Alexis Sanchez

[Tom_mcfc]

Why is it inevitable? I don't remember Chelsea signing anyone in January to cover fatigue, injuries, suspensions and loss of form. And I don't remember us signing anyone in January in either of the two seasons we won the PL.

It isn't inevitable, it is guess work as justification to get him. As someone else said lets buy another world class keeper then in case Ederson is out. Nothing is inevitable in football, we may get injuries and suspensions we may not.

They played 25 games after January 1st, we played 27.

He won't reply mate, I am pretty sure it is Sanchez's Dad.

 

[SWP's back]

They played 25 games after January 1st, we played 27.

So you’re planning to go out of the CL in the round of 16 again?

We’d also played 9 more games by January 1st.

So 11 in total. Or nearly three additional months of Saturday Wednesday Saturday.

 

[SWP's back]

Just six more weeks until we can sign him.

Happy days.

 

[Thekinkygoat]

Too slow and old.

 

[CityStu]

If we sign him, great. He's a fantastic player who knows the league and Pep.

If we don't sign him, great. We have a fantastic squad and attacking players waiting for more chances to impress in Bernardo and Foden.

Never thought I'd be this ambivalent about signing a world class player!

 

[squirtyflower]

Too slow and old.

Could be Rodney Marsh all over again, shudders

 

[Bill]

If we sign him, great. He's a fantastic player who knows the league and Pep.

If we don't sign him, great. We have a fantastic squad and attacking players waiting for more chances to impress in Bernardo and Foden.

Never thought I'd be this ambivalent about signing a world class player!

On the money.

 

[Dribble]

They played 25 games after January 1st, we played 27.

And over the course of the season?

 

[Dribble]

Guardiola signed Nolito on a 3 year deal thinking he'd be our wing solution.
Guardiola decided the 4 over 30 fullbacks could go an extra year last season.
Guardiola said not to rush Dani Alves' signing because it could wait until August.
Guardiola decided to sign Bravo instead of Ederson in 2016.

I love Pep, I've been frequently accused of liking him too much on here, especially last season, but he's not infallible in the transfer market. So I don't think it's unreasonable to say that we need reinforcements elsewhere before Sanchez, and question whether the Guardiola-Txiki transfer team will get it right.

What I would say is this. We had a limit on transfers last season and obviously Pep had a suck it and see season in which he got to know the PL and what was involved. He quickly saw that all of our full back options were nowhere near what he wanted, so tell me what did he do at his earliest opportunity?

THEN after a season where his views were no longer theoretical, he acted with ruthless efficiency. Out went his own signing of Nolito who didn't live up to expectations and a new keeper was brought in for stop-gap keeper Bravo who Pep brought in. Before you tell me these players were not stop gaps, please tell me their ages and the fees paid for them.

Also, 'Who' told you that Guardiola told 'Whoever' not to rush Dani Alves' signing because it could wait until August?

 

[Dribble]

Technically it was as much under the stewardship of the current incumbent Txiki, given he is our DOF and supposedly in charge of player transfers. That said I have no doubt Pep arrived with a few hard truths about much of our squad of the time.

It was always repeated that Pellegrini got the players he wanted & we could afford at the time. This was generous anyway considering he was a staging post between Mancini leaving & Pep arriving. However, after his second season Manuel was a dead man walking even with a 12 month extension in his pocket, and it's been mooted since that KDB & Sterling were signed with Pep's approval in readiness for his arrival.

Txiki is the man whose job it is to make transfers happen, and to also take care of the detail. Pep's job is to use the tools he's requested, to do the job he's being handsomely paid to do, just as it was Pellegrini's.

However Pep has shown the difference a proper manager can make given time and the resources necessary to execute the task at hand.