The Squad planning thread

[bluemoon32]

It is very clear that our leadership will not be standing still.

Donna/Trafford, Gvardiol, Khusanov, Reis, Bah, Echeverri, Foden, Cherki, Doku, Savinho, Nypan, Mukasa, Heskey, Mfuni, McAidoo.

That is a crop of young talent among the very best in the world.
We are planning for now and the future.
The unbroken success we have had is freakish and it is done.
We will return, I am certain of it.

Looks good on paper but how many young talents actually come through and stick around at City ?

 

[richards30]

I can’t help thinking with Pepsi demeanor that he’s just accepting that he will do what he can with what we have now?

 

[supercity88]

I like your optimism but there's no guarantee that a large chunk of those players you've mentioned (and others) will be a success. Some could well drift away, be sold at a profit or released etc. Let's hope they do but history generally tells us a different tale.

My optimism is more based on the fact that we've cleared out the majority of players we needed to and can now re-focus. We're in a position to now look at what we have and ensure it's of the right quality. If people don't perform this season they'll be out next summer and there will be plenty of top talents that emerge over the next 12 months or deals that can be done that weren't possible this summer. But we've got a new base to work with and we can refine and develop it moving forwards.

 

[oldius]

Looks good on paper but how many young talents actually come through and stick around at City ?

Plenty, but we also lose a few.
Viana has said that a priority is to integrate the academy with the first team.
In Lewis, Foden, Bobb, and O'Reilly, we are en-route to that.
I heard whispers that McAidoo was going to be in the first-team squad soon, as well as Mukasa.

 

[WRicko]

Confused it’s always been said that our wage will was under control very incentive linked yet this window everyone is saying our players are paid too much won’t leave we have messed up etc which is it ?

 

[The Light Was Yellow Sir]

Confused it’s always been said that our wage will was under control very incentive linked yet this window everyone is saying our players are paid too much won’t leave we have messed up etc which is it ?

Another one is:
We’ve “got to change our system”.
“Why are we signing Donnarumma, we’re going to have to change our system.”

 

[bluemoon32]

Plenty, but we also lose a few.
Viana has said that a priority is to integrate the academy with the first team.
In Lewis, Foden, Bobb, and O'Reilly, we are en-route to that.
I heard whispers that McAidoo was going to be in the first-team squad soon, as well as Mukasa.

Would be lovely if it works, not sure Lewis, Bobb or O'Reilly are going to be the very top level but we'll see, hopefully they go on to be huge players for us & we can get back to the very top.

 

[Manchester_lalala]

We should be looking at Semenyo.

 

[OntarioBlue]

I think we have done a great job of trimming the squad of the older players. What we are left with looks like a squad for the future rather than the present which makes me wonder if Pep is planning to stick around for the rebuild.

I do have concerns over whether the likes of Lewis, Gonzales, Bobb, O’Reilly, Doku and Savinho (all young, raw talents) have the quality to replace,in the long term, those who have left and brought us so much success

 

[Roachy]

My optimism is more based on the fact that we've cleared out the majority of players we needed to and can now re-focus. We're in a position to now look at what we have and ensure it's of the right quality. If people don't perform this season they'll be out next summer and there will be plenty of top talents that emerge over the next 12 months or deals that can be done that weren't possible this summer. But we've got a new base to work with and we can refine and develop it moving forwards.

Yes, it's a fair shout. A lot of people commenting on the rebuild that maybe should have started earlier are forgetting we had players who couldn't just be moved on easily due their contract length. I'm going back to last summer here and the summer before. So the rebuild is under way and there is good reason for optimism. For me personally the jury is still out on where we are now with the current crop.

 

[supercity88]

Would be lovely if it works, not sure Lewis, Bobb or O'Reilly are going to be the very top level but we'll see, hopefully they go on to be huge players for us & we can get back to the very top.

The critical job was offloading the high earners who were past their peak. We have largely done that.

This season is already healthier than last year because we know we are a work in progress and ultimately all of the new signings and younger players are in a position of having to prove themselves.

Some will, and we have the basis of a new squad. Some won't so they get sold and with age on their side and experience at City we should make good money to reinvest in a combination of new young talent and more proven players.

