Liverpool (H) | PL | Post Match Thread

[alexmcity]

I complained after Madrid that there was no fight. The fight was there yesterday but we aren't good enough which is more than acceptable (see - no entitlement) KDB shouldn't be near any top game now. Even to save his own legacy because he looks absolutely shot.

Agree that Kevin shouldn't be starting vs. top teams but his legacy doesn't depend on his current performances. Kevin is a legend, not only our legend but also a PL legend. Wouldn't be surprised if he did put in a top performance in some of the remaining games.

 

[thegoatsthegoat]

Agree that Kevin shouldn't be starting vs. top teams but his legacy doesn't depend on his current performances. Kevin is a legend, not only our legend but also a PL legend. Wouldn't be surprised if he did put in a top performance in some of the remaining games.

Of course, but there is nothing worse than seeing what once was a world class player, play as horribly poor as he was yesterday. Of course he might put in a top performance between now and the end of the season. It will be against a Leicester type of team though. Games like yesterday and Madrid at home he shouldn't be anywhere near. We actually looked livelier the second he went off yesterday,

 

[bellsouth]

If we’re honest this was low quality game, both sides not performing to their best. The difference was they could park a bus after going ahead. And frankly we both hit a number of shots straight at the keepers, but they got the only telling deflection - that was luck (not that I’m saying we were unlucky to lose) and it’s often these small margins that are the difference

 

[.db.]

Both managers on City




I don’t know what all the moaning is about really. We played well, just lacked creativity in the final third and quality with the last thing we did. We had an inexperienced team who have not played together all that much and were a combination of players who hadn’t won much for us (4 of that stating XI have only just joined us this season, 2 others only joined last season and one other is only 20 and been a bit part player until this season) yet we did reasonably well against the best side in the league.

A few individual players weren’t great, but as a unit we did well for almost all but a few moments in the game.

 

[Hgblue2]

Of course, but there is nothing worse than seeing what once was a world class player, play as horribly poor as he was yesterday. Of course he might put in a top performance between now and the end of the season. It will be against a Leicester type of team though. Games like yesterday and Madrid at home he shouldn't be anywhere near. We actually looked livelier the second he went off yesterday,

I think Pep is having a hard time being as ruthless as he probably needs to be with club legends who have been a huge part of his success over the years. Understandable I suppose, but the irony is he's exposing how far they've fallen from their peak. Sad to see.

 

[thegoatsthegoat]

Both managers on City

View attachment 147812


I don’t know what all the moaning is about really. We played well, just lacked creativity in the final third and quality with the last thing we did. We had an inexperienced team who have not played together all that much and were a combination of players who hadn’t won much for us, yet we did reasonably well against the best side in the league.

A few individual players weren’t great, but as a unit we did well for almost all but a few moments in the game.

All hunky dory then.

Liverpool were playing in second gear for me, had we actually managed to have a meaningful shot at goal, they'd have upped it a notch. It wasn't terrible you are right. Much better than the other drummings we have been on the end of but it is ultimately another defeat, another game looking lost for creative ideas and boring sideways passing. Lewis, Foden and Kev all terrible. Hard to find many positives during this time.

 

[paulchapo]

 

[spiny]

I thought we had one of the best team performances for a while. What we saw was the drop in quality in the City players not helped by injuries to key players.

 

[noseve]

They were 2nd best but had an end product called Mo fucking Salah. The Champions elect and best in the world managed 34% possession, defended with 11 men and played counter attacking football, gash.

Saying that they 'managed' 34% suggests that they wanted more - debatable, perhaps, that.

But why did they come with that gameplan (I'm sure it was the plan, they could no doubt have stepped it up if necessary)?

Because we are so predictable, and they came with no fear whatsoever.
We might have had them second-guessing themselves for a while, after our encouraging start, but after that point the game probably went pretty much as they expected.
It all felt inevitable, really.

 

[noseve]

Just wondering has Arnold been able to unravel his legs yet, because Doku had him tied up in knots today and was my M.O.T.M.

It was brilliant to see TAA running around like a headless chicken :-) , but that was just a cameo. Which one has bragging rights at the end of the day?
If our full back was skinned a dozen times or more, I don't think that we'd have kept a clean sheet, somehow.

 

[cityontheup]

Yeah, I agree we got it wrong and lessons need to be learned.

I'm not sure we got the timing right with Kompany necessarily, we just got very, very lucky with Dias.

The more I look at us the more I think we tried to get our timings right with Kalvin (a box to box that could also do back up for Rodri) but got it wrong and our plans since have been trying to mask that absolute fuck up (Kova, bringing Gundo back) which had them had a knock-on for other parts of the squad.

Some of its just bad luck. Whatever surgery/illness Foden had last year has done a number on him in ways I don't think we fully appreciate.

Sorry for jumping in on your conversation, you are correct about future planning needs to be better and Pep understands that and hinted at such in his chat with Warnock ( see vid)

 

[mattcity5]

Saying that they 'managed' 34% suggests that they wanted more - debatable, perhaps, that.

