Starting XI and Manager for 15/16

[.A.]

What it will be

hart. Pellegrini
zab
Komp
Mangala
Clichy
Fernandinho
Fernando
De bruyne
Silva
Barkley
Aguero

If that's the team and Manuel stays we will struggle to make top 3 let alone challenge for the title. In fact we won't make top 3.

It's certainly a sight more realistic than some of the fantasists on here, who think Pogba, Isco, Reus, Bale & Co, are going to ignore the overtures - which they will most assuredly get - from Munich, Madrid, Barca and even the shitting rags, in favour of signing for City

Spot on. We won't even be the most attractive prospect in Manchester, let alone England and Europe now they're almost assured to be back in the Champions League with an widely respected coach.

Barca and Real want Pogba, and even if he has to wait for Barcelona's transfer ban to expire in 2016, he's on the verge of a Champions League semi-final with Juve, something our club has never achieved so sitting tight there is a valid option. Even if he does fancy the Premier League, Arsenal and champions-elect Chelsea would be at the front of the queue.

Ribery is ageing and Pep would likely relish the opportunity to take Isco to Bayern; same applies to Reus, who Mario Gotze insisted was obsessed with the rags. Bale is also a dirty red twat who would jump at the opportunity to join them, and if not the Real interest in Hazard I predicted a while ago seems to be coming to fruition, so that means Chelsea will be a London option for Bale, as well as Reus.

A degree of humility and reality is required with our rebuild; we aren't widely regarded as an elite-level club, we're a club like PSG that can attract a certain level of player, but not ones coveted by the absolute best. It's easy for our management to pull out the 'we refused to meet the financial demands of Isco/Van Persie/Hazard' when in reality the players joined bigger clubs anyway.

Cook, Marwood and Rigg between them took us up a few levels by embracing the formula that works for the elite clubs and the club would be a lot closer to the top of the club pyramid had they been allowed to continue their work; even the catalysts of last season's success were players Pellegrini inherited from the pre-Amigos era.

The way forward is for us to buy proven young talent from within the league, and when circumstantial opportunities like Tevez, Aguero and Toure (Fergie fucked Carlitos over by signing Berbatov, Atletico refused to sell to Real and Guardiola exiled Toure to accommodate Busquets) pop up take them; gradually, we would be able to forge the kind of identity required to reach the pinnacle of English football again, but the inadequate Hispanic trio have overseen a drastic regression of quality, and diluted that identity that was the fruit of the previous regime's era that it will take a few years to re-establish the kind of momentum we had before them.

This summer is simple; pillage Liverpool, and Everton. The likes of Stones, McCarthy, Sterling, Barkley would all be improvements on Demichelis, Fernando, Navas, Lampard, Jovetic and Dzeko, adding much-needed dynamism and potential to our stale squad. We have to identify and cultivate our own stars, let them grow together into City players. Isco is one we might be able to attain due to his relationship with Pellegrini, but beyond that need to be creative and have foresite.

If Pellegrini stays, which I have a feeling he will, my team would look like this:

Hart

Zab-Stones-Kompany-Clichy

De Bruyne-McCarthy-Fernandinho-Silva

Aguero-Sterling

Green
Demichelis
Mangala
Maffeo
Barkley
Bony
Lopes

 

[Jack Wills]

That all makes quite depressing reading, to be honest. We seem to have let Platini win and just meekly accepted rag dominance instead of fighting tooth, nail and with multi billion pound oil backing to squash those vile cunts and telling the corrupt fat frog twat to go fuck himself and his mother. With the backing and wealth we have we really should.

If we're going to mount a serious title challenge next season and have a chance of success in the CL we just have to splash some cash to get players who will significantly improve us, not just slightly on the odd game or replace one lazy uncommitted fucker with another. EDS lads aren't the answer, nor are overpriced Englishmen like Barkley and to some extent one-season wonder Sterling. And certainly not Danny Ings.

We won't get every top signing of course, but if we don't get at least one of Pogba, Bale or Reus, and one or two of Koke, De Bruyne level, we'll do well to be in the top 4 next year.

 

[Georgemk]

What would be ideal imo but at the same time realistic

4-3-3, Manager: Pellegrini or Viera

GK Hart - Heaton - Gunn, no point wasting one of our non-homegrown places for a reserve GK
RB Zaba - Sagna - Maffeo, sagna can still do a job and is happy to be a reserve, could look to loan Maffeo or if not play him in cup games
CB Kompany - Demichelis
CB Mangala - Denayer
LB Gaya - Clichy
CDM - Fernandinho - Fernando, Willing to give Fernando another season as has shown signs of being a good CDM in some games unless we can keep hold of Milner
CM Pogba - Lopes
CM Koke - Silva(switch to 4-2-3-1), Dont need to fill the squad with CM's that wont play much, if injuries mean we have to go to 4-2-3-1 than its not a major problem.
LW Depay - Lopes
RW Silva - Navas, SIlva and Depay could be interchangeable. Navas good enough as backup and a impact player because of his pace.
ST Aguero - Bony - Iheanacho

Loaned:
Rekik - Not sure being 5th choice CB will help him. Do we really want him playing as many games as boyata did? If hes looking better option than Denayer we could loan Denayer out.
Angelino - He needs experience in a top league before he can be considered as backup left back. Summer 2016 sell Clichy and have Angelino 2nd choice.
Barker/Pozo - Similar reason as for Angelino, if needed for stupid FFP could replace navas as reserve. Summer 2016 sell Navas unless he improves delivery

Transfers in:
Gaya - £20m, need a good left back
Depay - £25m, or sterling
Pogba - £65m, need quality in midfield, barkley is a cheaper option
Koke - £40m, he can take a corner!

