Manchester City

[mrbojangles]

40 minutes ago, champers said:

.Just a joke, albeit a weak one. I presume they had to have a training session on the Anfield pitch this evening because it is the Champions League.

Keep your fingers crossed you don't get Real Madrid if you get past Liverpool. They made Juventus look average, Ronaldo was on great form.

Yeah they have to arrive the evening before. UEFA Article 24 or something like that. SO the fact he hasn't travelled with the team means he won't be playing. But can still turn up to watch.

 

I saw the RM game also. Cracking goal by Ronaldo. Don't think Juve were at their best and the early goal scuppered their gameplan. TBH, IF we get past Liverpool any game in the next round will be an hard one.

[mrbojangles]

16 minutes ago, RonniePickering22 said:

Can't call it myself.

Me neither. Anything can happen on the night. These are the games where you need that bit of luck and hope decisions don't go against you

[champers]

3 hours ago, RonniePickering22 said:

 

If Madrid win it we are claiming it by proxy. 

Bale on the bench and stayed there; could be on his way out.

[Bredbury Blue]

Was looking at City's team vs Everton away last (L4v0) compared to this season (W1v3); look at the changes to goalkeeper, defence, midfield and age:

Bravo
Sagna Otamendi Stones Clichy,
Yaya Zabaleta KdB,
Sterling Agüero Merlin

Ederson
Walker Otamendi Kompany Laporte,
KdB Fernandinho Merlin, 
Sterling Jesus Sane

Also thought I'd take a look at our team vs Liverpool home (W5v0) and away (L4v3)

Home 3-5-2
Ederson (Bravo 55+1) 
Stones Danilo Otamendi, 
Walker KdB Fernandinho Merlin Mendy,
Jesus Agüero

Away 4-3-3
Ederson
Walker Stones Otamendi Delph, Gündogan Fernandinho KdB, Sterling Aguero Sane

Kompany and Merlin should strengthen us from the team that lost. It'll be a 433.Think he'll play the same starting 11 as last Saturday if they're all fit but I'm hoping Sterling is on the bench as the rabid Liverpool fans upset his game.

Edited April 4, 2018 by Bredbury Blue

[balo]

Juventus looked like a joke yesterday compared to Real Madrid.  You'd better watch out 

[evenstevens]

1 hour ago, balo said:

Juventus looked like a joke yesterday compared to Real Madrid.  You'd better watch out 

yes on that performance.r/m still have some sting in their tail.really shows how spuds stack up as imposters in the c/l and the epl. juve gave them a caning over 2 legs. and the delarious bunch of spud <deleted> are still gloating over beating c..sea who have lost 5 out 7 and cannot fire a fart.and that was 3 days back.total morans

[jellydog]

Getting ready to fire up the coffee maker.

[jellydog]

Laporte apparently starting at left back. I would have thought Danilo would be the safer choice.

[RickG16]

1 hour ago, jellydog said:

Getting ready to fire up the coffee maker.

If we were playing Liverpool in the CL Q-F I think I'd be getting drunk! 

[jellydog]

5 minutes ago, RickG16 said:

If we were playing Liverpool in the CL Q-F I think I'd be getting drunk! 

Staying awake of utmost importance !

[Bredbury Blue]

3v0 and that was an awful half; perfect performance by Liverpool, horrible for us. Every loose ball / 2nd ball was Liverpool's. Gundogan looking like an awful choice. Be doing well to keep it to 3 the way we're playing. Awful.

[Bredbury Blue]

Perfect performance from Liverpool. Terrible performance from City. Everybody was no more than 5/10 except Sterling who seriously was the only positive on a terrible night.

That tie is over. I'd move on and play the best 11 vs ManU Saturday to try and clinch it.

Good luck to Liverpool in the semis.

[champers]

Not over for me. An early goal for City next week and they are back in it.

You have to wonder how much were the City players affected by their team bus being attacked before the game.

[balo]

I wouldn't say its over , 4-0 over Liverpool is possible if you have a good day and maybe injury on Salah , Henderson not playing next game etc.

  

 

[evenstevens]

4 hours ago, Bredbury Blue said:

3v0 and that was an awful half; perfect performance by Liverpool, horrible for us. Every loose ball / 2nd ball was Liverpool's. Gundogan looking like an awful choice. Be doing well to keep it to 3 the way we're playing. Awful.

Trigg come on laddy, where,s your B/S stats ????, that loss will bring  the   cocky  M/city  mob on this Forum down a peg or two,as i have posted several times over the last week or so (,in fact only did it last nite M/U thread) , that  L/pool are the only team that have improved to match M/city ,so the result was not a shock to E/S but the score was still all to play for(second leg)never ever over Til The Fat Lady Sings,

Trigg its Yesterday,s Man signing off   dummy

[StevieH]

3 hours ago, champers said:

Not over for me. An early goal for City next week and they are back in it.

You have to wonder how much were the City players affected by their team bus being attacked before the game.

 

city players said not at all. annoying behaviour from a few bellends though, can create an atmosphere without throwing stuff at a bus.

 

and yes, not over yet. city score first next week and it's all open again. liverpool score first however and city need five.

[carmine]

3 hours ago, champers said:

Not over for me. An early goal for City next week and they are back in it.

You have to wonder how much were the City players affected by their team bus being attacked before the game.

