Jack Byrne signs permanently for Wigan

[lancs blue]

Not having been anywhere near a premier league first team squad I have no idea how easy it is to have senior professionals around not being involved, but maybe that's part of the problem.
But I can see us getting rid of Cabellero, Zabaleta, Sagna, Clichy, Toure, Fernando, Navas and maybe Delph and Nolito. So 7/9 out. And maybe just bringing in 2 full backs a centre back, a centre midfield. So 4 in.
That would make it easier to have younger players in the squad and on the bench at least, players like Garcia, Roberts, Maffeo, Adaraibiyo, Gunn, and one or two of the younger ones.

Genuine question, would those changes strengthen or weaken the overall quality of the squad, in your opinion? Because that is what Pep and the coaching staff have to decide. It's not an easy assessment and if they go with youth and get it wrong, well the meltdown on here will be unforgiving. I would love to see a City first XI in the next few years with 7 or 8 academy graduates in it, but realistically having 2 or 3 in there would be a very commendable achievement.

 

[blueparrot]

Genuine question, would those changes strengthen or weaken the overall quality of the squad, in your opinion? Because that is what Pep and the coaching staff have to decide. It's not an easy assessment and if they go with youth and get it wrong, well the meltdown on here will be unforgiving. I would love to see a City first XI in the next few years with 7 or 8 academy graduates in it, but realistically having 2 or 3 in there would be a very commendable achievement.

Off the top of my head I think it would be stronger. We would still have experienced cover for centre back with Otamendi, Kolarov. Same with left back. Fernandinho would still be available for centre midfield. So if the 2 ful backs centre back and centre midfield players brought in are better than what we have now I don't see us being weaker. The only position lacking cover if Maffeo isn't a success is right back.

 

[RayCTID]

I get the points twoslips and Cobra are making and the door shouldn't be completely slammed shut but bottom line is there shouldn't be any guarantees or shortcuts for any academy graduates playing first team football either and if the gaffer has his doubts about them there are very good reasons for that to be the case.

 

[domalino]

I think Byrne is probably the first example of a player moving on through frustration to be honest. We may start to see a lot of this, whether we agree or not, if these youngsters (and bear in mind they're youngster who have constantly out-performed their peers, many now playing in the PL) don't feel there is a chance they'll get anything more than one 15 minute sub appearance.

We have to be careful because we risk being nothing more than a finishing school for these talented kids in the lower age groups. What's to stop a parent sending their kid to City between 12 and 17 and then telling them to sign a scholarship somewhere else knowing they'll be possibly the best u18 at their new club and have a vastly easier chance at quick progression through the ranks? It will happen if we don't project the right message and all this investment will have been futile.

Not sure I agree with this tbh. His loan to Cambuur was at what, 18, just turned 19? I don't think you can say he was frustrated that he didn't go to the first team before that loan.


Then as soon as he arrived back, he went to Blackburn...29th June 2016, literally before the transfer window opened. Before Pep's first day.

And then after that didn't go well, he was here for a week before leaving permanently.



When exactly did he even have time to become frustrated? I can't believe he'd have expected first team action back in 14/15, and he's not been at the club since. It appeared that he pushed through the Blackburn loan ASAP because he didn't want to come back and have a season like Aleix Garcia is currently having, and I completely understand why, but I can't blame the club either.


It's felt like he's basically wanted to just get on with playing every week since he didn't even stick around for pre-season, and I don't begrudge him that, but similarly, how can Pep bring him through if he's never had a chance to even meet him?

Byrne has always come across as an incredibly driven individual and I just think that's what this is. He doesn't want to take what might appear to be a step backwards, but if you want to come through at a big club you have to have the patience to last at least a season on the fringes coming through. Either that or have such a good premier league loan that you're like a senior signing.

I'm still disappointed, I think he's easily a Premier League type player and the sort Pep would really like, but we'll likely never know now. Fingers crossed there's some sort of buy-back clause.

 

[mikemcfcwilde]

I think Byrne is probably the first example of a player moving on through frustration to be honest. We may start to see a lot of this, whether we agree or not, if these youngsters (and bear in mind they're youngster who have constantly out-performed their peers, many now playing in the PL) don't feel there is a chance they'll get anything more than one 15 minute sub appearance.

