What Is lacking?

I'm With Stupid said:
Chelsea don't have any stars. Kante, arguably, but he's a tough tackling midfielder, not a world class creative player or goalscorer. Let's be honest, it's actually pretty rare for the Champions League winner to also win their domestic league (unless it's a one-team league). The difference with a cup competition is if you come up against one team that happens to play a style that exploits your weaknesses, you're out of the competition. And that's happened a few times, often combined with Pep recognising this and then trying some mad tactic to contain them, rather than imposing our regular game on them.
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Good post but it’s not rocket science. You give yourself the best chance if you just play your strongest team! How hard is that to do if they’re all fit. Your BEST players in the BEST formation that have served you successfully before. A final is not the time for a new plan ! Daft as it sounds that was bordering negligence last night.
 
I'm With Stupid said:
Chelsea don't have any stars. Kante, arguably, but he's a tough tackling midfielder, not a world class creative player or goalscorer. Let's be honest, it's actually pretty rare for the Champions League winner to also win their domestic league (unless it's a one-team league). The difference with a cup competition is if you come up against one team that happens to play a style that exploits your weaknesses, you're out of the competition. And that's happened a few times, often combined with Pep recognising this and then trying some mad tactic to contain them, rather than imposing our regular game on them.
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Yes and no. If you are mainly a defensive team, you don't need stars, only a very physical and tactically disciplined squad and manager, but we are not a defensive team. In the last 10 years:

11-12: Chelsea, defensive without stars (Drogba, Lampard and Terry were already way passed their prmes). Also, this was a miracle.
12-13: Bayern --> Robben, Ribbery, Neuer, Lahm (top 10-15 players in the world), Kroos and even Muller were top 30.
13-14: Madrid---> Ronaldo, Benzema, Ramos, Modric, Kroos, Marcelo, even Di Maria are all top 20-30 players.
14-15--> Barca: Neymar, Suarez, Messi, Iniesta, Dani Alves all top players .
15-18 ---> Madrid: same as 13-14 Madrid - Di Maria + Bale.
18-19 : Liverpool: Salah, VVD, Mane, and at least for this season Robertson and TAA.
19-20 Bayern: Lewandowski, Kimmich, Neuer, and maybe Gnabry, Muller, Davies.
20-21: Chelsea, mostly a defensive and well-organized team.

I am not talking about Messi, Neymar, Mbappe,Ronaldo type of star. But if you want to win offensively, you need at least 3-4 top 20-30 players in the world (with 2 being in the top 10-15).
 
A few things:

A world class forward. The amount of times we put the ball across the area and no one has that killer instinct to get in front of the defender.

A set pieces coach. We must have the worst set pieces in the country and for the technique our players have its scandalous how we cannot keep possession from a throw in or why so many of our corners are awful.

Pace. Our midfield especially is just to slow.
 
Got to remember no team has won champs league on first ever appearance in final. Whole team will learn from this. Get Haaland and go again.
 
You need a manager who dose not complicate simple things and change a winning team, a manager who does not overthink and change a winning formula in the most important final in the history of the club. A manager who know how to prepare his team mentally for the final.

How can you blame the players when all of them were out of form!!! I saw totally different team yesterday, I felt the players were helpless, I never felt we could score. To start with Rahim who is out of form, and later on Jesus in the most important final game, wow, that was Pep definition of being genius.
 
BlueBas said:
Got to remember no team has won champs league on first ever appearance in final. Whole team will learn from this. Get Haaland and go again.
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That’s just a stat to hide behind. Besides Guardiola never learns . Fact is He handed Chelsea the game from the kick off. Credit Chelsea they took advantage of it and their keeper never had to make a save.
 
