It's Quiet thread 14 - 'do one' edition

[robbieh]

Ederson/Steffen

Walker/Cancelo
Laporte/Stones
Ake/Otamendi/Garcia
Mendy/Zinchenko

Rodri/Fernandinho
De Bruyne/Gundogan
Bernardo/Foden

Sterling
Aguero/Jesus
Mahrez/Torres

I did what you asked and I think there are obvious weak areas and areas of risk. We are not strong at CB. Stones and Otamendi both have real issues. Garcia doesn't want to be here. Left back another are without an in form, injury free player. Yes I know that Cancelo can play there but the squad depth is far from strong in that position.

We have yet to find a solution at DM that matches Fern in his prime. Both Rodri and Gundo are slow. Maybe Rodri will have a breakout season this season. I really hope so but I would contend that we are adequate in that position, not strong. In Kev we have the best midfielder in the world. That is real strength but without him who would we rely on to get high teen assists in AM? Foden? Good as he is he is still relatively unproven over a season. Berny, maybe the player of 2018/19 but not the 19/20 version.

We have strength up front with a fit Kun, but its a worry that Pep is talking a couple of months. I would like to see his successor in place this season.

We are suffering from the ageing and loss of our superstars who have not been replaced. Zab > Walker, Kompany >any of our current CB's as a player and a leader, Fern>Rodri/Gund, Silva>anyone other than Kev, Aguero > Gabby.

I dont think we have a squad that will win the PL or the CL this season. I think the squad needs strengthening at CB, LFB, DM, AM, Striker.

I think if thats it for this close season we will actually move backwards again. Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool all look to strengthened more than us. What might change that are how well Torres and Foden step up.

Who is Liverpool's reserve right back and is he as good as Cancelo? Their back up forwards are not as good ours. The truth is our reserve team is way better than theirs.

As for our departees. Walker may not be as likeable as Zabba but in a Pep team probably better. Silva a standout player who would be difficult to replace for any club. But Bernardo is a great player and Foden will be soon, if he isn't already.

Rodri is a different type of player to Dinho and this season will tell us whether he's what we need.

The two big problems are as we all know where is the CB, who can fill VKs boots and how do you replace our greatest ever goalscorer?

KK can be the CB solution. But replacing Kun is going to require spending Mbappe sorts of money.

 

[Keeper!]

Have you thought that maybe City have let Pep down? Kompany retired a season early. We haven't replaced him.

100% agreement about replacing Kompany but we have not let Pep down in anyway shape or form.

The club was built with the sole intention of Pep at the top, his two amigos brought in, the whole philosophy of the club built on the Barca model.

 

[ShaunMCFC]

So we finished 20 points behind Liverpool, we lost to Lyon and Arsenal in the Champions League and EA Cup and in addition David Silva and Sane left . Oh I forgot, Liverpool have signed Thiago - one of the best midfielders in the world and the guy from Wolves. We signed Ake and Torres. Can Ake and Torres close a 20-point gap? of course not. I'm so disappointed with this summer. Two days before the start of our season we have no right CB , no real left-back, no striker as kun injured and start his last year contract, no midfielder. Next year Pep may leave and we will need at least two years to build a proper squad again. We were so busy with Messi and made every possible mistake.

But apart from that your Saturdays going alright yeah?

 

[malg]

I think how many goals we score is miss leading. If we won every game 1-0 we win the league. The fact we hammer some teams shouldn’t disguise that we lost 9 games. I don’t see what has happened transfer wise to stop us losing those 9.

Maybe, just maybe, after winning back to back titles the players relaxed? They're now second best and have to something to prove. The filthy scum dominated the league for 20+years and only won it 3 times in a row once with less competition than there is now.

Just a thought.

 

[malg]

It would also help if you and your fellow bed wetter could put sensible arguments forward, if it's not too difficult

Can I just commend you in not insulting anyone with your reply.....

 

[Steve Coppell’s 33 Days]

So we finished 20 points behind Liverpool, we lost to Lyon and Arsenal in the Champions League and EA Cup and in addition David Silva and Sane left . Oh I forgot, Liverpool have signed Thiago - one of the best midfielders in the world and the guy from Wolves. We signed Ake and Torres. Can Ake and Torres close a 20-point gap? of course not. I'm so disappointed with this summer. Two days before the start of our season we have no right CB , no real left-back, no striker as kun injured and start his last year contract, no midfielder. Next year Pep may leave and we will need at least two years to build a proper squad again. We were so busy with Messi and made every possible mistake.

1. 18 points not 20 points
2. We have 4 right CB’s available for Monday
3. Mendy is a real LB
4. Jesus is a striker
5. 2 years to build a squad - 4 transfer windows - when you expected it to be done in this 1?
6. So busy with Messi? But no evidence we were unless you think speculative traffic on this site defines CFG busy
7. As far as I am aware Kev IS THE BEST midfielder in the world

Apart from this & a few other things I can’t be arsed to write you’re spot on.

 

[mosssideblue]

Yes of course it does, take off the blue glasses, their is loyalty and blind loyalty.

There is something not right this summer, that was totally clear looking at Pep yesterday.

Its nothing to do with blue specs, its about being able to react to what is fact and what is perceived. You said pep looked really pissed off at his prezzer yesterday and have assumed that to be transfer or club related

 

[mosssideblue]

Maybe, just maybe, after winning back to back titles the players relaxed? They're now second best and have to something to prove. The filthy scum dominated the league for 20+years and only won it 3 times in a row once with less competition than there is now.

Just a thought.

I agree but rather than say relaxed, i would suggest knackered

 

[Marvin]

So we finished 20 points behind Liverpool, we lost to Lyon and Arsenal in the Champions League and EA Cup and in addition David Silva and Sane left . Oh I forgot, Liverpool have signed Thiago - one of the best midfielders in the world and the guy from Wolves. We signed Ake and Torres. Can Ake and Torres close a 20-point gap? of course not. I'm so disappointed with this summer. Two days before the start of our season we have no right CB , no real left-back, no striker as kun injured and start his last year contract, no midfielder. Next year Pep may leave and we will need at least two years to build a proper squad again. We were so busy with Messi and made every possible mistake.

All we had to do was find a right sided central defender to play for one of the wealthiest and successul clubs in the Premier League.

 

[Neville Kneville]

I heard an interview with Vinny the other day and he said his real strength was making the rest of the defence better, rather than him being some extraordinary talent, particularly following his extensive injuries. Thinking back, he’s absolutely right and it’s a trait that all the best CH’s have. Think back to John Terry, Tony Adams and now with VVD, they all make the rest of them better. It’s noticeable that Maguire does NOT fall into that category although the rags do have a history of signing players that would.
If KK, at 29 can do that, we should go and get him. If he can’t, we should leave him alone and find one who can.

I don't think we can just sign such a player though & we need another in the squad.

It's always been obvious to anyone who cares about defending, that Vinny was the heart of it. Pep knew it. He played him whenever he could.

Personally I think Pep is Arsene Wenger when it comes to a back 4. He tells the players how to work within his system & then they try to use their knowledge to defend within it. George Graham's players passing their wisdom on were the key to Wenger's defence & at City, it has stopped with Vinny because of the players we signed not being quite the right characters.

I think this is why we keep being linked with slow, ageing defenders.

But right now we need players with the ability to start with imo. If Stones would get his shit together, it wouldn't be such a problem.