How did we get played?Messi was the one we missed. Got played by Levy with the time it took.
Sensible, level headed take on thingsThis has not been a successful transfer window by any means. Khaldoon did envisage a window in which we signed a world class striker and this has not happened. Grealish has joined and this has met with the approval of all at the club and fans alike but he is not a world class striker. They are, in fact, few in number and the only one to move this summer was Lukaku, who did not interest us and whom we did not interest. That he went to Chelsea seems to have angered some City fans more than that he would not come here. Chelsea are viewed as a club who get things done whereas we are a club that doesn't! Chelsea fans take a different view but this does nothing to calm those who can only believe that City's failure to bring every player the club targets to the Etihad is the incompetence of those who conduct the club's business. This is, of course, grossly unfair and based on nothing other than frustration and prejudice.
It appears that City identified Haaland and Kane as the only two who could fill the void left by Sergio. It is clear that Sergio was not released because the club had already agreed a deal for one of these but because his fitness meant he was unlikely to be available for as many games as we wanted. He has signed for Barcelona and even though he has not kicked a ball for them and even though he had a more rigorous medical than is usual he will have been at Barcelona 3 months at the least before he can make his debut. Sad as it was, Sergio had to be replaced and it was not a foolish decision to release him before a successor was bought.
It was soon fairly clear that Haaland was going nowhere. Dortmund wouldn't sell and those aound him seemed determined to make a fortune out of it if he did move. Chelsea, the club to get things done, lost interest and looked elsewher. City "concentrated" on Kane but it does seem that Levy never had any intention of selling and the "negotiations" drifted on rather aimlessly. The charge that Txiki should have "moved on" is unreasonable because he is entitled to as whom he should have moved on to, since we didn't want Lukaku and he didn't want us. This is where assertions that Pep is very happy with the squad he has are likely to be true. If Haaland and Kane are the onlt two preferred to Jesus and Torres it sounds as though Pep is very pleased indeed with his squad and our squad is far and a way the best in the PL and probably Europe. There is no point in buying a striker who is worse than we already have.
This raises the question of Ronaldo. Many were convinced that this was panic buying because we had been "knocked back" by Kane. City do not buy anyone in panic. It would have been opportunistic had we bought him because he had not been a target at any time. The dealings with club and player never went far enough to result in a concrete offer, certainly not to Juventus and the idea that we did not get him simply because Txiki refused to cough up 25 million euros convinces only those who are determined to believe that our club doesn't actually know what it's doing, despite the evidence that when we pass on a player it is very soon shown to have been the right decision. I would like to have heard the discussions we had about Ronaldo.
Neither statement true, Messi to PSG was wrapped up way before he couldn’t sign for Barca. We tried Kane,Spurs refused to negotiate.So we missed out on Messi because we were focused on Kane but actually made no attempt to sign Kane? What the fuck were they doing all summer genuinely
Usual media feeding frenzy over nowt then ?Information I got mate that it was never happening from a City perspective
This is correct. But I think it's fair to suggest that strategy wise it's been a mess. They needed a LB, that was before the Mendy Court case. They needed a striker. They haven't delivered.
We have enough quality in our squad to win the title. But our rivals have strengthened. It will be very difficult, the club needed to give Pep a #9.
Pretty mature reply that. We went after a player who wasn't going to be sold at all (as confirmed by Pep). Do we need a striker? Yes. Can we do without one? Yes, but it's making Peps job tougher isn't it? Weren't we supposed to replace Aguero? I am not going on a rant against the management, but no harm in accepting that our striker pursuit wasn't ideal at all.
We had no chance at Messi because they were too prideful to go back in for him. Wasted all summer around Kane and they refused to negotiate. We only signed Grealish because he’s on a release clause. We’re fucking uselessNeither statement true, Messi to PSG was wrapped up way before he couldn’t sign for Barca. We tried Kane,Spurs refused to negotiate.
A striker is clearly far important though. Teams have improved we haven’t. Don’t seem to learnNeed is a funny old word.
People were absolutely adamant we needed a LB last summer, and we really needed a defensive midfielder, and quite a few people thought we needed a striker.
Turns out we didn't, did we? Walked the league, won a cup, best year ever in the CL.
Yeah meant we got played by the whole pursuit chasing a player who was never going to be sold.How did we get played?
Levy told us from the beginning he wasn't for sale unless a ridiculous bid came in. Us hoping he later changes his mind is not him playing us. It's us being fucking stupid
Need is a funny old word.
People were absolutely adamant we needed a LB last summer, and we really needed a defensive midfielder, and quite a few people thought we needed a striker.
Turns out we didn't, did we? Walked the league, won a cup, best year ever in the CL.
Bollocks.We had no chance at Messi because they were too prideful to go back in for him. Wasted all summer around Kane and they refused to negotiate. We only signed Grealish because he’s on a release clause. We’re fucking useless
Maybe we would have won the CL with one.Need is a funny old word.
People were absolutely adamant we needed a LB last summer, and we really needed a defensive midfielder, and quite a few people thought we needed a striker.
Turns out we didn't, did we? Walked the league, won a cup, best year ever in the CL.
Our transfer windows for the past few years have been mediocreBollocks.
Bollocks, time you got ignored.Our transfer windows for the past few years have been mediocre
What pisses me off has been the media narrative. They made is sound like it was almost a done deal. ( I know you shouldn't believe everything you read written by these cretinous journos )Usual media feeding frenzy over nowt then ?
Plug your ears then idcBollocks, time you got ignored.