Joe Hart (joined Torino on season long loan - Official)

[BongoCityzen]

No point of keeping both Caballero and Bravo.Hart must stay here for another season at least.We can't afford to lose a HG player this summer

 

[FanchesterCity]

Why doesn't this world class coach, I don't know, actually coach Joe into the player he wants instead of just selling anyone that doesn't at first sight appear to be the correct player for his style. I see the advantage of a ball playing keeper and yes Bravo, Ter Stegen etc. are better at this but Hart is a top level keeper so will learn from training this and also the competition from another keeper like when he broke through.

As you can tell id be a little annoyed if Pep sold Hart it just seems like selling a HG keeper, we need HG players, that has a great history with the club just to sign another keeper who isn't a massive upgrade on Hart a little pointless and thinking to far into the Pep philosophy. I admit when he played Kolarov at cb I couldn't believe what I was seeing and i admit it made sense when seeing how we play, I'm 100% behind pep but I feel this is a bad move and I'm disappointed.

I have a lot of sympathy about the coaching bit - what's the point in being a coach if you're just going to spend to upgrade rather than coach...

However, you could also say that a really great coach can make a good assessment of a player and figure if something can be done, or if there's simply too little hope (if any).
A great swimming trainer won't turn you or me into Michael Phelps. Maybe Pep feels he could improve Joe, but not enough to reach the levels he's looking for?

The thing is, we've brought Pep in because (rightly or wrongly) he knows how to take a good team and make them a fantastic one, and that's going to mean breaking a few eggs in the process.
We know there's a transition period coming up (and we're probably already at the start of it) where some of the old guard will be replaced. In that respect, soon we will be saying goodbye to more familiar favourites, so in some respects, Joe will only be the start of things.
Is Pep perfect? I very much doubt it. I'm sure he will make mistakes along the way, and I'm sure the PL will test him. replacing Joe with (say) Bravo MIGHT be a mistake - only time will tell, but we have to trust that he'll get more things right than wrong.

Overall I think we have to assume Pep has no hidden agenda or axe to grind with Joe, but that he's seeing things behind closed doors (and on the pitch) that don't please him. We have to trust his judgment.
There's no harm in debating his decisions though - we're all speculating about the rationale - but I am sure there IS a rationale behind it.

 

[chaddblue]

Of course it could all be media bollocks and the truth is what we've actually heard Pep say ie he played Willy cos he's done more work on the training ground and he's got no problem with JH

 

[Edwin Edwin]

'But Pep can improve his ball playing..'.We're talking about ability on the ball..an inborn talent that a few GKs dont have..Hart's regressed in the past few years perhaps felt untouchable at the club..A good GK he is yes but not for a super club which we want to be..Yes he has the odd games where he makes fantastic saves..Letting emotions over reason is the worst thing we could do. The club needs to move on with or without him..Either you take his side or Pep's side no in between..Wish him well whatever the outcome.

 

[Len Rum]

Alex McLeish ( ex Birmingham manager) was on Sky Sports earlier this evening.
He said that when Joe was at Birmingham he would punch when he should catch. They coached it out of him and then he was OK.
Interesting.

 

[Cheadle_hulmeBlue]

'But Pep can improve his ball playing..'.We're talking about ability on the ball..an inborn talent that a few GKs dont have..Hart's regressed in the past few years perhaps felt untouchable at the club..A good GK he is yes but not for a super club which we want to be..Yes he has the odd games where he makes fantastic saves..Letting emotions over reason is the worst thing we could do. The club needs to move on with or without him..Either you take his side or Pep's side no in between..Wish him well whatever the outcome.

i dont agree or understand that view. he's been in the team of the year and won the golden glove, all whilst we have won things. surely thats good enough. if we weren't trying to play out of the back i think there is no chance we would be getting rid.

 

[FanchesterCity]

i do feel that things are rapidly turning into 'everything that is wrong with Joe Hart' - and that's harsh.
If he has weaknesses that mean he's not good enough for the absolute best teams in the world, fair enough - but City aren't at that level yet. If we have to sacrifice him in order to help us get to that level, so be it, but I don't think there's a need to rip him to shreds when he's been a bloody good servant overall, and he HAS helped us progress to this point. He has played a part and we should acknowledge that.

 

[Tricky Dickys Right Foot Shot]

Harts not been his consistent self or about 3 years, and personally we should have fucked him off when he and others gathered a coup against Mancini.......

He's done the business for us and has shown great pride playing for the club, but his ego has gotten too big for him to handle that he feels making mistakes here and there will come with no repercussions, but now his career is under threat at both club and international level....

It's not just his play that Pep doesn't like but clearly he doesn't like his attitude/personality (whichever you want to refer it to) either, and this was the same thing Mancini had problems with and always criticised him about.

He's 30 years old next year so I can't see him cutting the bad bits of his game out at this stage, he's suppose to be in his best years yet he's gone backwards from the player he was 4 years ago.

 

[FanchesterCity]

i dont agree or understand that view. he's been in the team of the year and won the golden glove, all whilst we have won things. surely thats good enough. if we weren't trying to play out of the back i think there is no chance we would be getting rid.

There's a couple of things there. Being in the team of the year doesn't make you a world beater. It makes you in the team of the year.
That was then, and this is now - things change!
The team of the year was very good, but it wasn't AS good as Barca or Real or Bayern etc - and that's the level we are aiming for. We have a lot more upgrading to do!

I'm dead against the 'let's all knock Joe Hart' stuff, but I do accept that any player is expendable in the quest to progress. I don't enjoy the decision Pep seems to be making, but I do understand it might be necessary.

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

i dont agree or understand that view. he's been in the team of the year and won the golden glove, all whilst we have won things. surely thats good enough. if we weren't trying to play out of the back i think there is no chance we would be getting rid.

Agreed. I knew Pep would break some eggs, but assumed guys like Yaya, Zabs, Nasri would be the leav-ees. Yaya's fits of pique have grated despite his brilliance; Zabs been a tremendous warrior -- one of my favorites ever -- but is getting up there age-wise so it'd be understandable; Nasri's had his share of injuries and lack of fitness. Any of those and I don't think I'd feel as emotionally-attached because there'd be good reasons. Hart was in here early doors and despite his limitations has more than made up for them. I know Pep has his own "good reasons" which are more football-knowledge based than mine. It's harder to see him go just because it's more of a surprise (to me, anyway). Tough to take but if it happens we have to move on.