I didn't rate them last season,they were lucky City were off the boil, and I don't rate them this year.
I think City will surprise eveyone
Alexander Isak | Cried his way to a £130m move
- Thread starter MCFC1993
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I think City will surprise eveyone
Not sure how you didn’t rate them? They absolutely pissed the league, played us off the park at Anfield and were very comfortable against us at ours. They’ve signed a brilliant left back, probably the most sort after number 10 in world football, an attacking fullback to replace Arnold, a highly rated forward from Germany and are now in for one of the best strikers in the league!
I think we’ll be much better than last season but boy do we have to go some to beat them and get our title back
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Marvin.
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Is there a consensus of what to expect from MCFC? From what I can see, not even City fans can agree about propsects for next season. Broadly I would say that we should be better as the ground state was no Rodri and no Stones and KDB was not great last season.
Unless they sign a centre half, they’re only 1 injury from being fucked at the back.
I’m more concerned with how Arsenal and Chelsea are going to improve this season.
Dribble
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I'd usually be weighing up who could challenge City, but I've gotta admit that for the coming season, I'm thinking more like can we sustain a challenge against Liverpool, Arsenal & now Chelsea.
Before we got knocked out of the CWC, I was more certain about our chances, because albeit we were still shaky in defence, I saw a swagger & expansiveness about our play that I've not really seen since our Sterling, Silva, Bernardo, Fernandinho, KDB & Sané days.
Then came the match against Al Hilal, where I saw a similar-ish line up & tactics as last season, & all the old problems resurfaced. I think a lot will depend on the influence the new coaching staff can wield over Guardiola.
Teams have figured out how to combat our slow, precise, controlled build-up play. They defend deep with a low-block, & hit us with rapier like counters in the vacated spaces left by our inverted full-back & attacking full back, knowing we had little pace in central midfield or central defence to cover the gaping holes & stop them.
Will Pep cede total control to utilise our attacking pace more?
Fucking hope so
Mcfcok1971
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Agree im afraid, they're doing great business
Mcfcok1971
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And Phil,he was wank
blueparrot
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No, they are doing good business fair enough, but so are we as good if not better. What I don't get is posters that constantly go on about theirs and seem totally unaware what we are doing.
heslops barnet
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Sensible observation
The former is true, the latter is wrong. Their xG at the Etihad was 0.81, better than ours but not by much. The game was mostly even, we had key absences, including Haaland.
Liverpool have lost 2 firm starters in TAA and Diaz plus, sadly, Jota. The new players may hit the ground running ing or may not. Hard to tell.
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The reality is we need a lot to go right, yes you could say that for any team, but we have ?’s
Will Phil turn his form around
Will Rodri be close to the player he was and stay fit
Will we be ok at RB
Will Dias turn his form around or will other CB’s stay fit long enough
That is before how the new signings will do, which is a question for everyone…
I feel the chances of all them being answered positively is low.
I was ok with last season, I thought our biggest battle was off the field. The C U Next Tuesdays are managing to stretch out over another window.
I have always thought that since the treble the squad had reduced in quality that it need another summer transfer window, so expect better, top 4 and some positive results against the other contenders, but not expecting to win.
However, I think we will arrive this time next year in a better position and then with the right signings, who knows.
Will Phil turn his form around
Will Rodri be close to the player he was and stay fit
Will we be ok at RB
Will Dias turn his form around or will other CB’s stay fit long enough
That is before how the new signings will do, which is a question for everyone…
I feel the chances of all them being answered positively is low.
I was ok with last season, I thought our biggest battle was off the field. The C U Next Tuesdays are managing to stretch out over another window.
I have always thought that since the treble the squad had reduced in quality that it need another summer transfer window, so expect better, top 4 and some positive results against the other contenders, but not expecting to win.
However, I think we will arrive this time next year in a better position and then with the right signings, who knows.
Dribble
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I think a lot of this comes down to who goes, who stays, who plays & how we play.
I sense there's a fear (certainly from me) that if most of the old guard remain, that's who Pep will select & rely on using a system & playing style that served us so well up until last season.
It seems Liverpool are replacing like for like & improving in certain positions with the intent of playing who they bought. I'm not so sure if Pep doesn't see many of our January & summer acquisitions as "one's for the future" to be eased in.
I've no idea how this can be achieved considering our already bloated squad which has to be trimmed & Guardiola's preference for a small elite squad anyway.
Bah is on loan, & there's strong rumours of Echeverri & Reis joining him too. Reports are Gonzalez is already concerned about game time, & many on BM think Cherki will be used sparingly, with Moose being back-up for Haaland & rotating with Doku.
Conflicting media reports are saying Grealish is surplus to requirements, when others are saying he thinks his future lies with City after a heart to heart with Pep at the Oasis concert.
This is where the uncertainty is stemming from. If the old guard remain, what happens to the new, younger squad members? Or will the old guard be told if they don't find moves, they won't be registered to play in the PL or CL in a WC year?
Questions, questions, questions...
blueparrot
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I have no fear at all that Pep will,not only play the best players he has because he wants to win as much as he ever did ,but also we will se a slight change in how we play, the coaches he brought in were brought in for good reason.Pep himself has said during last season football is now played slightly differently, we saw us play differently in the CWC. The only one of the older players that may play ,especially if we use Nunes, is Bernardo to give us a bit more solidity dropping in behind him.
From your mouth to Pep's ears...We shall see...
I agree they deservedly won the League last season and were the best team by a mile. In attack they are very well stocked and have got a lot of quality even more so if they secure the signing of Isak. However, defensively in the cb area their options at present are limited, if Van Dijk or Konate get injured then Gomez will have to play. I think Slot will look to bring in another cb before the League starts, possibly Guerhi.
blueparrot
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Well it isn’t just me that can see the signs of us and Pep evolving, yet again and it isn’t surprising because he’s constantly analysing and studying football.In fact seems the main people that don’t get that about him are some City fans.
Man City: How Pep Guardiola's key summer signing might not even be a player
Manchester City have spent more than £150m on players this summer but Pep Guardiola's biggest signing could be Jurgen Klopp's old assistant.
www.bbc.co.uk
Dribble
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My question is, what happens to the squad if the old guard refuse to leave (Stones, Gundog, Kova, Grealish etc)?
What do we do with the new recruits?
Also, during the CWC, the game against Al Hilal had a distinct 2024-25 feeling about it. Even with new coaching staff, will Guardiola significantly change things that much?
I thought with all the staff changes & new faces, we were looking at a bright new dawn, but after the Al Hilal game, I'm no longer so sure.
Lovebitesandeveryfing
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Interesting article on the beeb about Lijnders. I know there's a very negative feeling about the BBC on this website — sometimes justified — but that article is worth reading. Perhaps I'm prejudiced, because it confirmed what I've been mulling over since the spring.
Pep is not a stupid man, nor is he a rigid man, contrary to what's sometimes said on here. He had a system which he took a season to set up, and it then worked for the next seven years, brilliantly He's re-signed in order to rethink the team, re-think the way we've been playing. Furthermore, his signings, and bringing in Lijnders confirm that. Viana as well goes with that changing of the guard.
Read the article. Whether you agree with it or not, it's food for thought.
Ashton Moss Messi
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Stand by for outrage from the klan
What?
Oh maybe not, it must be clean oil money
www.bbc.co.uk
What?
Oh maybe not, it must be clean oil money
Alexander Isak: Might Newcastle owner’s cash help Liverpool buy striker?
With PIF-owned Al-Hilal interested in Darwin Nunez, could Newcastle's owners be paving the way for Alexander Isak's move to Liverpool?
www.bbc.co.uk