An Update (of sorts)...

[nick.nikky]

I realize there's individual threads on these subjects but I've had a bit of an update from someone I know...to be clear before the abuse starts...I can say it's someone who's information has stood up time and time again. Anyway here goes...

Nasri - cash bid has been made and City are "confident" the deal is going to get done.

Eto'o - Absolute no go from the board and Roberto's been vetoed.

Instead the board are keen on adding another att midfield player and as such have opened tentative talks with a n other club (not Inter/Sneijder). Reading between the lines, since he (my friend) resolutely refused to name the player, it's a "name" player.

Anyway, mods feel free to merge with whatever thread you want....and, cue the abuse!

 

[TTS]

Very pleased with the boards decision on eto

Me too. It always seemed like a strange move. We have 3 top strikers in Aguero, Balo, Dzeko already. It's extremely rare to see a club with more than that. The 4th striker is usually a young talent (e.g. Bojan for Barca) or an experienced pro (e.g. Owen for United). In both cases, they have to be willing to spend most of the season on the bench. While you could in theory class Balo as 'young talent', I doubt he'd be happy playing only 15-20 games.

Balotelli's idiosyncrasy is that he can play as an inside forward/orthodox winger. The enigma is what kind of role Aguero's going to have in the club. If he's not a tevez replacement, then he's almost certainly bound for an analogous role to Balo (assuming he's truly ambidextrous). If he is, then that would exhibit his world distinguishing talents.

So, Theoretically, we could viably field 3 forwards almost every important game. Dzeko or Tevez/replacement would alternate depending on what sort of style the opponents warrant. More than enough space for 4 class forwards IMO. Dzeko's probably going to be fielded the least (although he'll be fielded frequently).

While that's true, Mancini would rarely countenance playing 3 forwards AND Silva (who, surely, must play if available) if last season is anything to go by. I can only remember a handful of games where that happened: Aris, Dynamo Kiev, Sunderland. I think I even remember him saying 'we won't do this often'.

Surely the far more likely scenario is two strikers (one acting as an inside forward, which Aguero and Balotelli can both do) and Silva drifting around, then the standard midfield 3 that we've come to expect from Mancini's teams.

That being the case, I don't think 4 established strikers is the way forward. Midfield is the problem area.

 

[MojoRisin]

Thanks Billy.

 

[LongsightM13]

Shame about Eto'o if true. His experience would be priceless and still has three or four years left at the top imo. A swap with Inter writing off the 13m we are supposed to still owe for Balotelli would do me. We need to get Tevez out the door, he would be dressing room poison if he stays next season.
As regards the mystery midfielder, my brother was at the player of the year do after the Bolton game and Xavi's name was being banded about that night, but I didn't believe it then and I don't believe it now.
Ozil or Schweinsteiger would be my dream signings, both can play central or wide.
But for some reason, I keep thinking Bale. Remember how much our manager was talking him up last season? Then there was that admittedly unsubstantiated press report that he wanted to come here? And of course, they want Ade.
Arry and his media chums would have a fit as well.

 

[samharris]

Just got a sneaking it's a Barcelona player,Sanchez and Fabregas in just doesn't add up somewhere.

Billy,can we rule a Barca player out?

Let's hope the silence is deafening!!!

now now bud..we wont go down that road, Billy said he doesnt know who it is but has given us tasty snippets to keep us going..it will all come out eventually and I for one am prepared to wait it out..

good times though to be a Blue.

 

[zangatangring]

Balotelli's idiosyncrasy is that he can play as an inside forward/orthodox winger. The enigma is what kind of role Aguero's going to have in the club. If he's not a tevez replacement, then he's almost certainly bound for an analogous role to Balo (assuming he's truly ambidextrous). If he is, then that would exhibit his world distinguishing talents.

So, Theoretically, we could viably field 3 forwards almost every important game. Dzeko or Tevez/replacement would alternate depending on what sort of style the opponents warrant. More than enough space for 4 class forwards IMO. Dzeko's probably going to be fielded the least (although he'll be fielded frequently).

While that's true, Mancini would rarely countenance playing 3 forwards AND Silva (who, surely, must play if available) if last season is anything to go by. I can only remember a handful of games where that happened: Aris, Dynamo Kiev, Sunderland. I think I even remember him saying 'we won't do this often'.

Surely the far more likely scenario is two strikers (one acting as an inside forward, which Aguero and Balotelli can both do) and Silva drifting around, then the standard midfield 3 that we've come to expect from Mancini's teams.

