Real Madrid (A) | CL | Post Match Thread

[Brightwell Bros.]

The idea that Pep hasn't been constantly trying to solve the problem of our midfield is astonishing. We've played with about a dozen shapes and a dozen combinations and none of them have worked out because of a mixture of injuries, age, and limitations. We're not a squad that has the players to sit deep and soak up pressure, and the team haven't been able to asset themselves like they would normally. Every time he's made a change people have blamed the poor bastard that was put in there. Gundo, Kova, Rico, Bernie, Grealish, Akanji. I don't know what games you've been watching if you think he's not been desperately fighting to find a solution.

Every fucking game some smart arse on here says "if only they'd played [player on the bench]" we'd have given them a right good fight and won. Well would we? What fucking midfield do we currently have that can press for 90 minutes, keep the ball happily, assert themselves on the game, or defend comfortably for 90 minutes?

 

[thegoatsthegoat]

Pep is only as good as his players. The Ballon D'or winner was injured. The best striker in the world was also injured. And after 5 minutes, City's best defender went off injured.

Sometimes you just have to understand where we are as a football club. If you can't make simple observations, and interpretations about football, God help you when it comes to more complex matters.

Then that is really showing his deficiencies doesn't it. So unless he has the best players at his disposal, he cannot get a tune out of his team? Only one thing that is simple here...

 

[thegoatsthegoat]

The idea that Pep hasn't been constantly trying to solve the problem of our midfield is astonishing. We've played with about a dozen shapes and a dozen combinations and none of them have worked out because of a mixture of injuries, age, and limitations. We're not a squad that has the players to sit deep and soak up pressure, and the team haven't been able to asset themselves like they would normally. Every time he's made a change people have blamed the poor bastard that was put in there. Gundo, Kova, Rico, Bernie, Grealish, Akanji. I don't know what games you've been watching if you think he's not been desperately fighting to find a solution.

Gundog hasn't or won't ever be the solution this season. Can't wait for him to start Sunday

 

[Gone for a Burton]

Can't believe how bad last night was. But tbh, after how poor we were throughout the league phase, it beggars belief that we were still even in it. Absolutely crap format and a competition we've had no business being involved in since about 4 games in.

Not judging our January business just yet. But given how many we brought in and how much we spent, we are going to have to start making use of what we have fairly quickly and I can't see us buying loads of players in summer (surely a GK, RB and a top drawer AM are a must though).

Summer will witness a big turnover of players.

Last night was the final demonstration to everyone connected with City as to how big the gap twixt us and the top team is now.

Two years ago we beat them 5.1.... now we've been beaten 6.3.

They've learnt and invested further in elite talent......and we've regressed as a result of not investing in elite talent.....as difficult as that is.

Most of us appreciate the strengths and weaknesses of our squad, and Pep knows more than us.

It will take one more window to make us competitive, if not Champions, in the PL, and 3 more windows to make us competitive in the CL, which we must qualify for for next season.

On other threads, City fans rally around 'legacy fans' for their loyalty through the tough times, but some of the ignoramus’s on the MDT are slaughtering our 'legacy players', most of whom have delivered unparalleled success, glory,records and enjoyment.

It's embarrassing, unnecessary and unworthy from idiots who don't even go to games. It's also a reflection on the danger of social media in the hands of hysterical,ill-informed fools

Some great players will be leaving the club in a few short months time. Players who have given their best, but who are now beyond their best.

These players now need our support & appreciation as never before, and it's our duty to provide it......not criticism or abuse.

The replacements to the departees need to be elite footballers, athletes and personalities. Second best or bargin buys will not get us back to the level of 2 years ago or Madrid last night.

The events of this season, unplanned and unprecedented, are a wake up call that the club must not ignore....success is cyclical....and you should do thing when you CAN not when you MUST......additionally you must plan for the unexpected and have a deliverable 'disaster plan'.

Pep and Rodri had been commenting for 18 months prior to the start of this season, about concern re player loading, fatigue and increased susceptibility to injury and sickness.

Despite attempts to sign Paqueta and Rice we signed Kalvin Phillips who was sub elite. That continued with Nunes who was a star for wolves but an also ran for us.

Erling was the blockbuster but we needed three more players of his elite quality.

