Real Madrid (A) | CL | Post Match Thread

Exactly. If its nil nil after an hour, they grow frustrated and we likely pick them off. To capitulate like that in the first half (and not change it), was borderline negligence.

The greatest manager on earth and in our lifetime, just had no idea how to get his system across, because I truly believe the players did not understand the plan or didn't want to play that way
 
Go on then, instead of just baiting people with replies, tell us your opinion of tonight’s selection and performance.

What did you think?
Actually, I thought the starting line-up was pretty good considering we were facing a weakened Real Madrid team. I was pleased to see Khusanov getting a game and Guehi and Dias in the middle with O’Reilly on the left should have been solid enough. Bernardo and Rodri in midfield was ok. Personally I wouldn’t have had Savinho anywhere near that starting line-up and would have played nico in the middle too with Doku and Cherki on the flanks and Haaland up top. I would have subbed Haaland for Marmoush at half time too.

Overall though I didn’t think the line-up was that far off. Too many players had shockers like Rodri, NOR etc. which Pep can never predict. However, I do think he could have changed things much sooner and that is, of course, his fault.
 
Once I saw the lineup, I was concerned. Pep tends to make silly, unnecessary changes in big games like this, and unfortunately he did it again. He tinkered with the defence, which then left us with a poor midfield, that RM were able to carve open at will. I also felt he made very poor substitutions to rectify the situation. We needed to strengthen our midfield, so he brings on Reijnders for Savio. A better move would have been to take off Dias or Guehi and put Nunes and Ait-Nouri on. O'Reilly into midfield to help bolster that and take one of the front four off. Haaland is very frustrating to watch now. He is a shadow of his former self. Body language speaks volumes in sport and quite frankly Haalands is awful atm. It isn't all his fault, but he needs to be switched on, but he mainly sauntered around the pitch, and didn't get involved. Nico G must also be wondering what he needs to do to get regular game time.
It's very disappointing, as we all felt the team played brilliantly against Newcastle.
I guess we are a transitioning team and therefore we will get different levels from match to match. However, I think Pep got this one wrong, and compounded it by getting his substitutions wrong.
Anyway, it's not over quite yet. An early goal at the Etihad and you never know.
Disappointed Blue!
 
O'Reilly is not a left back, how many more times will Pep insist on playing players out of position?
Haaland did absolutely nothing again, Doku put in some good passes across the goal and Haaland was nowhere to be seen.
Thought he was excellent in the 1st Madrid away game, apart from being at fault for their goal which he more than made up for
 
I’m a few pages behind I do apologise. Personally I think Pep has earned the right to make the decision to go himself. If he won’t though he can’t go on forever and the idea that he is totally irreplaceable is bollocks. No one is
Never said he was.
I'm just not fond of the idea that an instant managerial change will solve the problems we're having. It runs much deeper than just Pep and his baffling line-ups.
 
Said this in the match thread that the media writing of Madrid making us favourites Saying we will win comfortably! Would rile up the Madrid players and give there manager something to point out to them! Now look at the post match reaction from the Madrid manager 2/3 of there players they have read what the media said about them and they worked a lot harder then normal and defended for there lives parked the bus and was clinical

Example

Álvaro Arbeloa: “The sensations we were getting from outside weren't very encouraging for this team…

…we’ve proven that WE ARE REAL MADRID”.

Álvaro Arbeloa when asked if game went better than expected: “Better than YOU expected”.

Trent Alexander-Arnold: "A lot of people just expected us to get battered tonight..." [via @footballontnt]
 
Well, for all those saying 'Pep out', I trust they do have a list of replacements they can suggest.

We don’t need to replace the greatest manager of all time. We need better players.

Biggest mistake we have ever made is not getting Declan Rice. We need to find someone as close as possible to that energy and drive in midfield.

We need two proper fast full backs that can defend and stop crosses.

And bin off Savinho and Doku and buy the two best wingers that money can persuade to move regardless of cost.

Do at least two of those three transfers and we win stuff again next season.
 
As I said on an earlier post, Rodders summed it up for me, I kept pointing it out to the guys I was watching with, his head was down the whole second half, properly pissed off. Wasn’t good body language.
Nico G is better
What is criminal is Pep is over paying him again and the fact that Nico G is available makes it even worse
 
To all the Haaland haters.

He got fuck all service tonight. Nothing. Nada. Jack fucking shit.

Making runs and not being found. In the box and no cross coming in. There for pull backs from the bye-line, no pull backs.

56 CL goals in 57 CL games. The absolute beast. Fucking clueless some people.
I think most of us want our wingers to get the fucking ball in the fucking box and fucking quickly. We are wasting Haaland the way we are playing. That said I would like Haaland to be a lot smarter in his play. A lot of the time I could mark him. So improvement required all round for me.
 
Spot on, pick a solid defence with fullbacks and pack the midfield with Haaland on his own, Stink the place out if you have to and park the bus, let's be 100% here, Real Madrid are not the team they were and they are struggling

Pep has earned the right to say whatever he likes about the starting lineup and the result, but fans are also right to point fingers and ask questions ? That was all down to his mistakes and 100% he fucked up and nothing can gloss over the fact.

The baffling thing is arguably the best coach in the world and his coaching staff couldn't see what a shit show that lineup could prove to be, while a fair number of fans could.
Having said that i know why he did it. He looked at Madrid's weakened lineup and thought he would go for it. He got giddy. If everything would have clicked he'd now be being hailed a genius and we would have won. Instead it backfired and failed miserably. That's the gamble and in my opinion it's us now out of Europe.
 
To all the Haaland haters.

He got fuck all service tonight. Nothing. Nada. Jack fucking shit.

Making runs and not being found. In the box and no cross coming in. There for pull backs from the bye-line, no pull backs.

56 CL goals in 57 CL games. The absolute beast. Fucking clueless some people.
He's not had the service a player of his profile and calibre deserves since he joined the club. There's a (large) part of Pep that would rather play with the false nine every game and to have not ever signed him, and that's not even a joke.
 
I was commenting on Real not being as good as you think City and Pep’s selection and tactics gifted them the game yes, outclassed sure but not because they were class that was almost as bad by City as the game v the rags
I'd liken it to the Newcastle game last weekend, with roles reversed

Our team is nowhere near as good as it has been and our manager really needs to look at himself and his own performances
He's becoming the new Arsene Wenger
 

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