MNF

[Didsbury Dave]

Well four in midfield made us look like chumps against Bayern, it was the main reason we lost and never saw the ball. Five in midfield was used to great affect when we beat them away Garcia's pace wasn't a problem as he just acted as a sweeper for the midfield it was one of the three main reasons we won that night (the other two were the phenomenal work rate of the players and the fact Bayern switched off at 2-0 up and couldn't get themselves back up for it).

But we've become accustomed to four in midfield for most of the season and it would be a shame if we can't go and use it, especially at home. But it could end up being the reason we go out to Barcelona in the end as we don't have enough mobile players in the squad to play a 4 against an elite side really. You need to control the midfield to win big games and i think Barcelona would find it easy to find space to be passed the ball in and keep possession due to the extra space and time on the ball because of fewer numbers and less effective closing down by slower players on our side.

Difficult decision for the boss.

Totally understand the point you are making but apart from Yaya ( who is obviously not slow) would question who is slow and not capable of closing down if he starts the obvious 6 in midfield and upfront.

If Nasri was fit I'd start with one upfront even at home. As he's not though I think we have to play to our strengths and get one of the strikers to drop in when we lose the ball. They could both definitely do it for one night. I agree with Neville we should play to our strengths at home and not sacrifice a player of Negrado's quality for Garcia because we are too worried about systems and the other team.

Yaya is very slow off the mark. He's only fast after five-ten metres so when a team who passes the ball quickly or closes down in numbers (Dortmund at home last season, Bayern at home this season), his lack of mobility off the mark is exploited. There are only two players in our midfield who possess real pace and that's Fernandinho and Navas. That is why we don't play a pressing game at all. It's a sprinters way to play and pressing is a team thing, not an individual.

I'm not saying we won't or shouldn't play 4222 but i think it could be the thing that Barcelona pin point and exploit in the way they beat us, if they do end up beating us. Of course, we might win and then it isn't a talking point!

You're absolutely bang on the money there. What you've done is highlighted our achiles heel that Barca can exploit: Yaya's poor mobility. Now we have ways of countering that problem, including Vinny stepping out of the back four, and Navas tracking back like a terrior, but it's going to be there, and I'll bet you their players keep dropping into the hole to exploit. But it's counterpoint is that as an attacking six we are possibly the best in the world. We can certainly hurt them too.

This game could go either way, and it has absolutely every ingredient to be an utter classic over the two legs. I don't make us favourites, but I'd put it at 60:40. The first goal at our place will be huge.

 

[Deleted member 58678]

Totally understand the point you are making but apart from Yaya ( who is obviously not slow) would question who is slow and not capable of closing down if he starts the obvious 6 in midfield and upfront.

If Nasri was fit I'd start with one upfront even at home. As he's not though I think we have to play to our strengths and get one of the strikers to drop in when we lose the ball. They could both definitely do it for one night. I agree with Neville we should play to our strengths at home and not sacrifice a player of Negrado's quality for Garcia because we are too worried about systems and the other team.

Yaya is very slow off the mark. He's only fast after five-ten metres so when a team who passes the ball quickly or closes down in numbers (Dortmund at home last season, Bayern at home this season), his lack of mobility off the mark is exploited. There are only two players in our midfield who possess real pace and that's Fernandinho and Navas. That is why we don't play a pressing game at all. It's a sprinters way to play and pressing is a team thing, not an individual.

I'm not saying we won't or shouldn't play 4222 but i think it could be the thing that Barcelona pin point and exploit in the way they beat us, if they do end up beating us. Of course, we might win and then it isn't a talking point!

You're absolutely bang on the money there. What you've done is highlighted our achiles heel that Barca can exploit: Yaya's poor mobility. Now we have ways of countering that problem, including Vinny stepping out of the back four, and Navas tracking back like a terrior, but it's going to be there, and I'll bet you their players keep dropping into the hole to exploit. But it's counterpoint is that as an attacking six we are possibly the best in the world. We can certainly hurt them too.

This game could go either way, and it has absolutely every ingredient to be an utter classic over the two legs. I don't make us favourites, but I'd put it at 60:40. The first goal at our place will be huge.

