I can only think that Rice came out and said he only wanted Arsenal and that's why City walked away? Otherwise, surely they could have just left the bid live and let the player decide?Pep was seemingly promised certain things and we`ve missed out on two and one of them was to his bloody apprentice! lol
Nobody knows ,seen everything, from he's training, to a couple of months.Would think it very unlikely KDB will be on that flight - we're not expecting him to be playing until mid-September after his injury??
Presumably West Ham rejected our bid though, hence why Arsenal upped their offer beyond ours.I can only think that Rice came out and said he only wanted Arsenal and that's why City walked away? Otherwise, surely they could have just left the bid live and let the player decide?
I can only think that Rice came out and said he only wanted Arsenal and that's why City walked away? Otherwise, surely they could have just left the bid live and let the player decide?
I don't think it's the case that we don't like a battle, just that we have our valuation of players and tend to stick to it. The whole Rice episode was a little odd though.I just dont think the board felt the price was right for the player Dave? I dont imagine playing for us and Pep was an issue at all, just Arsenal fronted up and we walked? We dont seem to like a battle at times do we? And before the pile on happens, i acknowledge what the club has achieved over the last few years but it would be good to see us using our financial power at times?
We also stick to our valuations or otherwise suffer from teams trying to inflate fees. If it was a case of West Ham wanting 90 like we bid and then it went down to both us and Arsenal negotiating the terms of that deal and then negotiating with rice it would be interesting to see what his decision would beI can only think that Rice came out and said he only wanted Arsenal and that's why City walked away? Otherwise, surely they could have just left the bid live and let the player decide?
It’s not looking great right now but the worst thing we can do is sign unsuitable players at silly prices.
I wouldn’t have been concerned at all but if Pep isn’t happy then that’s a bit of a red flag.
I honestly believe that the Saudi situation has wrecked a few plans. Just have to wait and see, as difficult as that is.
We didn’t get Bellingham or Rice so it’s reasonable to say we are behind where we expected to be.
Sex pest :-)I could post a picture of an erection and some will think our transfer targets will be written in the veins.
I don't think it's the case that we don't like a battle, just that we have our valuation of players and tend to stick to it. The whole Rice episode was a little odd though.
I’m only going off what TH has posted but there’s bound to be different interpretations…even when it’s not a video!There is a bit of background gossip, and then there is running away with an interpretation and then presenting it as the real and quite dour picture of what's 'really' going on at the club. And that's not come from the original post, but a collective snowballing of imagination.
There's the mistake trying to buy him off Arsenal before they owned him :)Presumably Arsenal rejected our bid though, hence why Arsenal upped their offer beyond ours.
I’m only going off what TH has posted but there’s bound to be different interpretations…even when it’s not a video!
I still think it will be sorted despite the chance that Pep isn’t impressed.
Doh, sorry!There's the mistake trying to buy him off Arsenal before they owned him :)
Definitely and I took it the same way, that it was more the players/agents.It sounded more like Pep not being impressed with players/agents. Even so. Won't be the first bloody time Pep hasn't been impressed with something or had had a challenge he wasn't happy with. He will work through it, with the players, the board and will find a way to make things work.
We bid ~£90mil for Rice. Are you honestly suggesting we'd bid that for a player Pep didn't want?We do it based on our valuation, sometimes we’ll lowball knowing we’ll have to put up or shut up. We deemed Grealish worth a £100m punt and this last season it looks like it was a great call. Rice was never a £100m player though and never will be let alone £105m plus add-one. We also don’t have to push the boat out as you say, we stick to our guns and do our business how we see fit, a treble and 3 titles in a row suggests our model is pretty much spot on and working.
Id also point out that nowhere has it been proven Pep wanted Rice, Bellingham possibly but Rice? I think the world and his wife could see Rice only really wanted Arsenal so City put in a cheeky bid and it didn’t pan out.
Potentially by the end of this window City could have near £600m sat in the transfer kitty, it doesn’t mean we have to spend it though and if Pep does decide to leave in two seasons that banking that money up for a new manager to rebuild isn’t a bad think. It’s not about the past or now, it’s about the future and the club may be privy to new rules that may require spending based on money banked etc? I’ve no idea but we won’t ever just splash £5m+ let alone £15m just to get a deal done.
Every season a new superstar arrives on the scene, every window there’s a talent, players come and go and some join City where others don’t. It’s the nature of the beast and I’ve every confidence the club will pluck out a gem from absolutely nowhere like we did with many before them.
The moment we cave on a deal, we’ll be fucked over by every club in the future we deal with. It’s not the amount, it‘s the principle and professionalism that stop us doing it.
I do fully get the frustration, I feel it too, but I understand the reasons behind it, I run my own business’ and see the same situations come up.
You have to imagine he's pissed off with the Gvardiol situation. We're now jetting off for preseason and he'd have liked him integrated. There's also the matter of losing four top class/world class squad members with barely a murmur of potential replacements.
So I agree, his outward displays aren't necessarily going to be how he feels.
What I think happened is that Rice and his agents encouraged the move to us so we made an offer and at some point they made it clear to us that Rice wasn't interested in us at all or he wasn't fussed either way and would go to the highest bidder that negotiated with West Ham.I just dont think the board felt the price was right for the player Dave? I dont imagine playing for us and Pep was an issue at all, just Arsenal fronted up and we walked? We dont seem to like a battle at times do we? And before the pile on happens, i acknowledge what the club has achieved over the last few years but it would be good to see us using our financial power at times?
We won't be, certainly not with the bookies or rival fans, everyone needs to chill the fook out and enjoy itThe best thing for our squad (possibly) is that we go into the season feeling like we are underdogs (after losing a few players and failing to sell others).
Definitely and I took it the same way, that it was more the players/agents.