***real v city cl 1/2 final official match thread***

[Sister of fu]

If you can't not motivate yourself to play on the biggest stage of all then you need to find another job. Fucking powder puff yet again. Desire and heart don't cost money and we have neither.

We just don't want to bust a gut for one another. I am just a loss with this group of players and manager. They didn't deserve to have them fans with them tonight.

[Spurge]

Absolutely gutted. I know we've always been indifferent to the CL but we made such huge progress this season and put in some great performances to get to the semi final.

We let ourselves down today. Yaya, KDB and Aguero just didn't turn up and it shows when their keeper did not have to make a save.

The few occasions were attacked we got behind their defence, but it just wasn't often enough.

Yeh basically when you reach this point in a major European competition you look to your big name players to step up to the plate and make the difference. Sergio was quiet against psg, quiet in the first leg of the semi and quiet again tonight. Kdb showed us why he is the player we hold in such high regard with the winner v psg but tonight he did nothing other than continuously give the ball away.
But as ever it's fine lines if Sergio 's effort late on dips by another inch or two he's a hero and once again he's seen as the difference and we justify the tactical approach as opposed to a more open approach and risk a hiding.
One thing is for sure it was a poor tie overall both teams in both legs were cagey lacking any real quality I would certainly fancy atletico in the final .

[Peter Doherty (AGAIG)]

Not one shot on target

Should've gone to specsavers, we had at least two from memory..

Name them.

[KinkyKinkladze]

Just got in from watching that in a bar here in Santorini. Sorry Mase, only just got your message, I had no WiFi.

That 90 minutes summed up our season. Slow, no penetration, no ideas, no movement off the ball, pure cowardice.

Joe kept us in that with a few saves but a huge one against modric. Big game player and we're lucky to have him. Kev was just off the boil at the wrong time but he should never have started on the wing anyway. Aguero is done, or he's just fed up like all of us. Not sure. The back four did well, they all come out with credit.

Sterling when he came on. I thought he was good, showed bottle for the first time in ages. But what I also saw was the penny dropping after a year of management under pellerfuckinggrini. A totally one footed player being asked to run the byline and whip it in with his non existent left foot. He could play like messi tonight but with only one foot and on the wrong side, he's going fucking nowhere. Should have been playing on the right from the minute we bought him.

I've had a go at him recently for having no guts. But when you look back on the season, he's played out of position and he's got a stupid price tag on his head. If he tries something and it doesn't come off, he loses confidence in his own abilities. And slowly we've watched him turn into a total bottle job. I firmly and squarely put the blame on pellers and his staff for that. They've taken an exciting young prospect and turned him into a lad afraid of his own shadow. An absolute fucking disgrace.

Yaya. Thanks for everything mate. I really do appreciate all you've done. But it's not time to fuck off, it's time to hang up your boots. You're done.

I am seriously concerned about kun. Either his injuries have finally fucked him or he's pissed off. I think it's a bit of both due to him being asked to do fucking everything up front on his own the entire year.

But most of all, I have finally lost any patience I had with pellers. Lovely bloke, but he's turned us from an exciting and solid team always on the move and looking for the ball into a team of old fucking women. I applaud you for the trophies and thank you, but now I believe we won them in spite of you, not because of you.

I am utterly ashamed of this season and tonight was the pinnacle of that shame. No guts, no glory the saying goes. Well there you fucking go.

[getdressedmctavish]

To my eyes it was a pretty decent effort from the artisans but we were let down by Sergio and Kevin who were both listless.Pellers did ok in his usual plodding way but we just lacked any spark of desire and belief. Left everyone feeling "why bother?"

[Sparklehorse]

Bring on some youngsters next season....if we dont we will be screwed, Karma will see to it !!
Humphreys, Ade, Diaz and probably a couple of others should get some first team starts under Pep.....then you will see some heart, and from what I can see, plenty of quality.

[Grandad Rosler]

Not one shot on target

Should've gone to specsavers, we had at least two from memory..