I actually think it will be one of those nights where the crowd will be wild and both sets of players well up for it. It could be a 3-3 or something, one where it will be talked of as a great European night and both sets of players cheered off the pitch.

 

[supercity88]

I think the 4-2-2-2 is the best way to go in the home leg. Not many teams are going to keep the ball better than Barca. Bayern allowed Barca the ball and then attacked in numbers. People need to actually watch the games to understand the formations. Bayern did not play a 4-5-1/4-3-3 they played a 4-2-2-2 that compressed into a 4-2-3-1 when they didn't have the ball. This meant that when they did get it they had that extra attacking man. If we play Garcia he will provide more defensive cover but we will lose so much attacking threat. We need to play to our strengths and that is by playing Negredo and Aguero and Negredo will work hard in closing players down. The home tie against Bayern was before the players were comfortable with the system.

See what happens in the home leg and then going to the away game we can put an extra man in midfield and soak up the pressure depending on what we need from the game.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

I think the 4-2-2-2 is the best way to go in the home leg. Not many teams are going to keep the ball better than Barca. Bayern allowed Barca the ball and then attacked in numbers. People need to actually watch the games to understand the formations. Bayern did not play a 4-5-1/4-3-3 they played a 4-2-2-2 that compressed into a 4-2-3-1 when they didn't have the ball. This meant that when they did get it they had that extra attacking man. If we play Garcia he will provide more defensive cover but we will lose so much attacking threat. We need to play to our strengths and that is by playing Negredo and Aguero and Negredo will work hard in closing players down. The home tie against Bayern was before the players were comfortable with the system.

See what happens in the home leg and then going to the away game we can put an extra man in midfield and soak up the pressure depending on what we need from the game.

Exactly how I would set up too. This is no game for Dzeko despite how well he's playing- he was one of the big problems in the Bayern game because it kept bouncing off him and losing us posession. Negredo has a brilliant knack of "coming away with things" and that's what you've highlighted - his closing down but also his control when hit with an outlet ball. And they are Dzeko's weaknesses. Against Bayern there was an element of not being comfortable with the 442 system but there was also Silva's absence. He's still our key man, and even more so in games like this, because he isnt' frightened of being pressed. He'll still make things happen when under pressure. The second he came on against Bayern at home we were transformed, and he ran the game away at Bayern.

 

[Bibinho]

Totally understand the point you are making but apart from Yaya ( who is obviously not slow) would question who is slow and not capable of closing down if he starts the obvious 6 in midfield and upfront.

If Nasri was fit I'd start with one upfront even at home. As he's not though I think we have to play to our strengths and get one of the strikers to drop in when we lose the ball. They could both definitely do it for one night. I agree with Neville we should play to our strengths at home and not sacrifice a player of Negrado's quality for Garcia because we are too worried about systems and the other team.

Yaya is very slow off the mark. He's only fast after five-ten metres so when a team who passes the ball quickly or closes down in numbers (Dortmund at home last season, Bayern at home this season), his lack of mobility off the mark is exploited. There are only two players in our midfield who possess real pace and that's Fernandinho and Navas. That is why we don't play a pressing game at all. It's a sprinters way to play and pressing is a team thing, not an individual.

I'm not saying we won't or shouldn't play 4222 but i think it could be the thing that Barcelona pin point and exploit in the way they beat us, if they do end up beating us. Of course, we might win and then it isn't a talking point!

You're absolutely bang on the money there. What you've done is highlighted our achiles heel that Barca can exploit: Yaya's poor mobility. Now we have ways of countering that problem, including Vinny stepping out of the back four, and Navas tracking back like a terrior, but it's going to be there, and I'll bet you their players keep dropping into the hole to exploit. But it's counterpoint is that as an attacking six we are possibly the best in the world. We can certainly hurt them too.

This game could go either way, and it has absolutely every ingredient to be an utter classic over the two legs. I don't make us favourites, but I'd put it at 60:40. The first goal at our place will be huge.

Barca this year are nowhere near the team they used to be... Bayern are a much more complete team and if we can beat them at there gaff then I don't see why we cant beat Barca... their defence is terrible but going forward they could destroy us.

