Napoli Vs City Post Match Discussion Thread

[tonea2003]

Re: Summarise

Mancini got it tactically wrong tonight, worryingly not learning from the first game. Napoli play a very narrow defensive formation and are incredibly strong through the middle with the 3 central defenders are also two of the front three dropping back behind the ball when they lose possession. We all saw the effect Barry had when he came on in the home game, although it appeared to be a defensive switch with Johnson coming off it give us more control in the midfield and we could dominate possession. Conceding the two goals was just schoolboy defending and it was so obviously coming because we were getting outnumbered in that midfield area. We should have reverted back to last season when everyone said we were playing 3 defensive midfielders (even though us City fans know that was bollocks) with De Jong & Barry holding and Yaya doing a bit of everything.

he doesn't fully trust johnson yet for the big games, playing him would have stretched napoli out of their ridgid formation, everytime we got it wide with zaba and kolorov there was potential, its just that their delivery isn't consistant enough

 

[Cityfan]

Agreed 100%, shocking team selection and baffling use of substitutions far far to late to have any impact, WE NEEDED TO WIN FFS!!
The jury is out for me with Mancini and the Champions League, just as it was with him at Inter.

We didn't need to win a draw would have done us nicely.

Different personnel may or may not have worked. Zab was in the spaces Micah would have occupied plenty of times but was not being passed to particularly by Yaya. Clichy is more dynamic than Kolarov but I am not convinced he is a better crosser which seemed the main problem yesterday.
Balotelli nearly scored twice, although the better team on the day won it was close. Our defense needs to learn Europe a bit better and I'm sure we will.

 

[ChicagoBlue]

What defense?!

We gave up 2 to QPR, another bad 1 (lucky not 2 or 3) to the barcodes, and another 2 tonight, both on the break. Need to tighten up a bit and not play so expansively at times.

 

[robbieh]

In England we play 433
In Europe we should play 4231

Barry de Jong
Nasri Yaya Silva

and one up top

while in the league Nasri and Silva seem not to work together, however in a more tactical european game I'd like to see them play in tandem.

 

[blue order]

The book for this one stops with Mancini. He's been lauded (and rightly so!) in recent months but last night got it wrong. Apart from the obvious mistake with BOTH full-backs!(we maybe could have stood one change of full back)

I would also add that Edin and Balo playing together are not the best choice. Either/or with Aguero.

Secondly, I think Johnson could have been given bit more time.

Finally and fundamentally that was NOT our best starting eleven obviously but on Sunday against Liverpool I believe we will put out our strongest team. If Mancini had to field a weaker team in one of these games then I think he should have prioritised the Napoli game as it was more important...

... dropped points in the league against L'pool are easily recoverable over a season even if we dropped them, whereas last nights defeat in a 'one off' is probably going to be terminal for our ECL aspirations.

 

[gelly]

We've tried to attack in every game.

When you watch Utd and Liverpool in Europe away, their priority has been not to lose.

If there is a lesson it is we are not at Barcelona's level yet, and should be more defensive away from home. At 1-1 we should not have lost that game. Still we did, move on to the next Cup Final

That's the problem with Mancini, he's a bit impressionable in Europe. That's why he's also failed in Europe.

The first aim is not to concede goals, then to play for a draw away. To get anywhere you have to win at home games, but if you win you have to win without conceding, or by a margin of 2 or more goals. At home for example 2-1 is a bad result in Europe with away goals rule. Away games should be aimed at 0-0, 1-1 draw, and focusing as conceding least amount of goals, a 1-0, or 2-1 lost would not be the end in a knockout tie. Unfortunately this time around it is. Most teams who have been successful in Europe, play only on the counter attack, pack the midfield and a very well organised defensively, especially to prevent exposure on the counter.

 

[ali benarbia's studs]

one thing i just don t get.....is you never change a winning backline.... why rotate when its pointless.if its not broke don t fix it. mancini did this before the munich game and we conceded two goals.

 

[Stoned Rose]

My thoughts:

1. An extremely tough group and it was going to be very difficult to progress.

2. We are not out of our depth (as a unit) at that level and if we'd have been in some of the other groups we'd have gotten through.

3. Zabaleta and Kolarov, as great/efficient as they are at prem level are not good enough at CL level. Mancini should've gone with Micah and Gael as they are better at both defending and attacking. They also give Silva that outlet. Last night he was squeezed inside and didnt have the Micha/Gael option to fall back on.

4. Dzeko is to one dimensional at CL level. Aguero would've provided more for Napoli to worry about with his quick feet and better mobility. Compare Dzeko to Cavani or Gomez for example. No contest.

5. Mancini made the substitutions to late. We clearly needed pace and width much earlier but he either didn't identify that or he decided to hold on and hope for the best.

6. We need to vastly improve our goal scoring from set pieces. We never really look like scoring from corners or free kicks. CL winning teams score a variety of goals, we dont.

7. We need to vastly improve our concentration/defending at set pieces. The goal last night was basically Bayern's first all over again. That's not the end of the world in the prem as we can get back in the game but at this level it's very difficult.

What next?

1. Forget it. It's done. We'll be back next year with more wool on our backs and (probably) one or two better players in the identified positions.

2. Imperative we get our focus back for Sunday. No slip ups. Business as usual. The league is ours if we remain focused.

 

[Lancet Fluke]

There are a few gripes about the team given just how important the match was. As I am sure others have said, I would have preferred to have had Barry, Richards, Clichy and Aguero starting last night. Mind you regardless of who had been picked, I'm still stunned by how slowly we started the second half, it was pretty pathetic and effectively lost us the match. It was like someone had drugged their half time drinks or something.

 

[bayern blade]

We have to beat Bayern at home and they have to lose or draw at Villareal. Going by Villareal's piss-poor performances so far I doubt we are going to get through unless we are extremely lucky. Even beating a Bayern side if they play a few kids is not going to be easy.

Even we have no idea of how Heynckes will approach the City match.

We have Bundesliga games against Stuttgart 11/12 and Köln 16/12 after the City game, and a last 16 Cup game in Bochum 20/12 and obviously having already won the CL group they will be a priority.

However when asked about the game after the match last night Rummenigge said that there is still money and uefa coefficient points to play for, and that it would be in anycase unfair to send out a weakened side.
It's Heynckes that picks the team though not Rummenigge, we have a tough game against Bremen just before City and tbh I can see Olic coming in for Gomez and at least one of Robben and Ribery also being rested before the Stuttgart match.
There is also now absolutely no need to try and rush Schweinsteiger back to action.