2016-17 UEFA Champions League

Burial.

Pity Bravo's lunacy ruined what could have been a good contest. Chapeau to Messi.

Ardent

pjmn wrote: »

Dunphy's view at half time was that Messi is in decline!!!

I came on here to post just that!! Comical isn't it?

The Talking Bread

There goes Dunphy's Messi rant!

In fairness we all know he is naturally not the player he was 2 years ago but their plan to launch into a segment about him after a hat trick can be left for another night!

Delighted Guardiola has been shown he is not the magnificent manager he was touted as during his Barca days.

A very good manager but not on the echelon of greats. Gifted with that Barca team, that Bayern team. And hasn't been all that spectacular with City.

Mr.Nice Guy

GreNoLi wrote: »

Mathieu coming on to shore up the city attack.

Job done.

jamescd

Lol Mathieu

SlickRic

Mathieu fancied an early shower since the game was over.

ERG89

Mathieu just reminding you he is genuinely one of the worst defenders in the history of Barcelona.

Armchair Andy

It's the defending and stupid mistakes they're making that's embarrassing.
"Hat trick Messi" is a long time on phones' predictive text all over the world I'll agree.

Jelle1880

Lolo Toure.

Burial.

Messi in decline is nonsense talk. He started the season as frightening as he's ever been. Just back from injury and has 4 goals in less than two games.

ArnoldJRimmer

The Talking Bread wrote: »

There goes Dunphy's Messi rant!

In fairness we all know he is naturally not the player he was 2 years ago but their plan to launch into a segment about him after a hat trick can be left for another night!

Delighted Guardiola has been shown he is not the magnificent manager he was touted as during his Barca days.

A very good manager but not on the echelon of greats. Gifted with that Barca team, that Bayern team. And hasn't been all that spectacular with City.

As much as I detest the love-in that surrounds Pep, he's in the first quarter of a season with a team that scraped fourth last year. Bit harsh to judge his time with City already

Jelle1880

Mathieu really is bang average isn't he ? How he gets to play for Barca I'll never know.

Ardent

Burial. wrote: »

... nonsense talk...

Dunphy has made a career out of it.

Agent Coulson

So son of Pepball beating father of Pepball.

The student becomes the master.

Mr.Nice Guy

Sterling's been very good tonight.

murpho999

pjmn wrote: »

Dunphy's view at half time was that Messi is in decline!!!

The Talking Bread wrote: »

There goes Dunphy's Messi rant!

In fairness we all know he is naturally not the player he was 2 years ago but their plan to launch into a segment about him after a hat trick can be left for another night!

Delighted Guardiola has been shown he is not the magnificent manager he was touted as during his Barca days.

A very good manager but not on the echelon of greats. Gifted with that Barca team, that Bayern team. And hasn't been all that spectacular with City.

Burial. wrote: »

Messi in decline is nonsense talk. He started the season as frightening as he's ever been. Just back from injury and has 4 goals in less than two games.

I just rewound and listened again to what he said.

He said that the Barcelona project is declining also signs that Messi is starting to show signs of going into decline.

I don't see anything wrong with that. All great players do.

Also, does not mean that he has become a bad player. He's still top class but he's getting older so he will have some lesser powers than he used to but still means he's one of the best players in the world.

Essien

But I though Pep was the reason Barca got so good?!

Something just doesn't add up here.

Lukker-

ArnoldJRimmer wrote: »

As much as I detest the love-in that surrounds Pep, he's in the first quarter of a season with a team that scraped fourth last year. Bit harsh to judge his time with City already

They scraped 4th because they announced he was to be manager too early and undermined Pellegrini. The players have said themselves that this f*cked with their will to go out and win for him. That team should have been challenging for the title if not winning it. Add to that the additions they made in the summer.

I agree with the rest of your post though.

The Talking Bread

Burial. wrote: »

Messi in decline is nonsense talk. He started the season as frightening as he's ever been. Just back from injury and has 4 goals in less than two games.

