Post match thread : Borussia Monchengladbach away CL

[IWasHere]

To be fair punditry has been dying a slow and painful death for decades, the proof is the fact two dinosaurs like Andy Grey and Richard Keys lasted as long as they did!

The only pundits worth listening to are Gary Neville and Graham Souness

 

[bucks]

It doesn't matter who the centre halves are, if we leave that much space in front of them we will get hammered. See my post on page 32 re our complete lack of defensive formation, other teams do it, why can't we. Get it sorted Pellers, or we'll find somebody who can.

 

[tonea2003]

It was though. Where was Fernando (or Fernandinho) for their goal? It was a wide open midfield, Kolarov's run narrow and the two centre halves dropping too deep that opened up huge spaces that allowed their man a free cross and a free shot on goal.

It was only Gladbach's change in tactics that allowed us to gain control of the game. Whether they were tiring or just wanted to sit on their lead, either way, it played into our hands as most weeks in the Prem we play against a team who sits back. Then we started to grow in confidence and we were much calmer and doing more of the right things as we had more time on the ball and more time to adjust when we lost it.

so no credit to us then, make me laugh at times

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

BMG ran their knackers off for 70 odd minutes. We have trouble against well organised and athletically fit teams intent on spoiling and hanging on for what they came with - a clean sheet and a point. Last night, where they clearly outran us, not, as NoMarkOddun in the DT sez, outplayed us, they ran out of gas!

 

[cyberblue]

I Thought we won in Germany 2-1 after coming back from 1-0 down. if the rags did that it would hail as a brilliant performance .not on here though .

 

[Armaan]

Players like Kun Silva and Yaya mess us up badly in Europe without the ball. Silva and Kun don't like pressing but in today's game especially at the top level you see teams pressing with every single player.

 

[jollylescott]

Watching City is like being on the scariest roller coaster imaginable. You chug up one side (City playing the ball back and forward around the opposition box). You then hurtle down the other side (we lose the ball and our defenders are facing a 4 on 3 counter attack, with Kolarov still standing next to the opposition goalie), then you have a couple of loop the loops (each team takes turns to turn the ball over in a dangerous situation).

I'll wager there are more City fans on heart pills than any other club in the Prem! It's harem scarem all the way with Pellers!

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

Didn't see the match (working), so can't comment on it. But most posters seem to be saying a) I'm jubilant because we took the three points — I'll take that and run with it. Congrats to the team, and especially Joe and b) there are problems, they're quite serious, and they need to be addressed, especially in defence.
Honestly, that just seems reasonable.

 

[dickie davies]

I'll wager there are more City fans on heart pills than any other club in the Prem! It's harem scarem all the way with Pellers!

It's like hughes is back in charge except we win more matches

 

[shallyman]

It doesn't matter who the centre halves are, if we leave that much space in front of them we will get hammered. See my post on page 32 re our complete lack of defensive formation, other teams do it, why can't we. Get it sorted Pellers, or we'll find somebody who can.

Aye, you cannnot blame the defenders in games like this. In the champions league the whole team needs to be able to defend, not just the back 4 and holding midfielders. For at least a decade in the CL, teams get everyone behind the ball when they lose possession, often with a lone striker defending the halfway line and playing on the shoulder for counter attacks. City are trying to retain a PL style of play, with 4 players who don't defend at all, and this is the crux of your problems in the CL.

Fergie's strategy used to be attack the opposition for the first half an hour, get a few goals up, then take all the flare players off in the second half and replace them with the John O'Shea's and see out the game by defending your lead. It was a risky strategy that came unstuck a few times, but more often that not it worked. Pellegrini needs to come up with a strategy that works for City in the CL. Aguero shouldn't be on the pitch in the 90th minute, he should be sat on the bench with Silva having a rest after blowing the opposition away in the first half, then see out the game with the defensive minded players.