The "gel" factor

[NSBFL]

I saw a topic earlier saying that the starting 11 today should be the team that plays Ushited next Sunday. I wouldn't argue with that necessarily, except that it would be very difficult to leave out Clichy and especially Sergio Aguero.

But my point (the reason for the new thread) is this.... if the core of the team stays, we will improve by virtue of experience. The simple fact that these lads have played and worked and travelled together will bond them and make them stronger as a team. I believe we are seeing that. We are not losing vital first teamers to retirement (sorry Patrick). On the contrary, our core is young, strong and improving.

If we signed no new players at all this off-season, I would feel confident that we would better last season. It's the "gel" factor. The fact that we've added quality just makes me giddy! :-)

 

[BoyBlue_1985]

This is the first summer since 2008 where we have gone into the new season almost the same squad we left the last season with, like all teams you add a couple of new faces and keep it fresh while improving overall quality. This time last year we were trying to bed 6-7 new players into the team, i include Hart as he had been away for a year and needed to form his partnership with the team again

 

[bluemoondays]

This season, if we still get 2 more players as rumoured, I still think there will be an element of unfamiliarity between the players. Especially if we do a true rotation of a lot of players. I'd like to think only adding Clichy and Aguero we will go into the season as a settled side and I'm hoping for some real success at the end of the season. Although as long as we get another Top 4 place (preferably top 3) and a good CL and cup runs I'd be reasonably happy.

I still think next season will be the "main" one as we'd buy maybe one player at the most and the whole of the 25 man squad will have had a season playing together.