Tend to agree.  Liverpool were superb but if City got an early goal they definitely have it in them, however unlikely it may be.  But i suspect Herr Klopp loves it when teams come at them and the risk of the Liverpool counter is huge.

 

There you saw the Kyle Walker and his defensive ineptitude we know so well at Spurs.  

[jellydog]

Liverpool is a horrible match up for City. Just a brutal butt whuppin' that was. City just don't have the defensive pace to contain that level of speed and guile. 

 

Add in that I think Pep got the personnel changes wrong. Would have preferred Danilo at left back and no Gundogan. Of course it might not have made a hill of beans of difference.

 

Strange week for City. After that shellacking they have to pick themselves up for the title winning match against United.

 

 

[smokie36]

2 hours ago, carmine said:

 

 

There you saw the Kyle Walker and his defensive ineptitude we know so well at Spurs.  

 

Most satisfying part of the game that was. 

[carmine]

1 minute ago, RonniePickering22 said:

 

Most satisfying part of the game that was. 

In his defense the midfield getting pulled central was leaving him exposed at times but it was interesting to see that the problems are still there.  I would expect us to look to expose him too in a couple of weeks.  

[smokie36]

2 minutes ago, carmine said:

In his defense the midfield getting pulled central was leaving him exposed at times but it was interesting to see that the problems are still there.  I would expect us to look to expose him too in a couple of weeks.  

 

I'm expecting City to win the league this weekend and after the second leg sending down their reserves to play us. 

 

Mind you that might include Walker by then! 

[mrbojangles]

6 hours ago, Bredbury Blue said:

That tie is over. I'd move on and play the best 11 vs ManU Saturday to try and clinch it.

Can never say never but I agree. Give the fans something to cheer about and go full on to win the prem on Saturday. Then throw the kitchen sink at em on Tuesday as we have nothing to lose.

[jellydog]

2 minutes ago, mrbojangles said:

Can never say never but I agree. Give the fans something to cheer about and go full on to win the prem on Saturday. Then throw the kitchen sink at em on Tuesday as we have nothing to lose.

Fully agreed with that !!

[petermik]

14 hours ago, champers said:

Not over for me. An early goal for City next week and they are back in it.

You have to wonder how much were the City players affected by their team bus being attacked before the game.

Disgusting and downright dangerous,after what has happened in Liverpool,s past (not the fans fault...of course ) you would have thought the police and LFC  (who had been warned beforehand) would have controlled things better.....more shameful behavior by an element of so called scouse fans.

"you have to wonder how much were the City players affected" exactly what the attack was meant to cause  

[Bredbury Blue]

^Ozzieboy, the only stat that matters is Liverpool scored the only goals (3) of the game.

Was the loss a surprise to me? Not really as we have an appalling record at Anfield but I am surprised that we didn't perform anything like we normally perform.

Do I think we can turn it around? NO.

[petermik]

8 hours ago, mrbojangles said:

Can never say never but I agree. Give the fans something to cheer about and go full on to win the prem on Saturday. Then throw the kitchen sink at em on Tuesday as we have nothing to lose.

The game is over two legs so its half way.....tactically Pep got it wrong,he should have been more defensive minded certainly in the first half to try and take the "sting" out of Liverpools attack,he has the players with pace to break them down at anytime,patience should have been the keyword,frustrate them and wait for opportunities to counter attack instead of gung ho from the outset...it wasn,t a one off game,you would have had the opportunity to finish them in the second leg....

[Bredbury Blue]

1 hour ago, carmine said:

In his defense the midfield getting pulled central was leaving him exposed at times but it was interesting to see that the problems are still there.  I would expect us to look to expose him too in a couple of weeks.  

Walker wasn't decent but who was. Wasn't helped by Gundogan looking lost and weak in front of him. That said he had a major part in the 1st and 3rd goals. He makes errors we all know that but interestingly reading the Guardian or was it the Telegraph football writer's selection of the team of the year they all had Walker in. Still, don't let his excellent 1st season at City get in the way of your opinion.

[Bredbury Blue]

19 minutes ago, petermik said:

Disgusting and downright dangerous,after what has happened in Liverpool,s past (not the fans fault...of course ) you would have thought the police and LFC  (who had been warned beforehand) would have controlled things better.....more shameful behavior by an element of so called scouse fans.

"you have to wonder how much were the City players affected" exactly what the attack was meant to cause  

The fact that everybody knew it was going to happen weeks ago and it happened says a lot about the Liverpool police.  Sorry scousers but it does. They and the idiots that attacked the coach spoilt a perfect night for the red side of Liverpool.

[StevieH]

2 minutes ago, Bredbury Blue said:

The fact that everybody knew it was going to happen weeks ago and it happened says a lot about the Liverpool police.  Sorry scousers but it does. They and the idiots that attacked the coach spoilt a perfect night for the red side of Liverpool.

 

no they didn't. 

Edited April 5, 2018 by StevieH

[sanemax]

4 hours ago, StevieH said:

 

city players said not at all. annoying behaviour from a few bellends though, can create an atmosphere without throwing stuff at a bus.

 

 

They are hardly going to say that it effected them , otherwise it may become a regular occurrence .

   The bus getting attacked probably did unsettle them and three early goals conceded my not just be coincidental .