Anyone watching Pellegrini on Sky? It very much appears he was unaware that one more goal would have seen them top the group. Amazing if true.
Haha, really? Watched the game but didn't listen to the interviews. Incredible result for City when you look at the players they rested.
That's twice bayern have lost to English sides when nothing to really play for but sure fair play or City as that's why they replaced Mancini with The Professor, to improve their champions league record.
In the beeb's gossip column today it says Roma want Lamela on loan,if Spurs agree it will take him even longer to settle in!
Don't think it'll happen mate. AVB said in a recent press interview that the club understands Lamela needs time and their willing to give it as they know the sort of level he can reach as a player. Loaning him out would be of no benefit.
He said if it had gone to 4-2 he would have sent Aguero on to get the extra goal, wheras on Head to Head 4-2 was enough and that would have been enough to go through. I think he believed it was overall GD. They even sent Garcia (I think) on for Dzeko with a few minutes to protect their lead.
Milner said the players (wrongly) thought they needed to win 5-2 to better Bayern's goal difference so protecting a 3-2 lead made no sense at all.
It would be bizarre to loan him out. What he's done so far is not surprising: displayed flashes of brilliance amidst periods where the toughness of the PL has been too much for him, along a generally improving curve. You don't know of course, but there's a reasonable hope he'll be a big player for us by the end of the year, and more than a decent prospect that he'll get a fair amount of game time. So far the only thing he looks like he needs is a little time and a little toughening up. If he hasn't improved significantly by the beginning of next year, then I'll worry.
The only way to toughen up is to play games. Pires had the same problem with the goons, showed flashes of brilliance, looked lightweight and people where doubting if he could make it, yet in his first season with Arsenal he played 51 games overall. Lamela will be luckily to play half of that total, and the majority will be from the bench.
Napoli score at 92:30 (with 30s left). Arsenal take 30s+ to return the ball. Arsenal kick off and ref immediately blows. What? That's now how it works - Napoli should have had 30s - 1min left.
