It's Quiet 18 - Wanna ring the bell?

[Newman Noggs]

Where we are now I'd settle for any midfield player who can make a forward pass and a defender who doesn't attempt suicidal back passes.

 

[leo_city]

You can buy potential in January but very hard to get top quality. Unfortunately if we stick with our current squad we’ve no chance at all of finishing in the top 4

We might have to do that then risk of getting average buys and scraping top 4 that’ll hurt us even more next years

 

[leo_city]

So could Jack at his previous club.

Jack had a total of 15 goals for Villa in his time there. Much of which was notable as he played 2 seasons in Prem.

Now he’s a shadow of the player we brought. We have to go get players who are hungry and want to prove themselves.

Jack, like some others in the squad, have seen too much success to ever find the same level of motivation again I fear

 

[leo_city]

Before Summer ? The best won't come if we don't get champs league.

Then so be it. Would you risk getting another Phillips Nunes type signing that we regret in the next years? Panicking now will lead to more errors. Good players will come, we are a big club. We will be fine.

I’d get a midfielder if a good one is available but that is it.

 

[Gray]

We need pace, youth and players who can stay fit.

Personally I would settle for anybody half decent as the current players are nowhere near that standard presently.

Can you imagine the outcry if we lose our next 3 league fixtures?

 

[Bluewonder]

Let's hope so, but what happens in AD stays in AD, and our beloved owner is basically the law.

The club isn't based in AD, meaning its auditors are governed by UK laws and regulations.

 

[richards30]

Doesn’t sound like anyone top top tier is coming in then? Can only think Zubimendi has said no for January and Bruno G is too expensive? Milan don’t want to sell either and Barella doesn’t want to leave Inter either

 

[Shazza458]

Problem is anyone could improve us in the short term, we are that bad.

We are literally panic buying, it would necessary though

Long term is a different story, I haven’t ruled out us making no signings.

 

[Keeper!]

We need pace, youth and players who can stay fit.

Personally I would settle for anybody half decent as the current players are nowhere near that standard presently.

Can you imagine the outcry if we lose our next 3 league fixtures?

"Can you imagine the outcry if we lose our next 3 league fixtures?"


Not sure there will be an outcry , I would be amazed and delighted if we won one of the next 3 games.

 

[John Wayne]

Doesn’t sound like anyone top top tier is coming in then? Can only think Zubimendi has said no for January and Bruno G is too expensive? Milan don’t want to sell either and Barella doesn’t want to leave Inter either

I am increasingly coming round to the view that we won't be signing many (if any) players in January. This is the case for a number of reasons. The board may take a different view to the rest of us.

Firstly, nobody wants to sell in January and the club are very reluctant to pay over the odds for anyone. City have spent years trying to cultivate a reputation showing that we don't get pushed around in the transfer market. We are not going to piss away lots of money and a reputation on substandard players in one window. A reputation is hard to rebuild. Whilst the here-and-now is important, there is a bigger picture.

Secondly, the club most probably realises that there is a real risk that we will miss out on the CL next season. Rather than chase top 4/5 with panic buys, there may be an acceptance that, after 14 consecutive years in the competition, we fall short on this occasion. The CWC makes up for missing CL football next season in terms of revenue. A productive summer in the transfer market under a new DoF is seen as more important than a desperate scattergun approach in January under an outgoing DoF.

Even if the club missed out on European football altogether, the money from the CWC covers that loss. Everyone can laugh at us now, but free midweeks next season whilst we rebuild the squad could be seen by the board to be hugely advantageous. This helps Pep implement his ideas on the training ground with newer, younger players. The obvious example in the last ten years is Conte winning the league in 16/17 with no European distractions. Prize money is obviously helpful, but finishing between 8th and 17th ultimately all means the same thing.

I don't want to get into 115 too much, but if there were to be a single-digit points deduction of some kind, the club might feel that this would be the year to take it. If there is a lingering doubt about us fully escaping then throwing lots of money at players we don't really want, just to try to save this season, may not be a wise strategy.

Now, before anyone jumps on me, I don't necessarily take the view above. I'm simply trying to present an alternative. My own view is that I think we've fallen so far that urgent action is needed in the next 40 days. We are bottom of the form league over the last 8 games. That to me is catastrophic and elite organisations must seize upon rapidly declining standards as soon as possible. How far do you let things sink? Txiki is still in post and, frankly, whilst he is being paid he should still be doing the job in its entirety.

Prediction: I support the general consensus that we need to make three signings in January for the first team. We may make CFG/future prospect signings, but with Echeverri arriving, my gut feel is we'll make just one midfield signing in January.