QF 1st Leg Post Match Thread

[Marvin]

Why haven't you mentioned this before now?

The CL latter stages happen once a season so only then can you react.

I am responding to what I have seen. Every time we play in the latter stages of the CL, Pep pulls a rat out of the hat

 

[Mid Wales blue]

Wow, suddenly Pep is a shit manager. What a load of bollocks.

Not suddenly, but at least since Tuesday evening!

;-)

 

[BluessinceHydeRoad]

We have been given the statistics of Pep's record in away games in the CL and have been left to conclude that they are absolutely damning. They are used to question his status as an "elite" manager, though not on here to be fair. As a point of interest, do we have the statistics of any other elite managers so we can make a fair assessment of Pep's record. Statistics are often used to decry Pep (from the expected quarters). He has won the CL twice so far, which is the same as Ferguson and Mourinho. More often though NOT winning it with Bayern is the statistic which is quoted to show he isn't good as you might think, but Mourinho's failure to win it with Real is rarely used to taunt him, nor is the fact that Ferguson ONLY won it twice in a tenure of 27 years at OT.

 

[Mid Wales blue]

you think there is a high risk of us losing to watford in the fa cup final?

rubbish

It wouldn’t even merit an investigation on a risk assessment!

 

[Tb1981]

Delph's charge sheet is vast and varied, yet Pep has been forced to use him because of Mendy's injuries and Zin also not available.

We can point to his red cards at Wigan and Leicester but he was also at fault for the first goal last season in the 4-3 defeat at Liverpool.

He was also at fault for United getting it back to 1-1 at half-time away.

He was also at fault for failing to clear the ball against Lyon at home?

He was also at fault for the penalty diving in at Swansea.

When you break it down like that, it's a miracle Pep and this team has achieved what it has with him anywhere near the starting line-up.

Are you telling us we needs new left back?

 

[Marvin]

You can't honestly suggest that Delph standing with his hand up, Gundogan casually waving a foot & Ederson becoming 'The Vision' so the ball went straight through him, plus Aguero missing a pen, are down to Pep ?

It's the absolute opposite. We get away with this amatuer shit, regularly, because of Pep. Because he has us dominating games so the fuckups don't count against.

We went to Anfield & kept it tight. It worked. We missed a fucking penalty.

We went to Spurs & kept it tight, it worked. We handed them a goal against the play & missed a penalty.

We 'might' have done better with KDB Sané, but then we would likely need another plan for some of the games Pep has them down for.

It was a top notch away from home performance in the Champions League, fucked up by individual mistakes.

But, Bayern, Barca, Real Madrid, Juve, Inter, Liverpool, Utd, would all have been perfectly happy with that, as a first leg, in any of the years they won it.

It's always the players who score the goals or who make the mistakes.

You are doing a Pep and over-complicating it. Play your best players in the biggest games. You don't see Ronaldo and Messi on the bench in the big games. Very sad to see de Bruyne and Sane sat on the bench watching City toil. I can't say that we would have won with them, but I am pretty convinced that was far from City's best side.

 

[Mid Wales blue]

The CL latter stages happen once a season so only then can you react.

I am responding to what I have seen. Every time we play in the latter stages of the CL, Pep pulls a rat out of the hat

Hopefully we can get to the final, play the Dippers and give them their rat back!

 

[Damanino]

He came with a huge CL pedigree which took bif hot since he is at City. He was a regular manager in CL semis before City. 6 years of Barca/Bayern he delivered 6 CL semifinals getting there is very hard and he did it 6 times in a row. Only two times he managed to win in semis and get to the final and both times he won it.

But his City record in CL is not even close yet this year finally it can change. First year out vs Monaco last 16 stage.
Last year out vs Liverpool quarter finals stage.
This season we could be out again QF stage vs Tottenham.

Surely it cant be only Pellegrini getting a CL semifinal in 10 years of Mansours time. If Tottenham goes trough from this that CL semifinal where we were horse shit vs Real Madrid with Pellegrini (but at least we were there) will raise its importance..

Tough thing is some of the clubs are able to get to the semis. Nowhere near a strong squad like ours. Like Roma last season, like Liverpool last season etc. Or Spurs this season maybe.

Really hope we win 2-0 or 3-1. But if its 2-1 win only or even 1-1 than all questions come back to the first game on Tuesday which some think we didnt want to win we wanted to keep it down get a draw. I dont think it was a plan, we were not good enough to create anything. The number of times Sterling, Mahrez ran into the defenders and lost it. Half of those should have used to create some good passes, crosses, shots...
Pen miss etc.

