The rebuild has started. Who goes?

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Lovebitesandeveryfing

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Ok, because of the way this club has generally been run over the past fourteen years or so, I'm disinclined to believe that any of the four players we've acquired in this window were mere “panic buys” (despite my user name, I recognise that Paul Merson says many, many stupid things. He said one great, surrealistic thing — by accident).
Least of all is the last one a “panic buy”. Txiki — and therefore probably Pep — have had their eye on these players, I believe for some time. It may turn out to be one of the most remarkable January windows we've ever had. I repeat — may. I also believe that we'll go into the market again in the summer.

Obvoiusly — everybody cannot be kept. Or put it this way, everybody cannot be kept, and kept happy. The question becomes then, who goes? And as of this summer, pretty much…

Can I emphasise that this has nothing to do with who I, personally, would like to see gone. I'm just speculating on what thinking may be going on in the club.

I'd suggest the likely candidates:

Walker gone. Theoretically on loan. Won't come back.
Phillips. Double ditto.

Age (still good players, but not part of the two-year future which Pep has for the rebuild):
Kev
Gundo

Not age, but not fitting in anywhere:
Jack Grealish
Rico Lewis
Matheus Nunes

Fitness issues which are chronic, and might have led to a loss of faith in them as regulars:
Nathan Aké
Johnny Stones

People who I wouldn't be in the least surprised to ask for a move and head for a big payday elsewhere, which would be granted at this point):
Bernardo Silva
Ederson

And a big surprise, a huge triple question mark ??? I'll add one for good measure: ?
Phil.
Phil has never expressed any desire to leave the club. We know this. He's one of our own. He's having a pretty poor season. Phil could be a target for any club in Europe. Literally any. If he were to be tempted by Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern, Inter Milan (add as you see fit…) I would not hold it against him. I would just be devastated to see him go. But for the club, it would be big, big money. Which could contribute in a major way to the top to bottom rebuild.
Completely off the wall? Maybe.

Got a feeling that there are still plans for McAtee. Wouldn't be surprised to see him stay. And get more time.

Akanji? Really don't know. A good servant, who's currently stinking the place out. Don't know what the thinking might be there.
 
Are we including Pep?

Because this is the star all your planets revolve around.

Hes 1+ seasons left only.
Should he be unable to reverse the rot this season, he may well jack.

The rebuild needs to know who's (going to be) in charge imho.
 
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deano ou812 said:
Don’t know who’s staying or going but another 4-5 in the summer window in my opinion..
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Can't see it unless at least a couple are keepers, to get 5 in we'd have to lose 6,we need to lose 2 to bring one in even without Walker and Phillips.
My guess we will lose Carson and maybe Ederson 2 there. Outfield though Assuming Walker goes we'll add a full back,rest of the defence stays as it is.
Midfield think Gundogan and Kovacic go so we could bring in 1 and we bring in an attacking creative midfielder. Grealish may go too but we'd need a homegrown replacement no idea who.Think Silva and KDB do 1 more year
Forwards stay as they are with Bobb added.
So that would be 2 or 3 in plus keepers.
 
Ederson (sadly), Ortega ,Gundo, one of Ake/Stones, KDB, Grealish,Walker (permanent) Nunes, Kovacic and Doku

I would keep but think will leave Bernardo, if Bernardo goes, keep Kovacic.

In: one of Musiala/Wirtz/ Cambiasso, RB, Top class CB, 2 CM Players and 2 Keepers.
 
blueparrot said:
Yes done that my reply stands.
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Well you've missed the point.
Pep has 1 foot out the door.
He's a 1+1 contract only.

So the question is: Will the rebuild be for him or someone else?
It's the latter unless he recommits to 4 years +

Don't forget, the club hasn't rebuilt sooner, in part, because they didn't know whether he was staying or not.

1+ isn't enough imho to champion a rebuild.

The PL have figured this iteration of Pep out.
 
Ederson - jury's out, would keep him if he can be committed
Ortega - time to go, think he knows he'll never be #1 here
Carson - safe

Walker - already gone
Dias - safe for me
Stones - jury's out, so good but just can't stay fit
Akanji - safe for me, clearly not fit right now
Ake - jury's out would love him to stay but can't stay fit
Gvardiol - safe for me
Khusanov - safe, obviously
Reis - safe, obviously
Wilson-Esbrand - needs to go for his own development
Simpson-Pusey - needs to go for his own development

Rodri - safe, obviously
Gonzalez - safe, obviously
Lewis - deserves one more season, so safe for now
Nunes - has to go, sadly
Kovacic - deserves one more season, was very good in 23/24
De Bruyne - could we get one more season out of him with more legs behind him?
Bernardo - time to go, sadly
Gundogan - time to go, sadly
Foden - should be the safest out of anyone
Grealish - jury's out, if he can stay fit and focused he can stay but...
Doku - deserves one more season
Savinho - safe
Bobb - safe
McAtee - needs to go for his own development

Haaland - safe, obviously
Marmoush - safe, obviously

So that leaves us with:

Ederson
[new RB], Dias, Akanji, Gvardiol
Rodri, Gonzalez
Foden, Marmoush, Savinho
Haaland

[new GK]
[new RB], Khusanov, Reis, Ake (Bah)
Kovacic, Lewis (O'Reilly)
De Bruyne
Bobb, [new CM/#10], Doku (Mubama)

Out: Ortega, Walker, Stones, Simpson-Pusey, Grealish, Nunes, Bernardo, Gundogan, McAtee.

