Hugo Viana | Director of Football

[Master-Lotus]

Beyond the players who are already set to leave, who are the 10 that are deadwood?

If we buy the players I've named then we'll have to get rid of: Savinho, Marmoush, Grealish, Phillips, Mukasa, Ake, Stones, Betinelli, Kovacic and Bernardo. Some are leaving because they are too old and some are deadwood.

 

[WesthoughtonJohn]

Once we clear the charges next month we need to go to the Summer transfer market with full ambition: buy Ndiaye, Kroupi, Diomande, Anderson and Kayode then sell all the deadwood which is around 10 players. Perhaps even buy Tonali in case Rodri doesn't want to extend or leaves. That would be 350-450mil euros, same amount Liverpool spent last Summer except we would be buying top players, not frauds.

Oh here we go with Football Manager stuff.
The above is totally unrealistic

 

[Rammy Blue]

IMO the only duds he's ended up signing are Reijnders and Nico G, and even then considering just how bad Rodri looked in his first season at City, it may well be an adjustment to the league, Pep etc thing.

But let's just say they're duds. The hits not only outweigh the misses, but some of them are tremendous hits. Cherki at 30 million euros? Khusanov for 40 million euros? The Guehi and Semenyo fees? These are players who are going to be totems of future league wining sides brought in for relative peanuts. I suspect Reis will come back one day and also look an absolute bargain.

On top of all that, not sure you can judge a DoF until you've seen a cycle of players over 3-4 years minimum. Viana has basically had one summer window and one and a half January windows and he's almost completely rebuilt from the team that won the treble.

I wouldn’t even class Reijnders and Nico G as duds either mate, Nico was more a late Jan panic buy due to the midfield disaster we had, Reijnders looked class, just adaptation imo and if we do cash out on them we won’t lose much dollar either.

 

[Shazza458]

IMO the only duds he's ended up signing are Reijnders and Nico G, and even then considering just how bad Rodri looked in his first season at City, it may well be an adjustment to the league, Pep etc thing.

But let's just say they're duds. The hits not only outweigh the misses, but some of them are tremendous hits. Cherki at 30 million euros? Khusanov for 40 million euros? The Guehi and Semenyo fees? These are players who are going to be totems of future league wining sides brought in for relative peanuts. I suspect Reis will come back one day and also look an absolute bargain.

On top of all that, not sure you can judge a DoF until you've seen a cycle of players over 3-4 years minimum. Viana has basically had one summer window and one and a half January windows and he's almost completely rebuilt from the team that won the treble.

Think they are both duds, we’ve really struggled to buy midfielders in recent years.

 

[IrishBloodEnglishHeart]

If Nico G has got us to a cup final - how is he a dud?

 

[PragueBlue]

Think they are both duds, we’ve really struggled to buy midfielders in recent years.

Neither are duds. They are both good players have helped us to get where we are, winners of one cup, in the final of another and challenging for the league.

They've barely played since the turn of the year, so it's not really surprising that they aren't match sharp when they get a few mins here and there.

Question marks remain but I'd hardly class them as duds.

 

[BillyShears]

I wouldn’t even class Reijnders and Nico G as duds either mate, Nico was more a late Jan panic buy due to the midfield disaster we had, Reijnders looked class, just adaptation imo and if we do cash out on them we won’t lose much dollar either.

Time will tell with both of them, but I wouldn't shocked if we ended up cashing in this summer. I get the feeling that Viana is going to be a lot more active in the market in general than Begiristain was, in terms of both outgoings and incomings.

 

[Ghostofmerlin]

Where we have really struggled in recruitment is a holding midfielder. Nico G is quite good, but he's not a holding midfielder. We have to get someone to back up and possibly eventually replace Rodders.

 

[John Wayne]

Time will tell with both of them, but I wouldn't shocked if we ended up cashing in this summer. I get the feeling that Viana is going to be a lot more active in the market in general than Begiristain was, in terms of both outgoings and incomings.

If we get back roughly what we paid for them then they aren't terrible signings like Kalvin Phillips.

I can actually see both moving on, along with Marmoush. Not counting youngsters, I can see 10 going - Bernardo, Stones, Ake, Akanji, Grealish, Phillips, Marmoush, Reijnders, Gonzalez and Lewis. I'm not even factoring in Trafford just yet. That's at least £220m and nearly £2m-a-week in wages off the books. Throw in sales of youngsters and we'll have £250m+ in the coffers before even factoring in next year's budget outside of player sales.

