Monaco - Post Match thread.

[Bill]

Although we shouldve never given up a 2 goal lead, i do disagree with this. How do you expect a team like ours, which can't defend, to sit back and defend in a way we never do. The result would be just as bad if not worse.

I think the extra steel in midfield would protected our shit defence better. You bring the talented lads on if needed.

 

[lancs blue]

A lot of over reaction on here. We've played fantastically the last 10 games barring Stoke and last night.

I do think that Clichy and Sagna will definitely be off in the summer with a new left back, right back and centre back coming in. We aren't that far off, we've just been undone all season by incompetent defending.

Is that in any way reassuring? We've signed a new CB every summer for the past 8 years, Lescott apart none of them have been hugely successful acquisitions though Stones may yet turn out to be one.

2009 - Lescott
2010 – Boateng
2011 – Savic
2012 – Nastasic
2013 – Demichelis
2014 – Mangala
2015 – Otamendi
2016 – Stones

Let's hope we don't go down the same path with the FBs.

As for last night, the first half reminded me of Leicester away, no protection from the midfield and panic stations from Clichy and Sagna every time Monaco attacked down the flanks. The second half was an improvement but it must be obvious to Pep that Sagna and Clichy have virtually zero attacking impact so when we were chasing the game in the second half why not at least bring Zaba on to help Sterling going forward as Sagna just seemed to take up his space for most of the game.

 

[Bill]

Is this kind of bullshit acceptable here? @Ric perhaps you can clarify?



Oh really? Couldn't help but notice the only post-match threads you've been involved in are those from games we've drawn or lost. Absent from Everton right through to Stoke. How unusual.

Nothing when we beat Barcelona or came back to beat Arsenal. Forget the old login details those days?



Look, I know you're being a wum here, but I'm as much a Blue as you are. I was here before Pep and I'll be around after too. My wife got her first season ticket, long before we met, when we were in Division Two.

All that's irrelevant though and doesn't detract from the discussion here, as much as you'd like it to.

Lol you run to Ric like I give a fuck.
I post what I like when I like . Win lose or draw.
Truth hurts I get that but blue/pep tinted glasses are something I'll never have.

Put it this way we are out and to the easiest team we could have drawn.
You work it out.

 

[rapidCT]

We have been waiting 3 years for Pep and now we need 2 years for Pep to bring the proper players. That's 5 years wasted. Frustrating.. Very poor management, recruitments and psychology.

 

[Bazzmand Show]

I think he dropped a bollock not bringing Yaya on, in the second half. Blowing a 2 goal lead in the first 25 minutes was also criminal.

Anyway, onto the weekend and a good result..... hopefully.

I also think some of our recruiters need to be shot, not replacing Sagna, Clichy or Zabaleta is poor at best.

 

[Akiva]

Lol you run to Ric like I give a fuck.

You act like a bellend on a public forum with such an air of abandon, your call.

I post what I like when I like . Win lose or draw.

Fair enough.

Truth hurts I get that but blue/pep tinted glasses are something I'll never have.

I'd argue you have Pep tinted glasses, you complain about him like none other. Aguero misses sitters, Pep's fault for not playing Yaya. Defence is shambolic, Pep's fault for shipping off Joe Hart.

We all have our biases and I'm unashamed to say I'm heavily biased in favor of my team. We get enough fucking grief from the media, the FA and rags. You're free to join them if you wish, but strange bed fellows indeed.

Put it this way we are out and to the easiest team we could have drawn.
You work it out.

That's debatable, Sevilla certainly look far worse. I would have said Monaco were the most dangerous team we could have drawn. They score more goals than any team in football and we ship goals like there's no tomorrow. Further, our defense is slow and their attack is pacey and red hot.

I went into last night very nervous and came out feeling that, ultimately, 6-6 overall basically says it all about City right now and I can't imagine we'd have had the same issues with Sevilla, or Dortmund, or PSG, or even Barcelona.

 

[Drewmanc]

Lol you run to Ric like I give a fuck.
I post what I like when I like . Win lose or draw.
Truth hurts I get that but blue/pep tinted glasses are something I'll never have.

Put it this way we are out and to the easiest team we could have drawn.
You work it out.

Careful Bill, you'll get CC1 along in a second to tell you to go back to rag cafe. You're not allowed an opinion on Pep it seems.

 

[rapidCT]

Is that in any way reassuring? We've signed a new CB every summer for the past 8 years, Lescott apart none of them have been hugely successful acquisitions though Stones may yet turn out to be one.

2009 - Lescott
2010 – Boateng
2011 – Savic
2012 – Nastasic
2013 – Demichelis
2014 – Mangala
2015 – Otamendi
2016 – Stones

Let's hope we don't go down the same path with the FBs.

As for last night, the first half reminded me of Leicester away, no protection from the midfield and panic stations from Clichy and Sagna every time Monaco attacked down the flanks. The second half was an improvement but it must be obvious to Pep that Sagna and Clichy have virtually zero attacking impact so when we were chasing the game in the second half why not at least bring Zaba on to help Sterling going forward as Sagna just seemed to take up his space for most of the game.

I really liked Boateng and especially Nastasic. We should have never sold them. Didn't liked Mangala from the beginning. Or Stones, unfortunately.

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

Personally, I think Yaya would have been given the total and complete runaround (as the others who were on the pitch were). For me, it's not the issue. It was collectively about hunger, desire, self-belief in that first half. Monaco had it. We didn't.

 

[inchy14]

The problem for us was highlighted on BT before the game even kicked off last night. Goals scored.

Our back 4, no matter the personnel simply aren't good enough as a collective unit, swap Sagne for Zab or Clichy for Kolarov, pick any of the centre halves and we still come back to the same fundamental issue, they simply aren't good enough anymore.

So how do we compensate for this? We play an attacking game and try to outscore the opposition and that is why we haven't progressed, why we're 10 points behind Chelsea and why we went out of the League cup v the rags. We don't take enough chances that we create.

Last night Aguero could have had a couple, Sane could have scored and Sterling should have either scored or set Sergio up, did neither.

Until we stop wasting so many chances to score we'll keep coming unstuck against sides.

I know we all want to pretend we're better coaches than the guys actually being paid to do the job but the reality is we aren't. Yes i'd have played Yaya instead of Fernandinho or KDB last night, we'd still be having the same arguments this morning. He could have picked Delph and Fernando with Fernandinho and tried to shut up shop from the start, anyone seriously think that would have worked? We'd all be saying he was too negative and that he should have gone for it.

He picked a side that should have been good enough to score enough goals for us to have progressed last night but due to piss poor finishing and decision making in the final third we're now out, and justifiably so. They're a very good side and could easily go on to win it.

Arsenal have scored more goals in all competitions this season, fucking Arsenal, that's our biggest issue.