John Stones

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tolmie's hairdoo said:
Would you pay £50m for Ali, after less than a year of doing anything?

I suspect every club in the Premier League would, given half the chance.

We have quotas to fill, so you do what is right by paying to get the best of those.
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We don't have the privilege of an Everton or Spurs.

The levels at City are that we need to see them road tested elsewhere, first.
 
tolmie's hairdoo said:
Probably. Looking it as taking a step back, to take two forward.

It's the fundamental cohesion which needs addressing. From front to back, starting with a goalkeeper who can pass out.

I suppose there are options for a three at the back, although those three you mention aren't outright speed demons. I do think they can be made to look even better with the right midfield mix, and a couple of proper full-backs.

It showed last night that without a Nasri or Silva, we are one man short with another link in the top end of the midfield, even isolating KDB.

Gundogan solves a big part of this, although the next addition is crucial to this area. Pogba or Isco, but someone with huge physicality or a high-intensity workrate, in and out of possession. Nasri is the back-up to that, in terms of squad depth IMO - same goes for Fernandinho.
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Amadou Diawara...
 
tolmie's hairdoo said:
Would you pay £50m for Ali, after less than a year of doing anything?

I suspect every club in the Premier League would, given half the chance.

We have quotas to fill, so you do what is right by paying to get the best of those.
Click to expand...
I would think that the better plan is to get 11 world class players from around the globe (can't see any English player in that bracket - Terry was the closest I suspect a few years back). Then get 6 other foreign players from the academy or bring in promising kids for these squadie positions. And finally bring through any homegrown/English player worth trying from the youth ranks.

Buying English unless on some bargain deal is time and again a waste of money and slows our progress as a team. Trust the academy. :-)
 
tolmie's hairdoo said:
Probably. Looking it as taking a step back, to take two forward.

It's the fundamental cohesion which needs addressing. From front to back, starting with a goalkeeper who can pass out.

I suppose there are options for a three at the back, although those three you mention aren't outright speed demons. I do think they can be made to look even better with the right midfield mix, and a couple of proper full-backs.

It showed last night that without a Nasri or Silva, we are one man short with another link in the top end of the midfield, even isolating KDB.

Gundogan solves a big part of this, although the next addition is crucial to this area. Pogba or Isco, but someone with huge physicality or a high-intensity workrate, in and out of possession. Nasri is the back-up to that, in terms of squad depth IMO - same goes for Fernandinho.
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You've hit on what I think has been our biggest problem. No cohesion throughout the team. There's times where it looks like they've never met each other, never mind trained day in day out with.
This season can't finish quick enough.
 
TonyM said:
Like Sterling?
I hope Pep lives up to these expectations. Personally I think we are making a big mistake by investing big in English players. Will we ever learn?
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We should always be striving to build a side of the best English talent. More often than not the best domestic sides have a strong national core. That's before we consider the issues of home grown player quotas etc.
 
TonyM said:
I would think that the better plan is to get 11 world class players from around the globe (can't see any English player in that bracket - Terry was the closest I suspect a few years back). Then get 6 other foreign players from the academy or bring in promising kids for these squadie positions. And finally bring through any homegrown/English player worth trying from the youth ranks.

Buying English unless on some bargain deal is time and again a waste of money and slows our progress as a team. Trust the academy. :-)
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Completely agree with this. If we buy Laporte and Stones and miss on Pogba I'll be completely gutted (woah, my first time using that, I think I did it right). I'm so sick of throwing money at CB's. Manga seems to be coming good and I have no doubt Otamendi would as well if we could commit to some consistency.
 
adrianr said:
We should always be striving to build a side of the best English talent. More often than not the best domestic sides have a strong national core. That's before we consider the issues of home grown player quotas etc.
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Valdes, Pique, Puyol, Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, Pedro, Villa

Neuer, Lahm, Boateng, Badstuber, Kroos, Schweinsteiger, Muller.

Pep's teams have always had a core from the country they are in, I expect the same will be true with us by the time he is done. Hopefully the academy will produce a few of them.
 
domalino said:
Valdes, Pique, Puyol, Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, Pedro, Villa

Neuer, Lahm, Boateng, Badstuber, Kroos, Schweinsteiger, Muller.

Pep's teams have always had a core from the country they are in, I expect the same will be true with us by the time he is done. Hopefully the academy will produce a few of them.
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Not to be disrespectful but Spain and Germany are on another level...
 
ADegenerate said:
Not to be disrespectful but Spain and Germany are on another level...
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Why are they on another level?

The players are better coached, and play at the highest level of competition every year.

England has a depth of talent, most of it is just wasted. Pep's coaching can and will make promising youngsters world class. Sterling, Stones if we get him, Roberts possibly. Pochettino is doing the same at Spurs with Kane, Alli and Dier.

If those kids start playing in CL semi's and winning league titles, suddenly they become world class players.

THat doesn't mean England will be any good of course - There was a point not so long ago when England's team was one of the top 3 in the world on paper, but internal politicking by the FA, public pressure and a usually shite coach means they always underperform - not unlike Spain pre2008.
 
domalino said:
Why are they on another level?

The players are better coached, and play at the highest level of competition every year.

England has a depth of talent, most of it is just wasted. Pep's coaching can and will make promising youngsters world class. Sterling, Stones if we get him, Roberts possibly. Pochettino is doing the same at Spurs with Kane, Alli and Dier.

If those kids start playing in CL semi's and winning league titles, suddenly they become world class players.

THat doesn't mean England will be any good of course - There was a point not so long ago when England's team was one of the top 3 in the world on paper, but internal politicking by the FA, public pressure and a usually shite coach means they always underperform - not unlike Spain pre2008.
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You know why they are on another level. They both won the world cup. England is on the up-and-up without a doubt.. Pep will maximize everything we have but saying we need to copy that trend ala Spain/Barca and Germany/Bayern isn't the route I'd go (quite yet). Not trying to get in a debate I was simply saying that I'd rather not overpay for premium English talent (specifically another CB) and instead go the worldly route for the Starting 11 like Tony said.
 
tolmie's hairdoo said:
Xhaka to Arsenal.

Kroos is a little slow IMO for the Premier League.

Pogba or Isco.

Absolutely not Silva.
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Is this a Dax Clarkie? Are you just pulling my strings? Coz you are saying the kind of things I've been saying for months and months. And if there is a bit of ITK in this post, then I'm going to be one excited fan this summer.
Ter Steegen GK
Denayer RB
Larpote CB
Stones CB
Gundogan CM
Pogba/Isco CM
DeBryune CM
Aguero ST

LB?
WF?

2 more players and we should be sorted.

LB I don't know, but WF can you whisper Ousmane Dembele to the powers that be?

I'd be very greatful.
 
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