Madrid v City CL semi final 2nd leg

[bobmcfc]

Everyone didn't say that though, pre match thread was full of people saying it was the correct team, Yaya turns up in the big games blah blah blah. Personally id of played KDB behind Aguero, but based on what he did last night that wouldn'tof changed much.

Correct team or not they were sent out like lambs to the slaughter. We didn't even try to win that game. Now we will be lucky to qualify for the competition because of the tactical genius we have pulling the strings

 

[lazerblue]

Just think we spunked the fa cup and probably a place in the top four both to the rags for that

 

[PragueBlue]

What I object to, though, more than anything - and it was all over the TV last night and the papers this morning - is the belief that there is a simple recipe to follow which will win evry and any match. City should have been more intense, City should not have been so timid, City should have put pressure on their midfield, City should have got more men forward, City should have kept more men back... And so on until you're dizzy with it. We are talking about playing against the likes of Ronaldo, Modric, Kroos, Bale etc etc in a game they want to win as much as we did. All I will say is that we lost 1-0 over two legs to a club playing its 6th successive semi final. They won it in 2014 and for the last 3 years have been the most successful team in the competition. I'm disappointed but we clearly proved we are one of the best teams in Europe.

I think what bothers most people is that we never really went for it, not even with 20 mins left when we just needed one goal. I'd have preferred for us to lose 3-0 due to really pushing for a goal, then lose 1-0 without ever really trying to get that one goal we needed.

 

[stonerblue]

Last night I even put up with Ferdinand and Mcmanaman before and after the match and I've even read some of the match reports this morning in the papers and what a depressing experience it has been. Rok Keane has again put his oar in yet again just to show, it seems, that his hatred of City goes way beyond simply ending the career of one of our players.

I thought City did a lot that was right last night, not least in that they kept "the goal machine", Ronaldo, quiet and he didn't add to his 16 goals in this year's tournament. That's no mean feat. We lost our captain after 10 minutes but the much maligned Mangala and Otamendi played very well. The side which had scored 18 goals in 5 home matches never looked like keeping up that strike rate. But then there's the Real defence, which we were assured "would give City chances" and their midfield, which couldn't defend. This was never convincing since only two teams have actually scored against Real in the CL this season and no-one has scored at the Bernabeu. That meant we had some task and no-one pointed out that Real are in the best form of the season.

What we saw was a Madrid team packed full of top quality players whose possession game was excellent as was their support play. Their midfield was smooth and fluent in possession and they pressed, hustled and harried when not. I have to admit that they are simply a better side than we are at the moment. In most positions they have better players (and more expensive ones on the whole). They deserved to win, but it was close and certainly never comfortable. If Ferna's shot had been 3 inches to the right ... if Fernando's defletion had been 3 inches finer... if Kun's shot had just dipped a little more... But ifs never win matches.

What I object to, though, more than anything - and it was all over the TV last night and the papers this morning - is the belief that there is a simple recipe to follow which will win evry and any match. City should have been more intense, City should not have been so timid, City should have put pressure on their midfield, City should have got more men forward, City should have kept more men back... And so on until you're dizzy with it. We are talking about playing against the likes of Ronaldo, Modric, Kroos, Bale etc etc in a game they want to win as much as we did. All I will say is that we lost 1-0 over two legs to a club playing its 6th successive semi final. They won it in 2014 and for the last 3 years have been the most successful team in the competition. I'm disappointed but we clearly proved we are one of the best teams in Europe.

Great post.

 

[OB1]

Last night I even put up with Ferdinand and Mcmanaman before and after the match and I've even read some of the match reports this morning in the papers and what a depressing experience it has been. Rok Keane has again put his oar in yet again just to show, it seems, that his hatred of City goes way beyond simply ending the career of one of our players.

I thought City did a lot that was right last night, not least in that they kept "the goal machine", Ronaldo, quiet and he didn't add to his 16 goals in this year's tournament. That's no mean feat. We lost our captain after 10 minutes but the much maligned Mangala and Otamendi played very well. The side which had scored 18 goals in 5 home matches never looked like keeping up that strike rate. But then there's the Real defence, which we were assured "would give City chances" and their midfield, which couldn't defend. This was never convincing since only two teams have actually scored against Real in the CL this season and no-one has scored at the Bernabeu. That meant we had some task and no-one pointed out that Real are in the best form of the season.

What we saw was a Madrid team packed full of top quality players whose possession game was excellent as was their support play. Their midfield was smooth and fluent in possession and they pressed, hustled and harried when not. I have to admit that they are simply a better side than we are at the moment. In most positions they have better players (and more expensive ones on the whole). They deserved to win, but it was close and certainly never comfortable. If Ferna's shot had been 3 inches to the right ... if Fernando's defletion had been 3 inches finer... if Kun's shot had just dipped a little more... But ifs never win matches.

What I object to, though, more than anything - and it was all over the TV last night and the papers this morning - is the belief that there is a simple recipe to follow which will win evry and any match. City should have been more intense, City should not have been so timid, City should have put pressure on their midfield, City should have got more men forward, City should have kept more men back... And so on until you're dizzy with it. We are talking about playing against the likes of Ronaldo, Modric, Kroos, Bale etc etc in a game they want to win as much as we did. All I will say is that we lost 1-0 over two legs to a club playing its 6th successive semi final. They won it in 2014 and for the last 3 years have been the most successful team in the competition. I'm disappointed but we clearly proved we are one of the best teams in Europe.

That is a balanced well considered piece.

I think the fact that we got to the last ten minutes of the game only needing to score once to go through was no bad thing but some of our passing and individual performances, especially of our star men, was lamentable up to that point. However, in the final ten, we surely had to risk all, get seriously aggressive, throw a centre back forward...but we kept limping along.

