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[Regista21]

I'm of the opinion that City should just have paid for Cucurella. 2022-23 is a crucial season in City's zeitgeist. It might be Pep's last season, but also the one where the team has some of the best opportunities to seize two HUGE victories: The three-peat of the Premier League and the UCL. Almost all conditions are there. The team has hit maturity. It now has two new players - Haaland and Alvarez - who are prolific scorers (Maybe the biggest problem of last seasons). And the World Cup stop might allow several players to rest and the team to reach the final of the season at best shape. The single biggest problem City faces now is the lack of depth for the fullbacks.
Cucurella would solve all problems, because he's a former Barcelona player. Understands really well the way Pep likes to play. Can play both as a LB and as a CB (in a 3-CB defense, similar to the way City was playing). Well... He would be the perfect player to give the squad the defensive depth necessary with minimum period of adaptation.
Now, the team is in the hands of destiny. A Cancelo or Walker injury at any moment could kill the entire season, similar to what (almost) happened in 2021-22. Slowly, what should be one of the best windows is becoming a possible nightmare.

 

[FromPollockToSilva]

I'm of the opinion that City should just have paid for Cucurella. 2022-23 is a crucial season in City's zeitgeist. It might be Pep's last season, but also the one where the team has some of the best opportunities to seize two HUGE victories: The three-peat of the Premier League and the UCL. Almost all conditions are there. The team has hit maturity. It now has two new players - Haaland and Alvarez - who are prolific scorers (Maybe the biggest problem of last seasons). And the World Cup stop might allow several players to rest and the team to reach the final of the season at best shape. The single biggest problem City faces now is the lack of depth for the fullbacks.
Cucurella would solve all problems, because he's a former Barcelona player. Understands really well the way Pep likes to play. Can play both as a LB and as a CB (in a 3-CB defense, similar to the way City was playing). Well... He would be the perfect player to give the squad the defensive depth necessary with minimum period of adaptation.
Now, the team is in the hands of destiny. A Cancelo or Walker injury at any moment could kill the entire season, similar to what (almost) happened in 2021-22. Slowly, what should be one of the best windows is becoming a possible nightmare.

In 2006/7 we brought in:

• Andreas Isaksson
• Bernardo Corradi
• Dietmar Hamann
• Hatem Trabelsi
• Ousmane Dabo
• Paul Dickov
• Michael Ball

And, mercifully, Joe Hart and Emile Mpenza.

THAT was a nightmare

 

[Dax777]

Reguilon has been banished to the youth team as spurs are trying to get rid of him so probably available relatively cheaply.
Is he worth considering?

Gomez will be the truth. We are good :)

 

[Dax777]

I'm of the opinion that City should just have paid for Cucurella. 2022-23 is a crucial season in City's zeitgeist. It might be Pep's last season, but also the one where the team has some of the best opportunities to seize two HUGE victories: The three-peat of the Premier League and the UCL. Almost all conditions are there. The team has hit maturity. It now has two new players - Haaland and Alvarez - who are prolific scorers (Maybe the biggest problem of last seasons). And the World Cup stop might allow several players to rest and the team to reach the final of the season at best shape. The single biggest problem City faces now is the lack of depth for the fullbacks.
Cucurella would solve all problems, because he's a former Barcelona player. Understands really well the way Pep likes to play. Can play both as a LB and as a CB (in a 3-CB defense, similar to the way City was playing). Well... He would be the perfect player to give the squad the defensive depth necessary with minimum period of adaptation.
Now, the team is in the hands of destiny. A Cancelo or Walker injury at any moment could kill the entire season, similar to what (almost) happened in 2021-22. Slowly, what should be one of the best windows is becoming a possible nightmare.

Gomez will be a better player in 22/23 :) Gomez is also an ex-barcelona player, and he is technically superior, faster and q better crosser. Don't sleep on the his Gem.


