Its been said many times that we lack leaders and characters,Dias has helped enormously,but generally we look a very quiet side who can be bullied if certain players and systems are deployed.Mentally we were weak and also tactically against Spurs, Monaco, Lyon and Chelsea too.
Maybe Liverpool too but there the ref failed us and also we had the bus attack.
Chelsea wanted it more and their players were given a tactics that gave them self belief. Our formation was wrong, line up changes also did not help at all (btw I think we also lose if Dinho start with Foden on left),our players panicked, and we were not effective at all in creating good chances.
I hate when we create 20 shots, 6 on target only and score one but in those games we rip them apart tactically and our finishing lets us down.
But this game was the opposite, created fuck all.
At least this season we got the CL final something we wish we had reached in last 4 seasons or with Pelle or Mancini.
I dont think Pep handles CL pressure well in later stages, he is second guessing the team, players and himself. Hope the beating of likes of Dortmund, PSG is gonna be the rule from now on and not the rare exception.
Next year CL will be very hard, Bayern will want to hit back for their QF loss, Juventus will bring in a top manager imo instead of Pirlo, Liverpool will be stronger imo, Barca/Real unsure who they bring in as manager, Chelsea, United could be dangerous.
I mean we all laugh at United, but the way they get results against us in PL regularly, I dont want to meet them in a CL knockout stage at all, I could see Pep underestimating them and they just hit us quickly on counters.
Also Pep potentially bigging them and their history up before we play them, fuck no...
We can slag Pep's selection off all we want but let's not kid ourselves. He's the greatest manager in the world.
I think his team (as in coaching staff) need to have the balls to tell him not to fuck about.
He's the best manager in the world, but I think he's surrounded by yes-men.
Spurs away - we dropped captain Kompany, our best player de Bruyne, our player of the season Bernardo and also Sané was on the bench.Of the CL exits:
Monaco - back 5 was rubbish couldn’t be helped
Liverpool - Gundogan on the wing
Spurs - KDB on the bench at WHL
Lyon - 3 at the back
Chelsea - No holding midfielder for the first time this season
Generally it’s Pep trying something new and the team crumbling because of it
You could hear it in Tuchel’s voice when asked about City’s starting XI, he was buzzing!The team selection deflated the fans and probably the players before a ball had been kicked.
It will no doubt have helped Chelsea.
You could hear it in Tuchel’s voice when asked about City’s starting XI, he was buzzing!
Noel Gallagher epitomised City in the pre-match interview he gave. He said [something like] “I’ve been confident all week until I’ve seen the team”.
I agree with you - I think a stronger captain might have stood up and said something. But knowing how Pep works he'd probably have told them to do as they're told. He's the manager after all.I actually think when you say his team - as in coaching staff, I would open that out a bit & say, team as in team. If vinny was still at the club for example (in his prime) he might have been a strong enough captain/player/ & character, to go quietly to Pep and say.... "boss, this isn't going to work".
Dias is great and all that - but at 23 you are not going to have the balls to do that. The other more senior pros e.g. Kev also come across as people who do as they are told and don't rock the boat.....
I'm just thinking off the top of my head, of what might have been.