Barcelona 1 – 0 MAN CITY – MY THOUGHTS
19 Mar
It’s hard to know where to start with a review of this game. In many ways, it was a performance that characterised City’s season, but do you focus on just this match, how City fared in the Champions League as a competition or do you look more broadly at the issues surrounding the club? There are certainly plenty of talking points to discuss, but I’ll try to keep this centred on Wednesday’s events for the moment.
Let’s get the basics out of the way first. Barcelona were superb. At their best? Somewhere in the vicinity, and when they perform like that, and keep the ball like that, and create openings like that, then there are perhaps only two sides, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, who can live with them.
Yet, just as they did in the first leg, they eased off after gaining control. They started in mesmeric fashion, passing and moving and creating angles all over the place, and it was a lesson for City in how to dictate a game, but then they stepped back and cruised through the match.
That so many Blues’ supporters thought we played well last night somewhat surprised me. From the ground, albeit up in the gods at the Nou Camp, it felt very much like Barcelona toyed with City. They established their dominance, grabbed a goal and then relaxed. It seemed like they had many more gears to find if they had so needed, but despite easing off they still tore us to pieces. They, and Lionel Messi in particular, were spellbinding and there is certainly no disgrace in falling at their hands.
For all that, however, the one thing City fans wanted to see yesterday was the side having a go. No-one traveled with optimism, no-one expected a glorious City resurgence and one of the most enthralling Champions League comebacks ever seen. Not even a day of drinking in the centre of Barcelona had imbued Blues’ fans with confidence. Yet we wanted to see them attack. Not recklessly, as there is always a balance to be found, but it would have been nice to witness controlled aggression and to see where it took us.
Instead, rather than entertaining the fans or leaving the ground with pride having seen a passionate attempt at a fight back, the feeling in the stands at the final whistle was one of resignation. There was no anger, as there had been after the first leg when Manuel Pellegrini’s tactics and the players’ lack of effort had effectively conceded the tie, but it was all rather flat. There was a lot of puffing of cheeks, of acceptance at being defeated by this Barcelona team, but also of disappointment at the lack of threat we carried.
It was never going to be easy. It’s hard enough to get the ball off Barcelona when they are in such a mood, but when we did have the opportunity to grab possession, we were far too sloppy in giving the ball away. Almost all of the players were culpable. The home side should take credit to some degree as they press intensely when out of possession, but we should have technical ability to cope with that. We didn’t, though, and our attacks were either swiftly intercepted or ended with an aimless punt upfield. It is nothing new to be under pressure in the Champions League, but our inability to find an answer is concerning.
And then there was the effort. It is an issue that has been bubbling for a while now and came to the fore against Barcelona and then Liverpool in the space of a few days, and then resurfaced with venom away to Burnley, but the sad reality is that too many of our players just don’t work hard enough. That is surely the most basic attribute for a footballer, the commitment and willingness to support your team, yet in the biggest remaining game of the season, on the world stage when some were playing for their futures, there was half-hearted effort.
Yaya Touré, as seems to be the case every game in the Champions League, looked disinterested. He neither closed Barcelona down nor took up defensive positions. He was caught all too often in no man’s land, loping around without a plan and attracting the ire of the visiting Blues. Samir Nasri didn’t fare much better, a lazy half that saw him withdrawn at the break. Both of the fullbacks, Bacary Sagna and Aleks Kolarov, were happy to go forward, but not so content to accomplish their primary job of defending. It was pitiful to watch at times.
That is one of City’s many problems. You can point to the recruitment over the past four seasons and how the squad has grown stale and lacking star quality. You can point to the previous manager’s provocative outbursts or the current incumbent’s naivety and stubbornness. You can point to the players and their questionable motivation. Either way, it promises to be a summer of change at the club and it would be a brave person to predict who will be in charge and who be in the starting eleven come August. If any good is to come out of this insipid performance, it is that the necessity for a major reshuffle is growing ever clearer.
Spot on. Agree with every word, and a huge clear out is vital a s a p……far too many players not doing it or simply not good enough to take us forward.
Its difficult to be angry when the opposition are that much better, the defeat was more down to ability rather than effort per se. No denying some changes need to be made, the last couple of games for me have highlighted that the players also need to shoulder some of the responsibility and its not just Manuel like some would have you believe.
That all being said I think there are too many changes made to the defense on a game by game basis, and its really harsh on Sagna how he doesnt play for weeks and then gets thrown in against Barce. The addition of youth, energy and of course talent to central midfield i feel would go a long way. Could we replace Nasri as well for someone younger and more consistent? I think we could, I like him but he can go missing.
MY RESPONSE,what can you say about last nights match,well in my view not a lot.peaple go on about barca how good they are,how they control the games,yes they do but if you don’t close them down,put pressure on them,{even more so the back four}they will dominate.there was just nothing about us last night and got what we deserved.you can see we are a million miles away from where barca are at the moment,and its not all about messi,yes world class but isn’t silver,agauro toura.when it comes to the big games we just don’t turn up.only for big joe last night we woulde of been batterd ,and it hurts me to say that about the club I love.pellagrini for me got it wrong again,NO ZABA what was he thinking,were playing barca,if he thought sagna coulde do a better job hes having a laugh.we see it all to often at city hot 1 week flat the next,the players know what they have to do when they cross the white line,but for some reason just forget.we cant call our club a big club because big clubs get results week in week out,and perform on the big stage when its needed.no trophy this season im afraid so im thinking,what are the top men thinking.time for change from top to bottom I hope.
