It was so new to them they collectively had no idea how to respond. [url=http://www.broncosproauthentic.com/Black-Friday-Demarcus-Ware-Jerse y/]DeMarcus Ware Jersey[/url] . Theya€?d just watched their team crumble in the final three minutes, allowing Real Madrid to score two goals and defeat them 3-2.

It was so new to them they collectively had no idea how to respond. DeMarcus Ware Jersey . Theya€?d just watched their team crumble in the final three minutes, allowing Real Madrid to score two goals and defeat them 3-2. The cluba€?s fanbase were split in their reactions. Many longstanding supporters were used to disappointment and called in the post-match talk show to say that being disappointed with a 3-2 loss at Real Madrid in the Champions League shows how far the club had come. Yet, there was a section of the supporters who expected more. Millions had been invested into the team and, they said, they wanted to see their club challenging amongst the true great teams of European football. And yet they still wait. Two years have passed for Manchester City since that night at Madrid, but there has been an all too familiar feeling for their players and fans when it comes to the Champions League. It is a tournament that played a huge part in the sacking of Roberto Mancini, after back-to-back years of failing to qualify for the knockout stage, and the hiring of Manuel Pellegrini, who had been seen as an overachiever in the tournament with Villarreal and Malaga. Yet, the familiar tales kept on coming. Not that anyone is feeling sorry for them. City remain relative new boys to the big scene and nowhere has that been more evident than in the UEFA co-efficient system that has handed them difficult groups in each of their four campaigns so far. In 2011, it was Bayern Munich and Napoli that stopped them from progressing, while in 2012, they were exposed, finishing last in a true a€?championsa€? group that consisted of Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid and Ajax. Last season, under Pellegrini, they performed much better, winning five of six matches, but still finished second to reigning champions Bayern Munich. That forced them up against a group winner in the last 16 and they were outclassed over two legs by Barcelona. This year they were handed Bayern Munich. Again. For the third year out of four. And CSKA Moscow for the second-straight season. After losing in Munich on Matchday One of the tournament, City were already facing up to the prospect of likely finishing second once again in their group. Such a scenario, of course, is not always a bad thing, provided City can show that they have the qualities to be mature enough to get the job done in Europe against top teams. Such a test was presented to them on Tuesday night against the fourth team in Group E, high-flying Roma. Two years on from that night in Madrid, the fans were no longer divided in their expectations. Before they played Roma, City had played 21 Champions League matches in four seasons, won eight, drawn four and lost nine. The eight wins had come only against four teams a€“ Villarreal, Viktoria Plzen, CSKA Moscow a€“ all twice a€“ and twice against Bayern Munich when, each time, the German giants had already qualified for the last 16. City fans werena€?t the only ones thinking the club had something to prove. I fancy City to put down a Champions League marker and beat Roma convincingly tonight, tweeted Michael Owen, only hours before the match. Whenever European footballa€?s elite competition comes around almost as familiar as Manchester Citya€?s Champions League opponents is the na?ˉve, borderline biased, analysis from sections of the English media around a Premier League opponent. It happened again at the Etihad on Tuesday. Tony Gale, in charge of providing colour commentary, said about Roma early in the game, that Roma was not as frightening a side as it has been down the years. Shortly before half-time he added that City shouldna€?t be giving this team a chance. The same City who lost to Stoke at home earlier in the month indeed struggled to insert any form of dominance on the game, but Roma played a huge part in that. After 25 minutes, it was already 1-1. City had been handed the perfect start when Maicon pulled Sergio Agueroa€?s shirt and the Argentine stroked home the penalty. The moment of the match, though, happened midway through the first half when Francesco Totti scored his first-ever goal in England with a magnificent finish over Joe Hart. Hart was at fault for being slow to react, before a key slip, but not as culpable as Vincent Kompany who, again, stepped up and wandered out of the backline a€“ to track the intelligent Totti a€“ and Yaya Toure, who simply allowed Seydou Keita to stroll past him into midfield. It was hardly a shining moment for Citya€?s spine. Tactically Pellegrinia€?s side were na?ˉve, playing with just two central midfielders, and Romaa€?s midfield trio took over the game in the first half as Totti dropped deep and even made it four-versus-two at times. David Silva was then forced to drift off the left flank to make up a three and thata€?s why Maicon had so much space to get forward on that flank. Shortly before the hour, Pellegrini removed Edin Dzeko for Frank Lampard and City had more control on the game, but they werena€?t good enough to go on and win the match, as they couldna€?t reach the level of tempo that this club so often shows domestically. a€?We didna€?t play well,a€? admitted the manager afterwards. More familiar tales for City. It was the fourth-successive Champions League season where they had failed to win their opening home match. A team that has won two Premier League titles on the back of some wonderful home performances will know all too well what a challenge that now brings in terms of qualification. They now must win back-to-back clashes with CSKA, something they did last year, and likely find a way to win at home to Bayern Munich and/or in Rome on the final matchday if they want to progress. They certainly have the players to accomplish such a feat, but the truth is the English champions once again failed to deliver when asked to sit at the top table for European footballa€?s showpiece event. Any more performances like this one on a European night and City will be ending their Champions League campaign far too prematurely for a fourth-successive season. Shannon Sharpe Jersey . The Cottagers last victory came in a 2-1 home win over West Ham when Rene Meulensteen was still in charge. Since then, a miserable run of seven defeats and two draws has seen the club part with the Dutch coach and replace him with German Felix Magath. Ronald Leary Jersey . Philippe Desrosiers stopped 42 shots through overtime and three more in the shootout to pick up his third shutout of the season for Rimouski (31-15-7). Zachary Fucale made 28 saves for Halifax (34-17-3) in the loss. http://www.broncosproauthentic.com/Black-Friday-Brendan-Langley-Jersey/ .Y. - Rob Manfred was promoted Monday to Major League Baseballs chief operating officer, which may make him a candidate to succeed Bud Selig as commissioner.As the countdown to the opening major of the year continues, Kevin Pietersen and Shane Warne have challenged their golfing skills by playing Augustas famous 12th hole in the Masters Challenge. The cricketing duo have regularly gone head-to-head over the years, but a visit to Sky Sports Golfs shot centre to take on one of golfs most famous par-threes would offer a far different test.Their task was to attempt to clear the water of Raes Creek, avoid the three troublesome bunkers and try to get closest to the flag on the middle hole of Augustas Amen Corner. Masters week on Sky All four days and much more live on Sky Sports The pair openly admit to being avid golf fans and have regularly been seen appearing in Pro-Am events, but who would come out on top in an Ashes battle at the Golden Bell?Click on the video above to see which of the Sky Cricket pundits made it closest to the pin! 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