A touch of realism required about tonight’s game

[dorian gray]

47 minutes ago, WalthamOwl said:

I agree OP. However I think some of us would have liked to have seen a shot or 2 on target though. Defence was very good last night, attacking was non existent. 

but that is our MO in the championship.

why would anyone expect a home game on live national tv against the heaviest scoring side in the land to alter us into the 1970 Brazilian side? rip 'em a new un' and bannan wet his finger and stick it in peps earhole on the way off.

[alanharper]

18 minutes ago, dorian gray said:

eventually?

both on the night, and career timeline.

we beat an arsenal Xl, get over it.

 

I've already agreed it was by no means a full strength side - but you're insinuating that they just played a bunch of kids.

 

Cech

Debuchy

Mertesacker

Chambers

Gibbs

Flamini

Oxlade-Chamberlain

Walcott

Giroud

 

All very experienced players, yes? And all full internationals at the time. The only one you could say was relatively raw was Chambers but he'd cost them a fortune, had played plenty of PL and Champions League games and was already an England international at the time we played them. Of the others, Iwobi and Campbell were already full internationals so there were only 3 youngsters who weren't, and they all became one not long after.

 

7 of the 14 who played against us played in their next PL game a few days later with another 2 being unused subs. Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain were missing having picked up injuries in our game.

 

[dorian gray]

3 minutes ago, alanharper said:

 

I've already agreed it was by no means a full strength side - but you're insinuating that they just played a bunch of kids.

 

Cech

Debuchy

Mertesacker

Chambers

Gibbs

Flamini

Oxlade-Chamberlain

Walcott

Giroud

 

All very experienced players, yes? And all full internationals at the time. The only one you could say was relatively raw was Chambers but he'd cost them a fortune, had played plenty of PL and Champions League games and was already an England international at the time we played them. Of the others, Iwobi and Campbell were already full internationals so there were only 3 youngsters who weren't, and they all became one not long after.

 

7 of the 14 who played against us played in their next PL game a few days later with another 2 being unused subs. Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain were missing having picked up injuries in our game.

 

I've only read the first line, point out to me where I said they 'we're a BUNCH of KIDS'?

[torres]

3 hours ago, ChinaOwl said:

However, a different version of realism is the fact that City have just played in a difficult away Champions League game then a cup final a few days before us. As good as they are, they're still human and that would have taken a lot out of them. They comfortably won last night. As comfortable a 1-0 win as you are ever likely to see On another night, that team would have destroyed us.

 

We do take several positives from the game. Yes, the scoreline was respectable and the defensive line up was admirable in spirit and application. One to put behind us and get stuck in to ensure that we are still in the Championship next season, not League One.

 

I agree

Realism of course, we were 16-1 to win, none of us really thought we would, but lets not pretend we were anything but the bare minimum last night.

 

Are people happy with the performance or just relieved we didn't get battered?

 

[alanharper]

9 minutes ago, dorian gray said:

I've only read the first line, point out to me where I said they 'we're a BUNCH of KIDS'?

 

You mean you read it all but it disproved your argument so you're just focusing on the first line

 

 

"he prided himself on 'blooding' youngsters in the league cup, but that night it badly backfired on his selections."

 

"i'd fought Anthony Joshua when he was 4 and I was 28, would that have made me heavyweight champion of the world?' TIMING.  they weren't international players then. stop making it something it wasn't. it's a well known fact throughout football, that wenger blooded youngsters in league cup sides, he did so against other premier sides, let alone a championship one. whatever they went onto be, they weren't at that level that night."

[ChinaOwl]

Just now, torres said:

 

I agree

Realism of course, we were 16-1 to win, none of us really thought we would, but lets not pretend we were anything but the bare minimum last night.

 

Are people happy with the performance or just relieved we didn't get battered?

 

 

I take nothing away from our performance in terms of work rate or commitment. The defence and goalkeeper played very well. I am also well aware of the gulf in class in terms of quality of players available to both clubs and the difference in budget. That said, in a thread about reality, I saw the performance as City's "C" game and they cruised to the win without really getting out of first gear. 

[Frazzlebeak]

2 hours ago, dorian gray said:

perhaps better would be to send the club your entry money, and go and watch somebody playing conkers in the park.

or to accept that the 'professionals' at the club may know a tad more about running a football club than the average joe in the stand does. 

Having read your posts, you’re wasted on here kid. Should be on the touch line at Hillsborough. We’d be flying high if you were in charge.

 

iI might even turn up to watch.

Edited March 5, 2020 by Frazzlebeak

[toppOwl]

2 hours ago, victorturner said:

Not embarrassed at all. But you cannot pretend Man City were  playing flat out. They tried to stroll through much of the match but we lacked the ability to fluster them except on one or two occasions. We played as if we knew we could not land a glove on them and we did so only once when Fletcher missed that chance from Hunt’s lovely cross. It was a long way from classic Cup matches when the underdog shows they could win and a long way from when we beat Arsenal 3-0 4/5 years ago.

 

We went into that Arsenal game brimming with confidence, we don't have anywhere near that at present.

[trumbullowl]

I watched the Shrewsbury vs Liverpool game back in January and after Liverpool took a 2-0 lead Shrewsbury came roaring back, getting up the field with the ball,

winning corners, rattling Liverpool and got it back to 2-2. Klopp sent on Salah and Firmino for the last quarter as he absolutely didn't want a replay but Shrewsbury

did more than just hold on. Yet yesterday we never even looked like we aspired to have the ball in Man City's half, never mind put them under any sustained pressure.

