It's Quiet the £250m return

Is it possible that, as the window begins to close, the clubs help force the hand of a player or two by letting them know they will be omitted from the squad?

Still too many moving parts to accurately discuss who will and will not be on the Squad List, and that includes possibly having to pay partial wages of players we want to move on as the transfer window closes.

There are myriad scenarios possible, so it seems premature, at a minimum, to discuss a few of our older more experienced (and thus highly successful!) players in such derogatory terms.

Kova, for instance, is recovering from surgery and might well be a last minute transfer, but clubs like to know they’re buying a player who can actually help them out of the gate.
I was asking the other fella to give his opinion on who should stay or go. He had a lot to stay, but no solution to put forward.

He's not Mystic Meg, so I wasn't asking him to predict who'll stay or go, just to put forward his solution as I have.
 
I was asking the other fella to give his opinion on who should stay or go. He had a lot to stay, but no solution to put forward.

He's not Mystic Meg, so I wasn't asking him to predict who'll stay or go, just to put forward his solution as I have.
I can only assume a multi-billion pound club has actually thought about it, and will act upon their plan, as needed, in the near future.

I wasn’t trying to get into your beef/discussion, but merely point out that in a month it will be a moot point, so no need to argue the point.

The issue, as is often the case, is multi-year contracts that reach deep into a player’s golden years. Sometimes, you manage to keep hold of a gem, but sometimes you end up with a waning talent on the highest wages of his career, and that makes them virtually unsellable, even if you wanted to.

It’s a damned if you do, because it turns out it was one expensive season too many, and damned if you don’t, because a player walks at the top of his game!

Ideally, we would hold a hard and fast line that any player’s contract ends after a certain age, with City holding a 1 yr option thereafter.

Specifically, I’m talking about deals like Gundo’s, where we let him go for free because he wanted a multi-year deal, yet brought him back a year later and THEN gave him a multi-year deal! People would have thought City had lost their minds if they’d given him a THREE YEAR deal from the outset, but we literally gave away the first year of exactly that deal…and he got playing for Barca out of his system…and here we sit!

I’m still not convinced he doesn’t play in Turkey this season, or move to a player-coaching role, with the emphasis on coaching!
 
Kovacic, Gundogan have nothing to do with whether Echeverri would get minutes next season Bernardo, Foden, Cherki,Bobb,Savinho all do. So yes best if he goes and plays and proves he has what it takes to take Bernardo's place,and maybe Savinho or Bobb next season. Nypan will have the same challenge to come back and take Gundogan and Kovacic's place.
There are pathways and opportunities for all these players though, now they need to prove themselves and take it.
To be fair.. it is Pep! He could well be competing with Kova Gundo etc, Or any of who you lost above, or could play somewhere altogether unpredictable. Wouldn't put it past Pep.
 
You seem to be neglecting one slight, but all important issue... Squad size. We can only have 25, of which only 17 can be non-HG.

You're not offering a solution to this obvious & growing problem. "I'm staying" means "I'm staying".

Over to you with who goes or is left out if our legendary players refuse to leave.
Boy you are really fixated on this, aren't you.

We get it, you told us 20 times over the last 3 days. Nothing has changed since yesterday. Nothing will probably change tomorrow.

But there are 24 days till the end of the window, ao something may well change by then.
 
You seem to be neglecting one slight, but all important issue... Squad size. We can only have 25, of which only 17 can be non-HG.

You're not offering a solution to this obvious & growing problem. "I'm staying" means "I'm staying".

Over to you with who goes or is left out if our legendary players refuse to leave.
And as I made clear, I am sanguine about it. It isn't Gaza, and I trust the club to make those decisions. If I had to pick a couple to go, it would be Akanji and Kova, but I'm far more focused on who we have and how they will integrate into the team.
 
So "very likely not possible" doesn't mean impossible?

As Pep lamented last season, 10-15 games isn't what we need with his preference for a small squad.

Question: Outside of a reserve keeper, do you think we'd buy a player in the knowledge he could only play 10-15 games per season?

If not, & City want to remain at the Apex of world football, why should we keep several ageing injury-prone players with failing physicality & legs in our squad?
I think we brought Gundo back for 10-15 games a season.

Didn't work out that way, because of the injuries we had, but think cover was what the club had in mind.
 
Which players specifically stay & who goes?
Rough guess, obviously Gundogan might stay, but somebody else might leave,don’t think I’ll be far off, the squad looks something like.

Free list 17
Ederson
Khusonov Dias Gvardiol Ait Nouri Nunes, Akanji
Gonzalez Silva Rodri. Reinjders Kovacic
Cherki Marmoush Savinho Doku
Haaland

Home grown 3
Bettinelli. Ake. Stones,

Academy trained 3
Bobb. Foden Trafford

U21 2
Lewis. O’Reilly

While I’m at it I’ll throw in a POSSIBLE 26/27 squad
Free list 17
Keeper ?.
Khusonov Dias Gvardiol Ait Nouri Nunes, Reis
Gonzalez Rodri. Reinjders Nypan
Cherki Marmoush Savinho Doku Echeverri
Haaland

Home grown 3
Bettinelli. Ake. Lewis

Academy trained 4
Bobb. Foden Trafford O’Reilly

U21 .?
 