 

[Anonymous]

Barca this year are nowhere near the team they used to be... Bayern are a much more complete team and if we can beat them at there gaff then I don't see why we cant beat Barca... their defence is terrible but going forward they could destroy us.

I think Barca are a level below the Barca of last season, a team which was already showing that it wasn't quite up to the quality of Pep's team. Was interesting listening to Neville talking about our formation and that tie in particular. I got the impression that Neville himself has seen enough of Barca this season and last to know that this City team can beat them home and away.

The fact is reflected upon the Barca/PSG tie from last season I thought was bang on the money. Paris should've won that tie quite comfortably, and but not for the profligacy of Ibra, Lavezzi, and Pastore, they probably would've done.

 

[Tomfarrell]

My team home:
JH

PZ VK MD GC


JN FERN YT DS

SA

NEG

My team away:

JH

PZ VK DM GC


JM FERN YT AK

DS

SA

it is going to be about discipline and work rate, both sergio and negredo have work rate in abundance. Home leg, we have to attack and secure a lead, if it means we go out, so be it, all part of the learning curve.

 

[adrianr]

Barca this year are nowhere near the team they used to be... Bayern are a much more complete team and if we can beat them at there gaff then I don't see why we cant beat Barca... their defence is terrible but going forward they could destroy us.

I think Barca are a level below the Barca of last season, a team which was already showing that it wasn't quite up to the quality of Pep's team. Was interesting listening to Neville talking about our formation and that tie in particular. I got the impression that Neville himself has seen enough of Barca this season and last to know that this City team can beat them home and away.

The fact is reflected upon the Barca/PSG tie from last season I thought was bang on the money. Paris should've won that tie quite comfortably, and but not for the profligacy of Ibra, Lavezzi, and Pastore, they probably would've done.

I seem to remember Moura giving them all sorts of problems in one of those game. Hopefully Navas can have a similar impact but with end product.

 

[Matty]

If we're to have any chance of getting through this tie then we need to take a lead of some description to the Nou Camp. We need to stop being scared of what Barcelona can do to us and think what we can do to them. We've played some really good sides at the Etihad this season, and Bayern Munich aside, we've beaten them all, some of them fairly comprehensively. Barcelona are fantastic when it comes to possession, and attacking flair, but I don't rate them too highly when it comes to their defensive capabilities. Pique is a good player, but I don't believe he is suited to the "English game" and as such I think we can get at him, Alves and Alba are brilliant when it comes to attacking, but they're not the best defensively, and Mascherano is a fucking midfielder pretending to be a centre half, he's surely got to be someone we can get at. For the home leg I say we go with what's served us well for the rest of the season, 2 up top. People are putting too much importance on the Bayern game, that has to be looked at for sure but, for me, Bayern were exceptional that night, and we were terrible. Some of that was down to the tactics/formation, but some was also down to simply underperformance from us, and Bayern putting in what I believe even they say was possibly their best performance of the season. If we want to be the kind of side that is challenging for European honours then we need to be the kind of side that forces the opposition to respond to what we're doing, and not the kind of side that changes it's tactics due to a fear of what the opponent could do.

How we lineup in the Nou Camp will depend a great deal on what result we need from that game. If we have a lead then I'd go with just the 1 up top, play an additional midfidler and try to stifle Barca, if we need to get the victory on the night then I'd go 4-4-2 and play our normal game.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

Barca this year are nowhere near the team they used to be... Bayern are a much more complete team and if we can beat them at there gaff then I don't see why we cant beat Barca... their defence is terrible but going forward they could destroy us.

I think Barca are a level below the Barca of last season, a team which was already showing that it wasn't quite up to the quality of Pep's team. Was interesting listening to Neville talking about our formation and that tie in particular. I got the impression that Neville himself has seen enough of Barca this season and last to know that this City team can beat them home and away.

The fact is reflected upon the Barca/PSG tie from last season I thought was bang on the money. Paris should've won that tie quite comfortably, and but not for the profligacy of Ibra, Lavezzi, and Pastore, they probably would've done.

I've only watched them once this season and they looked a bit brittle at the back. But Messi wasn't playing. My Dad watches them a lot and says the same as you: they are not the team they were. He thinks we will beat them.