Have we done enough in the transfer market?

[Marvin.]

Allowing our only right back to leave and not replacing him could never be considered “enough”. Even though Walker wasn’t half the player from 2 seasons ago he was a specialist in that position. Left sided attacking players due to play City in the last few months will be pissing themselves.

True. But it's a Jan. window. I can think of 1-2 outstanding right backs e.g., Livramento but how do you buy them. A player I liked for a while was Udogie but he's been injured. They are difficult to buy. We had a lot to do this window. We didn't do everything. I hope a right back is on the to do list.

I note that City's U-18 are doing very well. We don't have to solve everything by transfers. What we do badly is in bringing our best young players into the first team. I have the idea that O'Reilly and Macatee could have helped us a lot this season. I don't see them in training so I don't know if they are ready but when they do play, they play well.

 

[Marvin.]

Our decent CB's are ageing injury crocks except maybe for Dias, so we go and buy 2 untested CB's for 80 mil with potential rather than something for the now, quite bizarre. No RB either, so our porous defence will continue to get creamed by half decent opposition.
We will still need 2 x A grade creative midfielders and a ready made RB in the summer to compete for honours again This will cost min 200 mil. Hopefully our defenders and Rodri stay healthy next season ( a big ?) because if we're relying on Nunes and Akanji as 1st choice, we'll be cooked again.
For this season, injuries permitting, we can still/should get top 4-5. Anything more or any trophy aspirations are fanciful.

That's a good point. Buying 2 young defenders and retaining them in the squad rather than loaning them out is unusual for City but probably speaks to the chronic defensive injuries City have suffered. I don't think you can buy players like picking apples off a tree. A powerful club like City can cherry-pick good young players from clubs whose business model is to buy/sell for a profit. But it's another matter to buy players like John Stones from Everton. Or Koulibaly etc. Those are Summer long campaigns. You don't get to buy a Guehi in January.

 

[Marvin.]

Done as much as we could in the winter window.

We kicked off the rebuild, but didn't finish it. This summer I think we will prioritize a RB and a creative midfielder - essentially replacing Walker and KDB. The latter will cost a fortune.

We also need to figure out the GK situation, whether that's figuring out what's going on with Eddie or replacing him.

I expect there will be quite a few departures.

Marmoush had a very high number of assists. We might not try and buy a 'KDB' or a 'Cole Palmer'. We might not need one. Let's see how Foden, Marmoush, Bobb develop. We have been affected by KDB's age/injuries but we might have players who can each add something offensively. There's more than 1 way to beat a defence.

 

[Bluewonder]

A right back. Not sure what other position you have in mind?

The BBC wrote an article entitled, "'£180m only scratches the surface of the rebuilding job Guardiola faces". I disagree with that. In the 2023-24 season we also foundered without Rodri and that was with 'the best defence in Europe, Ederson and Ake, Walker and Akanji, Reuben Dias, Johnny Stones'. None of them have been fixtures this season. What we need are our best players back, and for these new signings to settle. If they come through, then we will have completed most of the job imo, but we will have to wait and see. Ederson is possibly a contract discussion we have to sort out in the Summer.

We need a KDB replacement and perhaps another quality CM, along with the RB you mentioned.

I agree with the sentiment of your post, though.

 

[GaudinoMotors]

No, we need a player that can hold the ball, keep possesion around the opposition area, create, win free kicks, get back when necessary, fits in well.

Oh....wait....

 

[Blue tiger]

Bobb’s completely unproven. He may come good but he may not. He had a magic moment and a couple of half decent games, people are putting way to much store in his ability.

He most certainly doesn’t fit an Alvarez shaped hole as some are suggesting.

Yea a lot of pressure and expectations being put on a lad that hasn't really started many games for us. His ability seems to have been enhanced in peoples minds the longer he has been out.

 

[Damocles]

As excited as I am about Khusanov and Reis, I would have preferred a 26 year old to walk straight in.