There was a very good piece on Sky the other night, by of all people, Gary Neville. He brought up the list of players we have bought since first winning the Premiership. It was around £250,000,000 spent on a load of very average and mediocre players. The only one he considered just ‘ok’ was Fernandinho. But JUST ok. And he was spot on. Now I’m not a great admirer of Pellers either. His stubbornness, arrogance & naivety borders on straight forward stupidity. But he’s inherited the majority of those players. They might be ok playing for the likes of Stoke……but not us. So I guess the main blame of our present predicament must lie with those guys above him. The ones who’s names I can neither pronounce nor spell! All the best teams, including United, in their day, strengthen year upon year with top quality players. The only one I can think of that they got in the last two seasons was The Beast. But even he lost form after his injury. Probably coupled with his missus’ desire to return to Spain. Sad, as him upfront with Aguerro was truly something special. Maybe it’s the Financial Fair Play rule that forced us to look at just average players? If that was so, then this summer I believe the shackles should be off and those guys above Pellers need to step up to the plate and get some true younger fitter faster quality in, or get given the boot and get somebody else in who knows what he’s doing and has the qualities required to entice these players. The deadwood has got to go. Not just players but also the suits too. Then we can start filling the ground again as I’m sick of the Salford swamp monsters calling our home The Emptyhad!
You write as if you were there as was I, never mind Messi how did you get back so soon an manage to write an article, I’ve been home an hour!
The fact that our fans think the team played well is the truly frightening aspect. United and Arsenal are breathing down our necks and they have had their respective crises this season too, it’s gone wrong under this coach big time, yes the players are not up too it, Nasri should have went a long time ago etc but the defensive has gone to bits, and that is the coaches remit. The warning signs were there towards the end of last season. He has to go, really does…..Big rebuilding job, the executives must go too, a otal new direction neeeded, and WTF happened to Mangala? Surely he can still be a big player for us under a new coach.
This season seems to be all but over,so now is the time the people upstairs need to sort out who is going and who they want in,in the summer.for me these are the players who have to go.caballero,wright,mangala,sagna,kolorov,fernandinho,toure,dzeco,jovetic.these players have not improved us,apart from toure who wants to go anyway.the players to replace them I think we shoulde go for are,STERLING,if the reports are true POGBA,replaces toure, BALE,not happy at Madrid,cavani,proven goal scorer,JAN VERTONGHEN,plays with Vinnie for Belgium,and vice captain.DEBRUNE,if NASRI goes.these players will improve this club at the highest level.THEY will cost a lot of money,this we know,but we will get a return on the players we sell.WE all so need a top class manager to manage these players,PELLAGRINI is not the man,we all know he wont be hear next season,or the season after. PEP GUARDIOLA, DIAGO SIMIONE, CARLO ANCELOTI,JURGEN KLOPP.these are the men we shoulde be targeting in the summer if we are going to get anywhere near to winning the champions league.WE woulde all like MESSIE but that’s never going to happen, same as RONALDO,no player is bigger than the club.I just hope the people upstairs are thinking the sameway. FINGERS CROSSED.
Nobody mentioned the out of contract benitiz??? He would certainly get the moon talking blue “thinker man” (ask Chelsea) its down to the players. It has nothing to do with age. This is the age of genius & clown, up & down like a brazzers drawers. I like Manuel we lost to a far superior team to us. The tie should have been 8 – 2′ it is easy to have a big mouth when you’re on the outside. It is the age of “know all entitlement- cause I’m worth it age.” These lads have got were they have for a reason, they’ve being doing it since there 6 years old’ obviously some players are more “gifted” than others. Its a combination of elements that make a great team. How many times did messi play that ball wide before they scored? Yaya falling over like David haye when “challenged by alba????? Embarrassing really that. – what age were inter/Chelsea when they won eh?? It is difficult to find the ” right combination ” of talent disire grit hungry determination- team work, if it was sport would Be easy. You need to be hungry, that comes from the player’s, the manager is there to organize. Tevez was sensational the other night. (Pure disire) very difficult to find when you earn 10 million a year. Be very hungry boys-navas was very impressive when he came on. Samir who I respect+ yaya – its time you left us.
You’ve got it spot on about Toure and Nasri. I’ve been a huge fan of Toure’s for several years now. I thought City had a minor chance of getting past Barca with Yaya back. I was hoping to see him sprinting past defenders with the ball at his feet, utilizing his size and strength; it just wasn’t happening and hasn’t for a while. He plays when he feels like it, especially defensively. Yesterday, I watched a replay of the 2nd half vs. Liverpool in the 2-1 loss in February. On Coutino’s goal, which made it 2-1, Toure had given up tracking back. Then the ball came back out to Coutino and Yaya was within 3 yards, ball-watching. No defensive effort at all. He could have prevented the goal but was not interested. You would think City would be looking to offload him. And for Nasri, again, I have been a fan of his but I now see why the coach of France will not put him in the roster. He’s a liability.