End of an era?

[BlueMoonAcrossThePond]

@jamesha
I thought about making the very post you've made!

So much potential change.

Let's see what transpires in the transfer window.
===
Probably we'll emerge strong enough to win the P/L title - but depth counts. We'll likely not be as deep as the 2022-23 team next season.

Our team last season - for the first time ever since I've been following City (2010 - hey, I'm an American!) - was 2-deep or more, world-class at every single position.

In prior years we had an excellent starting 11, but question marks over replacements when starters needed a rest.

In prior years, for example, we had Ferran Torres on our books as backup. The guy has potential but never seemed - well, world class. Every time he was on the pitch I thought out side was lessened.

Another example - in prior years we had Benjamin Mendy. A speed merchant left-back with an evil cross. Except that the guy relied on speed for most of his success. And it turned out that his crosses when covered were largely hit-and-miss. Following injuries, Mendy was simply godawful - incapable of beating his man on offense, terrible crosses mostly, and a huge defensive liability - and yet, when he was in our side, he was selected to start, at least occasionally. Our recent treble-winning side had no such weakness at all. Solid 2-deep at least at every single position.

 

[Gray]

I still miss Nigel.

 

[Del_Bosque]

We've got our foot on the necks of World Football, why take it off

 

[BlueMoonAcrossThePond]

We've got our foot on the necks of World Football, why take it off

Because it's out of our control. Many players (Bernardo, Gundo, Walker, Laporte, Mahrez, etc.) are wanting to at least consider moving on.

 

[citymad]

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.

Losing the quality of Gundogan, Bernado, Mahrez, and Laporte shouldn't be underestimated. All replacements coming in usually take a season to get going under Pep. Fact is we're going to need an even bigger squad next season now that we have the World club competition added to the schedule and we're hardly going to take that lightly. If we can persuade Gundogan and Bernardo to stay and follow that with couple of top quality signings like Gvardiol and Kovacic and then we'll be set to battle on all fronts next season.

 

[Brightwell Bros.]

Our team last season - for the first time ever since I've been following City (2010 - hey, I'm an American!) - was 2-deep or more, world-class at every single position.

In prior years we had an excellent starting 11, but question marks over replacements when starters needed a rest.

I'm really not sure that this is true. The squad categorically doesn't have 22 world class players in.

I don't think anyone would have said in August last year that Ake and Akanji were "world class". I don't know who the world class replacement for De Bruyne or Gundogan is. Was anyone pre-World Cup talking up Alvarez as anything other than an exciting prospect that would have to work hard to get to Jesus's level? Look up posts from the start of last season and you've have seen people talking up how undercooked the squad was. Look up posts from February even and no one was saying that the Pep's greatest squad ever was underperforming.

What it has is 15 or 16 technically gifted, high IQ footballers who can rotate across numerous positions and a fucking mad genius of a coach who will improve them all and tinker with the system so that each and every player's strengths are accentuated and weaknesses are protected as best as possible. We hit form at the exact right moment, got lucky with injuries, and just had everything go the right way for us to get the treble. It's tiny margins at this level.

 

[Benzino]

@jamesha
I thought about making the very post you've made!

So much potential change.

Let's see what transpires in the transfer window.
===
Probably we'll emerge strong enough to win the P/L title - but depth counts. We'll likely not be as deep as the 2022-23 team next season.

Our team last season - for the first time ever since I've been following City (2010 - hey, I'm an American!) - was 2-deep or more, world-class at every single position.

In prior years we had an excellent starting 11, but question marks over replacements when starters needed a rest.

In prior years, for example, we had Ferran Torres on our books as backup. The guy has potential but never seemed - well, world class. Every time he was on the pitch I thought out side was lessened.

Another example - in prior years we had Benjamin Mendy. A speed merchant left-back with an evil cross. Except that the guy relied on speed for most of his success. And it turned out that his crosses when covered were largely hit-and-miss. Following injuries, Mendy was simply godawful - incapable of beating his man on offense, terrible crosses mostly, and a huge defensive liability - and yet, when he was in our side, he was selected to start, at least occasionally. Our recent treble-winning side had no such weakness at all. Solid 2-deep at least at every single position.

In relation to the two players for each position, I think that’s overestimated and it only appears that way because of the versatility of some of the guys we’ve got.

We didn’t have a left back for most of the season, although Ake and Akanji both filled in well at full back. But that means out of 8 possible squad defenders, we had 6. 5 of which were effectively centre backs and Kyle Walker.

In midfield we had 2 DMs, but Phillips barely played because he is no way on the level of Rodri yet. Then, we essentially only had 3 attacking mids in the whole squad. So we were missing 1 and it’s noted by a few people that Bernardo actually performs better wide right. So you could say we actually only had 2 AMs. That’s why when KDB got injured in the final, Foden had to come into that position. Even though Foden has played minimal games there this season.

In the forward positions, if you include Bernardo, we did have 2 for each position.

The rumours are we’ll lose Laporte and replace with Gvardiol. A good move for me that could make us stronger in that position. Kovacic could be signed, and is seen as a squad player, to add to the thin midfield we have. After that I’d hope we would replace anyone that leaves like for like, with someone of a similar ability. Personally, I think we could be just as strong if not more so.

 

[TFC]

I think we'll be right up there again, regardless of who is in the team. Thats the culture and the expectation level we have created.

 

[nellyonthewing]

Great teams renew and progress . Not changing and refreshing is a mistake. The skill is doing this well.

 

[Centurions]

I'm really not sure that this is true. The squad categorically doesn't have 22 world class players in.

I don't think anyone would have said in August last year that Ake and Akanji were "world class". I don't know who the world class replacement for De Bruyne or Gundogan is. Was anyone pre-World Cup talking up Alvarez as anything other than an exciting prospect that would have to work hard to get to Jesus's level? Look up posts from the start of last season and you've have seen people talking up how undercooked the squad was. Look up posts from February even and no one was saying that the Pep's greatest squad ever was underperforming.

What it has is 15 or 16 technically gifted, high IQ footballers who can rotate across numerous positions and a fucking mad genius of a coach who will improve them all and tinker with the system so that each and every player's strengths are accentuated and weaknesses are protected as best as possible. We hit form at the exact right moment, got lucky with injuries, and just had everything go the right way for us to get the treble. It's tiny margins at this level.

Not only is it not true, it's an idiotic statement probably fostered by social media and/or being 12 years old. Some people are just easily influenced I'm afraid.

Two or more world class players per position would give us a squad bigger than Chelsea's (only with more quality).

You've got it spot on with the rest of your post as well.