Monaco post match

[ChicagoBlue]

Looked like he was gonna go for a knee slide and thought better of it.

That's exactly what I thought. I think he thought better about it because it's all AstroTurf and his kit wouldn't have survived! :-)

 

[Saddleworth2]

Bring on Huddersfield! ;-)

Rushed home from work, put the game on, and kicked every ball with them! I'm exhausted, so I can only imagine how the players feel. I think that is the most complete Agüero performance I have seen in a very long time. Obviously, he was robbed of a penalty...and Yaya a goal...and I get a little frustrated that he can't get the ball to stick sometimes when we are trying to break out through him, but his work rate and battling was extraordinary, especially given the knock against him. I think Pep might have actually got it through to him that he can be better.

Hard to fault anyone that wasn't playing in goal or in the middle of the back 3-4 tonight, because that performance was an outstanding advertisement for what City can be going forward IF we can learn to lock up the back door every now and then!

The ref? Well, what can one say? Diabolical? Clueless? Arsewipe? A few Euros richer from the Asian syndicate? How do you book 10, 11, 12(?) players in a match that didn't have a dirty foul in it? Yes, there were a few tugs and arms out, but he brought ALL the dissent on himself with his poor performance. I watched it on Fox Sports in the US, and Warren Barton said the ref should never referee a top Euro game ever again.

I have one question: If the goalkeeper actually kicks Sergio, which he did, how is it possible for the ref to see (with enough certainty to book him for diving) there was no contact when there absolutely was a kick out and definite kick on Sergio's lower leg/foot?

Last I checked, it is IMPOSSIBLE to see something that isn't there, so I can only believe that either he is bent, or the goal line assistant at that end is!

Time to lock it up tight for Monaco. A nice SOLID 4-5-1 with breakaway potential, but can't out and out attack them there, or it would be suicide.

I think a rerun of the tactics from both teams would result in exactly the same outcome. Since when could we play it tight!

 

[hinchcliffes bulbous conk]

Ive not seen any of them on the post match thread yet so make of that what you will..............

I've stopped going in, just winds the fuck out of me. Shouldn't but it does. You have to click through dozens of shitty histrionic posts to get to anything decent.

 

[City_Sean]

One of the best games of football I've ever seen. Defensively we were horrific at times, but as an attacking force we were phenomenal.

Thought Aguero had a monstrous second half, same with Silva. Sane and Sterling are getting better with each passing game.

Need to shore up at the back, but that was entertainment of the highest order.

 

[oldius]

Stones apart, Pep has not yet addressed the defensive personnel. Once he does, watch out

 

[waspish]

I need to become a pundit

What did the bitter K_nt say at full time.

 

[waspish]

As much as it pains me to say he starts going down a split second before contact is made. It's the kind of 'winning/gaining' a penalty that I don't like to see.

How can he start going down in a split second when your watching it in super slow motion at 1000 of second timeframe?

 

[tonea2003]

stunning going forward, suicidal at the back,
willy is the better of a bad pair(apart from pen saves) otamendi is all over the shop, ferna didn't know whether to stick or twist, it calmed down a little when zabba came in
hopefully we have done enough but who knows
our front 5 plus jesus is as good as any in world football, get that defence solid in the window and we are going places

 

[Danish Blue]

The constant whining in the media about playing long from the back is getting to be tedious. Yes we get in to trouble sometimes because teams like monaco play an ultra high press. What is the end result, they run themselves into the ground and get murdered in the last quarter, also on the occasions we beat the press we are usually in a good attacking situation with pacy players, Sane, Sterling and Aguero to take advantage of their lack of cover.

Its a risky strategy and at times it will go wrong and you will look like a dick, but if you have the right personnel to play it its very difficult to counter. You play ultra high press get knackered and lose or you sit back concede possession and lose.

Why do so called experts have such a hard time conceptualizing what a fat couch potato (me) and my 12 year old lad can work out? (to be fair he had to explain it to me a few times)

 

[yeah whatever !!]

I need to become a pundit

Love to see what he had to say at full time.. he sounds so bitter.

 

[Blue Til Death]

I thought Sane came of age last night for City, he utterly destroyed their defence, he's a frightening prospect to face for any team and that performance will give him lots of confidence going forward.
What an amazing game ..... not many teams could have come back from 3-2 down against a great side like Monaco.

 

[City Raider]

Hate rags getting to any final but a derby after that would have been very tough for us

 

[whos_kompany85]

How can he start going down in a split second when your watching it in super slow motion at 1000 of second timeframe?

He starts to fall before contact is made, what does the fraction of real time video have to do with it?

 

[fergal_oc]

If you listen to Talksport today you'd think we lost. British commentators are obsessed with clearing the ball long. Eight months in, it's still the main focus.

And that's the main reason why England will continue to be a second rate international team. It's in the English psyche to play any game not to lose, so booting the ball up field by a defender optimises that mentality. It's why so many shit managers are lauded for their cold winters night at stoke mentality and occasionally you get someone like moaninho (and Ranieri last year), who has made a success from it, being fawned over.

Until people prefer attacking teams over plucky underdogs things will never change.

 

[TRUE BLUE NO1]

Only just noticed City Watch have posted on his twitter account that UEFA have confirmed that Sterling "didnt" get a yellow card after all and will be able to play in the 2nd leg...good news!!

 

[babyape]

I know some don't like the playing at the back, but I must admit I absolutely love it. no one in the prem does anything like it. Pep said it was a risk but ultimately worth it. And I agree. We play so deep, little passes, they get frustrated, rush in, and we're off. And when we get players even better at doing it, well, scary to think how good we'll be. Leave hoofing it to our noisy neighbours, give me this any day.

 

[Ezra]

Stones apart, Pep has not yet addressed the defensive personnel. Once he does, watch out

100% this! Frightening to think we are a work in progress!

 

[waspish]

He starts to fall before contact is made, what does the fraction of real time video have to do with it?

Rubbish YOUR watching it in super slow motion and in 2 dimension.

 

[shemnel]

what a great win, but that 2nd leg will be tricky.

Jesus the defending in that game was poor, from both sides.

 

[Otamendi's Beard]

What was it that De Bruyne kicked off the pitch just before there penalty... Looked like it put Falco off haha...

I was behind the goal it was a bottle of Pepsi or something.