The Manager

[Wiekens]

He has to drop the 5-3-2 which he switched us to when he bought on zaba. It cost us the game.

You can just about afford to play that against west ham to shut up shop because you know all they'll do is lump the ball into the box. But against Madrid he left our full backs completely isolated one-on-one with two of the best wingers in the world, and out wide was where all their threat was. There was no winger to help out zaba and ronaldo shredded him, like he does with most full backs. That just left a clear shot on goal and 3 CBs on their heels getting in each other's way.

We were awful playing it at Liverpool and we conceded 3 goals in 15 minutes when we reverted to it tonight. He has to drop it.

 

[supercrystal7]

5 minutes of defensive discipline away from recording one of the best results in the history of our club today. Slim margins. Can't blame too much on Mancini today, we simply aren't as good as Real Madrid yet! Just like Newcastle fans can't blame Alan Pardew if they lose to us, because they aren't as good as us.

It's that simple really, they are better than us in nearly every department on the pitch and have spent more money than us to get to that level too.

Correct.

Experience counts too

Pretty much this. Shame Maicon went off as well since he was doing a good job on Ronaldo. Ronaldo even switched to the left to get more joy. The tactics were fine, but Madrid, Barca and Bayern are the three best in the world. You are not quite at that level yet.

The game was not lost, because you switched formation or anything like that, individual mistakes combined with fantastic goals from the opposition.

 

[Tevez City]

He has one plan in the big games, push Yaya forward!

 

[goatboy]

for the love of christ let that be end of zonal marking bobby, how many times do we need to stand off the likes of real madrid and let them shoot from the edge of the box. was pulling my hair out watching ronaldo ghost around our box unmarked. even southampton scared the shit out of us because we sat back and let them come at us.

 

[Damocles]

He has to drop the 5-3-2 which he switched us to when he bought on zaba. It cost us the game.

You mean apart from when we were in front at the Bernabeu with 5 minutes to go? You mean it cot us except when we scored from it?<br /><br />-- Wed Sep 19, 2012 12:12 am --<br /><br />

for the love of christ let that be end of zonal marking bobby, how many times do we need to stand off the likes of real madrid and let them shoot from the edge of the box. was pulling my hair out watching ronaldo ghost around our box unmarked. even southampton scared the shit out of us because we sat back and let them come at us.

Is this a joke?

Compare the defensive record of every zonal marking team las year with man marking. There's literally no comparison. Zonal marking is over 40% more effective.

 

[goatboy]

last year is last year. we are clearly not the same team as then defensively. 9 conceded in 5 games says so. i was just so nervous looking at the space players have had in and around our box this season

 

[lastmanback]

He has to drop the 5-3-2 which he switched us to when he bought on zaba. It cost us the game.

You mean apart from when we were in front at the Bernabeu with 5 minutes to go? You mean it cot us except when we scored from it?


We where about to fluke our way to victory, not by any tactical master plan.
Just pure luck.

 

[Pam]

He has one plan in the big games, push Yaya forward!

Luckily for us, it usually works and won us the title (re Newcastle game).

 

[yayas trusty right foot]

the only fault i can find is maybe we should have started with a few more familier faces Lescot, Zab and maybe Milner..

having said that, we were playing Madrid at home and i dont think many teams will get anything there.

 

[Damocles]

He has to drop the 5-3-2 which he switched us to when he bought on zaba. It cost us the game.

You mean apart from when we were in front at the Bernabeu with 5 minutes to go? You mean it cot us except when we scored from it?


We where about to fluke our way to victory, not by any tactical master plan.
Just pure luck.

Funny how those big teams get all of the luck