We have to be careful because we risk being nothing more than a finishing school for these talented kids in the lower age groups. What's to stop a parent sending their kid to City between 12 and 17 and then telling them to sign a scholarship somewhere else knowing they'll be possibly the best u18 at their new club and have a vastly easier chance at quick progression through the ranks? It will happen if we don't project the right message and all this investment will have been futile.

Some of the players are just not good enough, I think more people should accept that.

Yes we would all love to see a team full on Mancs but that's not going to happen, the same way every youngster is not going to make it with us.

Does he deserve to be closer to the first team than Aleix Garcia? No I don't think so

Garcia is behind Delph, Toure, Ferna 1 & 2 and Gundogan when he's back. I'm not even sure Bryne is half the player Garcia is, Bryne was a likable guy mostly that's why I think there's this outrage.

I know people say he can play number 10 aswell but he was never going to be good enough in that role to dislodge the players we already have and the much more talented generation we have coming up.

My opinion anyway.

 

[Rolee]

With Zab and Sagna most likely leaving this summer, I'd be absolutely astonished if Maffeo isn't at least our second choice in that position.

Same, I always felt the signing of Sagna was part of a succession plan to pave the way for Maffeo to step up.

 

[blueincy]

Good Luck Jack!!

One of the successful ones (We got Money for him and not let go on a free) Never forget where you've come here from..

Hope this isn't a route for the rags to steal our best young players like times of old putting Joyce there.. Me and my conspiracy theories hahaha

 

[WNRH]

The comments from people such as 'oh well he probably won't make it at City, so it's a good move for him' are completely missing the point.

The point is: he has never had a chance.

Is he a good footballer ? Yes. Intelligent ? Yes. Willing to track back ? Yes. Tough ? Yes. Can he score goals ? Yes. Good enough to be on the bench for City for 40 games last season a brought through ? YES. Bad enough to cost City everything if we'd played him in a few games ? No fucking way, he's a good player. Spare place in squad for him, so it would have cost nothing to give him a chance ? Yes.

We have lost several whole generations of talented footballers, of whom about 6,7 maybe 10, should have worn City's first team shirt, on several occasions before being judged or discarded.

Now, as some of us predicted, those kids have a queue of talented 16, 17, 18 year olds behind them, who all need football. They are 20 years old or more now, & nobody knows a fucking thing about them at City, other than they haven't set the world on fire whilst on loan (well some have but it didn't fucking matter).

Clearly, hardly any are going to get a chance. They are the equivalent of the bloke in the 4 hour queue for the rollercoaster, who gets to the kiosk & realises he's lost his wallet. They did everything asked of them, outperformed the Rashfords & cockneys who we now see in the Prem, knocked Sané & his mates out of europe & were rewarded by fuck all. Stick 'em on stage & tell the world how great our academy is, then fuck them off.

It's not on.

If they were at the swamp, they would have had first team football & even if they didn't make it, their abilitues would be known, not completely unknown, & therefore they would be worth money.

We have done EVERYTHING wrong.

Pep, pease don't ignore the next bunch like the previous manager did. It's criminal.

Why can't you seem to realise he did have a chance, he was at City for a good five years and had two loan spells, they have assessed him more than any potential signing and he has been deemed not good enough.

Some people really need to get in into their heads that having a good game in the EDS or for some sub standard Dutch team and then ultimately not getting in a struggling soon to be League One side is not the barometer to play for Manchester City on a regular basis!!

 

[Neville Kneville]

Why can't you seem to realise he did have a chance, he was at City for a good five years and had two loan spells, they have assessed him more than any potential signing and he has been deemed not good enough.

Some people really need to get in into their heads that having a good game in the EDS or for some sub standard Dutch team and then ultimately not getting in a struggling soon to be League One side is not the barometer to play for Manchester City on a regular basis!!

It's a fucking good measure to get on the pitch & that is the only true assessment that means anything, as shown by Rashford who wouldn't have got in any of our teams at any level.

 

[WNRH]

It's a fucking good measure to get on the pitch & that is the only true assessment that means anything, as shown by Rashford who wouldn't have got in any of our teams at any level.

The last bit just sums up the whole debacle of this thread. Of course Marcus Rasford wouldn't get in ahead of Lukas fucking Nmchea or Brandon Barker, deary me.