And so it begins...

[SebastianBlue]

Not really. Jovetic can play as a striker and scored plenty of goals for Fiorentina in that role. Unless Pellegrini commits to a permanent switch to 1 forward then we need 4 of them, especially with Aguero's hamstrings...

If we sold Jovetic, we could start the season with just one fully fit striker (Dzeko), depending on Aguero. I'm not counting Guidetti because unless he does a 180 in preseason he looks miles off being good enough.

Given a straight choice, I'd have Jovetic over Isco. Jovetic is more versatile and less like Silva and Nasri than Isco is.

I don't think Jovetic will ever consistently play the lone/main striker or role, nor do we really need him to do so in our best system, and Aguero rarely does, either. So ultimately selling Jovetic and bringing in Isco would absolutely be a tactical decision by Pellegrini, but would not really affect our "strikers".

Negredo's injury was a blow, as he and Dzeko are the only two viable strikers on our books right now. We could change the system to play more of a false nine, but I'm not sure that is the direction they wish to go.

But Pellegrini likes two 'forwards' even if one plays behind the other. And Jovetic's best role is behind a main forward. However, he is also good as a striker and scored a fair few goals for Fiorentina in the 12/13 season as the main striker. Wenger apparently felt he could turn Jovetic into the new Van Persie and was going to use him as a striker if Arsenal could have signed him. It's options and Jovetic offers so many of them, including being that fourth striker while at the same time being a support striker or able to play out wide. In the entire squad, I think only Silva is more technically gifted.

I also think it'd make us look uncomfortably like Real Madrid and their "grass is greener" syndrome. Isco snubs us, we sign Jovetic instead who is happy to join. A year later we discard Jovetic like rubbish to sign Isco, treating our players like assets more than humans - which seems to go in the face of everything City is trying to be.

Isco is a talented player but we have two better playmakers at the moment. It'd be a lot of hard work and loss in profits (since Italian clubs will pay nothing close to what we'd want for Jovetic) for a questionable switch.

I agree that we like to and should play two forwards: an out-and-out striker and a creative centre forward. From what I have seen of Jovetic in England thus far (rather than Italy, which is obviously a different beast entirely, pardon the pun) I just can't imagine him filling the former role consistently. His natural inclination is to drop into positions just outside the box and play the one-two touch game, which very much works for him. Perhaps Wenger was thinking of a different system to ours but, if not, I just do not see it.

I do understand what you mean about the "grass is greener" mentality but I am not sure this would be a good example of that type of operation. Jovetic was injured for most of last year and perhaps may be open to a move himself, so I am not sure it would indicate any sort of exploitation. As I have said, I would much rather keep him but I think he would be the one to go if another foreign player was sold.

 

[Danamy]

Not really. Jovetic can play as a striker and scored plenty of goals for Fiorentina in that role. Unless Pellegrini commits to a permanent switch to 1 forward then we need 4 of them, especially with Aguero's hamstrings...

If we sold Jovetic, we could start the season with just one fully fit striker (Dzeko), depending on Aguero. I'm not counting Guidetti because unless he does a 180 in preseason he looks miles off being good enough.

Given a straight choice, I'd have Jovetic over Isco. Jovetic is more versatile and less like Silva and Nasri than Isco is.

I don't think Jovetic will ever consistently play the lone/main striker or role, nor do we really need him to do so in our best system, and Aguero rarely does, either. So ultimately selling Jovetic and bringing in Isco would absolutely be a tactical decision by Pellegrini, but would not really affect our "strikers".

Negredo's injury was a blow, as he and Dzeko are the only two viable strikers on our books right now. We could change the system to play more of a false nine, but I'm not sure that is the direction they wish to go.

But Pellegrini likes two 'forwards' even if one plays behind the other. And Jovetic's best role is behind a main forward. However, he is also good as a striker and scored a fair few goals for Fiorentina in the 12/13 season as the main striker. Wenger apparently felt he could turn Jovetic into the new Van Persie and was going to use him as a striker if Arsenal could have signed him. It's options and Jovetic offers so many of them, including being that fourth striker while at the same time being a support striker or able to play out wide. In the entire squad, I think only Silva is more technically gifted.

I also think it'd make us look uncomfortably like Real Madrid and their "grass is greener" syndrome. Isco snubs us, we sign Jovetic instead who is happy to join. A year later we discard Jovetic like rubbish to sign Isco, treating our players like assets more than humans - which seems to go in the face of everything City is trying to be.

Isco is a talented player but we have two better playmakers at the moment. It'd be a lot of hard work and loss in profits (since Italian clubs will pay nothing close to what we'd want for Jovetic) for a questionable switch.

Edit: If we had no stresses over the foreign quota, I'd be all for Isco on loan. He'd add depth but more of what we already have than something really new and explosive like a di Maria or Reus. But I don't see the need for so much overhaul to bring him in, just like I didn't when people said sell Yaya to bring in Fabregas.

Exactly how I see it and said before on another thread, i'd rather we just sit on our hands and wait for next season and go all out for Reus, he'd give us something different and take us to the next level, Isco will only give us depth in the squad.

 

[yeah whatever !!]

An update of sorts, a positive one at that...

