Rony Lopes

[twosips]

I have no way of judging one way or the other. Could be a question of interpretation but I would be surprised if any club would ever say that they wouldn't sign a player.

Course they'd say they won't sign a player. Do you think when Denayer asks who's signing they go 'can't say'... Every player seeks assurances about who's signing before agreeing to a new contract. Look at Milner! He left cos he knew who was coming in and wasn't given first team assurances

 

[Neville Kneville]

Well the investment in the CFA says it is.

The timing is always going to be difficult

The CFA is some buildings & football pitches. The players in it were mostly already here. Some of those we have now were as good or better than many of the U16s. What they now need is to learn in games from Silva & Aguero, like Sterling learned from Suarez & Gerrard.

 

[Ray78]

I just don't get this shit or bust attitude when it comes to the Academy.

 

[twosips]

I just don't get this shit or bust attitude when it comes to the Academy.

Who said it had to be like that? Why does it have to black and white? Why can't it be a nice simple grey middle ground? That's all people are asking for

 

[80s Shorts]

Fucks sake man. I'm not being romantic. I'm just imagining two or three making their debut in the carling cup! What is so wrong about that? Are you seriously suggesting that if im not a coach i cant tell a good player from a bad one? Are none of us allowed opinions on football then unless we work in football? I'm not suggesting im better qualified, im suggesting they're getting it wrong.

"It will happen"...what makes you think it will and why?? And also thats hugely contradictory with the following sentence too.



So you think both denayer and his agent are lying?

I think you are being romantic. You have just proved that by saying you want 2 or 3 to make their debuts in the carling (actually Capital One cup). It's not going to happen if they are not good enough. Of course we all have opinions, whether qualified or not. It's just that I choose to have confidence in the football club and the direction we are taking and you seem not to.

I said nothing contradictory. I have confidence that the academy will unearth some gems. They will be few and far between and the rest will be sold for a profit after being coached and educated at a world class facility and will go on to have good careers.

I'm fine with that model and a little surprised that some are getting so vexed.

 

[twosips]

I think you are being romantic. You have just proved that by saying you want 2 or 3 to make their debuts in the carling (actually Capital One cup). It's not going to happen if they are not good enough. Of course we all have opinions, whether qualified or not. It's just that I choose to have confidence in the football club and the direction we are taking and you seem not to.

I said nothing contradictory. I have confidence that the academy will unearth some gems. They will be few and far between and the rest will be sold for a profit after being coached and educated at a world class facility and will go on to have good careers.

I'm fine with that model and a little surprised that some are getting so vexed.

But they are fucking good enough! It's totally totally normal for loads of clubs to debut 2/3 kids in the cup. Everyone does it! Apart from city and Chelsea, and we got knocked out anyway. Our kids are better than the rest of the premierships too!

 

[Clevers]

Instead of accusing everyone of fantasising why not assume that it was likely true that Denayer's agent, after saying he wanted some assurances, got them ?

I predicted that Denayer would walk out if we signed Otanendi. Why ? Because he is Belgium's cb & is not a City fan. Why stay when he can play full time in another league on senior wages & end up at somewhere like Real Madrid ?

But he can't walk can he. Why should I believe Denayer and his agent, I don't know them. Are you saying we shouldn't have signed a top La Liga player when the opportunity arose.
I would argue that no club could say they would not sign a player.

At the end of the day I support City and believe that regardless of what some people think Sheikh Mansour and the people who run our club know what they are doing.

 

[Ray78]

Who said it had to be like that? Why does it have to black and white? Why can't it be a nice simple grey middle ground? That's all people are asking for

If a kid breaks through then great but no way should the quality of the first team should ever be compromised.

 

[80s Shorts]

Who said it had to be like that? Why does it have to black and white? Why can't it be a nice simple grey middle ground? That's all people are asking for

What on earth is a "nice simple grey middle ground". I'd say that that is not at all where we should aspire to be. Whatever it is.

