***city v the ref, sorry v barca match thread***

[Goaters 103]

Needed our manager to pick the correct team and formation - he didn't;
Needed Kompany to have an assured game and keep Suarez under wraps - he didn't;
Needed our big name players in midfield, Silva and Nasri, to have big nights - they didn't:
Needed to take our gilt edged chances when they came along - we didn't:
Needed to defend with discipline and no silly lunges - we didn't (but got away with that one);
Needed to finish to play the entire 90 mins with 11 players - we didn't.

Hart was immense and Aguero did well in spurts, but we had one or two out there who didnt belong in that company and it showed. If that game doesn't illustrate graphically to our management that we don't need any more Fernando's, then I don't know what will. We need top class to compete at that level - Pogba for starters - so no more middle level buys please.

At h-t Id have snapped your hands off for 1-2, and that could've been far worse but for our goalkeeper. We aren't out of the tie yet, but have one foot in the grave of it and the other on a banana skin.

I also wouldnt trust Pellegrini to pick the right team or formation in 3 weeks time either as he never learns. Tonight may prove his managerial epitaph at City - 12 months on from last season and what have we learned? Zilch.

[Ted Hughes]

I thought Fernando had a very good 2nd half & did exactly what we signed him to do, against one of the best sides in europe, which proves imo he is good enough.

I don't think he was any worse than anyone else first half & certainly better than the back 4, so, as with Jovetic, Navas, on other occasions, I don't even understand why he is a topic of conversation. It wasn't down to him that we lost, & if any individuals should be picked out, there are 4 or 5 at least, who are worth a mention before Fernando.

Did anyone notice Nasri's performance for instance ? Or Silva, Nasri, Dzeko, Aguero stood about, still, watching, whilst Milner & Fernando were looking for someone to pass to first half ?

[blues2win]

We shouldn't rely too much on the second half performance. We were pretty much out of the tie and relaxed and they took their foot off the gas. It happens. I suspect their manager is annoyed that they missed the opportunity to put the tie completely out of reach. A missed penalty put paid to that. We lost the match and probably the tie in the first half. It beggars belief that Fernandinho wasn't playing from the start. If Pellegrini wanted only one defensive midfielder he should have chosen Fernandinho over Fernado even though the latter played decently. I would have played both. For myself I wanted Milner as cover on the left so Clichy and he could double up on Messi if required. That would have meant Nasri having to track back and help out Zaba on the right. Silva would have played off Aguero. More like 4-1-1. It's a bit silly saying formations don't matter and you can just chuck them on the pitch and let them get on with it.

It boils down to whether you think two gritty defensive performances were going to give us our best chance of progressing or whether at home at least we could try to outplay them in the first leg at least and give ourselves some fat for the second leg. I'm in the first camp. I think they're a better side although the gap is not as great as was apparent in that dreadful first half. A lot of players played poorly tonight but Pellegrini himself performed poorly in Europe and not exactly for the first time. If Guardiola is unexpectedly available at the end of the season he will be very vulnerable.

[Ted Hughes]

Needed our manager to pick the correct team and formation - he didn't;
Needed Kompany to have an assured game and keep Suarez under wraps - he didn't;
Needed our big name players in midfield, Silva and Nasri, to have big nights - they didn't:
Needed to take our gilt edged chances when they came along - we didn't:
Needed to defend with discipline and no silly lunges - we didn't (but got away with that one);
Needed to finish to play the entire 90 mins with 11 players - we didn't.

Hart was immense and Aguero did well in spurts, but we had one or two out there who didnt belong in that company and it showed. If that game doesn't illustrate graphically to our management that we don't need any more Fernando's, then I don't know what will. We need top class to compete at that level - Pogba for starters - so no more middle level buys please.

At h-t Id have snapped your hands off for 1-2, and that could've been far worse but for our goalkeeper. We aren't out of the tie yet, but have one foot in the grave of it and the other on a banana skin.

I also wouldnt trust Pellegrini to pick the right team or formation in 3 weeks time either as he never learns. Tonight may prove his managerial epitaph at City - 12 months on from last season and what have we learned? Zilch.

