Pre Match - Spurs (H) - Sat - 19:45

[tomasjj]

just rewatched their goal,

trent backs off kane, then doesn't follow the man to the back post.

but in between there, vvd loses his calm and rushes across to first press kane to make up for trent not doing it, then across towards sessegnon, leaving the zone that son arrives in wide open

 

[Farkmaster]

Chelsea are fucking muck. So are Madrid.

That's what you said about spurs, it's even less true this time.

 

[MomoWASright]

Spurs were garbage

 

[Fabio]

Spurs came with a plan and executed it perfectly. We only scored due to a heavy deflection, whereas they had a could of chances to win the game

 

[MomoWASright]

We were spastics when attacking.

 

[Farkmaster]

Madrid will do the same but with better players. Ancelotti will pose some very difficult questions down our flanks.

We haven't had a comfortable win over Chelsea in ages. Their form is shit but I tend to think they haven't been that arsed with nothing to play for.

 

[Halmeister]

Chelsea are fucking muck. So are Madrid.

We said Madrid were muck in 2018 and look what happened. They'll win

 

[Halmeister]

Madrid will do the same but with better players. Ancelotti will pose some very difficult questions down our flanks.

We haven't had a comfortable win over Chelsea in ages. Their form is shit but I tend to think they haven't been that arsed with nothing to play for.

Chelsea struggle against teams that sit back. We don't do that. They're better against teams that open up and give them space in behind. We haven't beaten them in 90 minutes in 3 attempts this season. They're suited to playing us. They'll win.

 

[Tinto]

Spurs came with a plan and executed it perfectly. We only scored due to a heavy deflection, whereas they had a could of chances to win the game

They came for a point and got one. So in that way it was perhaps perfectly executed but they didn’t deserve to win.

They only scored due to our bad defending more than anything

 

[Hansern]

They came for a point and got one. So in that way it was perhaps perfectly executed but they didn’t deserve to win.

They only scored due to our bad defending more than anything

They had less chances, shots, corners, possession and XG for that matter then us as well, but that doesnt fit the narrative when we drop points.

 

[Tinto]

Madrid will do the same but with better players. Ancelotti will pose some very difficult questions down our flanks.

We haven't had a comfortable win over Chelsea in ages. Their form is shit but I tend to think they haven't been that arsed with nothing to play for.

I don’t think Madrid will have the work rate to defend like Spurs did but they certainly have more creativity and better finishing to hurt us on the counter

 

[Red Bird]

He’s just knackered

In which case, he shouldn't be starting. Or Klopp should be substituting him when he's ineffectual.

 

[Tinto]

just rewatched their goal,

trent backs off kane, then doesn't follow the man to the back post.

but in between there, vvd loses his calm and rushes across to first press kane to make up for trent not doing it, then across towards sessegnon, leaving the zone that son arrives in wide open

I don’t understand what any of our defenders were doing for their goal

 

[Halmeister]

Vinicius will destroy Trent

 

[Red Bird]

I think, given the early season form, it's a huge achievement wen have actually run Man City this close and fit this long. I look back at that draws against Brighton (after going 2-0 up) at Anfield and the shambolic display against Brentford away as worse than last night.

 

[Woland]

You can't win every game, but we probably would have if several players weren't off form all at once. You can put up with one or two but not half of them. Robertson, TAA, VVD, Thiago, Mane all had their worst games in ages. They're just knackered. I'd defo start the Greek and Jota against villa.

 

[tomasjj]

I don’t understand what any of our defenders were doing for their goal

I think they were just disorganised following a corner that lead to the break.
then a chain of errors

 

[MomoWASright]

I think, given the early season form, it's a huge achievement wen have actually run Man City this close and fit this long. I look back at that draws against Brighton (after going 2-0 up) at Anfield and the shambolic display against Brentford away as worse than last night.

Add on the games away to Chelsea and Spurs where we should easily have closed the games out when leading.

 

[MomoWASright]

Am I the lone wolf in the quest for the quad?

 

[Red Bird]

No. It’s not over until it’s over.

 

[Frogfish]

Madrid will do the same but with better players. Ancelotti will pose some very difficult questions down our flanks.