When? Their keeper didn't have a save to make

[failsworthblue]

All season wasted for that , not one save in 180mins.

Felt like watching a pre-season game.

[Peter Doherty (AGAIG)]

All season wasted for that , not one save in 180mins.

Felt like watching a pre-season game.

Fucking joke all round. But to be fair to the players, they looked like they had actually forgotten how a game of football works.

[Blue Since 76]

Too many didn't turn up in either leg and few performed well, but I don't get the absolute lack of anything with 5 minutes to go. We were going out, so may as well risk 2-0 as accept that. Why not put Ottamendi up front with Aguero and Nacho, hell why not Ottamendi and Mangala and just bombard their area. Would it have worked, who knows, but it must have been better than passing the ball along the half way line.

Hope we put in better performances in the Europa next season.

[Piccsnumberoneblue]

Don't complain.
I've been saying it for ages.
Play the two ferns. Expect see Man City 0
Shit negative football. That most of you wanted.

[Ray78]

Don't complain.
I've been saying it for ages.
Play the two ferns. Expect see Man City 0
Shit negative football. That most of you wanted.

Disappointing performance but Real didn't wipe the floor with the two Ferns in the side either.

[iwasthere2012]

Don't complain.
I've been saying it for ages.
Play the two ferns. Expect see Man City 0
Shit negative football. That most of you wanted.

Disappointing performance but Real didn't wipe the floor with the two Ferns in the side either.

Yeah but it would have been so different if Yaya was playing. Please. Give it a rest Piccs. Things actually picked up s bit when he was replaced. Not much, but it certainly wasnt any worse.
Truth is he looked like an old man. Kun was terrible. KDB was abysmal.
Our team has looked dysfunctional all season and I'm still amazed that that lot got as far as far as the semis in the first place.
Can see us dropping out of the top four now. Hopefully not. Just get this season over asap. Bring on some youth with real hunger and City in their hearts next sesson.
Would really hate to see another season like this.

[PrezIke]

Story isn't so much we didn't try hard for me...

It's that..

We lack quality/creativity in central midfield with the decline of Yaya, while getting better protection in defence. The 2 Ferns in the middle are not as creative and more prone to giving the ball away under pressure (Fernando especially), so if we aren't getting quick counter chances from high the high press, we would need to rely on magic from KDB and Aguero, who were poor for various reasons, Kun in part from us giving him service that made him frustrated, and to move so deep as to have no effect.

The Yaya dilemma is a factor. By him playing, which I can get (just returning from injury at 33 years old, lest we forget) because there is no Silva (also not at his best from injury for a while now) Yaya has to play with the two Ferns. Therefore we have to play KDB out wide which is an automatic decline in creativity, and he does not seem to like. We gave the ball away constantly, and I think some credit is due to Real Madrid who everyone talks about being vulnerable at the back, but somehow have not conceded goals at home in the CL for a few games now.

As a result of Yaya starting Sterling was on the bench, but when he came in we saw how he changed the game when he entered, looking more direct and pacey, yet also on the left, and you could see Real Madrid forcing him wide so he had to use his weaker foot. I saw them close down well on many of our players when we were in their half, and particularly the final third.

We missed Nasri and if we had a reasonably fit Silva very much, because I believe we would have scored if even one of them were fit enough or eligible to play.

The other key, but possibly hidden factor has to be the manager and situation with team morale these past two seasons. Next season I expect things to be different. Not the best, but different.

[Swales4ever]

Story isn't so much we didn't try hard for me...

It's that..

We lack quality/creativity in central midfield with the decline of Yaya, while getting better protection in defence. The 2 Ferns in the middle are not as creative and more prone to giving the ball away under pressure (Fernando especially), so if we aren't getting quick counter chances from high the high press, we would need to rely on magic from KDB and Aguero, who were poor for various reasons, Kun in part from us giving him service that made him frustrated, and to move so deep as to have no effect.

