Sporting CP (H) - CL Last 16 | Post Match Thread

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

Through to next round but quite the most unspectacular game I think I've seen this season. And for the second game in four days a stone wall fuckin' pen ignored by the ref, and seemingly VAR. Uefa informed us before the match that a clear and obvious error would result in a VAR review. Well the ref got it fuckin' wrong with the pen and if summat is wrong it's an error. I'm beginning to think that VAR has a perverse meaning for clear and obvious.

 

[Eccles Blue]

I thought the game was good. I’m sure we must have had at least 75% possession and we never stopped running. There were about 5 minutes or so in the second half where we were so in control that it looked as if we were just having a training session!

I thought all the youngsters took their ‘elevation’ extremely well. Apart from the first 5 or 10 minutes young CJ did a grand job. John Boy had a quiet word with him, obviously of encouragement
because suddenly his nervousness seemed to ease. Not completely but hey it’s a big step up.

I know it was a ‘dead rubber’ in a way but I was watching how the youngsters were developing and so I thoroughly enjoyed it. Not bored at all but that’s me. :-)

And of course my MOTM is a certain Mr JB Stones!! :-) :-)

I’m glad that Carson got an airing so to speak although obviously when he went down injured my heart was in my mouth.

Not sure but I thought I saw Bernie limping at the end when the players came on the pitch to applaud us. Hope he’s ok.

 

[Barcon]

Through to next round but quite the most unspectacular game I think I've seen this season. And for the second game in four days a stone wall fuckin' pen ignored by the ref, and seemingly VAR. Uefa informed us before the match that a clear and obvious error would result in a VAR review. Well the ref got it fuckin' wrong with the pen and if summat is wrong it's an error. I'm beginning to think that VAR has a perverse meaning for clear and obvious.

It looked like it was on the line. Maybe they did look but couldn’t give a pen and don’t get involved in free kick. having said that, how the ref didn’t give a free kick is beyond me

 

[blue whippet]

Not the most entertaining of games but we did what we needed to do. Kept a clean sheet, Stones and Fernandinho played well, thought Egan Riley was secure and McAtee did well when he came on. As others have said the pre match light show was good, probably the most entertaining part of the evening. Would have liked us to have scored though.

 

[Rammy Blue]

It looked like it was on the line. Maybe they did look but couldn’t give a pen and don’t get involved in free kick. having said that, how the ref didn’t give a free kick is beyond me

On the line is a pen.

 

[didsburyblu]

Best part was the pre match light show with hindsight should have left after that

 

[danielwood5]

I thought the game was good. I’m sure we must have had at least 75% possession and we never stopped running. There were about 5 minutes or so in the second half where we were so in control that it looked as if we were just having a training session!

I thought all the youngsters took their ‘elevation’ extremely well. Apart from the first 5 or 10 minutes young CJ did a grand job. John Boy had a quiet word with him, obviously of encouragement
because suddenly his nervousness seemed to ease. Not completely but hey it’s a big step up.

I know it was a ‘dead rubber’ in a way but I was watching how the youngsters were developing and so I thoroughly enjoyed it. Not bored at all but that’s me. :-)

And of course my MOTM is a certain Mr JB Stones!! :-) :-)

I’m glad that Carson got an airing so to speak although obviously when he went down injured my heart was in my mouth.

Not sure but I thought I saw Bernie limping at the end when the players came on the pitch to applaud us. Hope he’s ok.

That was my take too, a pretty enjoyable game with nothing at stake, even Lisbon knew this and were happy to use it as a training session in the first half.
Some first team players got a decent run out and some young (and old!) lads got some good experience. Pretty much all I wanted from a dead rubber game.
I actually thought it was interesting watching us do just enough to keep control of the game without burning out, risking injury or losing control of the match.
This may not have been the most exciting of games (but it was never going to be if were honest) but it was a supeb example of controlling a match and conserving energy which is interesting to watch in a different way to the weekends game was.

 

[Nelinho]

Everything fine, happy.

Good game by Dinho (probably MOM), the kid at RB, McAtee. Gabby dropped a bit second half, but I would like to believe he's back as a reliable option. One of the objectives out of this match. I love the kid -and we need him. Truly satisfied with Raheem's attitude, he fought hard, professionally throughout the match. Hopefully the goals he missed will keep him hungry. We need everyone...

Subs programmed, as expected. My warm congratulations to the manager for Carson -basically the only surprise. Who saved us there, thank God avoiding the injury...

Sporting never recovered from the heavy defeat they suffered at home. They were missing their two best players tonight, but Amorim would not rest any of his seniors. For the experience, also for avoiding another humiliation. Which means, basically it was about damage limitation for them. But Pep knew exactly how they would play and adjusted accordingly. Their setup practically invited us to commit people forward, and City accepted the challenge. Forcing opposition back and having a comfortable game throughout the 90'...

Lacking individually the talent Porto and Benfica possess, Sporting are way better as a team than what their displays in both legs suggest. Amorim has done a fantastic job, but he was facing Guardiola's City. Good luck to him domestically...

PS. I know I'm off topic, but I cannot resist. For all the pricks out there, stealing a living as "experts" and pundits: You can spend fortunes, you can buy the best players, every fucking star (or "star") available. The final product in football is the TEAM though. Always has been, always will be. To develop a competitive team, you need more, way more. Basically you need knowledge. I can only imagine how the billionaires in Paris feel tonight, but have zero sympathy for them. You see, ignorant people will never understand that the catalyst in this process is the MANAGER. Exceptional teams are products of exceptional managers. Always have been and always will be, due to the nature of the sport. A lesson shallow people such as that prick Jordan, for example, will never learn. Now go on embarrassing yourself, disrespecting Guardiola as a "checkbook manager", the only shitty cliché you're capable of. ****.

 

[Barcon]

On the line is a pen.

We'll never know where it was as the replay machine ran out of tape.

 

[CC1]

Yeah sure.

During Covid my wife and I had a kid. We alternate games now football is back and had to give up one of our season cards, so she had the derby, I had tonight. (In terms of importance, we've already agreed I get Liverpool since she got the derby).


So, now we have context;

1. I make the most of the games I get to.
2. Egan Riley, a player I have yet to watch in person, started.
3. Home appreciation for zinchenko whenever he touched the ball
4. Party atmosphere for carson
5. Had a couple of beers beforehand with work blues
6. Had a couple of beers with brother in law at ground
7. McAtee got 45 mins and I don't think I've seen that many in person with my limited attendance due to family
8. Low stress game to watch city

Great time. You either didn't go, are miserable by nature, or need to lighten up. How on earth did you cope in the 90s?

well said. Some “fans” are just so entitled nowadays - so rag-like!!