Sho'Case

City's CB combination is pivotal to the way they play, particularly in their build up. Pep has proven to be creative, flexible and bold when incorporating tactics for big games - it wouldn't surprise me if he used something different or exceptional like when he played 3 at the back and man marking against Messi, Suarez & Neymar at the Camp Nou. Winning duels vs quality of distribution is one aspect of Pep's selection policy in defence, but it's worth factoring in the style of Premier League teams and the typical pattern of the games Man City have in comparison to that of some of the best teams in Europe and how knockout football can influence those dynamics. The power of the away goal and the narrative/score line going into the 2nd leg plays its part too. For example, look at how Zidane adjusted his starting line up for 2nd leg v PSG by benching Modric and Kroos opting for a distinctly more energetic, mobile and dynamic midfield 4 knowing Madrid had the advantage from the 1st leg and would naturally get the space and opportunities to counter attack. Madrid are under a lot of pressure to win the CL, and although that's not unusual for them, this season has been extremely disappointing in domestic competitions. In some senses they are a wounded animal, however, that doesn't change the fact they've been exposed and damaged by teams on too many occasions this season. Zidane's persistence with Benzema and ongoing rotation with certain key players is arguably going to decide his fate. Liverpool are equipped to beat City over 2 legs, so I think the fine margins and opening goals will determine a lot. Liverpool struggle to break down an organised defensive unit happy to sit deep - Man City will be the opppsite of that and therefore, Liverpool will always be capable of hurting them. I can see Pep playing for control at anfield and then assessing things towards the end knowing his team are always likely to score. He'll be conscious of getting blown away in a short period like before. I coach. Not currently doing any coaching courses though. Do you have any coaching experience?

Difficult to say for various reasons, but I think Barcelona may navigate their way to the final - at which stage I'd expect them to win - despite being far from free flowing, as talented individually, stylistically true to their attacking principles and as dominant as recent Barcelona sides. The fact they have a healthy lead at the top of La Liga gives them licence to rest players, but their advantage isn't so vast that they can afford to switch off in all their remaining league games, which can prove costly - as was the case for Pep's Bayern. Man City have the manager to reach the final, but I'm not convinced their authority to control games and ability to nullify the counter attacking threat of certain teams away from home is at the required level. The Liverpool tie will reveal a lot about their prospects for me. Of course, City are dangerous and can overwhelm teams with their attacking intent. However, it's different when the pressure mounts and the CL provokes complicated situations over a two legged tie. The return of Mendy, Jesus' form and Pep's tactical decision could be the difference. The atmosphere at the Etihad is pretty dead, which won't intimidate visiting foreign teams either. I'm not sure if Man City are ready to land in Europe, which is precisely what Pep keeps eluding to in his press conferences. Madrid are candidates for obvious reasons and they're making slight progress as a team. Their offensive output is much better than earlier in the season, but the 1st leg v PSG exposed their deficiencies and how vulnerable they can be if the opposition want to dictate and be aggressive. The Juventus tie falls either side of the Madrid derby so it'll be a demanding period for them to reach the Semis. Bayern have momentum, enough quality, experience and a trusted formula under Heynckes - they'll push anybody over two legs, but I don't see them winning it without Neuer in goal. So yeah, Iniesta to win the CL and complete a treble in what looks likely to be his last season as a Barcelona player, emulating Xavi.

One touch finish King!

The way Cristiano has built his form and momentum in the 2nd half of the season to ultimately make the difference in the CL was so predictable. Looking more assured and sharp in the box. Still expecting it to not quite be enough in the end, but he's boosting his numbers nicely.

Trust! "We would certainly want to avoid Atletico Madrid," said Wenger.

Inevitability. Can't be playing CL knockout games prioritising defence in both legs - the away goal is too pivotal. The reality is, Man U are nowhere near ready to reach the latter stages anyway, but this way their elimination may force matters to be addressed sooner rather than later. Mourinho can't act like they lost to a giant of CL football or one of the best teams in Europe.

What's the field and role?

Distinct lack of creativity and penetration from Liverpool in the final third, build up play has been too pedestrian and Klopp's not been proactive in addressing that. Underwhelming performance so far.

You've got a point. Van Dijk should have covered the space Lovren vacated to contest for the header with Lukaka though. It's basic that a centre back instantly covers the other in that situation just in case they don't win the duel. Van Dijk should have been thinking "worst case scenario."

SNM. Alexander Arnold got chopped! Ended up skating into a different time zone.

No Pogba. Rashford and Mata start. It'll be interesting to see how much Mata gets on the ball and whether Rashford gets to isolate the full back enough.

Trust. I was explaining this to people during the game that were clutching to the absence of Neymar as to why PSG were losing and never looked like mounting a comeback. Fact is, even with Neymar, the defence and midfield isn't good enough to win the CL and Cavani really isn't that guy. Not to mention Unai Emery being out of his depth. Unless they are ruthless and prepared to make radical changes, I don't see them winning the CL in the next 2 seasons.

Fixed mindset v growth mindset.

He's right. I don't know anybody that would take Sanchez over Hazard.

