Not so sure you will get 3 year in a top PL side, he had a so, so season last year, some great highlights but also a lot of average games.Not as convinced. If we were the buyer would think £30m is huge price for 32 year old but having watched him he easily plays another 3 years at the top possibly up to 5. Don’t think we are desperate for £30m so it would be a no from me without knowing who we would have lined up as a replacement. Think this will be down to player preference but he could wait a couple of years and still pick up big money in my opinion as the Saudi league is not going away any time soon.
So basically you wouldn’t sell him because you’re afraid of who the replacement would be?Not as convinced. If we were the buyer would think £30m is huge price for 32 year old but having watched him he easily plays another 3 years at the top possibly up to 5. Don’t think we are desperate for £30m so it would be a no from me without knowing who we would have lined up as a replacement. Think this will be down to player preference but he could wait a couple of years and still pick up big money in my opinion as the Saudi league is not going away any time soon.
Agree about the progression aspect,we have to keep reinventing to maintain momentum and enthusiasm as well as our dominance - the moment we stand still,we will fall from our perch.So basically you wouldn’t sell him because you’re afraid of who the replacement would be?
We seriously need to inject new life and hunger into the squad if we are to have the energy to go again this next season with the Euros happening at the end of it. I understand this isn’t the popular opinion to have here, as you get accused of wanting “new shiny toys” or whatever the ridiculous expression is.
I’d definitely start with Mahrez, whose attitude in certain celebrations seemed indifferent and frustrated, and it’s hard to imagine a scenario in which he’d get more relevant for Pep moving forward.
As it stands, we have a weaker squad than the previous season, as Kovacic is a serious downgrade on Gundogan. Gvardiol is potentially an improvement on Laporte, yes, but it’s still nowhere near enough for the season. Football isn’t cut and dry. “Oh, you’re saying the squad that just won the trouble isn’t enough for next season?!”, some could say, but one year does make a difference. How does Liverpool go from winning two domestic cups, being Champions League finalists and finishing one point in the league behind us to fifth place in the PL? How does La Liga champions and Champions League winners Real Madrid end up so far behind Barcelona, humiliated in the CL and barely winning Copa del Rey final against a much weaker side? Those teams still had moments (Liverpool 7-0 against United; Madrid 4-0 against Barcelona), but ultimately not enough to go the distance. It’s so obvious at this point that we will have hungrier and more motivated than us rivals unless we still make movements on the market.
The other line that gets thrown around here is the usual “the best signing we can make this summer is keeping X!” I would say the worst thing we can do is be afraid of parting ways with players who want to leave and holding a fear of change and future.
Having the “trust the process” mantra is one thing, but you can’t ignore specific contexts. It’s all good having a plan two or three months ago. When you win everything as we did, that has to change the needs of the squad. That’s when cycles change. This is also the last summer we will have in which Pep won’t have just a year or no years left on his contract. We should take advantage of his pull, even in situations in which the “process” would indicate another approach. Imagine we lose the league this next season and we go to the market with one year of Pep to offer players and uncertainty about the future. Are we really going to convince top drawer names that they can only talk to us as that’s how we do business?
100% correct.So basically you wouldn’t sell him because you’re afraid of who the replacement would be?
We seriously need to inject new life and hunger into the squad if we are to have the energy to go again this next season with the Euros happening at the end of it. I understand this isn’t the popular opinion to have here, as you get accused of wanting “new shiny toys” or whatever the ridiculous expression is.
I’d definitely start with Mahrez, whose attitude in certain celebrations seemed indifferent and frustrated, and it’s hard to imagine a scenario in which he’d get more relevant for Pep moving forward.
