Lyon (H) - Post Match Thread

[doobyedoobye]

We underestimated Lyon big time and that showed in the team selection.

 

[mancity1]

For me, we have had a few key players not playing anywhere near their best for a few games now. That said, the game revolves around two defensive mistakes that were punished...that’s what CL teams do against us! I remember Napoli at home years ago. 1-1. Think it was Cavani who broke and scored. No one doubted he would score. That’s just not the way it is for us, unfortunately. Even the stats for tonight make it look like we should have won 3-1.

We look stale, predictable and lacking a killer instinct. Last few games have been worst I’ve seen Fernandinho and Silva play in a long time, Mahrez looks lost, Jesus is battling for nothing, we look even shakier than usual on the counter against us. Too much space to slot the ball in to clinical finishers and only Ederson’s fingertips save that game from getting away from us completely.

Time to regroup and understand who we are and what we can do...and find a few different solutions with the squad we have. We have not lost it overnight, and I would pay to be at the training ground this week!

The hunger of last season is not there at present CB, its been a few years since a side went back to back and Ferny and Silva while still more than competent to hold their own in the league are not getting any younger and are more suspect in the tackle on the European stage than they have ever been.

For whatever reason and perhaps its mental as much as anything else its beyond us to repeat the efforts after a title winning season.

We can still do it but whether the squad is prepared to do it is another matter.

I am a big believer in bringing in at least 3 new players each season to freshen the squad and keep players looking over their shoulders.

Fear is a great motivator and most of the players don't have to look over their shoulders at present or at least don't believe they do.

That's where Pep will hopefully keep his mark as an elite manager of the game no matter the mindset of players and as you say the inability to get near their best week in week out.

 

[Ken92]

For me, we have had a few key players not playing anywhere near their best for a few games now. That said, the game revolves around two defensive mistakes that were punished...that’s what CL teams do against us! I remember Napoli at home years ago. 1-1. Think it was Cavani who broke and scored. No one doubted he would score. That’s just not the way it is for us, unfortunately. Even the stats for tonight make it look like we should have won 3-1.

We look stale, predictable and lacking a killer instinct. Last few games have been worst I’ve seen Fernandinho and Silva play in a long time, Mahrez looks lost, Jesus is battling for nothing, we look even shakier than usual on the counter against us. Too much space to slot the ball in to clinical finishers and only Ederson’s fingertips save that game from getting away from us completely.

Time to regroup and understand who we are and what we can do...and find a few different solutions with the squad we have. We have not lost it overnight, and I would pay to be at the training ground this week!

Our defence is looking bad the whole first month this season,we have conceded easy goals almost every game we have played

 

[vmsuhail]

Dmitri Seluk has posted the match score with the "Pep voodoo" picture in Twitter. Some obsession that.

 

[balotellishaircut]

I don't wanna hear a peep out of our players for the next 4 weeks, just let your football do the talking ffs, and keep your gobs shut especially to the press.

 

[oddfellows]

You seem to have a superfluous S at the end of your username.

And your point other than being both trivial and personal is?

 

[BLUEMATT23]

We looked knackered and tired last night.
Is the drop off season after winning the league issue happening again?

 

[rnblade]

Why the fcuk was Walker taking a free kick? Others shooting from 25 yards plus?
There was no movement for the player on the ball. We were static and always going sideways or looking for the backward pass.
Well done to Lyon, they stick to their game plan and it worked. We were very lucky it wasn’t 3 or 4.
Even I could see it wasn’t working after 20 mins. There was no slickness or desire, we seemed happy to be just going through the motions thinking we would win. Massive slap down.
Shockingly poor positional management. Gundogan needs to go, he offers nothing to our attacking speed, when he receives the ball, it all slows down to a walking pace. He wasn’t the only culprit, ALL OF THEM should take responsibility for this defeat. Poor across the board.
I feel for Berni, he’s been shoved out wide to get Gundog in the team and he was shocking. His place is midfield, his energy and vision should be utilised there!!!!
Rant over.

We better perform well at Cardiff or things will start to get difficult very quickly.

 

[feedmpenzaandhewillscore]

We looked knackered and tired last night.
Is the drop off season after winning the league issue happening again?

Feels a bit like the 12/13 and 14/15 seasons again. We have the personnel to go climb the mountain again but I don’t think the hunger is there.

They aren’t doing what they were doing last season in midfield which is smashing into tackles within a few seconds of the ball being lost. Starving the other team of the ball and waring them down by having to chase it.

It’s been there to see from the Wolves game onwards, Fernandinho needs some time on the bench as he looks knackered, however who do you replace him with? Spending the money on Mahrez rather than spending the money on Jorginho looks like a massive fuck up.

 

[Citizen in Pakistan]

Early season dud performances are acceptable than faltering mid way through. Hopefully the result would kill the complacency in minds.

 

[worsleyweb]

I posted on here the very first time I saw a pre season training video. The whole thing looked half hearted and less intense. A very average start to the season.