In: new GK, 2x new RB, Khusanov, Reis, Cambiaso?, Gonzalez, new CF/#10.
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Not bad.

Then the summer after that it'll be time for Akanji, Kovacic, and De Bruyne to move on together.
 
Need to trim a few from the squad for sure. Quite a few on the wane and others who will never reach the required level.

I would move on Gundogan and Kovacic and Bernardo due to best years being behind them. Walker obviously needs to go permanently.

Lewis, Grealish, Akanji, Phillips and Nunes just not of the standard required.

I would keep both Stones and Ake if they are fit they are both brilliant players. Risky but think they are worth keeping based on that.
 
Mr Grumpy said:
Well you've missed the point.
Pep has 1 foot out the door.
He's a 1+1 contract only.

So the question is: Will the rebuild be for him or someone else?
It's the latter unless he recommits to 4 years +

Don't forget, the club hasn't rebuilt sooner, in part, because they didn't know whether he was staying or not.

1+ isn't enough imho to champion a rebuild.

The PL have figured this iteration of Pep out.
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Pep will do 2 years, the rebuild is half done. The PL have figured Pep out ,ridiculous nonsense. Anyway not what the threads about.
 
Ake should be good for the rest of his contract, he has been rushed back too soon after recent hamstring injuries. Give him time and he is one of our most reliable defenders, and also capable of nicking the odd goal. He has probably saved us more points than anyone else in the squad, brilliant goal-line clearances for example. Don’t write him off, I just wish he would retire from Internationals, where he is always picked when half-fit, and then out for another month on return from international duty.
 
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Players who I think should go:

Gundogan
Silva
De Bruyne - reluctantly, I don't think he's worth a new contract sadly
Phillips
Grealish - reluctantly

Ederson and Stones should possibly go too.

I would keep the rest.

Also think we're going to have to spend big on 2 marquee attacking midfield signings to replace those if we are to challenge again
 
Mr Grumpy said:
Well you've missed the point.
Pep has 1 foot out the door.
He's a 1+1 contract only.

So the question is: Will the rebuild be for him or someone else?
It's the latter unless he recommits to 4 years +

Don't forget, the club hasn't rebuilt sooner, in part, because they didn't know whether he was staying or not.

1+ isn't enough imho to champion a rebuild.

The PL have figured this iteration of Pep out.
Click to expand...
Are you drunk?
 
Okay my best guess,Gundogan,Carson Walker and Phillips definitely go,probably McAtee too but that Carson apart doesn't free any spaces.
that leaves those that will may well go go, KDB, Kovacic, Ederson, Ortega,Grealish.They may or may not all go but if they all go we'd need 2 keepers, Grealish would need a home grown replacement and by my count,which could be out,both KDB and Kovacic could be replaced,though we'd need a full back..
 
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Gonna try and be realistic and not include the new players obviously

Gks:
Ederson - I think he wants out and he will get his move sadly
Ortega- will stay and challenge for no1
Carson - will stay for hg status

Def:
Dias - stay
Stones- stay due to hg status
Akanji - stay and will be utilised as a rb
Ake- stay
Gvardiol- stay
Lewis- stay squad player
Walker - gone

Midfield:
Kdb - one more year contract
Gundogan- leaves
Bernardo - stay as too much turnover otherwise
Nunes- leaves
Foden- stay
Grealish- loaned out as no one will pay his fee or wages
Doku- stay
Savinho - stay
Kovacic- leaves
Phillips - loaned out (see grealish l)
Mcatee - leaves

Forward:

Haaland - stay and made one of the captains

Realistically I can see grealish, Gundo, kovacic, nunes, ederson leaving. Anymore I think is too unrealistic and would cause too much work to be done.

Need to sign a goalkeeper, 2 cms and 2 fullbacks and I think we good to go
 
KDB needs to go so that he leaves with his legacy completely unscathed. He isn’t up to it anymore and a further season would see him feature very little, and be way off it when he does.

Hes won the lot and spent the prime of career with us and given us everything.

I can’t really predict who will leave or come in so will just wait and see in the summer.

Either way, we will be up there challenging and in the running for all competitions we play in. Quite looking forward to the summer actually where all this is concerned.
 
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