Are we mice or men? 

[alanharper]

55 minutes ago, trumbullowl said:

I watched the Shrewsbury vs Liverpool game back in January and after Liverpool took a 2-0 lead Shrewsbury came roaring back, getting up the field with the ball,

winning corners, rattling Liverpool and got it back to 2-2. Klopp sent on Salah and Firmino for the last quarter as he absolutely didn't want a replay but Shrewsbury

did more than just hold on. Yet yesterday we never even looked like we aspired to have the ball in Man City's half, never mind put them under any sustained pressure.

Are we mice or men? 

 

Liverpool didn't have a full strength team out though, and Salah and Firmino only came on after it'd gone to 2-2.  City are masters at ball retention - they've completed about 800 more passes even than Liverpool have in the PL this season.

[Guest LondonOwl313]

1 hour ago, trumbullowl said:

I watched the Shrewsbury vs Liverpool game back in January and after Liverpool took a 2-0 lead Shrewsbury came roaring back, getting up the field with the ball,

winning corners, rattling Liverpool and got it back to 2-2. Klopp sent on Salah and Firmino for the last quarter as he absolutely didn't want a replay but Shrewsbury

did more than just hold on. Yet yesterday we never even looked like we aspired to have the ball in Man City's half, never mind put them under any sustained pressure.

Are we mice or men? 

Liverpool only played Fabinho who would be in their first 11. Plus another 2-3 who might be in their match day squad. The rest were kids and 3rd X1s.. would expect championship teams to give them a game

 

Man City played a line up that could hold its own in the champions league. Big difference 

[torres]

Better or worse than the chelsea cup ''performance''???

[dorian gray]

5 hours ago, alanharper said:

 

You mean you read it all but it disproved your argument so you're just focusing on the first line

 

 

"he prided himself on 'blooding' youngsters in the league cup, but that night it badly backfired on his selections."

 

"i'd fought Anthony Joshua when he was 4 and I was 28, would that have made me heavyweight champion of the world?' TIMING.  they weren't international players then. stop making it something it wasn't. it's a well known fact throughout football, that wenger blooded youngsters in league cup sides, he did so against other premier sides, let alone a championship one. whatever they went onto be, they weren't at that level that night."

NO! I only read the top line, same again this time.

[dorian gray]

4 hours ago, Frazzlebeak said:

Having read your posts, you’re wasted on here kid. Should be on the touch line at Hillsborough. We’d be flying high if you were in charge.

 

iI might even turn up to watch.

you're not.

[Guest Bulgaria]

37 minutes ago, torres said:

Better or worse than the chelsea cup ''performance''???

Good question...

 

We never once threatened to score in either, so I would say even.

[prowl]

9 hours ago, dewsburyowl58 said:

Did you see the pressing they did when we had the ball , they worked their socks off to get the ball back . The one obvious annoyance for me was the lack of movement and ambition on the odd occasion we had the ball . Then again they aren’t one of the best sides in the world for nothing .

Yes they did. They have some world class players, we don't. If we had pressed them they have the quality to pass round the press and make us look like mugs. We didn't do that we kept our shape, concentrated and made it hard for them.

 

I was really annoyed at Bannens pre match interview when he said we concentrate more against better opposition. it's inexcusable for our players not to concentrate in any game whatever the opposition. It's the same as saying we are better than the rubbish teams at the bottom so we can beat them without too much effort. That's working well isn't it.

 

Buck your ideas up the lot of you, you aren't as good as you think. More concentration, more effort or you will sleepwalk into relegation. It might not matter to you but it does to the fans.

 

Maybe we will stop cheering you in future, you don't f'in need our support, you arrogant pric footballers.

 

(sorry for the rant)

[Luke]

Id have happily took a 3/4 loss if we'd have even made a attempt at trying to attack

Still the same result  out of the cup

 

How people are proud of that showing is strange 

 

Was almost as embarrassing as the pig game when we defended for 90 minutes against the swines down at Lane 

[Errol Flashman]

Aye. I'm sure a 3 or 4 nowt loss would have really had folks buzzing.

[dewsburyowl58]

6 minutes ago, WelshOwl74 said:

Id have happily took a 3/4 loss if we'd have even made a attempt at trying to attack

Still the same result  out of the cup

 

How people are proud of that showing is strange 

 

Was almost as embarrassing as the pig game when we defended for 90 minutes against the swines down at Lane 

Not heard anyone say they are proud are you sure about that ? . Can you accept that going by recent home games ,             ( Charlton excepted ) where we have conceded 11 goals  ,With  players accused of not trying , to hold one of the best free scoring sides on the planet to 1 slightly lucky goal is a small step on the road to recovery. 

[dewsburyowl58]

1 hour ago, prowl said:

Yes they did. They have some world class players, we don't. If we had pressed them they have the quality to pass round the press and make us look like mugs. We didn't do that we kept our shape, concentrated and made it hard for them.

 

I was really annoyed at Bannens pre match interview when he said we concentrate more against better opposition. it's inexcusable for our players not to concentrate in any game whatever the opposition. It's the same as saying we are better than the rubbish teams at the bottom so we can beat them without too much effort. That's working well isn't it.

 

Buck your ideas up the lot of you, you aren't as good as you think. More concentration, more effort or you will sleepwalk into relegation. It might not matter to you but it does to the fans.

 

Maybe we will stop cheering you in future, you don't f'in need our support, you arrogant pric footballers.

 

(sorry for the rant)

That’s fine ,hope I didn’t cause it ??