The big clearout!

[BlueCityfan]

Release/Sell:

Caballero/Bravo, Clichy, Sagna, Zabba, Kompany, Yaya, Navas, Fernando, Delph, Nolito, Denayer, Mangala, Nasri, Hart.

That would mean 10 players from our current squad. Luckily, 6 of them are out of contract. But we will have a huge squad turnover. That's for sure.

 

[blueinsa]

It isn't and I have some sympathy for Txiki in that regard but you can get the overall strategy right. It's quite legitimate to ask why we've let the squad get in such a state instead of a gradual refresh. That isn't supposed to happen under a DoF.

Agree mate and im at that point after watching that 90 mins yesterday, the team selections made and for the first time this season under Pep being angry and pissed off with what transpired.

 

[BillyShears]

Thinking about it after I posted it, the alternative view is our transfer policy has been chaotic and Khaldoon and the owners have just let it slide. Looking at our owners that doesn't seem too likely.

There's this accepted wisdom that Txiki and the club could just go out there and build a squad for Pep whist simultaneously having another coach actually manage the team. For me that's also a little far fetched. I do think that there have absolutely been transfer failings, as there are at all clubs, but for me the key point is that when it comes to the crunch I want Pep choosing/buying the players he wants. Not Txiki and Pellegrini or Txiki and Mancini. For that to happen we needed Pep at the club.

I also think that there's another point of view which will say. Kolarov, Zabaleta, Clichy, Hart, Toure, Kompany, Nasri, etc have all served the club incredibly well and the club has eeked every bit of value out of them as footballers. I daresay that they have all had their finest footballing moments playing for us and during their time at the club we've won more than we almost ever had previously. Sure we could've/should've replaced some of them in the summer of 2014 or subsequently, but had we done that and signed more Mangala/Bony types we'd be sat here now with even more wasted dead wood to shift. The point is having Pep will afford you access to better players so it's best to wait until you have Pep to have the type of rebuild we're currently in the process of.

 

[Akiva]

Agree mate and im at that point after watching that 90 mins yesterday, the team selections made and for the first time this season under Pep being angry and pissed off with what transpired.

Agreed, you can tell Pep was really clutching at straws in desperation when he puts Navas at right back.

No wonder he wasn't happy.

 

[GX Blue]

If we buy William Carvalho I won’t be impressed at all. He’s slow and not good enough for what we want to be.
Sick of us wasting so much money on players that aren’t up to it.

If we had bought well since 2013 we would be head and shoulders ahead of everyone now.

Its a joke we are where we are with all the money at our disposal.

 

[pavelsrnicek]

Contracts up this summer:
Toure
Caballero
Clichy
Sagna
Zabaleta
Navas

Only one I'd keep of those is Willy, who's proven to be a very solid keeper and more than adequate back-up. The rest can go.

On-loan (with contract end date):
Hart (30/6/19)
Nasri (30/6/19)
Bony (30/6/19)
Mangala (30/6/19)

plus Denayer, Maffeo, Angelino & Zinchenko

I'd like to keep Nasri as I think he could have been used to take the place of an under-performing De Bruyne at the moment but I don't think it will happen. The rest will definitely go (or at least stay out on loan). Of the youngsters, I'm not sure about Denayer but feel the other three should be given a chance.

Contracts up next summer:
Fernandinho
Kolarov

I'd keep both of those for their final year.

Of the rest:
Bravo - been a disaster unfortunately so will go.
Kompany - clearly no place for him under Pep so I believe he'll go.
Adarabioyo - We really should be keeping him but we don't seem to be making the right noises.
Stones - Definitely keep.
Otamendi - Keep as occasionally there's a player in there.

In midfield Delph, De Bruyne, gundogan, Fernando, Silva, Sane, Garcia & Sterling should all be kept.

Up front I believe Aguero will be replaced (although I'm not too bothered if he isn't), Jesus will definitely be kept but I'm not sure about Iheanacho and Nolito as Pep doesn't seem to have much confidence in either.

So that's 11 definitely out for me (although that includes 4 who are already on loan) and question marks over all but Jesus up front.

Agree with everything there bar Delph and Fernando staying. Delph is rarely fit and Fernando isn't comfortable enough on the ball to play as the sitting midfielder.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

Agree with everything there bar Delph and Fernando staying. Delph is rarely fit and Fernando isn't comfortable enough on the ball to play as the sitting midfielder.

Delph's homegrown so unless we replace him with like-for-like then it' worth keeping him in my opinion and he (and Fernando) give us a bench option to shore things up if needed. While he's no Busquets, I've been happy enough with the performances he's put in when he's come on.

 

[Xhavenjoe]

I think our recruitment policy has been unusual in that we have tried to buy young untried players and marquee players with some success but have failed miserably in buying in good squad players. I think the youths will be a success over the next few years and the likes of Sane , Moreno, Unal , Roberts , Jesus, Zinchenko etc, may all turn up to be very good buys, Where we have failed miserably is replacing the whole back line. We do not necessarily need the best players in the world in these positions but how we cannot find full backs who are competent enough to tackle and pass is inconceivable. We have given away 3 goals in the last 2 matches that should never happen. We obviously cannot get rid of every player mentioned above unless the club is prepared to bring in some of the better on loan young players and ease them into the team.

 

[blueinsa]

I think our recruitment policy has been unusual in that we have tried to buy young untried players and marquee players with some success but have failed miserably in buying in good squad players. I think the youths will be a success over the next few years and the likes of Sane , Moreno, Unal , Roberts , Jesus, Zinchenko etc, may all turn up to be very good buys, Where we have failed miserably is replacing the whole back line. We do not necessarily need the best players in the world in these positions but how we cannot find full backs who are competent enough to tackle and pass is inconceivable. We have given away 3 goals in the last 2 matches that should never happen. We obviously cannot get rid of every player mentioned above unless the club is prepared to bring in some of the better on loan young players and ease them into the team.

Good post that just about sums it up.

 

[ONTHERUNWITHTHAKSIN]

Would prefer Willy to stay but the problem may be moving Bravo on so we may see willy going and Bravo as number 2

Zaba
Sagna
Clichy
Navas
Yaya

will join him

Vinny may be moved on if we can secure a buyer which wont be easy or a free transfer and paid off.

If we can secure sales then
Hart
Nasri
Bony
Mangala
Denayer
gone

That's 12 gone which is a lot to replace include Nacho who may wish to leave 13

New
GK
CB
2x FB
CM
CF ?

Replace rest with Zinchenko, Roberts, Moreno, Maffeo, and promote from Academy (Angelino maybe)

Too many to replace either way so can see Fernando and Delph staying