***Champions v Madrid CL Official Match Thread***

[Indianablue]

Like watching Groundhog day, for the 30th time only we don't learn from our mistakes. Despite getting a lead twice against an average Real side, we fuck it up. They could'nt hold my dog lead. Substitutions to see out a game we were winning had an opposite effect, didn't strengthen us or give us more energy, not one bit. Same all season and some of last season to be honest. Pep rarely uses his subs bench well. AS the gaffer he carries the can for the state of this team, fragile mentally, prone to injury, prone to mistakes under minor pressure. No doubt his post match presser praised his teams effort, how great Madrid are and its never easy ........ blah blah fucking blah. A house of cards has more resistance Pep. Anyone else and they would be gone after Madrid fuck us in the next leg. He's had his time at City, thanks goodnight

[carolina-blue]

There was a time - long ago (it seems now) That if we were drawing or even losing I felt like we would get the win late on never ever thought we would lose now !!!

Brighton. 1-0 up at 78 mins. 2-1 loss.
Feyenoord. 3-0 up at 74 mins. 3-3.
United. 1-0 up at 88 mins. 1-2 loss.
Brentford. 2-0 up at 82 mins. 2-2.
PSG. 2-0 up at 56 mins. 4-2 loss.
Real Madrid. 2-1 up at 85 minutes. 3-2 loss.

WTAF City

[blues2win]

Worth saying that Akanji Dias Ake Gvardiol and Stones were excellent in the first half. Of course Ederson had to make a couple of fine saves and we rode our luck at times but we were up against a very good attacking unit. Losing Akanji at half time was a big blow. Our main problem this season however has been in midfield. Whenever we lose the ball high up the pitch we look very vulnerable. Defenders are left running back towards goal defending desperately against quick breaking forwards. They don’t look good but which defenders do in those circumstances. We need a new Right Back and one more top midfielder in the summer window. Cambiaso might be the full back. Maybe Wirtz is the midfielder. With Rodri coming back and Gaonzalez integrated we should then look a totally different team.

[zabbadabbado]

We have given away 57 shots on our Goal in just the last 4 Games.

Leyton Orient had 13.

Tonight Madrid had 20 against us in the Champions League. the most since 2016.

Why the fuck is Pep not trying to change this horrendous statistic ?

We spent a quarter of a Billion in January on players. Yet he still chose Gundogan and Lewis instead of the new signings.

[sheblue]

Wheres the stupid banner now? Hopefully in the bin. Embarrassing.

[PeterParker]

We have given away 57 shots on our Goal in just the last 4 Games.

That is insane.
We need someone to talk some sense to Pep because it seems Lilo is taking a nap every single time the camera is on him.
Mental stat for a team that supposed to have the best possession in the world.

[Mase]

Didn’t bother last night as I knew what would happen.

I’m at a point now where I don’t have any interest in watching us play. Had a season ticket through the 90s and 2000s and they were my favourite times - we were crap but it was what it was, that was the level. These players now are the same ones that won the league last year.

I think it’s a mix of where I am in life (having two small children and having better things to do than watch wankers paid £200k a week pretend they’re injured) or I’m just bored with how football has gone now, with VAR and others ruining it.

Might take the rest of the season off, like the players are doing.

[Indianablue]

Didn’t bother last night as I knew what would happen.

I’m at a point now where I don’t have any interest in watching us play. Had a season ticket through the 90s and 2000s and they were my favourite times - we were crap but it was what it was, that was the level. These players now are the same ones that won the league last year.

I think it’s a mix of where I am in life (having two small children and having better things to do than watch wankers paid £200k a week pretend they’re injured) or I’m just bored with how football has gone now, with VAR and others ruining it.

Might take the rest of the season off, like the players are doing.

