They've scored 135 goals in 534 games this season.

They didnt need a plan B the other night, they needed to not conede two ridiculous goals in the last 5 mins.

they did.

54

comment by Rude Van Nist (U22799)
posted 4 minutes ago
54
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Was going to say, that's a shocking record

comment by Rude Van Nist (U22799)
posted 4 minutes ago
They've scored 135 goals in 534 games this season.

They didnt need a plan B the other night, they needed to not conede two ridiculous goals in the last 5 mins.

they did.
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My point is they continued to try and play more when the game was in the bag. I think it's fair to say most teams look to close up shop with what? 6 minutes to go?

As I said Pep gets his tes playing great football, for me anyways. It's great to watch and only grates because it is City. Liverpool the same for me tbh. But even Klopp with what he has up front will change things once they are ahead and it's the last 20. One game I watched, for example, he bought on Henderson who kind of sat back and protected the back four. Making it difficult for the opposition to have waves of attacks.

Just to note I'm not trying to belittle Pepnor his achievements. It's just an observation I made in a few City games. So he takes of Sterling to be replaced by Grealish which doesn't change the dynamic much. It's like for like and attacking. But if 2/3 goals ahead why not rest the attacking players and bring on a defensive player to just see the game out?

Maybe City fans can point to him doing this? Not something I've observed/ seen in the few matches I have seen. So could be wrong of course.

Just felt the game was in the bag. Players or manager should have recognised this and just seem it out.

Losing Walker was critical, should have made him stay on the pitch to receive treatment every 2 minutes like RM did with Militao to wind the clock down.

Trevor Sinclair knows - https://twitter.com/talkSPORT/status/1522559303097323521?s=20&t=wlFEYPzQu3h9oHIBRm7loA

Ya the man who has won 9 out of 12 leagues in his managerial career and countless other trophies is a problem.

My point being the players aren't allowed to think for themselves in the way LVG wanted (and I know his record so that isn't my focus here). And Pep didnt change anything. He didn't maybe go defensive and have a loan striker to hit them on the break when they were pressing. He didn't "shut up shop" as they say. Neither did the players they just looked lost doing the same thing they had all game.
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The transfer window is closed and not sure you can loan players mid game anyway.

Wasn't Van Gaal more like Guardiola in wanting players to rely on pre-defined attacking patterns, as opposed to Mourinho and Solskjaer who tended to rely more on improvising? I'm not sure what quote the OP is referring to but I'd suspect LVG was bemoaning players relying on instinct too much rather than thinking tactically, i.e. doing what he wanted them to.

These distinctions between managers are marginal, though. There are recognisable, repeated patterns of play in the way Klopp's Liverpool attacks. There is enough chaos in football that Guardiola's players often have to rely on creativity and quick thinking rather than robotically executing what they've been programmed to do.

As I said on the other thread, there's a lot of recency bias in this. Had Grealish's shot not been cleared off the line, or had the cross leading to Rodrygo's second not fortuitously flicked off Asensio's head with exactly the right amount of elevation, we'd be talking about a well deserved win.

I think there is just more pressure on this City side than any other team in world football, maybe aside from PSG, to win the CL.

I think that's why they struggle.

A Utd fan telling others what their problem is.

Comical gold.

comment by SteveF (U22027)
posted 2 minutes ago
A Utd fan telling others what their problem is.

Comical gold.
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Not sure why it's funny. We know we're pretty poor. You don't have to support a good team to have an opinion.

comment by SteveF (U22027)
posted 10 minutes ago
A Utd fan telling others what their problem is.

Comical gold.
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I don't get this response. Yeah we are chite but does that mean I can't watch City or Liverpool and offer am opinion?

I don't see any disrespectful comments. In fact I clearly said City are a joy to watch. I appreciate good football. I also have opinions and sure they say what they say about opinions so just ignore me and move on

comment by Diafol Coch 77 (U2462)
posted 10 minutes ago
comment by SteveF (U22027)
posted 2 minutes ago
A Utd fan telling others what their problem is.

Comical gold.
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Not sure why it's funny. We know we're pretty poor. You don't have to support a good team to have an opinion.
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And he's a Spurs fan, which makes his comment even more laughable.

comment by The Process (U20671)
posted 36 minutes ago
Ya the man who has won 9 out of 12 leagues in his managerial career and countless other trophies is a problem.
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Is it as simple as that?

