Buzz Lightyear
Alert Team
City's European exploits came to a predictable end in the iconic surroundings of the Estadio de Santiago Bernabeu, last night. Having failed to take any kind of advantage with them from a tame home leg last week, the Blues were to serve "more of the same" as they failed to play any recognisable football against the Spanish aristocrats in Madrid.
It was another case of "We're not really here". Generally that crowd favourite song relates to the fact that we cannot believe we are playing at the level we are, despite references to the invisible man. And never was that more true than in this encounter, where City played as if they were practising for a beach soccer match, each one of them becoming invisible in the end.
It did not begin well. This match needed a certain amount of direct football played with a pace that would turn the Madrilenos around. What we got was one-paced Yaya Toure, whose inclusion meant that de Bruyne had to fulfil Silva's role, effectively wasting his potential contribution. What we got was Navas easily chased down, cutting inside to often. What we got was Aguero toiling isolated and alone against the mischievous Ramos and Pepe, effectively pocketed from minute one and unable to escape.
Add to that crock Kompany once again lasting less than 10 minutes although this time it was said to be a new injury and the recipe for disaster was complete. His inclusion, for me, was an error in the first place. His injury record is second to none at the Etihad and for a match of this importance to have to waste a substitute so early in the match spoke volumes. It was indeed a day when the Engineer forgot the lubricant. I did not see anything that made me think that Mangala and Otamendi couldn't cope with the fare served up by the hosts for whom Ronaldo was pretty much absent and Bale did little except provide the shot that took the deflection and ended up in Hart's net.
The line up and tactics selected by Pellegrini didn't look right from the start. There was no midfield spark in the way the Mark Knopfler of the Bernabeu, Modric, provided it for Real. There was no guile in the way the passmaster, Kroos, provided it for Real. It was difficult to work out if City did not expect to win and went along to keep the score down, or whether the tactic was to go into the last 20 minutes needing a goal to clinch the tie and attempt to put their foot on the gas in order to achieve it. It never looked likely.
From the moment Kompany headed for the tunnel, we could almost see the collective City heads look at the floor and whatever confidence they had gained from a comfortable opening to the match drain away, never to return. The immediate decision to bring on Mangala would seem like common sense, but we could already see the way the game was progressing, with Real taking control and their backline under no pressure to the extent that neither Pepe nor Ramos had to get up to their tricks. Yaya was producing nothing of note and between them he, de Bruyne and the Fernandos were guilty of giving the ball away for too frequently. As such City couldn't develop any serious pattern to their attacking play and could hardly make a dent in the possession statistics.
Up top Aguero didn't really look as though he was busting a gut to make history again and suffered from the lack of help.
When Kompany left, the temptation should have been to move Fernadinho back and bring on either Sterling for an injection of pace or Iheanacho to help move the centre backs around and encourage at least one of them away from Aguero. Introducing Mangala might have made sense but it was essentially a negative move.
Ten minutes after Kompany's exit Madrid moved the ball quickly through City's non-existent midfield, Modric to Carvajal, on to Bale whose shot looked fairly safe until it took a deflection off Fernando, clipping off the inside of the post and grounding in the back of the net.
Now not only the heads but also the shoulders were bowed as City looked in vain for the space to create something that might lead to an equaliser. True, Fernandinho, again probably City's best player on the night, hit the post and Aguero lifted a longish shot on top of the netting, but with only one shot on target all night, City were not likely to get in on the scoring act.
Quite why Yaya was allowed to be a waste of space for over an hour is almost beyond belief. He knows he`s on the Guardiola conveyor belt to Gate 11 and plays like it. There was nothing worthwhile about his contribution in this match. His displacement of de Bruyne also rendered the Belgian ineffective. And again, quite why Iheanacho was invited to join the fray sooner than with 20 minutes to go when it was clear that Aguero needed a hand.
Pellegrini has been beset by these tactical errors throughout his tenure at the Etihad, and probably other places too. Real Madrid can hardly have played in an easier international semi final. They hardly broke sweat. I find it difficult to give credit to any City player with the possible exceptions of Hart, who did have saves to make and Fernandinho who is at least showing Guardiola that he wants to feature next season. For the travelling 5000 City fans it was a complete disappointment and a day when those masquerading as footballers owed them a king-sized apology.
