*** Barcelona v City - Official Match Thread ***

[Parku72]

Ah well.Just a shame we didn't go out in the first leg with the same positive attitude as tonight.Not that we were great but the approach was right.We got into their faces and tried hard to get forward without being kamikaze about it. I was happy at half time but it was clear that Kun wasn't fit enough to be out there.I didn't expect him to be winning all sorts of ball and running riot but he wasn't close to the game at all.Lescott alongside Vinnie I thought were excellent and some of Lescott's passing was top class.Sadly although we got closer to scoring in the 2nd half with Edin on ( I thought he was very good for his first half hour) Lescott made the crucial mistake and it was game over. Strange through all that and we had a few players playing below par for me.Two of them were key in Nasri and Silva.Not useless by any means but not at their best.Vinnie of course was very special (and that's even with a fair few mistakes he made as well) but you would expect nothing else. Barca are not the team they once were but tonight did a job.They were quite cautious a la Bayern last night.Attacking yes but also intent on not getting exposed.Imo we were clearly a match for them and although the ref didn't favour us ( the Messi penalty appeal aside) I doubt if his poor performance decided the match.No doubt at all that it was a pen on Edin but the ref bottled that one and equally no surprise that Zaba went mental to get sent off. Overall I actually feel a little proud of them tonight but maybe I am in a big minority.

I totally agree. The boys showed a lot of heart and character and if the penalty was given, we are 1-1 with 11 players still on. Vinnies goal puts us ahead and who knows what happens in the last 3 minutes!!!!

[The Original Special One]

Anyone else think Txiki and Soriano were obsessed with that tie due to their Barca connections? The word quixotic springs to mind.

Today's team should have played on Sunday, and we should have put the "Bayern away" squad out today. We were never going to be allowed to win the tie, even if the performance was perfect.

Zero pragmatism shown in the last four days, and now we are out of one cup that we were already out of two weeks ago, and another cup that we had every chance of winning.

Much less forgivable blunder than not knowing how many goals we needed to top the group. IMO.

Pellegrini's team selection on Sunday SCREAMED hubris. You just do not disrespect lower-league opposition; and when you have the combination of that disrespect, and allowing your players have one eye - or even two eyes - on the Barca game, you're setting yourself up for a fall.

Having said that, anybody who judges Pellegrini on the basis of one season doesn't deserve to be called a City fan. It's an alien environment for him; his heart is in the right place , and Mourinho has had the Press eating out of his hand, throughout

[london blue 2]

It is wrong to talk about the defense when going forward the midfield blows it. Criminal is the way Silva plays backwards instead of forwards when in the oppositions penalty area. Against top teams we expect to be under the kosh at some point in the game. However, it is awful when in the oppositions box not to run at goal and shoot.

No it's perfectly fair. When your defenders constantly cause you to go a goal down in all of your big games there is a clear fucking problem. No papering over it.

Nasti (and hart) vs Chelsea
Demi vs Barca
Demi vs Wigan
Lescott vs Barca

There will be more before the end of the season.

[PeterParker]

All in all, how many really were convinced we will qualify tonight? Or we will go through? For me and for many of us, we expected to see a football gala, but instead it was transformed into a horror show by the refs.

Instead of watching football we saw a circus. Some newspaper just posted the score regarding the ref mistakes in both games. It was 5-5.

They were at some point the best team in the world, we did ok minding the conditions.


This is over now and we need to focus on the league, we have no more distractions, we have 2 months where we have to go all the way. Our morale is low, but we need to get together and start performing.

[Avalon]

The referee was abysmal. Should be sacked for this terrible performance.

[Ted Hughes]

Anyone else think Txiki and Soriano were obsessed with that tie due to their Barca connections? The word quixotic springs to mind.

Today's team should have played on Sunday, and we should have put the "Bayern away" squad out today. We were never going to be allowed to win the tie, even if the performance was perfect.

Zero pragmatism shown in the last four days, and now we are out of one cup that we were already out of two weeks ago, and another cup that we had every chance of winning.