Our own SAF was a success in the league but our style of play came undone in Europe so he changed it by bringing in certain personal and trying different set ups and styles.

Other managers and commentators have mentioned how the teams getting into Europa or CL have to adapt styles etc.

I may well be wrong but it's a talking point no?

“Maybe City fans can point to him doing this? Not something I've observed/ seen in the few matches I have seen. So could be wrong of course.“

The previous round against Atletico is a good example of when he did. Even the Real game, he brought on Fernandinho for Mahrez. Switching to protecting was more the reason we lost rather than sticking to attacking.

comment by meltonblue (U10617)
posted 1 minute ago
“Maybe City fans can point to him doing this? Not something I've observed/ seen in the few matches I have seen. So could be wrong of course.“

The previous round against Atletico is a good example of when he did. Even the Real game, he brought on Fernandinho for Mahrez. Switching to protecting was more the reason we lost rather than sticking to attacking.
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Maybe it is Yaya curse then 😂

comment by Ertugrul bey (U19849)
posted 3 minutes ago
comment by meltonblue (U10617)
posted 1 minute ago
“Maybe City fans can point to him doing this? Not something I've observed/ seen in the few matches I have seen. So could be wrong of course.“

The previous round against Atletico is a good example of when he did. Even the Real game, he brought on Fernandinho for Mahrez. Switching to protecting was more the reason we lost rather than sticking to attacking.
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Maybe it is Yaya curse then 😂
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Ha! It’s definitely not been kind to us

comment by Boris 'Inky’ Gibson (U5901)
posted 1 hour, 13 minutes ago
Losing Walker was critical, should have made him stay on the pitch to receive treatment every 2 minutes like RM did with Militao to wind the clock down.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Starting Walker if he wasn't 100% fit was reckless. Vini was always going to run him into the ground.

As an aside, time-wasting is generally less obvious when the clock's running in your favour and the pundits are so one-eyed they only pay attention to one side doing it.

Fwiw, as I said on the live thread, if you waste time it's because you've put yourself in the situation to be able to benefit from it. Backfired on City in the end, just like it did on Atleti the previous round.

All his substitutions made sense in the context of the game against RM.

Starting Walker if he wasn't 100% fit was reckless. Vini was always going to run him into the ground.
----------------------------------------------------------
He didn't though, Walker cancelled him out of the game.

I put their first goal down to a goalkeeping error which may not have happened if Walker was still on the pitch.

Their 2nd was a pinpoint cross like the sort KdB supplies, can't really fault the defenders there.

comment by Boris 'Inky’ Gibson (U5901)
posted 8 minutes ago
Starting Walker if he wasn't 100% fit was reckless. Vini was always going to run him into the ground.
----------------------------------------------------------
He didn't though, Walker cancelled him out of the game.

I put their first goal down to a goalkeeping error which may not have happened if Walker was still on the pitch.

Their 2nd was a pinpoint cross like the sort KdB supplies, can't really fault the defenders there.
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Second goal was flukey to a degree. It skimmed off one players head and hit the other in the right spot.

Something changes though and RM went from not having any shots and City in cruise control to waves of attacks and success.

As I jokingly said above maybe it is the curse by Yaya

comment by Boris 'Inky’ Gibson (U5901)
posted 18 minutes ago
Starting Walker if he wasn't 100% fit was reckless. Vini was always going to run him into the ground.
----------------------------------------------------------
He didn't though, Walker cancelled him out of the game.

I put their first goal down to a goalkeeping error which may not have happened if Walker was still on the pitch.

Their 2nd was a pinpoint cross like the sort KdB supplies, can't really fault the defenders there.
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"Cancelled" is when the player is prevented from getting into the game, not when he puts in poor crosses or balloons shots over from good positions.

Vini's performance was actually very much in character: he'll make mistake after mistake after mistake, but he just keeps on running at his defender all game regardless.

In those circumstances, the odds were that Walker would eventually break down, as was the case.

Mind that I'm not saying Walker had a bad game or that Vini's was good. I'm saying that Walker breaking down was one of the most probable outcomes of the entire match.

Mind that I'm not saying Walker had a bad game or that Vini's was good. I'm saying that Walker breaking down was one of the most probable outcomes of the entire match.

Walker is made of granite, he may have fooled the backroom staff into thinking he had recovered to the extent he could play 90 minutes.

How long had Walker been out?