Are we dining at the top table or not?

[BobKowalski]

Exactly. Which is why having four strikers is pretty unusual. Unless there are injuries and exceptional management of them, someone gets left out and leaves in frustration. United clearly didn't want four - when they signed Falcao they got rid of Welbeck. I don't see too many pundits berating them for leaving them light up front, even with a known injury risk to both Van Persie and Falcao.

And if ManU switch to 433 which Van Gaal has played most of his career then 3 is fine as it is for Chelsea or the Dog and Duck but so fucking what. We play with 2 strikers. We played with 2 strikers under Mancini and we play with 2 under Pellers so to compete at the top level we need 4 given 1 is always injured or playing golf in Argentina. All this post rationalisation as if it's some master plan or a means to buy a world class striker in 2016 or whenever is bollocks.

If we planned to switch formation and play with 1 striker and reduce down to 3 then fine but we didn't plan it nor practised it. Instead on transfer dead line day we sold one striker that we knew wanted to go months ago and are now down to 3. Consequently some are questioning this decision and/or the timing or the gamble that 'we will be okay'. And we might well be who knows but it is legitimate grounds for debate at least until our next match when Stefan grabs a hat trick and we go back to talking about something else.

You're missing the point. Four frontline strikers was and is extremely unusual. How many other clubs have that many?

I'm missing the point? Christ on a bike. We do. We have 4 top line strikers. It is a deliberate policy on our part as we play most games with 2 top line strikers. The squad is structured to have 4 top line strikers. Pellers wants 4 top line strikers. Txiki wants 4 top line strikes which is why he fucking made sure we had 4.

If we want to change to playing 1 top line striker and having 3 in the squad then fine. Do it. Plan for it. Practise it. It's what Ferran and Txiki preach. The reason why this sale and the timing of it looks odd is because it is contrary to what they preach.

 

[BillyShears]

again, considering our wage structure and CL squad restrictions, who would you have brought in to replace Negredo, considering he wouldn't have been in the CL squad?

Judging by the recent threads on the CL i daresay most people will probably just say "not bothered about the CL".

 

[JoeMercer'sWay]

again, considering our wage structure and CL squad restrictions, who would you have brought in to replace Negredo, considering he wouldn't have been in the CL squad?

Judging by the recent threads on the CL i daresay most people will probably just say "not bothered about the CL".

which is interesting because I assume therefore that they have a name, or names in mind, of players who would also "not be bothered about the CL" and want to come in, who would also be good enough and have the right mentality and attitude for us, which incidentally, they couldn't have otherwise they wouldn't be happy coming in and not playing CL.

but still, I'm interested to here targets from the people who believe Txiki's done something wrong.

 

[BillyShears]

If we want to change to playing 1 top line striker and having 3 in the squad then fine. Do it. Plan for it. Practise it. It's what Ferran and Txiki preach. The reason why this sale and the timing of it looks odd is because it is contrary to what they preach.

You seem rather emotional about the whole thing. I'm fairly confident that a squad of world class players and a world class manager can alternate between playing with two out and out forwards and one out and out forward without totally flummoxing themselves.

 

[kaz7]

You beat me to it. Would love to know what these bad decisions are that our board have made since they were appointed. Genuinely as well because there seems to be an awful lot of people who seem to be wandering around with a sense that Soriano and our director of football are somehow chancers who don't know what they're doing. In fact I think i read that exact phrase used to describe them just this morning.

Anyway yes, Karen, would love to hear what these bad decisions are you think that the powers that be have made.

I was aiming it at those who thinks he never gets it wrong and calls out anyone who thinks he has made a mistake not replacing Alf,i'm sick of being called a flapper because i am not a happy clapper.I recall a discussion with the names of players who he brought to Barca that didn't quite work out,no-one gets it right all of the time
My opinion is we are weaker because we did not bring in cover for Alf,a loan,anything
We know sergio could break down at any moment and yaya is away jan/feb
It's an opinion,i'm not the one having a go at anyone who has the opposite one and neither do i want mine to be the right one come may
I am happy with what txiki has achieved since he came to us but not on this one

Out of interest, considering our wage structure, CL squad regs etc., who would you have brought in to replace Negredo?

Luckily thats not my job
I see a few people are putting their faith in the young nigerian boy,maybe looking along those lines we could have promoted lopes? maybe pellers can get some use out of john and sinclair but it's not great to have to do either of those things
Pellers was very firm answering the negredo question,he said we do not want to sell him,he wanted 4 strikers and now doesn't have them

 

[BillyShears]

but still, I'm interested to here targets from the people who believe Txiki's done something wrong.

Clearly the target was the economical 357,000 pounds a week plus 50 million pound transfer fee of the 29 year old unfit Falcao. I'm assuming this because he clearly isn't arsed about CL football! :)

 

[JoeMercer'sWay]

If we want to change to playing 1 top line striker and having 3 in the squad then fine. Do it. Plan for it. Practise it. It's what Ferran and Txiki preach. The reason why this sale and the timing of it looks odd is because it is contrary to what they preach.

