De Bruyne?

citizens_1976 said:
I agree with you... De Jong and Gareth Barry were better options than Delph and Fernando... Tevez is a far better player than Wilfried Bony...

Infact... i even preferred Lescott as a defender for us than Mangala (or what he has showed so far)

We need to go forwards as a club this time and not backwards.
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Not at this point they ain't
 
FanchesterCity said:
Is it negative?
I think it's common sense and well reasoned. Have we improved much in the last couple of years, and which players have we bought that have taken us to the next level?
I've said we've bought a couple of players who've done a good job for us, but I challenge you to name me an addition to the squad who has had a large positive impact. Sterling doesn't yet count as he's not played a competitive game.

You say negative, I say realistic.

If we want to keep with the City of old mentality and cheer on mediocrity simply because we support the club, that's fine, but if we're serious about being CL contenders, then we have to be a bit more merciless with some of the players, and be critical of ourselves. Our signings in the last two years have not been of the calibre required to live up to our desire of being CL contenders, or retain a title.

It's great that we've trophies, make no mistake, but we haven't stopped our ambition yet have we? I thought we were still trying to improve, and to do that, you need to identify the weaknesses we have, not gloss over them.
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I thought this buy (KDB) was partly to enable us to change formationto a 4 3 3 that Pellers wants to play.
Maybe he feels this will improve our solidarity and that the rest of the team/squad can shine in that formation.
We won't know until or if that happens, but i wouldn't class anything as glossing over.

Personally, i think there is no common sense or reason in your post. It's exactly the same as mine. Just Supposition.
 
Marvin said:
I think that's true, but we have reportedly spent most of the season trying to buy the best available central midfielder.

The way the transfer market works you can't always take who you want. If we get De Bruyne, we'll have bought 2 star players which is probably better than most could hope for, and yes, in an ideal world we would have got Pogba, or someone similar. We need to see how Delph does. And Fernando. They both could perform a lot better than most expect. We're going to need central midfielders who can defend, and those 2 certainly can
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Indeed, no teams get everybody they want, not even the obvious current big 3 in Europe). That then means if we can't buy the ready made article, we're going to have to up our game in getting better prospects - which is no easy thing either.
Chelsea currently seem to manage to buy pretty well (even if they buy a few duds too), but they manage to sell them on for more money than we do. There must be another Matic out there.
 
grim up north said:
Not at this point they ain't
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Tevez is still a far better player than Bony now, its not even up for debate.

De Jong and Barry at City were of a much higher class than the options we have now, they again are comparisons which aren't even up for debate.

Lescott at City back in his prime is better than Mangala, just an overall better defender with more of a football brain. Better positioning, better man marking, better header of a ball... all round better. Mangala will have to drastically improve this season or else he will be another one gone out of the door.
 
citizens_1976 said:
Tevez is still a far better player than Bony now, its not even up for debate.

De Jong and Barry at City were of a much higher class than the options we have now, they again are comparisons which aren't even up for debate.

Lescott at City back in his prime is better than Mangala, just an overall better defender with more of a football brain. Better positioning, better man marking, better header of a ball... all round better. Mangala will have to drastically improve this season or else he will be another one gone out of the door.
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If you say so no point in debating then. We will return to this conversation at the end of the season
 
Marvin said:
I think that's true, but we have reportedly spent most of the season trying to buy the best available central midfielder.

The way the transfer market works you can't always take who you want. If we get De Bruyne, we'll have bought 2 star players which is probably better than most could hope for, and yes, in an ideal world we would have got Pogba, or someone similar. We need to see how Delph does. And Fernando. They both could perform a lot better than most expect. We're going to need central midfielders who can defend, and those 2 certainly can
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But what our club needs to grasp is, if we don't get Pogba, it isn't the end of the world. I have never thought for one second Pogba was coming to City anyway, so in my eyes we should have had a plan B ready incase we end up getting rejected. I just don't see a plan B from us, we would be better off buying another CM in the ilk of Xhaka, Naingollan, Witsel, Aranguiz than not buying another CM at all. If we ain't getting Pogba this season, why not try next season and offload Fernando to free up a space? We need to think outside the box and not just on the fantasy signings. Fantasy footballers don't always win you things, its players that can come in and compliment the squad perfectly giving your team the right balance.
 
prestonibbo_mcfc said:
I thought this buy (KDB) was partly to enable us to change formationto a 4 3 3 that Pellers wants to play.
Maybe he feels this will improve our solidarity and that the rest of the team/squad can shine in that formation.
We won't know until or if that happens, but i wouldn't class anything as glossing over.