 

[Tricky_Trev]

People can bring out the fucking rag comments as per usual, but I comment on what I see and nothing more. No blue-tinted specs, just an assessment of the reality. This team is showing all the hallmarks of the last 2 title defences. It’s literally the same mental qualities on show, but a different way of playing. Ultimately however, the lack of the correct mental approach completely nullifies any tactical gains from having a better manager than the last two attempts to defend our title. People can refuse to acknowledge it, but without a dramatic shift in our players’ application, our outlook this season is the same. There’s no intensity, no tempo, our pressure is sporadic whereas it used to be relentless. Everyone sniggers at people that realise ‘do you know what, Liverpool look good for the title’. They refuse to accept it. But we’re not doing anything to show we want the title more than them. And we don’t look like we believe we can win the Champions League, so we won’t. I really don’t know what it is about these players following success. I feel like we’re in need of a rousing Vinnie speech at the training ground this week, he needs to crack some skulls and make everyone realise we have set ourselves standards that must be kept.

 

[Indaparkside]

Not read the thread but I honestly couldn't give a shit about the champions League, let's get out and concentrate on the league the dippers won't have the squad to compete in both competions, so can see us opening up a gap between us especially if they progress to the semis etc

 

[grant1977]

Hopefully wrong but I feel Peps first season is back. So far this season yes we have won but no where near the level of last year. I’m
Pissed off about last night but that was a woeful performance against a very average side. Something isn’t ticking

 

[BlueMoonz1977]

People can bring out the fucking rag comments as per usual, but I comment on what I see and nothing more. No blue-tinted specs, just an assessment of the reality. This team is showing all the hallmarks of the last 2 title defences. It’s literally the same mental qualities on show, but a different way of playing. Ultimately however, the lack of the correct mental approach completely nullifies any tactical gains from having a better manager than the last two attempts to defend our title. People can refuse to acknowledge it, but without a dramatic shift in our players’ application, our outlook this season is the same. There’s no intensity, no tempo, our pressure is sporadic whereas it used to be relentless. Everyone sniggers at people that realise ‘do you know what, Liverpool look good for the title’. They refuse to accept it. But we’re not doing anything to show we want the title more than them. And we don’t look like we believe we can win the Champions League, so we won’t. I really don’t know what it is about these players following success. I feel like we’re in need of a rousing Vinnie speech at the training ground this week, he needs to crack some skulls and make everyone realise we have set ourselves standards that must be kept.

Totally agree. I do believe that Sane and Mahrez played well when they came on, but the others need to look at themselves in the mirror and ask themselves do they believe that this performance on an individual level was good - the answer for me and all us who witnessed it is a resounding no.

For me we missed a trick not getting Fernan replacement, but thats done now. Pep will be going ballistic today at the whole lot of them....as we have seen he wont take people downing tools. It just wasnt good enough last night, the players approach was like you said. Not a chance Pep last night could make that many changes as the majority of the team out their were dross

They need to realise that last year is done and dusted, they have to show they want to the best again. Nothing less

 

[citytilllidie]

Arteta out!

 

[waspish]

If that's Pep's new tactics for this competition he needs to throw them in the bin and start again.

While KDB is out Bernardo has to start centrally every game. Gundogan and Jesus for me are only players to come off the bench, we look weak when both start. I am not convinced our central defence is aggressive enough without one of Ottamendi or Kompany. Delphs cock up tonight but for me Walker and at times Stones have total switch off moments every game, often costing us.

Fernandihno and D. Silva are starting to look like time is catching up with them in the middle. When our play breaks down teams are pouring through our midfield and that is why the dippers who have pace keep turning us over. Until we rectify this we will never win the champions league, better teams exploit it.

Early days but we must as a top priority get a very good DM in as soon as possible.

Nope the main problem was Fernandinho he is knackeref played every game and at his age it caught up tonight slow on ball slack passing closed down quickly lost ball and was at fault for both goals the guy needs looking after and rested in certain games.

 

[citytilllidie]

Seriously though, Lyon pressed us and targeted Fernandinho. They played like a Liverpool team and were awesome on the counter. That is the template for taking this City team on

 

[Toney’s bookie]

We’re also missing KDB more than I thought we would. Nobody is stepping up (disclaimer: Bernado hasn’t got much chance stuck out wasted wide).

 

[eversince 76]

People can bring out the fucking rag comments as per usual, but I comment on what I see and nothing more. No blue-tinted specs, just an assessment of the reality. This team is showing all the hallmarks of the last 2 title defences. It’s literally the same mental qualities on show, but a different way of playing. Ultimately however, the lack of the correct mental approach completely nullifies any tactical gains from having a better manager than the last two attempts to defend our title. People can refuse to acknowledge it, but without a dramatic shift in our players’ application, our outlook this season is the same. There’s no intensity, no tempo, our pressure is sporadic whereas it used to be relentless. Everyone sniggers at people that realise ‘do you know what, Liverpool look good for the title’. They refuse to accept it. But we’re not doing anything to show we want the title more than them. And we don’t look like we believe we can win the Champions League, so we won’t. I really don’t know what it is about these players following success. I feel like we’re in need of a rousing Vinnie speech at the training ground this week, he needs to crack some skulls and make everyone realise we have set ourselves standards that must be kept.

Totaly agree. It’s not just last nights match. It’s there to be seen. And we recognise it as we’ve been there twice.
Many on here prefer to shut their eyes and prefer to piss off Liverpool. I tell you what, if we end up priceless and in the same way as with Mancini and Pellegrini after winning the league, we have to get used to seeing Arteta on the touch line.