Much less forgivable blunder than not knowing how many goals we needed to top the group. IMO.

Pellegrini's team selection on Sunday SCREAMED hubris. You just do not disrespect lower-league opposition; and when you have the combination of that disrespect, and allowing your players have one eye - or even two eyes - on the Barca game, you're setting yourself up for a fall.

Having said that, anybody who judges Pellegrini on the basis of one season doesn't deserve to be called a City fan. It's an alien environment for him; his heart is in the right place , and Mourinho has had the Press eating out of his hand, throughout

We may be just about to lose the title because Aguero played v fucking Wigan & you people haven't got the message yet ?

[Bridge'srightfoot]

Terrible refereeing but don't think we would have won anyway. We set up much more positively than the first leg but we didn't show the conviction we needed to. Sorry Zabaleta and Nasri. You simply have to score those chances. No excuses.

The damage was done in the first leg. There's a reason that no team has ever come back to win after losing by two at home in the first leg. We had too much to do.

[The Original Special One]

Anyone else think Txiki and Soriano were obsessed with that tie due to their Barca connections? The word quixotic springs to mind.

Today's team should have played on Sunday, and we should have put the "Bayern away" squad out today. We were never going to be allowed to win the tie, even if the performance was perfect.

Zero pragmatism shown in the last four days, and now we are out of one cup that we were already out of two weeks ago, and another cup that we had every chance of winning.

Much less forgivable blunder than not knowing how many goals we needed to top the group. IMO.

Pellegrini's team selection on Sunday SCREAMED hubris. You just do not disrespect lower-league opposition; and when you have the combination of that disrespect, and allowing your players have one eye - or even two eyes - on the Barca game, you're setting yourself up for a fall.

Having said that, anybody who judges Pellegrini on the basis of one season doesn't deserve to be called a City fan. It's an alien environment for him; his heart is in the right place , and Mourinho has had the Press eating out of his hand, throughout

We may be just about to lose the title because Aguero played v fucking Wigan & you people haven't got the message yet ?

Players get injured. They're often eager to get back playing. Managers make tough calls.
We won't have lost the League because Aguero aggravated an injury which he hadn't fully recovered from.

[Goaters 103]

Spirited showing but over the 2 legs we were a ways short.

Ref was diabolical but punished both sides, and though I kept hearing how Barca were weak at the back, we only scored 1 goal in 3hrs of football.

Kompany was a colossas for us, but our other big players - Silva, Nasri, Ya Ya, Sergio - didnt do nearly enough in either game. We had some chances but didnt take em, but Barca were the better side and we are kidding ourselves if we think otherwise.

Two hard facts laid bare tonight - failure to buy a decent c-half partner for Kompany last summer and in Jan was a criminal oversight; - the tie was lost 3 weeks ago, not tonight.

Pissing away that FA Cup tie needlessly last sunday looks even dafter now. The performance there annoys me far more than anything I saw tonight.

[zuricity]

All in all, how many really were convinced we will qualify tonight? Or we will go through? For me and for many of us, we expected to see a football gala, but instead it was transformed into a horror show by the refs.

Instead of watching football we saw a circus. Some newspaper just posted the score regarding the ref mistakes in both games. It was 5-5.

They were at some point the best team in the world, we did ok minding the conditions.

This is over now and we need to focus on the league, we have no more distractions, we have 2 months where we have to go all the way. Our morale is low, but we need to get together and start performing.

Goal down ? What about being a goal up ?

[Ted Hughes]

Terrible refereeing but don't think we would have won anyway. We set up much more positively than the first leg but we didn't show the conviction we needed to. Sorry Zabaleta and Nasri. You simply have to score those chances. No excuses.

The damage was done in the first leg. There's a reason that no team has ever come back to win after losing by two at home in the firs leg. We had too much to do.

Imo, none of our fullbacks have been good enough this season. Zabba has rarely reached the level of last season, Micah is a sicknote, Clichy has been inconsistent & often poor & Kolarov is mainly just a slow winger disguised as a fullback.

We could improve on three of the four defensive positions on this season's performances.