At this point, we need more Yayas and less Nastasics. Wirtz, Musiala, Frimpong, etc should be the type of summer target. We need ready made top quality who are still young like when we bought De Bruyne and Sterling.

Realistically we need to move on Walker, Kev, Gundo, Stones, Ake, Phillips, perhaps Nunes, Ederson, perhaps Doku, and perhaps Silva all on permanent deals within a 2 year period. We dont have time to develop players like at a Sporting and the Premier League is becoming so competitive now that I'm not sure we could risk it anyway.

Out of all the positions, goalkeeper is the one that we must get right. Our style of play breaks down more with the wrong goalkeeper than it does with thr wrong midfielder and there's so few high quality young keepers out there. The Ukrainian lad at Benfica is the next big thing but he won't fit us. Kobel probably the wrong side of 26 now and similarly is not Ederson with his feet.

The type of player we try to get this summer is really going to show the competence at the club and whether we've succumb to the arrogance that allowed us to rise above the red cartel in the first place. We have to sign elite talents, not presume we can carry through.

 

[Cobwebcat]

As excited as I am about Khusanov and Reis, I would have preferred a 26 year old to walk straight in.

At this point, we need more Yayas and less Nastasics. Wirtz, Musiala, Frimpong, etc should be the type of summer target. We need ready made top quality who are still young like when we bought De Bruyne and Sterling.

Realistically we need to move on Walker, Kev, Gundo, Stones, Ake, Phillips, perhaps Nunes, Ederson, perhaps Doku, and perhaps Silva all on permanent deals within a 2 year period. We dont have time to develop players like at a Sporting and the Premier League is becoming so competitive now that I'm not sure we could risk it anyway.

Out of all the positions, goalkeeper is the one that we must get right. Our style of play breaks down more with the wrong goalkeeper than it does with thr wrong midfielder and there's so few high quality young keepers out there. The Ukrainian lad at Benfica is the next big thing but he won't fit us. Kobel probably the wrong side of 26 now and similarly is not Ederson with his feet.

The type of player we try to get this summer is really going to show the competence at the club and whether we've succumb to the arrogance that allowed us to rise above the red cartel in the first place. We have to sign elite talents, not presume we can carry through.

I agree with nearly all of that.

I think where I differ from most is I’m not prepared to give up on some players than others are.

Age is the main thing for me as they are less likely to be just out of form. Other than Gundo and Kev (34 and 33) the others, still in our first team squad, can come good again with a good DM in the team and confidence back in general.

Look at Rico… he was really good at right back and was called up for England. Six months later half of BM want him gone! It’s madness.

Centre midfield is the engine of the team and two top class players will make the world of difference.

I think City were starting to get a little arrogant and too reliant on Pep. Thankfully that should all have gone now.

We have the numbers now but we need a couple of World Stars in the centre to bring everyone along with them. If we don’t do it the players that came in this window could prove a false economy.

 

[Keeper!]

Our decent CB's are ageing injury crocks except maybe for Dias, so we go and buy 2 untested CB's for 80 mil with potential rather than something for the now, quite bizarre. No RB either, so our porous defence will continue to get creamed by half decent opposition.
We will still need 2 x A grade creative midfielders and a ready made RB in the summer to compete for honours again This will cost min 200 mil. Hopefully our defenders and Rodri stay healthy next season ( a big ?) because if we're relying on Nunes and Akanji as 1st choice, we'll be cooked again.
For this season, injuries permitting, we can still/should get top 4-5. Anything more or any trophy aspirations are fanciful.

Reis and Khusanoz are huge talents who had numerous top clubs after them, in Khusanoz's case he was about to sign for the Barcodes, we have jumped the gun on both and I think both are exciting signings and both could become huge long term players at our club.

Our team is in terminal decline and it will take for me a couple of season to get anywhere near previous levels, this window is the start, I would expect another strong and expensive summer window when the top players will come in.

Personally I think the next few seasons are going to be incredibly exciting to see a new, young, zibrant team coming together.

