Hazard, Lavezzi + 1 experienced CB

[Goo]

If Silva gets injured, then Hazard and Nasri would be able to do the job with ease. Likewise for Nasri, etc.

But I don't think injury is the only thing City have to contend with over the course of next 3-4 years. We will be playing essentially every week twice a week. We saw incredible dips in form of both Nasri and Silva throughout the course of the season. I'm not saying Adam Johnson is safe because he's probably good as gone. I just look at Chelsea or United. Tue Rags have Valencia, Nani, Young, (Rooney) and Giggs behind Welbeck/Hernadez/Berbatov. Chelsea play Malouda, Kalou, Sturridge and Mata in the attacking midfield behind Lukaku/Torres/Drogba. We really only have Nasri, Silva and Johnson. I don't quite rate Milner in the attacking areas compared to the lot.

We look at squads like Real who interchange Kaka, Ozil, Di Maria, Ronaldo and Callejon behind Benzema/Higuain. I think we can truly compete on all level with Silva, Nasri, Bale, Hazard behind the likes of Aguero/Dzeko/Balotelli.

Assuming we buy Hazard, our out-and-out attacking midfielders will be; Silva, Nasri, Hazard, Milner.

Assuming Tevez stays our strikers will be; Aguero, Tevez, Balotelli, Dzeko. (Probably Dzeko will be shown the door in favour of Balotelli, so we'll drop Dzeko from the equation for the moment based on that assumption.)

I see what you mean about all the top teams having lots of attacking options, but with our team, and the style of football we play, many of our strikers can play different roles.

This season we've seen Aguero, and Tevez play in 'the hole', which is essentially an CAM position. We've also seen Tevez play on the right, and Balotelli play on the left over the times they've been at our club.

Not to mention Yaya can play in an advanced attacking role as well.

While I appreciate what you say about having depth in our squad, I believe we already have it (based on stated assumptions) as our players are versatile.

I can't see Lavezzi (in his career prime) being happy with the role of bench warming until we play 3 times a week. Nor can I see our current players being happy in that position either. In my opinion it's time to pick one attacking option, and for me that's Hazard. Lavezzi if that fails and Bale if Lavezzi fails.

 

[Jumanji]

If Silva gets injured, then Hazard and Nasri would be able to do the job with ease. Likewise for Nasri, etc.

But I don't think injury is the only thing City have to contend with over the course of next 3-4 years. We will be playing essentially every week twice a week. We saw incredible dips in form of both Nasri and Silva throughout the course of the season. I'm not saying Adam Johnson is safe because he's probably good as gone. I just look at Chelsea or United. Tue Rags have Valencia, Nani, Young, (Rooney) and Giggs behind Welbeck/Hernadez/Berbatov. Chelsea play Malouda, Kalou, Sturridge and Mata in the attacking midfield behind Lukaku/Torres/Drogba. We really only have Nasri, Silva and Johnson. I don't quite rate Milner in the attacking areas compared to the lot.

We look at squads like Real who interchange Kaka, Ozil, Di Maria, Ronaldo and Callejon behind Benzema/Higuain. I think we can truly compete on all level with Silva, Nasri, Bale, Hazard behind the likes of Aguero/Dzeko/Balotelli.

Assuming we buy Hazard, our out-and-out attacking midfielders will be; Silva, Nasri, Hazard, Milner.

Assuming Tevez stays our strikers will be; Aguero, Tevez, Balotelli, Dzeko. (Probably Dzeko will be shown the door in favour of Balotelli, so we'll drop Dzeko from the equation for the moment based on that assumption.)

I see what you mean about all the top teams having lots of attacking options, but with our team, and the style of football we play, many of our strikers can play different roles.

This season we've seen Aguero, and Tevez play in 'the hole', which is essentially an CAM position. We've also seen Tevez play on the right, and Balotelli play on the left over the times they've been at our club.

Not to mention Yaya can play in an advanced attacking role as well.

While I appreciate what you say about having depth in our squad, I believe we already have it (based on stated assumptions) as our players are versatile.

I can't see Lavezzi (in his career prime) being happy with the role of bench warming until we play 3 times a week. Nor can I see our current players being happy in that position either. In my opinion it's time to pick one attacking option, and for me that's Hazard. Lavezzi if that fails and Bale if Lavezzi fails.

This.

 

[TonyM]

The more I'd seen of the squad the more I feel that we just need a CB as cover for Kompany and Lescott.

With Hargreaves going a given I think that means that CB should be homegrown. Are there any decent ones not already at a top club.

I'd not have Hazard (unless Nasri was going) and I'd not have Lavezzi unles Tevez was going.

Our squad is not only excellent but still full of potential to improve. Adam Johnson, Savic, Rekik, Suarez, Balotelli and Dzeko can all take a huge step forward to cement more regualr appearances. I'd keep them all if there attitude is right.

 

[FantasyIreland]

The more I'd seen of the squad the more I feel that we just need a CB as cover for Kompany and Lescott.

With Hargreaves going a given I think that means that CB should be homegrown. Are there any decent ones not already at a top club.

I'd not have Hazard (unless Nasri was going) and I'd not have Lavezzi unles Tevez was going.

Our squad is not only excellent but still full of potential to improve. Adam Johnson, Savic, Rekik, Suarez, Balotelli and Dzeko can all take a huge step forward to cement more regualr appearances. I'd keep them all if there attitude is right.

We struggled badly in Jan when the squad was stretched and players were missing,it showed our depth was a bit of a myth and our options limited.Tevez's return has papered over some of those cracks as he offers far more than both Mario and Dzeko allowing our play to be more fluid and balanced.

