Real Madrid (A) | CL | Post Match Thread

[Cellarite]

Like it or not, our club is now all about the Champions League - that's the vision of Khaldoon and SM.

In what way? Just to qualify for it or trying to repeatedly win it. Strange if you mean the latter to come on the post match thread of a match where we chopped and changed so much to say that we're geared to that one competition.

 

[theholysmurf]

Cherki must be baffled. Sat on the bench most weeks while there's players being picked that couldn't lace his boots

As for Marmoush, he's a handy player but I don't imagine he would have too much joy as a regular starter alongside players who create nothing like Savinho, Reijnders etc..

The Newcastle game was an anomaly.

Unless we get players in that can create, then the likes of Haaland and Marmoush will be feeding on scraps up front.

If he is subject to Pep roulette next season and he decides to leave it WILL go down as the biggest fumble in our history. He's an absolute magician.

 

[Macca77macca]

The worst kept secret at the club is that Phil has a medical issue. Healthy Phil takes the ball on the half turn with two or three marking him and surges towards the goal and strikes a shot - either a good save or a goal results. At the moment, he receives the ball, doesn't turn then lays it off - a five/ten yard pass. If this rumour is as solid as many believe, why is there never any mention that he's playing with a medical condition? The silence just sets the rumour mill in motion.

What rumours

 

[BluestBlue]

I don't think Savinho's performance against Newcastle was as good as is being made out. He was merely better than he usually is.

When you play so bad for so long there’s only one way up. The bare minimum makes you look so good because the bar is so low.

 

[Digsy's Dinner]

How many people genuinely think we're going to turn this around?

 

[Xhavenjoe]

CA has been around a lot longer than Pep. Pep wins more trophies and will overtake CA's Ch League haul. CA wasn't quite the same at Everton and Chelsea.

He won the PL at Chelsea.
Ancelotti has won the title in the 5 top European leagues and also won 5 champions leagues .
Very difficult for Pep to emulate that

 

[PitchInvader BHA away1983]

My biggest disappointment is that our European travels , maybe coming to an end after last night? :0(

Back home tomorrow:0(

Enjoying the weather in Madrid in the meantime :0)

Judith Chalmers :0)

 

[BluestBlue]

When you look at the 22/23 Champions League. RB Leipzig (H), Bayern home and away, Real Madrid home and away and the final. Only 1 change to the starting 11 in all of those games and that was Kyle Walker for Ake. Now I know the quality of the squad isn’t the same now however it’s pretty obvious even now pep doesn’t know what his best team is. We should have a go too 11 for our big games. Who can successfully predict our line up vs Madrid next week? It’s always a guessing game. Then we wonder why performances like this get thrown up.

It’s march, many players bought and he still doesn’t know what system he wants to play so spooky

 

[MCFC1993]

How many people genuinely think we're going to turn this around?

10% chance, we play this game 10 times we win by 3 goals once.

I looked last night they've lost by 3 goals 3 times in the last 12 months, Arsenal, PSG (by 4 goals), Atletico. Atletico the only one this season.

It's mad because last night was a shit show, but with the right setup on a good day we can beat anyone.

Right now I'm resigned to us being out but when I'm walking up to the stadium on Tuesday, a little bit of me will believe.

 

[Xhavenjoe]

How many people genuinely think we're going to turn this around?

Very difficult to know what is the best course of action.
No easy opposition coming up.
See how we fare against West Ham and hope arsenal drop points this weekend. That might put a different perspective on things.
I think we need to go all out in the Carabao final.
Neither arsenal or ourselves are great shakes at the moment.
At least we'll have an early trophy and arsenal can't do the quadruple.
Madrid match is just pure gamble and an early goal might shake them but I don't hold out any confidence that we won't concede

 

[Digsy's Dinner]

10% chance, we play this game 10 times we win by 3 goals once.

I looked last night they've lost by 3 goals 3 times in the last 12 months, Arsenal, PSG (by 4 goals), Atletico. Atletico the only one this season.

It's mad because last night was a shit show, but with the right setup on a good day we can beat anyone.