 

[mac]

8 just hope we tweak our style of play now. No point in buying Omar if all he does is check back and pass it around. We need to fucking attack these teams now.

 

[jollylescott]

Surely you’re not trying to suggest that Marvin is some sort of Android?

lol. I always used to think that the original Marvin from a few years ago was some sort of computerised response. He was prolific on this forum and then suddenly disappeared. Perhaps the computer chip malfunctioned :)

 

[Shazza458]

Reis and Khusanoz are huge talents who can numerous top clubs after them, in Khusanoz's case he was about to sign for the Barcodes, we have jumped the gun on both and I think both are exciting signings and both could become huge long term players at our club.

Our team is in terminal decline and it will take for me a couple of season to get anywhere near previous levels, this window is the start, I would expect another strong and expensive summer window when the top players will come in.

Personally I think the next few seasons are going to be incredibly exciting to see a new, young, zibrant team coming together.

It’s not our only issue but people to seem to forget we haven’t had Rodri fit this entire season. We’ve signed four players this window, had rotten luck with injuries and players out of form. The squad is ageing.

I think terminal decline is slightly strong though and I think you’ll be surprised how competitive we’ll be again in a quick space of time. You put a fit Rodri and Nico Gonzalez in this midfield and we’ll be MILES better than we have been. Night and day imo. They give us everything we’ve been lacking.

Our attacking options are looking very healthy. Hopefully we have better luck with our defenders fitness from now till the end of the season.

Sure this next four months could be painful but I fancy us next season. We’ve already had the briefings about major signings in the summer. The club have shown intent in January and I reckon the plans for summer will ensure we are competitive next season

I’m not a happy clapper - far from it but there is light at the end of this tunnel and I do think this season is a blip.

 

[Keeper!]

It’s not our only issue but people to seem to forget we haven’t had Rodri fit this entire season. We’ve signed four players this window, had rotten luck with injuries and players out of form. The squad is ageing.

I think terminal decline is slightly strong though and I think you’ll be surprised how competitive we’ll be again in a quick space of time. You put a fit Rodri and Nico Gonzalez in this midfield and we’ll be MILES better than we have been. Night and day imo. They give us everything we’ve been lacking.

Our attacking options are looking very healthy. Hopefully we have better luck with our defenders fitness from now till the end of the season.

Sure this next four months could be painful but I fancy us next season. We’ve already had the briefings about major signings in the summer. The club have shown intent in January and I reckon the plans for summer will ensure we are competitive next season

I’m not a happy clapper - far from it but there is light at the end of this tunnel and I do think this season is a blip.

"I think terminal decline is slightly strong "

I would say that probably up to 10 players could be leaving in the next window, that's some serious change to our team/squad and in my opinion it means this side is terminated in more ways than one.

Ederson, Ortega, Walker, Phillips, KDB, Gundo, Grealish, Bernardo, Ake and Stones could all probably leave, that's a very serious rebuild and even then there could be a couple of shock departures.

I agree it's blip, we are far too serious a club now to be anything more, the club won't allow it but in saying that the club have made huge errors in the last few windows with lack of recruitment but I am more than happy they have acknowledged that and will correct it ASAP.

 

[hilts]

We are gonna need 3 players min in the summer even if the new guys end up being v good.

 

[IrishBlueSince92]

I don't see Khusanov and Reis making much of an impact this season. They're more for next season. Even if it allows Stones or Akanji to go into midfield, I don't think that solves all our problems.

If Gonzalez and Marmoush hit the ground running it would make a great deal of difference.

 

[StillBluessinceHydeRoad]

I suspect we haven't yet. It's true that we need the spine of the team back and functioning and we won't get this until Dias and Rodri are fit and firing, but Gonzalez and Marmoush should help greatly for the rest of this season. But when Pep arrived in 2016 his rebuild had already begun (we believe) with the arrivals of KdB and Raheem, but it continued over the next two summer windows and these two were virtually the only survivors. I don't think in 2016 City had the (hopefully) temporary injury problems but the problem of ageing was perhaps acute more and the talent coming through from the academy was not comparable. So a rebuild Pep style isn't done overnight and it is really a root and branch rebuild and will involve the phasing out of "older" players, though younger players will join before they leave because Pep now sees the need for a bigger squad.

