Gundogan

[supercity88]

I'll be pretty stunned if both Dinho and Nando are at the club come September.

I wouldn't be at all. I think Fernando has improved a lot and will be played in a formation that utilises his strengths and doesn't leave him exposed or isolated and having to defend against several opposition players at once. Similarly with Fernandinho, I can't see why we'd sell him. He's of an age where his fee wouldn't be huge and he's been one of the most consistent performers of the Pellegrini reign. Played in the right system he can be excellent. He has the energy to press intensely for the majority of a game, he's incredibly composed on the ball, reads the game extremely well and is comfortable enough in possession that he can play anywhere really. He's not going to play the passes Gundogan can but he would be effective alongside him and with Fernando there as a holding midfielder. I wouldn't mind seeing those three in our starting lineup - though I'd expect further additions in midfield.

Either way, the two Fern's are players I'd not look to sell this summer considering there are potential central midfield replacements in our academy at current who might be able to slot in as the season progresses and certainly next year. I think it would be a waste to sell those two when there are weaker positions in the squad we vitally need to address.

 

[Neville Kneville]

Within our 17 foreigners we currently have 7 midfielders Fernando, Fernandinho, Yaya, Silva, Navas, Nasri, De Bruyne (+ 1 keeper, 6 defenders post DeMichelis and two strikers).

So if the squad is like for like 1 has to go, most likely Yaya for Gundogan. Fitting a second midfielder in looks difficult and I think Nasri is in danger as for me he is very poor defensively and I’d maybe look at Navas before Fernando. It’s very hard to call. You also have to factor in that we have 2 strikers and I would not be surprised if Bony was to go but 2 were to come in so that would require a slot.

I think it's difficult to be certain who is 'poor' defensively when playing in Pep's teams, as it of course involves more players in a group generally doing a bit of 'something' defensively rather than two players isolated doing everything & the rest doing fuck all. And of course the idea is to have the ball & be attacking with it most of the time, whatever the formation.

It could be that Nasri, Silva etc surprise us in a team with that kind of attitude. Or not ;)

But imo we have to see what he does before writing the present mids off.

 

[BillyShears]

I wouldn't be at all. I think Fernando has improved a lot and will be played in a formation that utilises his strengths and doesn't leave him exposed or isolated and having to defend against several opposition players at once. Similarly with Fernandinho, I can't see why we'd sell him. He's of an age where his fee wouldn't be huge and he's been one of the most consistent performers of the Pellegrini reign. Played in the right system he can be excellent. He has the energy to press intensely for the majority of a game, he's incredibly composed on the ball, reads the game extremely well and is comfortable enough in possession that he can play anywhere really. He's not going to play the passes Gundogan can but he would be effective alongside him and with Fernando there as a holding midfielder. I wouldn't mind seeing those three in our starting lineup - though I'd expect further additions in midfield.

Either way, the two Fern's are players I'd not look to sell this summer considering there are potential central midfield replacements in our academy at current who might be able to slot in as the season progresses and certainly next year. I think it would be a waste to sell those two when there are weaker positions in the squad we vitally need to address.

I'd argue there's no position on the pitch that needs more urgent upgrading than CM. Id also argue that Fernando isn't even close to having the energy technique or intelligence to be a Pep center midfielder. It's been said often but Luiz Gustavo was first out the door when Pep got to Bayern and IMO he's a better player than Fernando.

Gundogan alone won't do it. Well sign IMO minimum one other center mid if not two more.

 

[MeatHunterrr]

I wouldn't be at all. I think Fernando has improved a lot and will be played in a formation that utilises his strengths and doesn't leave him exposed or isolated and having to defend against several opposition players at once. Similarly with Fernandinho, I can't see why we'd sell him. He's of an age where his fee wouldn't be huge and he's been one of the most consistent performers of the Pellegrini reign. Played in the right system he can be excellent. He has the energy to press intensely for the majority of a game, he's incredibly composed on the ball, reads the game extremely well and is comfortable enough in possession that he can play anywhere really. He's not going to play the passes Gundogan can but he would be effective alongside him and with Fernando there as a holding midfielder. I wouldn't mind seeing those three in our starting lineup - though I'd expect further additions in midfield.

