Match Threads Man City vs Spurs - Match thread - Carabao Cup Final 2021 - KO 4:30pm

[Wizzy77]

What nonsense City were brilliant they pressed superbly tactically they were spot on some of their players were brilliant. They are the best side in the world at the moment and when they are on their game how do you play against them? You can't make it a physical battler and we haven't got the players to go long behind their full backs . We couldn't get a foothold in the game and its hard to work out how we could have done

No one is disputing City is one of the best sides in the world right now. But 2 weeks ago, 10 men Leeds and last week Chelsea had balls to take the game to City. Cant blame most of us, hoping to give it a real go at City in a final today..

 

[holsten777]

That was such a disappointing showing. Another big game which just passes us by. We have no identity or style.

Our motto "to dare is to do" couldn't be further from reality, today was like "to be dictated is to do". We were like a string puppet which citeh just pulled around at will.

I didn't really feel anything watching today, no nervousness or excitement, I felt like the team, just going through the motions.

The multiple chances we had to recycle quality in a very good team has gone, we need to build from the start again. Poch used to always bang on about a philosophy, at the time I didn't get what he was talking about, now I do. We need a new one, and the project needs to start again.

 

[Dennism]

OK I don't even think this was a defensive performance, and I think there is a real issue with how people understand modern football. Creating openings is hard, what Mason tried to do, is build from the back, this generally the main way that attacking teams create now, but essentially we couldn't break Man cities press, same with the CL final it's the same. It's not that it was defensive per se it's that we weren't good enough at the building, but no one is ever good at that against city tbf. What was defensive was the shape, we didn't try and press them but rather we played in a mid-block, probably because we were scared of city hitting those long diagonals into the channels.

The weird thing is we were 10 minutes away from extra time, and actually, we did manage to subdue city in the second half, had a lot more possession, got the ball higher up. The subs I think didn't help us, but even then, I think we were well in the game, and defended well. It goes to extra time and penalties and it's a success.

I think people are exaggerating the doom and gloom. Or are just delusional to the difference in level and what's required to reach that level. One of the issues is we are trying to play from the back now, in a Poch kind of way, Poch teams also could be pinned back in their own half a lot, but there has been no time whatsoever to work on it, so it's kind of what you expect. I thought odds were, we'd be beaten pretty comfortably today and I think that we managed to hold and actually a bit more than that in the second half, wasn't a bad show.

However you define it we hardly got out of our own half in the first half. Overall it was negative performance in which we hardly created anything. Not exactly ‘to dare is to do’.

 

[DenverSpur]

Most people would take a 75% Kane over any of other attacking options and the reality is that given how the rest of the team played it wouldn’t have mattered who was up front today, it could have been prime Ronaldo and not made any difference on their own.

But you’re just singling out Kane as the only one exempt of criticism while throwing the rest of the team under the bus. In every game sone players play well while others not so well or badly but overall it’s a team game so if the team lose overall it’s the whole team’s fault and I dislike this narrative that because Kane is our best player he should get a pass whenever the team play badly.

Nothing personal mate just disagree with your defense of Kane today. Whilst by no means the worst player out there today He did nothing to exempt from blame fir the overall team performance.

 

[stormfly]

I can’t believe our record signing and someone we are paying 300k a week to are deemed not good enough to start in the final. That sums up everything that’s wrong with our recruitment atm.

 

[SpartanSpur]

Wish I didn't come in here. I know we all love our club and get angry but come on. The way some of you are going on you'd think a bit of extra effort from the lads would have made up for the technical differences between the two sides. City haven't lost a final since being bought by oil money.

All this fuss about the ESL but football is already unfair. They bought great players and a great manager. 4 of these in a row. 3 PLs out of 4.

These near misses hurt but we're always going to be the underdog unless we luck out with an oil baron of our own. Certainly in a season like this one where the team has been poorly coached and has no identity.

Our best hope today was hanging in the game and getting a bit of luck (or a bit of quality from our forwards) to do it. We certainly weren't getting anything from the ref. It almost happened. I thought the effort was there, certainly was from Hugo, Toby and the much maligned (myself included) Dier. Yes Son had a 'mare but I'd never accuse him of not caring.

