It's Quiet 32 - enter at own risk

better dead than red said:
Declan Rice can play as a centre back and as a defensive midfielder. He's young, seems to have potential, and is English/home grown.

I know some don't rate him but we'd likely be able to get him for less than Maguire. I think Pep could do wonders with the lad.
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Did you see him at our place earlier in the season? Defensively superb, he read things very well and was quick and strong to win the ball back exactly what we would want BUT his passing and close control were a fucking disgrace. I don’t say that lightly, in that respect he’s a centre back so far out of his depth in midfield he makes Kyle Walker look like Pirlo. I don’t know if he’s even got the technical ability (even with improvements) to play for us as a centre back, never mind as a midfielder.

Awareness, vision, passing and close control are difficult to teach beyond a basic level, they’re natural talents you’ve either got or not.
 
Topbins said:
If City don't sign a good CB and we go into the season with Laporte, Stones Otto and Garcia, potentially we are looking at a difficult season at the back.

If Laporte or stones are out for any length of time not sure the remaining cb options fill me with confidence over the course of 4 course competitions.

There is reason most if not all of the top 6, wouldn't go with a 19 or 20 year old at the back for any length of time.

They are just not ready unless your de ligt and he isn't even the finished article yet.

City managed Foden well in terms of appearances last season and he is considered approaching ready to hold down and or fight for a first team slot this season

I don't see City giving Garcia more game time than they gave Foden with his development in mind.

This would leave are remaining CB's over the course of a season with a lot of games to play, too many games.

City need a good CB or it's going to be difficult.
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I think we’ll definitely sign a centre half this summer, and think it could happen quite soon. There’s no way we’d go into the season with Garcia as fourth choice imo. Do think we could still see Otamendi go though, with Fernandinho filling in at CB when required (once we sign a new DM).
 
Topbins said:
If City don't sign a good CB and we go into the season with Laporte, Stones Otto and Garcia, potentially we are looking at a difficult season at the back.

If Laporte or stones are out for any length of time not sure the remaining cb options fill me with confidence over the course of 4 course competitions.

There is reason most if not all of the top 6, wouldn't go with a 19 or 20 year old at the back for any length of time.

They are just not ready unless your de ligt and he isn't even the finished article yet.

City managed Foden well in terms of appearances last season and he is considered approaching ready to hold down and or fight for a first team slot this season

I don't see City giving Garcia more game time than they gave Foden with his development in mind.

This would leave are remaining CB's over the course of a season with a lot of games to play, too many games.

City need a good CB or it's going to be difficult.
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Liverpool win the CL and lost 1 league game with Matip playing 31 games, Lovren 18 and a 21 year old 25, so I’m not sure it’s that desperate if we don’t get a CB.
IF they think Garcia will be up to it in a season or two, why buy a ‘blocker’ and possibly lose him?
A DM is all we need as Fern isn’t getting any younger but he could well play CH, like Mascerano did at Barca.
 
Stones Otamendi Garcia Fernandinho and Laporte is no bad CB line up any way.Need to ttuet what we have and not go ahoppsho every time.No better chance to blood in Garcia
 
Topbins said:
If City don't sign a good CB and we go into the season with Laporte, Stones Otto and Garcia, potentially we are looking at a difficult season at the back.

If Laporte or stones are out for any length of time not sure the remaining cb options fill me with confidence over the course of 4 course competitions.

There is reason most if not all of the top 6, wouldn't go with a 19 or 20 year old at the back for any length of time.

They are just not ready unless your de ligt and he isn't even the finished article yet.

City managed Foden well in terms of appearances last season and he is considered approaching ready to hold down and or fight for a first team slot this season

I don't see City giving Garcia more game time than they gave Foden with his development in mind.

This would leave are remaining CB's over the course of a season with a lot of games to play, too many games.

City need a good CB or it's going to be difficult.
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TAA enjoys this post.
 
Ric said:
I think we’ll definitely sign a centre half this summer, and think it could happen quite soon. There’s no way we’d go into the season with Garcia as fourth choice imo. Do think we could still see Otamendi go though, with Fernandinho filling in at CB when required (once we sign a new DM).
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I think highly of Garcia but like Foden last season his games will need to be managed carefully. I'm a big Otto fan too but he is prone to dips in form and if you watched him last night against Columbia, you will know what I mean.
I think hes criminally underrated though and does not get enough credit for his contribution to are success. Be sorry to see him go.

Peps a genius because contrary to what I've said earlier Pep managed Komps season well. He brought him in every 4 or 5 games to keep him fresh knowing he would be able to rely upon him when the big games came around and or for the run in.

Picture the same scenario this season with both Stones and Otto showing patchy form or unfancied. I don't think we can expect a 19/old kid ( except de ligt) to guide the team with Laporte through those big tense horribly nervous games at the end of the season.
I ain't got a clue what City are after but I'm certain that an experienced, aggressive, imposing CB, with good distribution form part of the package.
Fern can fill in no problem being the complete player for me, but to continue to get the best from him I expect his workload to begin to be managed carefully this season. Hence fingers crossed for Rodri.
 
Was interesting that at the end of the season pep kept saying we needed more physicality in the side? Rhodri is 6ft 2 ish I believe and maguire is a bigger than otamendi I would imagine?
 
richards30 said:
Was interesting that at the end of the season pep kept saying we needed more physicality in the side? Rhodri is 6ft 2 ish I believe and maguire is a bigger than otamendi I would imagine?
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I don't remember him saying that. He was just explaining why City don't score a lot from set pieces.
 
Don't we have Philippe Sandler who is 22 and if he is going to make it with us needs game time this season so we have Stones Laporte Otemendi Sandler and garicia plus walker and fernandino could fill in.
 
Andrew___K said:
I don't remember him saying that. He was just explaining why City don't score a lot from set pieces.
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Height will be more important in the future with less interference allowed with VAR, we saw that at the World Cup. However there aren't many mobile tall players, VVD would have been ideal. Mobility is a huge part of Pep's style of play.
 
Fuzzy80 said:
Your forgetting Fern, widely reported that he will play CB next season.

I’m assuming games when we expect to have very high percentage of the ball.
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I ll have it but I think he's in for games management this season.
 
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