^^^^ this

[blues2win]

I think this is very unfair on the players. There were some very good performances from several players. Gvardiol was outstanding with an astonishing run and assist for the first goal and plenty of other big moments notably slowing down Mbappe when he was bearing down on goal. I had doubts about Stones as a DM but he was excellent there. Akanji is no RB but he’s the best we’ve got and he stuck to his task well. Grealish was good for the short time he was on the field. Haaland had a good game. Kevin and Bernie lacked inspiration but gave everything they had. Foden did well in the second half. A couple of self inflicted wounds from Ederson ( who made some good saves however) and Kovacic prevented us eking out a 2-1 victory against a side full of attacking threat. Ignoring the good last night seems unbalanced. À shit result is a shit result but it’s far from the whole story.

[salford city]

I think this is very unfair on the players. There were some very good performances from several players. Gvardiol was outstanding with an astonishing run and assist for the first goal and plenty of other big moments notably slowing down Mbappe when he was bearing down on goal. I had doubts about Stones as a DM but he was excellent there. Akanji is no RB but he’s the best we’ve got and he stuck to his task well. Grealish was good for the short time he was on the field. Haaland had a good game. Kevin and Bernie lacked inspiration but gave everything they had. Foden did well in the second half. A couple of self inflicted wounds from Ederson ( who made some good saves however) and Kovacic prevented us eking out a 2-1 victory against a side full of attacking threat. Ignoring the good last night seems unbalanced. À shit result is a shit result but it’s far from the whole story.

A balanced post. I missed the game due to work. In all that you say however, the one point that hits home is that Pep cannot and will not, set up any different. The shot count against us from average sides is shocking. Carrying on playing the system without the personnel is suicide.

[gmercer1]

I’m just bored with how slow we are.
We should have the attacking players to match Madrid……yet we hardly ever create clear chances these days. Awful team to watch

[Hazy2]

We should have could have season. We are fragile. I’d take 4th and a quick exit from the World club. We played our part last night.

[PeterParker]

I think this is very unfair on the players. There were some very good performances from several players. Gvardiol was outstanding with an astonishing run and assist for the first goal and plenty of other big moments notably slowing down Mbappe when he was bearing down on goal. I had doubts about Stones as a DM but he was excellent there. Akanji is no RB but he’s the best we’ve got and he stuck to his task well. Grealish was good for the short time he was on the field. Haaland had a good game. Kevin and Bernie lacked inspiration but gave everything they had. Foden did well in the second half. A couple of self inflicted wounds from Ederson ( who made some good saves however) and Kovacic prevented us eking out a 2-1 victory against a side full of attacking threat. Ignoring the good last night seems unbalanced. À shit result is a shit result but it’s far from the whole story.

It does not matter if a few play good when it takes just a few to fuck the whole work the others did.
I think no one said all the players were shit. All four in defense, as mentioned, were superb. Stones, what a player when fit and into the mood.

BUT:
1. That attacking force worked because our defense was M25, traffic all the way.
2. Madrid had the first eleven in shambles. Barcelona put 9 besides them this year.

[blues2win]

It was suggested that the players had downed tools so that was suggested.

[zabbadabbado]

Have taken nearly £2000 of Bookmakers backing against us these last few months. I know many of you don't like backing against us.

Fact is our capitulations are so predictable, you can set your Watch by them.

Might as well make some money on all these inevitable second half collapses.

The only bet i have lost recently was where we managed to clear off the line in the last minute.

Not sure what game some of our fans were watching yesterday. Madrid should have been out of sight at half time only for some shit finishing .Ederson tried to gift them a Penalty early on, only to be saved by the off side Flag.

Odds were shit before Kick off with nothing to choose between Both Sides.

We went in 1-0 up Madrid odds jumped up to 6/1.

There was only one way last night game was going to end we all knew it really. A Madrid win. Either by A. Simply being the better team. B. Us doing what we have become really good at, shooting ourselves in the Foot. With Keystone Cop type defending and capitulating.

It has got that bad you dont feel we are capable of seeing out any game against a decent side even at 3-0 up.We have become a 70 minute team.

