Porto (h) post-match thread

[ChicagoBlue]

It’s why for the last couple of seasons there’s been a narrative about how Ferni is the master of the dark arts. It’s why they reference pep and arteta explaining tactical fouls.

It’s been set on every level, that we’re cheats, so that’s the general perception by a lot of football fans. Now football fans will believe it, despite the fact that tactical fouls have been part of the game for many many years now. It’s nothing new, every team has done it for decades.

But we get pin pointed and it does give the opposition a chance to get away with stupid non contact dives because the refs and opposing fans already have their perception.

How they’re getting away with implementing it to the point we’re consistently getting 5-6 bookings more then opposition teams who are literally trying to kick us off the pitch. it’s hugely frustrating and as I said previously, it can’t be a coincidence that this is the general formula for refs when officiating City. Or to be more precise officiating against City

If no-one from the club is willing to complain, either on video or in print, it didn’t happen! Look at Pickford & VVD...wall to wall coverage, comments by everyone, it’s a story!

City “play nice” with the media, because FFP has sullied the good name of the Club for years now. Maybe, we need to start speaking out against perceived injustices IN A SMART WAY, like other clubs and managers do?

“I didn’t realize it, but one of my staff said we got 5 yellow cards in that game and yet I don’t recall one single bad challenge? Is that right? We had 5 yellows? Did Pepe get one for the foul on Sterling for the penalty? What about the kick out with the knee while Raz was on the ground? Apart from being cowardly, that’s a red card offence, isn’t it? Did VAR miss it? I was busy watching the best shot and save of the game, when their keeper made a fingertip save to tip Rodri’s piledriver onto the post! Do you remember what all those yellows were for? Did Porto get some of them, too? I don’t know, that’s why I’m asking! I couldn’t believe 5 yellow cards for all their play acting and not a memorable foul in the whole game....!”

 

[ChicagoBlue]

It's nice to see us win a game when going behind. It doesn't happen that often, we normally lose the plot and cave in. A good result in the end.

Be even nicer if we stop donating a goal to the opposition to force us to get our finger out!

It is falling to see the urgency that enters our game when we go behind, or are looking for that winner, esp after watching some of the most milquetoast performances in a long time recently!

 

[HelloCity]

The problem with Foden is that he`s wasted out on that left wing even though he had an assist.Much prefer to see him "roam".

Because of his age though he has a tendency to drift in and out of games when he’s played in the middle, which helps lead to matches becoming end to end rather than controlled.

The way we play requires such a high level of performance in that central position and a two-some like Silva and De Bruyne were are able to dictate play for long periods while keeping the team in control.

We don’t have that anymore which is why we can’t control games for the majority of 90 minutes and it’ll be some time before Foden can get to that level. Even Bernardo isn’t at that level of Silva when played centrally.

I therefore wouldn’t say Foden was wasted out wide. He’s gaining valuable first team experience. It’s very common for players of his type to get experience out wide before moving centrally on a more permanent basis.

 

[paddyblue]

If no-one from the club is willing to complain, either on video or in print, it didn’t happen! Look at Pickford & VVD...wall to wall coverage, comments by everyone, it’s a story!

City “play nice” with the media, because FFP has sullied the hood name of the Club for years now. Maybe, we need to start speaking out against perceived injustices IN A SMART WAY, like other clubs and managers do?

“I didn’t realize it, but one of my staff said we got 5 yellow cards in that game and yet I don’t recall one single bad challenge? Is that right? We had 5 yellows? Did Pepe get one for the foul on Sterling for the penalty? What about the kick out with the knee while Raz was on the ground? Apart from being cowardly, that’s a red card offence, isn’t it? Did VAR miss it? I was busy watching the best shot and save of the game, when their keeper made a fingertip save to tip Rodri’s piledriver onto the post! Do you remember what all those yellows were for? Did Porto some of them, too? I don’t know, that’s why I’m asking! I couldn’t believe 5 yellow cards for all their play acting....!”

We did get 5 yellows, and if I’m honest I can’t remember a bad tackle, some of our yellows weren’t even fouls, some of the fouls given against we didn’t even make contact or attempt a challenge. It’s been the same script for a while now, and more noticeably so the last 3 seasons.

You’re right about the club being too nice and staying quiet. The way VVD story has got wall to wall coverage is mad. I’m 30 years watching football this is the first time I’ve ever heard anyone come out and say the offending player should be banned for the duration of VVDs injury. How deluded some people are. He made a mistake while trying to play the game. He didn’t go in to do him. Why should Pickford and his career suffer for playing the game.

A couple of weeks ago, v Leeds I think, that tackle on Bernardo had more malice in it that Pickford. MOTD didn’t even show it. The post match sky or whoever barely gave it notice if at all. Ok Berni wasn’t hurt thankfully, but the intent was there, and on another day that challenge could’ve broke his leg or ended his career. And the guy was trying to do him. Not a mention of it. Yet VVd gets hurt and though unintentional, the guy responsible must be hung drawn and quartered.

