Real Madrid vs. Manchester City - CL Group Stage

A lot of Real Madrid players looked better than usual today. Ronaldo dribbling well, Alonso, Di Maria etc. Arbeloa looked like a top 2 RB...

Arquitecto wrote:Whoever is blasting Mancini for his tactics absolutely knows f**k all about tactics and strategy.

smh

Yeah, he did well to contain damage for 60 minutes but afterwards our subs were too much to handle

Yohan Modric wrote:A lot of Real Madrid players looked better than usual today. Ronaldo dribbling well, Alonso, Di Maria etc. Arbeloa looked like a top 2 RB...

Arbeloa was shit. The goal was his fault. Kolarov constantly went past him. He destabilized the defence all night long.

Wow, Mancini is really clueless. What the heck is that 5212?

He doesn't know that vs. skilled wide players you have to defend 2 v 1?
Both Ronaldo and Marcelo goal would have been easily avoided if defended 2 vs 1 instead of leaving a FB alone vs. such great driblers and shoters as Ronaldo and Marcelo.

What a clueless coach.

isnt maicon cup tied ??

Was just watching highlights: What was Casillas doing for the first goal? that goal could've been easy saved the other day. And what the hell was the defence doing, Marcelo was all over the place.

Iker was just terrible this game. Easily could have stopped 2nd goal and possibly first.

2nd goal was not blamable. He thought that xabi had it...and it was into a far corner anyways....

Iker does nyam nyam at the first goal. If he doesn't move, he stops it.

free_cat wrote:Wow, Mancini is really clueless. What the heck is that 5212?

He doesn't know that vs. skilled wide players you have to defend 2 v 1?
Both Ronaldo and Marcelo goal would have been easily avoided if defended 2 vs 1 instead of leaving a FB alone vs. such great driblers and shoters as Ronaldo and Marcelo.

What a clueless coach.

5-2-1-2? It was a classic 4-5-1.

His plan happened to correct as it would be foolish to take on Madrid's superior midfield head on so yet if it wasn't for Maicon's ineptness and Javi Garcia's complete failure to screen his midfield and drop back than Mancini's plan would have gone completely to plan. Silva being so central when he was NOT supposed to do that gave Marcelo acres of space.

See Mancini's 352 in the 2nd half as especially when Barry came on as RM struggled on the counter massively.

A plan sabotaged by the ineptness of some of the players. Which is why they were subbed off

Mancini did OK. I just think there is a difference in quality between Madrid and City. Also I think City could have taken advantage of our weakness (Xabi Alonso) by pressuring more. But I guess when you've peeps like Yaya in your midfield it doesn't work.

Arquitecto wrote:

free_cat wrote:Wow, Mancini is really clueless. What the heck is that 5212?

He doesn't know that vs. skilled wide players you have to defend 2 v 1?
Both Ronaldo and Marcelo goal would have been easily avoided if defended 2 vs 1 instead of leaving a FB alone vs. such great driblers and shoters as Ronaldo and Marcelo.

What a clueless coach.

5-2-1-2? It was a classic 4-5-1.

His plan happened to correct as it would be foolish to take on Madrid's superior midfield head on so yet if it wasn't for Maicon's ineptness and Javi Garcia's complete failure to screen his midfield and drop back than Mancini's plan would have gone completely to plan. Silva being so central when he was NOT supposed to do that gave Marcelo acres of space.

See Mancini's 352 in the 2nd half as especially when Barry came on as RM struggled on the counter massively.

A plan sabotaged by the ineptness of some of the players. Which is why they were subbed off

I only watched second half, so what you mention as 352 it's what I call 5212 or 532. It was clearly 5 at the back. But the problem was not so much the tactic, than the fact that the FB were left in 1 vs 1 situations without any kind of support that costed City two goals.

A tactical shameful show.

Also, if you are leading 4 minutes to go, and you've been extremely defensive all night long... don't be ashamed: sub in another defender or defensive midfielder and defend with 10 men. Pathetic display from Mancini.

what happen when you are not chelsea

free_cat wrote:

Arquitecto wrote:

free_cat wrote:Wow, Mancini is really clueless. What the heck is that 5212?

He doesn't know that vs. skilled wide players you have to defend 2 v 1?
Both Ronaldo and Marcelo goal would have been easily avoided if defended 2 vs 1 instead of leaving a FB alone vs. such great driblers and shoters as Ronaldo and Marcelo.

What a clueless coach.

5-2-1-2? It was a classic 4-5-1.

His plan happened to correct as it would be foolish to take on Madrid's superior midfield head on so yet if it wasn't for Maicon's ineptness and Javi Garcia's complete failure to screen his midfield and drop back than Mancini's plan would have gone completely to plan. Silva being so central when he was NOT supposed to do that gave Marcelo acres of space.