Time to use it to your advantage.

Avoid Odds before Kick Off.

We go 1-0 up time for you to Put a bet on Guys. I am not talking shit here either, we have lost 7 games in the last 15 minutes from winning positions. Over 15 games in total we have conceded in the last 15 minutes. Might as well make some Money on these predictable collapses.

They are no longer one offs, but part of our game.

[Mase]

These are the same players that all season have cried off at the sign of anything slight. Look at Kev - he went months and months with an “injury” that Pep said he didn’t know what it was. Same with Ederson. Stones and Ake are made of glass and Dias is more interested in shagging slags and going to music award shows than playing football. Even Foden was out for weeks with a tummy ache. WTF is going on this season? Seems to me the players have come together on the sly and said that any slight thing they get they’re going to use it to take a rest because “there’s too many games”

I guarantee if you gave Rodri the option to play he’d be on the pitch hobbling about.

These lot are cowards and it’s embarrassing

[john@staustell]

We won the game last night, then fucked it up. Again.

The players can't be faulted for effort. But (yet) another brain fart by Ederson and then a complete nothing by two players, and it was gone.

I don't know how many times Vinisius went past Lewis - I've never seen anyone gain so much over 10 yards. And as for that last goal - at least Nunes would've knocked him over, which was what was required.

Some of these need to be hooked out. Lewis is 'ok', just, in midfield. But defence, hopeless. Too small, too slow, no positioning

[carl_feedthegoat]

We won the game last night, then fucked it up. Again.

The players can't be faulted for effort. But (yet) another brain fart by Ederson and then a complete nothing by two players, and it was gone.

I don't know how many times Vinisius went past Lewis - I've never seen anyone gain so much over 10 yards. And as for that last goal - at least Nunes would've knocked him over, which was what was required.

Some of these need to be hooked out. Lewis is 'ok', just, in midfield. But defence, hopeless. Too small, too slow, no positioning

Who fucking put him there ?
Sick and tired of the fucking manager putting players in positions where they just cannot cope -
Week in and week out.

[PeterParker]

We won the game last night, then fucked it up. Again.

The players can't be faulted for effort. But (yet) another brain fart by Ederson and then a complete nothing by two players, and it was gone.

I don't know how many times Vinisius went past Lewis - I've never seen anyone gain so much over 10 yards. And as for that last goal - at least Nunes would've knocked him over, which was what was required.

Some of these need to be hooked out. Lewis is 'ok', just, in midfield. But defence, hopeless. Too small, too slow, no positioning

Who fucking put him there ?
Sick and tired of the fucking manager putting players in positions where they just cannot cope -
Week in and week out.

But that's his position, right? As a right back?
He did a fine job there until Walker came back and fucked our game.

[salford city]

We won the game last night, then fucked it up. Again.

The players can't be faulted for effort. But (yet) another brain fart by Ederson and then a complete nothing by two players, and it was gone.

I don't know how many times Vinisius went past Lewis - I've never seen anyone gain so much over 10 yards. And as for that last goal - at least Nunes would've knocked him over, which was what was required.

Some of these need to be hooked out. Lewis is 'ok', just, in midfield. But defence, hopeless. Too small, too slow, no positioning

Who fucking put him there ?
Sick and tired of the fucking manager putting players in positions where they just cannot cope -
Week in and week out.

But that's his position, right? As a right back?
He did a fine job there until Walker came back and fucked our game.

Go on then I will bite. Its really not his position nor is Josko a left back. Pep is infatuated with the brain-fuck of having his fullbacks create an extra man in midfield. As we have seen since October, this leads to more players being caught upfield ahead of the ball and the inevitable breakaway with an easy run in on goal. We cannot score 3 or more goals every game to mitigate this. Here's a radical thought, plug the big fuck off gap in the middle or alter the tactics. It really is that simple. No point in us all falling out about it, unless one of those 2 scenarios is adopted by Pep, zabba will continue to clean up at the bookies