Player availability is a variable, but if we are to build a technically superb team of powerful, fast, intelligent footballers to match last nights opponents record breaking investment will be required.

It's a big challenge that everyone at the club must rise to !!

 

[Semper aggressus]

We spent a fortune buying 3 x central defenders in January.

One is playing in France, one was not put in the Champions League squad, and one was stuck at right back and looks uncomfortable every minute he plays.

We can’t moan about defensive injuries.

We needed to buy an elite central defender and an elite right back in Jan yet fucked it up with shit recruitment yet again !

Should have paid whatever it took to get Marc Guehi in January.

Khusanov and Reis could have been left until summer, or until we didn’t need to rely on inexperienced youngsters and could bed them in slowly.

Gonzalez and Marmoush were good signings though.

Need Wirtz, a fast, experienced RB and a top centre back in summer.

 

[Scaring Europe to Death]

I've lost count of the number of defenders suffering recurring/compensating injuries in the First Half this season, and I'm not convinced that De Bruyne, Haaland, Doku, or Grealish, were ever fit enough to be contention for a Second Half appearance, and were probably only included as part of some wishful thinking to keep Real Madrid second guessing.

Evidently, Marmoush and Savinho were isolated with no midfield backup and Foden, Bernardo, and Gundogan all guilty of surrendering possession in daft areas.
Indeed, on one occasion (just a couple of minutes before the 3rd goal) Foden waited for Gvardiol to overlap before losing the ball.

Depressingly predictable, and even if we'd avoided Madrid by not imploding in so many Group Stage games, we would have still been embarrassed in the Last 16 or last 8 by the first decent team we faced.

However, that doesn't mean that we're not capable of finishing the PL season strongly and finishing 3rd or 4th.

 

[heslops barnet]

Didn’t he start with Nico for Newcastle
He was better back then

Pep got that one right but comparing the facists to bar codes?

 

[Bluewars II]

GK - needs a refresh
Defence
Reis
Dias
Josko
Khushanov
Lewis

need to keep ake and stones till their contract end after next summer but only used to see out games

new RB & LB cover

midfield

Rodders returns
Nico
McAtee
ORielly
Foden
Savio
Doku
Echeverri

we need kev, grealish and berny replacements, Nico/Echeverri are that

Forwards
Bobb
Haaland
Marmoush

The rebuild isn't as big as people think


5 players max

McAtee and O'Reilly are unproven, although imo O'Reilly looks promising. McAtee is too small and should be sold, same as Rico Lewis.

Bobb has done nothing, a few good cameos and pre-season games mean nothing. Doku is average and injury prone at 22 years old, better off him selling him.

Echeverri looks good, lets see how he performs next month but Pep will play him on the wings initially as he does with all the young central players.

Never been convinced that Foden can be the creative midfielder in the team, far too physically weak, he's more of a false nine imo.

 

[Plays By Sense Of Smell]

We’re not in transition mate, we’re in the ‘steepest decline of any team in the history of football’. Transition is only for teams that normally play in red………

Ha! Think that plaudit is still reserved for our 1938 team...they can't even get that right.

It's all just meretricious, sensationalist hyperbole; there's a lot of it about these days.

 

[cleavers]

My post was responding to a post about the Newcastle match?

Yes, I was responding to you saying it was a much younger team against Newcastle, when it was almost the same team. Just pointing out how little change there actually was.

Other comments were about the game last night, not sure why you care as a Southampton supporter, you've got much bigger problems than us losing to them.

 

[bluemoon32]

And the BBC says our era is over. So I guess that's it then?

Not so. Football teams aren't built overnight. We saw that in Pep's first 2 seasons. But the re-build is possibly already done in terms of transfers. We won't know until we see how the new players develop. The biggest issue is not the midfield but the defence. Is Khusanov and Reis enough? I am not sure Khusanov is a right back.

The most significant aspect of the game last night was that in a struggling side, Khusanov had a fine game.

Pep says City lack physicality, well Khusanov has it in spades.

The re-build can't possibly be done judging by the January transfers, we need a lot more than just them

 

[cleavers]

If we do nothing for the third successive summer we are in big trouble next season again.

We've already done quite a bit of our "summer" spending, and all look promising so far.

 

[Boris Yeltsin]

I think watching last night half the team aren’t up to speed not the CDM trying to do an impossible task… we didn’t exactly play in a manner to show his strengths. Same things were said about Rodri for the first season

I know. He aint up to speed yet. I aint writing him off at all.

