The Squad planning thread

[M9 Blue]

Once this window shuts Vianna should be spending 100% of his time finding a replacement for Pep.

We can't not ready for our next big change.

It can't be put off forever.

Reckon Peps off at the end of this season and replacement already here, Pep mk2 steps up.

 

[blueparrot]

Reckon Peps off at the end of this season and replacement already here, Pep mk2 steps up.

The first part not out the question think the second part pretty much is.

 

[Vester]

If the rot continues then the manager having two years left won't make much of a difference to a dof with no personal allegiances

If ”the rot” continues our dof should obviously, among other things, also be looking at ways to improve the quality of the squad (not spend 0% of his time on it).

 

[Dribble]

Once this window shuts Vianna should be spending 100% of his time finding a replacement for Pep.

We can't not ready for our next big change.

It can't be put off forever.

In a recent interview, Pep said he was fully recharged, the squad was in good shape & everyone was committed & determined.

He then said he'd definitely see out this contract & possibly extend for another 2 years, maybe even 4, which is GREAT NEWS.

The only issue I have with Pep is the cases of him making strange tactical & line-up decisions in major finals, but seemingly not looking at his inverted defender tactics which is hurting us. Sort this out, & Pep can remain here until he's 74.

However, when people talk about life after Pep & a new manager, the question is who? I honestly can't think of anyone I'd want more than Our Kid Baldy...

 

[chiswick blue]

Pep is a football genius but needs high quality players to make his tactics work. We have seen that he’s stubborn and will not change his approach therefore there are 2 options

1 stick with current squad and hope for top 4
2 buy quality players at RB, GK and CM

not winning the league this year isn’t the end of the world, we’ve been through much more

 

[Dribble]

Pep is a football genius but needs high quality players to make his tactics work. We have seen that he’s stubborn and will not change his approach therefore there are 2 options

1 stick with current squad and hope for top 4
2 buy quality players at RB, GK and CM

not winning the league this year isn’t the end of the world, we’ve been through much more

Not winning the league this season would be a bummer, but more importantly for me is significant signs of progress.

If we were to fall short, but we could all see major strides forward in comparison to last season, I for one won't be complaining.

 

[Gabriel]

As we enter Guardiola’s tenth season, would it be asking too much for the academy to concentrate on producing full-backs who have both pace and power?

 

[aguerooo93]

IN: Donnarumma, Rodrygo
OUT: Savinho, Gundogan, Ederson, Akanji, Ortega

Ideal squad this season:

GK: Donnarumma, Trafford, Bettinelli

RB: Nunes, Lewis, (Khusanov)
RCB: Stones, Khusanov
LCB: Guardiol, Dias, Ake
LB: Ait-Nouri, (Ake)

CDM: Rodri, Nico
CM: Reijnders, Bernardo, Kovacic, Lewis, O'Reilly

LW/CAM/RW: Foden, Cherki, Marmoush, Rodrygo, Bobb, Doku

ST: Haaland, (Marmoush)

 

[simon23]

In:

A right back - any right back is better than what we have

A centre half - Stones will get injuried - we then have a potential backline of Ake Dias And Rico Lewis with Gvardiol. That back line aint good enough - Ake gets injured and its then Nico Oreilly (Alt Nouri already out for 3 weeks)

Failure to get these (especially the right back) and that will be the story of the season -

Brighton Away and Arsenal could easily both beat us..

Utd as bad as they are beat us last year.....and we dont look good - we have been beaten by worse utd teams when we have been better...

next few games will tell us a lot.

We could be trying to solve it again in January

Khusonov is integral and yet he isnt being played

 

[blueparrot]

In:

A right back - any right back is better than what we have

A centre half - Stones will get injuried - we then have a potential backline of Ake Dias And Rico Lewis with Gvardiol. That back line aint good enough - Ake gets injured and its then Nico Oreilly (Alt Nouri already out for 3 weeks)

Failure to get these (especially the right back) and that will be the story of the season -

Brighton Away and Arsenal could easily both beat us..

Utd as bad as they are beat us last year.....and we dont look good - we have been beaten by worse utd teams when we have been better...

next few games will tell us a lot.

We could be trying to solve it again in January

Khusonov is integral and yet he isnt being played

Any right back isn't better than we have, in fact personally don't see any available better that we have room for. If we have to wait for the right one best we wait.
Put it this way it isn't impossible we think Livramento is the best for us or somebody else entirely, isn't impossible we've approached his side and been told not now but maybe next summer. In which case better to wait for the right option not gum up the squad with a make do option.
As for the season, wait and see too early to judge anything.

 

[simon23]

Any right back isn't better than we have, in fact personally don't see any available better that we have room for. If we have to wait for the right one best we wait.
Put it this way it isn't impossible we think Livramento is the best for us or somebody else entirely, isn't impossible we've approached his side and been told not now but maybe next summer. In which case better to wait for the right option not gum up the squad with a make do option.
As for the season, wait and see too early to judge anything.

With what is going on with Isak Newcastle were never going to sell Livramento as well

The same problems that were there last season are still there

We can manage if we get Rodri fit and keep Stones fit and/or we stat to see Khusonov playing - but Alt Mouri is out for the next 3 games at least, Ake is another injury waiting to happen, Dias is badly out of form for 12 months

And yes Id take pretty much any right back in the prem league over our options.

 

[CΛL]

Plenty of goals in this team, we scored more than Arsenal last year and we’ve only improved with Reinjders and Cherki.

Central defence is my biggest worry. We need a leader at the back but Dias can no longer keep up with quick players, he never wins aerial duels either.

Realistically if we play Stones and Dias together we’re fucked in transition.

