It's Quiet the £250m return

[Cityfan]

The playing out from the back era here is done, think that was pretty obvious last season.

Did we stop playing from the back last season?

 

[Sibierskii]

Did we stop playing from the back last season?

Did it work? Every man and their dog has it sussed. If Pep wants him he must have a plan.

 

[Paulmcfc2703]

We were still doing it in the CWC and against Palermo.

We’re going to play a bit more direct and with more space in front of us, but that doesn’t mean we are going to stop passing it out from the back.

Donnaruma is Joe Hart levels of playing it out, and that’s why Enrique has replaced him, which is on record.

So for me, as our manager also got rid of our great shot stopper 10 years ago in favour of getting somebody who can play out from the back, the move makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

When did Enrique say this?

Was it just after winning the treble or is it in the last 48 hours when Donnarumma couldn't agree a new deal?

 

[OrigamiNinja]

I was thinking that he's after a new deal too, I looked it up and he signed a new 5 year contract in 2023 bringing it up to 2028 so it would be strange pushing for a new deal with still 3 years remaining on his current deal.

Maybe he's sees himself as being a bit part player again next season and he wants regular football. Who knows.

To be honest I'd say he'd struggle to become a regular with Nottingham Forest, they've Aina as their right back, they've Elliot Anderson, Ryan Yates, Nicolas Dominguez and Morgan Gibbs White in central areas of midfield so it would be tough for him to cement a place in that team.

I think sometimes these strange-looking moves are simply about a footballer securing his long-term financial future. Rico, even with his newish City deal, is likely to be poorly paid (in football terms, for an England international). He gets a move and even if he is a squad player at his new club, he’s no worse off football wise than he is here, likely doubles/trebles his wages overnight and sets himself up for life. That’s a huge incentive for anyone in any industry.

 

[CΛL]

When did Enrique say this?

Was it just after winning the treble or is it in the last 48 hours when Donnarumma couldn't agree a new deal?

In the last 48 hours precisely, makes no odds the timing.

 

[Paulmcfc2703]

In the last 48 hours precisely, makes no odds the timing.

Of course it does.

 

[Tugay One Cup]

Clubs can bid on a player without tapping them up, in fact that’s how it should be

Tapping up is the sensible way of conducting business.

There's no point publicly making a bid for a player who might end up turning you down anyway.

It's a waste of time and effort and creates negative PR.

 

[Cityfan]

Did it work? Every man and their dog has it sussed. If Pep wants him he must have a plan.

I don't think playing from the back was what failed last season. Arsenal and Liverpool also played from the back.
I guess Pep must have a plan but I doubt he will stop playing from the back.

If anything was sussed it was the slower build up forward but I would have thought having a keeper who can distribute forward quickly would be an advantage.

 

[richards30]

The playing out from the back era here is done, think that was pretty obvious last season.

Agreed, new approach needed.

 

[CΛL]

Agreed, new approach needed.

Your opinions don’t mean it will happen, hell will freeze over before Pep starts playing long ball rather than passing it out.

 

[mosssideblue]

I've no idea WTF is going on, but Savinho to Spuds, then Rodrygo to City, then Donarumma to City & Ederson to Galatasary.

Now there are reports emerging City have rejected Forest's latest £25m plus add-ons offer for McAtee & NOW City have rejected a £25m plus add-ons offer also from Forest, for RICO LEWIS!

Yet, our ageing, injury-prone players remain. Why sell our future for peanuts, & cling on to our past?

This shortermism from City is a direct result of us not starting our squad rebuild right after the treble. We're now paying the price, by selling off our future.

My head's well & truly fuckin blown!

Should have stopped at "I've no idea WTF is going on"

 

[mosssideblue]

I realise the window isn’t over but I am so confused by what is happening at the moment. I don’t know if it all just seems a bit more public than usual this time round because Romano seems to know everything that’s going on with us this summer, but we just seem so disorganised and without a clear plan.

It’s all very interesting though and gives us plenty of City content though so that’s fun, I guess.

What you mean to say is you are not in the loop with the board

 

[blueparrot]

The playing out from the back era here is done, think that was pretty obvious last season.

Don't think it's done, at least not in a kick it out and risk giving away possesion way. Pep will still want to keep the ball,losing possesion is just against his whole ethos.
Can Donnarumma do that, no idea not from what I've read in which case I can't see why we'd do this. That said I've hardly watched him myself and I'm pretty sure if we are interested we know exactly what we are buying and I doubt PSG under Enrique are a kick and rush team,so not bothered either way whether we go for him or don't.