Personally, i think there is no common sense or reason in your post. It's exactly the same as mine. Just Supposition.
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Of course there's common sense and reason. We won an FA Cup and League with Mancini, and with Pellers we've won a League Cup and a League - we've invested considerably in the meanwhile and yet this season, most would see the league as a 3 or 4 horse race. Where's the tangible improvement or 'next level'?

Off the pitch, we're doing the business. On the pitch we're treading water. Moving forward isn't easy, and it's hard to improve an already great squad, but it's something we have to do if we want to compete with the big boys. Perhaps this season will show us where we are with the new signings - we can't judge Sterling or Delph yet, but I don't see our rivals less confident about facing us, I see them as more confident. Both Chelsea and Arsenal are emboldened, whilst United almost certainly feel more confident than last year (but how founded that is remains to be seen).

FFP has hindered our plans - there's little doubt about that, but this is the first season where we should be on a par with rivals and no longer unduly disadvantaged. There are no excuses now, it's down to the quality of signings and the management of them thereafter.
 
grim up north said:
If you say so no point in debating then. We will return to this conversation at the end of the season
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I cannot see my opinion changing come this time next season either, the only one up for debate could be Mangala, but he has to improve majorly.

Fernando will be sold this time next season either, complete bag of shit that he is.
 
citizens_1976 said:
Tevez is still a far better player than Bony now, its not even up for debate.

De Jong and Barry at City were of a much higher class than the options we have now, they again are comparisons which aren't even up for debate.

Lescott at City back in his prime is better than Mangala, just an overall better defender with more of a football brain. Better positioning, better man marking, better header of a ball... all round better. Mangala will have to drastically improve this season or else he will be another one gone out of the door.
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Absolute bollocks.

Tevez and bony are different players. Tevez is more like aguero with tricky runs and a low centre of gravity. Bony is big and powerful. He will score a lot of goals for us and is the player we needed to add a different dimension to our side.

As for Barry and de jong, fernandinho and delph are better than those two. Barry was a solid player for us but his pace cost us in the champions league, de jong could only go sideways. Delph and fernandinho can carry the ball well and read the game. Not many players out there could play so well in a midfield two with yaya.

Lescott... Decent English centre half. Lets see what mangala does this season. Mangala can at least pass a football.
 
Ignoring the back four, we have the ability (and I hope desire) to have two entirely different midfield/attacking looks.

For the big games away from home, where we need solidity FIRST:

..............Fernandinho..............Delph/Fernando

Sterling/Navas...............Toure.............Nasri/Silva

..........................Aguero/Bony

For the games where we are going for it, while maintaining a DM:

.........................Delph/Fernandinho

Navas.............Toure...........Silva.......Sterling

...................Bony............Aguero

OR, an attacking look that should scare the shit out of any team:

.........Silva..............Yaya...........Nasri

Navas....................Aguero..............Sterling

....and one that leaves us ridiculously exposed on the counter, especially if we play with flying full backs (which we should NOT be doing in a 4-3-3!!)
 
citizens_1976 said:
I cannot see my opinion changing come this time next season either, the only one up for debate could be Mangala, but he has to improve majorly.

Fernando will be sold this time next season either, complete bag of shit that he is.
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Enjoy your visits to the Etihad I certainly will watching our evolving squad
 
citizens_1976 said:
Tevez is still a far better player than Bony now, its not even up for debate.

De Jong and Barry at City were of a much higher class than the options we have now, they again are comparisons which aren't even up for debate.

Lescott at City back in his prime is better than Mangala, just an overall better defender with more of a football brain. Better positioning, better man marking, better header of a ball... all round better. Mangala will have to drastically improve this season or else he will be another one gone out of the door.
Click to expand...
I agree with Tevez > Bony. No contest.

I'd take Fernandinho and Delph over Barry and de Jong tbh.

