Monaco (a) review - Out of the UCL

Well well well... I predicted Monaco to score 3 times, so City needed just 2 to go through and they played so badly that we could not do that. The performance and effort rate was an absolute disgrace. A disgrace to the travelling fans, to the fans not at the match and to the club. Just awful. The first half is one of the worst I have ever seen from City. To go out to a free passing and attacking Monaco isn't the problem. Monaco played awesome at times over the two legs but City matched them in the home leg and in the second half too. We scored 6 times over 3 halves but are out. So what went wrong. Well, the first half yesterday was slow and I got the feeling the team couldn't really be bothered. It took for KDB to drop deep for things to happen. That only worked because Monaco backed off. They put so much effort into the first half, I'm not sure they had energy to hurt City in the second half yet they still managed to get that killer goal to see them through on away goals (6-6 on aggregate). If they continue to show spells of sitting back, they will get punished like they punished City for being so bad in the first half. 

Mbappe scored and hurt City after eight minutes. Stones was fuming at the lack of cover for the second as Fabinho scored. So poor in the first half. De Bruyne a passenger, Aguero couldn't hold the ball up well from the amazing pressing of Monaco. Silva struggled, Sane and Sterling didn't track too well and the defence was just a joke throughout the two legs. None were good enough. I felt most sorry for Stones, he's trying his best but you can't be made good when the team is so bad. I'd like to see him partner Kompany or a new CB and some LB and RB's and then we would see how good Stones is. City played a lot better second half. Chances wasted but finally got the goal needed to go through, Sterling cut in side, shot and the keeper got down and saved well and Sane smashed the tap in, in, just. Pep instructed for City to then dominate and that never came. Minutes came by, Monaco looked a little kore threatening as they stopped sitting back yet still didn't worry the City net. Yet surprise surprise, a set piece comes in, City didn't defend and Monaco's defender heads in, Bakayoko. So disappinting. City lost all their confidence. Not good enough. De Bruyne's set pieces were terrible and his all round play was bad today. He's been bad the last few games and looks shy. He needs dropping and I'd put Yaya just a little bit more up field as Gundogan is injured. Disappointing all round from the team. Must do a lot better in the next 2 months or Pep and the team will lose their CL place next year. Talking of CL places, England could lose a spot in the CL and Europa League with England's teams being so disappointing. If Leicester go out in the quarter finals and Juventus progress into the semi-finals, England need Man Utd to win the Europa League. 

There was so little space, a small pitch and on small pitches, City really struggle. Everton away? Spurs away? Monaco away? Celtic away? Anfield? Not good enough, Pep doesn't know how to win on these small pitches and unless he finds the answer, we won't be winning anything. You need to play properly, be defensive and allow these teams to have the ball, they aren't so clever when defensive teams come to town. So you need to know how to defend and City don't, hence we can't play on narrow pitches. Teams will see this a copy how teams like Monaco and Spurs play and then City will be in big trouble. Not good. A lot of questions that Pep needs to find the answer too. Mancini had half bothered performances, finished 2nd, went out in the group stage in the UCL and got sacked, This season, we stand to go out in the last 16 after reaching the semi-final last season in the UCL and face finishing outside of the top 4. If that doesn't warrant a truly awful season, I don't know what is. This could be the worst City season since 2010. We missed out on the top 4, won nothing and did nothing in the Europa League. Not good. We seem to be heading backwards. We have 3 huge games against Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea consecutively. If we are out of the top 4 places after the Chelsea match, we will struggle to get back in. They need to use the bitterness and disappointment of Monaco and use it as motivation. A win against Liverpool on Sunday will see City take a big step towards the top 4. Lose, and we are in big big trouble. Is Pep's job on the line? Can City afford a season away from the UCL? How do we get back into it? They are heading that way unless the team picks up. If we have more first half's like that against Monaco, we will not be in the Champions League next season. Be warned. If I was Chief at City, I'd be letting Pep know that failure isn't an option. Maybe that will help him put the rockets up the back end of the players. Players like Sagna, Clichy, Kolarov, that just shouldn't be near a Champions League defence. That's three positions we need to improve on. That is without considering Kompany's position with injuries. We haven't defended well since his decline with injuries, that isn't a coincidence, he's world class and we lack another world class CB. Stones and Otamendi show signs of being ok, but we need better. We need leaders and organisers, the defence, midfield and attack lacks that. That's at least seven signings needed in the summer and seven that need to leave, at least. I'll go through them now. 

We need a new keeper. Hart will probably leave which leaves Bravo and Caballero. We spent 17m pounds on a backup goalkeeper as he can't get a keeper, who is out of contract at the end of the season, out of the team. That sums up Bravo. I'd rather keep Willy and get rid of Bravo. We've been linked with Ederson, the young keeper for Benfica. He's small, similar to Bravo and passes. Sigh. Why didn't we sign Lloris a few years back? Blame Pellegrini. It stinks. 

