Real Madrid (A) | CL | Post Match Thread

[BlueNomad]

When your midfield is a left back, 2 wingers, Bernardo and Rodri…and the left back is getting skinned while the two wingers don’t hav a defensive bone in either of their bodies, you’re going to get mullered at a place like Real Madrid!

We TRIED to play a 3-5-2 transitioning to a 3-3-1-3, but the opposition wasn’t having any of it, once they figured it out!

Everything was going down our left, so the double and even triple team was employed, so he had to turn back and play it back, so Madrid were always playing in front of themselves…whereas City defensively were always chasing back to try to even the numbers and cover the runners…unsuccessfully, as it turned out, which is to no-one’s surprise!

If Madrid were for the taking, then they could have been taken…but why not wait until you know that from the patterns of the game, rather than betting the farm that we were going to score early and often?!

A much more resilient 4-4–1-1 was called for, but our wingers can’t play the wide midfield role unless we are playing a team with a 4-5-1/5-4-1 set up! That then frees the full backs to move forward and the wide midfielders/wingers to join the two strikers (1-1) for a 2-4-1-3/2-3-3-1.

Had we scored from the first few forays forward, in fact if we had scored TWICE from those Doku crosses, I still don’t think Pep would have tried to be a little more pragmatic and shot up shop a bit, which is why we allow shit teams to come back against us!

He might be/have been a tactical genius, but EVERYONE sees what we do, how pedestrian it can be, and how to blunt it. Last night, Plan A wasn’t working after 20 mins, so there was no Plan B, only Plan A2, A3, and the like!

Taking Bernardo and Savinho off and putting on RAN, moving O’Reilly into Bernardo’s spot and Semenyo into Savinho’s spot IS NOT PLAN B! IT IS JUST DIFFERENT PERSONNEL EXECUTING THE FAILED PLAN A…and to little effect!

To be perfectly honest, I’m not sure what the best City team is at the moment, as I want it to have Khusanov in it, Rodri, Gigi, Cherki, but then I start to struggle to see who is performing at the highest level! Sure, Nunes has had a few good games, but he’s no world class RB! NOR has done OK in midfield and scored a couple, but how many times has he coughed up the ball or simply just run into trouble?

I’m sure there are different permutations for different opponents, but on current form, I’m not sure even WHU will be searing us this weekend!

 

[bg1968]

If we had played those tactics with two 30 year olds in midfield and three wingers upfront we would have been murdered by any Premier league team , in fact Salford would have fancied their chances in the cup , absolutely no idea what goes through Pep's mind at times , Champs league is worth millions to the club and he totally disrespected Real and believed all the hype about how shite Real were before the game.
Our greatest ever manager , but when he does occasionally f*ck up , he does it big time and in the biggest games.

 

[Whether or not]

I just don’t understand why Pep has to change the things that have been working so far this season.

O’Reilly in midfield has given us the legs and physicality required and we have had some big results with him in that position.

We went back to the suicidal tactics of last season….very high line and asking the full backs to move inside meaning we are vulnerable to the ball over the top….its not rocket science !

We lost that game in the midfield where we were hopelessly outnumbered and consistently bypassed and allowed their midfield to run at our defence.

The best defenders in the world would not have been able to cope with the constant onslaught our formation and tactics provided for Madrid.

The other thing that never fails to amaze me is the space we afford the opponents in midfield and attack….yet when our forwards attack they are surrounded by two or three players……probably due to our slow slow build up play.

The only time we really look to have any kind of control is when Cherki is on the field.

Hate to say it and his goal tally might say something different but Pep and Haaland are not a good combination…..we don’t play quickly enough or get the ball in the box often enough for Haaland.

For a Pep system to really work we need three forwards that can all interchange to give us the fluidity and movement.
I’m not sure a combination from Doku, Semenyo, Marmoush and Savinho are good enough to give us that.

Unfortunately Pep’s ego is a problem in the big CL games. He loves the stage and wants to be lauded as a tactical genius, so he tries to play up to it by doing strange things. Real know this, which is why their in house media team asked Pep in his press conference on Tuesday what his special surprise was going to be. Sadly Pep fell for it, and picked 2 slow players in the centre and three wingers, certainly different, but unlikely to work against quality opposition. We saw it in Porto against Chelsea, he just does strange things in big games. It is part of the package, nobody is perfect.

 

[Roachy]

Think it’s 140 corners in the league, no goals. Whoever the fuck our set piece coach is, is pulling wool over Pep’s eyes. I hope they don’t spend time on set pieces because I’d say they do fuck all.

It's stand out bad how shite our corners, set pieces are, fucking dreadful.

 

[alexmcity]

The pre-match thread was impressively optimistic. People were more worried before Leeds away than before the Bernabeu. I was optimistic too but also warning Real are much better than Leeds no matter the absences.

The English teams were humiliated in the first leg.

There might be something to the theory that they are not as fresh as their European opponents, but the physicality direction that the league has taken is misguided. The wrestling at corners is pathetic.

