It's Quiet Thread 15 - Txiki Blinders

[BillyShears]

I’m with you mate, football fans tend to get excited about attacking players, Grealish, Messi, Haaland, so we’re probably flogging a dead horse on here. Despite all the excellent attacking players on our books our form didn’t turn around until we signed Dias. Similar situation here, if Rodri were to get injured. I’d be shocked if we don’t replace Fernandinho.

The most important part is “if Rodri were to get injured”. As I said earlier Gundo as he advances in years, its more likely he’ll play from deeper IMO.

It’s nothing to do with attacking or defensive players being sexy it’s about squad balancing. We’ve invested a club record on a number six. We aren’t running out two windows later and buying another specialist one. Best case scenario for those who think it’s a priority will be us signing another Gundo type who can play deep or advanced.

 

[BillyShears]

If we were only in for one competition each season, fine. We aren't though. We are fighting each season now for all 4 major honours available.

Where are you going to find a top class number 6 who will come and sit on the bench for 50 games and play 15/20 a season and be happy? It's a nonsense IMO. Shouts of Declan Rice are just the stuff of Football Manager dreams.

 

[LangleyBlue1970]

Where are you going to find a top class number 6 who will come and sit on the bench for 50 games and play 15/20 a season and be happy? It's a nonsense IMO. Shouts of Declan Rice are just the stuff of Football Manager dreams.

Hah, no that's Messi.

 

[BillyShears]

Hah, no that's Messi.

Rice is an above average number 6 who West Ham would want a record fee for.

Messi is still the world's best player and our COO is ON RECORD saying that they will be at the front of the queue were Messi to leave this summer.

So yes, Declan Rice = FM Dreams whereas Messi = Player most coveted by Man City currently

 

[The1nvisibleMan]

 

[domalino]

The most important part is “if Rodri were to get injured”. As I said earlier Gundo as he advances in years, its more likely he’ll play from deeper IMO.

It’s nothing to do with attacking or defensive players being sexy it’s about squad balancing. We’ve invested a club record on a number six. We aren’t running out two windows later and buying another specialist one. Best case scenario for those who think it’s a priority will be us signing another Gundo type who can play deep or advanced.

It kind of comes back to the "Is Gundogan playing better or just scoring more?" debate. If you think (like he does) he was just as good as a 6, then there's no reason not to use him there.

Also it depends on the rest of the squad. Moving Gundogan to 6 now would be a terrible idea because we need his goals. Next season? With Sterling back in form and a couple of cold blooded killers like Haaland and Messi up front? You don't need 15 goals from Gundo.

 

[BillyShears]

Dahoud is wank. City aren't signing him IMO. Zakaria has been heavily linked for ages, so there must be some interest there.

 

[BillyShears]

It kind of comes back to the "Is Gundogan playing better or just scoring more?" debate. Moving Gundogan to 6 now would be a terrible idea because we need his goals. Next season? With Sterling back in form and a couple of cold blooded killers like Haaland and Messi up front? You don't need 15 goals from Gundo.

I love Gundo in the 6, not gonna lie. Maybe there's an element of confirmation bias in what I'm saying because of that.

 

[The1nvisibleMan]

Dahoud is wank. City aren't signing him IMO. Zakaria has been heavily linked for ages, so there must be some interest there.

I feel like we’ve always been linked with a DM from the Bundesliga. Remember Julian Weigl years back

 

[Tricky_Trev]

Possibly yeah, although he might be a year or two away, in which case we should be looking at someone in their early 30s willing to play a smaller role at a top club until he is.

For me, as crazy as it sounds to base a transfer policy on the progression of a kid that’s never played for us, we absolutely have to. Lavia appears to be unreal. Perhaps best in the world in his age bracket in his position. Since we are blessed to have such a kid, we have to plan a path for him to stay here long term. So with that in mind, there are only 3 solutions that make any sense whatsoever:

1. Extend Fernandinho’s contract for 1 more year. If we feel he’s up to it, this is the no-brainer decision. What it does mean however is that the Grealish signing only seems possible if someone like Mahrez were to leave.

2. Gundogan drops deeper to ‘replace’ Fernandinho, if we decide to let him go. Or if HE decides that’s what he wants. In this scenario, signing Grealish becomes more of a possibility.

3. Sign an ageing, experienced player to plug the gap until Lavia is ready.

Signing someone like Zakaria would be the worst move we could make. We’d either end up selling Zakaria or Rodri in the next 2 or 3 years, or we’d lose an exceptional talent in Lavia. Makes more sense to either use a player we already have or sign a short term option.