It's Quiet 18 - Wanna ring the bell?

[blueparrot]

Presumably Arsenal rejected our bid though, hence why Arsenal upped their offer beyond ours.

There's the mistake trying to buy him off Arsenal before they owned him :)

 

[Coatigan]

I’m only going off what TH has posted but there’s bound to be different interpretations…even when it’s not a video!

I still think it will be sorted despite the chance that Pep isn’t impressed.

It sounded more like Pep not being impressed with players/agents. Even so. Won't be the first bloody time Pep hasn't been impressed with something or had had a challenge he wasn't happy with. He will work through it, with the players, the board and will find a way to make things work.

 

[Ric]

There's the mistake trying to buy him off Arsenal before they owned him :)

Doh, sorry!

 

[Cobwebcat]

It sounded more like Pep not being impressed with players/agents. Even so. Won't be the first bloody time Pep hasn't been impressed with something or had had a challenge he wasn't happy with. He will work through it, with the players, the board and will find a way to make things work.

Definitely and I took it the same way, that it was more the players/agents.

 

[Bluewars]

Understandably there's a lot of tension and anxiety amongst the fanbase even after winning the treble. Im not privy to what goes on behind the scenes but I feel Txiki, Omar, Ferran or whoever should have ensured a smoother transition going into the new season, that's thier job not Peps.

Kovacic - Good early acquisition.
Gvardiol - clubs dont care if the player has agreed personal terms (stop using that as a negotiation tactic) pay up or move on.
Bellingham - We dont have a Juni Calafat equivalent our selling point is Pep Guardiola, should have backed out sooner.
Rice - Arsenal already did the groundwork 6 months in advance whilst we were going all out for Bellingham. That 90mill offer was reactive and pointless since WHU were never going to accept it.

Gundo - Was always likely to leave, based on his comments after signing for Barca that was his plan since jan, club was ready for that.

Bernardo - Once Gundo leaving was confirmed, we should have made it clear to Bernie and public that there's no chance for him to leave this summer.

Mahrez - Thank you and goodbye, been sulking for months.
Cancelo - Never rated him, not surprised we went unbeaten in the UCL with actual defenders.
Laporte - Thank you and goodbye, thinks he's better than he is. Stones sat on the bench for 18months didnt complain, worked harder.
Walker - Very disappointed he wants to go when he could still win the Supercup and FCWC, clearly the club want him to stay, shouldn't be allowed to join Bayern the 2nd best team in Europe and our biggest UCL competitors.
Phillips - Pep doesnt rate him at all, should be sold.

 

[Blue and true]

We do it based on our valuation, sometimes we’ll lowball knowing we’ll have to put up or shut up. We deemed Grealish worth a £100m punt and this last season it looks like it was a great call. Rice was never a £100m player though and never will be let alone £105m plus add-one. We also don’t have to push the boat out as you say, we stick to our guns and do our business how we see fit, a treble and 3 titles in a row suggests our model is pretty much spot on and working.
Id also point out that nowhere has it been proven Pep wanted Rice, Bellingham possibly but Rice? I think the world and his wife could see Rice only really wanted Arsenal so City put in a cheeky bid and it didn’t pan out.
Potentially by the end of this window City could have near £600m sat in the transfer kitty, it doesn’t mean we have to spend it though and if Pep does decide to leave in two seasons that banking that money up for a new manager to rebuild isn’t a bad think. It’s not about the past or now, it’s about the future and the club may be privy to new rules that may require spending based on money banked etc? I’ve no idea but we won’t ever just splash £5m+ let alone £15m just to get a deal done.
Every season a new superstar arrives on the scene, every window there’s a talent, players come and go and some join City where others don’t. It’s the nature of the beast and I’ve every confidence the club will pluck out a gem from absolutely nowhere like we did with many before them.
The moment we cave on a deal, we’ll be fucked over by every club in the future we deal with. It’s not the amount, it‘s the principle and professionalism that stop us doing it.
I do fully get the frustration, I feel it too, but I understand the reasons behind it, I run my own business’ and see the same situations come up.

We bid ~£90mil for Rice. Are you honestly suggesting we'd bid that for a player Pep didn't want?

 

[Coatigan]

You have to imagine he's pissed off with the Gvardiol situation. We're now jetting off for preseason and he'd have liked him integrated. There's also the matter of losing four top class/world class squad members with barely a murmur of potential replacements.

So I agree, his outward displays aren't necessarily going to be how he feels.

You don't Have to imagine that. You can also imagine that after nearly 2 decades in management, half of that with Tixiki, Pep knows how complex big expensive transfers are, and how long they can take. And that he is happy to let it play out to get the right player, or look at alternatives. You can also imagine yhe club are buying Gvardiol as a long term investment beyond Pep's time and that he isn't even that bothered if he comes today, tomorrow or in 3 weeks.

 

[decmancity]

I just dont think the board felt the price was right for the player Dave? I dont imagine playing for us and Pep was an issue at all, just Arsenal fronted up and we walked? We dont seem to like a battle at times do we? And before the pile on happens, i acknowledge what the club has achieved over the last few years but it would be good to see us using our financial power at times?

What I think happened is that Rice and his agents encouraged the move to us so we made an offer and at some point they made it clear to us that Rice wasn't interested in us at all or he wasn't fussed either way and would go to the highest bidder that negotiated with West Ham.
It shouldn't have to be a battle. Rice should have made it clear we were the choice and Arsenal would have pulled out and we would have negotiated with West Ham.

Pretty much everyone we have signed in the past several years has been this way, they have made it clear that we are the only club they want. This gives us strength in the negotiation and also tells us that they are all in for the club alone.

When you start just out bidding clubs and forcing moves for players you end up like the rags. A squad full of players who dont really want to be there and are happy picking up their wages.

 

[MadchesterCity]

The best thing for our squad (possibly) is that we go into the season feeling like we are underdogs (after losing a few players and failing to sell others).

We won't be, certainly not with the bookies or rival fans, everyone needs to chill the fook out and enjoy it

 

[Colin Bells Boots]

Definitely and I took it the same way, that it was more the players/agents.

Let's be honest, having those fuckers in your ear all the time must be hard, and especially if they are not being honest about their clients intentions.