 

[JoeMercer'sWay]

I am not suggesting they should be thrown in at the deep end at all! I'm suggesting easing them in as they ARE good enough! But we dont even do that. Garcia, Ambrose, Barker, Bryan, Gunn, Celina, Byrne, Ntcham, Angelino, Maffeo, Boadu etc etc...ANY of them should have made their debut in a cup game last season cos they simply deserved for the results, performances and football they played in the academy games last season. They all did better than Pozo, yet he was thrown in as a desperate last resort! But we didn't, and we never do. THAT'S what im suggesting. Fair integration...not fucking nowt ever.

Well I'm sorry, Lopes, Denayer, Barker, Garcia etc. all went on tour this summer, Humphries got given the chance to play. I don't buy this for a second, in past years players haven't been good enough, I remember the Villa cup game where we did play a couple of kids. Nobody should have made their debut, it's up to them to earn it.

No mate they're not, because some of these lads are already seriously good & if they can't get a game then neither will the current U16s when they get older.

The time is here now. We have the players. We aren't trying to use them, even for 5 mins.

Yeah, those appearances against Roma and Real Madrid a month ago were for nothing. If Cameron Humphries can't take back to his age group that if you shine, we'll give you a shot, but you have to really step up at every chance, which incidentally Lopes didn't do, then you won't make it. FTSE companies don't suddenly take a multi-million pound deal from the CFO and give it to the new finance intern, because it's detrimental to business. These guys have to be ready, and have to be good enough to contribute to a title striving team. In that sense, we are only comparable to Chelsea in the whole of football, Barca, Real and Bayern do not compare because by and large, they have little to no competition in their own league.

 

[bluesince76]

Yes? Valencia were a top 2 or 3 team when he broke in, I'm pretty sure. Same for when Juan Mata broke through for them and Jordi Alba and various others. Barca have a pretty long list of players who weren't world beaters who they somehow managed to give a chance to and still compete in all competitions. It's a bullshit excuse that you can't risk young players in top teams, it's just not true.

3rd season before he made the first team, then 4th, then 10th. Maybe they shouldn't have risked him...

Oh, he'd also played 70 games in Spanish second division in previous two seasons, not a handful

 

[twosips]

What on earth is a "nice simple grey middle ground". I'd say that that is not at all where we should aspire to be. Whatever it is.

We currently give no kids a chance - call that black. White would be throwing loads of kids in.... grey would be easing some in like every other team apart from City and Chelsea does in the cups. Is that hard to understand?

 

[Neville Kneville]

Denayer said he'D not stay if he wasn't assured first team football too prior to signing. He clearly was, hence why he signed a few days later. His agents quotes were totally fine and quite respectable actually... Not really gobby at all.

And of course I don't have 100% actual evidence - how the fuck would I? I can just make a very very informed guess based on quotes and clear actions from the club, the player and his agent. It's really not hard to work out.

It's bizarre how for one, so many people couldn't see this coming, & two now it has, those of us who were telling people it may happen are somehow misguided & have misread the situation.

 

[Clevers]

Course they'd say they won't sign a player. Do you think when Denayer asks who's signing they go 'can't say'... Every player seeks assurances about who's signing before agreeing to a new contract. Look at Milner! He left cos he knew who was coming in and wasn't given first team assurances

Then I would argue that Denayer and his agent were foolish to think an assurance like that could be given. Milner presumably knew that the players coming in were better than him did Denayer think he was the best CB available?

 

[twosips]

Well I'm sorry, Lopes, Denayer, Barker, Garcia etc. all went on tour this summer, Humphries got given the chance to play. I don't buy this for a second, in past years players haven't been good enough, I remember the Villa cup game where we did play a couple of kids. Nobody should have made their debut, it's up to them to earn it.