 

[richards30]

Your opinions don’t mean it will happen, hell will freeze over before Pep starts playing long ball rather than passing it out.

We have started to do both? Pass out from the back when possible but as we saw last season many times, we went long as well.

 

[Dribble]

So you keep saying, does it change anything ?, however I'll just deal with the real world as it is and with what we can do now and in the coming years, not get upset and sickened things aren't as I'd like them.

You're just completely ignoring crucial recent mistakes which led to the "real world" situation we find ourselves in. It's called cause & effect. Did we learned nothing from watching ManUre do the same between 2010 - 2013? Now look at em...

As for the premise that we can't have too many changes in a short period as it will be too much, too soon?

During the 2016-17 season, Pep complained his main issue was having to play with four FB's who were well into their 30s & who didn't have the physicality or the legs to get up & down the pitch.

In 2017-2018 he rectified this with wholesale changes. Did we need to evolve our FB's over a period for continuity? No. We became the Centurions.

In terms of this squad evolution/revolution, what we're doing now is by choice.

You don't always get what you want & by telling the likes of Grealish & Philips they deserve to be playing football, so need to find new clubs, & by leaving them at home during pre-season is a pretty damning statement of intent by Pep & City.

Pep brought the ageing, injury-prone squad members to the fuckin CWC & Palermo, & played them! So all things considered, the old guard still being here is a choice. Pep's choice.

It's the young, talented players who were playing first team football when we brought them here in January & over the summer that I feel for. We can only have 25, with 17 of those being non-HG. Just imagine being one of them, only to be told you might have to be loaned out?

That why myself & many City fans are sickened & pissed off. We're more used to laughing at ManUre for acting the way City have over the last 12 months.

This isn't a good look, & not in City's best interests. We're used to stability, not this seeming chaos.

 

[Gabriel]

The playing out from the back era here is done, think that was pretty obvious last season.

Then what were we doing in Palermo? We can be more direct if the opponent is brave and prepared to risk going man-to-man and push us into our half, otherwise we have to use other systems and that means playing out from the back and at speed.
Our main problem has been that with physically slower midfielders and players up front whose touch is inconsistent, we struggle to ping the ball around as effectively as say in 2017-18.

 

[ninjamonkey]

The playing out from the back era here is done, think that was pretty obvious last season.

What part of us playing out from the back failed last season? I must have blanked out being repeatedly penned into our own box and losing the ball in that area multiple times a game, every game. That part of our game was as solid as ever. The rest of the league also play out from the back. Thats not going to change suddenly.

If we end up with a keeper who can't play out from the back well. We aren't going to start lumping it to the big man every goal kick and playing percentages, we're going to continue to play out from the back, just with inferior tools.

 

[Dribble]

Should have stopped at "I've no idea WTF is going on"

Keep you fingers crossed & hope for the best dude. It's worked well for us over the last 12 months...

 

[blueparrot]

You're just completely ignoring crucial recent mistakes which led to the "real world" situation we find ourselves in. It's called cause & effect. Did we learned nothing from watching ManUre do the same between 2010 - 2013? Now look at em...

As for the premise that we can't have too many changes in a short period as it will be too much, too soon?

During the 2016-17 season, Pep complained his main issue was having to play with four FB's who were well into their 30s & who didn't have the physicality or the legs to get up & down the pitch.

In 2017-2018 he rectified this with wholesale changes. Did we need to evolve our FB's over a period for continuity? No. We became the Centurions.

In terms of this squad evolution/revolution, what we're doing now is by choice.

You don't always get what you want & by telling the likes of Grealish & Philips they deserve to be playing football, so need to find new clubs, & by leaving them at home during pre-season is a pretty damning statement of intent by Pep & City.

Pep brought the ageing, injury-prone squad members to the fuckin CWC & Palermo, & played them! So all things considered, the old guard still being here is a choice. Pep's choice.

It's the young, talented players who were playing first team football when we brought them here in January & over the summer that I feel for. We can only have 25, with 17 of those being non-HG. Just imagine being one of them, only to be told you might have to be loaned out?

That why myself & many City fans are sickened & pissed off. We're more used to laughing at ManUre for acting the way City have over the last 12 months.

This isn't a good look, & not in City's best interests. We're used to stability, not this seeming chaos.

Whatever, I'm just looking forward to the new season, in fact can't wait quite excited to see what it brings.

 

[Gumzy97]

Feels like there's been a switch in how we do transfers. We are moving on project players and bringing in established players like Rodrygo and Donnarumma.