Liverpool v City 1st leg CL Qtr Final post match

[BlueAnorak]

One of the most painful things is that we lost because players couldn't take the pressure.

I don't think Pep s system helped, but at the end of the day, he's set out a game plan which means you absorb their kamikaze pressing, you let them do it, the game is incredibly scrappy and its unpleasant but you survive it, and then you punish them when they get tired.

That would have worked if not for the fact that some of our players seemingly can't take the pressure.

Sané giving the ball away for the first goal...He must have had it so deeply ingrained in him that the one thing he doesnt do is give the ball away when we've got 9 men up for a corner. He panics and does just that.

The third goal is a shambles in so many ways, but Otamendi must know that if he is going to carry the ball out of defence 30 yards, he can not lose it cheaply. He panics and does exactly that.


IMO Pep's biggest mistake here was adopting a strategy that relied on cool heads prevailing, with players doing what they usually do and accepting 30 minutes under pressure.

I'm reminded of last season when Pep said the Monaco defeat was his fault because he didn't convince the players to play his way. He couldn't give them enough belief to do what he said and think things would turn out OK.

I think the same happened yesterday.

I love Pep and I'd like to agree with you but when Fern (or replacement) gets overloaded we die horribly as a team.
How many times does it have to happen till Pep puts in place a scheme to counter it? The full backs are pressed back, there is no passing path to reach our forward-wide players and a screen of midfielders block Fern, full backs and centre halves from getting the ball to Silva and KDB.
Once? (Everton), Twice? (Monaco). Thrice? (Liverpool) and yesterday Liverpool again.
It's like banging your head against a brick wall.
At some point it will click - well I hope it does.
Inverting the central midfield (to create a double pivot) and moving the wide forwards slightly i side woukd do it. Indeed I thought that was why Gundogan was playying yesterday - but no.- it was more of the same.

 

[purplenose]

Watching the highlights now on bt....really shocking how poor we applied ourselves in that first 45mins. The game from liverpool wasnt that great to be honest watching this again

This...Liverpool did nothing outstanding just put 100% effort chased everything and put away the chances they had. We were the exact opposite and for whatever reason performed more like a relegation favourite than Champions elect and an infinity from potential European Champions.

As some have pointed out whilst disappointing it should be remembered this is just Peps second season here and he is probably further forward with this team than we should really expect. Last night was a rather more graphic illustration than expected that there is an awful lot of work to do before the current side warrants a place with the great sides of the Premier League era.

 

[eternalred]

There is absolutely no doubt we are now the scousers cup final. They raise their game significantly above their norm when they play us. They believe they have the Indian sign over us and in a lot of respects they do and it is a problem for us the longer it goes on. They now love
playing us.

We don't love playing you at all. You have one of the best teams in the world and smashed five past us earlier this season. We did not want to draw you.

It's not so much that we raise our game against you (although Liverpool always raise their game - or, at least, try to raise their game - in European knock-out stages), it's that Guardiola's style of play is perfectly suited to Klopp's style of play. Plenty of worse teams have beat us this season by simply parking the bus, including your neighbours. Guardiola sets up his team that is susceptible to Klopp's high press. If it works, that plays right into our hands (like last night); if it doesn't work, it plays right into your hands (like the beating we had at your place earlier in the season). Either way, it usually makes for an entertaining game - unlike with Mourhino's teams.

This tie is far from over and it's bizarre that there's so much pessimism on here. You're likely to score 3+ at home and we're more than capable of conceding 3+

 

[Bert Trautmanns Helemet]

We don't love playing you at all. You have one of the best teams in the world and smashed five past us earlier this season. We did not want to draw you.

It's not so much that we raise our game against you (although Liverpool always raise their game - or, at least, try to raise their game - in European knock-out stages), it's that Guardiola's style of play is perfectly suited to Klopp's style of play. Plenty of worse teams have beat us this season by simply parking the bus, including your neighbours. Guardiola sets up his team that is susceptible to Klopp's high press. If it works, that plays right into our hands (like last night); if it doesn't work, it plays right into your hands (like the beating we had at your place earlier in the season). Either way, it usually makes for an entertaining game - unlike with Mourhino's teams.

This tie is far from over and it's bizarre that there's so much pessimism on here. You're likely to score 3+ at home and we're more than capable of conceding 3+

I have to disagree. Our shockingly bad record against you lot (particularly at Anfield) goes back a long, long way.
We are your cup final now regardless of if you like it or not or admit or not.
I think a lot of us are now beginning to realise and understand exactly why the rags despise you as they do.
As a club and a collective group of people you are very easy to dislike.

