January window

cleavers said:
Could be out injured long term by the sounds of tonight.
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Hamstring. We bought Gundog injured & Philips just returning from injury, so I think the betting investigation may have a bigger bearing.

We just need to replace Philips ASAP. With whom is a different matter altogether. Also I wish we'd bought Paqueta in the summer instead of Nunes.
 
Gabriel said:
They’re good players, to be sure, but if you watch Camavinga in the build up to our first two goals, you’ll see what I mean.
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I've seen Camavinga in several matches, & he's never failed to impress me. Against Real, I doubt anyone could've lived with us that night. We just blew them away.

So aside from that match, you still don't think Camavinga would be a CDM option for us if he was available?
 
Dribble said:
I've seen Camavinga in several matches, & he's never failed to impress me. Against Real, I doubt anyone could've lived with us that night. We just blew them away.

So aside from that match, you still don't think Camavinga would be a CDM option for us if he was available?
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If he were available, perhaps, but I just don’t see him playing in the same way as Rodri. He’s also out with a torn knee ligament so any discussion is purely academic.
 
Dribble said:
Barça are skint, hence their desperation for the ESL. At worst both Newcastle & Spuds could do a 6 month loan with an obligation to buy for £43m.
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That would be ‘at best’ in my opinion. The lad has hardly played and clubs know our predicament and will probably seek to take him on loan with no obligation to buy. With a new baby he may have no inclination to move, so we might just have to accept that he’ll be around until the summer.
 
Gabriel said:
Our inability to shift Cancelo permanently is probably a fair indication of how difficult it will be to move Phillips on.
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Phillips is unlike Cancelo not a bad apple in the dressing room, as far as we are aware and therefore there is less need to remove him from the squad at all costs. The only thing preventing him moving permanently is his unwillingness to cut his salary and/or join "smaller" clubs. West Ham wanted to buy him this summer but he turned them down thinking he could work himself into our team. Another year on the bench with minimal minutes could change his perspective. You cant convince me there wont be other offers than a loan with no obligation for an English international in a treble winning club. The problem is not the lack of offers, the problem is Phillips not wanting to move bad enough. Yet that is, sooner or later he will want to save his career and realize he will have to make some sacrifices himself to make that happen. City should not be held to ransom by a player unwilling to make any sacrifices himself. Until his agent can deliver a deal thats good for the club, he can sit on the bench and see his career get ruined. 3-4m (or less) in saved salary payments for a 6 month loan is not enough compensation for strengthening whats likely to be a PL rival for years to come. Any loan to any of the PL clubs competing for European places should be with an obligation to buy, imo.

Not saying any of this is undisputed or undoubtedly "the way it is", I understand others may disagree. Its just my personal opinion that sometimes the club has to play hardball, we cant let players have all the power at the clubs expense.
 
Vester said:
Phillips is unlike Cancelo not a bad apple in the dressing room, as far as we are aware and therefore there is less need to remove him from the squad at all costs. The only thing preventing him moving permanently is his unwillingness to cut his salary and/or join "smaller" clubs. West Ham wanted to buy him this summer but he turned them down thinking he could work himself into our team. Another year on the bench with minimal minutes could change his perspective. You cant convince me there wont be other offers than a loan with no obligation for an English international in a treble winning club. The problem is not the lack of offers, the problem is Phillips not wanting to move bad enough. Yet that is, sooner or later he will want to save his career and realize he will have to make some sacrifices himself to make that happen. City should not be held to ransom by a player unwilling to make any sacrifices himself. Until his agent can deliver a deal thats good for the club, he can sit on the bench and see his career get ruined. 3-4m (or less) in saved salary payments for a 6 month loan is not enough compensation for strengthening whats likely to be a PL rival for years to come. Any loan to any of the PL clubs competing for European places should be with an obligation to buy, imo.

Not saying any of this is undisputed or undoubtedly "the way it is", I understand others may disagree. Its just my personal opinion that sometimes the club has to play hardball, we cant let players have all the power at the clubs expense.
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I wasn’t suggesting they were the same in character, simply that they are going to be difficult to shift on a permanent basis. If he was unwilling to leave in the summer, I’m not convinced that anything has changed to make him wish to leave now. If anything, with a new baby, he might feel even less inclined to leave his environs.
 
Gabriel said:
I wasn’t suggesting they were the same in character, simply that they are going to be difficult to shift on a permanent basis. If he was unwilling to leave in the summer, I’m not convinced that anything has changed to make him wish to leave now. If anything, with a new baby, he might feel even less inclined to leave his environs.
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I think he's more likely quite keen to leave now, he's given it a second season shot and will want to restart he career. There will be a few clubs wanting him in the summer somebody will pay a decent fee.
 
Gabriel said:
I wasn’t suggesting they were the same in character, simply that they are going to be difficult to shift on a permanent basis. If he was unwilling to leave in the summer, I’m not convinced that anything has changed to make him wish to leave now. If anything, with a new baby, he might feel even less inclined to leave his environs.
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Not playing when Rodri was out and then behind Lewis, Kovacic and Stones will have given him the message loud and clear.
With the Euros looming he'll go, but my guess is on loan to Newcastle.
 
Gabriel said:
If he were available, perhaps, but I just don’t see him playing in the same way as Rodri. He’s also out with a torn knee ligament so any discussion is purely academic.
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Yes it's academic, but if he was fit, available & money was no object, of all the CDM's I can think of, Camavinga would be my first pick.

If you could pick any two CDM's, who would you opt for?
 
Gabriel said:
That would be ‘at best’ in my opinion. The lad has hardly played and clubs know our predicament and will probably seek to take him on loan with no obligation to buy. With a new baby he may have no inclination to move, so we might just have to accept that he’ll be around until the summer.
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It's been evident since the summer that City want to part company with Philips. He wanted to stay & fight for his place, but even when Rodri was suspended, & we've played dead rubber matches, he's failed to start or even get on.

The difference with this window to last summer is Kalvin's been told he needs to be playing to secure his England spot. Pep's even come out & said he can't find a place for him, as he doesn't suit our style.

However, he's just turned 28, he's had 18 months under Guardiola, & he's an England International who'll help fulfil UEFA quotas. He'll perfectly suit Newcastle or Spuds & make them stronger imho.
 
Dribble said:
Yes it's academic, but if he was fit, available & money was no object, of all the CDM's I can think of, Camavinga would be my first pick.

If you could pick any two CDM's, who would you opt for?
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Declan Rice and Douglas Luiz. Not suggesting either is better than Rodri,nor necessarily the two you favour, but they are league tested. I still think we might have to find a system that we can revert to when Rodri is unavailable.
 
Gabriel said:
Declan Rice and Douglas Luiz. Not suggesting either is better than Rodri,nor necessarily the two you favour, but they are league tested. I still think we might have to find a system that we can revert to when Rodri is unavailable.
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I’ve seen long winded attempts to explain it, but I’ll never understand how we couldn’t get a work permit for Douglas Luiz but Villa could. Very frustrating.
 
Gabriel said:
Declan Rice and Douglas Luiz. Not suggesting either is better than Rodri,nor necessarily the two you favour, but they are league tested. I still think we might have to find a system that we can revert to when Rodri is unavailable.
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Rodri is Rodri. Before him Fernandinho was Fernandinho & before him Yaya was Yaya. All very different players, but all equally as effective.

I rated Rice when many didn't, & I've always loved Luiz. In terms of a Philips replacement, I wouldn't say no to any of them in truth, but I'd probably place Camavinga & Tchouameni ahead of Rice & Luiz if a Genie gave me a wish.
 
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