Manuel Pellegrini (cont)

[cibaman]

They switched off as they were so dominant in the first half and already 2-0 up. I'm not saying that they did it deliberately but it often happens when a team have had it so easy in the first half.

Well I'd say that whether it's deliberate or not is crucial to the point you and one or two other are trying to make. If Barca didn't deliberately switch off then the reality is that they did it because they have a weak mentality, thus making it a flaw in their own make up as a side. We exploited this well in the 2nd half, and probably should've exploited it further with the chances Dzeko fluffed. You don't switch off 45 minutes into a 180 minute tie with only two goals to sit on. Hell doing that in a 90 minute tie is piss poor mentality never mind a 180 minute tie. Momentum is a funny thing - and Hart's penalty save could yet to be a watershed moment in this particular tie.

In terms of the return leg at the Nou Camp, I hadn't realised that El Classico is a few days later. I'm really looking forward to it. I think we can do what it takes. We have goals in our side and in many respects this season we've been better away from home than at home. Having Toure back will help control the midfield and also give us a more direct route to catch their defenders pushed up too high. Defensively I remain to be convinced by our performances, but hopefully Pellegrini will see the error in playing Zaba at the Etihad and go with Sagna over there. I also think unless Vinny's performances improve in the next few weeks, Martin and Mangala should be given a chance.

Martin and Managala have been given a chance, I think they've played together about 10 times. They put in a magnificent show in Rome and a few other decent performances. But they've also had their share of horror shows eg QPR.

Their most recent outings were against Burnley, Sunderland (H) and Everton (a). I thought they were poor as a partnership in all three games.

Obviously Kompany needs to up his game, cut out the errors. But I dont believe that either of Managala or Demichelis is capable of reaching the heights that he is capable of, the sort of performance he put in last year in the Nou Camp. And we are going to need that level of performance.

 

[prestonibbo_mcfc]

Five in midfield lost twice to Barcelona twice last season, lost at Bayern, was losing to 10 men Bayern. Lost to Arsenal. That's just off the top my head. I'm glad Pellegrini tried something different. A plan that the second half clearly showed was right.

Folk can suggest the 451, but it hasn't worked either.

Calling it a 442 would highlight how little someone knows about the game. David Silva and Samir Basri are hardly Wilcox and Ripley.

4231 or 433 or 451 clearly wasn't working with its obvious failings. Barca home and away, Arsenal this season, Bayern home and away this season. Only at 442 did we look like scoring again vs Bayern at home.

It's getting really boring from the 'told you so brigade', the same posters weirdly absent when their suggested tactics fail miserably as they frequently have.

Where were those 442 critics after we lost to Arsenal. Our players our squad isn't that great, we are only great playing to our strengths.

As I've said before, we could have played every central midfielder we had vs Barca, we'd have still even run off the park, see us vs Bayern's ten men.

I credit Pellehrini for trying something different, a plan that clearly had merit, unless we ignore the second half?

Its more about personnel than what label is attached to the formation. I dont really care what label is given to the system we used in Roma, couldnt give a monkey whether it was 4-4-2, 4-5-1, or whatever. It worked because we had the right players (of those available) in the right places. Navas and Milner shored up the flanks in a way that Silva and Nasri cannot when faced with attacking fullbacks. Nasri droppped back at the right times, something that Aguero doesnt. The attacking players and wide players supported the defenders and central midfield players, something that the personnel deployed on Tuesday just weren't capable of doing against exceptional opponents.

Always capable, problem for me is too bloody lazy at times. Pique and Mascherano allowed to run
40 yards into our half is fucking criminal at this level. That is not Manuel's fault. Unless he told them
to sit off and i doubt that very much.

 

[PragueBlue]

They switched off as they were so dominant in the first half and already 2-0 up. I'm not saying that they did it deliberately but it often happens when a team have had it so easy in the first half.

Well I'd say that whether it's deliberate or not is crucial to the point you and one or two other are trying to make. If Barca didn't deliberately switch off then the reality is that they did it because they have a weak mentality, thus making it a flaw in their own make up as a side.

I'm not sure that it's a weak mentality or just a casual attitude when you feel so comfortable. I believe Bayern did something similar when 2-0 up against our much weakened side a couple of years ago and we came back to win. I think most teams do it from time to time.

I don't think we did ourselves justice in the first half and I suspect Barcelona will feel the same about the 2nd half.

 

[chris85mcfc]

They switched off as they were so dominant in the first half and already 2-0 up. I'm not saying that they did it deliberately but it often happens when a team have had it so easy in the first half.

Well I'd say that whether it's deliberate or not is crucial to the point you and one or two other are trying to make. If Barca didn't deliberately switch off then the reality is that they did it because they have a weak mentality, thus making it a flaw in their own make up as a side.

