Is it time for a mini-rebuild?

nellyonthewing said:
We need more pace and more strength in the side. If we continue to struggle to unlock Haaland what's the point of him.
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Knocking the ball over the top on occasion for Haaland would help in this respect.
It would reduce the opposition threat of the high press.
We also need to get the ball up the pitch more quickly - somthing we haven't done as well at this season compared with last.
 
It's an impossible question right now... For Me, the culling/selling and rebuilding has to be done when you are right at the top, Pep is going to leave at some point and it's up to him if the rebuild happens under him or not. You can jump too soon and sell then panic-buy or Buy 4 or 5 world-class players that go straight into the starting 11 and have a bigger squad then you sell players like Gomez Nunes Phillips to make the room.

If Pep is staying after his one year left on his contract then you will soon find out when the transfer and selling starts. Pep likes to get the new players in early, all in a short space of time like in a week to 10 days and then close the checkbook,
 
BlueAnorak said:
Successful - yes - but he has been caught out as a few times as a full back. Improving yes but you have to close people down to stop accurate crosses. I still think he's a long term CD who can push up into midfield if needed.
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Well of course - not perfect. I just read your post as everyone but Doku was a poor signing - still not sure if that’s what you meant!
 
Didsbury Dave said:
The club is constantly rebuilding. That’s why we are successful. It won’t change.
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They won’t make major changes, especially under Pep: having players who are well educated in how Pep wants the team to play is extremely important. That value of players with experience of how we play is much higher in this club than many others.

We have a squad with a good balance in terms of player age. Undeniably, we have a few key players in and around 30 so that needs to be watched but it’s not a problem yet. I think the squad needs to be enlarged slightly by adding a couple of players to it given the potential number of games City face next season with the Club World Cup coming at the end of it.

I’d like to see the likes of Phillips and Gomez replaced by players of much higher quality.

Cancelo needs to go and be replaced.

Bernardo can go if someone pays £50m (and be replaced).

Not sure what will happen with Wilson-Esbrand, Perrone & McAtee but they could all go and a coupl of players be brought in.

I am ambivalent about Nunes.

I would keep all the rest unless someone is desperate to go and can be replaced by someone better.
 
Nothing wrong with the squad. There isn't a team with more skill, more heart and more desire in world football and our manager is a genius. But they aren't machines. We play a lot of games at a high level and so there will be times when the lads are tired or it simply doesn't happen. In contrast, the Rags are a petulant, lackadaisical team who every so often decide they want it and turn it on, and FA Cup final days was one of those days. We cannot win them all.

That said, we are not invulnerable and there are things we could be better at - for me, they are set pieces; not being wasteful in possession (ie passing it around too much instead of taking a chance), and getting Haaland involved (still not quite there). Too many teams do us on the counter attack, from the Rags to Real to bottom of the table sides, so we need a plan for defending against those, and it would be nice us to see us counter attack ourselves at times too. We need a back up for Rodri so we don't run the man into the ground, and we need that Ortega deal to happen as he is the best back up going. Only player who isn't out on loan who you could argue doesn't bring a great deal - he hasn't had the chance - is Sergio Gomez, but every side needs squad players and our squad is overall compact and well oiled.
 
micky_blue said:
We have done great things again winning the 4th title on the bounce, probably deserved to go further in the UCL, plus an FA cup final.

However I feel that we may need a refresh with quite a few changes...what do we think is needed?
Open to any ideas, with one exception, Pep must remain
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I'd get rid of all this day tripper fans over the squad
 
Middedon said:
Well of course - not perfect. I just read your post as everyone but Doku was a poor signing - still not sure if that’s what you meant!
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No. Only Nunes has been a failure.
Josko good attack wise - not that great defending, but improving.
Kovacic - Good and solid but not what we need as first choice. Certainly not Gungoden.
Doku excellent attacking wise but his tracking back needs to improve but is improving.

We need a quality box-to-box / defensive mid For next season. It's also the last time we can really spend with the PSR restrictions on the way next summer so for me we need to do it.
 
Gumzy97 said:
the rebuild will be next summer if Pep leaves. A new manager is going to want his own players or new ones that fits their play style.
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As far as playing style is concerned, I think we will select a manager who plays as close to Pepball as we can get; it is the club style now. While the new guy will have his eye on some players, Txiki will counsel caution.
Let’s hope Txiki doesn’t leave at the same time.
 
Gumzy97 said:
the rebuild will be next summer if Pep leaves. A new manager is going to want his own players or new ones that fits their play style.
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Disagree - a major splash of cash is now or never. PSR limitations next summer mean you can't splash cash and pay high wages.
 
Think we have a great squad. It's more about who has the desire to carry on winning.
Kovacic and Nunes not likely to be unloaded so swiftly. Sergio Gómez needs a move for his own good. Cancelo and Phillips will presumably be offloaded.
Savio comes in.

Then it's anyone's guess. Who really wants to try new challenges.

But as we all know we need someone who can play with and give rest to our main man, Rodri.
 
I can't really speak to the mentality of the players and who is physically/mentally still there and hungry or not. From my limited perspective sometimes I worry about KdB/Jack for instance, but if Pep makes the assessment they can go forward then I've zero doubts about that. I would like to see a left-back and defensive midfielder come in regardless. An offensive midfielder too considering Bernardo is always linked to leaving.
 
I am not sure that City need a rebuild beyond the annual refashioning of the squad. However the increased number of potential fixtures needs to be addressed.

There will be an extra two CL group stage matches next season. City haven’t been in an FA Cup replay in many years so no gain there.

The new Club World Cup format will come in soon and impose extra matches on the squad.

Unless there is a reduction in fixtures, City will need a bigger playing squad to avoid end of season fatigue. France and Germany (not to mention Portugal, Holland, etc) already have a 34 match league season. That leaves England, Italy, and Spain with 38-match seasons.

That all means that City need a bigger squad to cope.
 
Of course it is time for a mini rebuild, if Pep leaves, the new manager will need a core of players he can rely on for 3-5 years, so everyone over 28 is under pressure this summer, not to mention those that can not get regular game time.
 
JGL07 said:
I am not sure that City need a rebuild beyond the annual refashioning of the squad. However the increased number of potential fixtures needs to be addressed.

There will be an extra two CL group stage matches next season. City haven’t been in an FA Cup replay in many years so no gain there.

The new Club World Cup format will come in soon and impose extra matches on the squad.

Unless there is a reduction in fixtures, City will need a bigger playing squad to avoid end of season fatigue. France and Germany (not to mention Portugal, Holland, etc) already have a 34 match league season. That leaves England, Italy, and Spain with 38-match seasons.

That all means that City need a bigger squad to cope.
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Not necessarily a bigger squad, just a full squad with no back up players who can not play to this level.
 
BlueAnorak said:
No. Only Nunes has been a failure.
Josko good attack wise - not that great defending, but improving.
Kovacic - Good and solid but not what we need as first choice. Certainly not Gungoden.
Doku excellent attacking wise but his tracking back needs to improve but is improving.

We need a quality box-to-box / defensive mid For next season. It's also the last time we can really spend with the PSR restrictions on the way next summer so for me we need to do it.
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What restrictions?
 
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