"I am more than angry, it was a complete disaster"
, Manuel Pellegrini 21 November 2015.
For those of us of a certain age, humbling performances against Liverpool are second nature, and to try and ease the pain I could try and dwell on circumstances...
...Yet another international break impacting selection?, (Kompany injured again for Belgium, Otamendi unavailable to start after appearing for Argentina, Silva still unavailable after seven weeks out from the previous break playing for Spain, Aguero needing to be withdrawn early, returning as he was from his own injury picked up in the same break playing for Argentina).
...Players affected by the atrocities in Paris being asked to play too soon, the rousing La Marseillaise pre kick off surely bringing every emotion back to the fore? (Mangala was particularly poor, and Sagna a yard off the pace).
...The managers eye drawn to the midweek game in Turin, and the difficulty in the next round of the Champions League if City do not claim top spot by taking something verses Juventus in Group D.
... Or how on another day the challenge on Sagna leading to the first goal would have been given as a foul, the second offside, and how perhaps just one of the penalty appeals could have been given.
But that would mask two fundamental points which cast the outcome of this game before a ball was kicked. Firstly playing only two in centre midfield was never going to work against a Klopp side, even if Yaya had got out of first gear, which he didn't. Secondly Liverpool wanted it more. Goals on 7' Mangala (OG), 23' Coutinho, 23' Firminho, and Skyrtel 81', could have been more, and but for a fifteen minute renaissance just before and after half time, prompted by a fabulous effort from Aguero on 44', City were off the pace. The change in formation at half time was long after the horse had bolted.
So a game to forget quickly if you're a City fan, and look to Turin ourselves in the hope that today's sacrifice of three points was not in vain.
@l0ngwayfr0mh0me
...Yet another international break impacting selection?, (Kompany injured again for Belgium, Otamendi unavailable to start after appearing for Argentina, Silva still unavailable after seven weeks out from the previous break playing for Spain, Aguero needing to be withdrawn early, returning as he was from his own injury picked up in the same break playing for Argentina).
...Players affected by the atrocities in Paris being asked to play too soon, the rousing La Marseillaise pre kick off surely bringing every emotion back to the fore? (Mangala was particularly poor, and Sagna a yard off the pace).
...The managers eye drawn to the midweek game in Turin, and the difficulty in the next round of the Champions League if City do not claim top spot by taking something verses Juventus in Group D.
... Or how on another day the challenge on Sagna leading to the first goal would have been given as a foul, the second offside, and how perhaps just one of the penalty appeals could have been given.
But that would mask two fundamental points which cast the outcome of this game before a ball was kicked. Firstly playing only two in centre midfield was never going to work against a Klopp side, even if Yaya had got out of first gear, which he didn't. Secondly Liverpool wanted it more. Goals on 7' Mangala (OG), 23' Coutinho, 23' Firminho, and Skyrtel 81', could have been more, and but for a fifteen minute renaissance just before and after half time, prompted by a fabulous effort from Aguero on 44', City were off the pace. The change in formation at half time was long after the horse had bolted.
So a game to forget quickly if you're a City fan, and look to Turin ourselves in the hope that today's sacrifice of three points was not in vain.
@l0ngwayfr0mh0me