It is difficult enough to get within the scent of a Champions League Final, so why, given this astonishing opportunity did they not take the game to Real Madrid in the same way as Mancini`s team did in 2012. Yes, they let in 2 soft goals in stoppage time, but at one point they did lead 2-1. Pellegrinin`s men never looked like emulating that.
In some ways I`m glad that we did not find our way to Milano where Madrid`s other major Club, Atletico would have been lying in wait for us in every sense. Simeone`s uncompromising eleven who laid the blue print for the Fox and Hound`s success in the Barclays Premier League, would have rubbed their hands at the prospect of playing City, kicking them all around the San Siro before popping up with a goal on the break and breaking the Blue Mooners hearts. Like all true Blues I would have had to go to the Final, but I could not have seen City being successful especially as all season we have been terrified of those types of tactics and have never beaten them.
I can easily see Atletico beating Real and the ref in what will be a feisty affair on 28 May.
For City, we must now set our sights on 2 wins in the Premier League starting with the home match with Arsenal on Sunday. Recently City have ducked out against the Gooners and as they will have similar ambitions on Sunday we can expect an awkward match. We certainly don`t want the Stretford creeping in through the back door. This match is followed by a trip to Swansea who easily beat Liverpool last weekend although they too fielded an understrength team as Klopp erred in favour of trying to win the Europa League. Sue will no doubt be shrieking and screaming at the TV. She won`t be biting her nails because she spends a fortune of having them manicured.
I don`t suppose I`m looking forward to football this weekend. Arsenal`s pace worries me. I`m not concerned with Metal Guru up front but ex-Stretford Welbeck presents a different problem especially with the pacy players around him.
It is a sad indictment that Pellegrini`s City swansong saw only the Capital One Cup enter the Etihad. From a blistering start, which almost had the bookies paying out in November, they have finished nearly 20 points behind a team that had the same chance of winning the Barclays Premier League as there is of finding Elvis alive.
Writer Pedmachine
Read more: http://www.manchestercity.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=566108#ixzz47rJCrFEk
It was another case of "We're not really here". Generally that crowd favourite song relates to the fact that we cannot believe we are playing at the level we are, despite references to the invisible man. And never was that more true than in this encounter, where City played as if they were practising for a beach soccer match, each one of them becoming invisible in the end.
It did not begin well. This match needed a certain amount of direct football played with a pace that would turn the Madrilenos around. What we got was one-paced Yaya Toure, whose inclusion meant that de Bruyne had to fulfil Silva's role, effectively wasting his potential contribution. What we got was Navas easily chased down, cutting inside to often. What we got was Aguero toiling isolated and alone against the mischievous Ramos and Pepe, effectively pocketed from minute one and unable to escape.
Add to that crock Kompany once again lasting less than 10 minutes although this time it was said to be a new injury and the recipe for disaster was complete. His inclusion, for me, was an error in the first place. His injury record is second to none at the Etihad and for a match of this importance to have to waste a substitute so early in the match spoke volumes. It was indeed a day when the Engineer forgot the lubricant. I did not see anything that made me think that Mangala and Otamendi couldn't cope with the fare served up by the hosts for whom Ronaldo was pretty much absent and Bale did little except provide the shot that took the deflection and ended up in Hart's net.
The line up and tactics selected by Pellegrini didn't look right from the start. There was no midfield spark in the way the Mark Knopfler of the Bernabeu, Modric, provided it for Real. There was no guile in the way the passmaster, Kroos, provided it for Real. It was difficult to work out if City did not expect to win and went along to keep the score down, or whether the tactic was to go into the last 20 minutes needing a goal to clinch the tie and attempt to put their foot on the gas in order to achieve it. It never looked likely.
