And so it begins...

[Tricky_Trev]

Let's take a look at our seriously unwanted players :

Boyata - Really, really poor concentration and panicky. Not qualities you search for in a CH. A player who has been in perma decline since an early penalty and red card v. Arsenal about 5 years ago. He'll end up dissapearing from view when he leaves us, and you'll never hear of him again (unless you wiki him).

Richards - Seldom fit. Constant muscle problems probably linked to weight. I actually thought that the departure of Lescott may help him as his seemingly pointless competition over who was the 'most buff' would end, but it'd seem that Pellegrini has made the choice that he'd rather not be left up shit creek without a paddle if Zaba get's injured by buying Sagna.

Rodwell - Muscular problems his entire career. Great purchase in terms of potential, poor in terms of investment. The panic buys of panic buys which we took a gamble on and lost horribly. He definitly has the ability, that isn't the issue I don't think, but you see a few decent things for him and think that we may be at a new dawn, and then he pulls a hamstring again.

Garcia - Far to slow for the PL. Played well at back end of the season due to good players around him (and - due to physical inactivity - probably not being as jaded as opponents were after a long PL season). Certainly not good, or physically dominating enough, to switch to centre-half either.

Sinclair - Our version of a Spice Boy. Okay at quite a few things, but nowhere near the quality that we're looking for and and indication of English obsession with quick wingers who don't actually possess that much skill (Redmond, Walcott, Moses..... I was convinced Sterling was in this group but it would seem not).

Guidetti - Has never done anything and would actually be a waste of a place in our squad when we have Iheanacho who is showing roughly double the potential that Guidetti has ever shown (be it in friendlies, the Dutch league or elsewhere). We all know that Hughes is a bit of a nob, but I've seen nothing to suggest that he was worth a place on Stoke's bench last year.



You may agree or disagree with my notes there (probably the latter) but I'd value them at (max.) :

Boyata - 2m (probably by a championship or Belgian side)
Richards - 4m (as 1 year left)
Rodwell - 5m (probably by a lower PL team who need to take a chance)
Garcia - 7m (italian side. suited for their speed, but that means we'll get very little for him)
Sinclair - 4m (see rodwell, but - with the exception of last season - injured far less often than rodwell)
Guidetti - 3m (from a stupid Dutch side who remember him for what he was, not what he is)

= 25m max., and that's 5 homegrown, which means that we're playing cash for the horrible recruitment of the close season after we won the league for the first time (blame it on Marwood, blame it on Mancini, we'll never know the truth), but it doesn't change the fact that we have a load of toss in our sqaud (but also, as it happens, the best 22 in England by a country mile........ the distance by which I think we will win the league).

Wouldn't say Boyata is unwanted. The club offered him a new contract so he will be here for the foreseeable future. Just hope he doesn't get picked over the likes of Denayer and Rekik in the early league cup and fa cup rounds.

Agree with the rest of the list although I think either Rodwell or Garcia will stay. Cant see us going into next season with just three central midfielders.

I would also add Nastasic in the outgoing players. Will go back to Italy (possibly Juve) once Mangala signs.

My predictions would be -
Richards - 5 million to Newcastle
Sinclair - 3 million to a mid table prem team
Garcia - 10 million to Napoli
Guidetti - 2 million to Feyenoord or his old coach takes a chance on him at Southampton
Nastasic - 10 million to Juve

Haven't Newcastle already bought their right back replacement for Debuchy? Janmaat?

 

[greasedupdeafguy]

Let's take a look at our seriously unwanted players :

Boyata - Really, really poor concentration and panicky. Not qualities you search for in a CH. A player who has been in perma decline since an early penalty and red card v. Arsenal about 5 years ago. He'll end up dissapearing from view when he leaves us, and you'll never hear of him again (unless you wiki him).

Richards - Seldom fit. Constant muscle problems probably linked to weight. I actually thought that the departure of Lescott may help him as his seemingly pointless competition over who was the 'most buff' would end, but it'd seem that Pellegrini has made the choice that he'd rather not be left up shit creek without a paddle if Zaba get's injured by buying Sagna.

