Lavia looks superb,a fantastic player that can seriously make a bid for the CDM role,but he isn't on Bellingham's level IMO.Fair enough. While I believe Grealish can be the successor to Kev, there is also acceptance that sometimes players can't be fully replaced, so yoy buy the next best thing.
Re a defensive midfielder. Bellingham really impressed me but quite a few people in the academy are adamant that Romeo Lavia will be knocking on the door very soon and has world class attributes.
Sounds incredible and only 17!!
This place is really funny btw. We have those saying Grealish would play as a holding midfielder and those saying kevin would play as holding midfielder in 18 months just because they want us to sign Grealish and believe he would take us to the “next level”. Grealish is a ball carrier and dribbler like Mahrez, not a better finisher so what exactly does he bring that takes us to the “next level”. We saw in the match against Everton how a runner can be important because Kdb made some good through balls that raheem wasted.
I don’t think anyone doubts his abilities but the reality is we can’t keep adding talent to the squad, I personally don’t think it is even worth replacing Sterling with Grealish. You guys have to remember we have had 9 substitutes this season and there have been some matches where pep left some players at home and said the reason is tactical reasons or they were not fully fit. Normal subs is 7 so people are not going to be happy, yes I know we have been lucky this season with injuries.
He does bring something different.He has a unique blend of balance,strength,acceleration and technical ability that our current players only have in part.
His ability to hold the ball in tight space and/or take pressure off our defence/midfield while bringing others into play is also something we currently need to improve on.
He rarely loses possession and he rarely chooses the wrong ball,add that to his dead ball and set piece brilliance,and he makes for the perfect addition for our team.
The fact he pushes someone down the pecking order bothers me not one bit,as he improves our first 11....and progression is what keeps us Champions..
I agree there are good comparisons with Mahrez. Mahrez is world-class. Grealish would have been POTY had he not been injured. You can't have enough players like Mahrez, Bernardo, and Sterling in your squad. if we play without a striker, we can add Grealish to the squad, and it would mean that we could rotate and always have quality players in midfield.This place is really funny btw. We have those saying Grealish would play as a holding midfielder and those saying kevin would play as holding midfielder in 18 months just because they want us to sign Grealish and believe he would take us to the “next level”. Grealish is a ball carrier and dribbler like Mahrez, not a better finisher so what exactly does he bring that takes us to the “next level”. We saw in the match against Everton how a runner can be important because Kdb made some good through balls that raheem wasted.
I don’t think anyone doubts his abilities but the reality is we can’t keep adding talent to the squad, I personally don’t think it is even worth replacing Sterling with Grealish. You guys have to remember we have had 9 substitutes this season and there have been some matches where pep left some players at home and said the reason is tactical reasons or they were not fully fit. Normal subs is 7 so people are not going to be happy, yes I know we have been lucky this season with injuries.
He was very impressive against City, especially given his age. He impressed me much more than Haaland in that tie.Lavia looks superb,a fantastic player that can seriously make a bid for the CDM role,but he isn't on Bellingham's level IMO.
That kid has everything,a mixture of Yaya and Dinho....and is probably the best midfield prospect in world football.
Hang on a minute, "Grealish would be POTY if not injured" from who? He has a good season but player of the year in a mid table team? Not for me.I agree there are good comparisons with Mahrez. Mahrez is world-class. Grealish would have been POTY had he not been injured. You can't have enough players like Mahrez, Bernardo, and Sterling in your squad. if we play without a striker, we can add Grealish to the squad, and it would mean that we could rotate and always have quality players in midfield.
THis season the Quadruple was impossible because when it came to the crunch period the CL semi-final bracketed the FA Cup semi-final and te squad players weren't good enough to beat Chelsea.
Grealish or not to Grealish really depends on how you want City to play. If you want us to improve the false 9 system then Grealish is the signing to make, if you want City to play with a traditional out and out striker, then you go down the Kane/Haaland route, or a left-field signing like Ings/Calum Wilson.
Fucking yawn.We will sell Raheem for a bag of revels, it is just whether we can get a family sized bag. ;)
But might be Dortmund playing him too much? Foden's been eased in and physically it's worked for him.Lavia looks superb,a fantastic player that can seriously make a bid for the CDM role,but he isn't on Bellingham's level IMO.
That kid has everything,a mixture of Yaya and Dinho....and is probably the best midfield prospect in world football.
Yeah,maybe,as i don't suspect Dortmund care much for his longevity.....their business model is clearly to pick up the best youth talent,show case it to the world,and then sell for huge profit.But might be Dortmund playing him too much? Foden's been eased in and physically it's worked for him.
Agree,he was brilliantHe was very impressive against City, especially given his age. He impressed me much more than Haaland in that tie.
There is one problem with Grealish that has not been considered...
At Villa he is their Gio. Obviously the players are different but he is their star man. Get the ball, you give it to Grealish. Remember what happened to Gio when he went to a good team? he wasn't so good because they just didn't give the ball to him. Grealish would be just another very talented player. I think when Mahrez first came to City it took him a while to adapt. He was used to getting the ball all the time, and used to getting the complete freedom to go where he wanted. At City, if Grealish played in a certain role he would have to stick to that role no flaoting all over the place like he does at Villa.
Why, how old is he?He was very impressive against City, especially given his age. He impressed me much more than Haaland in that tie.
We have seen it in recent days, the genuine fear that if we sign Kane, they might as well all pack up and go home for the next five years.
We have got to take advantage of this genuine fear, rip their fucking hearts out and do maximum damage this summer.
We need to maintain the gap and you do that by crushing hope.
Grealish and Kane in those teams you mention closes the gap too close for comfort.
I remember me staying at a villa one summer in Val De Lobo, swimming in the pool, drinking margaritas and enjoying life.
Next minute, fucking Sky breaking news, United agree to sign Van Nistelrooy for £19m and Veron for £28m.
I was fucking livid, wife told me to chill, but I sobered up pretty quickly, those bastards were buying from a position of strength.
It's our turn now. Man City ruining summer holidays since 2021!!
Let’s hope we miss the boat and then some on those two...We've missed the boat before on doing this sort of thing and I've said this several times: this time we actually have to go and do it.
So you think 90% of out current squad, don't give a fuck that they are playing for City?And a great many fans expect no loyalty as they know 90% of footballers don’t give a fuck about which club they’re playing at so long as they’re well paid and have a chance at silverware. Once you understand that, things become a lot easier.
I don’t click on the Sterling thread very often, what are the current insinuations that you’re talking about?
Yes. Although he also has the benefit of playing regular first-team football at a very good standard which can give you an initial jump early on.Lavia looks superb,a fantastic player that can seriously make a bid for the CDM role,but he isn't on Bellingham's level IMO.
That kid has everything,a mixture of Yaya and Dinho....and is probably the best midfield prospect in world football.
It’s about success. The players know that being here means they are competing for every single trophy available. They’re not here for the name of the club. They love it here at the moment, but should we start becoming Arsenal, then we wouldn’t be able to attract the most ambitious, best players.So you think 90% of out current squad, don't give a fuck that they are playing for City?