Total: £150m

Out:
Dzeko - £16m
Jovetic - £19m
Nasri - £18m
Toure - £14m
Kolarov - £10m
Sinclair - £3m
Nastasic - £9m
Caballero - £2m
Milner - £0m

Total: £90m

Overall: - £60m

Could become £120m if we sell Navas and Fernando(barker as reserve and milner signs new deal) then overall only -£30m

 

[dubblue]

That all makes quite depressing reading, to be honest. We seem to have let Platini win and just meekly accepted rag dominance instead of fighting tooth, nail and with multi billion pound oil backing to squash those vile c**ts and telling the corrupt fat frog twat to go fuck himself and his mother. With the backing and wealth we have we really should.

If we're going to mount a serious title challenge next season and have a chance of success in the CL we just have to splash some cash to get players who will significantly improve us, not just slightly on the odd game or replace one lazy uncommitted fucker with another. EDS lads aren't the answer, nor are overpriced Englishmen like Barkley and to some extent one-season wonder Sterling. And certainly not Danny Ings.

We won't get every top signing of course, but if we don't get at least one of Pogba, Bale or Reus, and one or two of Koke, De Bruyne level, we'll do well to be in the top 4 next year.

Agree,the club seem willing to sacrifice success on the pitch to appease the very people who can't stand the sight of us.

 

[uwe rosler 28]

Manager carlo ancelotti

team

hart

zabba
vinny
mangala
clichy

diniho
Modric

de bryune
silva
sterling

aguero

bench
Demi
nando
navas
Bony
lopes
marshall
barkley

 

[Exeter Blue I am here]

That all makes quite depressing reading, to be honest. We seem to have let Platini win and just meekly accepted rag dominance instead of fighting tooth, nail and with multi billion pound oil backing to squash those vile c**ts and telling the corrupt fat frog twat to go fuck himself and his mother. With the backing and wealth we have we really should.

If we're going to mount a serious title challenge next season and have a chance of success in the CL we just have to splash some cash to get players who will significantly improve us, not just slightly on the odd game or replace one lazy uncommitted fucker with another. EDS lads aren't the answer, nor are overpriced Englishmen like Barkley and to some extent one-season wonder Sterling. And certainly not Danny Ings.

We won't get every top signing of course, but if we don't get at least one of Pogba, Bale or Reus, and one or two of Koke, De Bruyne level, we'll do well to be in the top 4 next year.

Agree,the club seem willing to sacrifice success on the pitch to appease the very people who can't stand the sight of us.

What would you have the club do? Whilst our legal position re FFP would appear strong, so much of law is down to interpretation that it would still be a gamble to take UEFA on, particularly given how long the legal process usual takes. Instead we have reckoned it better to try and play ball, and I see little wrong with that strategy providing they don't try and stiff us again this summer.
That notwithstanding, I don't think funds will be an issue (PB has estimated a £150m kitty), but getting top drawer players in probably will. Like I said, I will be surprised and delighted if we manage to land even one of Pogba, Reus, Bale or Isco, but if we landed say Barkley, Koke, Walcott and Morata, it would still constitute decent business. Fingers crossed

 

[richards30]

City seem a bit more relaxed at the minute regarding gossip etc. By all accounts alex sandro, de bruyne, sterling, pogba, Gundogan and isco are all genuine top targets! Wilshere, barkley,ward prowse and ings for homegrown possible spots.

 

[The Masterplan]

This what I'd like to see us line up with next season.

Hart
Zaba Kompany Mangala Clichy
Fernandinho Pogba (don't think we'll get him though)
Navas Silva Sterling
Aguero

I think the three behind Aguero give the perfect combination of pace, creativity and work rate.

Think if Clichy was first choice every/most weeks he'd re-establish himself as one of the best left backs in the league. Showed very promising signs of doing this during Nov/Dec when Kolarov was injured.

In terms of manager, would be happy enough to keep Pellegrini, but, if he goes...Ancelotti.

 

[nktakm]

Still not convinced on Barkley. Would take him if he was 15-20 million, but he is potentially three times that price and he is both not good enough and made of glass. McCarthy is good enough if we want to be like fucking Liverpool.

 

[ChicagoBlue]

Agree with .A. Above, we are not nearly the trophy club that we'd like to think we are. We are, at best, a fourth choice IN ENGLAND for the world's top players. Throw in the top teams in France, Germany, Spain and we are barely in the Top 10 of most desirable teams to play for.

Yes, we can push out the boat for a player, possibly two, by offering top dollar and "The Project," but I think many players realize that they are going to be making £5M+ a year at ANY top team. Throw in a decent image deal and that doubles and triples. City just don't have the market cornered on big money contracts anymore!

That given, we need to have a starting line up that can use 17 players, with the other 8 squad players being aging or developing talent....preferably the latter.

For me, I'd bring Denayer and Rekik back in (although apparently Rekik says he is off on another loan somewhere other than PSV), with Lopes coming back as the third "striker."

Next season, we need to play with a back three and one or two DMs (as needed) protecting them. That gives us 5 or 6 attacking players, two of whom are attacking "full backs." Zaba and Kola aren't exactly full backs, so that suits them better anyway!

..............................Hart
.............Denayer....Kompany....Mangala
Zaba...................Fernandinho................Kola
.........Silva...........?????????.......???????
............................Aguero

Caballero
DeMichelis
Rekik
Fernando
Lopes
Bony
Navas

So, with the team above, we can sell Nasri, Dzeko, Jovetic and Toure, add about £50M and fill the two big holes in the team with best quality that will come. However, the loss of Nasri and Toure removes 2/3 of our "creative, attacking midfield," so I doubt it will happen with both of them.