It’ll be a long drive from Newcastle everyday to Everton for training but if I was Pickford I’d not want to be residing in Liverpool for a while. Remember what they did to poor old Dudek, and he was representing them in the champs league final haha.

so to get back to your point: the club does need to make sure this stuff is done in a SMART way, the same as the other shitehawks bemoaning every injustice. Would this be the fan vloggers, Cheesy and Esteemed Kompany or something official from the club that will have a further reach than our vloggers. But something needs to be done, cos I’ve a pain in my hole getting stick off Dublin scousers and rags who are using the media narrative to try bash me with. A more vacuous tribe I’ve yet to come across.

 

[ChicagoBlue]

We did get 5 yellows, and if I’m honest I can’t remember a bad tackle, some of our yellows weren’t even fouls, some of the fouls given against we didn’t even make contact or attempt a challenge. It’s been the same script for a while now, and more noticeably so the last 3 seasons.

You’re right about the club being too nice and staying quiet. The way VVD story has got wall to wall coverage is mad. I’m 30 years watching football this is the first time I’ve ever heard anyone come out and say the offending player should be banned for the duration of VVDs injury. How deluded some people are. He made a mistake while trying to play the game. He didn’t go in to do him. Why should Pickford and his career suffer for playing the game.

A couple of weeks ago, v Leeds I think, that tackle on Bernardo had more malice in it that Pickford. MOTD didn’t even show it. The post match sky or whoever barely gave it notice if at all. Ok Berni wasn’t hurt thankfully, but the intent was there, and on another day that challenge could’ve broke his leg or ended his career. And the guy was trying to do him. Not a mention of it. Yet VVd gets hurt and though unintentional, the guy responsible must be hung drawn and quartered.

It’ll be a long drive from Newcastle everyday to Everton for training but if I was Pickford I’d not want to be residing in Liverpool for a while. Remember what they did to poor old Dudek, and he was representing them in the champs league final haha.

It’s indicative of the mentality we see throughout society today...everything is so outrageous, it requires redress

NO, IT DOESN’T!

Click culture, and the ability to be anonymous within it, has created the effect of magnifying and multiplying even the most mundane of viewpoints.

We need to get hold of ourselves before we take the step off the building, because social media is ruining, mostly young, lives.

The game needs to go back to being played between the white lines by the people between the white lines. The wall to wall coverage, 25 super slow mo camera angles, and the agendas at work are warping the reality of THE GAME!

 

[Mr Fraser]

Because of his age though he has a tendency to drift in and out of games when he’s played in the middle, which helps lead to matches becoming end to end rather than controlled.

The way we play requires such a high level of performance in that central position and a two-some like Silva and De Bruyne were are able to dictate play for long periods while keeping the team in control.

We don’t have that anymore which is why we can’t control games for the majority of 90 minutes and it’ll be some time before Foden can get to that level. Even Bernardo isn’t at that level of Silva when played centrally.

I therefore wouldn’t say Foden was wasted out wide. He’s gaining valuable first team experience. It’s very common for players of his type to get experience out wide before moving centrally on a more permanent basis.

We really miss Silva. On blob he controlled the tempo. Even playing poorly he influenced tempo of a game

 

[paddyblue]

It’s indicative of the mentality we see throughout society today...everything is so outrageous, it requires redress

NO, IT DOESN’T!

Click culture, and the ability to be anonymous within it, has created the effect of magnifying and multiplying even the most mundane of viewpoints.

We need to get hold of ourselves before we take the step off the building, because social media is ruining, mostly young, lives.

I concur. It’s so tiring and so far gone that’s it’s instilled itself in everyone’s live in some way. It’s a long way back.

For now; I think we should focus on 2 main points.
1. how we can stop the refs trying to cheat us.
2. how can we get the media to stop portraying us as cheats, cos this is having an effect on our day to day lives if we let it and the rival
begrudgers get in on us with their constantly misinformed and slanted opinions on us. On top of the derogatory shit they hurl at us these days.

 

[ChicagoBlue]

I concur. It’s so tiring and so far gone that’s it’s instilled itself in everyone’s live in some way. It’s a long way back.

For now; I think we should focus on 2 main points.
1. how we can stop the refs trying to cheat us.
2. how can we get the media to stop portraying us as cheats, cos this is having an effect on our day to day lives if we let it and the rival
begrudgers get in on us with their constantly misinformed and slanted opinions on us. On top of the derogatory shit they hurl at us these days.

