Leroy Sané

[TexasCityzen]

Mehhh....Pass. We've got a couple younger prospects that fit the mold. We need established, top-class players this summer - Not projects.

 

[Gareth Barry Conlon]

Mehhh....Pass. We've got a couple younger prospects that fit the mold. We need established, top-class players this summer - Not projects.

Not many of those about though that arent already at top Spanish - German teams! This window is going to be a difficult one for many clubs.

 

[oakiecokie]

Mehhh....Pass. We've got a couple younger prospects that fit the mold. We need established, top-class players this summer - Not projects.

You sound like a disgruntled Rag than a Blue.

 

[Dax777]

I think with total domination of most football matches KDB/Sterling/Silva or Nasri + 1 (preferably someone like Sanchez who could cover for Aguero along with Kalechi) as our wide AM options, plus good fullbacks results in more goals scored and less conceded than having less control in CM - and only having Gundogan as our recognised 'midfield maestro' in there means less control. Plus he will get injured and then we're left with the Ferns and Silva or Nasri or KDB ie. exactly where we are now.

Give Aguero a constant stream of attacks and he will have his best goalscoring season to date. He has been feeding on scraps and having to conjure up his own goals far too long. He is the best goalscoring ST on the planet. Bayern's domination of games has led some people to think Lewandowski is better than Aguero. That's utter nonsense imo. Aguero is a better goalscorer than Suarez nvm Lewandowski

KDB is another with crazy end product who doesn't get enough of the ball. We don't get the maximum out of our current best players as a result of a flaky midfield.

Having KDB and a Sanchez and then 2 fast young wingers in Sterling and Sane (mirroring Bayern to some degree with Robben/Ribery/Coman/Costa) would be ideal, esp given Silva and Nasri can play there too without issue, but I don't think it's worth if it means not creating an immense CM. And we will (rightly) be signing a CB and a FB

My attitude is: We finally have Pep. He loves midfielders. He loves control. Let's create the best CM we possibly can for him.

I don't want to go into big games next season wondering how we're going to get our forwards on the ball. I want to go to Barca/Real/Bayern thinking if we play well we can dominate possession. Hell, we don't tend to win the midfield battle against even Arsenal. I don't think Gundogan - who I love - is enough.

I'll stop rambling now.

I think our biggest problem this year has been the decline of Yaya, the season long injury woes of Silva and Nasri, the DeBryune layoff, and the use of Kolarov. Losing possession was a function of all these rather than a weak midfield persee.

I think too many are misdiagnosing the problem. Here is how we control in midfield.

1. Players who can posses the ball comfortably in the back:
a. Denayer/ to replace an aging Zab, Sagna to back him up.
b. Gaya/Peirrera (or some other possession proficient LB) to replace Kolarov. This I believe will cause the biggest upgrade in our possession.
c. Laporte a CB who can bring the ball out of the back. Kompany and Ota are decent at it, add Laporte and you have 3 guys who are decent to very good at it.

The above alone, will increase our possession potential by leaps and bounds.

Midfield: We need a Maestro to cover the Yaya of 3 years ago. Gundogan is one of the best at that. Nasri is pretty close, but not as explosive. Frankly no one we can get will mirror Yaya's explosiveness of 3 years ago. However we can easily replace his possesion and vision. Hence Gundogan, or Koke, or Kroos. Really their are a multitude of fantastic players who coul do the possession perhaps even better than Yaya. And with a higher defensive work rate to boot.

But the explosiveness of Yaya will have to be replaced on the wings. We need speed and trickery in bucket loads. I'm much more interested in players 25 and younger. So Gundogan should be our oldest recruit. We need players like Laporte, Sane, Griezmann, Isco, Pogba, Gaya, Bernat, Denayer, Stones, Koke, Niguez and the like.

I'm not so high on Alexis Sanchez to be honest. He is 27. We need 5 years before 30 for the most part.

 

[MeatHunterrr]

I think our biggest problem this year has been the decline of Yaya, the season long injury woes of Silva and Nasri, the DeBryune layoff, and the use of Kolarov. Losing possession was a function of all these rather than a weak midfield persee.

I think too many are misdiagnosing the problem. Here is how we control in midfield.

