Defensive Midfielder

It would involve dealing with Raiola, alas, but Gravenberch will be entering the final year of his contract with Ajax next summer. One of the most naturally gifted footballers around and an athlete with incredible balance.
 
Keeper! said:
Kyle Walker has the heart of a lion and that despite Cancelo having better technic, is what makes Walker such a special player and dressing room figure.

Talent is fantastic but lack of passion and desire nullifies everything.
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If City had 4 full backs 2 left and 2 right with Kyle Walker's exact attributes we'd be the hardest team in Europe to beat, in my honest view we'd probs already have won a UCL that's how good 4 of him would be and I reckon we need full backs like him they're the future... If they're technically good that's just a bonus.

Kyle Walker for me is extremely underrated in general by the neutrals at least or those in media.. he's hands down England's best right back and best in the Prem it's not even a contest, he might not defensively be perfect but he does the dark art things a right back should do.
I honestly hope Walker doesn't lose much pace until his mid to late 30s in the same way Cafu didn't... Cafu wasn't rapid but he was fast and seemingly didn't lose much pace until about 38, with today's nutritionists and sports science I really hope Kyle keeps his pace cos we're gonna have a terrible time replacing him.

There aren't many full backs as powerful and pacey as him and for me it's what we need in that area, if all our fullbacks were that quick and determined/lionhearted just like you say, then people wouldn't be questioning our defensive midfielders as much, and even though I'm not a fan of Rodri, he isn't the main reason for our defensive shortcomings we lack explosive pace in the wider defensive areas, Cancelo is fast and offers something different in the attacking 3rd at times but I'm talking explosive pace that helps out defensively, our other defenders lack that explosive pace or switch off though Cancelo is quick but he defo switches off too... Mendy lacks pace after injuries and switches off Zinchenko doesn't really switch off his concentration, that's why Pep likes him but he doesn't have the pace.

Anyway what I was saying is Kyle Walker is genuinely one of the finest fullbacks of his era of even the Prem era, and is genuinely the dogs bollox these days as far as what a top class full back should offer his team.
 
Kinkladze's crazy skills said:
If City had 4 full backs 2 left and 2 right with Kyle Walker's exact attributes we'd be the hardest team in Europe to beat, in my honest view we'd probs already have won a UCL that's how good 4 of him would be and I reckon we need full backs like him they're the future... If they're technically good that's just a bonus.

Kyle Walker for me is extremely underrated in general by the neutrals at least or those in media.. he's hands down England's best right back and best in the Prem it's not even a contest, he might not defensively be perfect but he does the dark art things a right back should do.
I honestly hope Walker doesn't lose much pace until his mid to late 30s in the same way Cafu didn't... Cafu wasn't rapid but he was fast and seemingly didn't lose much pace until about 38, with today's nutritionists and sports science I really hope Kyle keeps his pace cos we're gonna have a terrible time replacing him.

There aren't many full backs as powerful and pacey as him and for me it's what we need in that area, if all our fullbacks were that quick and determined/lionhearted just like you say, then people wouldn't be questioning our defensive midfielders as much, and even though I'm not a fan of Rodri, he isn't the main reason for our defensive shortcomings we lack explosive pace in the wider defensive areas, Cancelo is fast and offers something different in the attacking 3rd at times but I'm talking explosive pace that helps out defensively, our other defenders lack that explosive pace or switch off though Cancelo is quick but he defo switches off too... Mendy lacks pace after injuries and switches off Zinchenko doesn't really switch off his concentration, that's why Pep likes him but he doesn't have the pace.

Anyway what I was saying is Kyle Walker is genuinely one of the finest fullbacks of his era of even the Prem era, and is genuinely the dogs bollox these days as far as what a top class full back should offer his team.
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Totally agree with all you say.

There is a serious lack of pace throughout our side, especially in the middle of the park, we get so easily exposed, it really does make you realise how good and how vital Fern was in his prime.
 
i♥city said:
Yangel, Bissouma, Luiz, Zakaria.

Any of these would greatly improve the midfield.
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We are aspiring to be on Madrid and Bayern's level and people want us to sign shit like this.

It honestly baffles me. These players would probably not be an improvement for teams like West Ham, Spurs or Leicester and people actually believe they will improve us.

Is it that we are so used to success that our players are becoming underrated or do people just see these guys make lots of tackles on MOTD and think they are brilliant footballers?
 