The Yaya dilemma is a factor. By him playing, which I can get (just returning from injury at 33 years old, lest we forget) because there is no Silva (also not at his best from injury for a while now) Yaya has to play with the two Ferns. Therefore we have to play KDB out wide which is an automatic decline in creativity, and he does not seem to like. We gave the ball away constantly, and I think some credit is due to Real Madrid who everyone talks about being vulnerable at the back, but somehow have not conceded goals at home in the CL for a few games now.

As a result of Yaya starting Sterling was on the bench, but when he came in we saw how he changed the game when he entered, looking more direct and pacey, yet also on the left, and you could see Real Madrid forcing him wide so he had to use his weaker foot. I saw them close down well on many of our players when we were in their half, and particularly the final third.

We missed Nasri and if we had a reasonably fit Silva very much, because I believe we would have scored if even one of them were fit enough or eligible to play.

The other key, but possibly hidden factor has to be the manager and situation with team morale these past two seasons. Next season I expect things to be different. Not the best, but different.

very good and sensible post.

indeed with half a wizard silva would have been a differnt story as 1st home half have proved. not so sure with nasri, very much depending on whether he went down the bed on the right foot... still would have been better with him. no argue.

I dont buy the aguero bit, who has always been a very top striker (in the litterarly meaning) almost always little arsed to run in the space/channels, only awaiting to decent deliveries to strike. now, that might be fine when facing aston villa or so, much and much less when your Club is playing the biggest game in Its history, moreso with a patched lineup. an already loaded of prizes Eto'o, tracking back as a proper fullback all along the moaninho treble season at Inter Milan, strikes to mind for an instance.
also not totally agreeing with the lack of quality on the holding line, particularly as Fern1 is concerned: to me one of the best in the world mixing quality and breaking skills.

all in all Your technical analysis is spot on, but people have full right to scream at a zero attempt in 180' on a very doable CL semifinal. tbf barring the Fern unlucky attempt on the ending of the 1st.
no desire whatsoever - everything discounted - on the bigest night sofar for almost all of them.
think to any Leicester game this seanon , compare quality to quality, and that's it all...

[phips]

will somebody please explain to me why Aguero, supposedly one of the best strikers in the world, is dropping as deep as the holding midfielder and then also going out wide to the wing?

[bigblue]

Fuck off herb

[john@staustell]

To my eyes it was a pretty decent effort from the artisans but we were let down by Sergio and Kevin who were both listless.Pellers did ok in his usual plodding way but we just lacked any spark of desire and belief. Left everyone feeling "why bother?"

I actually think the Kompany injury disrupted a decent start and also robbed us of a sub.

Really - WTF were we doing playing him?

[mr_nool]

To my eyes it was a pretty decent effort from the artisans but we were let down by Sergio and Kevin who were both listless.Pellers did ok in his usual plodding way but we just lacked any spark of desire and belief. Left everyone feeling "why bother?"

I actually think the Kompany injury disrupted a decent start and also robbed us of a sub.

Really - WTF were we doing playing him?

Although I agree that that's what happened, it's still a bloody poor excuse.

[30yeargloryhunter]

Poor discipline, poor work ethic.
Why Aguero thinks he has the right to wander that deep and play is beyond me. Problem is he is one of a few players who are bigger than the manager. Next year will be the first year where the manager is the biggest in the club.
I hope the lazy performances by players such as Aguero, KDB and Toure will be a thing of the past. I think there is zero chance Toure will be here and after last night that is great with me because his application was a disgrace- up there with Kolarov against Southampton.
Time to rip up this team and get the work ethic that is needed to succeed at this level. We are the laziest team in the Prem, basically the opposite of what Leicester are.
So disappointed about last night as no one will tell me Real Madrid played well. The players have thrown away a great chance and the club need to acknowledge this and get rid of some. We maybe in for a few surprises in next few years because if players think they are strolling around when lose the ball like Aguero and KDB did then I'm not convinced they will be staying.
What a missed chance, but I thought the fans were fantastic and could hear them throughout- they were credit to us as always