Ultimately I trust the club but I do feel we're now short a natural wide player.
It probably won't matter due to our overall squad quality and the Pep factor, but outside of Mahrez our current wide options (Foden, Grealish, Alvarez and I suppose Bernie) are repurposed midfielders or in Alvarez's case a striker.
I suppose Palmer is the wild card, but a club competing for four trophies can't realistically count on a youth player with a half dozen senior appearances to make an immediate impact. To be clear I think he should (and will) be given every opportunity this season, but at our level expecting significant contributions from an unknown is not a valid strategy. If he makes the jump and takes the league by storm, great, but we should not be relying on that. The same probably goes for Alvarez as the jump from the Argentinian league will be significant.
I don't think any of the journalists have an idea what we'll do because I don't think the club does either. I'm sure they have a list of targets/players of interests and will make a move if the stars align and the price is right, but won't force a move. That's how you get Scott Sinclairs.
Although I'm sure every agent worth their salt is ringing Txiki right now, so who knows if someone unexpected will come available.
Has to be a left winger but whoSterling leaving should really put the Bernardo chat to bed, can't see the club letting all 3 go in the one summer.
Also, leaves us with 2 NHG squad spaces now. Assuming Cucurella or another left-back fills one, still one to play with.
I wonder if we could look at Cancello as a RW option in some games when Walker is fit if we need to rotate. I think he would be class in this position.Ultimately I trust the club but I do feel we're now short a natural wide player.
It probably won't matter due to our overall squad quality and the Pep factor, but outside of Mahrez our current wide options (Foden, Grealish, Alvarez and I suppose Bernie) are repurposed midfielders or in Alvarez's case a striker.
I suppose Palmer is the wild card, but a club competing for four trophies can't realistically count on a youth player with a half dozen senior appearances to make an immediate impact. To be clear I think he should (and will) be given every opportunity this season, but at our level expecting significant contributions from an unknown is not a valid strategy. If he makes the jump and takes the league by storm, great, but we should not be relying on that. The same probably goes for Alvarez as the jump from the Argentinian league will be significant.
I don't think any of the journalists have an idea what we'll do because I don't think the club does either. I'm sure they have a list of targets/players of interests and will make a move if the stars align and the price is right, but won't force a move. That's how you get Scott Sinclairs.
Although I'm sure every agent worth their salt is ringing Txiki right now, so who knows if someone unexpected will come available.
That's the ultimate aim of the academy though (as well as the income stream), he's been playing Pep ball for at least 6 years now as have all the rest of the youth players down the age ranges. Excepting his injury downtime last season he's also been playing and training with the 1st team for at least the last year. He's 100% not an unknown to Pep and his team. What their thoughts are is another matter obviously....
I suppose Palmer is the wild card, but a club competing for four trophies can't realistically count on a youth player with a half dozen senior appearances to make an immediate impact. To be clear I think he should (and will) be given every opportunity this season, but at our level expecting significant contributions from an unknown is not a valid strategy. If he makes the jump and takes the league by storm, great, but we should not be relying on that. The same probably goes for Alvarez as the jump from the Argentinian league will be significant.
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Yeah, they can definitely afford Bernie…
I still remember being called a KFA on here by a few when I first began alerting everyone to how bad Barca’s financial troubles actually were.
Yeah, they can definitely afford Bernie…
I still remember being called a KFA on here by a few when I first began alerting everyone to how bad Barca’s financial troubles actually were.
I definitely would, he's quality, but they're gonna want major moneyI hope we don’t go into this season saying ‘we haven’t replaced X‘. I’d be happy with Joao Felix.
Then we should pay it. No point going through another season with an empty berth, especially when it’s been clear for months that Jesus and Sterling were going.I definitely would, he's quality, but they're gonna want major money
Surely something in the planning, madness to lose both without replacingThen we should pay it. No point going through another season with an empty berth, especially when it’s been clear for months that Jesus and Sterling were going.
Not his best position thatThink we could see B.Silva on the right again next season.
I think we're going to bring someone in if we're losing Sterling and Jesus.
Whilst at the same time, he’ll have Haaland infront of him to play off. Watch his highlights from Villa and see how he always looked for Ollie Watkins, he hasn’t had that kind of link up at City. Until now!Cucarella could be the best thing to happen in terms of Grealish form because I always feel as though he and Cancelo operate in the same positions and prefer to cut infield. Cucarella can go round the outside and provide genuine width.
He has done fine since his arrival and was always in great shape too. What he is is a £100m signing that the opposition fans and media are desperate to fail, so any deviation from outstanding is seen as a criticism. One could equally argue that a team is functioning best when no individual stands out.Big year for grealish this, he needs to hit the ground running and cement his place.
I'm expecting him to have the season of his life and I'm backing him all the way and judging by his insta videos of him he's looking in great shape already.
That was days, weeks, months ago. We need more recent signings.I cannot understand how a front line that includes Haaland, Alvarez, Foden, Grealish, Mahrez and Palmer is considered vulnerable in any way. That is without the prospect of KDB and/or Bernardo supplementing it because of the addition of Phillips, who could play in central midfield with Rodri and Gundo, and without the potential of James McAtee and/or Carlos Borges. Raz and Gabby wanted to leave and we have brought in three players, with a potential fourth incoming; I fail to see where the problem lies.