QF 1st Leg Post Match Thread

[Neville Kneville]

Fair enough but we came unstuck on Tue and we won't get away with it for much longer. There is no room to manouvre now.

That's why teams don't win the quadruple.

 

[Marvin]

Two.

What is their competition like, compared to ours ?

How athletic did Barca look, at the swamp ?

You are blurring the issue.

No doubt City are feeling the effects of a long season, but the team selection was tactical, and not down to rotation for physical reasons. We know this because Pep explained it in the post-match press conference so there's no reason to infer or 2nd guess. He's told us why.

 

[Neville Kneville]

You are blurring the issue.

No doubt City are feeling the effects of a long season, but the team selection was tactical, and not down to rotation for physical reasons. We know this because Pep explained it in the post-match press conference so there's no reason to infer or 2nd guess. He's told us why.

Pep is trying to play down the 'fatigue' issue.

He said the other day it should just be 'enjoyment' .

We all know that's absolute fucking bollocks.

 

[Roachy]

That's why teams don't win the quadruple.

The thought had never crossed my mind,lol.

 

[Ithryn Luin]

Spurs was the best draw not the worse,we usually beat them and if pep hadn't of changed the way we play we would have beaten them i'm sure,we got 100 pts playing prem teams in case you forgot..

Hmm!

But this is not the PL. It took Red nose 7 years to work it out with a British team. Pep has struggled at Bayern and City by making silly mistakes in the QF and semis.

Cup football is different especially when the club owners want the CL above everything else and brought in the best manager in the world to deliver.

Calm down dear!

 

[Marvin]

Pep is trying to play down the 'fatigue' issue.

He said the other day it should just be 'enjoyment' .

We all know that's absolute fucking bollocks.

See his press conference. And press comment about his team selection which they may have taken from this press conference
5min 55 sec he is asked about team selection.

 

[Father Paul]

Barca were shite & were the only team this season to lose pretty much every 2nd ball to Utd.

Nonsense. The rags played as well as they were let. It always looked like a second for Barca rather than an equaliser. They got in the faces of Barcelona but have nothing to show for it. Left praying for another PSG miracle.

 

[Thomas Hearns]

You are blurring the issue.

No doubt City are feeling the effects of a long season, but the team selection was tactical, and not down to rotation for physical reasons. We know this because Pep explained it in the post-match press conference so there's no reason to infer or 2nd guess. He's told us why.

It’s disinformation Marvin, don’t believe everything you hear. He’d be daft to come out and say “yep kdb was exhausted after Wembley and his body currently can’t stand up to two games in three days”.

 

[Marvin]

It’s disinformation Marvin, don’t believe everything you hear. He’d be daft to come out and say “yep kdb was exhausted after Wembley and his body currently can’t stand up to two games in three days”.

Possibly but on past tinkering I doubt it. What about Sane? He's not tired.

I'm not anti-Pep. How could any City fan be, I just feel that on this occasion he got his team selection wrong and when looking to understand why, I see a past trend. I think previous comment/losses have put him on edge in these games. I used to treat any criticism of City as sacrilege but realised over time it's all inconsequential.

 

[mancity2012_eamo]

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

rubbish

On it’s own no.
Going for everything, who knows?

 

[Thomas Hearns]

Possibly but on past tinkering I doubt it. What about Sane? He's not tired.

I'm not anti-Pep. How could any City fan be, I just feel that on this occasion he got his team selection wrong and when looking to understand why, I see a past trend. I think previous comment/losses have put him on edge in these games. I used to treat any criticism of City as sacrilege but realised over time it's all inconsequential.

Totally agree that pep makes mistakes,(didn’t he play gundog right wing at anfield in cl QF last year ?) but genuinely don’t think he did here. He’s gonna play kdb v palace and both home games v spurs so he rested him here. Leroy has been inconsistent this season, Mahrez keeps the ball better so it’s understandable to make that call if pep wants to keep things tight away from home in a European QF.

 

[eversince 76]

There is not much more fundamental to coaching than the line up and subs. He clearly picked a side not to take risks and stay in the tie, i.e. avoid the debacle of Anfield last season. That's my opinion. I believe City paid the price for Pep dealing with the demons of his CL past when we would have been much better off attacking them and playing or usual game. You clearly think so too, but leave other people to say it. In fact I bet 95% of blues are totally bemused at what Pep was trying to do but none will say it.