From the moment Kompany headed for the tunnel, we could almost see the collective City heads look at the floor and whatever confidence they had gained from a comfortable opening to the match drain away, never to return. The immediate decision to bring on Mangala would seem like common sense, but we could already see the way the game was progressing, with Real taking control and their backline under no pressure to the extent that neither Pepe nor Ramos had to get up to their tricks. Yaya was producing nothing of note and between them he, de Bruyne and the Fernandos were guilty of giving the ball away for too frequently. As such City couldn't develop any serious pattern to their attacking play and could hardly make a dent in the possession statistics.
Up top Aguero didn't really look as though he was busting a gut to make history again and suffered from the lack of help.
When Kompany left, the temptation should have been to move Fernadinho back and bring on either Sterling for an injection of pace or Iheanacho to help move the centre backs around and encourage at least one of them away from Aguero. Introducing Mangala might have made sense but it was essentially a negative move.
Ten minutes after Kompany's exit Madrid moved the ball quickly through City's non-existent midfield, Modric to Carvajal, on to Bale whose shot looked fairly safe until it took a deflection off Fernando, clipping off the inside of the post and grounding in the back of the net.
Now not only the heads but also the shoulders were bowed as City looked in vain for the space to create something that might lead to an equaliser. True, Fernandinho, again probably City's best player on the night, hit the post and Aguero lifted a longish shot on top of the netting, but with only one shot on target all night, City were not likely to get in on the scoring act.
Quite why Yaya was allowed to be a waste of space for over an hour is almost beyond belief. He knows he`s on the Guardiola conveyor belt to Gate 11 and plays like it. There was nothing worthwhile about his contribution in this match. His displacement of de Bruyne also rendered the Belgian ineffective. And again, quite why Iheanacho was invited to join the fray sooner than with 20 minutes to go when it was clear that Aguero needed a hand.
Pellegrini has been beset by these tactical errors throughout his tenure at the Etihad, and probably other places too. Real Madrid can hardly have played in an easier international semi final. They hardly broke sweat. I find it difficult to give credit to any City player with the possible exceptions of Hart, who did have saves to make and Fernandinho who is at least showing Guardiola that he wants to feature next season. For the travelling 5000 City fans it was a complete disappointment and a day when those masquerading as footballers owed them a king-sized apology.
It is difficult enough to get within the scent of a Champions League Final, so why, given this astonishing opportunity did they not take the game to Real Madrid in the same way as Mancini`s team did in 2012. Yes, they let in 2 soft goals in stoppage time, but at one point they did lead 2-1. Pellegrinin`s men never looked like emulating that.
In some ways I`m glad that we did not find our way to Milano where Madrid`s other major Club, Atletico would have been lying in wait for us in every sense. Simeone`s uncompromising eleven who laid the blue print for the Fox and Hound`s success in the Barclays Premier League, would have rubbed their hands at the prospect of playing City, kicking them all around the San Siro before popping up with a goal on the break and breaking the Blue Mooners hearts. Like all true Blues I would have had to go to the Final, but I could not have seen City being successful especially as all season we have been terrified of those types of tactics and have never beaten them.
I can easily see Atletico beating Real and the ref in what will be a feisty affair on 28 May.
For City, we must now set our sights on 2 wins in the Premier League starting with the home match with Arsenal on Sunday. Recently City have ducked out against the Gooners and as they will have similar ambitions on Sunday we can expect an awkward match. We certainly don`t want the Stretford creeping in through the back door. This match is followed by a trip to Swansea who easily beat Liverpool last weekend although they too fielded an understrength team as Klopp erred in favour of trying to win the Europa League. Sue will no doubt be shrieking and screaming at the TV. She won`t be biting her nails because she spends a fortune of having them manicured.
I don`t suppose I`m looking forward to football this weekend. Arsenal`s pace worries me. I`m not concerned with Metal Guru up front but ex-Stretford Welbeck presents a different problem especially with the pacy players around him.
It is a sad indictment that Pellegrini`s City swansong saw only the Capital One Cup enter the Etihad. From a blistering start, which almost had the bookies paying out in November, they have finished nearly 20 points behind a team that had the same chance of winning the Barclays Premier League as there is of finding Elvis alive.
Writer Pedmachine
Read more: http://www.manchestercity.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=566108#ixzz47rJCrFEk
