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

[london blue 2]

Is Bony any good? Serious question.

I think we have to wait until we have more than two sub appearences to go on. Serious answer :)

Spon on. Seriously spot on

[Bleed_Blue]

JoJo

[Mase]

With better finishing we could have won that tonight. Let's not get too down hearted.

[Ted Hughes]

Why are we playing with power and vigour now when we are losing with just minutes to go? Why turn it on now when winning is beyond us?

Because this is what City always do against Barca, Bayern etc... when it's too fucking late. I said so in my first post in this thread about two hours ago.

Oh, here we go.

Wow! Great save, Joe!

A slender hope. Slender... but hope.

It's not just v Barca & Bayern. We were worse v CSKA Moscow.

It doesn't matter what system, or who plays. We cannot be trusted.
If we turn up, we can win games like this.

[sheblue]

At least we challenged and tackled better in the second half. If we go out there and do the same there is still a chance. But we just don't tackle hard or with determination enough. Silva prime example puts in a meagre tackle then just stops and let's his man go. Every time.

Bony looks miles off the pace, was he on the piss for a month in Africa? As for fernando.....what can one say.

[Sister of fu]

Bony is a dud, he won't make it at city.

Wow....

[guv111]

Is Joe Hart a robot?

Personality-free-zone.

[ruralblue]

Is Bony any good? Serious question.

I think we have to wait until we have more than two sub appearences to go on. Serious answer :)

Spon on. Seriously spot on

No lads right. It's defo for the best we get on Bony's back from the off. Let's all give him some shit and slap him off at every chance we can.

I really do hope he has a few more games and really finds his boots so you can eat them words.

[Ted Hughes]

At least we challenged and tackled better in the second half. If we go out there and do the same there is still a chance. But we just don't tackle hard or with determination enough. Silva prime example puts in a meagre tackle then just stops and let's his man go. Every time.

Bony looks miles off the pace, was he on the piss for a month in Africa? As for fernando.....what can one say.

You mean great 2nd half from him ? Yes I agree.

[Sideshow Bob]

Is Joe Hart a robot?

Personality-free-zone.

why is he always smiling and laughing with the opposition after the match. WE LOST YOU CUNT!

[PeterParker]

Hmm, if someone would had suggest me this score at half time, i would had taken it with eyes close.

My opinion on this game is this:

Today we can say goodbye to a real era, the defensive era of Bobby Mancini. The last glimpse of that was erased or changed tonight, we have nothing in common with that. Somehow it is normal, but it ends a real era and now we have to face a period where we can't hold a clean sheet.

Imho, Pellers lost us the game tonight, his starting eleven and overall tactic in the first half was worse that something Stuart Pearce would do. Barcelona deserved to win this game, they are better than us, we have to face that. Zabaleta, Vinnie and Clichy were awful tonight and all three have a bad season. You can't change that, they need a summer off to recharge.

Fernando for me is the real mistery. At some points he looks like he can be the best defensive midfielder in the world, a real octopus, like his nickname, however, the next second, he passes to Messi. Maybe we got the wrong Fernando, there is another one at Shakhtar. I would go on forever, but i prefer not to, i just want to congratulate Demi, at his age, he is one of the best defenders we ever had and Bubble head. Top save that against Messi.

From what it looks like, it is all over, we will lose there too, but at least lets give them a game for once. Let's play the way we showed people that we are current champions.

[HBlock Cripple]

Is Bony any good? Serious question.

I think we have to wait until we have more than two sub appearences to go on. Serious answer :)

Spon on. Seriously spot on

Acknowledged

[twosips]

Second half Fernando was good. Credit where its due.

The team's energy levels were good in the second half to be honest, though Bony's 'cameo' was a little worrying.

[Ted Hughes]

Martinez saying we played like proper Premier League 2nd half & Barca struggled to cope.

FUCKING SPOT ON.

[london blue 2]

All things considered we just played messi suarez Neymar and iniesta and had them bricking it with ten men.

Not quite fucking Gillingham is it?

[Cit.revenge]

At least we challenged and tackled better in the second half. If we go out there and do the same there is still a chance. But we just don't tackle hard or with determination enough. Silva prime example puts in a meagre tackle then just stops and let's his man go. Every time.

Bony looks miles off the pace, was he on the piss for a month in Africa? As for fernando.....what can one say.

You mean great 2nd half from him ? Yes I agree.

First and second half , two diferent teams.

[Alfie]

Well, what's the summary really.

The tie is still alive but just barely. An early goal and we're still there.
The clichy red card was harsh but probably correct by the book.
Regarding Bony, it's just aint fair to judge an attacker when he comes on just before a red card against barca.

Kompany and Hart (first goal) is still in dodgy form, maybe it wasn't a clear mistake but it's at least an out-of-form kind of mistake.

Milner and Fernando in the middle was not good enough, just too bad on the ball. Yaya will be a boost at camp nou.

Going forward, we had our chances with Dzeko and Nasri that should've resulted in at least one goal.

So, still alive, but barely.

[Ted Hughes]

All things considered we just played messi suarez Neymar and iniesta and had them bricking it with ten men.

Not quite fucking Gillingham is it?

Not quite City either. That's the trouble.

All the talk is about what we can't do vs Barca. We actually can. We just don't.

All this tactics bollocks is a red herring. Just play our fucking game instead of playing theirs.

[stevefromdonny]

well the 2nd half was better, but as soon as the 50th minute when edin headed straight to the keeper with no one and I mean no one was near him and hes got a free header and passes back to the keeper I knew we would be running all 2nd half and getting nowhere. theres always next year

[Cocacolajojo1]

It might that I'm experiencing an over optimistic period in my life in general but I seriously do think we could have won it today. Barca are good yes, their top three is phenomenal and kept them in the game for so long, but it's not like they are the perfect team anymore.

If we play with Sagna and Zabaleta at Nou Camp, we have a chance. It's not big but we can do this. If we don't put up a fight there in two weeks and at least go down fighting, some players have to go. Pellegrini should stay and noone should jump the gun, a proper change of the guard would take two or three seaons. But we probably need more leadership in the squad. It's such a vague quality to ask for I know, but that's where I'd identify us lacking. I doubt Pellegrini's first half gameplan looked like it played out and I doubt each individual went out with the desire to play half arsed. In such a circumstance, I think it boils down to leadership. Cliché of... well forever.. but I think it's true.