I hope blues realise that this season will be difficult, next season will be better and then 2018 we will rule the World.
Looking at the reaction to pre-season friendlies.....no chance!!!!!!
As he said in his first presser he needs time but won't get it from the press. Let's not join in with them. The wait will be worth it. Thankfully our board knows what the plan is.
It will take a few more Windows and our wonder kids to start coming through but before we are the finished team for years to come.
Tomorrow is day 1 not day 730.
Great post. We are building something special and, more importantly, unique in English football. The upcoming season is going to be one of transition. It was never going to be a case of Pep coming in and tweaking the existing squad. He is being brought in to radically overhaul the whole playing side of the club.
We finally have a coach who will make the all the money invested in the academy worthwhile. The plan all along was to be able seamlessly integrate young players into the first team. Pep is now laying the foundations for this system. The club have talked up this idea for years but it hasn't really happened (even to the extent of the younger sides playing with completely different systems and tactics to the first team).
The fact that we have invested heavily in players aged 22 and younger this season as well as Sterling last season shows we are building towards a squad full of energy, technique, pace and hunger who will be spending the most important years of their careers at the club. One of the key things for me is if you can get players in and around the first team in their formative years, you instill in them a dedication and appreciation of the club that you don't get when signing older players. We are putting together a side who can potentially grow together over the next 10 years.
It's also worth noting that this young side is also going to have a little bit of experience thrown in there to act as a benchmark and an example for the younger players. It's why the Nolito signing is so important. He will probably only be a key member of the squad for 2 seasons, but his importance to the young players will be vital. He works hard and has great technique and intelligence. He will be a huge influence to players who play in similar positions like Sterling, Sane, Jesus and Moreno. They will see how well he integrates into Pep's system and learn a lot from him. I was amazed at the negative reaction to his signing when it seemed pretty obvious why he was being brought in.
It's a similar story for Kompany. He may only play 15-20 games a season but his influence on John Stones could be huge. Same with Silva over the likes of Garcia.
If you add all of these elements with the world class players we already have playing at their peak in KDB and Aguero, then we truly are building something that will be unstoppable in 2 or 3 years time. I'm not saying this season will be a write off as I think we will be in the mix, but I am saying we are the only club in England and maybe even Europe, who are in a position to potentially dominate football for a decade. Enjoy the ride people.