I think this year is going to be inconsistent but I don't think it will take much for us to be right back challenging again after next summer. The hard work has largely been done.

 

[chiswick blue]

Short term fixes that may be applied without drifting from high line, inverted RB

1 Savinho on the right, make more chances for Haaland, not so much pressure on cutting in and shooting
2 Stick with Nunes at RB, he's about the best we have in this position and does have pace
3 Stones and Gvardiol as CBs (when fit), they can kick a ball and relieve pressure from GK
4 Midfield 3 of Rodri, Reijnders and Gonzalez (little chance of this happening)

 

[ProofMCFC]

And more than some others. Strange post.

Yeah I suppose, teams like Bromley and Charlton have spent less. Its not a strange post atall, it’s in the squad planning thread, where there has been an obvious lack of.

 

[oldius]

Yeah I suppose, teams like Bromley and Charlton have spent less. Its not a strange post atall, it’s in the squad planning thread, where there has been an obvious lack of.

We spent £90m net in the summer window. Ahead of 10 other PL clubs. We know we spent more than anyone in January. The inference that we are not spending money is false.

10. Man City: £89.9m

11. West Ham United: £76.3m

12. Burnley: £66.7m

13. Fulham: £26.4m

14. Aston Villa: -£15m

15. Crystal Palace: -£17.7m

16. Chelsea: -£17.9m

17. Wolves: -£20.9m

18. Brentford: -£59.2m

19. Brighton: -£59.8m

20. Bournemouth: -£65.8m

 

[ProofMCFC]

We spent £90m net in the summer window. Ahead of 10 other PL clubs. We know we spent more than anyone in January. The inference that we are not spending money is false.

10. Man City: £89.9m

11. West Ham United: £76.3m

12. Burnley: £66.7m

13. Fulham: £26.4m

14. Aston Villa: -£15m

15. Crystal Palace: -£17.7m

16. Chelsea: -£17.9m

17. Wolves: -£20.9m

18. Brentford: -£59.2m

19. Brighton: -£59.8m

20. Bournemouth: -£65.8m

After a season like last, you expect more than just 10th, especially with the obvious weaknesses in the squad., how can your argue that.

Yeh it’s funny you bring January up, only 1 of those can even get a look in and I rate him a lot but god only knows where he fits in the team. Close to 40M on a defender who 6 months later gets loaned out…if the rags had done that we would all be laughing.

 

[oldius]

After a season like last, you expect more than just 10th, especially with the obvious weaknesses in the squad., how can your argue that.

Yeh it’s funny you bring January up, only 1 of those can even get a look in and I rate him a lot but god only knows where he fits in the team. Close to 40M on a defender who 6 months later gets loaned out…if the rags had done that we would all be laughing.

You may be unhappy with things at the moment, (we all are) but don't let it cloud your view.
Cherki, Reijnders, Gonzalez, and Marmoush are straight into playing time.
Khusanov is now getting playing time.
Bah and Reis are teenagers - there aren't any playing top-level PL centre-back roles. I suspect that both will be in the squad next year with the likely moves of Stones and Ake. I must watch Bah at Nice - the highlight reels look like he's making extraordinary progress.
Nypan came knowing he was going to be loaned.

The only one that concerns me a little is Echeverri. He is absolute quality but we are stacked in the forward areas and I don't know whom he would replace other than Bernardo, who is another likely to leave in the next year or so.

 

[Txiki Txiki Bang Bang]

I can’t help thinking with Pepsi demeanor that he’s just accepting that he will do what he can with what we have now?

I disagree, he seems bubbly

 

[richards30]

I disagree, he seems bubbly

He seems to me that the squad has been ripped apart and that pressure from the Klopp days has gone as the squad isnt as strong as it used to be and we arent close to being favourites any longer so the expectation isnt there?

 

[117 M34]

With gundo now gone, we can look for a non HG right back in January.
Ortega can be left out of the CL squad for the next rounds.

 

[Bluearmy]

Still several issues to resolve for me. Right back 100%, not convinced we are where we need to be at Centre Half. Left back, we shall see, not had the greatest start. Both wing positions need improvement with established players (not emerging talent)