***city v barca official match thread***

[Blue Since 76]

Pellegrini didnt do himself or the club any favors last night with his post-match tirade. he sounded like whiney Jose. its embarrassing.

That ref was crap for Barca and they slagged him for it. Last night, the 50-50 decisions only went one way. Whilst I don't like putting pressure on the officials, it seems to be the only way you can get anything out of them

[Original Dub]

Pellegrini didnt do himself or the club any favors last night with his post-match tirade. he sounded like whiney Jose. its embarrassing.

You're embarrassing.

[Blue Since 76]

I can see the merits of him doing a 15-20 min job there at the end of games, but as a starter in midfield against a team with the quality of Barca? Nope, not for me Im afraid.

To me, his job was to help keep them quiet for 60 minutes before Nasri came on. Additionally, he was supposed to get some crosses in, which we know they don't like. He managed neither, but without Milner, I don't see another option.

He could have started Nasri, but he may well have tired before we'd got a grip of the game. If we'd kept 11 on the pitch, I think it'd have worked and the comments on here would be very different

[Hazy2]

Kun getting injured was the biggest blow to any plan, he is World class and would have had Pique and the thug who should have been sent off for the topping of ferny scared, I still fancy a roller coaster in Barca if we can get at them, with Kun getting 3.

[london blue 2]

Pellegrini didnt do himself or the club any favors last night with his post-match tirade. he sounded like whiney Jose. its embarrassing.

That ref was crap for Barca and they slagged him for it. Last night, the 50-50 decisions only went one way. Whilst I don't like putting pressure on the officials, it seems to be the only way you can get anything out of them

Just to add some perspective

The ref COULD have given them a peno for hand ball
The ref COULD have send kola off for a two footed lunge
The ref COULD have allowed their perfectly fine disallowed goal to stand

I think he was a soft cunt but it could have been much much worse if he was truly bent.

[MARKMAKAVELI]

Side topic, but Messi/Iniesta.. what an honour to see him in the flesh.

They weren't at their mercurial best but still, they didn't look like they had to try. Everything looked so effortless.
Loved when Vinny took out Messi though.

[london blue 2]

Vinnie is easily one of the best players in the world IMO. The guy oozes class.

[MilnersJaw]

He was just shit and has had a career of shit decisions. Pellers was right about one thing, he can't ref at this level. We also should look at a new keeper again, that second goal was terrible

[Hazy2]

Pellegrini didnt do himself or the club any favors last night with his post-match tirade. he sounded like whiney Jose. its embarrassing.

That ref was crap for Barca and they slagged him for it. Last night, the 50-50 decisions only went one way. Whilst I don't like putting pressure on the officials, it seems to be the only way you can get anything out of them

Just to add some perspective

The ref COULD have given them a peno for hand ball
The ref COULD have send kola off for a two footed lunge
The ref COULD have allowed their perfectly fine disallowed goal to stand

I think he was a soft cunt but it could have been much much worse if he was truly bent.

Bent NO, Good enough NO, His Arse went with the tackle on Ferny late on. Barca Players, schooled him, that was the piss take tackle, which from the whole nights panto of tick it's a foul was 3 reds by his display .

[Sideshow Bob]

Pellegrini didnt do himself or the club any favors last night with his post-match tirade. he sounded like whiney Jose. its embarrassing.

That ref was crap for Barca and they slagged him for it. Last night, the 50-50 decisions only went one way. Whilst I don't like putting pressure on the officials, it seems to be the only way you can get anything out of them

Just to add some perspective

The ref COULD have given them a peno for hand ball
The ref COULD have send kola off for a two footed lunge
The ref COULD have allowed their perfectly fine disallowed goal to stand

I think he was a soft cunt but it could have been much much worse if he was truly bent.

agree. also could (and prob should) have carded fernandinho, which would have ruled him out for second leg.

[Blue In Bolton]

I have a funny feeling (and I am not pissed or smoking reefers!!) that we will end up winning at the Nou Camp and the tie overall.
The main reasons for this being that barring any injuries we will have Aguero back, Milner back from suspension and Nasri and Fernandinho back match fit.
Also, listening to and reading various media outlets today and the shit that they are coming out with should do the manager's team talk for him and hopefully we will have a semi-competent set of match officials.

My 2p for what it's worth!!

[AG7]

Yeah, I agree ... but I hope we have everyone fit that week ... no guarantees some of these or some others won't be on the treatment table then ...

