It's Quiet 18 - Wanna ring the bell?

[DeBlueLou]

It's incredible some people here have convinced themselves pep is "saving" the day. we have the best team in the world, the best players in the world. this doesn't happen by accident.

absolutely no respect.

To be fair, Pep has made these players the best itw.

 

[Ajm1985]

I think rice and Bellingham were those players that city wanted regardless of need. With them not coming it’s a case of we’ll only but if we lose a player. They aren’t looking specifically at anyone else in the forward positions. Mcatee and Oscar bobb to be intergrated hopefully this season into squad and Phillips to play more of a part. Gvardiol coming in as they expect to lose cancelo and he fits the new system

But surely you don't think we'd have a Plan B (Rice) player that we wanted regardless of need, after we didn't get the Plan A (Bellingham) player that we wanted regardless of need? Gvardiol I get for that aspect, but strange that we had interest in 2 very high profile players in a position we now don't think is a position of need.

 

[Pubteam Lomas]

I have always thought the plan was for Kovacic to cover Rodri/Gundogan role.
KDB to become more of an 8 and Foden and Alvarez to share the 10 position.
For me Bernardo staying is key with him and Mahrez options on the right. Grealish can be covered by Foden as we know.
Like many, I wonder if Oscar Bobb takes Palmer's place in the squad.

 

[argyle]

I see what you’re saying.

We really don’t need much else if no one goes. Gvardiol added what else do we really need?!

Not that Rice would have been my pick, but a player to compliment alongside and help rest Rodri?

 

[Alexia_Ko]

The wings are short and Kovacic is the gundo replacement? The drop off in creativity is staggering. Also, Gomez, Palmer, Philips and Mcatee will need to step it up.

 

[DeBlueLou]

I have always thought the plan was for Kovacic to cover Rodri/Gundogan role.
KDB to become more of an 8 and Foden and Alvarez to share the 10 position.
For me Bernardo staying is key with him and Mahrez options on the right. Grealish can be covered by Foden as we know.
Like many, I wonder if Oscar Bobb takes Palmer's place in the squad.

I like that idea but that leaves City with a winger short.

 

[Danamy]

I see what you’re saying.

We really don’t need much else if no one goes. Gvardiol added what else do we really need?!

Pace, that's why I think Mahrez will be sold and will be replaced with a pacey winger, gives us another option we haven't had for a while

 

[Tony - MCFC]

Not that Rice would have been my pick, but a player to compliment alongside and help rest Rodri?

Phillips? stones?

If City are keeping Phillips, very likely it seems now, he has to play & be trusted, at least that has to be the idea.

 

[Pubteam Lomas]

I like that idea but that leaves City with a winger short.

I agree so it wouldn't surprise me if we got one on the 'cheap'.

 

[Tony - MCFC]

Gaughan also suggesting Kovacic was Gundo replacement, that’s obv to most who saw Kovacic as a replacement signing for someone when we were linked, it was never a depth signing.

Seen many mention winger, don’t get that at all, as squad stands today, not needed, and it certainly wouldn’t be a natural winger anyway, based on the way City play wide men now.

Gvardiol aside, incomings depends on out.

City clearly wanted Rice, but wouldn’t pay silly £, which leads me to think someone else is v likely off (Bern?), and when they do, they’ll be replaced.

 

[madloaf]

Kovačić say hi

Please don't underestimate how good he is, some say we've got a soft underbelly throughout the side, he's got big boots to fill but he'll put steel in the side along with linking defense to attack

Who is the "some" that say we have a soft underbelly? We've just won everything in one season. I've seen some mental gymnastics on here about how good kovacic is, despite the fact that he's not been the motm in a game for 2 years, but now he's the "hardman we've been missing". Jesus. He has a clean slate with me but we need to calm down a smidge.

 

[Gumzy97]

Kovacic 25 million is going to be signing of the summer.

 

[FatedBlue77]

I think this is wishful thinking but I hope that the club are keeping any alternatives under wraps and comes out of the blue. Imagine we leverage the full potential of our worldwide CFG scouting network and pick up some cheap wonderkid from like under £20M. Brighton-esque.

Look at brighton, they bought Caiceido from Ecuador for £4.5M in 2021 and now he's most likely to be sold for an excess of £80M!!

I know experience and all but I would love us to cut the middleman and pick up these gems ourselves rather than rely on the likes of brighton to develop these players and us then consequently pay 10x the value they were originally bought for.

 

[DeBlueLou]

Kovacic 25 million is going to be signing of the summer.

Nah, the 105 mil Rice is gonna be ;)

 

[DMA's]

Jack Gaughan is the "spin doctor" for Txiki.

Khaldoons words & Txiki actions don`t match. We are one of the richest clubs in the world & Txiki is out there acting like we are broke. I guess positiv media narratives & the net spend trophy are now more important. Pep might save the day (again) next season but i`m not optimistic.

EDS sales/loans , Bernardo drama, some sales of 1st team players will be the script for the next 6 weeks & perhaps mid august we might do a "value signing".

I think it’s pretty obvious the club are desperate to be seen as a club who are prudent above all else. We have made a very obvious effort to minimise our net expenditure over the last 5 years and both pep and khaldoon have referenced our net spend in interviews last season.

Pep is the reason why this approach has worked imo. Make no mistake though with the investment teams around us are making they will close the gap on us if we stand still. Do wish the club weren’t so bothered about how they are perceived around the league

 

[Gio's mate]

Jack Gaughan is the "spin doctor" for Txiki.

Khaldoons words & Txiki actions don`t match. We are one of the richest clubs in the world & Txiki is out there acting like we are broke. I guess positiv media narratives & the net spend trophy are now more important. Pep might save the day (again) next season but i`m not optimistic.

EDS sales/loans , Bernardo drama, some sales of 1st team players will be the script for the next 6 weeks & perhaps mid august we might do a "value signing".

We've lost one quality player and added one quality player to a squad which has just won the treble.

Are you well?

 

[DeBlueLou]

I think it’s pretty obvious the club are desperate to be seen as a club who are prudent above all else. We have made a very obvious effort to minimise our net expenditure over the last 5 years and both pep and khaldoon have referenced our net spend in interviews last season.

Pep is the reason why this approach has worked imo. Make no mistake though with the investment teams around us are making they will close the gap on us if we stand still. Do wish the club weren’t so bothered about how they are perceived around the league

Scary times when he leaves.

 

[Pingu the Penguin]

I have always thought the plan was for Kovacic to cover Rodri/Gundogan role.
KDB to become more of an 8 and Foden and Alvarez to share the 10 position.
For me Bernardo staying is key with him and Mahrez options on the right. Grealish can be covered by Foden as we know.
Like many, I wonder if Oscar Bobb takes Palmer's place in the squad.

I’ve got a feeling we will play 2 up top next year

 

[TonyM]

My fear is there isn't a credible plan C.

Plan C sometimes is to do nothing. It's better than doing tge wrong thing.

 

[argyle]

I think this is wishful thinking but I hope that the club are keeping any alternatives under wraps and comes out of the blue. Imagine we leverage the full potential of our worldwide CFG scouting network and pick up some cheap wonderkid from like under £20M. Brighton-esque.

Look at brighton, they bought Caiceido from Ecuador for £4.5M in 2021 and now he's most likely to be sold for an excess of £80M!!

I know experience and all but I would love us to cut the middleman and pick up these gems ourselves rather than rely on the likes of brighton to develop these players and us then consequently pay 10x the value they were originally bought for.

Whilst other teams are poaching our staff, we should poach Brighton's scouts and transfer department!