And Mangala is a far (far) more talented centre-back than Lescott ever was. But Lescott was settled in a more defensive team, with a defensive system and Manager that suited him, in a league he knew and was used to, playing alongside a world-class CB at his peak and he had plenty of cover from midfield.
Mangala has been in and out of a team alongside numerous different centre-backs (mostly a struggling Kompany), in a very difficult high line system, in a new league, with barely any cover from midfield.
 
citizens_1976 said:
Try debating my views, because to be honest i think you would agree with most of them.

I live in Cloud Blue Cuckoo land.
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As I said to the other clown that is all doom and gloom, I don't necessarily disagree, it's just that I get hacked off with the same old faces talking the same old shit, manic depressives, well piss off and stop trying to drag everyone down with you :o)

Rome wasn't built in a day, I watched us be shit for 30+ years, I can wait a little longer, I'm not like a few of you wanting everything right now and the club are fucking up not giving that to us.
 
supercity88 said:
Absolute bollocks.

Tevez and bony are different players. Tevez is more like aguero with tricky runs and a low centre of gravity. Bony is big and powerful. He will score a lot of goals for us and is the player we needed to add a different dimension to our side.

As for Barry and de jong, fernandinho and delph are better than those two. Barry was a solid player for us but his pace cost us in the champions league, de jong could only go sideways. Delph and fernandinho can carry the ball well and read the game. Not many players out there could play so well in a midfield two with yaya.

Lescott... Decent English centre half. Lets see what mangala does this season. Mangala can at least pass a football.
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I think it's too early to compare Delph with anyone. It's a big step up for him.

As for Bony, the jury is very much out on this one. He showed some decent touches at times last season but also so extremely sloppy ones. He needs more games but if kun is fit, I can't see him getting them.
 
supercity88 said:
Absolute bollocks.

Tevez and bony are different players. Tevez is more like aguero with tricky runs and a low centre of gravity. Bony is big and powerful. He will score a lot of goals for us and is the player we needed to add a different dimension to our side.

As for Barry and de jong, fernandinho and delph are better than those two. Barry was a solid player for us but his pace cost us in the champions league, de jong could only go sideways. Delph and fernandinho can carry the ball well and read the game. Not many players out there could play so well in a midfield two with yaya.

Lescott... Decent English centre half. Lets see what mangala does this season. Mangala can at least pass a football.
Click to expand...

Try talking to the world about Tevez and Bony and not on a bluemoon forum with fans with their tinted specs on... if you cannot see that Tevez isn't a few leagues above Bony then the mind completely boggles. He is in a entirely different class. They are different players your right, but i would sooner have Carlos Tevez in his prime than a Wilfried Bony in his prime anyday.

Fernandinho is good yes, but you are completely underestimating Barry. He was Mr Consistent for City and rarely had a bad game. Infact, i thought he was far more consistent than Fernandinho, although i do think Fernandinho is a player with more ability. As for De Jong and Delph... don't make me laugh. One has played in a World Cup final, the other has only ever played in relegation battles with NO champs league experience whatsoever. Whether De Jong was a sideways player or not, he was paid to do a job and that was protecting the defence and he did that to an absolute tee.

Mangala can pass a football? Half of the time last season he looked like his arse had dropped out, do you not remember the Carling Cup game against Newcastle last season where he gave the ball away everytime he got it? I am not saying Lescott is a better footballer than Mangala, but he is paid to defend and he did that far better than what i have seen from Mangala. Gary Cahill is another example, not the flashiest CB in the world, but he does the job he is paid to do.
 
Cannot believe this still isnt sorted! Wolfsburg and de bruyne are literally begging us to sort a deal! Poor prep for the new season.
 
Bilboblue said:
As I said to the other clown that is all doom and gloom, I don't necessarily disagree, it's just that I get hacked off with the same old faces talking the same old shit, manic depressives, well piss off and stop trying to drag everyone down with you :o)

Rome wasn't built in a day, I watched us be shit for 30+ years, I can wait a little longer, I'm not like a few of you wanting everything right now and the club are fucking up not giving that to us.
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Do you want the club to improve... yes or no?

That is our exact point, there is nothing wrong with having ambition.
 
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