But why did they come with that gameplan (I'm sure it was the plan, they could no doubt have stepped it up if necessary)?

Because we are so predictable, and they came with no fear whatsoever.
We might have had them second-guessing themselves for a while, after our encouraging start, but after that point the game probably went pretty much as they expected.
It all felt inevitable, really.

I dont disagree with you, but I will say that any team in the world struggles to break down a deep 6-4-0 formation like they played for large periods of the game. We tried to go round the outside, but when the crosses came in they had numbers there and blocked/cleared it. We tried shooting from distance, mostly blocked.

I'm not totally sure what extra we could do. Some cleverer setpieces might have been a possibility I guess.

Biggest issue for me though was how fast their players broke forward compared to how fast our players got back to help. They outnumbered us in their penalty area and then often when they broke they were close to out numbering us in our area. Something's wrong there.

 

[Roachy]

I dont disagree with you, but I will say that any team in the world struggles to break down a deep 6-4-0 formation like they played for large periods of the game. We tried to go round the outside, but when the crosses came in they had numbers there and blocked/cleared it. We tried shooting from distance, mostly blocked.

I'm not totally sure what extra we could do. Some cleverer setpieces might have been a possibility I guess.

Biggest issue for me though was how fast their players broke forward compared to how fast our players got back to help. They outnumbered us in their penalty area and then often when they broke they were close to out numbering us in our area. Something's wrong there.

The first way to address it is to not give stupid twatting goals away. As soon we're 2 down they don't need to anything other than what they did.

 

[eyalluvitt]

I dont disagree with you, but I will say that any team in the world struggles to break down a deep 6-4-0 formation like they played for large periods of the game. We tried to go round the outside, but when the crosses came in they had numbers there and blocked/cleared it. We tried shooting from distance, mostly blocked.

I'm not totally sure what extra we could do. Some cleverer setpieces might have been a possibility I guess.

Biggest issue for me though was how fast their players broke forward compared to how fast our players got back to help. They outnumbered us in their penalty area and then often when they broke they were close to out numbering us in our area. Something's wrong there.

Was weird, we attack their box it’s 3 v 10 , they attack our box it’s 3 v 3

 

[invisibleandalone]

100% - comments like they never got of 2nd gear, or they toyed with us are absolute bollocks. Simple difference is they are clinical up front and capitalised on our suspect defending. Haaland plays and we win that. Liverpool will win the league by default, but they will be the shittest team to do so for a while.

Also, their fans are wank, Up there with the worst to visit the etihad this season.

Still singing songs every other clubs stopped singing in the 70's

 

[invisibleandalone]

Apart from the offside attempt by Marmoush in the first half and the shot he had after their goal was ruled out, I can’t think of any clear cut chances we created. Liverpool sat in a good shape which nullified anything City could do. Haaland missing made us look very lightweight up top and Liverpool knew they could sit and then pick the 2nd balls up and break when required. We started the game alright but when the goals went in the panic set in and out players started to hide from wanting the ball.

Two passive performances against two teams in Madrid and Liverpool whom City have caused a lot of psychological damage to over recent years. How do we get that back?

You do realise the injury situation at City don't you ? As for Liverpools shape, do you mean cramming every player into their penalty box for the majority of the game ??

 

[Norbert D]

Hopefully Pep was saying “ok so we agree £500k per week for two years, see you in the States”

 

[its grim up north]

This is Pep all over, was it only a fortnight ago when he was called condescending and getting big shit for talking to a losing teams player. What have they to say about this?

 

[heslops barnet]

I dont disagree with you, but I will say that any team in the world struggles to break down a deep 6-4-0 formation like they played for large periods of the game. We tried to go round the outside, but when the crosses came in they had numbers there and blocked/cleared it. We tried shooting from distance, mostly blocked.

I'm not totally sure what extra we could do. Some cleverer setpieces might have been a possibility I guess.

Biggest issue for me though was how fast their players broke forward compared to how fast our players got back to help. They outnumbered us in their penalty area and then often when they broke they were close to out numbering us in our area. Something's wrong there.

Our players are fuked?

 

[BlueMonkey79]

Starting with the loss to Spurs in October we went P13, W1, D3, L9. Champions of England going 13 games with 1 win.

Yes, I'd say that's falling off a cliff. We've barely recovered since and were it not for the points we gained early in the season we'd be nowhere near 4th.

And unless something drastic changes, we won't be staying in the top 4 either. And honestly, I don't see any drastic changes coming. I think Pep will carry on using KDB when the guy is shot after 5 minutes, carry on relying on Gundugan, carry on leaving Foden on when he's clearly having a mare or cant be arsed, carry on playing Lewis ahead of Grealish. Carry on not making subs when it plainly isn't working. etc etc etc.

And we will carry on dominating possession, labouring away fruitlessly in front of the oppositions' packed defenses and then watching them score for fun when they have the ball for 2 minutes. With this hopeless formula, right now there is barely a team I would be confident we'd beat.

Sorry but that's how I see it. Of course we should and will fight on, and it's far from the end of the world. But this season is finished IMO. I just hope next season is better.

Spot on