Even Pep succumbed to that development, for relying a lot more on Semenyo than on Cherki seems hard to justify given his Cruyffian background. He lost badly last night not because he followed his basic principles, but because he tweaked them a bit too much.

 

[The Lightbowne Cowboy]

Not over yet. Damage limitation second half. We’ve seen Liverpool do it. We can do it.

If it wouldn't of been for that bent ref ruling out Sanes perfectly good goal just before half time against the dippers in the CL when we were 0-3 down after the first leg,then we'd of won that tie. That getting ruled out gutted the team and that was that. But this is a totally different City team nowadays and I'm usually quite positive, but I just can't see it pal. :(

 

[Metal Biker]

Not sure it helps putting out such a bizarre and suicidal lineup. I personally think we would have beat that Madrid team or at least be still in the tie if Pep didn’t have his now customary CL brain fart.

I think we have the formation and the players to win all competitions this season, but it’s not going to happen as Pep will just piss around too much with the team and also keep playing players who are clearly out of form.

Expectations well and truly lowered for me now.

It was the Madrid B team effectively and we were still miles off the pace. A full strength Real is beating this current City team on any given day, regardless of Pep.

But lowering expecations is the sensible thing to do, at least for a couple of seasons. I'm astonished we're still in the title race by this junction and would consider winning the League Cup and FA Cup with CL qualification as a fantastic season for this new bunch of players.

 

[Palerider]

I just don’t understand why Pep has to change the things that have been working so far this season.

O’Reilly in midfield has given us the legs and physicality required and we have had some big results with him in that position.

We went back to the suicidal tactics of last season….very high line and asking the full backs to move inside meaning we are vulnerable to the ball over the top….its not rocket science !

We lost that game in the midfield where we were hopelessly outnumbered and consistently bypassed and allowed their midfield to run at our defence.

The best defenders in the world would not have been able to cope with the constant onslaught our formation and tactics provided for Madrid.

The other thing that never fails to amaze me is the space we afford the opponents in midfield and attack….yet when our forwards attack they are surrounded by two or three players……probably due to our slow slow build up play.

The only time we really look to have any kind of control is when Cherki is on the field.

Hate to say it and his goal tally might say something different but Pep and Haaland are not a good combination…..we don’t play quickly enough or get the ball in the box often enough for Haaland.

For a Pep system to really work we need three forwards that can all interchange to give us the fluidity and movement.
I’m not sure a combination from Doku, Semenyo, Marmoush and Savinho are good enough to give us that.

Good post that mate.

O'Reilly is a midfield player and will be a very good one. He is an adequate full back against 'weaker' opposition but a liability (not his fault at all) against top class teams.

Quite right on Haaland/Pep too. Haaland is clearly a great goalscorer given the chances (but clearly not a great player outside the box). The two (Haaland/Pep) seem incompatible to me. It needs sorting.

Quite right also on the three interchanging fluid forwards. I think Marmoush and Semenyo are both 'clever' players so can play that system. Alvarez would have been a better fit to complete the trio but we sold him.

 

[D'Silva]

We were never good enough to win the CL this season. in the same way that we’re not ready for the league at the moment. At the highest level, our ‘mend and make do’ approach to certain positions is exposed. We should take the positives - the domestic cups are currently the extent of our capabilities. We should concentrate on those - going out of the CL and settling for a top 4 spot in the league means we don’t have to rest players if we get to the FA Cup semi final.

We have been a top team for so long that a lot of us have a blind spot and can no longer objectively view the team as it is. We've been so and so ever since the treble and sadly this year is looking to be another lackluster season. Our remaining objectives this season are finish strong in the league and a cup win. Anything else is not realistic. What is clear is we need to get back as a top club ASAP, we know how easily two or three years of mediocrity could end up as a lost decade.

 

[Palerider]

Everything was going down our left, so the double and even triple team was employed, so he had to turn back and play it back, so Madrid were always playing in front of themselves…whereas City defensively were always chasing back to try to even the numbers and cover the runners…unsuccessfully, as it turned out, which is to no-one’s surprise!

Brilliant from the Real coach, we all thought Vini Junior was the danger but they attacked our weak left. Napoleon Bonaparte would have been proud.

 

[noseve]

Hard to understand how, when teams double up on a player, they still look like they’ve got an extra man on the pitch because we don’t seem capable of exploiting any defensive gaps that should occur as a result of them doubling up.

When we insist on walking up and squeezing the match into the final 30/40m, there's very little room for any gaps. Not even when they triple-stack Doku, as they did a few times last night.

The same high line that renders the world's most lethal finisher redundant (and which has bored all his natural instincts out of him) is also what negates any benefit from drawing additional players across to the man on the ball.

Basic physics - and only one coach chooses not to see it.

Cue the 'Centurions/treble/4-in-a-row Pep-knows-best' brigade... who will probably ask me what I've ever won as a coach, but still not justify such a high line.

The group match could also have gone like this - the difference in that 'statement' win, as many referred to it, was that they didn't take their early chances on the night.

Still, at least we won the possession/number of passes 'battle' - that must be a good thing, mustn't it?