I don’t think you can play Dias and Khusanov because between them they can’t really play it out from the back. Gvardiol and Khus might work but there’s inexperience and a lack of leadership.

I think we’re just left with Stones and Khus, Dias Gvardiol and probably Gvardiol Stones as possible combinations. None of which are ideal, lose some leadership, ball playing or pace either way.

 

[TonyColemansbagofapples]

I don’t really care how Khusanov plays out from the back. I want him in for his defensive qualities.

 

[Gabriel]

Assuming the window closes and the squad resembles something like this:

GK: Donnarumma, Trafford, Bettinelli
RB: Nunes, Lewis
RCB: Stones, Dias, Khusanov
LCB: Gvardiol, Ake
LB: Ait-Nouri

CDM: Rodri, Gonzalez

Midfield: Reijnders, Silva, Kovacic, Foden, Cherki, O'Reilly

Wing: Savinho, Bobb, Doku

ST: Haaland, Marmoush

Then, the orange leave next summer, the blue we ideally try to shift before their contracts expire, and the green need to impress in their ideal positions or be moved on.

For this season, we still look a winger light, and the fullback situation, a position integral for how Guardiola wishes to play, is particularly worrisome. We appear to be entering the season with only one fullback whom we already knew would be absent for AFCON. Viana’s week might be busy, but there is certainly much to do thereafter.

I wonder if we might see a repeat of last season’s winter window in January, with us buying 2-3 young fullbacks this time in anticipation of next season.

 

[blueparrot]

Assuming the window closes and the squad resembles something like this:

GK: Donnarumma, Trafford, Bettinelli
RB: Nunes, Lewis
RCB: Stones, Dias, Khusanov
LCB: Gvardiol, Ake
LB: Ait-Nouri

CDM: Rodri, Gonzalez

Midfield: Reijnders, Silva, Kovacic, Foden, Cherki, O'Reilly

Wing: Savinho, Bobb, Doku

ST: Haaland, Marmoush

Then, the orange leave next summer, the blue we ideally try to shift before their contracts expire, and the green need to impress in their ideal positions or be moved on.

For this season, we still look a winger light, and the fullback situation, a position integral for how Guardiola wishes to play, is particularly worrisome. We appear to be entering the season with only one fullback whom we already knew would be absent for AFCON. Viana’s week might be busy, but there is certainly much to do thereafter.

I wonder if we might see a repeat of last season’s winter window in January, with us buying 2-3 young fullbacks this time in anticipation of next season.

Agree with all that except Gonzalez would be black for me.Great potential, looking better all the time.

 

[Gabriel]

Agree with all that except Gonzalez would be black for me.Great potential, looking better all the time.

For me, he might be better earmarked as replacing one of the more attack-minded midfielders, say Kovacic. It’s not that he’s necessarily bad in the Rodri role, just that I think we can find even better. Ideally, we’d land Bouaddi from Lille.

 

[Banner92]

Plenty of goals in this team, we scored more than Arsenal last year and we’ve only improved with Reinjders and Cherki.

Central defence is my biggest worry. We need a leader at the back but Dias can no longer keep up with quick players, he never wins aerial duels either.

Realistically if we play Stones and Dias together we’re fucked in transition.

I don’t think you can play Dias and Khusanov because between them they can’t really play it out from the back. Gvardiol and Khus might work but there’s inexperience and a lack of leadership.

I think we’re just left with Stones and Khus, Dias Gvardiol and probably Gvardiol Stones as possible combinations. None of which are ideal, lose some leadership, ball playing or pace either way.

For me should be Gvardiol Khus Stones as back 3 with ati nouri and nunes playing wing backs, khus can cover the counters then when needed but would like to think the 3 shouldn't be as strecthed as we seem to be with the 2. More than enough quality in stones and gvardiol to pass/carry the ball out and leave khus where he needs to be

 

[John Wayne]

For me should be Gvardiol Khus Stones as back 3 with ati nouri and nunes playing wing backs, khus can cover the counters then when needed but would like to think the 3 shouldn't be as strecthed as we seem to be with the 2. More than enough quality in stones and gvardiol to pass/carry the ball out and leave khus where he needs to be

Not a bad shout at all. Wing-backs would allow us to play Marmoush just off Haaland - in the position he had so much success for Frankfurt.

 

[Semper aggressus]

Donnarumma, Guehi and a RB (ideally Livramento) and we’d be right back in with a shout of winning the title.

 

[TonyBookEnd]

Assuming the window closes and the squad resembles something like this:

GK: Donnarumma, Trafford, Bettinelli
RB: Nunes, Lewis
RCB: Stones, Dias, Khusanov
LCB: Gvardiol, Ake
LB: Ait-Nouri

CDM: Rodri, Gonzalez

Midfield: Reijnders, Silva, Kovacic, Foden, Cherki, O'Reilly

Wing: Savinho, Bobb, Doku

ST: Haaland, Marmoush

Then, the orange leave next summer, the blue we ideally try to shift before their contracts expire, and the green need to impress in their ideal positions or be moved on.

For this season, we still look a winger light, and the fullback situation, a position integral for how Guardiola wishes to play, is particularly worrisome. We appear to be entering the season with only one fullback whom we already knew would be absent for AFCON. Viana’s week might be busy, but there is certainly much to do thereafter.

I wonder if we might see a repeat of last season’s winter window in January, with us buying 2-3 young fullbacks this time in anticipation of next season.

I would place Savinho and Doku in Green. They both need to show significant signs of improvement this year otherwise I would be looking at alternatives.

Can't see the Donnarumma signing at all. Would be very strange departure from Pep's philosophy