See Mancini's 352 in the 2nd half as especially when Barry came on as RM struggled on the counter massively.

A plan sabotaged by the ineptness of some of the players. Which is why they were subbed off

I only watched second half, so what you mention as 352 it's what I call 5212 or 532. It was clearly 5 at the back. But the problem was not so much the tactic, than the fact that the FB were left in 1 vs 1 situations without any kind of support that costed City two goals.

A tactical shameful show.

Also, if you are leading 4 minutes to go, and you've been extremely defensive all night long... don't be ashamed: sub in another defender or defensive midfielder and defend with 10 men. Pathetic display from Mancini.

5 in the back were the midfielders covering on the attack spurting from Di Maria and Marcelo. Cannot be classified as a 5-3-2.

And I already explained it was Garcia's positioning that left Maicon (who already was out of position) open to the counter while the LB position was covered well enough. Fault was at Nasri and Silva going too central to allow such attack from the flanks.

I don't know why Barca fans think anything defensive is "parking the bus" while this was just a classic 3-5-2/3511 narrow defence to wide forward counter attack with the CF pressing.

EPL midfields are really horrible... that's my big take from this game. I mean, Madrid controlled the game with a midfield of Khedira, Essien and Alonso. Essien hadn't played in 6 months, Khedira is not technical and Alonso is slowish. What happens? Madrid completely dominate.

In La Liga, we almost always struggle with the midfield. That's why we bought Modrc to help. Mou went super conservative tonight and actually had a counter attack lineup. Instead, we dominate the midfield lol.

Madrid dominating the midfield has nothing to do with City's midfield.

City's entire plan in the first half was to sit deep, not press the ball, that was obvious. Its nothing to do with quality of midfield, it was simply the tactics.

The 1st goal conceded by Iker was horrible.

Dzeko shot the ball close to the middle of the net and any high calibre keeper could have stopped that.

Kompany was shat all night, he could have easily got in the way for the Ronaldo goal

Varane > Kompany.

iker could have done better in both of man city's goals

yes their 2nd one was quite difficult to predict where the ball was going and if it would be interrupted but for the best keeper in the world he could have had a better positioning and be able to save it even if no one touched the ball as it happened

Yohan Modric wrote:Varane > Kompany.

Thats pushing it.

Pretty much in the first half, City sat back, didn't press and allowed Madrid to come at them and then Madrid pressed Man City when they had the ball.

second goal took a fine deflection, he couldnt have done anything about that.

Arquitecto wrote:Whoever is blasting Mancini for his tactics absolutely knows f**k all about tactics and strategy.

smh

I disaagree arq.

I feel Mancini is the reason City lost. And I personally don't rate him highly as a great tactician in general. I'm in the belief that his current squad is too good that he can't lose in the league. When it comes to vsing Europe's elite, he's always going to find it difficult. You can quote me when I say Mancini will never win a CL with City.

Inviting the opposition is always going to put your position under risk. You're always going to concede unless you're Chelsea... City's squad has too much talent to sit back and defend. Not many of their players are used to sitting back and playing defensively. They should of pushed on from the 2-1 and actually take the game to Madrid. Madrid was playing well below par and lacked confidence. And they still ended up annihilating City today. Mancini basically gave the belief back to Madrid to finally kick-off their season which is always going to make it harder at Etihad.

Liam Gallagher kicked out of the stadium after taunting Madrid fans when Dzeko scored and kissed a security guard lol what a d*ck head, lucky he wasn't beaten up ffs

Reasons why Manchester City lost:
1)Tactics.I dont think Mancini knew if he wanted to win or draw or what.Most of the time City were defending and other times it seemed like they wanted to score.I dont think he knows what tactics to go in with in Big games.Great substitutions in the 2nd half though.
2)Now I get why Mancini used to start James Milner.Hes a workhorse compared to the other City players other than Tevez and he wasnt really running yesterday.City werent pressing at all which made a 40 year old Michael Essien look like Pirlo.Theres no other reason that the only big team City crushed last season was United as their midfield is completely shit so they didnt really need to press them at all in the middle of the pitch.
3)Douglas Maicon.

halamadrid2 wrote:Liam Gallagher kicked out of the stadium after taunting Madrid fans when Dzeko scored and kissed a security guard lol what a d*ck head, lucky he wasn't beaten up ffs

That Rockstar Attitude!

Oh Hail Oasis!

Kompany has always been overrated. He's a good CB, but nothing special. Yesterday just confirmed it. He'll get raped vs. elite attacks like the ones Madrid, Barca, and Bayern have.