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I suppose it shouldn’t be any surprise that City’s flaws ended up costing them. The mistakes and the bad, bad misses. But perhaps the inevitable conclusion to it all was Guardiola selecting a team not out of arrogance or stubbornness, but fear. https://theathletic.com/1999243/2020/08/16/city-fear-flaws-lyon/?source=emp_shared_article
There is always sound logic behind the decisions (wanted to avoid Lyon’s breaks, basically, and in a way the game showed he was right to be concerned). But over the course of the season has he become too concerned with what ‘they’ do, more so than with what City can do? Maybe
I don’t have all the answers, I wish I did! A lot of my thoughts seem like the kind of reaction I don’t like, simply criticising somebody because what they tried didn’t work, despite the logic behind it. But surely he must have known the effect of the changes on his own players?
All the players say the best thing about Guardiola is that he’ll say exactly what will happen on the pitch and then it happens. He knew Lyon’s strengths, and knew what City would do, but didn’t see this outcome coming. I dunno, maybe the criticism is lack of foresight!
It feels hypocritical of me to say City should’ve played their own game. I said the same before United in Dec & they lost. Pep changes for the next game and it looked better. He was criticised for not playing City’s own game against Madrid, despite it working, and I disagreed.
And in a way, the way Lyon did counter against City highlights the threat they have. Like Madrid’s first goal in the Bernabeu proved what Pep was trying to avoid. But... maybe it is a case of trusting your own players more. Look at the chances created in the last 30 minutes
And those chances. Fuck me.