Signed!
Dax777
President Sergio Gomez Clapper club

 

[Keepingthefaithsince1976]

I'm of the opinion that City should just have paid for Cucurella. 2022-23 is a crucial season in City's zeitgeist. It might be Pep's last season, but also the one where the team has some of the best opportunities to seize two HUGE victories: The three-peat of the Premier League and the UCL. Almost all conditions are there. The team has hit maturity. It now has two new players - Haaland and Alvarez - who are prolific scorers (Maybe the biggest problem of last seasons). And the World Cup stop might allow several players to rest and the team to reach the final of the season at best shape. The single biggest problem City faces now is the lack of depth for the fullbacks.
Cucurella would solve all problems, because he's a former Barcelona player. Understands really well the way Pep likes to play. Can play both as a LB and as a CB (in a 3-CB defense, similar to the way City was playing). Well... He would be the perfect player to give the squad the defensive depth necessary with minimum period of adaptation.
Now, the team is in the hands of destiny. A Cancelo or Walker injury at any moment could kill the entire season, similar to what (almost) happened in 2021-22. Slowly, what should be one of the best windows is becoming a possible nightmare.

Pep may have agreed not to pay that much.

 

[skillman]

I'm of the opinion that City should just have paid for Cucurella. 2022-23 is a crucial season in City's zeitgeist. It might be Pep's last season, but also the one where the team has some of the best opportunities to seize two HUGE victories: The three-peat of the Premier League and the UCL. Almost all conditions are there. The team has hit maturity. It now has two new players - Haaland and Alvarez - who are prolific scorers (Maybe the biggest problem of last seasons). And the World Cup stop might allow several players to rest and the team to reach the final of the season at best shape. The single biggest problem City faces now is the lack of depth for the fullbacks.
Cucurella would solve all problems, because he's a former Barcelona player. Understands really well the way Pep likes to play. Can play both as a LB and as a CB (in a 3-CB defense, similar to the way City was playing). Well... He would be the perfect player to give the squad the defensive depth necessary with minimum period of adaptation.
Now, the team is in the hands of destiny. A Cancelo or Walker injury at any moment could kill the entire season, similar to what (almost) happened in 2021-22. Slowly, what should be one of the best windows is becoming a possible nightmare.

Signed one of the best, if not the best, young strikers in world football in a cut-price deal while adding a genuine international and Premier League proven midfielder, a back-up goalkeeper for free who excelled in the Bundesliga to bring much-needed competition for Ederson as well as the best/a hungry South American talent for a bargain price but because we didn't have our pants pulled down and bollocks tickled by Brighton for a guy who's played one season it's a 'nightmare' window?

Come on mate. I wanted Cucurella as much as the next guy but I applaud the club for not going to £62MILLION for him.

It would have been a dangerous precedent to set if we would've paid it and clubs will have seen it as a way to just set a fee and stick to it thinking we'd pay it anyway. It would've undone all the hard work of walking away from Maguire, Fred, Sanchez, Koulibaly etc. for the sake of Cucurella.

Fair play to Brighton and Bloom, they got the price they wanted but through luck of a desperate Chelsea club determined to make a mark with new owners.

Personally I'm glad we're better run than that. We have a price and we move on if it doesn't suit.

 

[Regista21]

Signed one of the best, if not the best, young strikers in world football in a cut-price deal while adding a genuine international and Premier League proven midfielder, a back-up goalkeeper for free who excelled in the Bundesliga to bring much-needed competition for Ederson as well as the best/a hungry South American talent for a bargain price but because we didn't have our pants pulled down and bollocks tickled by Brighton for a guy who's played one season it's a 'nightmare' window?

Come on mate. I wanted Cucurella as much as the next guy but I applaud the club for not going to £62MILLION for him.

It would have been a dangerous precedent to set if we would've paid it and clubs will have seen it as a way to just set a fee and stick to it thinking we'd pay it anyway. It would've undone all the hard work of walking away from Maguire, Fred, Sanchez, Koulibaly etc. for the sake of Cucurella.

Fair play to Brighton and Bloom, they got the price they wanted but through luck of a desperate Chelsea club determined to make a mark with new owners.

Personally I'm glad we're better run than that. We have a price and we move on if it doesn't suit.

