Defensive midfielder

[Blue tiger]

Lots of posters seem to find it difficult to understand , but seems simple to me.Its quite likely the players we want as an 6/8 that are anywhere near good enough are vital to their teams whether in the CL, trying to be in the CL, or going for titles. Financially it makes no sense for them to sell now when they can use the player and probably sell for much the same fee in the summer.
Release clauses are an option but not sure any of those we may want with clause seem keen to move in January, if they were we’d probably have triggered one.

I get the point that our targets might not be available and if that is the case then we should keep our powder dry till the summer. It's the fact that it's being suggested that John Stones who I love as a player is being reported as playing there potentially. Aside from the fact he is injury prone, the last time we saw him there was Villa away last year and he was dreadful. Massive difference from playing as a midfielder and being asked to bring the ball out as a defender into midfield. As for Akanji I've never seen anything in his game that even points to him being able to play there. If we are sticking with what we have, he needs to bite the bullet and use O'Reilly or Wright and they'll either sink or swim, but they can't do any worse than what we saw in Paris or two CBs in there surely?

 

[Delphinho]

Jauregizar, the Bilbao midfielder, would fit more into what we've been doing in January.

Highly rated in Spain.

Very hard to get a Spanish player out of Bilbao though. Not impossible, but most of them are very loyal and stay there for their entire career. I’m surprised they can stay up in La Liga for so long when their signing policy is to only play Basque players, very interesting philosophy. Jauregizar looks like a perfect Pep player though, can see why we would be interested

 

[Ajm1985]

We need 2,but what that has to do with the right players being available now , I have no idea

It was in reference to you mentioning 6/8 - I presumed you were talking about a player who can play both roles rather than multiple. Regardless, the fact that it's grown past a need for a player who can do both 6 & 8, evidently means a wider group of players you can target - eg, just players who can play 6. If we don't sign a midfielder, then it will be more down to choice, as it was last summer, rather than anything else.

 

[blueparrot]

I think City are stuck. They messed up with Kalvin and Nunes thats twice they've failed with a midfield signing. That perhaps now they are over thinking / looking for the perfect midfielder for the team instead of someone who can do a job. I reckon if Nunes and Kalvin were not failures in midfield we would've signed Douglas Luiz already.

Yes but when we signed them they eere squad players. Now we want players to take the place of KDB, Gundogan, maybe Bernardo. They have to be the quality to take us forward for the next 5-10 years.
Waiting for the summer to be certain we get the right players is crucial if thats what it takes

 

[decmancity]

Pep said in December that with important players being out for weeks/months the team needs help in defense and holding midfield.
It's up to the club to deliver that help. Defenders have joined but no help in holding midfield has arrived.

Pep saying that doesn't really make any difference.

Pep can want someone badly as well as not agreeing with anyone the transfer committee have put forward.

There is a very small list of players who Pep will want, reduce that list when X player doesn't fancy the move, reduce again when Y club isn't going to sell.

How many "mistakes" do clubs make every year because they sign players who quite clearly don't fit what the team needed and they end up stuck with them. City by and large have been fantastic at not doing this and nothing is going to change now.

We can argue forever that literally anyone would be better than what we have but we are thinking short term.

Longer term, correct or not, Pep will be thinking I've got Rodri coming back and maybe the likes of Perrone for next year.

 

[Kippax Street 1880]

If we are trying to solve this within the squad, which I can’t believe, give Wright the minutes couldn’t do any worse.

He is the best option within the squad. An actual natural holding midfielder. Worst comes to worst he's gained a lot of experience and will increase his market value.

 

[King Jay]

He is the best option within the squad. An actual natural holding midfielder. Worst comes to worst he's gained a lot of experience and will increase his market value.

It’s the same with McAtee. He will play when EVERYONE is injured and then he needs to be the best on the pitch for 20 minutes.

 

[Kippax Street 1880]

It’s the same with McAtee. He will play when EVERYONE is injured and then he needs to be the best on the pitch for 20 minutes.

Yeah then he'll say he's doing it to protect the young players but he'll throw Rico on out of position against fucking Ousmane Dembele.

 

[waspish]

It would be imposible to get top midfilder in june,because we will be with out UCL football for next season.
We need to sign this month CM/DM.

Come stop spouting this myth that top players won't got to a none champions league team!

 

[Vester]

How many "mistakes" do clubs make every year because they sign players who quite clearly don't fit what the team needed and they end up stuck with them. City by and large have been fantastic at not doing this and nothing is going to change now.

We can argue forever that literally anyone would be better than what we have but we are thinking short term.

City has been fantastic at it, but thats because we have done so from a position of strength. Waiting for the right player has never previously (under current ownership of course) been at the expense of competing for trophies in the current season. Hopefully this is not something that's going to change now. Finishing 8th would be a lot more damaging for the club than making a less than ideal signing.
Nobody is suggesting we should sign a player thats useless and that will be awful long term. Most are suggesting that we should try and solve our most urgent issue with the best player available. Many, myself included, dont really buy this idea that there is not a single midfielder in the world we could sign that wouldn't be an awful long term signing.