Right now I'm resigned to us being out but when I'm walking up to the stadium on Tuesday, a little bit of me will believe.

Same here mate agree with all of that. Getting on my nerves I've seen people saying 'giving my ticket away for free' and 'we'll put a young squad out and rest for the cup final'. Even if the first leg was 6-0 I'd still be going. We've all got to be behind the lads in the stadium from minute one and believe.

 

[Cellarite]

CA has been around a lot longer than Pep. Pep wins more trophies and will overtake CA's Ch League haul. CA wasn't quite the same at Everton and Chelsea.

You think Pep will win 3 more Champions Leagues? What's he waiting for?

 

[Hgblue2]

I think the biggest issue this squad and the manager has is how weve failed to build the system around haaland, norway did it. Our system is still build around rodri and bernardo. Our goalkeeper, defence and the attack all suit a fast pace football but we refuse to play fast for the sake of rodri and bernardo. The club needs to decide if we can give haaland 10 years, why cant we give him a system that actually suits him that gives him more than 1 xG every game, right now the xG he gets is hilariously bad because the manager wants slower slower !!! 3/4 of the squad does not suit peps system so surely its time to bring someone that can make a system built around haaland if we wanna keep him untill 2032

This team is built around Bernardo. He must start every game and the rest of the team/formation can be worked back from that. He's started every piss poor performance this team has produced over the last 18 months, yet he flies under the radar whilst everyone else takes the flak. He's finally taken out of the team at Newcastle and the team excels, then sure enough he's back for Madrid.

Everybody else has to pay the price for poor performance. Gonzalez has done nothing wrong, yet spends most of his time on the bench. Foden has been effectively sidelined. Reijnders is struggling for game time. Cherki is in and out of the team or moved around constantly. It's impossible for these players to gain any momentum and it's clear the team is struggling for consistency.

Bernardo is too lightweight, too slow, not physical enough to play in the engine room, especially against the better teams, and this is even more galling when you consider the excellent players he's keeping out the team. Pep needs to put aside his obvious affection for the guy and try something different or this season could go the same way as the last.

 

[Ethan23]

Last night was a disaster really.

It happens. It's not happened often in knockout 1st legs but whichever way you paint it up, it's a disaster.

It's just about retrievable but you wouldn't give this City side much chance of that.

I can see a valiant effort, probably go 2 up and then get caught on the break. Can't see a world that we keep a clean sheet to them.

 

[Blue Maverick]

What rumours

IBS or something similar

 

[Digsy's Dinner]

IBS or something similar

Not really that threatening to his footballing career

 

[Blue Maverick]

Not really that threatening to his footballing career

Have a look at the symptoms pal, people in everyday life struggle with it imagine trying to be at the top of your game with constant abdominal pain and the shits, Darren Fletcher never really recovered from it.

 

[johnnytapia]

Good for you, but I'm not throwing good money after already wasted (ticket) money.

I'll still hope we get through obviously, but I'm not wasting 24 hours of my life, and more money on top of the ticket, when I can eat at home at a convenient time, with a glass or two of wine.

There is absolutely nothing better than being at the match watching the boys. Nothing.

 

[1961_vintage]

The line between genius and idiot is sometimes very thin in football.

Very true - as in life. Pep's success is predicated on his willingness to take risks, risks based on his vision, his creativity and often, his genius. So many times over the years it has been the difference between the Club that he is managing achieving incredible success, and the rest.

And sometimes it goes tits-up. So it was last night.

I don't think that this one is done and dusted quite yet.

 

[Jocks Y-Fronts]

The worst kept secret at the club is that Phil has a medical issue. Healthy Phil takes the ball on the half turn with two or three marking him and surges towards the goal and strikes a shot - either a good save or a goal results. At the moment, he receives the ball, doesn't turn then lays it off - a five/ten yard pass. If this rumour is as solid as many believe, why is there never any mention that he's playing with a medical condition? The silence just sets the rumour mill in motion.

Not arguing whether or not that is true but he looks like he has lost a load of weight and doesn’t look very strong