Sadly, although in some respects it’s a good thing, the owners and executives don’t give a fuck about most things said about the club, because they know they’re going to have the last laugh. Movers and shakers have realized that the CFG structure is the sports ownership model of the future. Glazers and Fenway have transferred their wealth across sports, whereas CFG has concentrated on the one, true global sport and global coverage in the major markets.

However, I hope they also understand that when biased, one-sided narrative becomes accepted “fact,” it can have a negative effect on the business.

As we have seen in the last week or so, there is clearly a lot going on behind the scenes in the football world, so it might be wise to stay mum for now to ensure we are integral players in whatever comes to pass wrt European Leagues, etc., but I would like to at least see those inside the club speaking out occasionally, even if it is the Assistant Coach, or even a designated player.

 

[edinburgh123]

In these tight games, we miss the guile of David Silva. We are all hoping that Foden can developed his skill but to do that he has to demand the ball more, find the spaces to affect the game. I know he is young but so are a lot of great players. He has to stop thinking of himself as a youngster in a team of established internationals and show them that he is every bit as good.

Foden has more chance of doing it if he plays. He only managed 20 minutes and set up a goal though.?.?.?

 

[Neville Kneville]

Because of his age though he has a tendency to drift in and out of games when he’s played in the middle, which helps lead to matches becoming end to end rather than controlled.

The way we play requires such a high level of performance in that central position and a two-some like Silva and De Bruyne were are able to dictate play for long periods while keeping the team in control.

We don’t have that anymore which is why we can’t control games for the majority of 90 minutes and it’ll be some time before Foden can get to that level. Even Bernardo isn’t at that level of Silva when played centrally.

I therefore wouldn’t say Foden was wasted out wide. He’s gaining valuable first team experience. It’s very common for players of his type to get experience out wide before moving centrally on a more permanent basis.

Because Foden isn't Silva, doesn't mean he shouldn't play inside. As you say, we haven't got Silva, so it makes no odds.

Games becoming end to end should be food & drink to us, but we have had a shite defence & wasted opportunities upfront, so a game we should win 4-1 we lose 3-2.

 

[Blue_eyes]

Just putting our performance aside, I found myself yet again frustrated with the fouls for/against situation. This isnt the only time I have had my suspicions about abrasive teams such as porto who have a couple of dirty players in their team getting an easy ride versus City.

Maybe porto should lobby for that ref from last night to be able to officiate their league games too after giving just FOUR decisions against them during last nights game. I did a little search of their league match stats so far this season, and lo and behold their foul counts in their four games so far according to footystats.org were 18, 19, 19, and 20???? Not content with those findings incase I had misread/understood the stats I checked the bbc match reports for all sixteen champions league games this week. Should we be surprised by now to see that porto commited the least fouls of any team in this round of fixtures?

You can call me paranoid for even caring to check this info, but are porto with pepe and a bitchy manager really paragons of fair play just because its us they are playing.I think not, and will be interested to see their foul count in the rest of their group games.

To me this begs a question.....are we reffed differently? I know others on this forum have asked he same and it seems unlikely that uefa can get away with a conserted on pitch campaign against us, but looking back on our cl record, it is littered with contentious decisions. Or maybe the officials are actually subliminally affected by the anti City rhetoric/brand damaging that has been successfully employed by our media and certain parts of footballs governing bodies.

Whatever, it does seem unlikely that we will be winning this competition anytime soon given the above and our form(which can and hopefully will improve), but alas I still think we have yet to win the hearts of those that are in a position to affect our chances before we can win the competition, and I am not sure we can do....or want to do that.

 

[paddyblue]

Sadly, although in some respects it’s a good thing, the owners and executives don’t give a fuck about most things said about the club, because they know they’re going to have the last laugh. Movers and shakers have realized that the CFG structure is the sports ownership model of the future. Glazers and Fenway have transferred their wealth across sports, whereas CFG has concentrated on the one, true global sport and global coverage in the major markets.

However, I hope they also understand that when biased, one-sided narrative becomes accepted “fact,” it can have a negative effect on the business.

As we have seen in the last week or so, there is clearly a lot going on behind the scenes in the football world, so it might be wise to stay mum for now to ensure we are integral players in whatever comes to pass wrt European Leagues, etc., but I would like to at least see those inside the club speaking out occasionally, even if it is the Assistant Coach, or even a designated player.

This is the other side of the coin. And the prolonged silence from the club would suggest that they’re playing the long game. Only time will tell. And yes in one sense it is refreshing that we don’t go on about it in the media because ultimately that detracts from the football being played.

Could we get Tony Pulis in to piss and whine for us in the post match. Although I think there’s only one allocated slot in the Prem for dressing like a knobhead walking souviner shop and klopp already has position filled since Tony’s prolonged absence from the Prem.

So maybe Neil Warnock can be brought in on big money to be our designated post match moaner. Imagine

 

[ChicagoBlue]

So maybe Neil Warnock can be brought in on big money to be our designated post match moaner. Imagine

Never much liked him as a manager, but he was EXACTLY the kind of character needed for the job!