 

[Stelea]

I get the point that our targets might not be available and if that is the case then we should keep our powder dry till the summer. It's the fact that it's being suggested that John Stones who I love as a player is being reported as playing there potentially. Aside from the fact he is injury prone, the last time we saw him there was Villa away last year and he was dreadful. Massive difference from playing as a midfielder and being asked to bring the ball out as a defender into midfield. As for Akanji I've never seen anything in his game that even points to him being able to play there. If we are sticking with what we have, he needs to bite the bullet and use O'Reilly or Wright and they'll either sink or swim, but they can't do any worse than what we saw in Paris or two CBs in there surely?

Akanji was cumbersome and awkward when he was asked to play the inverted role so no chance as an actual midfielder

 

[shevtheblue]

It's just absolutely false that the player we want isn't available. EVERY player is available for the right price, it's whether we agree to pay it or not. They clearly have one eye on Rodri coming back so don't want to go all out, which is understandable, but IMO we have zero idea how Rodri is going to comeback from such a big injury. We can't afford to piss about with what has been proven to be the most important position in the whole squad for us.

 

[Matt.D]

It's just absolutely false that the player we want isn't available. EVERY player is available for the right price, it's whether we agree to pay it or not. They clearly have one eye on Rodri coming back so don't want to go all out, which is understandable, but IMO we have zero idea how Rodri is going to comeback from such a big injury. We can't afford to piss about with what has been proven to be the most important position in the whole squad for us.

This is 100% bang on. Targets being unavailable is bullshit. Some players may choose not to leave, but unless your going after players from a powerhouse club then all targets are available e.g Bruno G & Ederson - you could get both out their clubs if you over pay, city are obviously choosing not to. In normal circumstances that would be fine and it’s worked out for us in the past. If the club are prepared to have no CL football next season that’s fine, but the only chance of top 4/5 imo is with at least one new central midfielder now and moving forward 2 more in the summer.

 

[BringBackSwales]

One thing for me is clear - the window is still open, so slagging the club and the manager (yes that no nowt who has won the last 4 Premier Leagues and 6 in 7) is both premature and wrong. If winning 4 league titles on the bounce doesn’t cut you slack then I am staggered. I am also very disappointed in how this season has gone so far but some of the abuse for the club/manager/players is a disgrace.

 

[leighton]

The guy from Brest in France Fernandes not sure how old he is but seems to do the job well in the games I have seen them in the champions league he has done well.

 

[Jwoody19]

Chucking money at a problem and bringing any old nobhead in is the strategy that them down the road have employed and look at the state their squad is in. Whilst I am sure the club will be looking to bring someone in if the price is right, I am less worried about it than I was before the PSG game. We are desperate for a holding midfielder and everyone can see that but the likes of Douglas Luiz or Ederson won’t single handedly drag us into the top 4 or the next round of the champions league. The best in the business will be back next season and so will we.

 

[Ajm1985]

Si Stone (yeah, I know it's hilarious) thinks that Stones would be Pep's choice at RB, not DM, if he wasn't repeatedly injured.

 

[Blue Elvis]

It's just absolutely false that the player we want isn't available. EVERY player is available for the right price, it's whether we agree to pay it or not. They clearly have one eye on Rodri coming back so don't want to go all out, which is understandable, but IMO we have zero idea how Rodri is going to comeback from such a big injury. We can't afford to piss about with what has been proven to be the most important position in the whole squad for us.

Agree with you completely. Our success in recent years has been built around tactics totally dependent on one person.

Rodri at his peak was undoubtedly the best player in his position in the world.
However the tactic of depending on one person is no longer sustainable.
Rodri himself complained about being overplayed before his injury.

We cannot be sure how Rodri will be when he returns so to wait to see how he will be is ridiculous.

In this transfer window we need two players who can play defensive midfield to allow for rotation even when Rodri comes back.

I think Pep will go to a double pivot formation for defensive midfield and no longer rely on one player only.

IMO if we don't address the hole in our midfield now our season is effectively over. I believe unless we take action in the transfer market there is no chance we will finish top 4/5. We definitely won't win the FA Cup and IF we get through to the next round of the CL we will exit it the next round.

In the words of Elvis " It's now or never " !!

 

[decmancity]

City has been fantastic at it, but thats because we have done so from a position of strength. Waiting for the right player has never previously (under current ownership of course) been at the expense of competing for trophies in the current season. Hopefully this is not something that's going to change now. Finishing 8th would be a lot more damaging for the club than making a less than ideal signing.
Nobody is suggesting we should sign a player thats useless and that will be awful long term. Most are suggesting that we should try and solve our most urgent issue with the best player available. Many, myself included, dont really buy this idea that there is not a single midfielder in the world we could sign that wouldn't be an awful long term signing.

I just don't see why the club would be waiting unless it's because it's just not available.

We have moved quickly on other positions this window. So it's not like we are being hesitant in general.

 

[johnny crossan]

Si Stone (yeah, I know it's hilarious) thinks that Stones would be Pep's choice at RB, not DM, if he wasn't repeatedly injured.

The pathetic state of that lot, Stone was being interviewed by his own trainee. That's insight folks, like their "Giggs discovered Marmoush" strapline.