It's quiet... summer 2018.

[bluetonium]

If Pep wanted a midfielder he'd just buy Frenkie De Jong, he can even play CB, or one of the many great midfielders who would fit under him.

De Ligt is a centre back, maybe a part time RB, that's it. He isn't a midfielder, and I don't know why people keep thinking Guardiola will buy a CB and make him a midfielder?

He's never done that, he does the exact opposite, which is put midfielders into other positions.

Lahm was a full back at Bayern and was converted into a very effective holding midfielder. Even our own Yaya found himself converted at Barca from the rampaging attacking midfielder seen in the Belgian leagues, to a centre back. It can happen both ways, if the player has the quality, which many seem to be suggesting De Ligt does.

In general I think you at right, Pep had said is the past that he'd play 11 midfielders given the chance, but the suggestion is that in this lad Pep sees something special, and he shouldn't be seen exclusively as a defender, especially given the way pep wants us to play.

 

[Easy]

I completely agree about Dave being underrated defensively. The little beast even battles hard for duals. Don’t worry about work rate with Hazard. If he comes here it’s because he’s happy and will be fired up to prove his worth financially and to his teammates. We wouldn’t even fathom bringing him in if we thought he wouldn’t. As far as limiting Sane...yes that’s a real possibility but he played a little too many minutes last season and literally seemed to have 0 cover at LW. If Sane wants to go he’ll go for an insane price and we’ll being it even more talent while still having Hazard. I think Leroy will be up for the fight and good enough to push Eden out at times or Pep will find a way to get them both in. I wouldn’t stress bud. This club knows what the hell its doing. We’ve got Pep running the show with total control.

He won’t go for an insane price if he’s sitting on the bench most of the season. I don’t think there will be a fight. Hazard will be first choice and that’s it. He is so expensive and will be on huge wages so he has to play every game.

Sane has a much higher ceiling than Hazard so I don’t know why we would stunt his growth. Maybe it will all work out but imo it’s a risk we don’t need to take right now. Rather have Mahrez for example that will challenge Leroy but won’t take his place from the start like Hazard would.

 

[ADegenerate]

He won’t go for an insane price if he’s sitting on the bench most of the season. I don’t think there will be a fight. Hazard will be first choice and that’s it. He is so expensive and will be on huge wages so he has to play every game.

Sane has a much higher ceiling than Hazard so I don’t know why we would stunt his growth. Maybe it will all work out but imo it’s a risk we don’t need to take right now. Rather have Mahrez for example that will challenge Leroy but won’t take his place from the start like Hazard would.

I don’t even know if I really want Hazard. It’s growing on me a little more and more the more I think about it but it definitely doesn’t inspire me the same way Pogba + Mbappe did.

I agree that Sane has the higher ceiling and it’s a risk but I don’t agree with you at all about Hazard being a lock to start simply because he’s on big wages and came on a huge fee. It’s a terrible mistake to think and act that way and fortunately the club is smart enough to allow Pep to run things however he sees fit and if Leroy is the better option then Hazard will sit on the bench. Case in point being Jesus ‘benching’ Aguero essentially from the moment he arrived.

I’m not inspired by Mahrez at all. Has he played on the left a single time in the premier league? That’s a complete waste of his skill set. He’s not rapid, wont hug the line, and his finishing isn’t built to score from the left. He’s a RW through and through as far as I’m concerned. We have nothing on the left after Sane. Raz is wasted over there compared to on the right and unfortunately Jesus is strictly central now.

We’re at a time as a club where we don’t have to stress at all about transfers, squad management, resources, or coaching decisions. It’ll never be better than it is now. If the club is pulling the trigger then I’m as close to 100% as you can get as far as comfortability goes. I couldn’t care less who comes in because I think it’ll be as optimal as it possibly can be with all considerations taken into account.

 

[Neville Kneville]

He won’t go for an insane price if he’s sitting on the bench most of the season. I don’t think there will be a fight. Hazard will be first choice and that’s it. He is so expensive and will be on huge wages so he has to play every game.

Sane has a much higher ceiling than Hazard so I don’t know why we would stunt his growth. Maybe it will all work out but imo it’s a risk we don’t need to take right now. Rather have Mahrez for example that will challenge Leroy but won’t take his place from the start like Hazard would.

