This is our City: Barcelona Loss Was Manuel Pellegrini's Fault Alone, Our Players Did Themselves Credit In Second Half

25 February 2015

Barcelona Loss Was Manuel Pellegrini's Fault Alone, Our Players Did Themselves Credit In Second Half

When we play the likes of Barcelona and Bayern Munich in Europe, we are already on the back foot before matches are even played. European match officials are under immense pressure and 8 out of 10 times favour the established elite. This was clear against Barcelona, Roma and Bayern Munich, when their players commit fouls none of them get booked unless it's impossible not to book them. But the second one of our players commit a foul the cards come flying out. I've always said you need to be able to beat a 12 man team in Europe to succeed, most recently Frank Lampard said it himself. You need luck to win the Champions League and it's pretty clear we have been on the other end of luck for the entire world to see.

Never been a fan of cheating little scumbag Dani Alves, he feigned injury to get Clichy sent off, then got subbed off after even fooling his own club. Then proceeds by throwing a childish liccle baby hissy fit about it.

BUT this most recent game against FC Barcelona was doomed from the start, it doesn't take a brain surgeon to realize that without Yaya Toure we were going to struggle. It is pretty clear that only two Manchester City players were capable of replacing him in Wilfried Bony and Fernandinho, so why was it that Fernando and Dzeko who were useless and totally inconsistent chosen ahead of Bony and Fernandinho?

Instead of crowding out the midfield and playing on the counter attack like Malaga did, Pellegrini decides to play two forwards with Edin Dzeko who can't tackle for shit and Fernando over Fernandinho. The first being a flop (maybe flops a little harsh but still) and the second being a success since they arrived at City?

In Wilfried Bony we have the perfect player to replace Yaya Toure, the fact we played better when Fernandinho and Bony came on in the second half clearly shows I'm right and it is Pellegrini's fault. From day one of Pellegrini being linked with the job at City I was excited, enthusiastic and totally behind the man for the job, but a few years on I'm starting to see flaws in Pellegrini.

He has an unwillingness to adapt, to have a plan B, C and even D, this sticking to one style of play will never bring the Champions League trophy to Manchester City. Again it doesn't take a brain surgeon to realize that, Pellegrini needs to learn to adapt and get City playing 2 or 3 different ways.

If we go out of the Champions League at Camp Nou and lose our Premier League title, I will have no choice but to call for the sacking of Pellegrini in much the same way I lost faith in Roberto Mancini. Pellegrini and Mancini both have my respect for what they can do, but not for what they fail to do.

In the first half we were blatantly caught short in Midfield because of Dzeko and an ineffective Fernando, as soon as Barca cut us open and scored the first, we were a total mess and everyone was panicking. We lost the fight in midfield because of Pellegrini being naive and thinking we could take on Barcelona with Fernando and Dzeko. The media had been screaming for Pellgrini not to play 442, Barcelona themselves were saying they were looking forward to playing City even more after finding out City would attack attack attack. If that wasn't a bloody warning then what is aye.

Luckily for us Pellegrini was forced to see the error and get on Fernandinho and Bony before it was too late, luckily for Pellegrini our lads put in a strong second half display and gave us an outside chance at Camp Nou. We even have Frank Lampard on the bench, where the heck was he on the night other than stuck on the bench?

My  Man of the Match: Joe Hart

Keep the Faith - Pride in Battle

3 comments:

  1. Just a quick statement, in the perfect scenario I would prefer Manuel Pellegrini adapt and keep him at City, than he not adapt and have to leave.

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  2. Anonymous25/2/15

    Agree with most of this apart from your opinion on Bony who didn't add anything at all when he came on. Just ask yourself this question.. if the two teams had lined up City with 5 in midfield and Barca 442 would the outcome have been different? Answer for me is probably yes!

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    Replies
    1. I am in no doubt what so ever that we would have won or at least drawn had Bony been on from the start, it would have given him time to settle, hes far more skillful, stronger and better than Dzeko who in my opinion would be branded a flop had he not scored important goals because he's too inconsistent.

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