Rebuild

[BobKowalski]

I think it did start last summer with KDB and Sterling and to a lesser extent Delph and we are are led to believe an attempt to get Pogba. I think they were all bought with Peps team in mind. The only position we don't seem to have readied the squad in some way is defence especially full backs.

I would agree that last summer had Pep in mind with the buys which perhaps begs the question that this season we have fallen down between not quite a Pep team and not quite a Pellers team leading to a lack of clear identity and clarity. Or I am just making excuses. Who knows.

The one thing I hope above almost everything else is that Pep brings back our ability to control games.

 

[mancity1]

A 'rebuild' or an 'overhaul' or whatever you want to call it has been long overdue. However having Guardiola be the manager when you do that overhaul ensures you will get the best players around. So it couldn't really have been done previously the way it will be done this summer.

I'm fully coming round to the idea we're going to have a record breaking summer in terms of the caliber of players we bring in and the amounts we spend. We should wish the old guard well, but time waits for no man and there's fuck all room for sentiment in football these days.

That best sums up what is needed on the pitch.

 

[balotelli's back pocket]

I have every confidence that a summer without tournament football and a full pre season (for the first time in 3 years) will result in a rejuvenated Zabaleta.

Copa america centenary edition mate

 

[MadchesterCity]

Alaba, Pogba, Aubameyang, Messi lols

 

[cibaman]

Copa america centenary edition mate

Yes, so I've discovered. But much as I like players who show allegiance to their country, Zaba would be mad to continue playing international football. He really needs a break if he's to continue playing for City or any other top team.

 

[paulchapo]

The whole back four needs replacing with Zabba, Clichy and Kompany kept as squad players and the other two expensive muppet failures at centre half moved on along with Demi. Two or three top class midfield players and a top winger,either move some on or keep as squad players and a top,top goalscorer who stays fit to play with/rotate with Aguero.

 

[cleavers]

Mangala is the one on your list that I would possibly disagree with I think he has the ability but his problems come from his decision making and concentration.

Its not even that, a lot has to do with how we currently play for me, give him a better setup, and I think he could become a great City defender, he has all the attributes, and given better coaching, and a better (simpler) way of defending, I still think he can turn it round. I'll add Fernando into that equation, again, given a simpler way of playing (ie a more compact team), he/we'll improve hugely with many of the current players still good enough. Pep demands high standards, good, but he's also efficient, and that means players doing what they're good at, and not expected to do things they're not good at, and not all his players are expected to play like Messi.

I think there will be less revolution than many think.

 

[Yaya_Tony]

Its not even that, a lot has to do with how we currently play for me, give him a better setup, and I think he could become a great City defender, he has all the attributes, and given better coaching, and a better (simpler) way of defending, I still think he can turn it round. I'll add Fernando into that equation, again, given a simpler way of playing (ie a more compact team), he/we'll improve hugely with many of the current players still good enough. Pep demands high standards, good, but he's also efficient, and that means players doing what they're good at, and not expected to do things they're not good at, and not all his players are expected to play like Messi.

I think there will be less revolution than many think.

I'm obviously excited about the prospect of Guardiola coming to City, and there is no but. I do want to temper that by saying we can't expect miracles next season. We'll get rid and get a few in, city as a club don't need overhauling, the stop gap manager is on his way out and things will get better. If they don't it's down to management (the dof).

 

[cibaman]

I'm obviously excited about the prospect of Guardiola coming to City, and there is no but. I do want to temper that by saying we can't expect miracles next season. We'll get rid and get a few in, city as a club don't need overhauling, the stop gap manager is on his way out and things will get better. If they don't it's down to management (the dof).

I agree. Guardiola will have very little time to work with the squad this summer. There isn't going to be a complete upheaval of the playing staff. It will be a gradual process. With a few exceptions, players will be given the chance to adapt to his methods. The major changes will take place in 2017.

 

[BillyShears]

I think there will be less revolution than many think.

I think too many people are fixating on the semantics of evolution/revolution/rebuild/new team etc etc. As I said somewhere else in the thread we bought four players last summer and six the summer that Pellegrini took charge so it's safe to assume we'll be getting 5 or 6 new players just judging by the way we've worked in the past with new managers.

Obviously none of us know what Pep will do, but we can look at his past decision making process at Barca and Bayern and at least be guided a little bit by it. So for example, I've little doubt that Mangala could be in the right set up a fantastic defender. But in a Pep set up where the centre halves have to be able to play like midfielders, where they are expected to deal with having the ball at their feet under pressure and work a way out. I'm not convinced at all.

Personally I also think there's a lot of contradictions floating around at present (as I said yesterday). We've not bought a world class player since 2010/2011 has been a regular refrain on here recently. Txiki's bought badly basically since he came in and the squad is unbalanced certainly in it's age profile. Again something i've read regularly on here. Yet people don't expect Guardiola to want four or five world class additions to the squad immediately? I find that very hard to believe.

Finally there's the nostalgic/sentimentalists who somehow think that Pep's going to perform some kind of magical Benjamin Button trick on the likes of Silva/Zaba/Toure etc and they're suddenly going to be five years younger and five years fitter.

IMO it's far more unrealistic to expect Guardiola to come in under the weight of expectation and pressure and media focus there will be, and not want basically a new spine for the team.