Rodwell - Muscular problems his entire career. Great purchase in terms of potential, poor in terms of investment. The panic buys of panic buys which we took a gamble on and lost horribly. He definitly has the ability, that isn't the issue I don't think, but you see a few decent things for him and think that we may be at a new dawn, and then he pulls a hamstring again.

Garcia - Far to slow for the PL. Played well at back end of the season due to good players around him (and - due to physical inactivity - probably not being as jaded as opponents were after a long PL season). Certainly not good, or physically dominating enough, to switch to centre-half either.

Sinclair - Our version of a Spice Boy. Okay at quite a few things, but nowhere near the quality that we're looking for and and indication of English obsession with quick wingers who don't actually possess that much skill (Redmond, Walcott, Moses..... I was convinced Sterling was in this group but it would seem not).

Guidetti - Has never done anything and would actually be a waste of a place in our squad when we have Iheanacho who is showing roughly double the potential that Guidetti has ever shown (be it in friendlies, the Dutch league or elsewhere). We all know that Hughes is a bit of a nob, but I've seen nothing to suggest that he was worth a place on Stoke's bench last year.



You may agree or disagree with my notes there (probably the latter) but I'd value them at (max.) :

Boyata - 2m (probably by a championship or Belgian side)
Richards - 4m (as 1 year left)
Rodwell - 5m (probably by a lower PL team who need to take a chance)
Garcia - 7m (italian side. suited for their speed, but that means we'll get very little for him)
Sinclair - 4m (see rodwell, but - with the exception of last season - injured far less often than rodwell)
Guidetti - 3m (from a stupid Dutch side who remember him for what he was, not what he is)

= 25m max., and that's 5 homegrown, which means that we're playing cash for the horrible recruitment of the close season after we won the league for the first time (blame it on Marwood, blame it on Mancini, we'll never know the truth), but it doesn't change the fact that we have a load of toss in our sqaud (but also, as it happens, the best 22 in England by a country mile........ the distance by which I think we will win the league).

Wouldn't say Boyata is unwanted. The club offered him a new contract so he will be here for the foreseeable future. Just hope he doesn't get picked over the likes of Denayer and Rekik in the early league cup and fa cup rounds.

Agree with the rest of the list although I think either Rodwell or Garcia will stay. Cant see us going into next season with just three central midfielders.

I would also add Nastasic in the outgoing players. Will go back to Italy (possibly Juve) once Mangala signs.

My predictions would be -
Richards - 5 million to Newcastle
Sinclair - 3 million to a mid table prem team
Garcia - 10 million to Napoli
Guidetti - 2 million to Feyenoord or his old coach takes a chance on him at Southampton
Nastasic - 10 million to Juve

Haven't Newcastle already bought their right back replacement for Debuchy? Janmaat?

Hadn't seen that. You would think some mid table team will come in for him.

 

[80s Shorts]

At least tolm still seemed confident that mangala was a done deal?

Richards, you strike me as a decent bloke, but you do also come across as living up tolmie's arse, no offence meant

It's tolm's arse, Have a bit of respec,

 

[BlueDeadHead]

As curbishley said last night, Navas was great first half of last season but tailed off in the second half much like Negredo. Not sure why, but he just stopped trying to get to byline and cutting back and started coming inside and over carrying the ball. Last night was more like it from him in the first half and hope he continues that.

Maybe it has something to do with not being used to not having a winter break and then being injured, which happened to both of them.

Didn't see the game, so did we get criticised for not playing young English talent like Rodwell and Richards again, or was that just in the Kansas game?

We played some English talent (or at least they will be considered English after they finish their three years in the academy) :)

Lot of youth on the pitch and they looked great.

 

[TonyM]

I know everyone will think I'm mad but I think Boyata will make it eventually. He is still learning and makes some awful mistakes but imo he will improve rapidly in the next couple of years as he matures. He may not be a kid anymore but he's not quite mature yet either. I think we did the right thing holding on to him (if only to make a few bob later).

 

[BlueDeadHead]

I would argue that £20m for those four would represent a decent return for City. If we can get that, snap the buyers hands off.

Decent? It would be incredible. If they were to all go, it would be closer to 10m. However, I think it will be £0 and all 4 will still be here (or on loan) this time next year - apart from micah who will go on a free.