Yeah, those appearances against Roma and Real Madrid a month ago were for nothing. If Cameron Humphries can't take back to his age group that if you shine, we'll give you a shot, but you have to really step up at every chance, which incidentally Lopes didn't do, then you won't make it. FTSE companies don't suddenly take a multi-million pound deal from the CFO and give it to the new finance intern, because it's detrimental to business. These guys have to be ready, and have to be good enough to contribute to a title striving team. In that sense, we are only comparable to Chelsea in the whole of football, Barca, Real and Bayern do not compare because by and large, they have little to no competition in their own league.

Dont use preseason friendlies (where we only had 7 first team players fucking available at the start of the tour) as proof of giving kids a chance. Come on man.

 

[JoeMercer'sWay]

Fucks sake man. I'm not being romantic. I'm just imagining two or three making their debut in the carling cup! What is so wrong about that? Are you seriously suggesting that if im not a coach i cant tell a good player from a bad one? Are none of us allowed opinions on football then unless we work in football? I'm not suggesting im better qualified, im suggesting they're getting it wrong.

"It will happen"...what makes you think it will and why?? And also thats hugely contradictory with the following sentence too.



So you think both denayer and his agent are lying?

I would say that taking a quote from one point in time, with no knowledge of any further conversations that have gone on, and then used that to defame the club and its staff by accusing them of conning a member of staff, and lying to them, is at best ill-informed and exaggerated, and at worst, quite slanderous.

You seemingly have no idea of any conversation that could have occurred after those quotes, and there surely must have been, otherwise Denayer wouldn't have had the indicator to go on loan. So I'd say these ill-conceived assumptions are a bit of a stretch, and rather unnecessary.

 

[twosips]

Then I would argue that Denayer and his agent were foolish to think an assurance like that could be given. Milner presumably knew that the players coming in were better than him did Denayer think he was the best CB available?

Its totally normal! You think its foolish to have someone's word?! Imagine this, right. Your boss convinces you to stay after a meeting at work, cos youre frustrated and he says he'll put you on a developmental programme to move up a level cos youre the main priority in his eyes after the work you've done. Two weeks later after youve sacked off another job offer he gives that programme to someone else, despite promising it was yours.... yeah mate, you're a fucking idiot for trusting your boss, except you wouldnt be an idiot would you? You'd have been mislead. Come on...they're humans and they're people. It happens in every walk of life, and it happens in football, and its not fair. Denayer's not foolish for trusting someone's opinion. Why are you so unwilling to hear a single bad word about the club?

 

[Neville Kneville]

But he can't walk can he. Why should I believe Denayer and his agent, I don't know them. Are you saying we shouldn't have signed a top La Liga player when the opportunity arose.
I would argue that no club could say they would not sign a player.

At the end of the day I support City and believe that regardless of what some people think Sheikh Mansour and the people who run our club know what they are doing.

Ok here's the situation. Denayer's agent says he might move on. City are begging him to stay & sign a new deal. His agent says he will only sign if he is given assurances.

Let's stop it there. Denayer can leave on a free, his agent says he will go if not given assurances.

Are you telling me that at the time, his agent was lying & he was just going to sign anyway ?

 

[80s Shorts]

But they are fucking good enough! It's totally totally normal for loads of clubs to debut 2/3 kids in the cup. Everyone does it! Apart from city and Chelsea, and we got knocked out anyway. Our kids are better than the rest of the premierships too!

Well the management and club think otherwise. We are not "loads of clubs", we are build a world class squad.

If the club decide to demote the Capital One Cup to not important then we may well do what you suggest but it appears to me that they want to give us the best possible chance of winning everything we are involved in and I am happy with that.

 

[twosips]

I would say that taking a quote from one point in time, with no knowledge of any further conversations that have gone on, and then used that to defame the club and its staff by accusing them of conning a member of staff, and lying to them, is at best ill-informed and exaggerated, and at worst, quite slanderous.

You seemingly have no idea of any conversation that could have occurred after those quotes, and there surely must have been, otherwise Denayer wouldn't have had the indicator to go on loan. So I'd say these ill-conceived assumptions are a bit of a stretch, and rather unnecessary.

So you're saying the agent is being slanderous? Yet City don't mind? I wonder why that is?