It sucks but that's just what I've come to accept from modern football now. Poch dared us to dream for a little while, came so close but just ended up getting mocked for it. We can knock ENIC all we want but unless we get an oligarch of our own we're always going to be fighting a losing battle these days.

I hoped the football gods were smiling on us today, it would have meant so much more to us than them.

 

[vuzp]

okay always want the team to win and play well but fully expected this lost, but the way we lost was so disappointing,
the complete lack of heart and effect was incredible, besides 3 or 4 of the players (Hugo, Toby, Dier, Lucas) at least they done some good things but seeing Winks in the team i was okay lets see what he could do so i was keeping an eye on him but all he did was basically sit in the space and not look for the ball, am 52 years old and could have done that job.
i am picking Winks out because of what he has said about not being in the team until this week,
there was more players including Son that had a very poor game, but if you are going to go shooting your mouth off to the press and thinking you deserve to be in the team that a Cup Final should have been a good game to show what you got and sadly it was just what i expected.

 

[DiamondLites]

I honestly still cannot fathom the decision to bench Bale. Proven winner and performer in the biggest games in world football, in a squad sorely lacking players with a winning mentality, and he’s on the bench for Lucas fucking Moura

 

[ralphs bald spot]

Seriously. All those folks doing dislike posts, give reasons. Otherwise it pointless. Appreciate every now & then; but it becomes a pointless vacuum

We have just got beaten by an outstanding side - people blaming players whatever the side we played werre brilliant today we did lay a glove on them. Thay are that good we stayed in the game and we had to hope for a bit of luck or a free kick or them doing somehing silly that was always going to be the game unless they had a poor day and they didn't . The goal was avoidable as it was a set piece but people spouting about winning mentalites and the players not wanting it are just talking crap -

 

[Navy242046x]

What nonsense City were brilliant they pressed superbly tactically they were spot on some of their players were brilliant. They are the best side in the world at the moment and when they are on their game how do you play against them? You can't make it a physical battler and we haven't got the players to go long behind their full backs . We couldn't get a foothold in the game and its hard to work out how we could have done

We could of just gone balls out attack mate, like you said we have how do you beat them?? Well play attack because that’s where we are at least half decent

 

[daveduvet]

Who on this board thinks we are anywhere near where we all hope to be?

The impression I get is that we believe we’re a big club. However, the reality is that we’ve punched above our weight for years. None thinks we are anywhere near we hope to be, but the chatter would intimidate that we deserve to be up there. We’re inconsistent. We’ve flirted above our current station. We need a reboot

 

[dimiSpur]

There is, undoubtedly, a gap between the sides. It was, undoubtedly, going to need a big performance from us and some luck to win. But the gulf between the sides isn't divisions. We are not a League One side.

Yet we went into the game with that mentality. I remember winning a corner in the 25th minute and being happy, then immediately thinking what the fuck is this mentality.

Even after the game, Ryan was talking almost relieved it was 1-0, talking with a very defeatist attitude.

I'm not blaming Ryan, it's his 2nd game in management. And even though City played well, in the end, our own attitude and lack of belief lost us that final.

It was another final where we leave with a what if reflection. What if we believed more, what if we performed at a higher level. Ultimately, I don't feel like the lads left everything out there on the pitch.

Seeing Sonny crying at the end, and our players slumped, the first thing that came to my mind, ironically, were the words of Mourinho in the documentary. The famous "apapiya papa pa" moment. They only feel like it was a big moment after the game. That was my feeling from today. Which is the most disappointing thing too.

 

[THX2208]

I thought Hugo, Toby and Dier were absolutely immense today and didn't deserve to be on the losing team.

 

[Dougal]

The thing that hit hardest after the game was Micah Richards saying ‘City fans deserve this’. Bollocks. They’ve had a lifetime and then some. Throw a bit out way, I’m tired of this shit.