I'm not sure that it's a weak mentality or just a casual attitude when you feel so comfortable. I believe Bayern did something similar when 2-0 up against our much weakened side a couple of years ago and we came back to win. I think most teams do it from time to time.

I don't think we did ourselves justice in the first half and I suspect Barcelona will feel the same about the 2nd half.

We did the exact same thing against Burnley a few weeks ago

 

[BillyShears]

I'm not sure that it's a weak mentality or just a casual attitude when you feel so comfortable. I believe Bayern did something similar when 2-0 up against our much weakened side a couple of years ago and we came back to win. I think most teams do it from time to time.

I don't think we did ourselves justice in the first half and I suspect Barcelona will feel the same about the 2nd half.

Weak mentality or casual attitude is a hair i'm not that bothered about splitting. Whenever we've thrown away leads this season we've been accused of having a weak mentality and of being complacent. Many people have suggested that that's why we won't win the league this season. So for me, if it's good enough for City, it's good enough for Barca too.

Not sure that there's much point in harking back to different ties from years ago to try and reinforce the idea that teams stop trying against us after they score a couple of goals, or that we're so inferior to these teams that they're not really that bothered about performing for 90 minutes. This collection of players have shown enough times that when the chips are down and when things seem lost they can find goals from nowhere and win big matches. Bayern were a goal away from finishing 2nd to us last season in the group stages. This season they were very lucky to beat us in Bayern and lost to us at home.

In terms of us doing ourselves justice and Barca doing themselves justice - I completely agree with that. But it's not the characterisation that I'm reading the most. What I'm reading the most is that we were shit because the manager is a clueless numpty who can't set his team up right in Europe. Good to see even yourself, who is about as anti Pellegrini as it gets, can acknowledge that rather than there being a raft of a tactical fuck ups, it was more than anything a case of the players not doing themselves justice in the first 45.

 

[The Fat el Hombre]

They switched off as they were so dominant in the first half and already 2-0 up. I'm not saying that they did it deliberately but it often happens when a team have had it so easy in the first half.

Well I'd say that whether it's deliberate or not is crucial to the point you and one or two other are trying to make. If Barca didn't deliberately switch off then the reality is that they did it because they have a weak mentality, thus making it a flaw in their own make up as a side.

I'm not sure that it's a weak mentality or just a casual attitude when you feel so comfortable. I believe Bayern did something similar when 2-0 up against our much weakened side a couple of years ago and we came back to win. I think most teams do it from time to time.

I don't think we did ourselves justice in the first half and I suspect Barcelona will feel the same about the 2nd half.

I'd have been fuming if I was a barca fan - they should have beaten us 6 nil but didn't take their chances and got complacent. As it is we still have a very small chance

 

[Sergi0 Na5r1]

I'd have been fuming if I was a barca fan - they should have beaten us 6 nil but didn't take their chances and got complacent. As it is we still have a very small chance

Trust me they are very bitter about the whole thing. Was told by a couple of barca fans yesterday how we're basically an expensive and permanent flop in Europe and have no chance no matter who our manager is.

I was reading their online comments yesterday too and the dippers and spuds losing seem to convinced a lot of them that all english clubs are doomed to failure. I would love to see them fall on their ass at the Camp Nou.

 

[The Fat el Hombre]

I'd have been fuming if I was a barca fan - they should have beaten us 6 nil but didn't take their chances and got complacent. As it is we still have a very small chance

Trust me they are very bitter about the whole thing. Was told by a couple of barca fans yesterday how we're basically an expensive and permanent flop in Europe and have no chance no matter who our manager is.

I was reading their online comments yesterday too and the dippers and spuds losing seem to convinced a lot of them that all english clubs are doomed to failure. I would love to see them fall on their ass at the Camp Nou.

Me too mate. We'll get there, one day! And you never know it really wouldn't surprise me if March the 18th becomes another typical City moment

 

[mancity1]

They switched off as they were so dominant in the first half and already 2-0 up. I'm not saying that they did it deliberately but it often happens when a team have had it so easy in the first half.

Well I'd say that whether it's deliberate or not is crucial to the point you and one or two other are trying to make. If Barca didn't deliberately switch off then the reality is that they did it because they have a weak mentality, thus making it a flaw in their own make up as a side. We exploited this well in the 2nd half, and probably should've exploited it further with the chances Dzeko fluffed. You don't switch off 45 minutes into a 180 minute tie with only two goals to sit on. Hell doing that in a 90 minute tie is piss poor mentality never mind a 180 minute tie. Momentum is a funny thing - and Hart's penalty save could yet to be a watershed moment in this particular tie.

