It’s Quiet 20 - What is the Wirtz that could happen?

[Nevizade]

I can see Luiz coming in on loan right at the death on Monday.

Comes down to whoever blinks first that deal, either Juve accept a loan deal with no obligation (presumably there'd be a loan fee) or we say fuck it we'll stick an obligation in for summer.

 

[MCFC1993]

We have to bring in a midfielder in the next couple of days.

We've given ourselves a chance by being in the draw, we need somebody that recognises danger out of possession. Stick them and Bernardo in the midfield and we have a chance.

 

[wolviedinho]

Think we need to get a move on.

I don’t “buy” we are waiting for Juve or Atalanta to do their business first.

Why would we do that and still pay a premium fee? We need the players now, fuck what any other club is doing.

The players are either for sale or they are not.

Really can’t see anymore business. No concrete links apart from cambiaso. It’s him or no one imo.

 

[Shazza458]

Douglas Luiz doesn’t move the needle. He’s just another body for when Kova inevitably gets injured.

Still going to struggle and have the same issues, even if we do sign someone like a Luiz

 

[Coatigan]

Luiz has started last few games for juve (and been terrible by all accounts)

Sounds like exactly what we need in our midfield at this exact point then.

 

[Gaz (FMwkdsoul)]

Douglas Luiz doesn’t move the needle. He’s just another body for when Kova inevitably gets injured.

Still going to struggle and have the same issues, even if we do sign someone like a Luiz

don't think any single midfielder is tbh, we have a few issues in the middle, not just one or two.

 

[LeonardoDaVnci]

Douglas Luiz doesn’t move the needle. He’s just another body for when Kova inevitably gets injured.

Still going to struggle and have the same issues, even if we do sign someone like a Luiz

Seems harsh, especially after his goal last night, but we need someone to take Kova's place in our strongest 11 ie, so Kova becomes the 'backup'. That role will still be critical if we are to achieve anything this season. There's no point in buying a Kova backup. If only Johan Stonez could stay fit, I think he's that important now that he should be protected from training injuries ie contact injuries, a bit like Spuds did with Ledley King. JS makes a huge difference, and he could do the DM job until Godri gets back. Tin hat on, incomming...

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

Seems harsh, especially after his goal last night, but we need someone to take Kova's place in our strongest 11 ie, so Kova becomes the 'backup'. That role will still be critical if we are to achieve anything this season. There's no point in buying a Kova backup. If only Johan Stonez could stay fit, I think he's that important now that he should be protected from training injuries ie contact injuries, a bit like Spuds did with Ledley King. JS makes a huge difference, and he could do the DM job until Godri gets back. Tin hat on, incomming...

We need a 6, not a Kovacic backup. That 6 could then play alongside Kovacic, who could be the 6/8 hybrid and also rested when needed.

 

[Dribble]

Pep normally protects the players but is sounds like a desperate call for help with the fixtures coming up, but then says we will be much better in 2 weeks?!

Unless we have something big going on in these lalst 5 days I can’t follow his thoughts.

Reading between the lines, I take this to mean players returning from injury. The issue is that many are at, or beyond 30 years old, & we've broken them that badly that they keep breaking down within a couple of matches of their comebacks.

I highlighted a situation with Stones last night. A ball was played to the Brugge left winger that John stood a 50% chance of winning if he busted a gut & got a tackle in. This is what a fully fit & confident Stones would've done, but this injury hit iteration didn't make the challenge, leaving the clumsy Nunes to make an agricultural challenge that was just on the right side of a yellow.

Our players being physically unable to perform at the highest level, even if available is the route cause of our recent issues. We've rinsed them dry, as highlighted by Rodri 18 months ago & by Foden last week!

 

[BringBackSwales]

Douglas Luiz doesn’t move the needle. He’s just another body for when Kova inevitably gets injured.

Still going to struggle and have the same issues, even if we do sign someone like a Luiz

Did you watch him a lot over the previous couple of seasons? Have you asked Villa fans what they thought of him? The only reason he left was that they needed a big sale to achieve PSR. A very good footballer who would be an invaluable addition to our side

 

[Gaz (FMwkdsoul)]

We need a 6, not a Kovacic backup. That 6 could then play alongside Kovacic, who could be the 6/8 hybrid and also rested when needed.

gonna be interesting to see if Pep sticks with this formation, you could play a 4/6 more comfortably in it i reckon, dropping in between the 2 CBs.

433 out of possession, 343/325 in it, doubtful tbh

 

[LeonardoDaVnci]

We need a 6, not a Kovacic backup. That 6 could then play alongside Kovacic, who could be the 6/8 hybrid and also rested when needed.

I'm hoping we will be more attack minded from now on, so our forward 3 will be from..

Marmoush/Doku Haaland Savinho/Bobb

and with 2 AMs (and possibly a false 9, if Erling is rotated) from...
Foden, KDB, Bernardo, Rico, McAtee, Echeverri, Jack, Gundo, OReilly

That leaves room for 1 position, the DM

So an upgrade on Kova in that role would be the dog's in this window...

LB either Josko or Ake.
RB Akanji or Nunes

CBs Dias, Stonez, Khusanov, Reis, JSP

LFG !