 

[vuzp]

I honestly still cannot fathom the decision to bench Bale. Proven winner and performer in the biggest games in world football, in a squad sorely lacking players with a winning mentality, and he’s on the bench for Lucas fucking Moura

in fairness Lucas was our best attacker today,

 

[thePessimist]

I honestly still cannot fathom the decision to bench Bale. Proven winner and performer in the biggest games in world football, in a squad sorely lacking players with a winning mentality, and he’s on the bench for Lucas fucking Moura

have you seen any of that winning mentality since he came back? did he show any sign of being a big game player when he came on? Did he even touch the ball?

 

[vuzp]

The thing that hit hardest after the game was Micah Richards saying ‘City fans deserve this’. Bollocks. They’ve had a lifetime and then some. Throw a bit out way, I’m tired of this shit.

City deserved the win but agree 100% the fan deserve this was a joke thing to say.

 

[Dennism]

Well, look at who he started. He expected them to fight. Use their alleged desire to win a trophy as a fulcrum. I have no issues with Mason today, and those having a pop at him, are being a bit unfair. There seems to be a perception held by many, that we have 8 or 9 players that are exceptional and can win anything. But they’re constantly let down by poor management.

Mason has been handed a turd sandwich. Give the guy a break. He was up against the supposed best coach in the universe, against the best team money can buy. We only had a chance to win if the players selected had thrown themselves into the match. Only way to win against a superior opponent like that, is to want it more than them. and all those ‘fantastic‘ players like Kane and Son deserve so much more? Do they? I though both were passive and disinterested most of the game. Kane had a handful of nice moments in the 2nd half. But, c’mon. Stop making excuses for these sad sack losers.

I don’t care that we lost today, given the opposition. I do care at about the shitty, indifferent attitude of so many of our players today. Who shows up for a rare cup final, and phones it in? Cos that is what many of them did. they do not deserve excuses. But, if they had lost playing with passion and grit, I can live with that. But this... it was actually just sad to watch.

Did you read what you wrote this reply to? I was not defending the players and described them as gutless. I was not having a go at Ryan and he cannot be expected to change things in such a short time. However I am concerned that he is maybe too close to the players to get them into line.

 

[King Yid]

Mason claiming the players gave everything. Fucking really?! I swear to god, they must come in of a Monday morning and say “what’s the most patronising thing we can say to the fans that we can get away with?” This week, the club have even had the nerve to bring up 100 years of the cockerel on the badge. They have some fucking gall to bring up the clubs history and heritage given the complete disregard the club has for its fans and that of the wider footballing community that was on display with when they signed up for the ESL.

The closer we’ve come to the Top 4, the odd tilt at the title, those few years in the CL and that run to the final, the further away I feel from the club. The Spurs of today is so far removed from the club I started supporting in 1994 it is unrecognisable.

I’m just done with the hypocrisy in today’s game. The same players who froze in the headlights today will be in the papers next week saying that they’re moving on to wins things. Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher rage about the big six signing up for the ESL for greed and money, were happy to take a fat pay cheque each week when the PL broke away from the Football League and when Sky force Newcastle fans to travel away to Portsmouth on a Monday night purely for TV. Where was the concern for the fans then? Pundits say that it is the responsibility of the big clubs to offer financial aid to the smaller clubs, but say silent when those same smaller clubs are mismanaged into the ground by wannabe Daniel Levy’s in the first place. Where was the concern for the fans who have helped bail out the Portsmouths and the Leyton Orients and all the others while people who had absolutely no business being involved with a football club have been allowed to infect the game like a cancer.

In the words of Billy Beane, this is an unfair game. Football Clubs have ceased to be just that, and heave instead become nothing more that industrials farms whose is to harvest as much money from your wallet as possible. The governing bodies from the FA, the PL all the way up to FIFA are rife with cronyism and corruption.

As fans, we’re bound to our clubs by a totally irrational emotional investment. And it’s an investment with an increasingly diminishing yield as each passes. It’s an investment that is exploited by Football Clubs week after week.

Like all bad investments, it’s time for me to cut my losses. I’m done. I’m out.

 

[thelak]

Today was sadly predictable

Thought Sonny crying was pretty pathetic given his complete no show. No point crying mate when you played the game at half speed

For all the talk of players needing to move on to win things thats 3 finals as well as games like the Semi final to Chelsea where our big game players haven’t shown up