It's Quiet 17 - Glory Thread

Del_Bosque said:
Disagree there, first game of last season at Spurs, we had Mendy, Zinchenko and Cancelo on the books.

Now we have Gomez who's a Pere Guardiola Ponzi scheme and a centre half shuffling across.

It's woeful business.
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One of which was a LB, the other two were makeshift and one of which didn't play last season because off his off field antics, and yet we won the league and were moments away from the CL final again. A lot is being made of the LB situation with all the spoilt brats throwing their toys out just like Cancelo is. We won the league with Delph at LB, we won it with Zinchenko as a LB and we won it with Cancelo being played at LB because he was shite at RB. No reason we can't win it with Ake at LB too. Our style of play has been just fine with a LB that doesn't overlap.
 
All reliable City journalists seem certain we’re not signing anyone today. No surprise, but a bit disappointing. Wonder why we never ever loan players
 
We're clearly trying but not too hopeful of doing something, hence the brief to journalists that a replacement is 'very unlikely' rather than a simple 'we're done'.

Bets = hedged.
 
In the business end of last season, we played Fernandinho as RB in games against Madrid, CB against Villa, had Stones as RB and Laporte playing with an injury. All due to injuries to players and with unconvincing defensive displays. Saying players can 'do a job' at fullback is beside the point - why would we want to continue to shoehorn players in roles and having to make do? Even then it's requiring those players, like Aké, be played in nearly all remaining games. Not getting players in (we hadn't replaced Zinchenko prior to Cancelo going) is like gleefully shooting yourself in one foot, and eyeing up the other.
 
mdj0520 said:
Before I say what I'm about to say, I'll put it out there that we should absolutely be buying a top class left back.

But... I'm kind of sick of the Ake isn't a left back talk to justify it. Firstly, I don't consider what he is doing in most games a left back. It's the left centre half of a back three. The left and right centre Half's push up a bit because it's a pep team and it's fluid. Second, he's been one of our most consistent and reliable players this season.

Obviously he plays as a more traditional left back at times, but for the most part we play like this;

.........stones..............akanji.............Ake..................

.......,..................Rico..........rodri...............................

Mahrez........kdb..........................gundo....grealish
..................................haaland..................................
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You are right of course that Ake is mainly playing in a back three when we have the ball which is 60-70% of most games and he's only really playing as a traditional left-back when we're defending.

The problem we have now Cancelo is gone is that Rico Lewis is the only full-back we have who is comfortable playing in midfield as Walker really struggles in that role and while Lewis is undoubtedly a talent, I'm not sure he's ready to play regularly for us.

The way I see it, we have four choices. We either trust Lewis to play as an inverted full-back like you have shown above, we let Walker play that role despite his limitations on the ball, we play a flat back four and accept having less control in midfield or we switch to an actual back three with wingbacks which we don't really have the personnel for. None of those options are ideal but that's what Pep has to work with and I'm sure he'll find the best solution, at least for the rest of this season anyway.
 
handofrod said:
I'm guessing it will be Aké as main LB and Perrone as second choice. Perrone is a technically gifted, left-footed defensive midfielder... It's exactly Peps type of LB.

Phillips is Rodris backup, that probably won't change. So no place for Perrone there.

I expect him to play inverted, same as Rico. Gives us more tactical options but to be honest.. I'd really like us to sign a proper fucking leftback. None of this Delph, Zini, Cancelo, Aké, Laporte. Just a normal LB for once.
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again he is not a natural defender and physically be swatted aside like a fly. his instincts are playing forward. will you play david silva at LB and waste his talents?
 
Ajm1985 said:
In the business end of last season, we played Fernandinho as RB in games against Madrid, CB against Villa, had Stones as RB and Laporte playing with an injury. All due to injuries to players and with unconvincing defensive displays. Saying players can 'do a job' at fullback is beside the point - why would we want to continue to shoehorn players in roles and having to make do? Even then it's requiring those players, like Aké, be played in nearly all remaining games. Not getting players in (we hadn't replaced Zinchenko prior to Cancelo going) is like gleefully shooting yourself in one foot, and eyeing up the other.
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That was due to injuries though, we were completely wrecked at the back. You can't keep buying just in case. Otherwise when they're all fit you have too many unhappy players who aren't playing. We definitely could do with a LB, but I don't know what the realistic options are there, and Ake has been brilliant so far whether at LB or CB. We don't need our LB to do as much now we have Lewis who is playing well in the inverted role as a RB. We've just switched the roles of the full backs accordingly.
 
mattcity5 said:
That leads to 2 questions for me:

1. How much are we expecting Bellingham to cost?

2. How many top fullbacks are there out there who can play both sides? (I can't think who fits the bill)
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1. 100-150 million.
2. We don't need one to play both sides, surely we sign a top LB this summer to be used with Ake next season. With Rico and Walker at RB until summer 24, then walker out and new RB in.

This summer we need to be looking at CMx2, RW and a LB. 250-300mil spending with around 100-150mil (Laporte/Silva/Cancelo) sales. Can't hide from that fact that this season has looked stale and we're in a transition period.
 
City_Sean said:
The squad is just far too light. We need four or five top quality arrivals this summer. The quality of every side around us increasing. One of our biggest advantages in years gone by was squad depth. We now have one of the smallest squads out of all the top half teams.
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We don't need 4 or 5 top quality players. Before the Cancelo thing I was thinking 3, a left back a midfielder and either a wide player or another midfielder depending on our plan for Foden.
Does Cancelo change that, I don't think it does if we get a left back where would Canclo have played? The emergence of Lewis means he may not even have got to replace Walker at right back.
 
Agueroooo9320 said:
again he is not a natural defender and physically be swatted aside like a fly. his instincts are playing forward. will you play david silva at LB and waste his talents?
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I'd imagine at a push perrone would play as an inverted full back with a traditional right back. And Lewis as inverted full back with ake as traditional left back. Think laporte will also play as a traditional left back if needed. I get the feeling pep wants us solid and 70% possession and hopefully kdb and haaland do the rest.
 
manimanc said:
Annoyed?
Woosh.

I constantly comment on your posts as they are different to others and like i said they stick out.

Doesn't take a brain surgeon to work out you're a wum.

Double yawn!
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Mate you are obsessed with me. Do you read half the posts on here??!! You think I’m a wum?!! Honestly get over your self and if you don’t like what I say just ignore me and get a life. Yawn
 
Sometimes our LB search baffles me.
When we were going all in for Cucurella, the talk in the transfer circles and Brighton forum was they have already identified Pervis Estupiñán from Villareal.
And they got it right again. I have seen quite a few Brighton games and he would fit perfect with us. Some people recommended a 60 million bid for him.

People often joke about stealing the Brighton scouting department but what am I missing. How could City scouting can’t identify one such LB?
 
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