 

[BillyShears]

If we get back roughly what we paid for them then they aren't terrible signings like Kalvin Phillips.

I can actually see both moving on, along with Marmoush. Not counting youngsters, I can see 10 going - Bernardo, Stones, Ake, Akanji, Grealish, Phillips, Marmoush, Reijnders, Gonzalez and Lewis. I'm not even factoring in Trafford just yet. That's at least £220m and nearly £2m-a-week in wages off the books. Throw in sales of youngsters and we'll have £250m+ in the coffers before even factoring in next year's budget outside of player sales.

Add Kovacic too. If they all go we'd need two CM's, a right back, and a versatile, explosive forward. I can see it though.

 

[Stoned Rose]

I wouldn’t even class Reijnders and Nico G as duds either mate, Nico was more a late Jan panic buy due to the midfield disaster we had, Reijnders looked class, just adaptation imo and if we do cash out on them we won’t lose much dollar either.

Neither are elite midfielders and therefore we shouldn’t be entertaining them imo.

Cash in and sign someone better

 

[John Wayne]

Add Kovacic too. If they all go we'd need two CM's, a right back, and a versatile, explosive forward. I can see it though.

I've got a funny feeling Kovacic might stay, but who knows? I'm absolutely in agreement that it'll be four in, likely in those positions too, and Reis returning. We'll nominally have two players for every position but lots of flexibility.

GK
Donnarumma
Trafford
Bettinelli

DF
Ait-Nouri
Gvardiol
Nunes
New RB
Reis
Guehi
Khusanov
Dias

MF
New CM
New CM
O'Reilly
Kovacic
Rodri
Cherki

FW
Doku
Semenyo
Foden
Savinho
Haaland
New FW

 

[CΛL]

If we buy the players I've named then we'll have to get rid of: Savinho, Marmoush, Grealish, Phillips, Mukasa, Ake, Stones, Betinelli, Kovacic and Bernardo. Some are leaving because they are too old and some are deadwood.

Bettenelli just signed a new deal till 27 recently but otherwise agree with the list.

The only first team players that we’d have replace from there are Bernardo, Kova, Savinho and Marmoush, rest good as gone or inconsequential.

Don’t think we’ll buy another centre half with Reis coming back but could be wrong.

 

[VOOMER]

I’d put it at number 11 behind our 10 league title wins, one of which included the Treble of course.

Regardless, your point is correct, 11th best season in the club’s history, during an rebuild, and people are moaning.

Because it never should have got to a rebuild

 

[VOOMER]

Think they are both duds, we’ve really struggled to buy midfielders in recent years.

Its because of the quality we have bought
Gareth Barry, De Jong, David, Yaya, Nasri, Fernie, KDB, Bernardo, Rodders, Gundy, Phil, Jack.
I really don't think I've mentioned everyone, but that is the level we have become accustomed to.

 

[CΛL]

Its because of the quality we have bought
Gareth Barry, De Jong, David, Yaya, Nasri, Fernie, KDB, Bernardo, Rodders, Gundy, Phil, Jack.
I really don't think I've mentioned everyone, but that is the level we have become accustomed to.

Jack??

 

[blueparrot]

Because it never should have got to a rebuild

It was impossible for there not to be a rebuild, players have contracts. Squad moral needs loyalty after winning a treble and going on to a 4 th title. This is the real world with real people. The fact we have almost rebuilt after unprecedented 10 years of success,stayed in the top 4 and won at leat 1 trophy possibly 2 or 3 is a balancing act rarely acheived,in fact tell me a PL team that has.

 

[DJBusinesscake]

If Nico G has got us to a cup final - how is he a dud?

Also covered for Rodri for months and helped us maintain a close distance to arsenal, including big games like Liverpool at home. He is far from a dud, and fans jumping on Nico G are just wrong lol

 

[waspish]

Also covered for Rodri for months and helped us maintain a close distance to arsenal, including big games like Liverpool at home. He is far from a dud, and fans jumping on Nico G are just wrong lol

In that time didn’t Foden and cherkie play together as well?

 

[FinallyGoodwin]

Yeah not having that Nico G is a dud, dragged us to a cup final, filled in when required and has done well despite never being a mainstay in the starting eleven. He'll come good and I feel as though we'll be talking about him in a different light before long.

Only gripe against him, needs to stop that random little hop he does after every pass! Noticed it once, can't not notice it now.