 

[alexmcity]

Seems harsh, especially after his goal last night, but we need someone to take Kova's place in our strongest 11 ie, so Kova becomes the 'backup'.

I doubt there's a player in the world who comes in and instantly plays better than Kova, given that players need time to learn Pep's system and adjust to how the other members of the team play. It's a naive view of football where teams are sums of players with fixed qualities and you replaces one player with another player. Teams are more than the sums of their parts, if the manager is good, that is.

Edit: Kimmich might be such a player as he knows Pep pretty well. And maybe that's it.

 

[Dribble]

Sadly true. We better have a very good CM to replace Gundo and an equally good DM to help Rodders lined up for the Summer.

I love that we are targeting youngsters but they can’t help right now and you can’t mess about with centre midfield.

I don’t love that we sell so many youngsters that could have helped us. Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers as recent examples. I hope they don’t do it again with McAtee.

I was so happy when we brought Rogers in, he stood out a mile to me and I thought if even I can see what a talent he was City would do everything to bring him along. When we sold him I thought shows how much I know…But It looks like I might have been correct strangely.

For every Rogers or Palmer, we have several other EDS players who've evaporated into the ether. Some we win (Foden, Lewis, Bobb), some we lose. It's the chance we take.

However, in terms of Palmer, he was played 26 times during his last season with us, with 14 starts & he was distinctly underwhelming. At Chelsea he essentially has a free role which allows him to star in a £1bn team who aren't currently challenging for anything.

Rogers was never going to break into our star studded midfield at the point where he needed first team football. The stars just didn't align for him & City, so he was moved on & eventually became a star at Villa. If he'd stayed at City, it would probably have stunted his development.

As for McAtee, he was seen as this biggest talent of the lot. Like Palmer, I've seen glimmers of talent here & there, but not enough to break into this weakened squad. We've a serious decision to make with Jimmy.

Alas, some things just weren't meant to be.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

I'm hoping we will be more attack minded from now on, so our forward 3 will be from..

Marmoush/Doku Haaland Savinho/Bobb

and with 2 AMs from...
Foden, KDB, Bernardo, McAtee, Echeverri, Jack, Gundo, OReilly

That leaves room for 1 position, the DM

So an upgrade on Kova in that role would be the dog's in this window...

With a fit Rodri and defence, that would definitely be what Pep would do, with Kovacic being an option as the double pivot.

Given our fitness concerns this season, it’s almost impossible for us not to have a double pivot in midfield, whoever we do or don’t buy this week.

 

[blueparrot]

With a fit Rodri and defence, that would definitely be what Pep would do, with Kovacic being an option as the double pivot.

Given our fitness concerns this season, it’s almost impossible for us not to have a double pivot in midfield, whoever we do or don’t buy this week.

Yes, but which pure 6 good enough to play in a Pep team could we get. Whoever we get is going to be more of a 6/8.

 

[Dribble]

Despite almost nobody else agreeing with me on this I still maintain we wouldn’t be in this position if we’d refused to let arses outbid us for Declan Rice.

After missing out on Bellingham who would have been even better, that was the time for the Treble winners to show which dog has the biggest bollocks in the PL. And it shouldn’t have been bloody arsenal. I know the player preferred arsenal but he wouldn’t have refused playing for the champions under Pep, we should have just offered him more cash, and his agent and to West Ham.

I agree 100% about Rice. I rate him highly & it continues to perplex me why many City fans think he's shit. Alas, he's a London boy & was always destined for ArseAnal.

I think our cheeky £90m bid was more about forcing ArseAnal to spaff an extra £5m to land him, than any serious hope of landing him ourselves. He'd have been an excellent option to play in Rodri's absence & would've provided serious competition & a top class rotation if Rodders was fit.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

Yes, but which pure 6 good enough to play in a Pep team could we get. Whoever we get is going to be more of a 6/8.

Maybe, although Rodri would be unreal as the 6/8 ahead of this new 6.

I just don’t see who that player is yet. Probably why I’m not a scout.

 

[bluegray]

My theory is Juve know we're desperate for a DM and a RB. Cambiaso is our 1st target. If we get him in, he can maybe cover both positions till the summer. This means we're not interested in Luiz unless as a 6 month loan with no obligation. Juve are saying no deal till summer on Cambiaso, in the hope that forces us to buy Luiz after his loan. I think City have got their eye on bigger fish for the midfield in the summer and don't want to be stuck with Luiz.

That said, if we can get Juve down with a lesser price on Luiz say £25m we can always flip with for that in 18 months. He knows Peps system and the Premier league so wouldn't take much to hit the ground running.

 

[Gaz (FMwkdsoul)]

My theory is Juve know we're desperate for a DM and a RB. Cambiaso is our 1st target. If we get him in, he can maybe cover both positions till the summer. This means we're not interested in Luiz unless as a 6 month loan with no obligation. Juve are saying no deal till summer on Cambiaso, in the hope that forces us to buy Luiz after his loan. I think City have got their eye on bigger fish for the midfield in the summer and don't want to be stuck with Luiz.

That said, if we can get Juve down with a lesser price on Luiz say £25m we can always flip with for that in 18 months. He knows Peps system and the Premier league so wouldn't take much to hit the ground running.

doubt he knows peps system, agree with the rest mostly though