 

[vicblueman]

It's amazing how many only post when we lose..
Why don't they post when we have a good result..
Yeah everyone is pissed off when we lose but slagging off the manager and players doesn't change anything.. Result is still the same.
If we can get an early goal next week then it will give us some hope..
As for the game last night.. I think NOR should have been in midfield and not full back.
I understand why he played Khus to combat the pace of Madrid but Nunes should have played in my opinion as he's no slouch either and has, been playing very well.
Big Erl needs to start working harder as he's adding nothing to the team at the moment.. Not sure if he's fully fit as he looks well off the pace.
Erl and Sem don't seem to gel so it has, to be one or the other.
Let's hope we beat Wet So amazing on Saturday and things will look brighter then.

They/we don't post because you get all the happy- clappers coming out with nasty comments lol!
The thing is ,we have had some great times with Pg but football doesn't stand still -its always evolving .
Pg hasn't this time .His highline tactics are killing us at times ,the football has been gash for quite a while now , so many of his players are out of their best form .Is that a coincidence ?
All he had to do was set his team out to be organised in every department, no highline -protect our keepers net - get them back to our place, & destroy them .Thats what an in-form manager would of tried to of done .

 

[blue by birth]

They/we don't post because you get all the happy- clappers coming out with nasty comments lol!
The thing is ,we have had some great times with Pg but football doesn't stand still -its always evolving .
Pg hasn't this time .His highline tactics are killing us at times ,the football has been gash for quite a while now & so many of his players are out of their best form .Is that a coincidence ?
All he had to do was set his team out to be organised in every department & protect our goal & get them back to our place & destroy them .Thats what a good on form manager would of done .

Mate I have no problem with anyone posting but you must admit some only ever post when we lose.
At least your post regarding the game is decent and yeah I think he made a fuck up by altering the set up and playing too open.
We should have kept it tight and finished them at ours but we didn't.
Lots of the posters who only post when we lose seem to revel in our defeats.. I'm pretty sure most of them either aren't blues or never actually go to a game.
Hopefully we can get an early goal on Tuesday and get a result.. I'm looking forward to us trying to beat the twats lol.

 

[VOOMER]

The pre-match thread was impressively optimistic. People were more worried before Leeds away than before the Bernabeu. I was optimistic too but also warning Real are much better than Leeds no matter the absences.

The English teams were humiliated in the first leg.

There might be something to the theory that they are not as fresh as their European opponents, but the physicality direction that the league has taken is misguided. The wrestling at corners is pathetic.

Even Pep succumbed to that development, for relying a lot more on Semenyo than on Cherki seems hard to justify given his Cruyffian background. He lost badly last night not because he followed his basic principles, but because he tweaked them a bit too much.

Agent Webb in effect

 

[Norbert D]

I know our chairman has a lot on his plate trying to keep his country safe from Trumps war, but I hope he has found time to line up Peps replacement, that bloke at PSG would be my number one choice.

 

[Roachy]

They/we don't post because you get all the happy- clappers coming out with nasty comments lol!
The thing is ,we have had some great times with Pg but football doesn't stand still -its always evolving .
Pg hasn't this time .His highline tactics are killing us at times ,the football has been gash for quite a while now & so many of his players are out of their best form .Is that a coincidence ?
All he had to do was set his team out to be organised in every department & protect our goal & get them back to our place & destroy them .Thats what a good on form manager would of done .

Last night should have been about keeping it tight until the 2nd leg as you mention. If the intention was to get a 1st leg lead, then it backfired spectacularly. Not a single player looked anything but clueless last night, and RM lapped it up. Really bad all round.

 

[hilts]

Yet loads were saying great line up ! ? #Hindsight

Probably the ones who always say its a great line up, always say its a blip afterwards, always say get behind the team, always.......

Works the opposite way as well, thats forums for you.

My favourite though is

Why so negative about the line up give it a chance.

Its easy to judge with hindsight.

Make your minds up :-)

 

[Bald fraud]

We used to pass teams to death until they were exhausted running after the ball, and then we would exploit those tired players and the gaps they were leaving, and score at will.

Now teams don't chase the ball. They drop back across the 18 yard line and pack the penalty area, whilst we pass the ball sideways and backwards aimlessly whilst hoping for the odd gap to open and to exploit.

Yep. We’ve been sussed out

 

[dadnlad]

here we go charlie austin got crystal ball out and tell best manger ever where he went wrong

i know got to talk about something to keep sheep phoning in

 

[citytill1die84]

It didn't work last night because of another CL brain fart by Pep, the formation he decided on, and his team tactics, not because of 12 new players.

Bar our last result against Forest at home, which was disappointing and frustrating, it's been working in the PL as we were 5 points behind Arsenal with a game in hand. We're in the Carabao Cup final. And the last 8 of the FA Cup. And the last 16 of the CL. We are still in contention for 4 trophies, just about.

Last night was all about Pep's formation, tactics, and the players not performing on the night, not about 12 new players, most who have trained and played together for the best part of this season, bar the January signings.

Hang on....

Did Pep cause the 3 defensive errors that led to the Madrid goals?

No I didn't think so.