We haven't had a comfortable win over Chelsea in ages. Their form is shit but I tend to think they haven't been that arsed with nothing to play for.

As we know it's not easy to switch form on/off and it's a little disingenuous to claim it's because the Chelsea players aren't arsed, it clearly doesn't look that way at all.

There's also no way Madrid will play like Spurs, they didn't vs City and won't against us in the final.

If you look at Madrid's stats vs City over both legs it's clear (even though they lacked shots on target) they were trying to play football (being pushed back is a different discussion).

In Manchester (City first)
Poss 59-41, Attacks 77-28, Shots 16 - 11 and Passes attempted 630 vs 432

In Madrid (Madrid first)
Poss 46-54, Attacks 48-51, Shots 13 - 15 and Passes attempted 546 vs 668

 

[Frogfish]

Am I the lone wolf in the quest for the quad?

Of course not - but we are going to have to work really hard to offset those anti-jinxers jinxing us. We tried vs Spurs but their numbers overpowered us.

 

[Red Bird]

Add on the games away to Chelsea and Spurs where we should easily have closed the games out when leading.

Just watched the highlights again, and it's noticeable that Spurs kept doubling up against Salah but Alexander Arnold rarely went beyond him to provide an outlet (as Robertson was doing with Diaz.) In fact, he was lobbing aimless crosses into the box at each opportunity-- he was probably afraid of Kulusevski or Sessegnon belting past him-- he hasn't Robertson's speed in recovering from a breakdown in possession. Gomez has actually been the better than Trent in backing the attack (and he's got excellent recovery pace.)

 

[Mystic]

Am I the lone wolf in the quest for the quad?

Nah, i dont think last night changes much, it's still a long shot, and I'm still hopeful. I never expected City to draw any of the remaining games, if they do drop points it'll be one of those games where a team attacks them and turns them over.

City rarely draw games cos they generally suffer less against teams who defend deep against them compared to us, their weakness is when teams attack them. We are the opposite, we get these frustrating draws cos we struggle more against teams that defend hard against us, but deal better with teams who attack us.

Of course this is all very fine margins each way, truthfully both teams are brilliant against teams that play either way, but we're each a little better against teams playing the respective ways.

Long and short, in this title race if either team was gonna drop points, it was always going to be us drawing or City losing, last nights result doesn't change much for me because we still win it if City lose a game, assuming they don't go mental with their goal difference in the other matches.

 

[Mystic]

Im well aware City will draw today after this post.

 

[Woland]

yep - by the media articles, you'd almost think spurs dominated the game and we deserved to lose

I just read the BBC report and comments. Don't. Spurs got a point because they defended well and we were shit. Not because they were any good.

 

[Woland]

Nah, i dont think last night changes much, it's still a long shot, and I'm still hopeful. I never expected City to draw any of the remaining games, if they do drop points it'll be one of those games where a team attacks them and turns them over.

City rarely draw games cos they generally suffer less against teams who defend deep against them compared to us, their weakness is when teams attack them. We are the opposite, we get these frustrating draws cos we struggle more against teams that defend hard against us, but deal better with teams who attack us.

Of course this is all very fine margins each way, truthfully both teams are brilliant against teams that play either way, but we're each a little better against teams playing the respective ways.

Long and short, in this title race if either team was gonna drop points, it was always going to be us drawing or City losing, last nights result doesn't change much for me because we still win it if City lose a game, assuming they don't go mental with their goal difference in the other matches.

They've got beat twice and drawn twice in the last month. It isn't over.

 

[tomasjj]

I just read the BBC report and comments. Don't. Spurs got a point because they defended well and we were shit. Not because they were any good.

McNulty is usually quite good at hiding he is a bluenose, but it comes out now and again

 

[StevieM]

I spit in the face of your jinx god. Then give him a can of fosters.

I’m not entirely sure you can get Fosters in Australia any more.

 

[tombrown]

I was flying to Orlando yesterday, managed to get most of the match in the layover in Newark. Was expecting this place to be doom & gloom and everyone conceding the title already, so I am pleasantly surprised to find the upbeat mood in here. You have restored my faith in SCM