CSK-EY??

CSKA Moscow at Home? Easy 3 points? Nothings ever easy the City way!

As I come back from another Champions League home game I am yet again sat feeling let down, disappointed, annoyed, frustrated and even more puzzled and bemused as to what it is City are doing so catastrophically wrong that we cannot perform in Europe?

Again, it was the typical adage of 'typical city' by making things hard for us in the first place. Conceding at home to CSKA Moscow within the first five minutes is a shambles (admittedly I missed it because the Club somehow managed to mess up my tickets so badly which didn't contribute to the enjoyment of the evening).

In typical Toure fashion he managed to rescue City again from a terrible start to the game but after that goal we sat off, there was no desire from the players to get on the ball, to put in a challenge, to press the ball. Like the Derby on Sunday we allowed them time and space on the ball and just invited pressure on ourselves once again which is not what we should be doing. Jovetic worked hard in the first half but had to keep dropping so far deep he was becoming a CDM to collect the ball and with little movement from Aguero (who I have to say tonight and against United didn't work hard enough and didn't perform!) and the rest of the forward players we created little chances and looked unlikely to score at all!

City again tonight look tired, besides James Milner who I believe was City's Man of the Match. Again he was undoubtedly the best player on the pitch, the most hardworking player I have ever seen, he battles, chases, runs, creates chances, tracks back. He does it all, the most industrial player to wear the City shirt since he arrived at the Club. Incredible talent, extraordinary work rate and attitude and I think it is time for the footballing world, from players, fans and pundits to give the man the credit he deserves for what he does for the team. Not a big name to the fans of the world, just a little lad from Leeds, but to City fans he is one of the most important players we have.

All the City players just looked drained and laboured on the ball, there was no energy, no linking up of the play, no movement by any of the forward players. Everything was very slow, the ball wasn't moved around with any pace which allowed Moscow's banks of 4/5 to sit back, re-group and soak up the pressure when we should be using the ball whilst they are out of shape and shifting it at pace to break them down before they have a chance to get themselves set by City never looked like doing that. They allowed Moscow the time to re-organise themselves before City got anywhere near their box and if they ever got that far the lack of creativity and movement heavily highlighted the significant loss of not having David Silva in the team. In my opinion, the best player to ever put on a City shirt could make chances out of nothing and find the most tightest of angles and spaces which is something we massively lacked in the final third tonight.

City again didn't help themselves, Fernandinho getting sent off was a shambles with the second booking looking like the player ran into him and fell over rather than a foul being committed led to City chasing down their goal disadvantage with 1 less player. Only then for Toure to push an opposing player, in almost frustration, which inevitably led to a straight red for the Ivorian then leaving City with an even bigger task of 9 v 11 whilst also seeing Kompany limp and hobble for the last 10 minutes which should sound alarm bells in every city fans head if our leader is injured. Playing the last 10/15 minutes with two players down, an injured Captain/Defender and James Milner, Clichy and Zaba all dead on their feet, City's nights work was almost already over and it looked unlikely anything was to ever come of it.

Whilst we are around the issue of Refereeing, one thing that angers me is how we jump straight on to a Referee and put the blame for the defeat on the referee. Yes there was plenty of questionable decisions made tonight, Fernandinho's second yellow? Was there a penalty shout for City towards the end? But one thing that gets me is that before Toure's red, a CSKA player was sat on a yellow and committed a fairly hefty challenge which was then given as a second bookable offence and the player had to go although the referees 'confusion' led to a different player receive the booking and the culpable offender let off the hook. I have always been against this 'Anti-UEFA' stance as I think City feel the whole world is against them and UEFA only punish us. I still believe that that view is a bit far fetched and they are not just out to get us but I do feel there is something that is not right over at UEFA and FIFA. With mistakes like that being made regularly and very very questionable refereeing decisions being made across all games, I start to doubt and wonder how intricate, complex and deep buried the secrets and potential 'corruption' of UEFA and FIFA is, it is becoming alarming and quite scary how the governing body of a sport has a power over the game but is then abusing this power to corrupt matches and try influence the game to their preferences.

So what is the problem for City in Europe? I begin to wonder whether the mentality and belief of the players psychologically just isn't right, players go into games looking dejected and without hope? Or is it the tactics? Pellegrini has used this 4-4-2 system all season and it doesn't seem to be working. With teams knowing to set up two banks of 4 and counter City, we struggle to break down teams that do this and we never have a Plan B? If we cant play our intricate passing and walk it in then we have no other option of how to break down teams. I still struggle to believe that Pellegrini has yet to realise that he cannot play Yaya alongside another CM in a flat two, Yaya isn't a holding player, he doesn't play well there. I believe we should have Fernando sitting by himself in a 4-1-2-1-2 system or a 4-2-3-1 with Fernando sitting with Fernandinho or Milner and let Yaya play in that Number 10 role just off the striker in the hole because this is where he wants to be. He's an attacking player, he loves to get forward, to make chances, to score goals and this is something we are not utilising this year.

I want opinions of fellow blues out there to get in touch and let me know what you think? Does Pellegrini know how to compete in Europe? Does he need to go or should he stay? What is the cause of our European demise?

Thank you guys for reading and please share this article onto your Social Media sites and get discussion going amongst Blues going.
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