Definitely improvements on all fronts. I would like to try a homegrown keeper (Hart or whomever is deemed good enough) as no.2, but hasn't Bravo been confirmed to stay on? If Bravo's still here, who would be ok with playing 3rd option just to keep the homegrown quota? Gunn out on loan also makes it a bit of an awkward situation.Walker is not the best option, this is the way I see it...
5 have left from last years squad.
Willy = Ederson
Sagna = Alaves (potentially)
Navas = B.Silva
Zaba = ???
Clichy = ???
So far they all look like improvements to me.
In regards to each of the full back positions we are likely to replace, it appears we are going to need to buy home grown to fill the quota? Unless, we ship Bravo out and either keep Hart as no.2 (unlikely) or bring in another homegrown keeper. Then we're free to not get ripped off by Spurs for a slightly better than average full back (as far as top 8 teams in CL are concerned). There are no good enough home grown full backs available, if we keep Bravo as no.2 we will have to buy Walker/Bertrand, I'd prefer Bertrand but it really doesn't make sense to go down that route, I would try persuading Hart to stay for FA Cup, League Cup games and home league games against the bottom 8 teams... If that fails a home grown no.2 would be preferable to Walker Bertrand as first choice.
Look, again it's the wrong thread & I was just making the point re Alves, Real Madrid is no barometer of a player's worthiness.
I have a recording of the game somewhere & was making the point, at the time, I thought we were fucking shite defensively. We were much worse than the highlights..
Real, imo should have been 4, 5, 6 up by half time but finished like wankers. Some of those instances, are there, for you to see, on the video. Top players, missing from a few yards. Others are not on it.
When that happens, imo, it's not 'comfortable' it's dead lucky.
Real had about 20 odd 30 shots & about half on target, as well as the situations they fucked up. eventually, some went in. It should have happened earlier.
imo, Alves, as he is today, would not weaken that defence on that day, which was my point, in replying to someone who was using his difficulties v Real Madrid, last season, as an indication he might struggle now.
It's not a fair situation to judge him imo, you have to look at a bunch of games.
Personally I'm assuming Delph and Fernanado are being sold , there have been rumours of both going, neither played much and we need space in the squad.
There don't seem to be too many rumours of replacements I think Pep may be happy with Yaya Fern and Gundogan.
I would be ok with both going only if we can get a solid DM to start over Fernandinho or rotate with him. Only issue with Delph leaving is the potential need to find a homegrown player at the same or other position.Personally I'm assuming Delph and Fernanado are being sold , there have been rumours of both going, neither played much and we need space in the squad.
There don't seem to be too many rumours of replacements I think Pep may be happy with Yaya Fern and Gundogan.
Definitely improvements on all fronts. I would like to try a homegrown keeper (Hart or whomever is deemed good enough) as no.2, but hasn't Bravo been confirmed to stay on? If Bravo's still here, who would be ok with playing 3rd option just to keep the homegrown quota? Gunn out on loan also makes it a bit of an awkward situation.
If Bravo goes and we keep Hart or sign an English second keeper, wouldn't we still need to get another homegrown fullback?
If we get Walker and Bertrand to go with Sterling & Stones we would get rid of DelphI'm assuming Delph is going nowhere unless he pushes for a move, again, we'd need a home grown replacement, no better out there in a like for like position.
Can't see Fernando going either, not that I rate him, just don't think Pep will use that type of player too often and anyone significantly better isn't going to be happy with a squad role.
You don't need the homegrown in a like for like position, if we get Bertrand and Walker thats our home grown quota maxed.I'm assuming Delph is going nowhere unless he pushes for a move, again, we'd need a home grown replacement, no better out there in a like for like position.
Can't see Fernando going either, not that I rate him, just don't think Pep will use that type of player too often and anyone significantly better isn't going to be happy with a squad role.
Ahh ok i sadly forgot about Willy. I agree that having Bravo at no.2 might be a shady decision. He struggled to adapt in his first season and I'm not entirely confident that he'll get enough playing time to turn it around with Ederson coming in. Just to be on the safe side and play devil's advocate: what if Ederson struggles to adapt as well and we're forced to rely on Bravo? I'm not confident in Bravo to step in and play week in and week out, so I think we should be on the safe side and get an English no.2 keeper.Not according to my maths. Clichy (HG) would just be switched for Willy (No.2 non HG) for a HG number 2 (assuming Ederson has replaced Bravo as no.1 and Bravo leaves).
Your broader point about Alves, I totally agree. He tore Monaco to shreds twice, and didn't concede a goal against Barca who probably have the best forward line in history. He wasn't brilliant in the CL final, but it's ridiculous to judge him on one game. I think he'll be a brilliant addition.
Your point about the Madrid vs City game in 2012, I've got a different view. They had chances, but we were holding our own in the game and I remember Yaya having a brilliant chance to put us 2-0 up which he normally would have buried.
When Zabba came on, at the game you could see we noticeably dropped 15 yards deeper and were just trying to defend our lead. It was a big mistake because Madrid just piled everything at us and Ronaldo essentially went and played left wing and tore Zabaleta to shreds. He wasn't doing that earlier on because we were playing higher up and Maicon could match him for pace and physicality, whereas against Zabba it was a complete mismatch. I don't know whether Zaba dropped that deep because he was scared of getting isolated 1 on 1, or whether it was a tactical instruction. I think it was probably the latter, but either way, that substitution changed the game, no doubt about it.
I'm assuming Delph is going nowhere unless he pushes for a move, again, we'd need a home grown replacement, no better out there in a like for like position.
Can't see Fernando going either, not that I rate him, just don't think Pep will use that type of player too often and anyone significantly better isn't going to be happy with a squad role.