[Blue In Bolton]

Definitely, but I do feel that Sergio getting in behind that plank Pique and Mascherano (who given correct refereeing is a red card waiting to happen) will bring us some joy.

I also think that Barcelona missed a trick last night by not putting us completely out of the tie by going at us after the sending off. These media bastards have been slating the manager's tactics last night but I did think last night's match would be cagey and I think the fact that almost everybody other than us thinks Barca only have to turn up at the Nou Camp to claim their place in the next round should work in our favour.

As we know all too well, the game isn't over till the final whistle.

[Mase]

Just to add some perspective The ref COULD have given them a peno for hand ball The ref COULD have send kola off for a two footed lunge The ref COULD have allowed their perfectly fine disallowed goal to stand I think he was a soft cunt but it could have been much much worse if he was truly bent.

The Kolarov challenge wasn't two footed. It was one. Which he one the ball cleanly with. But either way haven't we all been over the fact that there is no law against two footed challenges a million times already?

[DoomMerchant]

Yeah, I agree ... but I hope we have everyone fit that week ... no guarantees some of these or some others won't be on the treatment table then ...

Why don't you fucking start a match thread now so we can discuss it there?

Edit: please.

Cheers

[Slim]

Definitely, but I do feel that Sergio getting in behind that plank Pique and Mascherano (who given correct refereeing is a red card waiting to happen) will bring us some joy.

I also think that Barcelona missed a trick last night by not putting us completely out of the tie by going at us after the sending off. These media bastards have been slating the manager's tactics last night but I did think last night's match would be cagey and I think the fact that almost everybody other than us thinks Barca only have to turn up at the Nou Camp to claim their place in the next round should work in our favour.

As we know all too well, the game isn't over till the final whistle.

And if they think the tie is over, they don't know City.

This is our wheelhouse, I hope they keep hammering it home, giving us no chance.

[brite blu sky]

Kompany insisted that the Catalans, who by no means overwhelmed City, were given too much respect by the home team. “They weren’t the best team we have faced this season,” he said. “Maybe we had too much respect for them. They were there for the taking but you realise the individual quality was phenomenal. Whenever we went forward we were dangerous.”

Couldn't agree more, so why the fuck were you & Demichelis shitting your pants every time the ball came to you first half, & passing it straight to Barca ?

Had no problems whatsoever defending v them 1st half, in fact our defending was almost perfect; Barca had no ideas & were completely average. But we didn't have the balls to play football whe we got possession. We passed it better with 10 men.

Big question marks about the team & manager for me after that, & not because of the sending off or the result; because we started with a gutless team selection & played gutlesss football.

We were Crystal Palace playing Arsenal.

Bayern were fantastic & asked us loads of questions.

The only question Barca asked was 'do you deserve to play us ?' & the answer was a resounding 'no'.

basically this.

Played better with 10

[branny]

We looked scared to death first twenty and showed way too much respect. We looked far better when we had a go, even with ten men. They didn't really start creating anything until the sending off. The fact that we'll have Aguero, Milner and Nasri available and fit and Lescott in the back four gives me hope. We'll have to attack and that should suit us. Score first and it's game on.

[Ted Hughes]

We looked scared to death first twenty and showed way too much respect. We looked far better when we had a go, even with ten men. They didn't really start creating anything until the sending off. The fact that we'll have Aguero, Milner and Nasri available and fit and Lescott in the back four gives me hope. We'll have to attack and that should suit us. Score first and it's game on.

Nastasic will play.

[getdressedmctavish]

I know what Ted's talking about with regard to the first 20 mins, I was going apeshit at our giving it away, but then it settled down, we got our shit together and started to create chances. Our plan using Kolarov worked perfectly, Alves couldn't get forward because of the risk Kolarov would go past him. Our downfall was when Jesus let us down.Kompany I thinkfound him with a quick ball and for a second he was one on one with their lb with 40 yards of green beckoning. Komps and Demi set off for the half way line, but Jesus dithered, was fouled and the rest is history. Had he gone past the fullback we may well have scored, the whole team was doing well at that point. But the ref bottled it, somehow Messi wasn't offside(who played him on, Cliché?) and once we were down to ten Alves started to get down the right and we conceded. No, they weren't that great, Messi particularly, and yes we can give em a good game and will.But the idea we didn't play well or that the planning was poor is wrong imo. We were unlucky and they are a team who could take advantage of that.But we could have the luck in spain.