How do you know this, about the formation ?

Give me an example of what you are basing it on, from past City games under any manager, with these players. Convince me how you know your formation & team will work better & therefore why Pellegrini is so stupid.

[Ted Hughes]

We shouldn't rely too much on the second half performance. We were pretty much out of the tie and relaxed and they took their foot off the gas. It happens. I suspect their manager is annoyed that they missed the opportunity to put the tie completely out of reach. A missed penalty put paid to that. We lost the match and probably the tie in the first half. It beggars belief that Fernandinho wasn't playing from the start. If Pellegrini wanted only one defensive midfielder he should have chosen Fernandinho over Fernado even though the latter played decently. I would have played both. For myself I wanted Milner as cover on the left so Clichy and he could double up on Messi if required. That would have meant Nasri having to track back and help out Zaba on the right. Silva would have played off Aguero. More like 4-1-1. It's a bit silly saying formations don't matter and you can just chuck them on the pitch and let them get on with it.

It boils down to whether you think two gritty defensive performances were going to give us our best chance of progressing or whether at home at least we could try to outplay them in the first leg at least and give ourselves some fat for the second leg. I'm in the first camp. I think they're a better side although the gap is not as great as was apparent in that dreadful first half. A lot of players played poorly tonight but Pellegrini himself performed poorly in Europe and not exactly for the first time. If Guardiola is unexpectedly available at the end of the season he will be very vulnerable.

Not fair.

City pressed 2nd half & at the start of the first half, & it worked.

[Hazy2]

Needed our manager to pick the correct team and formation - he didn't;
Needed Kompany to have an assured game and keep Suarez under wraps - he didn't;
Needed our big name players in midfield, Silva and Nasri, to have big nights - they didn't:
Needed to take our gilt edged chances when they came along - we didn't:
Needed to defend with discipline and no silly lunges - we didn't (but got away with that one);
Needed to finish to play the entire 90 mins with 11 players - we didn't.

Hart was immense and Aguero did well in spurts, but we had one or two out there who didnt belong in that company and it showed. If that game doesn't illustrate graphically to our management that we don't need any more Fernando's, then I don't know what will. We need top class to compete at that level - Pogba for starters - so no more middle level buys please.

At h-t Id have snapped your hands off for 1-2, and that could've been far worse but for our goalkeeper. We aren't out of the tie yet, but have one foot in the grave of it and the other on a banana skin.

I also wouldnt trust Pellegrini to pick the right team or formation in 3 weeks time either as he never learns. Tonight may prove his managerial epitaph at City - 12 months on from last season and what have we learned? Zilch.

How do you know this, about the formation ?

Give me an example of what you are basing it on, from past City games under any manager, with these players. Convince me how you know your formation & team will work better & therefore why Pellegrini is so stupid.

442= stupid and naive.

[Ted Hughes]

Needed our manager to pick the correct team and formation - he didn't;
Needed Kompany to have an assured game and keep Suarez under wraps - he didn't;
Needed our big name players in midfield, Silva and Nasri, to have big nights - they didn't:
Needed to take our gilt edged chances when they came along - we didn't:
Needed to defend with discipline and no silly lunges - we didn't (but got away with that one);
Needed to finish to play the entire 90 mins with 11 players - we didn't.

Hart was immense and Aguero did well in spurts, but we had one or two out there who didnt belong in that company and it showed. If that game doesn't illustrate graphically to our management that we don't need any more Fernando's, then I don't know what will. We need top class to compete at that level - Pogba for starters - so no more middle level buys please.

At h-t Id have snapped your hands off for 1-2, and that could've been far worse but for our goalkeeper. We aren't out of the tie yet, but have one foot in the grave of it and the other on a banana skin.

I also wouldnt trust Pellegrini to pick the right team or formation in 3 weeks time either as he never learns. Tonight may prove his managerial epitaph at City - 12 months on from last season and what have we learned? Zilch.

How do you know this, about the formation ?

Give me an example of what you are basing it on, from past City games under any manager, with these players. Convince me how you know your formation & team will work better & therefore why Pellegrini is so stupid.