You seem rather emotional about the whole thing. I'm fairly confident that a squad of world class players and a world class manager can alternate between playing with two out and out forwards and one out and out forward without totally flummoxing themselves.

I mean, only last week were people discussing moving Yaya forward and playing Fernando and Fernandinho together, which I reckon we will do in games such as Bayern away, Roma away etc. to ensure we get the points away to get at least 2nd in the group.

 

[BillyShears]

If we want to change to playing 1 top line striker and having 3 in the squad then fine. Do it. Plan for it. Practise it. It's what Ferran and Txiki preach. The reason why this sale and the timing of it looks odd is because it is contrary to what they preach.

You seem rather emotional about the whole thing. I'm fairly confident that a squad of world class players and a world class manager can alternate between playing with two out and out forwards and one out and out forward without totally flummoxing themselves.

I mean, only last week were people discussing moving Yaya forward and playing Fernando and Fernandinho together, which I reckon we will do in games such as Bayern away, Roma away etc. to ensure we get the points away to get at least 2nd in the group.

The argument seems to be that Pellegrini won't in fact play that way and will continue to play 442. I'm again not sure why this is a problem when if a player does get injured we can easily shift to 4231 and have copious options to play that way.

Some serious mountains being made out of a minor molehill IMO.

 

[Henkeman]

And if ManU switch to 433 which Van Gaal has played most of his career then 3 is fine as it is for Chelsea or the Dog and Duck but so fucking what. We play with 2 strikers. We played with 2 strikers under Mancini and we play with 2 under Pellers so to compete at the top level we need 4 given 1 is always injured or playing golf in Argentina. All this post rationalisation as if it's some master plan or a means to buy a world class striker in 2016 or whenever is bollocks.

If we planned to switch formation and play with 1 striker and reduce down to 3 then fine but we didn't plan it nor practised it. Instead on transfer dead line day we sold one striker that we knew wanted to go months ago and are now down to 3. Consequently some are questioning this decision and/or the timing or the gamble that 'we will be okay'. And we might well be who knows but it is legitimate grounds for debate at least until our next match when Stefan grabs a hat trick and we go back to talking about something else.

You're missing the point. Four frontline strikers was and is extremely unusual. How many other clubs have that many?

I'm missing the point? Christ on a bike. We do. We have 4 top line strikers. It is a deliberate policy on our part as we play most games with 2 top line strikers. The squad is structured to have 4 top line strikers. Pellers wants 4 top line strikers. Txiki wants 4 top line strikes which is why he fucking made sure we had 4.

If we want to change to playing 1 top line striker and having 3 in the squad then fine. Do it. Plan for it. Practise it. It's what Ferran and Txiki preach. The reason why this sale and the timing of it looks odd is because it is contrary to what they preach.

City are hardly alone in playing with two strikers. Last season with Jovetic injured pretty much all year it was effectively only three anyway. For all I know they may have wanted to reduce by one last season but held off because of that. It remains the case that any team having four frontline strikers is deeply unusual, and attracted lots of comment for being impossible to sustain. I would place a large bet there was a hell of a lot of comment on here that it wouldn't be possible to keep them all happy. Remember when Dzeko seemed on his way because he didn't play?

Yes, it's sad to see him go, yes it's mildly surprising that they've allowed it. But you're reacting as though Silva, Aguero and Kompany have been loaned out free of charge to Oldham.

 

[BobKowalski]

Maybe Txiki was holding out to get the best deal for both the club and player?

Apart from you not being happy with him going, you have to admit the price we got was a cracking bit of business considering what we paid for him?

I have no issue with the financial aspect of the deal. It's a cracking deal. It's a great deal. It's the deal of the fucking century. I do have an issue with the timing of the deal. I would rather this deal be done a month ago and for a million or two less and adequate cover be lined up. Doing well football wise is more important then squeezing a few extra pounds ala Daniel Levy. And doing things properly and in good time is what we do. We plan. We plot. We construct a championship winning squad. We do not wait for the last minute to do the deal and leave the manager with his dick in his hand and no where to point.

again, considering our wage structure and CL squad restrictions, who would you have brought in to replace Negredo, considering he wouldn't have been in the CL squad?

After giving it 5 seconds thought I would drop Willy from the CL squad and go with 4 strikers. But I am convinced that Txiki giving it more than 5 seconds thought and actually knowing what he is doing can figure out a better way than me of structuring the squad.

Or are you saying that selling Negrado on lastminutedotcom and leaving us with 3 strikers was the only viable solution? Which thinking about is a bit of an insult to Txiki, personally I'd go with taking a calculated gamble until January. Sometimes you just take a punt, cross your fingers and ignore Pellers giving you the side eye.