 

[St Helens Blue (Exiled)]

Wanted to sleep on last night before I posted. Got a few pelters on X for questioning certain players abilities to step up and really produce when the chips are down.
Firstly last nights performance was fucking unacceptable. There is no getting away from the fact we were shite in every department.
Positives for me were Kusanov. That kid is going to be a great great player for us. As for the rest where do i start.
I will be in a minority here but Ruben Dias can be sold in the summer for me. Fucking horrendous decision making when that ball came over to even attempt to head it. The lob was brilliant but the pile on Ederson for his apparent poor positioning needs to stop. If Dias does his job Mbappe doesn't even get the half chance so it was not on Ederson that goal. Sick of the blaming of Ederson. Fucking short memories he made 3 world class saves in Istanbul which literally kept us in the game yet it's his fault that Dias didn't do his job??!!!!!
2nd goal he just stands 5 yards away fro Vinicius allowing him time and space to square the ball! Fucking go to the man,make it difficult but no. He has been wank since he has been banging that bird on love island whoever she is.
Ake is a key defender for us. Just a shame he is injured so much but he is the first person who should be on the team sheet. Kusa was Excellent.
I questioned Fodens ability to really step up when the chips are down. He is 25 and has plenty of experience now. He needs to get a grip of games and start dominating them. Yes he is not being played in a central role which is annoying but come on Phil, you are 25 now!!
Don't start me off on Gundogan and Bernardo. Fucking anonymous the pair of them all game. Gundogan will always be a hero for what he has done but his return has been very poor. I personally would have played Kova in the middle but hey what do I fucking know. Savio was brilliant at the weekend so what does Pep do? moves him inside. Why?
I love Pep I really do. I hope the summer allows him to turn it around and get some better younger players in. We need major surgery. Stones, love the guy but I fear we wont see much more of him now.
We needed control in that game. Why not bring Doku on, put Grealish in central midfield as he did versus Forest.
I never expected to win, but to go out like that was very very frustrating. We looked scared and in awe of a Madrid team who are beatable. Frightening to think we pumped them 4-0 on the way to the treble.
I really think we need to reinvent ourselves. Pep looks physically and mentally drained.
My next choice of manager would be Ariolla at Bournemouth. Trust me he is an excellent manager.
Anyway to finish on a positive, FA Cup to play for, Target a top 4 (potentially 5) finish and lets go again on Sunday. I actually think we will beat Liverpool.
I muted the commentary last night after hearing Mcpointy, Camel gob and that **** Fletch wanking off every Madrid player at every opportunity.

 

[BlueMoonAcrossThePond]

As bad as that was, there are two huge upsides:
1) We can now concentrate on finishing top 4 (or possibly better) in the P/L; and on advancing/possibly winning the FA cup.

2) It's now 100% obvious that our rebuild is nowhere near "almost done" - we need a RB, and a complete refresh of our mid (yeah we have Nico and Rodri but everyone else is past their prime or not good enough). This in turn means that ownership are likely to be far more aggressive than they might otherwise have been should we have won versus Madrid.

 

[Boris Yeltsin]

I said I agree Dias isn't fast
Gvardiol defends well mostly although played out of position
Gonzalez is a good player and he was left alone in midfield as Bernie and Gundo went missing.
You said Gonzales is unfit too.. Which he clearly isnt

I disagree. I think gonzalez isn't up to speed at that level. It took well over a year to get Rodri's intensity levels to the right point and look how good he turned out.
Dias often messes up. I dont think that's just down to lack of pace.
And gvardiol may be played out of position but he can't defend in that position.

 

[Shaelumstash]

I turned it off and went to bed as soon as the third went in, something I've never done before.

It's more than manner of conceding such poor goals.

Each one was avoidable just by closing down quicker or doing basic defending.

The new boys were left hung out to dry by Pep and those who can't raise a gallop.

My biggest issue this season has been Pep's reluctance to be decisive, whether it be with substitutions or tactics during difficult moments?

If the solution was just buying a new team, then Pep isn't the manager I thought he was?

We need fundamentals and that must start with defending and attacking corners, being much better off the ball and, certainly this season, passing it with confidence.