442= stupid and naive.

It's not 442, but it was the same both halves.

[Goaters 103]

Needed our manager to pick the correct team and formation - he didn't;
Needed Kompany to have an assured game and keep Suarez under wraps - he didn't;
Needed our big name players in midfield, Silva and Nasri, to have big nights - they didn't:
Needed to take our gilt edged chances when they came along - we didn't:
Needed to defend with discipline and no silly lunges - we didn't (but got away with that one);
Needed to finish to play the entire 90 mins with 11 players - we didn't.

Hart was immense and Aguero did well in spurts, but we had one or two out there who didnt belong in that company and it showed. If that game doesn't illustrate graphically to our management that we don't need any more Fernando's, then I don't know what will. We need top class to compete at that level - Pogba for starters - so no more middle level buys please.

At h-t Id have snapped your hands off for 1-2, and that could've been far worse but for our goalkeeper. We aren't out of the tie yet, but have one foot in the grave of it and the other on a banana skin.

I also wouldnt trust Pellegrini to pick the right team or formation in 3 weeks time either as he never learns. Tonight may prove his managerial epitaph at City - 12 months on from last season and what have we learned? Zilch.

How do you know this, about the formation ?

Give me an example of what you are basing it on, from past City games under any manager, with these players. Convince me how you know your formation & team will work better & therefore why Pellegrini is so stupid.

Do you want it in Janet and John playbricks Ted?

Going with what is essentially two up top against a team like Barca - who want to dominate possession - is suicidal.

An example of us going two up top in Europe and getting our bollocks kicked? Bayern at home, Sep 2013.

We needed to establish a foothold in the game and not get bossed in midfield. Its great theory being all brave and everything, with your two up top, bit if you hardly ever have the ball to feed it to them its as much use as a microwave on a surfboard. Messi, Iniesta, Busquets and Rakitic had all the space and time in the world in the first half to pick any pass they wanted and if thed been more lethal or Hart hadn't made a great save, we'd have been 4 down at the break.

I also note you seem to think Fernando had a good game in the second half? There ends my conversation with you on tonights match as you clearly watch a different game to me and seem to want to argue black is white with just about everybody on here.

If you have Fernando in your midfield, especially in a what is a 4 man midfield, you wont win big games against top class opposition. End of.

[Ted Hughes]

As a matter of interest, how many midfield players do you lot think Barca had ?

[Ted Hughes]

Needed our manager to pick the correct team and formation - he didn't;
Needed Kompany to have an assured game and keep Suarez under wraps - he didn't;
Needed our big name players in midfield, Silva and Nasri, to have big nights - they didn't:
Needed to take our gilt edged chances when they came along - we didn't:
Needed to defend with discipline and no silly lunges - we didn't (but got away with that one);
Needed to finish to play the entire 90 mins with 11 players - we didn't.

Hart was immense and Aguero did well in spurts, but we had one or two out there who didnt belong in that company and it showed. If that game doesn't illustrate graphically to our management that we don't need any more Fernando's, then I don't know what will. We need top class to compete at that level - Pogba for starters - so no more middle level buys please.

At h-t Id have snapped your hands off for 1-2, and that could've been far worse but for our goalkeeper. We aren't out of the tie yet, but have one foot in the grave of it and the other on a banana skin.

I also wouldnt trust Pellegrini to pick the right team or formation in 3 weeks time either as he never learns. Tonight may prove his managerial epitaph at City - 12 months on from last season and what have we learned? Zilch.

How do you know this, about the formation ?

Give me an example of what you are basing it on, from past City games under any manager, with these players. Convince me how you know your formation & team will work better & therefore why Pellegrini is so stupid.

Do you want it in Janet and John playbricks Ted?

Going with what is essentially two up top against a team like Barca - who want to dominate possession - is suicidal.

An example of us going two up top in Europe and getting our bollocks kicked? Bayern at home, Sep 2013.

We needed to establish a foothold in the game and not get bossed in midfield. Its great theory being all brave and everything, with your two up top, bit if you hardly ever have the ball to feed it to them its as much use as a microwave on a surfboard.