[Peter Doherty (AGAIG)]

We need a new central defender.

[PeterParker]

By the way, France has no ref at the World Cup in the summer.

Hmm, i wonder why ...

[The Original Special One]

Spirited showing but over the 2 legs we were a ways short.

Ref was diabolical but punished both sides, and though I kept hearing how Barca were weak at the back, we only scored 1 goal in 3hrs of football.

Kompany was a colossas for us, but our other big players - Silva, Nasri, Ya Ya, Sergio - didnt do nearly enough in either game. We had some chances but didnt take em, but Barca were the better side and we are kidding ourselves if we think otherwise.

Two hard facts laid bare tonight - failure to buy a decent c-half partner for Kompany last summer and in Jan was a criminal oversight; - the tie was lost 3 weeks ago, not tonight.

Pissing away that FA Cup tie needlessly last sunday looks even dafter now. The performance there annoys me far more than anything I saw tonight.

Listening on FiveLive it sounded to me like Yaya was muzzled, and told to not venture into the opposition half, except in extreme circumstances.
Did he have a shot on goal?
How many times was he within two yards of the Barca penalty area, other than for set-plays?

[Green & Blue]

Great game out of Joe tonight.He made some top saves.

[The Original Special One]

Terrible refereeing but don't think we would have won anyway. We set up much more positively than the first leg but we didn't show the conviction we needed to. Sorry Zabaleta and Nasri. You simply have to score those chances. No excuses.

The damage was done in the first leg. There's a reason that no team has ever come back to win after losing by two at home in the firs leg. We had too much to do.

Imo, none of our fullbacks have been good enough this season. Zabba has rarely reached the level of last season, Micah is a sicknote, Clichy has been inconsistent & often poor & Kolarov is mainly just a slow winger disguised as a fullback.

We could improve on three of the four defensive positions on this season's performances.

Clichy has been consistently awful!
Pellegrini's first leg selection was based around needing to protect Clichy, and not have him repeat his home performance against Bayern.
It was that selection - not Demichelis' - which ultimately sank us

[Ted Hughes]

Terrible refereeing but don't think we would have won anyway. We set up much more positively than the first leg but we didn't show the conviction we needed to. Sorry Zabaleta and Nasri. You simply have to score those chances. No excuses.

The damage was done in the first leg. There's a reason that no team has ever come back to win after losing by two at home in the firs leg. We had too much to do.

Imo, none of our fullbacks have been good enough this season. Zabba has rarely reached the level of last season, Micah is a sicknote, Clichy has been inconsistent & often poor & Kolarov is mainly just a slow winger disguised as a fullback.

We could improve on three of the four defensive positions on this season's performances.

Clichy has been consistently awful!
Pellegrini's first leg selection was based around needing to protect Clichy, and not have him repeat his home performance against Bayern.
It was that selection - not Demichelis' - which ultimately sank us

Imo we shouldn't have been thinking about protecting anyone, we should have been thinking of causing them all manner of pain, from all angles. If they then beat us; fair play, they are better. They lose regularly in the Champions League, as do Bayern, Real Madrid & everyone else. Only one team can win it per season.

Give it your best shot, & if it's not enough, go again next season. That's what Barca do, every year.

[sheblue]

We need a new central defender.

There isn't a football person in the world who doesn't know this.
But I would argue that we need to look at left back as well.

[bleedBlue]

Top 4 mate.

So why heck did we rest our keys players against Wigan for this game?

[The Original Special One]

Imo we shouldn't have been thinking about protecting anyone, we should have been thinking of causing them all manner of pain, from all angles. If they then beat us; fair play, they are better. They lose regularly in the Champions League, as do Bayern, Real Madrid & everyone else. Only one team can win it per season.

Give it your best shot, & if it's not enough, go again next season. That's what Barca do, every year.

Too true. It was the same against Bayern. We were like rabbits in the headlights. Their reputation - and record against us - caused us to freeze, and play conservative. And stand off
If you believe they're better than you, the battle is already half lost.
We should have taken a leaf out of Uwe's Wigan's book: they believed they could beat us