He could stick the knife in WHILE making you laugh at how he did it! Wasn’t until he twisted it, you even noticed it was sharp and pointed!

He was worth his weight in gold for the advent of SKY and 24/7/365 wall-to-wall football on the box!

An example of softly softly “WTF?!”

 

[HelloCity]

Because Foden isn't Silva, doesn't mean he shouldn't play inside. As you say, we haven't got Silva, so it makes no odds.

Games becoming end to end should be food & drink to us, but we have had a shite defence & wasted opportunities upfront, so a game we should win 4-1 we lose 3-2.

It’s not the way we are set up to play and it doesn’t win you the league.

Look at the Leeds game. Total control in the first half but end to end in the 2nd. I know which half I preferred.

 

[BolinCell]

Just putting our performance aside, I found myself yet again frustrated with the fouls for/against situation. This isnt the only time I have had my suspicions about abrasive teams such as porto who have a couple of dirty players in their team getting an easy ride versus City.

Maybe porto should lobby for that ref from last night to be able to officiate their league games too after giving just FOUR decisions against them during last nights game. I did a little search of their league match stats so far this season, and lo and behold their foul counts in their four games so far according to footystats.org were 18, 19, 19, and 20???? Not content with those findings incase I had misread/understood the stats I checked the bbc match reports for all sixteen champions league games this week. Should we be surprised by now to see that porto commited the least fouls of any team in this round of fixtures?

You can call me paranoid for even caring to check this info, but are porto with pepe and a bitchy manager really paragons of fair play just because its us they are playing.I think not, and will be interested to see their foul count in the rest of their group games.

To me this begs a question.....are we reffed differently? I know others on this forum have asked he same and it seems unlikely that uefa can get away with a conserted on pitch campaign against us, but looking back on our cl record, it is littered with contentious decisions. Or maybe the officials are actually subliminally affected by the anti City rhetoric/brand damaging that has been successfully employed by our media and certain parts of footballs governing bodies.

Whatever, it does seem unlikely that we will be winning this competition anytime soon given the above and our form(which can and hopefully will improve), but alas I still think we have yet to win the hearts of those that are in a position to affect our chances before we can win the competition, and I am not sure we can do....or want to do that.

No were not reffed differently in fact we have had our fair share of penalties if you exclude United.

 

[dadnlad]

Sadly, although in some respects it’s a good thing, the owners and executives don’t give a fuck about most things said about the club, because they know they’re going to have the last laugh. Movers and shakers have realized that the CFG structure is the sports ownership model of the future. Glazers and Fenway have transferred their wealth across sports, whereas CFG has concentrated on the one, true global sport and global coverage in the major markets.

However, I hope they also understand that when biased, one-sided narrative becomes accepted “fact,” it can have a negative effect on the business.

As we have seen in the last week or so, there is clearly a lot going on behind the scenes in the football world, so it might be wise to stay mum for now to ensure we are integral players in whatever comes to pass wrt European Leagues, etc., but I would like to at least see those inside the club speaking out occasionally, even if it is the Assistant Coach, or even a designated player.

but when they speak out no mater how constructive and fair minded the rag media soon twist it cut bits out to make city look bitter n twisted, just look at last two proposals by the red shirts no outcry or bad publicity just reworded to make good for everyone in football

 

[Neville Kneville]

It’s not the way we are set up to play and it doesn’t win you the league.

Look at the Leeds game. Total control in the first half but end to end in the 2nd. I know which half I preferred.

We spend most of the time moaning about teams parking the bus.

If we can't beat teams who come out & play, with KDB, Bernardo, Sterling, Aguero, Jesus etc, then we must have signed the wrong players.

 

[paddyblue]

Never much liked him as a manager, but he was EXACTLY the kind of character needed for the job!

He could stick the knife in WHILE making you laugh at how he did it! Wasn’t until he twisted it, you even noticed it was sharp and pointed!

He was worth his weight in gold for the advent of SKY and 24/7/365 wall-to-wall football on the box!

An example of softly softly “WTF?!”

Perfect for the role, not as our manager, just to come out in the post match with a list of officiating errors.

 

[Millwallawayveteran1988]

It’s not the way we are set up to play and it doesn’t win you the league.

Look at the Leeds game. Total control in the first half but end to end in the 2nd. I know which half I preferred.

Think it was more first 25 mins that first half in that one. The game was a cracker for a Neutral. Not so much for me! I enjoyed the Arsenal 2nd half better. Nice and controlled. When I can’t go to the game I don’t care how we play to be honest as long as we get the result.

 

[LucahArchie10]

I thought Mahrez was the worst player on the pitch by some distance.

Wasn't great but Rodri & Cancelo were shocking