The defence. HA HA. Where do I start? Sagna and Zaba, I'd be rid of both. As solid as Sagna was last season, he looked leggy of late, he looks past it. He looks like he is destined for Italy. I have a lot of admiration for Sagna but he isn't a way forward for City, he's slowing us down. Zabaleta too. He's wonderful, I'd love to see him as a coach at City. He bleeds blue. But we need younger, quicker and fitter. Who? Well, Walker is out of the question, we missed out on Clyne (Pellegrini again) so that's the English quota looking bad. Bellerin won't leave Arsenal, imagine the price? Who does that leave? Well, Maffeo could be used as backup, young, can pass and can only get better. But we need quality. Fabinho of Monaco looked class, Henrichs of Levekusen has been linked. Go after them. Left back is the same. Kolarov isn't the answer, Clichy is bad so why not promote Angelino and use him as backup and really go out and sign a quality left back? Rose isn't an option (price, Spurs don't need the money), Bertand has been linked but for 30M pounds. That's a lot. Alaba will cost a lot and Bayern won't sell. We're left with Bertrand, Gaya, Rodriquez. I'd take a punt on Mendy from yesterday. Young, quick, powerful, good at putting balls in. Might be cheap too. Sidibe too. Lots of options. Mangala will leave, Adarbioyo's contract is up. Kompany's injury record is to be desired. That leaves a CB needed, Demichellis hasn't been replaced. Kolarov has been used and he's very hit and miss. His contract isn't up until next summer so I'm being realistic, I don't think he will leave. It leaves just one CB unless Vinnie leaves. Bonucci or Laporte will be signed. I'm certain of it. Denayer is to return, will he be used? (he is homegrown). Next up is the midfield. Fernando isn't getting used, he will leave. Which mean Fernandinho will probably be tied down to a new contract. I think Yaya may have a year added onto his too. Which means with the midfield, we only need one player. Gundogan is to return, Garcia I'd like to see loaned out in the Premier League for a season to see how he does. He is homegrown, but promoting Angelino and Maffeo and using Denayer makes up the numbers. We also have Iheanacho, Unal deserves a chance (impressing in the Netherlands). That means just one CM or CDM needed. Who? Isco? Delph may leave but if he does, he needs replacing with someone English. England are not screaming out in CM. Ward-Prowse? Is that an improvement? I think if Delph can improve his fitness he could be a key rotated player. I rate him, funnily enough. He can score, pass, tackle. What more is there out there that is English? If Delph leaves he will be replaced by Nzonzi, he's doing well at Sevilla (Leicester excluding). That is a real option but we will need to promote an academy player to make up the homegrown numbers. Not a bad thing. He could replace Yaya too, he is on a LOT of wage. We also have Nasri to leave, a swap deal involving Nzonzi maybe? Again, bar Leicester, he's done well at Sevilla. Sevilla are doing great in La Liga, that cannot be ignored. The wings, Navas is out of contract and Nolito seems to be right down the order. Will they both leave? With Nasri out too, that frees up some space on the wings. We will sign one or two attackers. We will only sign two if Aguero leaves (not impossible). Aguero is quality and City can still get a lot of money for him. If he leaves, I think City will go after Sanchez (winger and striker) and use him and Jesus. Quality. We've been linked with Lukaku and Aubameyang but I don't think they would suit City. Lots of options, here is a list of potential signings and replacements. 

Ins - 

Ederson (gk)

Gaya or Grimaldo (LB)

Bonucci or Laporte (CB)

Bertand (if Kolarov leaves, LB)

Denayer (promoted maybe, RB/CB)

Henrichs (RB)

Isco (CM/CAM)

Nzonzi (CDM if Yaya leaves)

William Carvalho (Big maybe but a quality replacement for Fernando, CDM)

Sanchez (AML/AMR/ST, only if Aguero leaves) 

OUTS - 

Hart (GK)

Caballero (GK-OfC)

Zabaleta (RB-OfC)

Sagna (RB-OfC)

Clichy (LB-OfC)

Adarbioyo (CB-OfC)

Fernando (CDM)

Yaya Toure (CM-OfC)

Delph (CDM/CM)

Navas (RW-OfC)

Nolito (big maybe, along with Kolarov)

Aguero (we'll see, ST). 

Others - Bony, Narsi, Mangala, Denayer (maybe), Roberts (maybe, will get pre season to see though), many youngsters out on loan (Maybe Garcia or Iheanacho included, Maffeo, Angelino, Adarbioyo on a new contract and loaned is possible, others may be sold like Bunn and Evans, don't be surprised.

 I can't wait for summer now, to see what happens. But big games to go until the end of season. I'll see you on Friday for a preview to Liverpool, a preview to Blackburn vs PNE (we're going to) and I'll review them on Sunday or Monday too, taking us nicely to the international break.