*****The Official Champions vs Olympique Lyonnais Match Thread*****

[Jelavic18 626]

Beaten by a better side, again I can't agree with this.  We just didn't show up like every game so far this season.  No player up for the fight and tactics were all wrong.  First 5 mins when we attacked and took the game to them, look what happened.   But then we just sat back and invited them on.  Think it was Kent who lost the ball for the first goal and u can see him jogging back without a fucking care in the world.  Boom, goal.  And momentum changes.  Not enough fight from Gerard either, last 20 mins or so.  2-0, I'd be on the touchline screaming for players to close down and get forward. 

 

[Inigo 32,526]

1 minute ago, johanhentze said:

They are a very good team.. do not understand people who say otherwise - especially the ones who say they are 5th in the league... the Mhanks are also 5th in the league with 5 games played.. they will still finish 2nd. Lyon are 5th in a league that contains PSG, Marseille, Lille and the likes.. they are quality - saying anything else is simply daft.

Lyon will likely finish second again. 

[ritchieshearercaldow 22,137]

Thankfully I don’t care about Europe this year, money is welcome but we have to win the league, do that and we can build better for Europe next year.

[esquire8 42,467]

Did we actually sign Bacuna or a cardboard cutout of him to sit on the bench?

[KaiserJon 12,393]

2 minutes ago, .Williamson. said:

Lay off the drink mate 

Behave it sounded fine atmosphere wise. The Germans were complimentary towards it even but aye get a cheap dig in. Disappointed tonight overall with the urgency and the original eleven we got beat by a better team. As others have said they looked comfortable and we look disorganised.

[Imodium 410]

Lyon a good side & deserved to win. We are very predictable going forward. Lacking the quality service when it matters and we continually try the same thing.

Hopefully no hangover into the league game at the weekend, all that matters is to win the league. It’s not an option to fail, the financial implications for the next 2/3 years will be determined by it.

Too many players were not up to it tonight. Balogoun arguably our best player and that’s with conceding two goals as well. We need to find our fight again. Kamara looked like he could play in practically any team in Europe for a 30 minute phase in the first half. When we lost our goal his head went down and was making silly mistakes that he never makes. Not blaming individuals it was a collective failure

[Moody Blue Legend 61,461]

Shagger didn’t even have that much to do but I feel we were outclassed.  Strange one.

[BigBearButt 3,627]

Just now, Valance1690 said:

Very disappointing 

They are a good team with a few standout players but they're not world beaters 

Made it so easy for them playing with Kamara/Kent & Lundstrum, all 3 absolutely shocking.

Lundstrum is utter shite, none of this he has to settle pish, he's a shocking football player & a complete waste of a wage

Kent looks lost in this team, the formation and tactics aren't working to his strengths and he's worse than a man down

Kamara has completely checked out, assume he was 1 of the ones close to leaving in the summer, only explanation for a player who looks like he'd rather be anywhere else.

No mention of Davis who was our worst player?

[bluenoz 30,833]

As much as Lundstram played decent, I still don't think he is the answer but it justifies Gerrard to keep playing him.

Davis and Kamara were awful.

[esquire8 42,467]

1 minute ago, The Blues said:

If we play like this we will struggle to get any points in this group

Rather that than drop into the conference. 

[soulboy 2,518]

2 minutes ago, BlueThunder said:

No disgrace to be beaten by Lyon but we look scared and bereft of real ideas on potentially one of the bigger nights of our European season.

To me all of our signings this season are lucky to make the squad - Bacuna will have to be an absolute diamond to salvage something from this transfer window.

 

What gives with Bacuna we finish game with 2 midfielders yet he still doesnt get on.

[sausagetrunks 6,022]

1 minute ago, bluenoz said:

They toyed with us mate. Thing is, I'm normally pissed when we lose, tonight I know we lost to a far better team.

Same, the only thing i was getting annoyed about is the diving of the lyon players.  like it or not, we were made to look bad by a superior team.  

[Jimfanciesthedude 24,540]

1 minute ago, sassaaaa said:

Another gutless performance , hardly surprising , we have been like this all year and the manager has zero ideas on how to fix it.........

 

He does he's just too fucking stubborn to do it, 

How many times did one of our midfield 3 get the ball and every blue shirt in front of them has a red shirt marking them or sometimes 2,

For all the bluster about how barisic and tav offer an attacking threat, denayer and boateng fucking love big looping crosses, morelos had no chance tonight, 

Badly miss hagi and badly miss another midfielder further up the park to play off morelos, 

[The Blues 375]

Worst performance since Malmö and that was the worst performance since DU. Horrendous start to the season. We even struggled against that Armenian mob.

[turbo1 41]

They’re the better team but pretty disappointing. Too many players off the boil tonight and it showed. Created nothing the second half.

Still reckon we’ll make it out but need to up our game from that

[ESWF 144]

1 minute ago, GersInCanada said:

Poor performance but on another day could have got a draw. Just have to win in France now.

No we couldn’t have. That tonight was rubbish. 

[sassaaaa 11,406]

Just now, ianb1547 said:

disappointed tonight...but still think we will get out of the group

The way we have played all year and the latest batch of shite Gerrard has signed tells me we have no chance of going through from this group.......

[MillwallLoyal 282]

Kamara was woeful tonight. Aribo has no confidence in his right boot, no creativity in midfield, and no alternative to the 4-3-3. 
We set out to contain them when we should’ve had a more attack minded line-up / formation (4-2-3-1 ideally). 

[DrLaudrup 4,599]

9 minutes ago, SwallowsHisOwnSpunk said:

Davis is just as bad.

We’ve had nobody since Albertz or Mendes when he felt like it that could strike a ball. Gerrard must tear his hair out that we don’t have midfielders that can find the target consistently from outside the box. 

[esquire8 42,467]

Just now, bluenoz said:

As much as Lundstram played decent, I still don't think he is the answer but it justifies Gerrard to keep playing him.

Davis and Kamara were awful.

Justifies a start because we have little backup and the other two are playing shite? 

How far have we regressed this summer?

[NitshillBear 1,455]

We look really disjointed. No understanding in midfield. Nothing like the what we saw between Kent and Borna last season. Nothing on the right except Tav bombing miles out of position to put a cross in. No creativity. We need a midfielder who plays on the front foot. Morelos needs support. 

Even worse when out of possession. A disorganised press. Players just ignoring their man. Ball watching all over the back line. We're good enough for Scotland but our lack of cohesion is an absolute riddy in Europe.

[shotstopper 765]

Never got the break of the ball. Could be worse, we never lost 4 goals after being 2-0 up.

[the goal machine 7,801]

1 minute ago, bluenoz said:

As much as Lundstram played decent, I still don't think he is the answer but it justifies Gerrard to keep playing him.

Davis and Kamara were awful.

He wasn’t the worst but what role is he meant to play and what qualities does he have that we were lacking? He’s like a slower, pisher Arfield.

[Bristol loyal 6,248]

I’m not too worried about the fact we lost to Lyon. They’re a very good team worth more than we could ever compete with and we always knew they would be our hardest game of the group.

My worry is we can’t allow this slow, uninspiring play and lapses of concentration to become regular this season. We’ve not been at our best so far and need to turn it up a notch or two, do that and we’ll be fine for most games this season.

[SkylineBlue 23,330]

2 minutes ago, Moody Blue Legend said:

Shagger didn’t even have that much to do but I feel we were outclassed.  Strange one.

I agree with this. I think it feels like we were outclassed because it also feels like they weren't really trying either.