Josko Gvardiol

[Blue and true]

So much for 48 hours I guess….lol

More fool anyone that believed him.

 

[doobyedoobye]

Of course.... My comment was part of a chain relating to how much was invested to 'persuade' Pep Guardiola to join City.

The football investments were a different matter, but without Pep they'd be nowhere near as profitable as they have been.

The non-football investments will possibly be more important to the owners in the 'long term' than the football club.

I don't understand the use of the phrase you used previously - "huge gamble." I may have misunderstood, but you sound like you are suggesting our leadership team behaved recklessly in relation to Pep's appointment..?

 

[LongsightM13]

Has the feel of the Kane transfer attempt.

We offered an amount, they want their valuation met, we won't go higher.

It's a stalemate. We haven't walked away as such otherwise we would have briefed that to the local pack, however looks like City are hoping they lower the value - but looking like they won't.

Who could be plan b for Gvardiol's role?

According to @tolmie's hairdoo it’s not the amount but that they’ve changed the payment terms, now want nearly all of it upfront. Which is pretty insane in the modern landscape

 

[argyle]

According to @tolmie's hairdoo it’s not the amount but that they’ve changed the payment terms, now want nearly all of it upfront. Which is pretty insane in the modern landscape

You're right, I forgot, I'll edit it.

 

[Invisible Man's Bandage]

According to @tolmie's hairdoo it’s not the amount but that they’ve changed the payment terms, now want nearly all of it upfront. Which is pretty insane in the modern landscape

Maybe not insane though.

As his higher buyout clause kicks in next summer they can probably afford to take a chance that it is met as that will involve the entire fee being paid in one go.

 

[Blue warrior]

If only we had him last season. Shame we missed out on the treble

That’s history now and has no bearing on our future!

 

[RayCTID]

Still got our defence intact. I am still not sure Walker will move and if he does it would be either Pavard or another player. I still don't think Gvardiol is a make or break signing.

 

[Nicholas van Whatsisface]

Soriano and Bergiristain were brought into the club in late 2012, after our first PL title, and set about derailing work planned by Roberto Mancini by botching a number of transfers.
Manuel Pellegrini won the PL with a few additions but retained the spine of Mancini's team.
Meanwhile, work was underway to attract Pep to join his friends at City, the signings of both Raheem Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne were effectively 'preparing for Pep'

Mancini and Pellegrini fully deserve credit for their achievements, despite being sidelined in the preparations for Pep.

The owners saw Pep and the Barcelona background team as the 'model' and moved heaven and earth to get them to Manchester City.

I don't see that as being 'astute', I think it was a huge gamble that has paid off big time.

To be honest, I think it would be more 'astute' for the owners to start selling off sections of the City Group before Pep sets off into the sunset. If they don't get new appointments right, you can guarantee there's a bloody big cliff edge waiting for us when he goes.

Interesting take.

Absolutely bizarre at several key points in your analysis, and definitely betrays a potential agenda - but it’s always interesting to hear counter arguments to the prevailing narrative.

This place would be boring if we all thought in exactly the same way!

I would challenge your assertion that our owners success is purely down to being lucky and rich - although they are definitely both those things too, as any successful person is.

I’m not going to detail it here, but Chairman’s track record in business would suggest he’s an incredibly talented and astute commercial operator. And whilst undoubtedly surrounded with a team of expensive advisors, our owner has made several investments which are frankly staggering in the returns they’ve delivered for him. Once or twice could be considered lucky - more than that, and you have to acknowledge a pattern which indicates a lot more than pure dumb luck.

What they’ve also proven to be very successful at is seeing a golden opportunity out of a potentially disastrous situation, and seizing the momentum to dizzying effect.

Sheikh Mansour’s 2008 investment in Barclays would be an excellent example of this.

Another excellent example would be the turmoil at Barcelona following Sandro Rossell’s successful campaign for the Presidency in 2010.

At which point - having looked completely off the table and out of reach for years - the most successful commercial and sporting football leadership team in the World at that time, which included Pep, Txiki and Berrada, and had previously included Ferran Soriano, suddenly became available.

Our owners saw the opportunity, and were systematic in securing it.

It was as far from a gamble as any set of appointments - certainly including the appointment of Mancini - and was as close to a sure thing as was available at the time.

The fact they brought them all in together again gave the plan an ever greater chance at success.

And the results have been astonishing - from both a sporting and a commercial angle. Top of the Deloitte Football money league two years on the bounce - ahead of Madrid, Bayern, United, Liverpool - the most successful team in European club football last season, and an excellent net spend position.

We are the envy of the footballing world.

I would see our owner’s investment as another in a long line of smart investments they have made across their business portfolio, and a great example of their capacity to see the potential in a situation others may view as a complete mess.

 

[SilverFox2]

They have the money to compete. So does Chelsea, Liverpool etc. We didn’t just throw money to get Pep, we tailored every act, decision in the right way to get Pep.

It’s all well and good having the budget, but you need a blueprint too. For some, they’ve only had the former.

Buying a team of expensive stars is one way to create a team but getting them to act as a team is often something money cannot buy.

 

[SilverFox2]

According to @tolmie's hairdoo it’s not the amount but that they’ve changed the payment terms, now want nearly all of it upfront. Which is pretty insane in the modern landscape

Do yyou think that our compliance with their upfront cash demands would bring the full price down?
By that I mean add ons are performance related so we take the risk which affects the price negatively.