I also note you seem to think Fernando had a good game in the second half? There ends my conversation with you on tonights match as you clearly watch a different game to me and seem to want to argue black is white with just about everybody on here.

If you have Fernando in your midfield, especially in a what is a 4 man midfield, you wont win big games against top class opposition. End of.

So you can't give me an example then ?

Under any manager ?

Thought not.

And I'll ask you; how many did Barca have in midfield ?

[Goaters 103]

Needed our manager to pick the correct team and formation - he didn't;
Needed Kompany to have an assured game and keep Suarez under wraps - he didn't;
Needed our big name players in midfield, Silva and Nasri, to have big nights - they didn't:
Needed to take our gilt edged chances when they came along - we didn't:
Needed to defend with discipline and no silly lunges - we didn't (but got away with that one);
Needed to finish to play the entire 90 mins with 11 players - we didn't.

Hart was immense and Aguero did well in spurts, but we had one or two out there who didnt belong in that company and it showed. If that game doesn't illustrate graphically to our management that we don't need any more Fernando's, then I don't know what will. We need top class to compete at that level - Pogba for starters - so no more middle level buys please.

At h-t Id have snapped your hands off for 1-2, and that could've been far worse but for our goalkeeper. We aren't out of the tie yet, but have one foot in the grave of it and the other on a banana skin.

I also wouldnt trust Pellegrini to pick the right team or formation in 3 weeks time either as he never learns. Tonight may prove his managerial epitaph at City - 12 months on from last season and what have we learned? Zilch.

How do you know this, about the formation ?

Give me an example of what you are basing it on, from past City games under any manager, with these players. Convince me how you know your formation & team will work better & therefore why Pellegrini is so stupid.

Do you want it in Janet and John playbricks Ted?

Going with what is essentially two up top against a team like Barca - who want to dominate possession - is suicidal.

An example of us going two up top in Europe and getting our bollocks kicked? Bayern at home, Sep 2013.

We needed to establish a foothold in the game and not get bossed in midfield. Its great theory being all brave and everything, with your two up top, bit if you hardly ever have the ball to feed it to them its as much use as a microwave on a surfboard.

I also note you seem to think Fernando had a good game in the second half? There ends my conversation with you on tonights match as you clearly watch a different game to me and seem to want to argue black is white with just about everybody on here.

If you have Fernando in your midfield, especially in a what is a 4 man midfield, you wont win big games against top class opposition. End of.

So you can't give me an example then ?

Under any manager ?

Thought not.

A gave you a recent example of 4-4-2 being ludicrous for us for the Bayern game - its up there in my post, try reading it instead of taking such an air of superioty all the time. Did you read my post? Thought not because I dared to disagree with you which you seem not to like.

An example of when 1 up top has worked better? Bayern at home and Roma away - the only 2 games we've won out of 7 in this competition this season.

And as for Fernando having a good game? For fucks sake.

[platt lane splinters]

Happy with the result in the end, why we're frightened at the start, I will never understand.

After that first half, I feel like I've fell off the top of Mount Kilamanjaro and I only bruised my arse !!!

We will win 3-1 in three weeks, keep the faith

[Hazy2]

I thought Fernando had a very good 2nd half & did exactly what we signed him to do, against one of the best sides in europe, which proves imo he is good enough.

I don't think he was any worse than anyone else first half & certainly better than the back 4, so, as with Jovetic, Navas, on other occasions, I don't even understand why he is a topic of conversation. It wasn't down to him that we lost, & if any individuals should be picked out, there are 4 or 5 at least, who are worth a mention before Fernando.

Did anyone notice Nasri's performance for instance ? Or Silva, Nasri, Dzeko, Aguero stood about, still, watching, whilst Milner & Fernando were looking for someone to pass to first half ?

Fernando is not good enough. He is worse than any other player have had in CM, had a better second half, fuck me how the fuck could he be any worse, I accept 2 holders failed both him and Milner were over run. 3 touches to,get it under daft pirouettes to out of his own mess had every fucker in the ground having kittens, sorry dress it up all you want, shite player gone in the summer.