Yes there is potential in the squad but we need superior/proven cover/alternatives out wide and at centrehalf especially as otherwise we will find ourselves in a similar scenario of underachievement/missed opportunity next season.

 

[alky313]

The more I'd seen of the squad the more I feel that we just need a CB as cover for Kompany and Lescott.

With Hargreaves going a given I think that means that CB should be homegrown. Are there any decent ones not already at a top club.

I'd not have Hazard (unless Nasri was going) and I'd not have Lavezzi unles Tevez was going.

Our squad is not only excellent but still full of potential to improve. Adam Johnson, Savic, Rekik, Suarez, Balotelli and Dzeko can all take a huge step forward to cement more regualr appearances. I'd keep them all if there attitude is right.

We struggled badly in Jan when the squad was stretched and players were missing,it showed our depth was a bit of a myth and our options limited.Tevez's return has papered over some of those cracks as he offers far more than both Mario and Dzeko allowing our play to be more fluid and balanced.

Yes there is potential in the squad but we need superior/proven cover/alternatives out wide and at centrehalf especially as otherwise we will find ourselves in a similar scenario of underachievement/missed opportunity next season.

Exactly. Milner as an out and out attacking option is something of a 2009 fallacy. James has all of the technique and talent to play in the midfield along with Nasri (who is vastly underrated). In wide positions Milner has been marked out by faster fullbacks on more than one occasion. His defence is and work ethic are incredible but he just doesnt offer the kinds of creativity needed to play one and two touch passes to the middle. Our depth is a total fallacy of the highest order.

Mario, Dzeko and Aguero have all proved that there most useful roles for our club are leading the line and pulling and pushing defenders out of position. Dzeko's performance against Spurs was a product of Silva and Nasri holding up play and allowing him to get to the last defender and use his clinical finishing.

Jumanji, I truthfully don't believe that you believe that we can rely on Milner to do the work of Silva or Nasri in any capacity. I think everyone agrees that after 2 years with the club Milners graft is more suited to the deeper positions. I also don't believe that you believe that Johnson is capable either. Tevez papered over all of the cracks. We will soon find that big clubs will be willing to concede space to us as much as Sunderland or Stoke have.

Tevez or Balotelli or whomever can easily be marked out of the center of the park against top competions. We need to address our width issues ten fold. In the same way Pedro, Alves and Messi appeared in the wide positions for Barcelona with Xavi and Iniesta supplying we will need to do the same.

Hazard and Lavezzi are both players who operate behind the striker and out wide but neither are pure wingers in the way Ribery is. We need that type of player. A player who is most comfortable one on one out wide. Our shape and defence would actually benefit by keeping the fullbacks more in position.

 

[Jumanji]

Hazard
Nasri
Silva
Aguero
Tevez
Balotelli / New Striker??
Touré (when we play him in an advanced pos.)

That's more than enough for the 4 attacking positions in our fluid front four.

With these names alone, I can come up with a plethora of tactics and formations. I think Hazard AND another big name player similar to him is asking for too much.

I'd put money that it ain't happening. Perhaps if we sell Tevez...

 

[Neville Kneville]

If Tevez stays we're ok up front. If not, we need another striker. Balotelli & Dzeko are talented but unreliable. I'd get rid of those two & sign a top striker anyway (and that's not because I don't rate them, as I do, very highly, I would just prefer that they were someone else's problem.)

I would rather have the finished product available as an alternative to Tevez/Aguero as opposed to a player who ' needs x y z ' in order to perform.

Hazard is a great signing imo, meaning we don't have to run Silva into the ground. Then a better left back than Kolarov & a quality CB to compete/ rotate with Vinny Lescott and we're sorted.

Mancini will probably want another deep, passing midfielder though as he struggles to organise the team without Yaya.

 

[greasedupdeafguy]

In terms of defense we need a centre back, ive never seen martinez play there but if mancini and our scouts rate him he would be my preferred choice as he can play cm aswell so we could keep the lescott and kompany partership together until one needs resting or injured while at the same time martinez would be getting games in the midfield.

For midfield and attack, hazard, lavezzi, sturridge, bale and modric are the 5 I think mancini will look at and I hope we get 2 of them to complete our squad, its difficult to choose a preferred 2 but for me bale and hazard would be my choice.

.................................................Hart....................................................

Richards/Zaba..................Komp/Rekik.............Lescott/Martinez...............Clichy/Bale.....

...................................Yaya/Milner...............Barry/Martinez.....................

Hazard/Nasri..................Tevez/Balo................Aguero/Guidetii..............Silva/Bale....

Then we have the likes of a.j, de jong and pizzaro to add more depth with other youngsters like saurez and razak.
Sell
Kolarov, toure, savic (loan), Hargreaves, Ade, santa and either dzeko or balo

 

[andrewmswift]

I do not for one minute think we will purchase two high profile attackers this summer. One. We can't accommodate them.

depends on how many strikers depart, yeah? if both dzeko and tevez go i think we'll bring in two (and likely not a direct replacement for dzeko but another small fluid workrate player i.e. lavezzi)

 

[kun]

As has been said: Hazard OR Lavezzi, preferabley Hazard
Then either bring back Weiss, Keep AJ (with him knowing he won't play often), sign Hoilett/Barnetta on a free, or sign someone on loan (Krasic? Affelay?).

An experienced center-back is good but, again, there is no need to buy a Thiago silva or a Hummels. We already have the best defence in the league, so a relatively cheap, experienced option would be fine: Vertonghen/Adil Rami/Jagielka etc

Also, a deep-lying playmaker, who is young and top-drawer (which might cost quite alot): M'Vila, S. Bender, Martinez, or Nuri Sahin.

We don't need to be spending big on part-time players, we just need a good squad, which we have confidence in rotating.