 

[abu13]

I've got to say that I was beyond fuming last night but I've calmed down now and have reflected on it.
Firstly, there were 3 key decisions that went against us, the first goal being offside and our goal being ruled out for offside when it was perfectly good. And a stonewall penalty not given. Now I am not complaining about any of them but it shows that lady luck was not in our corner last night. if one of those three decisions had gone our way then we would have been in a better position on Tuesday.
Salah's first was going straight at Kompany on the line until Edersons fingertips took it around him, that is another example of how things were against us.
Added to this I can not recall a game where every deflection, blocked shot or richocet fell to an opposition player, it just wasn't our night.
I have to admit I quite liked the line up when the team was named but in hindsight we destroyed a system that has served us so well all season, in this regard I think Pep fucked up.
That said he will feel badly let down by some of the players last night who just froze.

I think the best we can hope for is an early goal on Tuesday, I can't see us getting 4 in 90 minutes but maybe we can win the game 3:0 and then take it to extra time.

 

[mancityscot]

I have to disagree. Our shockingly bad record against you lot (particularly at Anfield) goes back a long, long way.
We are your cup final now regardless of if you like it or not or admit or not.
I think a lot of us are now beginning to realise and understand exactly why the rags despise you as they do.
As a club and a collective group of people you are very easy to dislike.

nail on head

 

[Machiavelli]

First post, long time reader but wanted to vent after last night!

Spineless and too used to having things our own way unfortunately. Pep outthought by Klopp and changing a team/formation thats worked so well all season backfired massively.

When they fly out of the blocks (which was always going to happen at home!) and it got tough we folded, the same as we did in the league tie at Anfield. No excuses to concede 4 in 15 mins the first time around and 3 in 25mins last night. Tie effectively over at HT

Special note to Jesus,I genuinely really rate him but have never seen a more anonymous performance, must have had less than 20 touches all game!!

BUT...

One trophy in the bag with another hopefully in the bag at weekend, we can't complain at all, just a shame we didn't get chance to use the 2nd leg being played at home to its full advantage

Welcome. Are you related to big yaya wilko & wilky?

 

[eternalred]

I have to disagree. Our shockingly bad record against you lot (particularly at Anfield) goes back a long, long way.
We are your cup final now regardless of if you like it or not or admit or not.
I think a lot of us are now beginning to realise and understand exactly why the rags despise you as they do.
As a club and a collective group of people you are very easy to dislike.

Sorry to hear that.

Your shockingly bad record against us, as you put it, does go back a long way but don't forget that for a quite a bit of that time, we had better teams than you so it was to be expected.

You now have one of the best teams in the world. The idea that we can just "raise our game" to beat you doesn't follow. If that were the case, we would be beating United every season as that game is treated like a cup final, for historical reasons. And the last time we met in an actual cup final, you won.

 

[cleavers]

One of the most painful things is that we lost because players couldn't take the pressure.

I don't think Pep s system helped, but at the end of the day, he's set out a game plan which means you absorb their kamikaze pressing, you let them do it, the game is incredibly scrappy and its unpleasant but you survive it, and then you punish them when they get tired.

That would have worked if not for the fact that some of our players seemingly can't take the pressure.

Sané giving the ball away for the first goal...He must have had it so deeply ingrained in him that the one thing he doesnt do is give the ball away when we've got 9 men up for a corner. He panics and does just that.

The third goal is a shambles in so many ways, but Otamendi must know that if he is going to carry the ball out of defence 30 yards, he can not lose it cheaply. He panics and does exactly that.


IMO Pep's biggest mistake here was adopting a strategy that relied on cool heads prevailing, with players doing what they usually do and accepting 30 minutes under pressure.

I'm reminded of last season when Pep said the Monaco defeat was his fault because he didn't convince the players to play his way. He couldn't give them enough belief to do what he said and think things would turn out OK.

I think the same happened yesterday.

My first comment on last night, and I pretty much agree with everything you've said, panic set in when they scored, and lasted for 35 minutes until Pep could get them in and have some words, he must have despaired about that first half (minus the first 10 minutes), and the way we played in the second half showed that we can control them.

Its still not certain, but I'm not sure we can stop them scoring, so we may need 5 in the second leg, a tough task, with them being where they are, but hopefully he'll use Monaco, to build them up for what can still be done.

 

[gingerprince]

Peps decision to position Gundogan in row 3 of their main stand in the first half was the precursor
to the majority of issues. Basically led to us playing with 10 men versus Liverpool press in 1st Half.
With one man less to pass out of defence to, led to poor decisions or poor passing from back five,
so giving away possession too easily and too close to our goal.
Walker usually so effective going forward really had no forward based relationship with Gundogan.
Laporte was never going to drive forward to link effectively with Sane so that was left to Kevin and
that effectively left Silva on his own in the middle ahead of Fernandinho. Silva isolated from Kevin
with Gundogan in Row 3 ended up with less options to work with and usually ended up passing it
backwards or suicide pass to Jesus or losing possession in the press.
As a result of Gundogan in row 3, there was little service from the right into Jesus and after x15 mins
little service from the left either as Liverpool concentrated their defence and midfield from the centre
line to Sane and Kevin to outnumber them as they realised no pace, drive or threat from opposite wing.

Will still smash the rags come Saturday