 

[northstandgiveusasong]

It's always the players who score the goals or who make the mistakes.

You are doing a Pep and over-complicating it. Play your best players in the biggest games. You don't see Ronaldo and Messi on the bench in the big games. Very sad to see de Bruyne and Sane sat on the bench watching City toil. I can't say that we would have won with them, but I am pretty convinced that was far from City's best side.

A very good result then considering what lies ahead.

 

[HarrytheBlue]

I feel how Barca played was how we were supposed to be playing... if our lads hadn't forget how to pass the ball.

I thought Barca started well and went downhill - like us. For all Manure's enthusiasm and £80m and £90m players, they didn't have a single shot on target. Messi doesn't have as many stellar supporting acts in this Barca team as in the Xavi/Iniesta/Alves days.

 

[HarrytheBlue]

When did we get a bye in the semis?

I did say 'next week permitting'.

 

[Oleole123]

Barca away in CL is also mega bad. Is this a surprise?

 

[OB1]

No one can know what would have happened but I feel De Bruyne and Sane should have started in a "routine" City side. The changes weakened and neutered City. I can see the thinking behind it. In a two-legged tie, reduce the first to a narrow game and blow them away at home but the elementary shit play was in my mind a consequence of Guardiola's tactical and selection changes. These are opinions. We can't prove them, but I would point to City's domestic success and also to Guardiola's record in Europe. This is not a bolt from the blue but a recurring theme of tinkering when it's not needed.

Getting tired of your whinging about Pep's record in Europe. Prior to City, who are a different case, Pep IIRC had never failed to reach the semi-finals and had won the UCL twice. It gets tough at that stage (SF onwards), whoever you manage so he brought a fantastic European record with him.

Getting City to be successful in this competition is a major challenge - there's a big hurdle, probably mental as much as anything, to overcome to get us to the stage of being regular participants in the SF / Final.

As to your comment in an earlier post that Pep does not learn from his mistakes- what utter horse manure. You referenced him playing Gundo vs Liverpool last season and that was a mistake and one he clearly learnt from because he has never used Gundo in the same way again.

 

[Roachy]

He came with a huge CL pedigree which took bif hot since he is at City. He was a regular manager in CL semis before City. 6 years of Barca/Bayern he delivered 6 CL semifinals getting there is very hard and he did it 6 times in a row. Only two times he managed to win in semis and get to the final and both times he won it.

But his City record in CL is not even close yet this year finally it can change. First year out vs Monaco last 16 stage.
Last year out vs Liverpool quarter finals stage.
This season we could be out again QF stage vs Tottenham.

Surely it cant be only Pellegrini getting a CL semifinal in 10 years of Mansours time. If Tottenham goes trough from this that CL semifinal where we were horse shit vs Real Madrid with Pellegrini (but at least we were there) will raise its importance..

Tough thing is some of the clubs are able to get to the semis. Nowhere near a strong squad like ours. Like Roma last season, like Liverpool last season etc. Or Spurs this season maybe.

Really hope we win 2-0 or 3-1. But if its 2-1 win only or even 1-1 than all questions come back to the first game on Tuesday which some think we didnt want to win we wanted to keep it down get a draw. I dont think it was a plan, we were not good enough to create anything. The number of times Sterling, Mahrez ran into the defenders and lost it. Half of those should have used to create some good passes, crosses, shots...
Pen miss etc.

The forward play on Tue was quite bad on reflection, no zip whatsoever.

 

[OB1]

You can't honestly suggest that Delph standing with his hand up, Gundogan casually waving a foot & Ederson becoming 'The Vision' so the ball went straight through him, plus Aguero missing a pen, are down to Pep ?

It's the absolute opposite. We get away with this amatuer shit, regularly, because of Pep. Because he has us dominating games so the fuckups don't count against.

We went to Anfield & kept it tight. It worked. We missed a fucking penalty.

We went to Spurs & kept it tight, it worked. We handed them a goal against the play & missed a penalty.

We 'might' have done better with KDB Sané, but then we would likely need another plan for some of the games Pep has them down for.

It was a top notch away from home performance in the Champions League, fucked up by individual mistakes.

But, Bayern, Barca, Real Madrid, Juve, Inter, Liverpool, Utd, would all have been perfectly happy with that, as a first leg, in any of the years they won it.

That's how I see it.

