How far off PSG and Bayern are City right now?

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SambaStyle

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They are the standard bearers in Europe right now.. The two best sides. As always, the gap is never as big as people think and things can change very quickly. In 2023 the gap was the other way (City was above both of them)


Can the gap be closed in a Summer transfer window? What do City need?


How many City players are in a combined 11 of City/Bayern/PSG..? Maybe only Donnarumma currently?
 
SambaStyle said:
They are the standard bearers in Europe right now.. The two best sides. As always, the gap is never as big as people think and things can change very quickly. In 2023 the gap was the other way (City was above both of them)


Can the gap be closed in a Summer transfer window? What do City need?


How many City players are in a combined 11 of City/Bayern/PSG..? Maybe only Donnarumma currently?
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Not Haaland? Riiiiiiiiiiight.
 
I don't think we are too far off individually, but collectively probably 2 seasons away.
It is the fluidity and movement that is so impressive from PSG.
Our midfield, as of right now, and our full-backs are not at the same level yet.
Haaland, Cherki, Doku, Gvardiol, Rodri all walk in, IMO.
But the game is not about individuals.
 
SambaStyle said:
They are the standard bearers in Europe right now.. The two best sides. As always, the gap is never as big as people think and things can change very quickly. In 2023 the gap was the other way (City was above both of them)


Can the gap be closed in a Summer transfer window? What do City need?


How many City players are in a combined 11 of City/Bayern/PSG..? Maybe only Donnarumma currently?
Click to expand...
Not the best way of judging, how many Arsenal would get in a combined team ,but we have Haaland, Gvardiol, Rodri, maybe Donnarumma that would be in or close to being in.
 
I wouldn't be worried about City playing either. It wouldn't be easy but I think we'd do well. Watching their semi finals I thought Doku would have been the best player on the pitch if he played for either team.
 
We are a few players away. Hopefully a good transfer window and a successful start for the new manager, coupled with a nice draw in the early knock out stages, and we can give the chumps league a good go next season.
 
Arsenal showed incredible mental discipline for 65 minutes, but in the 10 thereafter PSG were able to run off their midfielders and get at the defence. They also have the pace to hurt teams on the flanks and through the middle. Bayern are stronger, physically, but increasingly reliant on Kane. I also think that Real Madrid and Barcelona can be almost as dangerous.

I don’t think we’re that far off, but we need to have a more mobile midfield and we need to be far more ruthless in front of goal. Watching European games again and you see we spurn a worrying number of chances, and these are issues Maresca is going to have to address.
 
Miles off imo.

We don’t have enough game winners at the very top level. Take Haaland out and we’d be fucked.

We have too many various shades of shit in the squad who wouldn’t get near PSG’s women’s team never mind their men’s.

Reijnders, Marmoush, Savinho, Gonzalez.

If you look at the players they’ve replaced - Kev, Alvarez, Mahrez, Gundogan. That’s a fucking ridiculous drop in quality. That takes you from leagues to runners up and gives you fuck all chance in the CL.

We also need to sort out what’s happening with Philips, Grealish, Lewis and Ake.

We also have no **** who can put a free kick away.

This summer window is huge.
 
Stoned Rose said:
Miles off imo.

We don’t have enough game winners at the very top level. Take Haaland out and we’d be fucked.

We have too many various shades of shit in the squad who wouldn’t get near PSG’s women’s team never mind their men’s.

Reijnders, Marmoush, Savinho, Gonzalez.

If you look at the players they’ve replaced - Kev, Alvarez, Mahrez, Gundogan. That’s a fucking ridiculous drop in quality. That takes you from leagues to runners up and gives you fuck all chance in the CL.

We also need to sort out what’s happening with Philips, Grealish, Lewis and Ake.

We also have no **** who can put a free kick away.

This summer window is huge.
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I think I quite disagree with a chunk of this, the margins at the top level are not that big. Most great teams will have a core of 4-6 great players, then the rest are good players of a similar level of ability across most of the top clubs. It's hows how they mesh and work together as a team, and how the coach gets them to play that makes the difference.

I don't think those four guys would be in the first teams of PSG or Bayern, but they'd be in and around it like they are for us (maybe Nico aside).

Even the greatest club side I've ever seen had Pedro, Abidal and Valdes as starters and some pretty standard players on the bench.

I think our bigger problem recently has been the fitness of some of our top class players (Rodri and Stones), Haaland is the best in the world at what he does, but doesn't make the team function, and our World class goalkeeper doesn't actually really fit our style of play.

I think our future success is dependent on the development of our younger players, and a few really key signings, but I don't think we're miles off in terms of pure talent. If Vitinha suffered an injury like Rodri has, I think you'd be seeing a much different PSG over the course of a season.
 
Stoned Rose said:
Miles off imo.

We don’t have enough game winners at the very top level. Take Haaland out and we’d be fucked.

We have too many various shades of shit in the squad who wouldn’t get near PSG’s women’s team never mind their men’s.

Reijnders, Marmoush, Savinho, Gonzalez.

If you look at the players they’ve replaced - Kev, Alvarez, Mahrez, Gundogan. That’s a fucking ridiculous drop in quality. That takes you from leagues to runners up and gives you fuck all chance in the CL.

We also need to sort out what’s happening with Philips, Grealish, Lewis and Ake.

We also have no **** who can put a free kick away.

This summer window is huge.
Click to expand...
Massive over reaction 2 or 3 signings keep the right players we aren’t far off at all.
 
Player wise probably not far off but PSG especially are on a whole different level in terms of fluidity.

That’s why I can never take combined staring 11s seriously because of course I think Haaland is a better player than Dembele but what Dembele does for PSG works perfectly
 
Considering PSG struggled to beat Arsenal (and did only on pens) whereas we beat them twice (including whipping them in a cup final), I would say not far at all.
 
RiversideBlue said:
We are a few players away. Hopefully a good transfer window and a successful start for the new manager, coupled with a nice draw in the early knock out stages, and we can give the chumps league a good go next season.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately doesn't work that way these days.
You've gotta finish top 4 in the league phase as a minimum to get anything close to that - thanks to uefas ridiculous seeding rules.
 
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