Although I agree, this was a close call at the time. It was either cash in on a fast depreciating asset or keep someone who might still pull a rabbit out of a hat in a crucial game. And then, there were KdB’s own wishes to consider.I'm not in any way criticising De Bruyne he has been one of if not the greatest players the club has had... but he's another example of Txiki, Pep and the board becoming complacent.
It was obvious for all of last season that age and injury were rapidly catching up with him but there were reports of a huge money move to the Middle East.
The club should have cashed in last season, instead we're now left with an even older De Bruyne, still just as unfit and with minimal contract remaining, I doubt he's now worth even a quarter of what we could have potentially got for him just last season.
How so? Please enlighten me as opposed to not even offering an alternative view.You really are missing the forest for the trees, and an understanding of what the Academy is and is not.
The academy is for producing young footballers capable of playing professionally and generating revenue for the club. A small number are expected to be good enough to represent our club in the first team. In addition, the academy ensures young people are taught good values and are afforded a great education so that when they leave us, for whatever career, they are well rounded individuals capable of contributing well to society.You really are missing the forest for the trees, and an understanding of what the Academy is and is not.
The Academy is designed as a profit center, where the top prospects get a chance with the first team, but if they either don’t gel with the team, or fit in as Pep needs them to, they get moved on for a healthy profit. A few decent homegrown prospects can help Txiki buy a world class prospect (or known talent) from anywhere in the world.How so? Please enlighten me as opposed to not even offering an alternative view.
The problem sometimes is that players don’t always have the patience of a Foden, whom everyone and their brother said was being slow-rolled into the team, with too few minutes for his talent.I read the original post as a small number of academy players, Palmer, Lavia...have not been given sufficient opportunity to prove themselves and have been sold at the expense of inferior players being brought in. I'm not sure how anyone can disagree with that given the state of our current midfield. Both would be first picks just now.
As I said my post wasn't being in any way critical of De Bruyne and if he wants to stay at City until retirement I'm quite happy with that, as you say he's been a fantastic and loyal servant to the club.He’s worth nowt without time left on his contract!
Let’s not write off the man just yet. He’s clearly not fit, as he has explained, and while there may well be behind the scenes issues, you can’t play a player who clearly knows his own body when he’s telling you he’s not fit.
Don’t forget, this is a player who played half a season with a hamstring injury, during which we did the REAL Treble. Then, tried to comeback, failed, had to have significant surgery (just look at the fucking zipper scar up the back of his leg!), was out for months, then came back and immediately won us the game at Toon and helped drag us to 4 in a Row!
Yeah, THAT guy gets the benefit of EVERY doubt in my book, because he’s proven he’s a player and a fighter.
He hadn’t caused a minutes trouble in a decade and doesn’t even have an agent trying to shop him to every club in Europe every season for a nice payout.
When he’s ready, he’ll give his all…whether that’s on Pep’s timeline or Bluemoon’s timeline or not, I don’t care. If his all isn’t good enough, then decisions have to be made.
That’s reality.
If kev wanted to go we would have taken a token amount and let him go , why does it need constantly explaining that we treat our oldies with respectAs I said my post wasn't being in any way critical of De Bruyne and if he wants to stay at City until retirement I'm quite happy with that, as you say he's been a fantastic and loyal servant to the club.
But, if there was a potential deal to have been done last season and IF De Bruyne was open to the move then the club should have been much more proactive in making it happen for the benefit of all concerned.
Spot on.The academy is for producing young footballers capable of playing professionally and generating revenue for the club. A small number are expected to be good enough to represent our club in the first team. In addition, the academy ensures young people are taught good values and are afforded a great education so that when they leave us, for whatever career, they are well rounded individuals capable of contributing well to society.
I read the original post as a small number of academy players, Palmer, Lavia...have not been given sufficient opportunity to prove themselves and have been sold at the expense of inferior players being brought in. I'm not sure how anyone can disagree with that given the state of our current midfield. Both would be first picks just now.
Admittedly only paper talk but I'd heard he was open to a move but the club weren't keen on it happening, and the figure being mentioned (£100m) certainly wasn't a "token amount"If kev wanted to go we would have taken a token amount and let him go , why does it need constantly explaining that we treat our oldies with respect