 

[OB1]

Delph's charge sheet is vast and varied, yet Pep has been forced to use him because of Mendy's injuries and Zin also not available.

We can point to his red cards at Wigan and Leicester but he was also at fault for the first goal last season in the 4-3 defeat at Liverpool.

He was also at fault for United getting it back to 1-1 at half-time away.

He was also at fault for failing to clear the ball against Lyon at home?

He was also at fault for the penalty diving in at Swansea.

When you break it down like that, it's a miracle Pep and this team has achieved what it has with him anywhere near the starting line-up.

Guilty :(

I like Delph but he has got caught out a few too many times.

 

[Father Paul]

Pep definitely has his priorities. Sane and De Bruyne were never going to come on any earlier. I don't get why people can't understand that they were only on the bench for an emergency and to make the opposition think a bit too. All this nonsense of "should have come on earlier" was never going to happen apart from a stretch of legs for 8 minutes to keep them ticking over.

What? an Emergency? Well perhaps needing to score an away goal may turn out to be a necessity come 10 o'clock on Wednesday. Should have put them on the pitch after goal at the latest. Time will tell whether this defeat was a good result or not but to me his decision was based more on fear rather than any priorities he may or may not have.

 

[Craig]

We have been given the statistics of Pep's record in away games in the CL and have been left to conclude that they are absolutely damning. They are used to question his status as an "elite" manager, though not on here to be fair. As a point of interest, do we have the statistics of any other elite managers so we can make a fair assessment of Pep's record. Statistics are often used to decry Pep (from the expected quarters). He has won the CL twice so far, which is the same as Ferguson and Mourinho. More often though NOT winning it with Bayern is the statistic which is quoted to show he isn't good as you might think, but Mourinho's failure to win it with Real is rarely used to taunt him, nor is the fact that Ferguson ONLY won it twice in a tenure of 27 years at OT.

In fairness to Mourinho though he won it with a fairly average Inter side and a very average Porto. Pep's 2 wins were with arguably the greatest club side ever. Obviously I know which manager I prefer and hopefully Pep's put it right on Wednesday and stops over thinking these kind of games.

 

[M12Blue]

He came with a huge CL pedigree which took bif hot since he is at City. He was a regular manager in CL semis before City. 6 years of Barca/Bayern he delivered 6 CL semifinals getting there is very hard and he did it 6 times in a row. Only two times he managed to win in semis and get to the final and both times he won it.

But his City record in CL is not even close yet this year finally it can change. First year out vs Monaco last 16 stage.
Last year out vs Liverpool quarter finals stage.
This season we could be out again QF stage vs Tottenham.

Surely it cant be only Pellegrini getting a CL semifinal in 10 years of Mansours time. If Tottenham goes trough from this that CL semifinal where we were horse shit vs Real Madrid with Pellegrini (but at least we were there) will raise its importance..

Tough thing is some of the clubs are able to get to the semis. Nowhere near a strong squad like ours. Like Roma last season, like Liverpool last season etc. Or Spurs this season maybe.

Really hope we win 2-0 or 3-1. But if its 2-1 win only or even 1-1 than all questions come back to the first game on Tuesday which some think we didnt want to win we wanted to keep it down get a draw. I dont think it was a plan, we were not good enough to create anything. The number of times Sterling, Mahrez ran into the defenders and lost it. Half of those should have used to create some good passes, crosses, shots...
Pen miss etc.

Think you’re being a bit harsh

Monaco could of gone either way but Peps first year and Monaco best team in Europe for me that year.

Liverpool - we all know what killed us, 10 minutes of madness and no VAR. we were much the better side.

Spurs - pep knows we won’t beat them in 10 days playing them 3 times with same team. He looked to be solid, snatch a goal, almost worked but for penalty miss and a stand in full back having a poor season.

I have no doubt spurs will be well beaten the next 2 games. Palace as well.

 

[M12Blue]

It's always the players who score the goals or who make the mistakes.

You are doing a Pep and over-complicating it. Play your best players in the biggest games. You don't see Ronaldo and Messi on the bench in the big games. Very sad to see de Bruyne and Sane sat on the bench watching City toil. I can't say that we would have won with them, but I am pretty convinced that was far from City's best side.

Not sure you can compare the importance of a returning from injury kdb and a hot and cold sane in our team with the importance of a currently fit and firing Messi.

Time for putting the boot into pep, if that’s your take on things, will be 10pm Wednesday, however I’m sure a previous post of yours said rather prem than CL, so why care. Apologies if wrong with that