[sheblue]

Don't like picking on players, well not too much anyway. I am not singling him out but Fern2 is not an upgrade on Garcia. Not so far anyway.
Tonight we needed people to tackle properly, not enough of the midfielders do that, silva and nasri offered fuck all when we lost the ball.

[Ted Hughes]

Needed our manager to pick the correct team and formation - he didn't;
Needed Kompany to have an assured game and keep Suarez under wraps - he didn't;
Needed our big name players in midfield, Silva and Nasri, to have big nights - they didn't:
Needed to take our gilt edged chances when they came along - we didn't:
Needed to defend with discipline and no silly lunges - we didn't (but got away with that one);
Needed to finish to play the entire 90 mins with 11 players - we didn't.

Hart was immense and Aguero did well in spurts, but we had one or two out there who didnt belong in that company and it showed. If that game doesn't illustrate graphically to our management that we don't need any more Fernando's, then I don't know what will. We need top class to compete at that level - Pogba for starters - so no more middle level buys please.

At h-t Id have snapped your hands off for 1-2, and that could've been far worse but for our goalkeeper. We aren't out of the tie yet, but have one foot in the grave of it and the other on a banana skin.

I also wouldnt trust Pellegrini to pick the right team or formation in 3 weeks time either as he never learns. Tonight may prove his managerial epitaph at City - 12 months on from last season and what have we learned? Zilch.

How do you know this, about the formation ?

Give me an example of what you are basing it on, from past City games under any manager, with these players. Convince me how you know your formation & team will work better & therefore why Pellegrini is so stupid.

Do you want it in Janet and John playbricks Ted?

Going with what is essentially two up top against a team like Barca - who want to dominate possession - is suicidal.

An example of us going two up top in Europe and getting our bollocks kicked? Bayern at home, Sep 2013.

We needed to establish a foothold in the game and not get bossed in midfield. Its great theory being all brave and everything, with your two up top, bit if you hardly ever have the ball to feed it to them its as much use as a microwave on a surfboard.

I also note you seem to think Fernando had a good game in the second half? There ends my conversation with you on tonights match as you clearly watch a different game to me and seem to want to argue black is white with just about everybody on here.

If you have Fernando in your midfield, especially in a what is a 4 man midfield, you wont win big games against top class opposition. End of.

So you can't give me an example then ?

Under any manager ?

Thought not.

A gave you a recent example of 4-4-2 being ludicrous for us for the Bayern game - its up there in my post, try reading it instead of taking such an air of superioty all the time. Did you read my post? Thought not because I dared to disagree with you which you seem not to like.

An example of when 1 up top has worked better? Bayern at home and Roma away - the only 2 games we've won out of 7 in this competition this season.

And as for Fernando having a good game? For fucks sake.

I'm asking for you to give an example of how your formation has worked for City, with Aguero up front on his own, against any decent team, anywhere, under any manager. Jovetic came on v bayern.

We've played it plenty.

Have we won any ?

[Blue Since 76]

As a matter of interest, how many midfield players do you lot think Barca had ?

First half, I think it was about 15, but I may have missed a few.

Whilst I'm not convinced our formation was right, or the personnel were right, the real problem was belief and attitude. I said somewhere at the start of the thread that last season we looked like we'd won a TalkSport competition to play at a real ground and the first half, we did it again. Dixon kept going on about how you can't stand off a player or half heartedly try and close them down on your own and that's exactly what we were doing.

[iwasthere2012]

I thought Fernando had a very good 2nd half & did exactly what we signed him to do, against one of the best sides in europe, which proves imo he is good enough.

I don't think he was any worse than anyone else first half & certainly better than the back 4, so, as with Jovetic, Navas, on other occasions, I don't even understand why he is a topic of conversation. It wasn't down to him that we lost, & if any individuals should be picked out, there are 4 or 5 at least, who are worth a mention before Fernando.

Did anyone notice Nasri's performance for instance ? Or Silva, Nasri, Dzeko, Aguero stood about, still, watching, whilst Milner & Fernando were looking for someone to pass to first half ?