I think that's always been Pep's biggest weakness.

His plan B is "more of plan A".

I like Lillo, and he seems to be popular with the players.

But my concern is, he seems to be a 4231 absolutist.

He's famously credited with inventing, or certainly popularising the system.

In his first spell we experienced the same problems. A flat, passive midfield.

Pep said he "didn't recognise the team" and we went back to 433 high pressing and went on an incredible run.

The worrying thing is if Pep can't see the problem is we have a flat, passive midfield and players who don't have the legs, he's not going to get challenged by his assistant.

We're playing the way Lillo likes to play.

Pep can disappear up his own arse justifying the system and player selection is correct from an intellectual point of view, I'm sure.

But it doesn't take a genius to work out, we're always been at our best when our midfield has legs, energy and presses higher up the pitch. Just like we did on Saturday.

 

[AndyP68]

Wanted to sleep on last night before I posted. Got a few pelters on X for questioning certain players abilities to step up and really produce when the chips are down.
Firstly last nights performance was fucking unacceptable. There is no getting away from the fact we were shite in every department.
Positives for me were Kusanov. That kid is going to be a great great player for us. As for the rest where do i start.
I will be in a minority here but Ruben Dias can be sold in the summer for me. Fucking horrendous decision making when that ball came over to even attempt to head it. The lob was brilliant but the pile on Ederson for his apparent poor positioning needs to stop. If Dias does his job Mbappe doesn't even get the half chance so it was not on Ederson that goal. Sick of the blaming of Ederson. Fucking short memories he made 3 world class saves in Istanbul which literally kept us in the game yet it's his fault that Dias didn't do his job??!!!!!
2nd goal he just stands 5 yards away fro Vinicius allowing him time and space to square the ball! Fucking go to the man,make it difficult but no. He has been wank since he has been banging that bird on love island whoever she is.
Ake is a key defender for us. Just a shame he is injured so much but he is the first person who should be on the team sheet. Kusa was Excellent.
I questioned Fodens ability to really step up when the chips are down. He is 25 and has plenty of experience now. He needs to get a grip of games and start dominating them. Yes he is not being played in a central role which is annoying but come on Phil, you are 25 now!!
Don't start me off on Gundogan and Bernardo. Fucking anonymous the pair of them all game. Gundogan will always be a hero for what he has done but his return has been very poor. I personally would have played Kova in the middle but hey what do I fucking know. Savio was brilliant at the weekend so what does Pep do? moves him inside. Why?
I love Pep I really do. I hope the summer allows him to turn it around and get some better younger players in. We need major surgery. Stones, love the guy but I fear we wont see much more of him now.
We needed control in that game. Why not bring Doku on, put Grealish in central midfield as he did versus Forest.
I never expected to win, but to go out like that was very very frustrating. We looked scared and in awe of a Madrid team who are beatable. Frightening to think we pumped them 4-0 on the way to the treble.
I really think we need to reinvent ourselves. Pep looks physically and mentally drained.
My next choice of manager would be Ariolla at Bournemouth. Trust me he is an excellent manager.
Anyway to finish on a positive, FA Cup to play for, Target a top 4 (potentially 5) finish and lets go again on Sunday. I actually think we will beat Liverpool.
I muted the commentary last night after hearing Mcpointy, Camel gob and that **** Fletch wanking off every Madrid player at every opportunity.

You’d sell Dias because of a bad decision?

Everyone’s shit, but we’ll beat Liverpool?

 

[Manchester_lalala]

All done with huge debts and unlimited spending. The PL is happy to prevent its clubs from competing with the elite clubs in Spain. Real Madrid will always get a free pass and the grovelling English media love blowing smoke up their arse especially Rio and McManaman.

We spunked good money on Nunes and Phillips, so I don’t think money is an excuse. We’ve been well clear of failing PSR in recent years, so the money has been there but the club became lazy. When you’re at the top you should constantly look to improve. My mate is a Wolves fan and he was stunned when we signed Nunes as loads of Wolves fans thought he was shit. We shouldn’t be panic buying bang average midfielders, especially as champions.

Roll on the next few summers. Hopefully Viana has a plan and sorts this squad out.

 

[blue b4 the moon]

Somebody will know him he obviously goes to the games.

He'll have had a ton of shit up his nose or 5 pints of Shandy.