Our strength in depth.

If our best XI is:

Ederson, Walker, Stones, Otamendi, Mendy, Fernandinho, Silva, De Bruyne, Sane, Sterling, Jesus

Then our rotation options look like:

Bravo, Danilo, Delph, Kompany, Mangala, Adarabioyo, Toure, Gundogan, Bernardo, Foden, Zinchenko, Diaz, Aguero

Only three of the best XI started last night. That wasn't rotation, that was throwing a game away.

But play the best XI with one, two or three rotation options in and we'll be fine. That's what squad rotation is; giving different players a rest as and when they need them one or two at a time.
 
We're arguably 4 players short of being able to play the same football in the same system without any drop in standard, either in a game or in a game 3 days later: centre half, left back, central midfielder, Sanchez.

VVD, Betrand, Chan and Sanchez

60 million 30 million 10 million 44 million - 144 million and we can win the champions league - get them all in for the 2nd of Jan - home debuts vs Watford.
 
If any team loses two of its best players, it will struggle to be the same. Losing both Silva & KDB is like Barca losing Xavi & Iniesta, they most certainly are not the same.

We have often been managing without 3 key players, but mainly defenders &/or a striker & the balance has remained due to Pep finding a way of getting KDB, Silva & 3 attackers, into the team. Danilo, though shite last night, has done pretty well on several occasions imo & is mainly short of game time & gets pissed about a lot, whilst settling at a new club, in a new league.

When we bring in Gundogan, he neither creates like Silva or DeBruyne nor defends like Fernandinho, he's sort of an extra part to play with them, not instead of them, so the balance changes. Same with Bernardo Silva. Yaya is old & needs both games & a functioning team around him, to be anywhere near it. They are all lacking game time & would surely be much better with it, but there is a question mark over the fitness (for the job) of Yaya & Gundogan. Yaya is unlikely to get it, Gundogan has to, or is finished.

But put all 3 in the same team, & you don't have a team.

Put one in & you should still be fine for most games, but the rest of the team has to be 'on it' to cover it.

The other option, which has been there for years, is making up an 'extra' player or two, from the academy lads, by using several of them in small parts.

Unfortunately, most of the ones we could have used have been kicked out or loaned out or have gone to shit in no mark leagues.
 
What is this thread about then.

Our squad is fine barring a LB which would free Delph up to rotate with Fern. Upgrading Yaya is needed as well but not critical. Sanchez would be nice but I'd rather give Diaz a go first. Danilo made one mistake and suddenly he's crap is he? Every player makes a mistake every now and then so give him a break.
 
To expect a team with so many changes to play as well as your top outfit, is fantasy island stuff.

The players coming in have an opportunity to show they should be considered though and looking at how individuals performed is where the focus should be.

The question I would be asking as a city fan is.

How many of those players who got the nod, played well enough to give you confidence they could slot in after injuries to current first team, for that to be seamless in relation to how you play?

If you have enough to carry on, you have the strength in depth. If you don't think you saw players who could achieve that, you need to pray, and we all know praying is a waste of time, that your top guys don't get injured.

One additional thing to consider is perspective. All teams will suffer injuries, all will need to call on players not first choice. I suppose it all comes down to having faith that your players in the back up boat can step in.

All of the players you fielded last night are top players, so I wouldn't be panicking just yet.

Or at all really. Calm down. You're spoiled with talent. Pep will rotate the team to deal with injuries. Just like all the other managers of the team's capable of winning the CL.

It's a boat they are all in.
 
To expect a team with so many changes to play as well as your top outfit, is fantasy island stuff.

The players coming in have an opportunity to show they should be considered though and looking at how individuals performed is where the focus should be.

The question I would be asking as a city fan is.

How many of those players who got the nod, played well enough to give you confidence they could slot in after injuries to current first team, for that to be seamless in relation to how you play?

If you have enough to carry on, you have the strength in depth. If you don't think you saw players who could achieve that, you need to pray, and we all know praying is a waste of time, that your top guys don't get injured.

One additional thing to consider is perspective. All teams will suffer injuries, all will need to call on players not first choice. I suppose it all comes down to having faith that your players in the back up boat can step in.

All of the players you fielded last night are top players, so I wouldn't be panicking just yet.

Or at all really. Calm down. You're spoiled with talent. Pep will rotate the team to deal with injuries. Just like all the other managers of the team's capable of winning the CL.

It's a boat they are all in.
tumblr_nhmockqoKL1u78hkqo1_250.gif

We've waited ages for a good moan. Let us enjoy it.
 
Another thing, just my opinion, is that I strongly think Pep signed players to try stuff out.

He tried a few things last season & then looked at last season's squad & saw the need for more pace & athleticism, but I don't think he had made a decision that our front 3 should be two greyhounds & a cf.

It could have worked out that both Bernardo Silva & Gundogan, played regularly in more of a 5 man midfield, with Mendy & Walker providing the width, Alexi Sanchez Aguero & Jesus rotating in one or two positions & Sane/Sterling as two 'kids' who are coming through & used less often.

That was why I didn't want Sanchez.

Gundogan & Bernardo, would be much more at home in a midfield oriented game, with attacking fullbacks (as would Yaya).

If Pep was starting from here, he might not sign Gundo or Bernardo.
 

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