In terms of the return leg at the Nou Camp, I hadn't realised that El Classico is a few days later. I'm really looking forward to it. I think we can do what it takes. We have goals in our side and in many respects this season we've been better away from home than at home. Having Toure back will help control the midfield and also give us a more direct route to catch their defenders pushed up too high. Defensively I remain to be convinced by our performances, but hopefully Pellegrini will see the error in playing Zaba at the Etihad and go with Sagna over there. I also think unless Vinny's performances improve in the next few weeks, Martin and Mangala should be given a chance.

Martin and Managala have been given a chance, I think they've played together about 10 times. They put in a magnificent show in Rome and a few other decent performances. But they've also had their share of horror shows eg QPR.

Their most recent outings were against Burnley, Sunderland (H) and Everton (a). I thought they were poor as a partnership in all three games.

Obviously Kompany needs to up his game, cut out the errors. But I dont believe that either of Managala or Demichelis is capable of reaching the heights that he is capable of, the sort of performance he put in last year in the Nou Camp. And we are going to need that level of performance.

Kompany has been very poor all season at least by his 11/12 standards both at home and abroad.

It's the old story would he be dropped if he wasn't captain , most likely is the answer.

Again at fault for their first goal and nowhere to be seen for their second.

They did create some other chances but I cannot recall Joe having to make a real blinder of a save for the full 95 minutes of the game.

Even the penalty he went the right way because Messi wasn't looking at the way he moved before he picked his side which the likes of Balotelli always does hence his far superior record at taking penalties ( Hope we don't concede one on Sunday (LOL)).

We had the best chances in the second half penalty aside.

I hardly ever blame individuals but VK was a shocker for us in the first 45 minutes and more than anyone else cost us that game.

Barca won't " relax " in the first 45 minutes against us and while VK unless he is injured will play if he continues to make basic positioning errors like the one that gave Suarez two bites of the cheery in the 16 minute they game will be long gone by half time.


I really hope VK plays a blinder on Sunday and goes some way to making up for the shocker he had there last time when he cost us three points effectively on the title hunt.

 

[mancity1]

They switched off as they were so dominant in the first half and already 2-0 up. I'm not saying that they did it deliberately but it often happens when a team have had it so easy in the first half.

Well I'd say that whether it's deliberate or not is crucial to the point you and one or two other are trying to make. If Barca didn't deliberately switch off then the reality is that they did it because they have a weak mentality, thus making it a flaw in their own make up as a side. We exploited this well in the 2nd half, and probably should've exploited it further with the chances Dzeko fluffed. You don't switch off 45 minutes into a 180 minute tie with only two goals to sit on. Hell doing that in a 90 minute tie is piss poor mentality never mind a 180 minute tie. Momentum is a funny thing - and Hart's penalty save could yet to be a watershed moment in this particular tie.

In terms of the return leg at the Nou Camp, I hadn't realised that El Classico is a few days later. I'm really looking forward to it. I think we can do what it takes. We have goals in our side and in many respects this season we've been better away from home than at home. Having Toure back will help control the midfield and also give us a more direct route to catch their defenders pushed up too high. Defensively I remain to be convinced by our performances, but hopefully Pellegrini will see the error in playing Zaba at the Etihad and go with Sagna over there. I also think unless Vinny's performances improve in the next few weeks, Martin and Mangala should be given a chance.

Martin and Managala have been given a chance, I think they've played together about 10 times. They put in a magnificent show in Rome and a few other decent performances. But they've also had their share of horror shows eg QPR.

Their most recent outings were against Burnley, Sunderland (H) and Everton (a). I thought they were poor as a partnership in all three games.

Obviously Kompany needs to up his game, cut out the errors. But I dont believe that either of Managala or Demichelis is capable of reaching the heights that he is capable of, the sort of performance he put in last year in the Nou Camp. And we are going to need that level of performance.

Kompany has been very poor all season at least by his 11/12 standards both at home and abroad.

It's the old story would he be dropped if he wasn't captain , most likely is the answer.

Again at fault for their first goal and nowhere to be seen for their second.

They did create some other chances but I cannot recall Joe having to make a real blinder of a save for the full 95 minutes of the game.

Even the penalty he went the right way because Messi wasn't looking at the way he moved before he picked his side which the likes of Balotelli always does hence his far superior record at taking penalties ( Hope we don't concede one on Sunday (LOL)).

We had the best chances in the second half penalty aside.

I hardly ever blame individuals but VK was a shocker for us in the first 45 minutes and more than anyone else cost us that game.

Barca won't " relax " in the first 45 minutes against us and while VK unless he is injured will play if he continues to make basic positioning errors like the one that gave Suarez two bites of the cheery in the 16 minute they game will be long gone by half time.


I really hope VK plays a blinder on Sunday and goes some way to making up for the shocker he had there last time when he cost us three points effectively on the title hunt.