Cherki - Looks unfit (and uninterested at times to me), but I think will eventually be a very good signing.

Bah and Nypan - are for the future, so no opinion, as I've never seen them kick a ball.

Not sure what WC players we need to buy, the only BIG ones mentioned on here, I wouldn't touch with a barge pole, and would be disappointed if we signed them.

Full of if's and maybe's, while it is early to make judgement it seems to me that the ceiling for most of the above is well below the level of earlier squads. For the first time in many years you could argue we are starting to fall behind the like of Arsenal and the dippers ( I expect Slot is very close to getting the chop) in terms of recruitment. We are 2 or 3 top notch players short of challenging again.

 

[Blue Since 76]

I miss Mahrez whose first thought was to go forward with pace rather than looking for a pass back to a fullback.

We've dropped in quality since then, but wow, that's some rose tinted specs

 

[bluegaz13]

Full of if's and maybe's, while it is early to make judgement it seems to me that the ceiling for most of the above is well below the level of earlier squads. For the first time in many years you could argue we are starting to fall behind the like of Arsenal and the dippers ( I expect Slot is very close to getting the chop) in terms of recruitment. We are 2 or 3 top notch players short of challenging again.

We are short of another top midfielder, plus Rodri, and definitely a class wide man.

We should be sorted in central defence, however Gvardiol really needs to step up.

Not sure about the full backs….Nunes has been really good this season, better than I ever imagined……is he good enough to help get us back to where we want to be…..O’Reilly is pure class, but could he be the player we need in the middle…..which leaves questions about Ait Nouri….too early to write him off plus he’s been injured..but is he also good enough.

 

[flook]

Poor wasn't it. Have a look at Ake's positioning and traffic cone impression as well for that first goal, awful.

Akes positioning is second to none usually, a major strength of his. I can only assume it was lack of minutes that left him stranded like that

 

[levets]

Easily our best front player in the first half, created two chances, linking up quite well, yeah often too predictable and we need our wingers to find some numbers but awfully bad is a shit take, so emotional overstatement

He was awful, a couple of little shimmy’s on the touchline apart created nothing. He was just as poor as Savinho and Marmoush. Has done nothing so far despite numerous opportunities. I’m not emotional about it, I’m quite a fair assessor of performance having played and watched football for almost 60 yrs.
We all want him to succeed having come through our academy, but he’s still dining out on his goal at Newcastle 2 seasons ago. Of course he had a long lay off due to injury, but he’s just not doing it. Won’t have an extended career with us unfortunately as he isn’t producing enough. He’s not on his own though to be fair.

 

[Scuttler blue]

I think Pep genuinely feels bad about a lack of game time certain players have been getting this season, probably thought he could get away with giving them a runout in this game, with the cavalry to call on if it went tits up.

Unfortunately the players let him down, not deliberately of course, but they just weren't good enough to take care of a decent, well organised team.

Maybe Pep was asking too much of them, but he gave them an opportunity to impress and most of them blew it.

Yes, it's a bummer for the fans, but Pep has delivered more for them than any previous manager in the club's history, so has earned the right to make a decision even if it backfires.

Lesson learned, we move on.

Think pep was disappointed with the Newcastle game and decided to make a stand by dropping them all and saying watch the B team turn it on obviously it didn't work but more worrying for pep is how to motivate his first team who are now sitting very smug as pep plans badly misfired I would go for semanyo in January and the right back at Leverkusen didn't give doku a sniff

 

[paulchapo]

Think pep was disappointed with the Newcastle game and decided to make a stand by dropping them all and saying watch the B team turn it on obviously it didn't work but more worrying for pep is how to motivate his first team who are now sitting very smug as pep plans badly misfired I would go for semanyo in January and the right back at Leverkusen didn't give doku a sniff

I don't think the Newcastle game had anything to do with it. We played pretty well there and with a bit more luck and better officiating we could and should have at least come away with a draw. No Pep looked at the opposition, looked at the quality we had and thought, probably rightly, we had enough to get the job done. If not he had the big guns on the bench to bring on. It backfired badly but i can see why he took the gamble. Ten changes was just too much but shit happens.

 

[Pedestrian]

But what has the cost of your Premier Inn or a half and half scarf got to do with Pep's team selection? I'm not knocking anyone and admire everyone who makes an effort. The only point I've made was that a number of fans have come on here saying they are fuming with Tuesday night because they've travelled a long distance to come. All I've said is "well done, but it's your choice to support City from a distance so don't moan when you attend and it doesn't go your way."

If people pay for a ticket they can complain if they don’t feel entertained. That’s part of paying to be entertained. You’re coming across as a bit of a tit.

 

[Damanino]

dont get this huge need of rotation. Arsenal play Spurs home, Bayern home, Chelsea away in a week with few rotations after the break but we need wholesale changes for much lesser Newcastle, Leverkusen, Leeds run?

yeah swap around 3-4 players between games, but all of them?

wonder what if we had his ex-side Bayern at home this week instead of Leverkusen.

 

[cleavers]

wonder what if we had his ex-side Bayern at home this week instead of Leverkusen.

As has been pointed out, he'd have been better playing that team away in madrid.

 

[Zabbasbeard]

Am I still fuming about Tuesday. You bet I am.

 

[East Level 2]

As has been pointed out, he'd have been better playing that team away in madrid.

Real conceded three this week, perhaps Pep knows they are dodgy at the back and thinks we can win there.

 

[SatOnTheWall]

Savio n Oscar Bobb were fuckin awful ! I remember when wingers attacked the fullback

Remember when our wingers only had one man to beat?

 

[noseve]

The simple solution is to not support a team who play in a different city

But you can't choose who you support, can you?

 

[69FACUPfinal]

But you can't choose who you support, can you?

So true. Your team chooses you. Well in my case anyway,both parents, neither of whom from Manc, had no influence whatsoever when City, or should I say Nelly Young chose me in April '69. It's a pain if you live far away, I was lucky to be local.

 

[Cellarite]

If people pay for a ticket they can complain if they don’t feel entertained. That’s part of paying to be entertained. You’re coming across as a bit of a tit.

Of course they can. You can read my posts back but I'm a bit bored of explaining what I said. For the last time, I was pissed off myself. I thought we needed the win to avoid the play-off. I walked back to the car on Grimshaw Lane ranting about Pep's selection and the performance of a lot of the line up. What I didn't do though, was bring my 5 hour round drive into it, because it was my choice to move away from Manchester in 2000. I go to watch City because I choose to and don't expect extra credit for travelling, nor do I expect Pep to consider my travel time when he names the team. Is that clear? Tit.