As for defensive midfielder to take Ferny's spot in the future I reckon we go all out for youth we've missed the boat for most experienced ones, Camavinga springs to mind for the future but he's a bit high profile already and I don't see it happening with us for whatever reason more likely a continental team or Liverpool/Rags, maybe we should just go all out for Jude Bellingham before anyone else gets their hands on him that's who I want, train him up to be mostly a defensive midfielder it'd piss off off the media City adding another England gem too he ticks homegrown box as well, remember Fernandinho was box to box and mostly attacking type midfielder till a couple years before he joined so they don't have to be seasoned in the role.

If we go for him it'll cost a shit ton for Bellingham and might take a while to iron out any chinks in his armour but all good things take time it'd be worth it long-term... I reckon Pep will keep faith in Rodri we'll just hope he steps up bigtime cos I don't quite see £60m in him yet, if Rodri kicks on though and we can add someone like Bellingham to learn from him and maybe future coach Fernandinho if he stays on then that'd be great, if Bellingham joined up learned quick and Lavia becomes as good as everyone who watches the EDS/youths believe he will... it could mean there's plenty of pace and energy and tenacity in whatever City XI is picked and that's what we need, along with them Phil and Kev and Jack plus any other youths too they'd be plenty or heart and quality in there... I just hope Ferny stays on as a coach so those dark arts get carried on to any potential replacements.
 
We seem to lack players who are willing to be aggressive with the exception of fernandinho, walker and dias. Would like to see a nigel de Jong type player, though without his discipline issues. Someone like Ndidi or Phillips would be great. I'd prefer to spend the kane money on a lb, dm and cheaper striker.
 
blueparrot said:
While possibly we have kept Fernandinho a year too long Rodri is much better than he's given credit for by many on here and will play the majority of games.
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Rodri was unbelievable during our winning run last year but due to a few tired performances at the end of the season it's been wiped from a lot of fans memories apparently.
 
I think we are betting big on Lavia or Diego Rosa. Rosa cost a decent fee, whilst he could perform and CFG will bank a profit I think long term one of these lads will make it.
 
There was a huge gap between our defence and midfield yesterday, and we were very susceptible to counter attacks on all sides of the pitch.

Normally, in this situation, I’d say the problem was the defensive midfielder. And with Fern’s age, and Rodri’s inexperience, that would be a very easy point to push.

However... I don’t think that’s right and I think it does Fern a disservice to say he’s “finished”. We conceded that space because the whole team was intent on pushing up the pitch except the two centre backs. Cancelo and Mendy either pushed ahead on the overlap or sat more narrow but higher up the pitch (there wasn’t a consistent approach, which added to the problem because the centre backs and Fern had to keep guessing whether to protect the centre or the wings). Grealish and Gundo both pushed up because of our lack of a striker, we needed more bodies up top. Ferran, Mahrez and Sterling stayed up top, and were almost pushed up the pitch by our other players, suffocating their space to operate.

When you combine this positioning with a slow “walking pace” style of football (a consequence of our players overcrowding to compensate for our lack of a striker and Spurs’ ability to get men behind the ball), you end up in a familiar pattern: short aimless passing because of suffocated positioning, frustration, push more men up, attempt to play a more direct ball, lose possession, open up for a counter from spurs).

I don’t think Fern or Rodri could be the difference in this scenario.
 
City play a high risk and reward strategy with the high line and overloading attacks. When the whole unit is on it we win. Once you take 3/4 players out of the starting lineup we struggle.

Counter attack has and always will be a problem in this system. Score early we can sit back and pick teams off. Waste chances and inevitably we will concede at some point.

Risk & Reward but depends on having the correct individuals playing. Time to start picking our best team to get back on track.
 
When we lost to Leicester at home last season, they countered us into oblivion.

When we won against them away, with a second string side, we dominated. They barely got a sniff. No counters to worry about.


If we're fit, and play the way we're meant to, then we generally have an easy time. It's once things deviate it goes wrong. When it does, it's normally the DM and the fullbacks that come off looking the worst. Fortunately, most of the time in most seasons, things have gone the way they ought to.
 
DM is probably the most difficult position to play in a Pep side

noway he puts a kid in there.
 
No idea what the long term solution is.

I am sure Rodri is not it though.

He is not a bad player. He is well suited for the much slower La Liga.

In the Prem though he is far too slow,and wants too much time on the Ball. You press him and he loses the Ball.

We might see Grealish given a go in this role during this season, if Bernado stays.

Will be interesting

I was impressed with Grealish physicalitty.
 
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