2012: Yaya, Kun, Kompany, Zabaleta, David, Hart, Lescott, Tevez, Mario...and more.
Today's squad? Rodri, Foden, Haaland, and others.
2012 was miles better. Not even close. No?
Txiki Begiristain | Has left the club after 13 years (pg50)
- Thread starter Don Karleone
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Today's squad? Rodri, Foden, Haaland, and others.
2012 was miles better. Not even close. No?
@City_Shirts needs to branch out and start a “city_jumpers” city legends boardroom signings worn jumpers
Gingers Dad
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Didn't we also miss out on Edin Hazard?
Alan Harper's Tash
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Gingers Dad
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Disagree he was mint at Chelsea. It was RM that caught the bullet
Micky Blue
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No proof of this, but hasn’t there recently been accusations of off the book payments from Chelsea to Hazards agents?
Granovskaia faces questions over off-the-books Chelsea payments
MATT HUGHES AND KIERAN GILL: Details of millions of pounds in fees including a payment to Eden Hazard's agent emerged last year as part of a cache of leaked documents.
www.dailymail.co.uk
Centurions
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Not just recently, there's always been rumours of huge off the book payments to everyone and his dog, which is the reason we walked away ironically, given circumstances since.No proof of this, but hasn’t there recently been accusations of off the book payments from Chelsea to Hazards agents?
Granovskaia faces questions over off-the-books Chelsea payments
MATT HUGHES AND KIERAN GILL: Details of millions of pounds in fees including a payment to Eden Hazard's agent emerged last year as part of a cache of leaked documents.www.dailymail.co.uk
eastmanc
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He is one of the best signings City have ever made.
BillyShears
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The best in the business. Probably more important than even Soriano in the shaping of the club and the recruitment of Pep. Viana has big shoes to fill. My dream podcast guest tbh. Don't think I've ever even seen an interview with him.
eastmanc
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Mob?
Asa's left peg
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I love that all the guys having a dig probably all do their jobs, not just well but outstandingly under pressure every year.
Let's not forget that Pep made the thing work, but he supplied the tools (yes, there were some) but he made a major contribution to 6 titles in 7 season. We reel that off like it was easy, but six in seven years - I don't think many have let that really sink in. The next seven years will dictate how great an achievement that was.
He has operated at a time of severe pressure and dirty tricks from the football authorities and rival teams at home and abroad and a hostile press. His wife alluded to it in the trailer. It's not an accident that quote is in there, I assume.
Not all signings come off and it's not always the DOF's fault. Sometimes they look good but don't settle (Torres), sometimes young players come with a big reputation and dont step up (many) others become party animals and think they have made it (Mendy).
He's had backing and support and business connections on his side but it is still an outstanding job. DOF's never really get the credit when things go right but they can live their daily lives under the radar.
I'll always be glad he came.
Let's not forget that Pep made the thing work, but he supplied the tools (yes, there were some) but he made a major contribution to 6 titles in 7 season. We reel that off like it was easy, but six in seven years - I don't think many have let that really sink in. The next seven years will dictate how great an achievement that was.
He has operated at a time of severe pressure and dirty tricks from the football authorities and rival teams at home and abroad and a hostile press. His wife alluded to it in the trailer. It's not an accident that quote is in there, I assume.
Not all signings come off and it's not always the DOF's fault. Sometimes they look good but don't settle (Torres), sometimes young players come with a big reputation and dont step up (many) others become party animals and think they have made it (Mendy).
He's had backing and support and business connections on his side but it is still an outstanding job. DOF's never really get the credit when things go right but they can live their daily lives under the radar.
I'll always be glad he came.
Alan Harper's Tash
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I wasn’t being entirely serious!
Hazard was amazing, but should have influenced more with his talents.
+Džeko +Nasri +Milner was class that season
I think our centre back depth is better now though.
Gvardiol is one of the best players in Europe for me. Plus (assuming theyre fit) Aké and Stones, Dias and Akanji, plus young lads like Khusanov (who I think is mustard) and Reis.
Man_City_Loyal
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thanks txiki
JRockBlues
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I wish his transfers since the treble would have been such hits as in earlier periods. the signings of Bernardo, Sterling, Mahrez, Dias, Ake, Rodri all turned out great and allowed us to build on them for years with high performance from them regularly. and the likes of KDB of course from a bit earlier period.
since the treble not sure how many of those we will be able to see 4/5 years of great seasons from each player. Gvardiol is one that looks like one similar to above mentioned, the rest has still time to prove themselves but not too much.
not only Txikis fault, the whole club became comfortable after the treble win business wise, and what happened is while we were significantly ahead of likes of Liverpool, Arsenal at that point we allowed them to catch up by better transfers also by us regressing tactically/became easier to play against.
there was some tendecy to get runners, players with good press resistance, players that can beat opponent 1v1, but somehow this did not follow up tactical changes and we still tried to play like at our best with possession based/control type football where you need high level technicians in possession rather than good and quick dribblers.
now with Leijnders coming in there might be more to this tactical change, we will see this quite soon imo August, September how this is planned exactly but certainly there was a bit of a mismatch of the recuritment ad tactical shape/idea since the treble which is so strange from such a close knit DoF/manager duo as Txiki and Pep.
dont get me started on last summer, which is still so hard to understand how let it happen, when apparently DoF/analysts all flagged a big rebuild must be done, but Pep wanted to have one more go with the old guard which backfired big time.