Here the biggest problem was timing. Man City went to this window with 4 obvious needs. In order of relevance - (1) Signing a proper striker. Because we also sold Jesus, we signed two. OK (2) Get at least one new fullback. Because we also sold Zinchenko, we need at least two. (3) Sign a new back-up CDM. We did it with Kalvin Phillips. OK. (4) Sign a nw back-up GK. We did it with Ortega. OK.
As we can see, the window has been good, but the management of the fullback situation is really bad.
Cucurella was the missing puzzle to solve it. He filled all the boxes. Wanted to play here. Knows the system and would adapt fast. Can play in more than one position. Has some of the best stats for fullbacks on the planet, both defensively and offensivily.
City should have paid the 50mi original asking price and solve the issue, because it was highly unlikely that no one would make a move for him. Chelsea had hinted they would move for Cucurella way before they actually entered the race.
2016-17 was a season where City suffered deeply from fullbacks problems. 2019-20 was a season where the team suffered deeply from the lack of depth in one position (CB). 2021-22 the team lost the UCL and almost lost PL because of problems in the defensive sector.
I believe solving the defensive issues should be, by far, the biggest priority, because as history tells, City always lose because it's defense break in moments of tension or because an injury prone squad left Guardiola having to fill the roles with improvised players. You can't realistically think you're gonna win the UCL playing with improvised players.

 

[Dax777]

Signed one of the best, if not the best, young strikers in world football in a cut-price deal while adding a genuine international and Premier League proven midfielder, a back-up goalkeeper for free who excelled in the Bundesliga to bring much-needed competition for Ederson as well as the best/a hungry South American talent for a bargain price but because we didn't have our pants pulled down and bollocks tickled by Brighton for a guy who's played one season it's a 'nightmare' window?

The whole thing blows my mind. It's an amazing window by any standard. And now I believe it is complete:)

 

[skillman]

Here the biggest problem was timing. Man City went to this window with 4 obvious needs. In order of relevance - (1) Signing a proper striker. Because we also sold Jesus, we signed two. OK (2) Get at least one new fullback. Because we also sold Zinchenko, we need at least two. (3) Sign a new back-up CDM. We did it with Kalvin Phillips. OK. (4) Sign a nw back-up GK. We did it with Ortega. OK.
As we can see, the window has been good, but the management of the fullback situation is really bad.
Cucurella was the missing puzzle to solve it. He filled all the boxes. Wanted to play here. Knows the system and would adapt fast. Can play in more than one position. Has some of the best stats for fullbacks on the planet, both defensively and offensivily.
City should have paid the 50mi original asking price and solve the issue, because it was highly unlikely that no one would make a move for him. Chelsea had hinted they would move for Cucurella way before they actually entered the race.
2016-17 was a season where City suffered deeply from fullbacks problems. 2019-20 was a season where the team suffered deeply from the lack of depth in one position (CB). 2021-22 the team lost the UCL and almost lost PL because of problems in the defensive sector.
I believe solving the defensive issues should be, by far, the biggest priority, because as history tells, City always lose because it's defense break in moments of tension or because an injury prone squad left Guardiola having to fill the roles with improvised players. You can't realistically think you're gonna win the UCL playing with improvised players.

The CL is a cup competition. Simple as that. When we lost in the final to Chelsea, that was the first game we'd lost in that season's competition. That's not about players being square pegs in round holes or we'd have fallen way before the final, that's just on the day that we got it wrong tactically.

On the Real Madrid game, it was Cancelo who fucked up twice for two of their goals while playing in his natural right-back position.

We've just sold Zinchenko who is an attacking midfielder as a left-back for £45m - Pep is a genius and improves anybody he comes up with. Gomez has had a season at LB already and will continue to improve just by coming here. He also bring versatility in most of the areas in the rest of the pitch. Also, I know he gets shit but would it really be fair to drop Cancelo from left back when he's just coming off the back of a TOTS inclusion?

I agree with you, though, in the sense of Cucurella being perfect for us but that doesn't mean we should bend over and pay astronomically. Another thing to consider too - Chelsea were going to get him either way, they will have always offered more than we would've done. As happened with the players I mentioned (Maguire, Fred, Sanchez) and we'd have moved on anyway.

 

[rodders1973]

We shouldn't have allowed zinchenko to leave before getting someone in 1st. Because that's where the problem started everyone knew we were desperate for a LB prices rocketed.