Lyon CL QF Post-Match Thread

[andypandy]

Pep has shown loyalty to players who are either past their prime (gundo and Fernandinho) or worse who don't want to stay with us (Garcia). This impacts players like Foden, Bernardo Stones etc.
I do think the club is at a crossroad as Pep only has 1 year left
The owner, Khaldoon etc must be asking questions as it's clear we have regressed since the treble season and by quite some distance - just look at who we have lost to this season and the number of losses
In Europe another failure and not even a glorious one.

 

[vmsuhail]

Where does this bollocks come from?

Did you not see the Arsenal game where we got done by a team using exactly Lyons tactics and formation? Did you not see the Norwich game, Wolves, Spurs, United, Southampton?

Lyon are better than all of them. There's every chance we lost just as easily in a 433.

Pep doesn't make these changes for a laugh, he does it because we've got massive weaknesses that good teams have exploited all season.

I cannot understand the deluded arrogance to think we would have been untouchable in a 433 when we have seen its not true all season long.

To unlock a watertight defence, we need midfielders who can dribble and take on players, and make quick inch perfect passes to the forwards. Gundogan, Rodri and Dinho don't dribble and are not suited for the intricate pass and move game, and KDB was on the wings. How exactly does Pep's tactics/personnel helped against Lyon yesterday?

 

[ctid1894]

García isn’t even that good. A kid who doesn’t see his future with us, is too small and is criminally slow for a centre half.. gifted the opportunity to play in our biggest game of the season. I would rather have seen Ottamendi play than García

Garcia's the only one who read the danger for their first goal last night, had the pace to get back and make a quite brilliant tackle. The experienced players around him let him down; Laporte and Walker both let their men go and didn't get back in. I know people are angry and upset with Garcia (I am too) for his change of heart regarding his contract but he's no worse in current form than anyone else, he's simply singled out because of an off field decision which isn't fair.

 

[chaddblue]

pep seems to have some strange infatuation with Gundogan and García

God knows what the likes of both Silvas, Foden, Stones and Otamendi are thinking this morning being left out for these two

It was an insult to David, could expediate Bernardo’s departure and Phil must be totally confused

 

[GoatersLeftShin]

It was an absolute horror show last night from the 1st to the 90th minute.

As everyone has said, the line up was absolutely wretched. Rodri, Gundogan and Fernandinho are just too slow. Given Lyon are a quick team it's astonishing that Foden - one of the best players since the restart - was dropped. He is quick, nippy and puts a shift in and that's exactly what we needed yesterday. A static, immobile midfield was always going to make it hard to feed the front line and that's what happened. I think Fernandinho is one of the best players we've had at the club and I think Gundogan and Rodri are good players too. However, two of them need to leave the club to stop Pep picking them. If last night we'd had a midfield 4 of KdB, Foden, Silva and Rodri I think we'd have had enough pace and stamina to stop them playing.

The formation was also absolutely wretched and it wasn't clear what it was supposed to be - the players were as clueless as I was. Choosing a back 3 when it's not something the players have done well before was cretinous. Why would you play a different team to the one that soundly beat Real Madrid? Lyon are NOT a patch on Real yet we tinkered our winning team for them! We've not other games to think about. Lyon "Liverpool'd" us last night - they pressed and won the ball and just hit it into space behind the defence. Garcia is not quick enough, nor strong enough to cope with the players he was up against. Laporte - was he playing? The defence looked hopeless - an absolute mess and it was clear after 15 minutes what would happen. Yet he didn't change it. The changes were too little, too late. Mahrez should've started as he has been in good form this year.

What I'm more concerned about though is that this is another European big game where we've conceeded 3 goals. From memory I can remember the 5 from Monaco, 3 from Liverpool, 4 from Spurs and now 3 from Lyon. This isn't a reaction to losing one knock out game, it's a pattern now. In the last 4 years we've been beaten heavily and we look no nearer to understanding why. In truth, whilst I think Koulibaly will be a great signing, there's nothing he can do if the system he's asked to play in stinks. Cancelo is plainly a good player but it's plain as day that a right footed left back isn't going to be a long term solution.

We never, ever seem to have a game where just 1 or 2 players are below par. We either all play well, or all poorly. When their 3rd goal went in, he looked physically sick and shaken. It's getting to him this losing streak. One thing I've jokingly said in the past is that we should have a manager for European games - and I'm starting to come round to believing it as an idea.