A bit of time for reflection first and foremost.
Obvious needs if continue with this style of offensive football.
Striker (Kane/Haaland)
Mobile defensive CM (????)
AM in mould of Kev (Grealish)

Some to go out too, need a shake up of some.
Sterling
Fern
Mahrez
Gundy
Possibly Jesus
 
Playing all the right notes but not necessarily in the right order. Pep got it wrong with his selection last night. We needed a defensive midfield player in order to release Gundogan. Also playing without No 9 didn't work and the forwards should have switched things up a bit. Mahrez and Sterling are probably still in the pockets of those fullbacks. Chelsea played a standard formation, nothing untoward or unexpected and is was enough. Sometimes football is just about keeping it simple
 
What's lacking ?

We, City have won 3 out of the last 4 premier league seasons. Have won the last 4 league cups. Have broken records for fun.

Whats lacking ?

Perhaps abit of luck in the champions league ! Was nervous when i saw the team without a DM, but playing without a striker all season made me nervous to start with.

By luck I mean not losing KDB , like I would like to see the possible penalty shout again.

All the pressure was on City , Chelsea had nothing to lose and it showed. Chelsea looked more relaxed City looked like they were caught in the headlights. Plus no DM meant to many of our players couldnt play with their normal freedom. Chelsea are a very well drilled team and won every one on one battle. They have beaten City 3 times in a short period of time, without changing their style.

This team has played two seasons without a break.

We think City are in the market for a top striker, and I believe City need a striker.

So what's lacking ? Yesterday I would say the occasion got to the players more than the Chelsea players. Was that because Chelsea were playing their normal system City changed to a new system. My guess would be yes.

Am I going to throw the baby out with the bath water ? No.

Roll on next season.
 
Cityzen_89 said:
Players? Mentality? Leadership? Quality In Key Areas? All Of The Above?

Basically, can this be sorted with new players or does this go deeper and is it more of a mentality issue? If so, how do we move forward and sort this?
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A world class, fast, strong, good passing, energetic, no nonsense, 25 year old defensive midfielder who will replace Fernandinho. Someone who isn’t too old or too slow to make Pep think he can’t play them in the biggest game in the club’s history.

A world class striker to replace Agüero.
 
Nothing was lacking. Sometimes problems aren't indicative of a larger issue but rather isolated to one game.

We came out with a gameplan we hadn't used all season. You do not use the UCL final to try something new because you have a hunch about how to plan against your opponent.

And they just defended incredibly well and stifled everything we did.

If Ederson clips the ball on that breakaway chance and Mahrez keeps it below the bar at the end, we aren't asking this question. Sometimes it's just about one game.
 
I think it's unfair to start picking holes in a manager and players that have served this club well over the last few years, however Pep does tend to overthink his tactics for these games.

I think most of us could have picked the starting 11 and it wouldn't have included Sterling in current form. Personally all I think Pep needed to do was work on some tactics during the week, knowing how Chelsea set up, but the rest should have been motivational, instilling that belief that we are the best in the world and putting us out on the pitch with the belief and desire that we couldn't be beaten.

Instead, some of our players froze, we looked all at sea at times and we never got playing our natural game until, ironically when Fernandinho came on.

On the other hand Tuchel knew his best system and seemed to have his players, playing with the belief they would win.

I'm not sure many of our players, played to the ability of 6/10 whereas I think all Chelsea players played to at least 7/10 (with possibly the exception of Werner). There lies the difference!
 
Psychedelic Casual said:
The only thing about having a club policy of buying nice lads is that none of them are horrible cunts who’ll stand up when it really counts in this competition and be a fucking horrible **** on that pitch.
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Looking back at the game, this was a game for Fernandinho to start if ever there was one. He would have set the tone where needed.
 
Psychedelic Casual said:
A world class, fast, strong, good passing, energetic, no nonsense, 25 year old defensive midfielder who will replace Fernandinho. Someone who isn’t too old or too slow to make Pep think he can’t play them in the biggest game in the club’s history.

A world class striker to replace Agüero.
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This and a left back. We can’t go yet another season without a proper left back.
 
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