Chairman's Interview

[ChicagoBlue]

Great Part 2 of the interview with Khaldoon.

For those who may not have seen it, here is another, wider ranging interview with David Rubinstein (a Bloomberg show).Decent background about him, his background, and the size and quality of the organization of which City is a part.

 

[SWP's back]

I would imagine your idea of our best team is very different to my idea of our best team which will be different to about another 100 posters on here, because we do not have a best team, we have a good squad which allows for horses for courses.

The days of having a best 11 belong in the 1960s when teams won trophies with 12 players, because of the demands of modern football that is just not possible anymore.

Yeah and we have two fantastic defensive midfielders. Neither of which started. You can’t, with a straight face, claim Pep got the selection and shape correct. And you can keep your strawman Russ, I’m not arguing that only 12 players should play a whole season. I’m saying that we played our obvious strongest side in the 1/4 and semi finals. Then Pep had a brain fart and cost us in the final.

 

[Gray]

No, just that if Nasri had done his job, Kompany not taking the yellow wouldn’t have mattered.

Every final event is actually a chain of events, with weak links cascading to create the ultimate outcome. It is the final link that creates the final outcome.

I’m trained to be that final link and not allow the other broken links to negatively affect the final outcome.

There’s always enough blame to go around, but going back to the original comment, I believe Bobby Manc was aiming his ire at Nasri.

I actually think VK was at fault for the first goal, even though it’s generally put down to Lescott’s missed header.

Or even Joe Hart who can’t save anything low to his left.

 

[Gray]

Liverpool managed to do it between 2018-2020 playing the same XI each week.

That worked out well this season though, their players were shattered.

 

[SWP's back]

Or even Joe Hart who can’t save anything

updated for 2018-21 form.

 

[HermanPant]

You are Stevie Nicks and I claim my £5...you can keep the Bic pen though

 

[bluealf]

Liverpool managed to do it between 2018-2020 playing the same XI each week.

And what has happened to those players now?

 

[FantasyIreland]

I would imagine your idea of our best team is very different to my idea of our best team which will be different to about another 100 posters on here, because we do not have a best team, we have a good squad which allows for horses for courses.

The days of having a best 11 belong in the 1960s when teams won trophies with 12 players, because of the demands of modern football that is just not possible anymore.

The best team was the one 99% of supporters expected,the one that 'picked itself' and the one that would very probably have seen us as Champions.

The only decision to be made was Rodri or Dinho - the genius went with neither.......hence why we had our arse handed to us in a game of enormous magnitude.

It was a massive fuck up.

 

[KS55]

Just thinking that since the takeover our ownership have pretty much done everything that they said they were going to do. With that in mind watch this 2nd part again and when Khaldoon says we're going to be the best club in the land and all the world he really means it. Sent shivers up my spine did that.

The telling factor is delivery. "We will build the club up over 5 years, and then make it self sustaining". DONE. No empty rhetoric, just clear intentions carried out. Thats why we have total confidence in him.

 

[KS55]

I always felt the ownership would never publicly endorse any statues in that way, given the prevailing social mores around idols within Islam.

Quite a significant statement there from Khaldoon - and clearly demonstrates that I’m full of shit!

The owners actions outside M.E. are modern and western. At city:
The womens team, gay friendly employer, support for Canal st. blues, etc etc. I have often wondered if this is a signal to conservatives back home. Am I being fanciful?

 

[RobMCFC]

The best team was the one 99% of supporters expected,the one that 'picked itself' and the one that would very probably have seen us as Champions.

The only decision to be made was Rodri or Dinho - the genius went with neither.......hence why we had our arse handed to us in a game of enormous magnitude.

It was a massive fuck up.

I would go further than that. This is no dig at Rodri, who is a good player, but I'll bet any other manager, any other pundit or any other fan (City or otherwise) would have had Fernandinho as the first name on the team sheet.

 

[Father Paul]

The best team was the one 99% of supporters expected,the one that 'picked itself' and the one that would very probably have seen us as Champions.

The only decision to be made was Rodri or Dinho - the genius went with neither.......hence why we had our arse handed to us in a game of enormous magnitude.

It was a massive fuck up.

Agree about that for sure. While I am not convinced we would have won with the obvious line up a narrative is starting to develop that we almost certainly would have had he just left things alone. This is very bad for the manager moving forward as he surely realises further tinkering will not be tolerated by fans and players alike. The end result may be even more over thinking leading to either insane decisions or tactical inertia.

 

[OntarioBlue]

Liverpool managed to do it between 2018-2020 playing the same XI each week.

True, but look what happened when the injuries caught up with them this season.

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

The owners actions outside M.E. are modern and western. At city:
The womens team, gay friendly employer, support for Canal st. blues, etc etc. I have often wondered if this is a signal to conservatives back home. Am I being fanciful?

The same thought occurred to me. Must be part of the equation, albeit ancillary.

 

[BlueMoonRisin’]

I would go further than that. This is no dig at Rodri, who is a good player, but I'll bet any other manager, any other pundit or any other fan (City or otherwise) would have had Fernandinho as the first name on the team sheet.

For all the sheer brilliant football Pep has conjered up thus far, he's sold us a few pups along the way. His worst ones are almost criminal, certainly bordering lunacy!

The term 'bald fraud' is almost a stigma and I think the only way he'd rid himself of that term (and redeem himself) is to win us the CL next season with our best 11. Not with bizarre team selections, not fancy formations and hard to fathom tactics that have cost us several very important games!

 

[alexmcity]

The best team was the one 99% of supporters expected,the one that 'picked itself' and the one that would very probably have seen us as Champions.

The only decision to be made was Rodri or Dinho - the genius went with neither.......hence why we had our arse handed to us in a game of enormous magnitude.

It was a massive fuck up.

Very naive reasoning.

What does 'very probably' is supposed to mean here? Chelsea had about 40 % to win no matter what. Their defence had conceded as many CL goals as ours. They have excellent players and being underdogs helped them big time, both tactically and mentally.

The notion that we have a best XI that we should start no matter the system and the strengths of the opposition in the final is not even naive. It's frankly stupid. Also, the view that Fernandinho was great vs PSG is clueless. First half our play was poor. Fortunately, they were without Mbappe. Also, Fernandinho was poor vs Chelsea at Wembley. Rodri lost form and was making mistakes every game, etc. etc.

Wish armchair geniuses stopped pretending they knew better than Pep what to do. They create a bad atmosphere around Pep and the club which may have negative consequences for next season and Pep's renaining year/years at the club.

 

[alexmcity]

The term 'bald fraud' is almost a stigma and I think the only way he'd rid himself of that term (and redeem himself) is to win us the CL

Here is another clown.

 

[BlueMoonRisin’]

Here is another clown.

He's behind you!

 

[alexmcity]

He's behind you!

Only an idiot could believe Pep's a fraud.

 

[nmc]

True, but look what happened when the injuries caught up with them this season.

That Liverpool team was caffeine fuelled to the hilt - allegedly and on a cocktail of other stuff.... hence the asthma epidemic - its only safe to do that stuff for a couple of season so the huge drop off was widely predicted this season.