1. Players who can posses the ball comfortably in the back:
a. Denayer/ to replace an aging Zab, Sagna to back him up.
b. Gaya/Peirrera (or some other possession proficient LB) to replace Kolarov. This I believe will cause the biggest upgrade in our possession.
c. Laporte a CB who can bring the ball out of the back. Kompany and Ota are decent at it, add Laporte and you have 3 guys who are decent to very good at it.

The above alone, will increase our possession potential by leaps and bounds.

Midfield: We need a Maestro to cover the Yaya of 3 years ago. Gundogan is one of the best at that. Nasri is pretty close, but not as explosive. Frankly no one we can get will mirror Yaya's explosiveness of 3 years ago. However we can easily replace his possesion and vision. Hence Gundogan, or Koke, or Kroos. Really their are a multitude of fantastic players who coul do the possession perhaps even better than Yaya. And with a higher defensive work rate to boot.

But the explosiveness of Yaya will have to be replaced on the wings. We need speed and trickery in bucket loads. I'm much more interested in players 25 and younger. So Gundogan should be our oldest recruit. We need players like Laporte, Sane, Griezmann, Isco, Pogba, Gaya, Bernat, Denayer, Stones, Koke, Niguez and the like.

I'm not so high on Alexis Sanchez to be honest. He is 27. We need 5 years before 30 for the most part.

Barca signed Suarez when he was 27 I think for big money, didn't do them much harm.

 

[Dax777]

Barca signed Suarez when he was 27 I think for big money, didn't do them much harm.

Never said there was anything wrong with old players. I'm just thinking ahead here, if we have Pep for 3 years, you want the players he drilled to mostly be entering their peak in 3 years, not coming off it.

If you have Denayer, Laporte, Gaya, Griezmann, Sane, DeBryune, Kelechi, Gundogan, Sterling all in their mid to late 20s all just hitting their peak as Pep heads to go takeover the Spain National team's job we could be tops for 4 -5 years just adding One top player here and there. This is how Barca did it. Had a core of 20-23 year olds for 4 years then added top players as needed. I.E your earlier mentioned Suarez.

We want to be the team adding Lucas Bosali or whoever is the next Super player lounging on a none top club in 3 years. Just as Aguero is leaving.

Plan ahead! It's the only way.

 

[cityboy1]

I think our biggest problem this year has been the decline of Yaya, the season long injury woes of Silva and Nasri, the DeBryune layoff, and the use of Kolarov. Losing possession was a function of all these rather than a weak midfield persee.

I think too many are misdiagnosing the problem. Here is how we control in midfield.

1. Players who can posses the ball comfortably in the back:
a. Denayer/ to replace an aging Zab, Sagna to back him up.
b. Gaya/Peirrera (or some other possession proficient LB) to replace Kolarov. This I believe will cause the biggest upgrade in our possession.
c. Laporte a CB who can bring the ball out of the back. Kompany and Ota are decent at it, add Laporte and you have 3 guys who are decent to very good at it.

The above alone, will increase our possession potential by leaps and bounds.

Midfield: We need a Maestro to cover the Yaya of 3 years ago. Gundogan is one of the best at that. Nasri is pretty close, but not as explosive. Frankly no one we can get will mirror Yaya's explosiveness of 3 years ago. However we can easily replace his possesion and vision. Hence Gundogan, or Koke, or Kroos. Really their are a multitude of fantastic players who coul do the possession perhaps even better than Yaya. And with a higher defensive work rate to boot.

But the explosiveness of Yaya will have to be replaced on the wings. We need speed and trickery in bucket loads. I'm much more interested in players 25 and younger. So Gundogan should be our oldest recruit. We need players like Laporte, Sane, Griezmann, Isco, Pogba, Gaya, Bernat, Denayer, Stones, Koke, Niguez and the like.

I'm not so high on Alexis Sanchez to be honest. He is 27. We need 5 years before 30 for the most part.

We need a world class player who can play wide and is a goal scorer that's sanchez

 

[Dax777]

We need a world class player who can play wide and is a goal scorer that's sanchez

Griezmann. When there are 2 players of similar quality, always take the younger one.

 

[bluetev]

Griezmann

Same name occurred to me.
Wonder why doesn't crop up more often, young, eye for goal, work rate, could be ours for 50-60mn. To me better value for money than pogba or bale.

 

[Dax777]

Same name occurred to me.
Wonder why doesn't crop up more often, young, eye for goal, work rate, could be ours for 50-60mn. To me better value for money than pogba or bale.

Don't know why. He doesn't seem to be on our radar.