Totally disagree mate. And leave what I think to me.

And if you think coaching is line up and subs than you are not in my league about coaching either in football or whatever sport.

 

[HarrytheBlue]

You are blurring the issue.

No doubt City are feeling the effects of a long season, but the team selection was tactical, and not down to rotation for physical reasons. We know this because Pep explained it in the post-match press conference so there's no reason to infer or 2nd guess. He's told us why.

In Pep we trust. In the minds of us fans, it's a two legged Carabao Cup semi or two (three) Prem games. But we don't know football like Pep. Watching Barca v Manure last night, Barca's similarity to us was noticeable - bright start followed by uncharacteristic individual errors. Their pattern of play resembled us - the technique, the passing patterns, the movement - albeit Barca were marginally better than us.
What struck me was that Messi no longer has enough supporting acts (just has the one or two). If our players were watching, it surely motivated them to get the job done next week, step it up again in the semi and go balls out in the final - and by balls out, I mean work harder than ever before and see where it takes us.

 

[HarrytheBlue]

Ilkay comes across as an extremely bright, articulate and nice guy. Not sure whether the media twisted his words, but I was surprised to hear about us becoming overly nervous in the big games. Nervousness isn't something I associate with this City team. We tend to win our big games.

 

[MeatHunterrr]

Ilkay comes across as an extremely bright, articulate and nice guy. Not sure whether the media twisted his words, but I was surprised to hear about us becoming overly nervous in the big games. Nervousness isn't something I associate with this City team. We tend to win our big games.

I think he means big games in the CL and in that case he is bang on.

 

[HarrytheBlue]

I suppose it is to do with the safety of other players rather than Alli himself, every game we see arms swinging and it can't be good to get a smack in the chops with a cast. I doubt a soft brace would offer enough protection.

Lineker played with a cast on his wrist in the 86 World Cup.

 

[Chi-town blues]

Ilkay comes across as an extremely bright, articulate and nice guy. Not sure whether the media twisted his words, but I was surprised to hear about us becoming overly nervous in the big games. Nervousness isn't something I associate with this City team. We tend to win our big games.

Says the man who could’ve blocked son’s goal but instead shit him self .

 

[HarrytheBlue]

I think he means big games in the CL and in that case he is bang on.

I know he means CL games. If that's really true, it's just weird, although we've yet to take a big scalp in this competition.

 

[paulchapo]

Surely you can see that isn't what I'm referring to ?

Some of the shit posted in the two threads has just been total ****land.

It isn't abuse though is it? Or an attack or abuse on Pep for a couple of posters to say they think he made a mistake.

I think some of the ott comments on posters who see something differently because it goes against the grain or popular opinion is bollocks at times too but I understand why they feel that way or get heated defending Pep.

As has been mentioned football is fine margins. Aguero scores the penalty it could have been a totally different game and result and their goal was poor defending from us.

I understand why he chose that lineup and his thinking behind it and we almost got away with it aside from individual mistakes at both ends of the pitch. I just feel the away leg was the one we should gave been braver and gone for it more than the home leg, without being reckless. Spurs are no Liverpool on the counter attack and by not playing this approach away, we now have to take those risks at home, with the added fear of conceding an away goal.

If we get through all well and good but I fear we may regret our approach to the away tie. Kane and possibly Ali injured may help us although there is a thought Spurs may be a bit more fluent without one or two of those.

 

[chesterbells]

Totally agree that pep makes mistakes,(didn’t he play gundog right wing at anfield in cl QF last year ?) but genuinely don’t think he did here. He’s gonna play kdb v palace and both home games v spurs so he rested him here. Leroy has been inconsistent this season, Mahrez keeps the ball better so it’s understandable to make that call if pep wants to keep things tight away from home in a European QF.

Except it would have made sense to do it the other way round, ie play KdB in the away rather than the home leg, for 2 reasons:
1) His 3 games would then be more spaced out - instead of 3 games in 7 days he’d be playing 3 in 12.
2) Going full-on in the away leg may pay more dividends than doing so in the home leg, as each goal scored is “worth more”.