It's Quiet 18 - Wanna ring the bell?

[Blue_Lightsaber]

It still amazes me that City fans still question our scouting network and Tixi in particular after the amount of success we have had our the years Pep has been here. We never learn do we?

He's got plenty of money in the bank but Kalvin was a dud. High transfer fee, high wages. That coupled with Cancelo cancelling himself less than a month or two after he got a 5 year expansion and Nunes not hitting the ground running.. changes hearts and minds fast.

Also City are pretty adamant on youth players having to push out a senior guy and earning it rather than it being handed to them.

I hope Bobb isn't sold but if he can't force his way into the lineup the way same Foden pushed his way past Sterling.. he may end up leaving too like Palmer!

 

[Keeper!]

Undecided on Kev. Quality player, obviously, but not as explosive as he once was. I feel (/fear) he needs to be an impact player rather than a passenger as it felt like in some games towards the end of the season. Namely the cup final.

Not sure he’d accept reduced role though, especially with life changing money being offered in Saudi. Got more than enough credit in his bank to make his own decision, though, and be allowed to do what he wants. Proper, proper legend.

IF he goes, he will need replacing. Luckily Foden has been unbelievable central and will only get better.

The player considering leaving this summer is a huge red flag to me.

I genuinely think he knows his body is broken and would struggle next season and if that's remotely true this summer is the one to say goodbye and thank you.

Magnificent player but a player way past his prime and if we could pull in a big fee and take a huge wage off the accounts then it has to be done, however painful.

 

[decmancity]

I think it is, myself. He is not Sterling or Zinchenko. If he decides to go and does, all the best and I'll get it from the perspective of both him and the club. But for some 30 odd million, I think a season of kevin in this particular side is worth that, personally.

It will be interesting for sure. We have Peps contract looming, PSR, FFP, Kev with his injuries and the emergence of Foden as a truly world class player that is putting up 30 g/a each season. There is a lot that will go into it.

 

[Ajm1985]

I disagree. The club scouted dias before. He was a target. They waited a year before signing a CB after kompany left. Sure they signed him after looking at koulibaly/kounde, but then also he was unavailable earlier, till Benfica's failure to get through the qualifiers of the CL made it a sudden possibility. So not a panic buy by any stretch, more astute opportunism.

Yeah, I said he was a scouted target. They had a few and he was down the list after being rebuffed for Maguire (previous summer due to cost), Koulibaly and then Kounde - all 3 we didn't agree fees on. Koulibaly thought he was coming to City and we even had 'win a signed Koulibaly shirt' and 'Ask Koulibaly' on the website. It's a stretch to say waiting for the right player - there were a few right players on the list and Dias was signed after striking out on the others.

 

[JewelZee]

We can do better than Bruno G and after the Release Clause deadline he is another player who is going to be a lot more expensive than he is actually worth.

I'm not too sure about either of those points...

 

[JewelZee]

There’s no place for common sense in a thread that is fuelled by overwrought clamour. Have a word with yourself.

We will be fine whether we bring in Bruno G. or not. I agree, but liking the idea of signing him is far removed from lacking common sense...

 

[JewelZee]

You could say that for most players. Debruyne, panic buy after isco bale hazard. Ruben, panic buy after koulibaly kounde. Rodri, panic buy after fred jorginho. Haaland, panic buy after darwin nunez and harry kane. Mahrez, panic buy after sanchez. Ultimately, the club bought a player they scouted before, that has value due to his age and potential. Let's see what comes of that.

Agree. There is a distinct difference between not being first or second choice and being a "panic" buy...I'll never label anything this management team does as a panic. Maybe plan D or whatever, some type of insurance for the squad, but absolutely NOT a panic. City do make some mistakes, but they don't do panic, simple as...
BTW, the final chapter on Nunes is far from written. We'll see how it all plays out in due time...

 

[richards30]

People getting anxious over not signing Guimares or a KDB 'replacement' should he leave, maybe think back to how long the club took to sign Rodri. Who btw was then claimed to be a backup for Dinho, who was the lynch-pin playing constantly.

Didn't go for Fred in the end, didn't get anyone when they missed out on Jorginho, waited till the right player i.e Rodri was available and signed him. Same with Ruben. Or the Aguero replacement. The club have shown they would rather wait and get key players right, then rush getting someone in, or overpay for someome.

We are lucky to have the flexibility and a manager that knows what to do when it comes to making do till the time is right for the right players for the long term.

Last year it was Bellingham/Rice as 'Pep's no.1 target' we just Had to sign, this year it is Guimarez. But we were fine without them and will be fine if we don't sign him either.

But there’s no need to do business like that mate? We have the funds, let alone if Saudi give us £100m for Kev? Pep shouldn’t have to save it every year because the board and scouts can’t find a proper solution? We sold £60m of players this summer already and spent £21m? So £39m in profit already with a player signed? If we sold Kev for £100m and bought Bruno G for say £90m then we have solved a huge problem for the squad and could still sign say Olmo this summer for £51m and have a net spend of £2m? No doubt other fringe players will go and we’ve done so well over the last few years making cash from players but the gap is closing certainly between us and Arsenal and im sure Pep would like some fresh and hungry blood to start a rebuild! Love KDB but if he wants to go it should be on our terms and not his just to allow him to fill his already massive bank account in a shit league.

 

[blueparrot]

But there’s no need to do business like that mate? We have the funds, let alone if Saudi give us £100m for Kev? Pep shouldn’t have to save it every year because the board and scouts can’t find a proper solution? We sold £60m of players this summer already and spent £21m? So £39m in profit already with a player signed? If we sold Kev for £100m and bought Bruno G for say £90m then we have solved a huge problem for the squad and could still sign say Olmo this summer for £51m and have a net spend of £2m? No doubt other fringe players will go and we’ve done so well over the last few years making cash from players but the gap is closing certainly between us and Arsenal and im sure Pep would like some fresh and hungry blood to start a rebuild! Love KDB but if he wants to go it should be on our terms and not his just to allow him to fill his already massive bank account in a shit league.

To be fair the gap between us and arsenal isn't closer than the gap was between us and liverpool recent years liverpool got 99 points and it wasn’t enough. Just as liverpool never quite overtook us arsenal might well not either.
The strategy that has worked for ten years is the same one we are following now.No reason to worry about it.

 

[JewelZee]

The transition speed and ball carrying is exactly what we were missing and we saw glimpses of what Nunes can bring to the team last season. He has a lot to offer.

Agree. Unless I'm watching different games I've seen plenty more teams high pressing us in the latter stages of the season and we absolutely were found lacking in terms of transitioning quickly or effectively. Who in our midfield can go from 30 to 30 with the ball? Those times are far and few between for KDB these days. Kova? Somewhat but more like a 20 yard run. Phil is mainly higher up the pitch. Not Bernardo's game...