 

[BlueMoonAcrossThePond]

We might have done enough to secure a top 4 or 5 place finish this year.

If we're to once again become the dominant team in the P/L - we have a massive rebuild ahead of us this summer.

 

[Marvin.]

We might have done enough to secure a top 4 or 5 place finish this year.

If we're to once again become the dominant team in the P/L - we have a massive rebuild ahead of us this summer.

That's not an argument, that's an assertion.

There is a hole in the centre of our side where Rodri, Stones and DIas play. Restore DIas, Stones and Rodri and if Savinho maintains his current form and Marmoush translates his Bundesliga form to the Premier League, the job is largely done. The only doubt over Rodri, Stones, and Dias is their fitness.

There is one general property that I think this squad is lacking and that's recovery pace at the back (post Walker who was a phenomenon). Khusanov has that. Does he have the all round game? We will see is the answer. That goes for the fitness of our centre-backs and the potential of our new signings. In other words, we may have fixed the squad to a large extent.

We are scoring enough goals. But we are leaking them. I put that down to the absence of key players. If Stones and Dias break down again, then that will say we need to make a new defensive addition aged 23 plus.

 

[BlueMoonAcrossThePond]

That's not an argument, that's an assertion.

There is a hole in the centre of our side where Rodri, Stones and DIas play. Restore DIas, Stones and Rodri and if Savinho maintains his current form and Marmoush translates his Bundesliga form to the Premier League, the job is largely done. The only doubt over Rodri, Stones, and Dias is their fitness.

There is one general property that I think this squad is lacking and that's recovery pace at the back (post Walker who was a phenomenon). Khusanov has that. Does he have the all round game? We will see is the answer. That goes for the fitness of our centre-backs and the potential of our new signings. In other words, we may have fixed the squad to a large extent.

We are scoring enough goals. But we are leaking them. I put that down to the absence of key players. If Stones and Dias break down again, then that will say we need to make a new defensive addition aged 23 plus.

You're mincing words - argument versus assertion.

This obscures the point I'm making. Which is this.

Our squad is aging, and this season we've been caught out. We need younger, faster, players with endurance to carry out Pep's system for the full 90. And we need capable backups in case of injury or to give our 1st team rest.

>> There is a hole in the centre of our side where Rodri, Stones and DIas play. Restore DIas, Stones and Rodri and if Savinho maintains his current form and Marmoush translates his Bundesliga form to the Premier League, the job is largely done. The only doubt over Rodri, Stones, and Dias is their fitness.

I couldn't disagree more.

Pep's system is ball control - and when it turns over, rapid pressing to recover the ball most of the time.

Our mid - not just because we don't have Rodri in our side - is too old/slow to play Pep's style. The ball turns over and our press isn't fast enough. Teams play around us. Hell, we sometimes don't even have the bulk of possession.

Rodri back will help - but it won't solve our problems, not only at mid, but in other positions as well; our mid is old and can't press to the level that Pep requires; and we have no adequate RB.

Meanwhile our winter window sees numerous promising players into our side which might help address some of our issues - but it's very likely that some/many of these players won't be good enough long term as 1st team starters.
===
TL/DR
We've begun a rebuild this winter window. But the rebuild isn't done - not even close IMO. We need a massively good summer window to once again challenge for the title.

 

[Bluewonder]

We might have done enough to secure a top 4 or 5 place finish this year.

If we're to once again become the dominant team in the P/L - we have a massive rebuild ahead of us this summer.

Don't forget that Liverpool are facing a significant rebuild of their own, with Salah, VVD and Arnold all out of contract this summer.