It's Quiet the £250m return

[citizen_maine]

I love John Stones. Will always love John Stones. He is strangely one of my most liked City players.

Backed him back when 90% wanted him gone.

I want him to stay, but I sense Pep doesn't. :(

A fit John Stones makes Pep's starting 11 every game

 

[Blue_Lightsaber]

A fit John Stones makes Pep's starting 11 every game

And that's the problem, not the solution.

The rest of the league has gotten younger, faster, fitter.
PSG wiped the floor with us when we played them.

And we're the only ones thinking we can compete with players on the wrong side of 30.

Even Real Madrid moved Casemiro on at 30 y.o. and he had 5 CL's not 1!

 

[richards30]

And that's the problem, not the solution.

The rest of the league has gotten younger, faster, fitter.
PSG wiped the floor with us when we played them.

And we're the only ones thinking we can compete with players on the wrong side of 30.

Even Real Madrid moved Casemiro on at 30 y.o. and he had 5 CL's not 1!

Thats where Pep and Txiki were too close? Txiki towards the end just lost any drive to push on and take Peps word for things as both of them have a personal connection to the players in this part of historic english football history. Viana doesnt and wants to build his own success and we all love Stones but his time here is done i would imagine as he`s not going to all of a sudden be able to stay fit for a season?

 

[citizen_maine]

And that's the problem, not the solution.

The rest of the league has gotten younger, faster, fitter.
PSG wiped the floor with us when we played them.

And we're the only ones thinking we can compete with players on the wrong side of 30.

Even Real Madrid moved Casemiro on at 30 y.o. and he had 5 CL's not 1!

I don't really subscribe to the Logan's Run theory about players ages.
John's issue is his fitness. I believe he's broken and doubt we'll see him again in our shirt

 

[Blue_Lightsaber]

I don't really subscribe to the Logan's Run theory about players ages.
John's issue is his fitness. I believe he's broken and doubt we'll see him again in our shirt

Not everyone ages like Ferna though.

 

[oldius]

What do you know about the CWC in terms of our playing squad?

I ask this rhetorically because we know, factually, that the squad is now a blend of young, recent recruits, and players the club is now looking to move on. Suddenly refusing to play those whom have served us so well would seem, to me, disrespectful. We expected to remain in the tournament and other than Khusanov, all of the recent recruits received some game time.

This notion of Pep refusing to play young players is utter nonsense, as the recent lineups average age clearly demonstrates. The idea that his loyalty to some players is a problem is also, IMO, false: it is reciprocal loyalty to the leadership and each other that has brought unprecedented success.

Now we move on into a new dawn with some fabulous young talent to watch and appreciate. It's been said that football always gives another chance, and we should all relish that, putting last season behind us and looking ahead. We don't know how the squad will look come August/September, but we do know that Haaland, Foden, Cherki, Reijnders, Rodri, Bobb, Echeverri, Gvardiol and others will likely be a part of it. If that isn't something to embrace then I don't think being a football fan is for you. None of us will get exactly what we want from every line-up, and our own favourite players won't always be chosen. That is just the way it is, but we have great players and a great manager - I don't see much to be down about.

 

[Centurions]

No ,it doesn't. I'm pretty sure next season, Marmoush, Cherki, Reijnders, Ait Nouri, Gonzalez, Khusonov will all play probably in descending order of games.Echeverri and Reis will most likely go on loan with Nypan and return next year when there is more room in the squad.
Using the CWC when Pep and more importantly his new coaching team were running over a squad of 28 some of who will be leaving is no indication of anything.

A squad of 28 and just 4 games to play them all in and some folk are making sweeping assumptions about that. Thank christ we didn't take the kids as well.

 

[Gumzy97]

I don't really subscribe to the Logan's Run theory about players ages.
John's issue is his fitness. I believe he's broken and doubt we'll see him again in our shirt

I find it interesting that he's said he's fit and is over his Injury issues in June said he was ready. But got no minutes at the club world cup.

 

[oldius]

I find it interesting that he's said he's fit and is over his Injury issues in June said he was ready. But got no minutes at the club world cup.

Just such a big squad.
Imagine the furore if he had played in one of the first games and picked up another injury.
Reis, for example, began the first game. Had Stones been picked instead, many here would have been complaining of Pep's favourites. It is a squad game, and at the moment, as we all know, there is some trimming to be done. Making judgements now about how the future will be is folly. We will know as the squad starts to take its final shape.