Ted my first comment on here before the match was that for that line-up to work, Aguero and Dzeko would have to work their arses off. I suppose I should have lumped Silva and Nasri into that too, but the truth is who really thought that was going to happen.
I'm certainly not picking on Fernando alone, but I don't think he is capable of doing the job he was being asked to do tonight. I don't think Milner is either against a team of Barcelona's technical ability. If you put both of them in a five man midfield I think both may well have excelled. I know that's only speculation at this stage, but I would have given us a better chance of getting a foothold in that game. I think it would have been more sensible to have gone with one up top and not have risked putting ourselves out of the tie before we get to the second leg. I think we are still naive in Europe and a more pragmatic approach to getting ourselves past the round of 16 would be better.

[Ted Hughes]

As a matter of interest, how many midfield players do you lot think Barca had ?

First half, I think it was about 15, but I may have missed a few.

Whilst I'm not convinced our formation was right, or the personnel were right, the real problem was belief and attitude. I said somewhere at the start of the thread that last season we looked like we'd won a TalkSport competition to play at a real ground and the first half, we did it again. Dixon kept going on about how you can't stand off a player or half heartedly try and close them down on your own and that's exactly what we were doing.

Of course it is.

If you gave all the people slagging off Pellegrini team sheet, most would come up with a different one. Then if you found their 11 & looked at it's results in the past, it's doubtful there would be any evidence whatsoever to back up their opinion.

People are slagging Pellegrini for picking Fernando, then the Roma game is one of the only times we have ever played the formation peole are asking for & it's actually worked, & he was excellent.

It's a load of emotive claptrap.

If City play like we did most of the first half,we fucking lose.

[Ted Hughes]

I thought Fernando had a very good 2nd half & did exactly what we signed him to do, against one of the best sides in europe, which proves imo he is good enough.

I don't think he was any worse than anyone else first half & certainly better than the back 4, so, as with Jovetic, Navas, on other occasions, I don't even understand why he is a topic of conversation. It wasn't down to him that we lost, & if any individuals should be picked out, there are 4 or 5 at least, who are worth a mention before Fernando.

Did anyone notice Nasri's performance for instance ? Or Silva, Nasri, Dzeko, Aguero stood about, still, watching, whilst Milner & Fernando were looking for someone to pass to first half ?

Ted my first comment on here before the match was that for that line-up to work, Aguero and Dzeko would have to work their arses off. I suppose I should have lumped Silva and Nasri into that too, but the truth is who really thought that was going to happen.
I'm certainly not picking on Fernando alone, but I don't think he is capable of doing the job he was being asked to do tonight. I don't think Milner is either against a team of Barcelona's technical ability. If you put both of them in a five man midfield I think both may well have excelled. I know that's only speculation at this stage, but I would have given us a better chance of getting a foothold in that game. I think it would have been more sensible to have gone with one up top and not have risked putting ourselves out of the tie before we get to the second leg. I think we are still naive in Europe and a more pragmatic approach to getting ourselves past the round of 16 would be better.

They had 3 forwards, we had two. They had one ballwinning type midfielder. we had two. They had 4 shite defenders, we had 4 shite defenders.

They won because they passed theball to each other & pressed us. When we did the same, we were better but had an added threat aerially that they didn't.

They have Messi. swap him for Nasri, we win.

[clippo22]

I really don't understand the fernando hating on here! He was no worse than anyone else first half and second half he played well.

Also the formation argument?! We played the same players and formation in both halves but in the second the players had a a go and weren't scared of barca! Nothing to do with the system but the attitude! A 5 man midfield would have left us sitting deeper, allowed their full backs licence to get forward and left us with next to no attacking threat!

Their first goal was an individual error by vinnie (which is being quite harsh) and their second was an error by zaba and silva for me, alba should not he allowed 5 seconds in our box to pick his pass with no pressure!

Second half our 2 upfront had them shitting bricks so well played PELLEGRINI for having a go, if the players played with that passion and believe for both halves rather than the first who knows what would have happened!