Last edited:
I can only assume a multi-billion pound club has actually thought about it, and will act upon their plan, as needed, in the near future.

I wasn’t trying to get into your beef/discussion, but merely point out that in a month it will be a moot point, so no need to argue the point.

The issue, as is often the case, is multi-year contracts that reach deep into a player’s golden years. Sometimes, you manage to keep hold of a gem, but sometimes you end up with a waning talent on the highest wages of his career, and that makes them virtually unsellable, even if you wanted to.

It’s a damned if you do, because it turns out it was one expensive season too many, and damned if you don’t, because a player walks at the top of his game!

Ideally, we would hold a hard and fast line that any player’s contract ends after a certain age, with City holding a 1 yr option thereafter.

Specifically, I’m talking about deals like Gundo’s, where we let him go for free because he wanted a multi-year deal, yet brought him back a year later and THEN gave him a multi-year deal! People would have thought City had lost their minds if they’d given him a THREE YEAR deal from the outset, but we literally gave away the first year of exactly that deal…and he got playing for Barca out of his system…and here we sit!

I’m still not convinced he doesn’t play in Turkey this season, or move to a player-coaching role, with the emphasis on coaching!
It wasn't a beef. I was merely trying to ascertain who he thinks should leave & make way in the squad.

None of us know the ins & outs of what's happening behind closed doors, so one person's guess or opinion is as valid as anyone else's.

I just find it hard to believe we've bought players in January & this summer, only for it to dawn on the club that we'd be stacked squad wise.

Presumably the recent recruits were bought to replace the players that Pep said couldn't be relied upon because of their questionable fitness. Now most of our ageing, injury-prone stars have said they're staying, so what do we do now?
 
Boy you are really fixated on this, aren't you.

We get it, you told us 20 times over the last 3 days. Nothing has changed since yesterday. Nothing will probably change tomorrow.

But there are 24 days till the end of the window, ao something may well change by then.
I'm responding to people who responded to my posts from yesterday???

Do you have anything of interest to add? If not, allow whoever wants to respond to my posts to respond, & I'll kindly respond in reply.

Now go & enjoy the rest of your day Blue...
 
Last edited:
And as I made clear, I am sanguine about it. It isn't Gaza, and I trust the club to make those decisions. If I had to pick a couple to go, it would be Akanji and Kova, but I'm far more focused on who we have and how they will integrate into the team.
Thanks. We still need more to leave, but at least I know your line of thinking...
 
slow news day.

Ortega, McAtee, Phillips, Grealish looks 99% to leave but offers aint flying in yet. bit surprised no Bundesliga interest for Ortega. I think he is much better than Ramsdale, would have been upgrade on Pope.

Turkish rumours for Gundogan died down. whats with those high level Turkish twatter accounts haha, they used to come up with quick daily updates 2 weeks ago.
 
It wasn't a beef. I was merely trying to ascertain who he thinks should leave & make way in the squad.

None of us know the ins & outs of what's happening behind closed doors, so one person's guess or opinion is as valid as anyone else's.

I just find it hard to believe we've bought players in January & this summer, only for it to dawn on the club that we'd be stacked squad wise.

Presumably the recent recruits were bought to replace the players that Pep said couldn't be relied upon because of their questionable fitness. Now most of our ageing, injury-prone stars have said they're staying, so what do we do now?
Honour the contracts we signed, but advise them whether or not they will or will not be included in the squad, and whether they will be played or not, so they have a chance to bug out if they want to.
 
Honour the contracts we signed, but advise them whether or not they will or will not be included in the squad, and whether they will be played or not, so they have a chance to bug out if they want to.
Hence the other question I asked 3 days ago about whether we'd be in breach of contract for not registering & playing those squad members deemed surplus to requirements if they refuse to leave. Apparently we would be.

Again, my hope is that there'd be enough love & respect that if it came to that, those players would move on & not take legal action over City’s contractual obligations to register & play them.

The same contractual obligations also applies to our new recruits, hence hypothetically the sticky situation we could find ourselves if everyone remains.
 
It may make sense but very likely not possible.Besides, if we aren't relying on them to play much more than 10/15 games it probably won't be an issue.
They are on way too much in wages to be "squad" players.
 
It’s a horrible, disrespectful and totally childish word.

It depends on what culture you're in to perceive 'insult'.

To call elders 'Uncle' and 'Auntie' is strong in African and Asian culture. Mostly elders know and accept they are elders!!

Language is fluid, so get down with your fellow kids.
 
Hence the other question I asked 3 days ago about whether we'd be in breach of contract for not registering & playing those squad members deemed surplus to requirements if they refuse to leave. Apparently we would be.

Again, my hope is that there'd be enough love & respect that if it came to that, those players would move on & not take legal action over City’s contractual obligations to register & play them.

The same contractual obligations also applies to our new recruits, hence hypothetically the sticky situation we could find ourselves if everyone remains.
I'm not at all sure your analysis of City's obligations to its contracted playing staff is correct.
 

Don't have an account? Register now and see fewer ads!

SIGN UP
Back
Top