Are we Having a Transition Season?

[bluenova]

Haaland

Doku---------B.Silva---------Foden

Rodri------Stones

Aké-------Gvardiol----R.Dias------Walker

Ederson
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Pep probably need to try something like that until he gets KDB back. Finding the right CB combination will be key. Gvardiol was a big investment, so he needs to play. Moving him to CB and playing Aké at LB could be worth trying.

Part of the problem is that after losing Gundo and Mahrez, and Grealish and Stones being out a lot, plus Rodri's suspensions, we're lacking control. Kovacic and Nunes just aren't up to speed, which isn't a surprise, given all the chopping and changing we've had to do with injuries.

I suspect that formation would be more secure - but that's part of the problem - Stones and Rodri have only been able to start 3 games together all season.

 

[Gobshiight]

Mental how it feels like not winning the league will be a transitional season

Still think we'll be much better after January and will push hard for three trophies

 

[Gabriel]

It just seems to be down to poor recruitment, although admittedly there really weren’t that many midfielders available last summer that would have improved us. Only Bellingham who for some reason thinks football is still in the 90’s, and Rice, whom I believe we should have gone absolutely balls deep for.

And therein lies our problem in my opinion - for a club that’s posted record turnover yet again, ahead of rags, Chelsea, etc we are far too reticent to use our financial power. As Treble winners, with the added draw of Pep, an almost guarantee of at least one trophy every season, we should be at the pinnacle of our attractiveness to almost any player.

We should be using our financial power to get further ahead, not slipping down to the level of Villa, rags and Spurs by making mediocre signings because another club had the temerity to bid for the top ones. We should be blowing every fucker away in the transfer market like the rags did in the 90s and Bayern do in Germany.

We should have tested Spurs’ resolve with a huge bid for Son, and kept outbidding Arse for Rice. That’s the level we needed, not bothering with the likes of Kovacic or Nunes.

We can have all the money in the world but that is not enough and we need to learn from our transfer dealings. We often get drawn into protracted chases and leave ourselves little time and choice when the player goes elsewhere. Similarly, as much as we can offer players, some are simply not going to come to Manchester. Rice was never going to leave London and we should have known that from the get go. We'll likely be linked with Wirtz and maybe Eze again next summer, and the same thing could arise. Our only saving grace in the search for a midfielder this summer was that we never signed Paqueta before the allegations came to light.

 

[HoneyMonster89]

Part of the problem is that after losing Gundo and Mahrez, and Grealish and Stones being out a lot, plus Rodri's suspensions, we're lacking control. Kovacic and Nunes just aren't up to speed, which isn't a surprise, given all the chopping and changing we've had to do with injuries.

I suspect that formation would be more secure - but that's part of the problem - Stones and Rodri have only been able to start 3 games together all season.

Kovačić started the season quite well. Pep seems to have stopped trusting him after the back to back defeats vs Wolves and Arsenal.

He does the fundamentals well. He's technically sound and mobile. But he doesn't offer the goal threat or threatening passes that Gündoğan excelled at.

Nunes doesn't have as many career goals or assists, but he is an excellent ball carrier/dribbler who makes good runs off the ball in the final 3rd. Those attributes could be better utilised by Pep. But he'd need to implement a 4-3-3 to get Nunes into the team regularly.

Pep has a lot to think about.

 

[willipp]

We didn’t miss out on them. I haven’t missed out on bumming susannah reid. She simply just didn’t want me to.

Call it whatever you want, we didn’t get either of our two main targets this summer. As for bumming Susannah Reid, I’m sure you have done many times.

 

[Blue Feather]

None of the recent midfield signings look good enough so far but I think we've got to play Nunes or even Phillips with Rodri and just see if they can build something otherwise we'll have 120 + million (if you include Kovasic as 'back-up') who will never get a sniff of the first team and be a complete waste of money and squad space. Don't get me wrong, I'd probably be screaming for them to be subbed within 20 minutes but as it stands there seems to be little point in any of them being here

 

[Toulousain85]

Fact is we dominated Liverpool, Tottenham, and Chelsea, were minutes away from winning all 3 matches. For Aston villa we missed too many players so it was not unexpected to lose there. there is nothing to suggest we will fall away. If we win the next 4 matches we'll be right behind Arsenal.

 

[argyle]

Gvardiol certainly deserves time to settle in, a young guy playing out of position in a new league in a foreign country, I actually feel a big sorry for him.

But Kova and Nunes have been every bit as underwhelming as I expected them to be when I'd heard we'd signed them.

Nunes at £50m is particularly baffling.

A terrible buy and there's been a number of them now.

 

[Keeper!]

Gundogan is a huge loss. But when a player expresses a wish to move on (as was seemingly the case here), the club will (in most cases) not stand in his way, provided an acceptable offer comes in. It's very rare that they'll try to talk a player out of a move. Walker, maybe? Or was it a case of him deciding not to go to Bayern?

Walker played us because he knew we could not afford to lose another senior pro after the Gundo and Mahrez exits.

WE are very good to our players, maybe that sometimes is an issue, maybe we have to be more ruthless.

 

[BlueMoon_Phil]

Gundogan is a huge loss. But when a player expresses a wish to move on (as was seemingly the case here), the club will (in most cases) not stand in his way, provided an acceptable offer comes in. It's very rare that they'll try to talk a player out of a move. Walker, maybe? Or was it a case of him deciding not to go to Bayern?

As far as I was aware Gundogan didn’t stay as we didn’t offer the length of contract he wanted, but could be wrong on that one. I like that we let players go if they want pastures new as long as we receive the right fee. No point in keeping a player that doesn’t want to be here.