Liverpool are not interested in Isco.

Rodgers has briefed off the record today that he is not on the radar, having been asked by the pack in the States.

The goal is now wide open, we just need the player to accept the invitation!

Is the invitation there?

sent by first class post last week apparently.

 

[Larry Stranger]

Jovetic would command the largest fee, that's for sure.

Jovetic and Iso are pretty like for like though, no?

Not really. Jovetic can play as a striker and scored plenty of goals for Fiorentina in that role. Unless Pellegrini commits to a permanent switch to 1 forward then we need 4 of them, especially with Aguero's hamstrings...

If we sold Jovetic, we could start the season with just one fully fit striker (Dzeko), depending on Aguero. I'm not counting Guidetti because unless he does a 180 in preseason he looks miles off being good enough.

Given a straight choice, I'd have Jovetic over Isco. Jovetic is more versatile and less like Silva and Nasri than Isco is.

I don't think Jovetic will ever consistently play the lone/main striker role, nor do we really need him to do so in our best system, and Aguero rarely does, either. So ultimately selling Jovetic and bringing in Isco would absolutely be a tactical decision by Pellegrini, but would not really affect our out-and-out "strikers".

Negredo's injury was a blow, as he and Dzeko are the only two viable strikers on our books right now. We could change the system to play more of a false nine, but I'm not sure that is the direction they wish to go.

Screw it. If Dzeko gets injured Yaya up top!

 

[oldius]

Jovetic should definitely stay IMO. His goals and assists per pitch minute is outstanding.

 

[SebastianBlue]

Not really. Jovetic can play as a striker and scored plenty of goals for Fiorentina in that role. Unless Pellegrini commits to a permanent switch to 1 forward then we need 4 of them, especially with Aguero's hamstrings...

If we sold Jovetic, we could start the season with just one fully fit striker (Dzeko), depending on Aguero. I'm not counting Guidetti because unless he does a 180 in preseason he looks miles off being good enough.

Given a straight choice, I'd have Jovetic over Isco. Jovetic is more versatile and less like Silva and Nasri than Isco is.

I don't think Jovetic will ever consistently play the lone/main striker role, nor do we really need him to do so in our best system, and Aguero rarely does, either. So ultimately selling Jovetic and bringing in Isco would absolutely be a tactical decision by Pellegrini, but would not really affect our out-and-out "strikers".

Negredo's injury was a blow, as he and Dzeko are the only two viable strikers on our books right now. We could change the system to play more of a false nine, but I'm not sure that is the direction they wish to go.

Screw it. If Dzeko gets injured Yaya up top!

That would be icing on the cake.

Jokes aside, if Jovetic is playing because both Dzeko and Negredo are injured we would not be employing our customary system, so my argument still stands.

 

[Danamy]

I don't think Jovetic will ever consistently play the lone/main striker role, nor do we really need him to do so in our best system, and Aguero rarely does, either. So ultimately selling Jovetic and bringing in Isco would absolutely be a tactical decision by Pellegrini, but would not really affect our out-and-out "strikers".

Negredo's injury was a blow, as he and Dzeko are the only two viable strikers on our books right now. We could change the system to play more of a false nine, but I'm not sure that is the direction they wish to go.

Screw it. If Dzeko gets injured Yaya up top!

That would be icing on the cake.

Jokes aside, if Jovetic is playing because both Dzeko and Negredo are injured we would not be employing our customary system, so my argument still stands.

Jovetic can also play on the left side of a three or four in midfield which gives us another option.

 

[CityStu]

I can see Demichelis being left out of the CL squad. Given his age and relationship with Pellegrini, I suspect he'd be more agreeable to it than anyone else and we're stocked with players who can play CB with Kompany, Mangala (hopefully!), Nastasic, Boyata, Rekik and Sagna (plus maybe even Denayer if desperate). The aforementioned gives us lots of cover with only 2 of them needing foreign A list slots, with CB as their primary position.

Garcia sold and Bob's your uncle.

 

[SebastianBlue]

Screw it. If Dzeko gets injured Yaya up top!

That would be icing on the cake.

Jokes aside, if Jovetic is playing because both Dzeko and Negredo are injured we would not be employing our customary system, so my argument still stands.

Jovetic can also play on the left side of a three or four in midfield which gives us another option.

Very true. I'd love him to stay but Isco is versatile, too.

Generally my belief is that Jovetic will remain with us, by the way. I am just arguing potentiality at this point.

I enjoy the subjunctive.

 

[Danamy]

That would be icing on the cake.

Jokes aside, if Jovetic is playing because both Dzeko and Negredo are injured we would not be employing our customary system, so my argument still stands.

Jovetic can also play on the left side of a three or four in midfield which gives us another option.

Very true. I'd love him to stay but Isco is versatile, too.

Generally my belief is that Jovetic will remain with us, by the way. I am just arguing potentiality at this point.

I enjoy the subjunctive.

Yeah, it's a good debate

I see Jovetic's versatility as better than Isco's but that's just my opinion, we already have Nasri, Silva and Navas in the same mould as Isco, that's why I'd prefer we held out for Reus next season. He'd bring something new to the squad and take us to the next level, I just see Isco as adding more depth with much the same as we'very already got.