 

[citizen_maine]

I find it interesting that he's said he's fit and is over his Injury issues in June said he was ready. But got no minutes at the club world cup.

I hope it's true, but we've had several false dawns

 

[Thebigbluehouse]

John Stones has given us so many memorable moments over the years. But, I can safely say he won't break 30 games in a season. And a great many of them he would be getting up to match speed before the inevitable happens. Especially playing meaningless England qualifies, which for some reason sticks in my head for him leaving the pitch early and not being available for us until the next England shit show.

 

[Cheadle_hulmeBlue]

John Stones has given us so many memorable moments over the years. But, I can safely say he won't break 30 games in a season. And a great many of them he would be getting up to match speed before the inevitable happens. Especially playing meaningless England qualifies, which for some reason sticks in my head for him leaving the pitch early and not being available for us until the next England shit show.

Saying that, those 15-20 games he does play could make the difference and win us the league

 

[ninjamonkey]

John Stones has given us so many memorable moments over the years. But, I can safely say he won't break 30 games in a season. And a great many of them he would be getting up to match speed before the inevitable happens. Especially playing meaningless England qualifies, which for some reason sticks in my head for him leaving the pitch early and not being available for us until the next England shit show.

We dont need him to though. 2 or 3 defenders max typically play 30 games a season at any club and then you have the cover who play maybe half that. If stones can give us 15 games hes well worth the squad place and arguably actually makes it easier for us to keep everyone happy in that department as you dont tend to make subs at centre back so having 4 or more players all wanting 30 gamrs a season makes it impossible to satisfy everyone.

the problems only occur when we've got multiple players who can't do 30 games and last season was a special shitshow because we inexplicably went into the season only having 6 defenders, 2 of which struggle for fitness. That was an almost stackable offence decision that we could all see going disastrously wrong for us. I dont expect us to have the same problems this season now that we arent going to go into the season 2 or 3 defenders down on the minimum requirement.

 

[Gordyola]

We have clearly been having problems with buying players that Pep does not like or favour. Hence I wouldn’t be surprised if we bought someone that Pep yet again does not fancy playing.

If you think that City buy players that Pep doesn’t “like or favour” you need to have a word with the cuckoo next to you

 

[oldius]

Saying that, those 15-20 games he does play could make the difference and win us the league

Indeed, and if it helps Khusanov and Reis to learn from a player who has a legitimate claim to be the most talented defender in world football, injuries apart, then it could be invaluable.

 

[bell_mcfc]

Isak to the dippers. No need to worry about them Perez is doing it for us. Madrid are about to rip up Liverpool that loss to PSG has not gone down well. Konate already tapped up, now looking at Mac Allister.

Do feel a little bad for them Konate is probably a 60 to 80 mil centre back, who’s going to go for 25 million this window or free next year as he’s been already tapped up by Madrid. Similar to Trent

Couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch

 

[bell_mcfc]

We could but we won't.
We could always buy him and leave him where he is for a season.
I doubt we will do this and cannot see the benefit from Trafford viewpoint.

We had Diogo Costa on call ready to go if Eddie wanted to go.

Although not ideal can see Trafford doing this with reassurances especially being a World Cup year. Problem is we won’t give proper reassurance because he might have an absolute stinker of a season if he stays.

I get why people want it but I don’t think it’s the right move.

 

[brummie blue]

Just off the Stones topic, during the chairmans end of season interview he mentioned a signing he was really excited about and that hadn't happened.

Was that player one of the guys that came in before the CWC or are we expecting something else to happen?

 

[vincent]

Just off the Stones topic, during the chairmans end of season interview he mentioned a signing he was really excited about and that hadn't happened.

Was that player one of the guys that came in before the CWC or are we expecting something else to happen?

Cherki…

 

[bell_mcfc]

Just off the Stones topic, during the chairmans end of season interview he mentioned a signing he was really excited about and that hadn't happened.

Was that player one of the guys that came in before the CWC or are we expecting something else to happen?

Agree think it’s Cherki based off when it was filmed and if we were working on something else there’d be something going around by now. Definitely Cherki and every right to be excited!!