Decline may seem like a hyperbolic word, I certainly wouldn't use it for Messi at the moment but he was a more active and important player two years ago.

The Talking Bread

murpho999 wrote: »

I just rewound and listened again to what he said.

He said that the Barcelona project is declining also signs that Messi is starting to show signs of going into decline.

I don't see anything wrong with that. All great players do.

Also, does not mean that he has become a bad player. He's still top class but he's getting older so he will have some lesser powers than he used to but still means he's one of the best players in the world.

I didn't say he has! Read my post!!

jamescd

Ozil has just scored a hattrick now too. Goals flying in

Akrasia

Watching Man city I get the weirdest craving for a Cadbury Fudge

.

LuckyGent88

Cracking finish from ozil.

Napoli/besiktas game has had everything.

The Talking Bread

ArnoldJRimmer wrote: »

As much as I detest the love-in that surrounds Pep, he's in the first quarter of a season with a team that scraped fourth last year. Bit harsh to judge his time with City already

I am just anticipating that he is not the Golden Manager some hyperboled him as. Still a very good manager and tactician but not as brilliant as the love in depicted

SlickRic

Who said Messi was in decline? Gas craic.

Barcelona can't score penalties.

Ardent

Akrasia wrote: »

Watching Man city I get the weirdest craving for a Cadbury Fudge

.

Terry's Chocolate Orange

AllGunsBlazing

Absolute pish!

Always love to see penalties like that missed.

Mr.Nice Guy

Best decline ever. :pac:

Bret Hart

Brilliant goal by Neymar.

Mr.Nice Guy

Lovely goal from Neymar. City getting humbled.

AllGunsBlazing

And then he does that?!!

The Talking Bread

Christ I dont know whether that was an unbelievable goal or unbelievably terrible defending

ollie1

That was a great goal by Neymar

Guardiola got them defending like a Guardiola tram.

BorneTobyWilde

Messi showing Firmino how to win a penalty .

Lil toe poke to put ball out of play and then ride the challenge, a peno . Clever boy .

Armchair Andy

Guardiola looking like a man who sold his Ferrari to buy a Lada.

LuckyGent88

John stones

Slattsy

Stones is stealing a living, a complete fraud.

The Talking Bread

barely notice Silva was on the pitch tonight!

AllGunsBlazing

The Talking Bread wrote: »

Christ I dont know whether that was an unbelievable goal or unbelievably terrible defending

I'm constantly mystified by the hype over Stones. Miles off being a solid centre-half, nevermind a top drawer one.

castletownman

One clean-sheet in the Premier League to date, and one in the Champions League proper (both in 4-0 home wins). Genuine question marks about Pep's ability to set up defensively. All the ball-playing ability from the back ain't worth a ****e if the basics are lacking.

Manager's with a more "pragmatic" approach such as Koeman, Jose, Conte and Poch will certainly be confident of reeling them in in the long run.

SlickRic

The Talking Bread wrote: »

Christ I dont know whether that was an unbelievable goal or unbelievably terrible defending

City are still mentally quite weak. While Barca have been good, City have ended up just letting Barca have their way with them.

SlickRic

AllGunsBlazing wrote: »

I'm constantly mystified by the hype over Stones. Miles off being a solid centre half nevermind a top drawer one.

Same as Bravo. Pep cares mainly about them being good on the ball. Everything else is completely secondary.

Unearthly

Pep could have done with a bus. Instead they got their ass rightfully handed to them

klose

A shambles says eamonn

tanko

SlickRic wrote: »

City are still mentally quite weak. While Barca have been good, City have ended up just letting Barca have their way with them.

The Man city players should be ashamed of themselves, they just gave up long before the end.

Mr.Nice Guy

Dunphy's scarleh.

Ally Dick

Pep has never managed a team that needed to defend before

Alonso77

The actual moment where you can see Dunphy thinking "what the f**k am I babbling on about?" while he's talking guff.