Unfortunately, I think you are pretty much bang on the money.

Richards - 3rd choice RB and built more like a heavyweight boxer.
Rodwell - Crock
Sinclair - No good
Guidetti - Totally unproven in the Prem.

Cant imagine clubs are queuing around the block!

Richards - knocking on the door of world class two seasons ago.
Rodwell - a risk for sure but one with incredible upside
Sinclair - great preseason. easily worth 2 million to a lower table club.
Guidetti - should still have resale value in Holland.

 

[BlueDeadHead]

Puts tin hat on.

I have read THs post in particular the problems over FFP and selling certain players etc etc. I disagree, this has nothing to do with FFP and this is down to a our current and previous regime of signing players on large wages and simply through injury or loss of form we are unable to realise the amount of money we want to finish our transfer business. Some of the blame therefore must fall on our current management team. Let me just explain why

1) FFP as far as the sanctions are concerned relate purely to the A List players in respect of CL.
2) In terms of the prem league we have always known we are restricted to 17 foreign players with 8 homegrown.
3) We have allowed certain association player contracts to enter the final year, and in some cases run out altogether enabling players to move on.
4) If we were planning a strategy for this summer which we are told started last November why haven't the players we wanted at least be in place for the premier league. As it stands without Nastisic we have 18 players, so management must have known all along that at least one foreign player would need to be shipped out.
5) The opportunity to decrease the prem number to 17 could have easily been overcome by signing an english association goalkeeper as back up to Joe, the fors and against this were done to death on here no need to repeat those arguments we choose to sign like for like.
6) For management to now complain we cannot get market value out of our foreign sales is their mistake, before committing to Mangala they should have sold Garcia or MDM, they decided against the situation, now we have a situation where the players signature is all but done, with time now operating against us and for any potential suitor to take a Garcia off us.
7) Management in dealing with our transfer business must have been aware the difficulties the world cup would bring in signing or selling players.
8) In terms of Champions league even if Garcia is sold it still leaves us having to leave one more foreigner from the squad to bring it down further to the 16. They surely once the FFPR sanctions came out must have known this, and way before anything was given to the press. They again must have known therefore the importance of reducing the foreign element before adding to it but seem to have gone ahead regardless.
9) If our original plans were to sign the four and no others we must surely have known at least one foreigner had to be sold, their own squad numbers should have told them this. Interesting it just seems the original plans have been altered with the intention of wanting to sign Barkley and Isco. If this is recent then sometimes you cannot always get what you want in life. it is no good suddenly blaming the salary limitations or spending restrictions or profitablity accounts from the sanctions, learn to live within our means and if that means we cannot afford the players so beit or sign the players we want and either tell the players coming in they won't be playing CL or tell the existing players who are to be sold there is no prem place for you this year and that they will restrict to domestic cups.

I am sorry but that is not true. There is no way we signed Willy to be just a backup.

 

[r.soleofsalford]

Decent? It would be incredible. If they were to all go, it would be closer to 10m. However, I think it will be £0 and all 4 will still be here (or on loan) this time next year - apart from micah who will go on a free.

Unfortunately, I think you are pretty much bang on the money.

Richards - 3rd choice RB and built more like a heavyweight boxer.
Rodwell - Crock
Sinclair - No good
Guidetti - Totally unproven in the Prem.

Cant imagine clubs are queuing around the block!

Richards - knocking on the door of world class two seasons ago.
Rodwell - a risk for sure but one with incredible upside
Sinclair - great preseason. easily worth 2 million to a lower table club.
Guidetti - should still have resale value in Holland.

It wasn't long ago some people were saying untried in the premier guidetti was good enough to play as our 4th striker (not me)

 

[tonea2003]

We should sue UEFA for making our financial and squad restrictions so public.

There was an extensive prior consultation with our rivals to determine what sanctions would damage us most. They knew about our restrictions before we did.

its still early but am i reading this correctly.

by our rivals do you mean chelsea, bayern, barca,real etc?

 

[fbloke]

Nimrod was a plane that never quite made the grade, had years of development issues and was eventually scrapped.

I would say that that is quite apt for the loftier thoughts of this summers signings.