It's Quiet Thread 15 - Txiki Blinders

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hgblue said:
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.
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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.
 
LangleyBlue1970 said:
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.
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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.
 
BillyShears said:
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.
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Hah, no that's Messi.
 
LangleyBlue1970 said:
Hah, no that's Messi.
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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
 
BillyShears said:
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.
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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.
 
domalino said:
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.
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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.
 
aguero93:20 said:
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.
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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.
 
BillyShears said:
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.
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I remember exactly the same being said when people pointed out how vulnerable we’d be ‘if Laporte got injured’, that didn’t end well. Football is moving on, rest and rotation is now part of being a successful squad, so going into a season with one DM is not an option for me. Someone like Declan Rice has huge potential, could challenge Rodri to keep him on his toes, is strong, quick, could be developed by Pep into a world class player and has the ability to be versatile in his role. Much better signing for me than someone like Grealish who plays in positions where we’re already strong.
 
The1nvisibleMan said:
I feel like we’ve always been linked with a DM from the Bundesliga. Remember Julian Weigl years back
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It's always important to try and read between the lines. Check players contractual situations, see if the rumours pass the smell test.

The Ings transfer is a good example. That story doesn't pass the smell test. Ings is 28, he's got a terrible injury record, and he's in a contract negotiation with Southampton. He'll want to be their best paid player and he'll want stupid money, whereas they have a strict wage structure. The City stories stink of his agent wanting to spook Southampton into making a daft offer.
 
BillyShears said:
It's always important to try and read between the lines. Check players contractual situations, see if the rumours pass the smell test.

The Ings transfer is a good example. That story doesn't pass the smell test. Ings is 28, he's got a terrible injury record, and he's in a contract negotiation with Southampton. He'll want to be their best paid player and he'll want stupid money, whereas they have a strict wage structure. The City stories stink of his agent wanting to spook Southampton into making a daft offer.
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Yeah but that’s always the fin of transfers for me. Reading all the endless guff coming out is wildly entertaining
 
The1nvisibleMan said:
I feel like we’ve always been linked with a DM from the Bundesliga. Remember Julian Weigl years back
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The Bundesliga is a league played in transitions. It's a league very much shaped by Klopp's Dortmund and Heynkes' Bayern.

For us, being good in transitions is 50% of a defensive midfielder's job, so regardless of any individual rumour being legit, it makes sense to shop there, especially if you want a foil for Rodri who is very good in possession and at stopping transitions, but can get caught out by them if they aren't immediately killed.
 
domalino said:
The Bundesliga is a league played in transitions. It's a league very much shaped by Klopp's Dortmund and Heynkes' Bayern.

For us, being good in transitions is 50% of a defensive midfielder's job, so regardless of any individual rumour being legit, it makes sense to shop there, especially if you want a foil for Rodri who is very good in possession and at stopping transitions, but can get caught out by them if they aren't immediately killed.
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Yeah 100%. I just think it’s funny how we’ve been shopping there for a DM for years and have yet to actually buy one
 
hgblue said:
I remember exactly the same being said when people pointed out how vulnerable we’d be ‘if Laporte got injured’, that didn’t end well. Football is moving on, rest and rotation is now part of being a successful squad, so going into a season with one DM is not an option for me. Someone like Declan Rice has huge potential, could challenge Rodri to keep him on his toes, is strong, quick, could be developed by Pep into a world class player and has the ability to be versatile in his role. Much better signing for me than someone like Grealish who plays in positions where we’re already strong.
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City aren't dropping a record fee on Rice IMO. Would feel a bit mental and OTT after signing Rodri for a record fee at the age he's at.

Laporte getting injured was terrible bad luck but City went into that season knowing the risks, and the risks were without Laporte there's literally not a fit for purpose centre back in the squad. Otamendi was done and Stones was permanently injured.

That's won't be the case with Fernandinho IMO because either Gundo will be the player and they'll buy an 8, or they'll buy someone like Zakaria who can play 6&8.
 
BillyShears said:
City aren't dropping a record fee on Rice IMO. Would feel a bit mental and OTT after signing Rodri for a record fee at the age he's at.

Laporte getting injured was terrible bad luck but City went into that season knowing the risks, and the risks were without Laporte there's literally not a fit for purpose centre back in the squad. Otamendi was done and Stones was permanently injured.

That's won't be the case with Fernandinho IMO because either Gundo will be the player and they'll buy an 8, or they'll buy someone like Zakaria who can play 6&8.
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Is aouar an option still? Fits this bill for me. Notable he stayed put at Lyon last season despite being a standout young player in a CL semifinalist
 
BillyShears said:
I suspect that Gundo will be used when Rodri is injured in the 6 and we'll end up signing another 8. Grealish probably.
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This makes sense and gives pep what he craves, flexibility, Gundo another year older, time to see if the academy produces what we think it will produce for that 6 role as Back up for Rodri and plenty of movement and options in the front line.

There would also be the fall back of pushing stones into the 6 role when desperate, and dare I say it but Zinchenko is more than capable and reads the game well (very underrated in my opinion).

Many many options including not signing anyone in midfield; but my money would be on what you say above - developing a really flexible, interchangeable set of players is peps way.
 
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