I agree with this.

I said the same with Sanchez last season: don't want him.

Imo, if we had signed Sanchez at the start of last season, Sane would not now be y.p.o.t.y. & Sterling would have considerably fewer goals due to both having far less responsibility.

No guarantee Sergio would have found the form he did, either. (It might even have fucked up our season, when you look at how average Sanchez has been for both Utd & Arsenal). I think he would have just been a huge spanner in the works of our forward line. Hazard hasn't been much better than Sanchez apart from a few flat track bully performances.

Hazard is a huge level above Sanchez though, & for that reason, makes it potentially much worse for all of our front line imo. As you say: he has to play. Someone has to drop out, most games & if he isn't actually as good as the players we already have, when he does play (which is a 50/50 possibility) & does get less time than he anticipated, he will stink the fucking place out with attitude & try to drive a wedge between the manager & KDB etc .

If we sign him & it works out, we will possibly be even better than we are now, because he is one of the best, individually. If it doesn't work, it will probably cause some of the current team or manager to leave.

We don't need him, we can still improve hugely without him, by signing alternative competition for places, without needing them to have superstar status. So why risk it, at his age ?

As it happens, I don't believe for one second that we will try especially hard to sign him, for the reason that we don't need him. I recon we'll enquire, laugh at the fee & that's it.

 

[ADegenerate]

I agree with this.

I said the same with Sanchez last season: don't want him.

Imo, if we had signed Sanchez at the start of last season, Sane would not now be y.p.o.t.y. & Sterling would have considerably fewer goals due to both having far less responsibility.

No guarantee Sergio would have found the form he did, either. (It might even have fucked up our season, when you look at how average Sanchez has been for both Utd & Arsenal). I think he would have just been a huge spanner in the works of our forward line. Hazard hasn't been much better than Sanchez apart from a few flat track bully performances.

Hazard is a huge level above Sanchez though, & for that reason, makes it potentially much worse for all of our front line imo. As you say: he has to play. Someone has to drop out, most games & if he isn't actually as good as the players we already have, when he does play (which is a 50/50 possibility) & does get less time than he anticipated, he will stink the fucking place out with attitude & try to drive a wedge between the manager & KDB etc .

If we sign him & it works out, we will possibly be even better than we are now, because he is one of the best, individually. If it doesn't work, it will probably cause some of the current team or manager to leave.

We don't need him, we can still improve hugely without him, by signing alternative competition for places, without needing them to have superstar status. So why risk it, at his age ?

As it happens, I don't believe for one second that we will try especially hard to sign him, for the reason that we don't need him. I recon we'll enquire, laugh at the fee & that's it.

You’re speculating about him driving a wedge, being a lock to play, and causing any issues at all. The club will take all considerations into account and I’m 100% convinced they’ll take Leroy into consideration. We’ve all bought into this false narrative about interchangeable front line and the fact is everyone had specific roles and specific positions and it essentially never deviated. The only one that moved around was Otamendi who played on the right, the left, and I think both sides of a back three. Plus Gundogan played DM a few times. We have nothing on the left after Sane. Swapping positions is nice in theory but Pep got away from that and everyone had a set position and set role and how’d that play out?
Sane played wayyy too many minutes last year and we’re fortunate he stayed healthy.

 

[Neville Kneville]

I don’t even know if I really want Hazard. It’s growing on me a little more and more the more I think about it but it definitely doesn’t inspire me the same way Pogba + Mbappe did.

I agree that Sane has the higher ceiling and it’s a risk but I don’t agree with you at all about Hazard being a lock to start simply because he’s on big wages and came on a huge fee. It’s a terrible mistake to think and act that way and fortunately the club is smart enough to allow Pep to run things however he sees fit and if Leroy is the better option then Hazard will sit on the bench. Case in point being Jesus ‘benching’ Aguero essentially from the moment he arrived.