That being the case, I don't think 4 established strikers is the way forward. Midfield is the problem area.

Well, I'm only speculating. Mancini played Tevez, Dzeko and Balo against Dynamo Kiev. It seemed to be an insinuation that he may adhere to his Italian instinct. The problem was that a team needs to be very cohesive for a 4-3-3 with 3 strikers to work. I guess he just underestimated the oppositions countering ability.

I strongly believe though that you're going to see this formation featured, on more than one occasion, in an exhilarating game. If you look at the way we play, The final third is where we are often prolific. The midfield, in our case, usually offers a point of origin for the more tenacious players such as Toure and Silva.

Regardless, It's pretty obvious we're in for a right-sided inside forward (some believe to be Cerci, unfortunately). If that's the case, then this is the only accommodating approach. Whereby Tevez soon takes his departure.<br /><br />-- Thu Aug 04, 2011 6:50 pm --<br /><br />

For some reason, I keep thinking Bale. Remember how much our manager was talking him up last season? Then there was that admittedly unsubstantiated press report that he wanted to come here? And of course, they want Ade.
Arry and his media chums would have a fit as well.

Imo, no chance mate. One of the world beating out and out wingers but just wouldn't have any place in our inverted winger place. In the event we did often revert to using orthodox wingers, it would be money spent unwisely considering how often he'd be on the bench.

 

[Anonymous]

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Dear Nancy...

I'm too young for you.

Love.

Billy.

 

[N-Word-Joe]

His agent did say we're still interested the other day so is possible.

Again, if it were Lavezzi, I'd be baffled as to why my contact couldn't name him...the secrecy suggests to me that it's one that is either going to be controversial, or one that is a real real long shot and City don't want a Kaka situation of being publicly snubbed.

do you remember a while back now, tolmie said we had a bid on the table for Iniesta?

im pretty sure that it will be Hamsik ... Mancini has rated him so highly for so long - the reason it could be hush hush so far is because the club president a week or so ago said it would take 100euros to get him - thus seen as a massive signing by the fans of the club

 

[ifiwasarichfan]

Very pleased with the boards decision on eto

Me too. It always seemed like a strange move. We have 3 top strikers in Aguero, Balo, Dzeko already. It's extremely rare to see a club with more than that. The 4th striker is usually a young talent (e.g. Bojan for Barca) or an experienced pro (e.g. Owen for United). In both cases, they have to be willing to spend most of the season on the bench. While you could in theory class Balo as 'young talent', I doubt he'd be happy playing only 15-20 games.

It seems bizarre to me that fellow posters aren't more concerned with our midfield options, and I'm very glad the board seem to have picked up on the problem (if Billy's info is correct). Teams that are successful in all competitions always have an absolute shedload of central midfielders. Take United, and compare to ours:

Man United: Anderson, Gibson, Carrick, Giggs, Park, Fletcher, Cleverley (looks good enough to step up), *looking to add to another*
City: De Jong, Yaya Toure, Barry, Milner, *looking to add Nasri*. (Some may say Silva but his game is suited to the position he plays now, as a drifting trequartista).

Now obviously Gibson and Anderson are fucking awful, and Carrick isn't much better. But the point is that they have strength in depth. Gibson, as terrible as he is, was able to slot into one of the central 3 spots against lower Prem teams last season, and so long as Park or Giggs were alongside him, they'd do fine.

We don't have the numbers to rotate. And it's a big problem. That period after Christmas where it all briefly went pear-shaped is, in my opinion, directly attributable to the injury De Jong suffered. Yaya and Barry were playing every 3 days and looked knackered; Vieira and Milner did ok, but tended to need someone better playing alongside them. Now we've lost Vieira, without replacing him. I repeat: it's a big problem.

That is the best post I have read in the Transfer Forum all Summer. My thoughts exactly. We all know we are in for a top class midfielder from somewhere such as Nasri or Sneijder but we need numbers in their too.

If we play a Top 4 on a Saturday, away in Champions League midweek it would be handy to have a "decent" Prem Midfield Player to come in for the next game at somewhere like Bolton or Norwich. Look how tired Yaya and Barry looked around the time of the Kiev games.

I was thinking of players such as Osman from Everton or Hitzelberger or any one of about 20 others. If we are talking another "Star" to go with what we have plus a Nasri then the Football world best watch out.

 

[Tez Tosterone]

The incoming central midfielder will henceforth be known as Mr. X