Makes no sense that Palace finished playing 4-4-2 and repeatedly kept both strikers up on the halfway line while defending. The Man U pressure and pattern of play was suffocating Palace for ages, yet Hodgson didn't sacrifice a striker or change their defensive role. The comeback was inevitable from 2-1, but only because of no tactical changes from Hodgson, or reaction from Palace, to the way Mourinho tried to affect the game in the 2nd half. Hennessey was too deep and shouldn't have been rooted to his line when the ball dropped to Matic. It's difficult to save a shot heading for the corner like that without proactive footwork and being in a position to cut off the angle. A couple of yards or steps makes so much difference in pulling off an acrobatic save.

He got gassed at Arsenal and took advantage of the distinct lack of structure, ideas and organisation in attack. Wenger enabled him and didn't give him a defined role or even discipline him to stick to what makes him effective. It's why so many players fall off and look ineffective at Arsenal. Sanchez needs to simplify his game, run in behind, be involved in and around the box to get onto things and be restricted in the final third. I've never thought he warranted the freedom he had at Arsenal, and it's evident in his Man U performances that he needs a reality check.

Lost count of how many times he overcomplicated things, lost possession cheaply and forced passes that aren't in his locker when he played for us. His general play is going to get exposed at Man U - especially now he's not pushing to score goals. Never rated him acting like he's a playmaker/talisman and drifting into areas away from the box and slowing it down like he's got the vision, finesse and passing range to unlock defences.

Those first 2 goals were sick. That should be a regular occurrence if you have players on the wave though.

? I was genuinely pleased for you, I'd given you that sense of purpose and belief that "anything is possible," even if it takes years of sweat, graft, rage, gut wrenching desperation and tragic failure. I imagine you remember it like it was yesterday... What FIFA was that? Day? Month? Time? What did you have for dinner? How did you celebrate?

Came on as a substitute against West Brom and should have got 2 assists - whipped in a perfect cross for Barkley and put Lukaku through on goal - poor finishing in both instances denied him, but an encouraging impact on his debut.

You mean, they can find 100 Eders but as long as Higuain is missing 1v1s as per usual, there is no chance of winning. In all seriousness, you have a point about Messi's lack of charisma being a deficiency as captain - he's quiet, shy and introverted. Don't overlook the fact Tata was the manager, he's an atrocious coach who compounded the problems as opposed to alleviating them and providing solutions for the team. Sabella was a joke too. I see what you did there, haha. The irony is that while Cristiano managed to have that impact from the touch line and various intervals during the final, whenever he was on the pitch in the Euros, he primarily stifled, intimidated and discouraged his teammates. Portugal grew in stature as a team from the moment they reorganised when Cristiano was substituted and they elevated their game... I actually don't think Messi is a conventional natural leader, he relies on his performance to lead, inspire and rally the team. When that fails him (nobody will always play well or even contribute), he doesn't appear to have much to fall back on... An ideal captain would possess more than that - typical leadership and motivational skills and a greater ability to influence players socially/psychologically. The only time I recall that his mere presence made such a noticeable difference was when he came off the bench against PSG at the Camp Nou in the CL Quarter-finals 2nd leg in 2013. It's arguably too much pressure for Messi to captain his country and replicate the type of performances he delivers for Barcelona, at this stage of his career - Maradona was built for it, but very few are. I feel playing with Puyol, Xavi, Iniesta, Abidal, Alves, Busquests, Mascherano, Pique, Suarez, Neymar, etc., afforded Messi the type of support on the pitch and in the dressing room, that runs deeper than footballing ability and quality - these guys are different characters, personalities or leaders who unite contingents within a team, if not the entire collective. Anyway, wearing the armband has been tainted in some respects, to me it's awarded as if it signifies less and less these days - merely a show of who is recognised as the best player, as opposed to the best candidate - Hazard (Belgium), Messi (Argentina), Ronaldo (Portugal) come to mind.

I didn't rate his decision to retire, so I'm glad he reversed it... I'm intrigued to see what mentality Messi plays with during the next 2 years and essentially how determined he is to succeed with Argentina. The adversity, scrutiny and devastating failure of recent events and tournaments should propel such a legend to even greater things and instigate an emphatic response to his critics. Messi is an extraordinary player with sublime natural ability and bewildering consistency. It's been a privilege to witness his career, despite struggling to reproduce the levels and influence of his club performances on the international stage when it mattered most. We live in a world where people are guilty of taking many things for granted, an inspirational Lionel Messi is certainly one of those, unfortunately. Hopefully Argentina can discover their very own Eder and Messi can complete his legacy to end any debate about his status among the greatest of all time.

This biggest factor in his development and success at Everton will be Koeman - Yannick's been playing under a generic British manager throughout his professional career and he missed on out the academy phase as a youngster - It'll be interesting to see if he will get the opportunity to form a partnership with Baines on the left, the support of a good attacking full back can only elevate his game and efficiency. Everton need a new centre midfield though, which should really be the supply for their attackers like Yannick Everton are in transition so I don't expect much straight away. C/s the Lukaku sentiment, plays like a playground striker.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02zdkg9 Confirms some of what I said.

Literally one of the deadest kits, the players must be pissed. Interesting that on MNF Martinez reiterated Everton will always want to get on the ball and break teams down, wanting to control the game, but they've just camped on the edge of their box to counter in the 2nd half. I'm guessing this is another demonstration of the flexibility he called for in order to evolve.