End of an era?

jamesha said:
Now that the post Istanbul euphoria has settled down a little thoughts are obviously turning to next season and it seems that change is very much in the air. The futures of players who have been brilliant for us - Gundogan, Bernado, Walker, Laporte - are up in the air and I think some will definitely leave.

This, combined with earlier departures and the fact that the club has achieved the European success that it craved, seems to be a transitional moment. Obviously the fans want more trophies but is this now the time for radical revision of the playing staff to usher in a new era?

Not suggesting getting rid of the entire squad but the possible loss of Gundogan and Bernado plus KdB's advancing age and current injury mean that our midfield may look radically different next season and may take some time to click. Are City fans pragmatic enough to accept a transitional season if it sets the team up for the next five years or so?

Part of me thinks that a top 3 finish and good run in the domestic cups and Europe would be ok whilst we integrate new signings but another part looks at the domestic and European competition and thinks we could dominate again if we kept our two midfielders.

I think maybe I am a bit tired after last season - god knows how Pep, the staff and players feel and the latter get dragged out for these daft Internationals rather than being allowed to rest.

What are people's thoughts?
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Perhaps - but one which must include last season, when we said goodbye to Fernandinho, Sterling, Zincheko and Jesus.

Those four actually played slightly more than Gundogan, Bernado, Walker and Laporte. Two are in our top ten for PL appearances. 250 goals between them - with Sterling just a goal short of being one of City's top ten goalscorers of all time.

How did we do when they left? ;)
 
Potentially I suppose.

But on the flip side we've done very well this season reducing Laporte and Walker's playing time (who want to leave precisely because they're not key to the squad), bedded in Akanji, introduced a very exciting prospect of Rico Lewis, and have at least one new defesnive player with a point to prove and place to win. It might take the rest of the league the whole season to figure out Stones new role as well.

Foden has had flashes of excellence in the middle in the latter parts of the season, and Kovačić looks like the sort of player that could have an excellent season alongside a slightly more dynamic ball carrier like young Phil. And who knows what the season holds for Phillips, McAtee and possibly one new player with a point to prove?

One thing we've done well in recent years is refresh the squad, replaced aging stars, and found new ways of playing. We won a treble with Jack Grealish, Rodri, Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji playing vital roles: if you'd told people that on here even two seasons ago you'd have been laughed off the forum. Likewise, we cleared out Sterling, Jesus and Zinny, which felt quite dramatic at the time, and look at how that worked out!

I don't think ours or Pep's targets of being involved in a title race and getting to the latter stages of cups need to change that much.
 
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Wouldn't surprise me if we did the treble again next season. Looking at the opposition both home and abroad we will still be ahead of them even if a few notables move on.
 
With a potential 71 games if we include everything you can get silver for, I think the concentration will be on the CL rather than the PL .
 
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