Palmer has to be mentioned too, not down to Txiki imo, more like Pep, that he is what Salah/KDB was to Chelsea, they had them and didnt think they re worth to keep/develop and reap the rewards after. still its not gonna be nice to see Palmer scoring/assisting almost every round, its just fucked up I bet Chelsea fans looking at Salah end product for years, or KDB's brutal legacy at City was hard to swallow too...
on the positive side, Txiki was a great DoF overall (expect last 2 years), the transition from where we were early 2010s to more than a decade later was partly down to his work.
currently good example what a mess going on at Newcastle who had their DoF stolen (Ashworth) then hired Mitchel who resigned leaving all kind of vacuum at the top and now Newcastle instead of building on their recent success looks about to implode somewhat.
since the treble not sure how many of those we will be able to see 4/5 years of great seasons from each player. Gvardiol is one that looks like one similar to above mentioned, the rest has still time to prove themselves but not too much.
not only Txikis fault, the whole club became comfortable after the treble win business wise, and what happened is while we were significantly ahead of likes of Liverpool, Arsenal at that point we allowed them to catch up by better transfers also by us regressing tactically/became easier to play against.
there was some tendecy to get runners, players with good press resistance, players that can beat opponent 1v1, but somehow this did not follow up tactical changes and we still tried to play like at our best with possession based/control type football where you need high level technicians in possession rather than good and quick dribblers.
now with Leijnders coming in there might be more to this tactical change, we will see this quite soon imo August, September how this is planned exactly but certainly there was a bit of a mismatch of the recuritment ad tactical shape/idea since the treble which is so strange from such a close knit DoF/manager duo as Txiki and Pep.
dont get me started on last summer, which is still so hard to understand how let it happen, when apparently DoF/analysts all flagged a big rebuild must be done, but Pep wanted to have one more go with the old guard which backfired big time.
Palmer has to be mentioned too, not down to Txiki imo, more like Pep, that he is what Salah/KDB was to Chelsea, they had them and didnt think they re worth to keep/develop and reap the rewards after. still its not gonna be nice to see Palmer scoring/assisting almost every round, its just fucked up I bet Chelsea fans looking at Salah end product for years, or KDB's brutal legacy at City was hard to swallow too...
on the positive side, Txiki was a great DoF overall (expect last 2 years), the transition from where we were early 2010s to more than a decade later was partly down to his work.
currently good example what a mess going on at Newcastle who had their DoF stolen (Ashworth) then hired Mitchel who resigned leaving all kind of vacuum at the top and now Newcastle instead of building on their recent success looks about to implode somewhat.
crystal_mais
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Great DoF and a great person from what people who know him tell me. Massive thank you for the work he has done for our club
eyalluvitt
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Man deserves his own statue
Been a great DoF overall.
There are a number of questionable things that can be seen as a negative - from the signings after the 2012 title win and the 2023 treble, to keeping all four of Clichy Kolarov Zabaleta and Sagna for too long (added to Fernando in DM) in preparation for Pep coming, to the recent wing signings to replace Sterling Sané Mahrez and Palmer which is affected us last season - but they are far outweighed by the incredible squads that were built between those times.
Signings of legends like Fernandinho, De Bruyne, Stones, Gündoğan, Ederson, BSilva and Rodri plus someone I think is a legend in the making in Gvardiol. Key long term contributors to success like Sterling, Walker, Dias, Otamendi and Aké. To more short term key contributors to success like Negredo, Navas, Sané, Jesus and Laporte. To signing Haaland for £54m (arguably £100m less than his worth), Gündoğan for £20m (arguably £35m less than his worth), Akanji for £15m and Álvarez for £15m. And to surprising signings that worked out great for their time they had playing well like Demichelis and Delph.
…and probably most importantly, the way they all fitted and played well as a unit, and the harmony across the squad with so few ‘bust-ups’ or embarrassing moments (although Walker had a few!).
Then, his biggest coup of all, in bringing Josep Guardiola Sala to the Etihad!
His squad building deserved more CL wins than just the one we have. But that’s on them and Pep, not him.
All the best to the bloke in his retirement, he will go down as a very key figure in Manchester City’s history.
There are a number of questionable things that can be seen as a negative - from the signings after the 2012 title win and the 2023 treble, to keeping all four of Clichy Kolarov Zabaleta and Sagna for too long (added to Fernando in DM) in preparation for Pep coming, to the recent wing signings to replace Sterling Sané Mahrez and Palmer which is affected us last season - but they are far outweighed by the incredible squads that were built between those times.
Signings of legends like Fernandinho, De Bruyne, Stones, Gündoğan, Ederson, BSilva and Rodri plus someone I think is a legend in the making in Gvardiol. Key long term contributors to success like Sterling, Walker, Dias, Otamendi and Aké. To more short term key contributors to success like Negredo, Navas, Sané, Jesus and Laporte. To signing Haaland for £54m (arguably £100m less than his worth), Gündoğan for £20m (arguably £35m less than his worth), Akanji for £15m and Álvarez for £15m. And to surprising signings that worked out great for their time they had playing well like Demichelis and Delph.
…and probably most importantly, the way they all fitted and played well as a unit, and the harmony across the squad with so few ‘bust-ups’ or embarrassing moments (although Walker had a few!).
Then, his biggest coup of all, in bringing Josep Guardiola Sala to the Etihad!
His squad building deserved more CL wins than just the one we have. But that’s on them and Pep, not him.
All the best to the bloke in his retirement, he will go down as a very key figure in Manchester City’s history.
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