I’m not inspired by Mahrez at all. Has he played on the left a single time in the premier league? That’s a complete waste of his skill set. He’s not rapid, wont hug the line, and his finishing isn’t built to score from the left. He’s a RW through and through as far as I’m concerned. We have nothing on the left after Sane. Raz is wasted over there compared to on the right and unfortunately Jesus is strictly central now.

We’re at a time as a club where we don’t have to stress at all about transfers, squad management, resources, or coaching decisions. It’ll never be better than it is now. If the club is pulling the trigger then I’m as close to 100% as you can get as far as comfortability goes. I couldn’t care less who comes in because I think it’ll be as optimal as it possibly can be with all considerations taken into account.

Positionally Mahrez is a bit of a luxury as it stands, but if Bernardo & Sterling are earmarked for being sometimes used in other roles (Sterling seemed to be the subject of several central experiments late season) then it becomes more logical. Mahrez feeding Sterling's pace as he does Vardy for example.

Re the left side: some of Jesus' best performances prior to signing for City, imo, were when he played on that side, including some great defensive effort, & although he's shown nothing yet for City, when moved there, it doesn't mean he won't do in the future, if Pep decides to use that as an option.

The upside of Mahrez would be, imo, that he'd be coming here as someone who wants to prove himself, not as someone who thinks he's the star man, & that he is a tricky fucker, who may open up spaces v bus parkers.

 

[Neville Kneville]

You’re speculating about him driving a wedge, being a lock to play, and causing any issues at all. The club will take all considerations into account and I’m 100% convinced they’ll take Leroy into consideration. We’ve all bought into this false narrative about interchangeable front line and the fact is everyone had specific roles and specific positions and it essentially never deviated. The only one that moved around was Otamendi who played on the right, the left, and I think both sides of a back three. Plus Gundogan played DM a few times. We have nothing on the left after Sane. Swapping positions is nice in theory but Pep got away from that and everyone had a set position and set role and how’d that play out?
Sane played wayyy too many minutes last year and we’re fortunate he stayed healthy.

As I've just mentioned in reply to your other post, Jesus was previously an option there, but his stop start City career has curtailed it somewhat.

But we were experimenting with tweaking positions later in the season. There is also possibly Diaz etc, who Pep may want to bring into the equation.

 

[NQCitizen]

If we play 60 games with 2 wingers then Sane, Hazard and Sterling could all potentially start 40 games each. Allowing the other one to be an impact sub. It'll keep each fresh while still providing enough football.

I think we'll be seeing Raz centrally more and more though even if it's just a switch mid match.

 

[ADegenerate]

As I've just mentioned in reply to your other post, Jesus was previously an option there, but his stop start City career has curtailed it somewhat.

But we were experimenting with tweaking positions later in the season. There is also possibly Diaz etc, who Pep may want to bring into the equation.

I’m too tired and it’s too late to give you a proper response but I’m very confident that the future is two ‘equal’ players for every position and very little of swaps...ie Raz and sane on either side or Bernardo playing wide at times and also playing central in Dave’s role at times. I just don’t see how Mahrez, Bernardo, and Raz fit. It would have to be 3atb much more often but that still leaves us light on the left side. I just don’t see us taking risks playing players out of position where there’s a significant drop off or depending on youth to cover there. It’ll be fun though and can’t wait.

I think zaha is the clear answer but that’s just me. That cures your Sane worries as well.

 

[BlueAnorak]

Can’t see it. Hazard does not like to defend or track back.

It would already be an achievement to convince him to work hard defensively.

On top of that to change his position completely. It’s not going to happen. David Silva is severely underrated defensively, he is a good tackler and frequently gets stuck in.

If Hazard comes it’s to the play LW. We are not going to see Sergio and Jesus benched so Hazard can play false 9. We aren’t going to spend a record amount of money on transfer fee and wages and then change a players position or constantly move him around.

We saw what happened with Fernandinho when he played LB, RB, DM, AM all in a short amount of time. His performances suffered even at DM.

Having Hazard play LW, RW and false 9 and CM is not going to happen. Fun to think about maybe in video games but unrealistic in real life.

You buy Hazard you limit Sane and possibly drive his exit. Zaha or Mahrez would not be £100m signings on record wages that have to start every game.

It’s a big no for me on Hazard.

Totally agree. Mahrez for me.