Either way, the two Fern's are players I'd not look to sell this summer considering there are potential central midfield replacements in our academy at current who might be able to slot in as the season progresses and certainly next year. I think it would be a waste to sell those two when there are weaker positions in the squad we vitally need to address.

I think Fernando will go. Gundogan alone is big risk, we would be essentially one Gundogan injury away from having average midfield. We need at the very least 1 more in addition to Gundogan, ideally 2 more.

CM is our weakest position I would suggest.

 

[aguero93:20]

Luiz Gustavo was first out the door when Pep got to Bayern and IMO he's a better player than Fernando.

Gustavo was a squad player who'd been marginalised by Javi Martinez. I'd also disagree that he's a better player than Fernando, personally I think he got away with murder due to his team-mates and the qaulity of most opposition and it showed for Brazil and after he left Bayern (as well as every time he played for Bayern against Gundogan et al).

Guardiola also made great use of Keita at Barca who is a far inferior version of Fernando.

 

[pee dubya]

I reckon Fernando might get another season, but it really depends on who else we sign first. I suspect if he does go it'll be right at the end of August, he'll be one of the few players who gets a full rest and pre-season, could be invaluable in the first few games of the season.

 

[BlueDejong]

http://www.bild.de/sport/fussball/borussia-dortmund/guendogan-wechsel-perfekt-45933296.bild.html

Official today.

 

[Tony Flags]

Do you see Gundogan as being our deepest midfielder under Pep?

Not really, no. I say this because Tuchel has been credited as having a similar style to Guardiola. He used Gundogan as a DM just once this season. Usually Weigl took the honors; another player linked to your team.

 

[supercity88]

I'd argue there's no position on the pitch that needs more urgent upgrading than CM. Id also argue that Fernando isn't even close to having the energy technique or intelligence to be a Pep center midfielder. It's been said often but Luiz Gustavo was first out the door when Pep got to Bayern and IMO he's a better player than Fernando.

Gundogan alone won't do it. Well sign IMO minimum one other center mid if not two more.

I agree totally that we need more than just Gundogan, but I don't see either Fernando or Fernandinho as players we should move on. Yaya needs to go and I think Pep needs to look at Nasri, Silva, Navas quite carefully and consider where they might feature in his side. I wouldn't want to see Silva go, but I don't know where he fits. He hasn't the goal threat to play no.10, certainly not if Pep goes with his usual system. Playing him wide left sacrifices the balance of the side as well and allows the opposition to predict their defending as they'll expect him to cut inside.

There has been talk of Fernandinho becoming a right wing back, and with Sagna potentially staying to also play that role, losing Zabaleta might make space for an additional central midfielder. We might play 3 centre backs, with someone like Stones or Laporte being used for their ability to the ball much like a traditional central midfielder. With full backs pushed up as wingers when in possession that allows us to play two players in the no.10 role essentially - and there's the perfect place for Silva, dictating play, threading passes, with De Bruyne.

There's lots of questions to ask and it's very interesting and exciting to speculate. I do think we'll move away from the traditional squad list we're used to i.e. CM's = Fernandinho, Fernando, Gundogan etc. It will be more a case of versatility and in pre-season we might get an idea of Guardiola's thinking. Fernando can do an effective job if played in a side that tactically utilises his strengths, I truly believe that. He's not the best in the world but I don't think it's worth spending money to replace him when the net gain isn't the same as spending money on a left wing back for example. We don't have a bottomless pit of cash and for that reason we might see careful re-shuffling of the squad and a system in place where we can retain much of the squad but in different positions (Nasri could also play in a more central no.10 role if we play 3 at the back with 2 wing backs).

 

[Lkzerinho]

http://www.bild.de/sport/fussball/borussia-dortmund/guendogan-wechsel-perfekt-45933296.bild.html

Official today.

C'mon flight trackers how do the skies look?