I think we have increasingly managed to build a squad that has plenty of technical ability - although it needs more - but a lack of mental characteristics to consistently make the most of their football skills. I am fascinated to see how some players perfom under Pep but in the meantime, I hope this lot can find enough within themselves to pick it up for the last two games of the season.

 

[willipp]

Correct team or not they were sent out like lambs to the slaughter. We didn't even try to win that game. Now we will be lucky to qualify for the competition because of the tactical genius we have pulling the strings

Im in total agreement with you there. Based on the last 2 games it is hard to see us getting anything from the Arsenal game and then struggling at Swansea. Typical City however would see us smash Arsenal and Swansea and somehow Pelligrini goes out on a false high.

 

[blue b4 the moon]

Nothing......just nothing.

 

[bobmcfc]

Anyway the loss last night was expected by me, I'm not even mad or surprised. I'm fuming still about the Southampton match, he threw that game and that is totally unforgivable

 

[blueinsa]

Last night I even put up with Ferdinand and Mcmanaman before and after the match and I've even read some of the match reports this morning in the papers and what a depressing experience it has been. Rok Keane has again put his oar in yet again just to show, it seems, that his hatred of City goes way beyond simply ending the career of one of our players.

I thought City did a lot that was right last night, not least in that they kept "the goal machine", Ronaldo, quiet and he didn't add to his 16 goals in this year's tournament. That's no mean feat. We lost our captain after 10 minutes but the much maligned Mangala and Otamendi played very well. The side which had scored 18 goals in 5 home matches never looked like keeping up that strike rate. But then there's the Real defence, which we were assured "would give City chances" and their midfield, which couldn't defend. This was never convincing since only two teams have actually scored against Real in the CL this season and no-one has scored at the Bernabeu. That meant we had some task and no-one pointed out that Real are in the best form of the season.

What we saw was a Madrid team packed full of top quality players whose possession game was excellent as was their support play. Their midfield was smooth and fluent in possession and they pressed, hustled and harried when not. I have to admit that they are simply a better side than we are at the moment. In most positions they have better players (and more expensive ones on the whole). They deserved to win, but it was close and certainly never comfortable. If Ferna's shot had been 3 inches to the right ... if Fernando's defletion had been 3 inches finer... if Kun's shot had just dipped a little more... But ifs never win matches.

What I object to, though, more than anything - and it was all over the TV last night and the papers this morning - is the belief that there is a simple recipe to follow which will win evry and any match. City should have been more intense, City should not have been so timid, City should have put pressure on their midfield, City should have got more men forward, City should have kept more men back... And so on until you're dizzy with it. We are talking about playing against the likes of Ronaldo, Modric, Kroos, Bale etc etc in a game they want to win as much as we did. All I will say is that we lost 1-0 over two legs to a club playing its 6th successive semi final. They won it in 2014 and for the last 3 years have been the most successful team in the competition. I'm disappointed but we clearly proved we are one of the best teams in Europe.

Excellent post mate but we went out last night with a whimper in reality.

1-0, 3-0, 5-0, it's all the same at the end of the day and yes, our game plan to keep them quiet and not get a second goal was the right way to go about it last night given we only needed a single goal to go through but at what point do you go for that single goal?

To me it was around the 84th minute and that is simply not good enough.

The future is bright, very bright indeed but im so disappointed in our performance last night right now.

 

[crazyg]

Last night I even put up with Ferdinand and Mcmanaman before and after the match and I've even read some of the match reports this morning in the papers and what a depressing experience it has been. Rok Keane has again put his oar in yet again just to show, it seems, that his hatred of City goes way beyond simply ending the career of one of our players.

I thought City did a lot that was right last night, not least in that they kept "the goal machine", Ronaldo, quiet and he didn't add to his 16 goals in this year's tournament. That's no mean feat. We lost our captain after 10 minutes but the much maligned Mangala and Otamendi played very well. The side which had scored 18 goals in 5 home matches never looked like keeping up that strike rate. But then there's the Real defence, which we were assured "would give City chances" and their midfield, which couldn't defend. This was never convincing since only two teams have actually scored against Real in the CL this season and no-one has scored at the Bernabeu. That meant we had some task and no-one pointed out that Real are in the best form of the season.

What we saw was a Madrid team packed full of top quality players whose possession game was excellent as was their support play. Their midfield was smooth and fluent in possession and they pressed, hustled and harried when not. I have to admit that they are simply a better side than we are at the moment. In most positions they have better players (and more expensive ones on the whole). They deserved to win, but it was close and certainly never comfortable. If Ferna's shot had been 3 inches to the right ... if Fernando's defletion had been 3 inches finer... if Kun's shot had just dipped a little more... But ifs never win matches.

What I object to, though, more than anything - and it was all over the TV last night and the papers this morning - is the belief that there is a simple recipe to follow which will win evry and any match. City should have been more intense, City should not have been so timid, City should have put pressure on their midfield, City should have got more men forward, City should have kept more men back... And so on until you're dizzy with it. We are talking about playing against the likes of Ronaldo, Modric, Kroos, Bale etc etc in a game they want to win as much as we did. All I will say is that we lost 1-0 over two legs to a club playing its 6th successive semi final. They won it in 2014 and for the last 3 years have been the most successful team in the competition. I'm disappointed but we clearly proved we are one of the best teams in Europe.

That is exactly what I saw last night - a team that just weren't quite good enough on both the night and the home leg. Had that been the rags, Chelsea or Arsenal playing and losing in similar circumstances, that is EXACTLY the match report I would have expected in the media from the game. But we're not them. (Having said that, I've been nowhere near a media outlet since the match, for obvious reasons.)