Pep needs to have a long, hard think about this. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of European football so I'm not fussed if we don't win the CL. However, given that the board do, he has to get it right and get it right fast.

The board need to start thinking about next season. The first thing we need to know is whether he is extending his contract.

 

[momo88]

Sterling has always been hit and miss and we made individual mistakes. That is true but perhaps if you give the players the best possible preparation and strategy they will have performed better. Selecting a pedestiran midfield/central defender was a mistake and he keeps making mistakes in iimportant games.

I know he's a genius but maybe he has a flaw.

True
Not sure but i don't think many will slate Sterling. The game was lost since the firdt minutes, i repeat myself as i posted, the same as liverpool spurs and Monaco

Sterling set up the first goal, gave the pass that Jesus should have buried it to make it 2-1.

If Sterling miss was against Bayern then yes, it is Bayern you are not going to get many chances but against fucking Lyon who are playing with 2 CB one city reject Denayer who couldn't make up 1 st team and the other Marcal ( i think) who came to Lyon from Besiktas! Not your typical top drawer CB but yesterday you would think they are better than Laporte, Fernandinho and Garcia (shift him)

So what Gaurdiola need prime Maldini, Baresi, Cafu and Alves to make it into semi final?

 

[Withnail]

Garcia's the only one who read the danger for their first goal last night, had the pace to get back and make a quite brilliant tackle. The experienced players around him let him down; Laporte and Walker both let their men go and didn't get back in. I know people are angry and upset with Garcia (I am too) for his change of heart regarding his contract but he's no worse in current form than anyone else, he's simply singled out because of an off field decision which isn't fair.

Garcia did well to get the tackle in, but he has not got any pace.

 

[chickaroon]

Absolutely. If a player gets in the keepers view he is deemed to be interfering. When a player leaves the ball for a teammate to run onto, you see them raise their hands over his head to say, I am not involved. This guy actually touched the ball and probably got a late call from the scorer.

 

[St.Pauli support]

Pep always comments on our mentality when it comes to Europe. He points out that compared to other clubs we are still trying to find that arrogance in the competition. He then undermines that by playing three defensive midfielders rather than our best team and makes the team play within themselves. The arrogance should come from playing the way we do all year against the top teams and winning. We need to get over the inferiority complex in the competition and that needs to start with Pep.

Spot on.
The coach is the leader of a team, and a leader has to lead.
The line-up was a negative message.
And to be honest, seeing Pep on his knees when we concede doesn't fit my view of a big relaxed man but of some childish, nervy wreck.

Compare Pep to Klopp.
Pep has more style, more tactical class. But Klopp's a mentality monster and surprise, surprise his players are as well and somehow win
even though we all can see they aren't the best skilled players.

Pep is criminally underrating the mental part of the game - or he is unable to address it just because he hasn't that part in his character.
Then he would have to outsource that mental aspect to an expert or he will never win the CL (without prime Messi).

End of the day you have to sign winners. Characters who can stand high mental pressure and deliver. Bayern follow that line and unlikeable or not Neuer, Muller, Kimmich and Goretzka have it. We have not enough of those in our squad, and we know it.

 

[kwm1988]

Very disappointing night , looks like pep has overthought it again in the champions league, agree with most other posters about team selection, I can understand the need to be slightly pragmatic, as Lyon beat us twice last season ? And are a decent side .
But to play rodri gundogan and 5 at the back was bit ridiculous.
Considering we’ve not used that formation all season also , to play it in our biggest game Is pretty unforgivable, all due respect to Lyon aswell there not Bayern or prime Barca .
Shown them way too much respect.
Sterling miss was awful but don’t wanna be too critical of him as he’s been one of our best players.
But he had to bury it no excuses , 3rd Lyon goal shocking parry from Ederson aswell from a nothing shot .
Lyon had 6 shots on goal , 3 goals scored , running theme really all season , teams need one or two chances to score agains us .
Love pep and would never call for him to be sacked , but i don’t think he’ll ever win Europe with us .
Think there’s been signs this season that his time may coming to an end , intensity has totally dropped off , and he’s just had a look of resignation about him in a lot of our defeats ?
Ma he’s burned out a bit , he doesn’t normally stay this long at a club , I dunno .
tough one to get over this result though ,doesn’t feel like we went out to the better team , more we have shot ourselves in the foot again .