Madrid v City CL semi final 2nd leg

[Neville Kneville]

I agree with points one and 2 but not with point 3.

Bony could have been used to allow us to try something different. It was clear that our slow passing build up play was having zero positive effect and Bony could have given us the option to become a bit more direct and try something different. It's not that I think he deserved to play but it may have given their defence a different problem to deal with if we had thrown the ball into the box for Bony and Iheanacho in the last 10-15 mins. Having said that, when we play Bony we don't tend to change our style of play anyway (partly the reason he has been so ineffective for us) so it probably wouldn't have made any difference. I just hate to see us continuing to try something that clearly isn't working.

Bony, as he was when he came to City, could have played for Bayern v Atlectico on Tues & might easily have won them the game. The Bayern strikers finishing was abysmal. They must have played 30 balls in, exactly the kind Bony dreams of. That's tiki taki Pep's team, pummelling crosses in & it causing havoc.

But we are above that kind of football & wouldn't dream of playing balls into a centre forward, especially in the air. We just aim for the 6 yard box, along the ground, with our striker stood on the far side behind 3 defenders & the keeper or outside the penalty area.

And we repeat this over & over, week in week out, because sooner or later it will surely work.

Bony wouldn't have got a single ball if he'd come on & would end up hiding in midfield with Aguero.

 

[PragueBlue]

I agree with a lot of posters we should of started de bruyne central and put sterling on the wing they are the future not an aging yaya

KDB didn't stay on the wing though and drifted to central positions as often as he was wide and had little impact in either position.

 

[Neville Kneville]

I agree with a lot of posters we should of started de bruyne central and put sterling on the wing they are the future not an aging yaya

Sterling has been fucking terrible recently. If he'd showed anything in the last game, fair enough.

It's very much hindsight to suggest him as an option in this game. I'm no fan of Pellegrini but it's just not fair to suggest Sterling was a likely solution he should have picked.

 

[shemnel]

perfectly happy with the lineup.

the performance was gutting.

first half? yeah ok we went to stifle at least 60 mins of the game and, if you're being extremely generous to City, we got to the hour mark a single goal down. at this moment we should have pounced. we offered nothing.

 

[PragueBlue]

Bony, as he was when he came to City, could have played for Bayern v Atlectico on Tues & might easily have won them the game. The Bayern strikers finishing was abysmal. They must have played 30 balls in, exactly the kind Bony dreams of. That's tiki taki Pep's team, pummelling crosses in & it causing havoc.

But we are above that kind of football & wouldn't dream of playing balls into a centre forward, especially in the air. We just aim for the 6 yard box, along the ground, with our striker stood on the far side behind 3 defenders & the keeper or outside the penalty area.

And we repeat this over & over, week in week out, because sooner or later it will surely work.

Bony wouldn't have got a single ball if he'd come on & would end up hiding in midfield with Aguero.

Correct which is a shame as it has robbed us of a plan B. The last 10 mins should have been a siege of their goal but nothing of the sort materialised. Just side ways passing with no real aim.

 

[paulchapo]

An empty insipid performance in an empty insipid season which now hinges on two games. Anyone think we will have the guts and guile to win them both? No me neither!

 

[winchamblue]

I think we'll loose next two games as well.

 

[Neville Kneville]

Correct which is a shame as it has robbed us of a plan B. The last 10 mins should have been a siege of their goal but nothing of the sort materialised. Just side ways passing with no real aim.

This is the thing which pisses me off the most. We get 'exposed' in midfield & defence because we are an 'attacking' team. And the proof is because we are top scorers. Just ask Bournmouth & Newcastle.

The truth is we have no fucking idea how to attack, at all, v any half decent team which is up for a game & trying to stop us . And rely on individuals to come up with something as we have no team plan whatsoever.

When Pellegrini first arrived, with Negredo & Navas, that team was on another planet compared to this one. If he was still here next year, we'd be Villa.

 

[kevin horlocks wand]

Yet again with 10 minutes to go and a goal to score we fuckin are passing the ball around our back for minutes at a time. With 5 minutes to go I remember a typical bullshit city move wasting a minute or two for Madrid passing it around our back four. Even in injury time we were more concerned with keeping a back 4 than scoring. It's madness put mangala or oti upfront and play 3 at the back. Play direct and put them under pressure at that stage what do we have to lose.

Too slow too shit too much respect given.

The most disappointing thing is this has happened time and again under pellers. He never learns and is stubborn as fuck.

 

[Tbilisi]

Think we saved ourselves for Arsenal and Swansea