As it stands, we have a weaker squad than the previous season, as Kovacic is a serious downgrade on Gundogan. Gvardiol is potentially an improvement on Laporte, yes, but it’s still nowhere near enough for the season. Football isn’t cut and dry. “Oh, you’re saying the squad that just won the trouble isn’t enough for next season?!”, some could say, but one year does make a difference. How does Liverpool go from winning two domestic cups, being Champions League finalists and finishing one point in the league behind us to fifth place in the PL? How does La Liga champions and Champions League winners Real Madrid end up so far behind Barcelona, humiliated in the CL and barely winning Copa del Rey final against a much weaker side? Those teams still had moments (Liverpool 7-0 against United; Madrid 4-0 against Barcelona), but ultimately not enough to go the distance. It’s so obvious at this point that we will have hungrier and more motivated than us rivals unless we still make movements on the market.
The other line that gets thrown around here is the usual “the best signing we can make this summer is keeping X!” I would say the worst thing we can do is be afraid of parting ways with players who want to leave and holding a fear of change and future.
Having the “trust the process” mantra is one thing, but you can’t ignore specific contexts. It’s all good having a plan two or three months ago. When you win everything as we did, that has to change the needs of the squad. That’s when cycles change. This is also the last summer we will have in which Pep won’t have just a year or no years left on his contract. We should take advantage of his pull, even in situations in which the “process” would indicate another approach. Imagine we lose the league this next season and we go to the market with one year of Pep to offer players and uncertainty about the future. Are we really going to convince top drawer names that they can only talk to us as that’s how we do business?
Admittedly I was not a fan of signing Kovavic, but even if he improves on his best ever level, he’d still be behind Gundo on an average day. And I say that knowing he isn’t a direct replacement but just a body for body.Agree about the progression aspect,we have to keep reinventing to maintain momentum and enthusiasm as well as our dominance - the moment we stand still,we will fall from our perch.
As for Kovacic being a serious downgrade? Wait and see is all im saying......especially if we can keep Bernie and Foden looking like the no.10 position is finally his destiny.Gvardiol will very quickly make you forget about Laporte too.
My only concern is Philips,but it seems i'm gonna have to trust Pep on that one.
Phillips HAS to step up big time if we go as we are, time will tell on that and if the club do stay as we are,Agree about the progression aspect,we have to keep reinventing to maintain momentum and enthusiasm as well as our dominance - the moment we stand still,we will fall from our perch.
As for Kovacic being a serious downgrade? Wait and see is all im saying......especially if we can keep Bernie and Foden looking like the no.10 position is finally his destiny.Gvardiol will very quickly make you forget about Laporte too.
My only concern is Philips,but it seems i'm gonna have to trust Pep on that one.
Phillips HAS to step up big time if we go as we are, time will tell on that and if the club do stay as we are,
I still think we have a big one lined up in MF, well to be honest I hope to god we have!!!
We need another body in even if Silva stays, although I defiantly think he's off to PSG.I think that only happens if we lose players (Bernie and/or Mahrez).
I've said before though,if our incoming business concludes with just the two,i would be keeping Doyle around this season as insurance for Philips and obviously Rodri.
This is another moment that I can say something and will certainly hear back, “we won the treble!”Our midfield is the worry and I repeat an injury to Rodri and we are in serious do do.
And we don’t have Gundogan now for that.an injury to Rodri and we are in serious do
This is another moment that I can say something and will certainly hear back, “we won the treble!”
But I can’t pretend I didn’t get the feeling over and over again watching our midfield up to the very last game that is was decadent. Certainly the weakest element of the team. There is a reason we wanted Bellingham and then Rice. And right now there are some gymnastics needed to believe it will be fine. Foden needs to work well as a 10, KDB can’t miss many games despite playing through injury which never ends well, the mystical belief that summer has turned Kalvin Phillips into a different player, Kovacic needs to consistently deliver at his highest level in his first City season and hope his injury record doesn’t come back to haunt him, Stones another one with the injury record and playing in the middle asking the center backs to always be available in return etc. I’m sure you’ve even heard the usual “Rico Lewis can play there” as well.
But ultimately you hit the nail on the head:
And we don’t have Gundogan now for that.