Didn't we also miss out on Edin Hazard?Our second best DoF ever.
No one is ever eclipsing Brian Marwood’s summer of 2012 though. Rodwell and Sinclair in the same window.
Those were the days.
Couldn’t/wouldn’t pay his agent’s fee, from memory.Didn't we also miss out on Edin Hazard?
Disagree he was mint at Chelsea. It was RM that caught the bulletCouldn’t/wouldn’t pay his agent’s fee, from memory.
Another bullet dodged!
No proof of this, but hasn’t there recently been accusations of off the book payments from Chelsea to Hazards agents?Couldn’t/wouldn’t pay his agent’s fee, from memory.
Another bullet dodged!
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?
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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
He is one of the best signings City have ever made.Thank you Txiki
Mob?Well they at least finished second. Albeit like last season’s mob, they tossed off a tap-in cup final
So would say it’s probably a toss of a coin
I wasn’t being entirely serious!Disagree he was mint at Chelsea. It was RM that caught the bullet
+Džeko +Nasri +Milner was class that season2012: 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?
A good run down. I would venture to suggest that Pep was due to Soriano and the chairman, but just guessing. The chairman put in place Soriano and Txiki with a view to getting Pep.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.