The Post Transfer Deadline Day (positive) Thread

[PragueBlue]

It isn't just his choice though is it. You can't compare it to normal employment either as you are not an asset that is worth £23m to your employer like Mangala is.

I'm glad you want him to play in the cups, I don't, I hope he plays in the reserves and doesn't get called up for France. I'm a City fan and this shite bull in a china shop has really fucked our club over. Him and his agent should be embarressed they couldn't find a club but that's probably a reflection on how bad he is.

Getting off topic now so that's my final comment.

So he has somehow fucked our club over by not going to a club that didn't even want him and were no doubt just using him to get Sakho. That's a strange way of seeing things.

I could have understood the frustration to some degree if him still being here stopped a far superior player coming in, but it didn't. We could have signed Evans anyway if Guardiola had wanted him that badly. There was still some room in the squad.

He is a decent player who just doesn't really fit into our style of play. If he does get chances, I hope he does well.

 

[domalino]

Mangala is a solid defender who doesn't have the qualities on the ball that say, Stones has. Stones has qualities on the ball but imo is nowhere near a solid defender at this moment in time. Anyone can feel free to disagree with my take on it - it won't change (not yet anyway).

I'm sorry but I don't know why you're trying to kid yourself into thinking Mangala is a good defender who's just not a ball player. It wasn't his lack of skill on the ball that made his first spell a complete failure here, it was his defending.

Valencia didn't refuse the 15m option on his loan because of his ball playing, it's because of his defending.

 

[PaleBlue]

Glad we didn't get Sanchez, I want to see Pep make a real go of it with the players he now has. Am I the only one embarrassed bu the cash we continue to splash, it's just another stick to beat us with. Granted the defence needed sorting and we got rid of some dead wood, hopefully we're done with topping the spending charts for a while now.

 

[Marvin]

For me, anything that keeps Aguero at the club. Obviously not happy being benched already and with the arrival of Sanchez I could see that happening more this season. He's played a huge part in recent history of this club and will still play as massive part for years to come. It would insane to lose one of the world, and our, best ever strikers. So for me, Sanchez not coming, is a positive in this regard.

For me too, but only for the short term. Sanchez is best as a player given a free role because he lacks the out and out pace that he had as a young player, and I think he would have disappointed as a wide forward. I am certain that Sanchez's best position now is as a deep lying forward where City have an over-flow of options. Many City fans looked at his assists and goals at Arsenal and wanted that for our team, but their roles would have been different. And like Aguero he wont go on forever.

Aguero is coming to a natural end but let his best days end with a trophy and him in the limelight.

When the time comes to replace Aguero we should do it with a young up and coming player who will have his best days at City

 

[bluemoon32]

If someone had said before the transfer window who we'd get then i would have been very happy and still am but i can't help feeling though that Sanchez would have taken us up another level.

 

[Marvin]

Glad we didn't get Sanchez, I want to see Pep make a real go of it with the players he now has. Am I the only one embarrassed bu the cash we continue to splash, it's just another stick to beat us with. Granted the defence needed sorting and we got rid of some dead wood, hopefully we're done with topping the spending charts for a while now.

The more they beat us, the better we must be doing. I think you have to come to terms that for the forseeable we will not be liked. I would have liked to do a PSG. That time will come. Perhaps even as soon as next Summer.

 

[ninjamonkey]

I don't think there's a single person that isn't happy with the quality of the players we have brought in. The issue is numbers and that's not being negative it's just how it is. They might have been considered deadwood but we let a lot go without bringing in a replacement. That's not generally a good idea, It's extremely risky and quite likely to cost us at some point. It's strange how Kolarov and Kelechi would actually complete our squad quite nicely right now. Midfield and Keeper is the only areas we are fully covered in. Upfront we're a man light, left back we're very short and centre back is questionable depending on how often Pep intends on playing 3 centre backs. Yes we've got kids that might be good enough to step in but it's unfortunate that the best ones (Foden and Diaz) play in positions where we're the strongest both in terms of talent and numbers.

 

[twoddlehopper]

The consensus seems to be that we have had a very good window. I agree.

I share the concerns about central defence though. I think we are short on numbers. And there is a question mark over their ability too, but it's right to give Stones time.

I am happy with the 1st choice central defenders, but Kompany will not play every game. The key for me will be how we do in his absence. Some people made the point earlier in the window to me that the reason our central defenders could not cope last season was because they were exposed by weak play around them: keeper and fullbacks. I think that is true to an extent, but the central defenders in this City team are on occasion going to have to defend one on one. Last season we had one defender who was too frightened to tackle whilst the other one dived in and took out everything that moved.

If you look at what our critics outside the club say, they all focus on the defence too. Not many independents rate Stones or Otamendi however I think Stones can go on and become one of the top defenders in the league, but he was far from that last season. Hopefully this is his season alongside Kompany

You're not wrong about the defence, there's certainly questions that hopefully will be answered positively this season. That said the outside critics do seem to overlook the fact that we didn't actually concede that many more chances than our rivals last season, it was literally a case of; shot on target = goal at some points, which I think was directly down to poor goalkeeping.
I guess best way to sum up my feelings is that we are in a better position to win titles this season than we were last.

 

[Marvin]

I don't think there's a single person that isn't happy with the quality of the players we have brought in. The issue is numbers and that's not being negative it's just how it is. They might have been considered deadwood but we let a lot go without bringing in a replacement. That's not generally a good idea, It's extremely risky and quite likely to cost us at some point. It's strange how Kolarov and Kelechi would actually complete our squad quite nicely right now. Midfield and Keeper is the only areas we are fully covered in. Upfront we're a man light, left back we're very short and centre back is questionable depending on how often Pep intends on playing 3 centre backs. Yes we've got kids that might be good enough to step in but it's unfortunate that the best ones (Foden and Diaz) play in positions where we're the strongest both in terms of talent and numbers.

It was right time for Kolarov to go, and I would not consider him a playing asset at left back or centre back. In his time he was a very under-rated player for us.

In hindsight yes I think you're right we should have kept Kelechi.

I think it's possible City may buy in January.

 

[Marvin]

You're not wrong about the defence, there's certainly questions that hopefully will be answered positively this season. That said the outside critics do seem to overlook the fact that we didn't actually concede that many more chances than our rivals last season, it was literally a case of; shot on target = goal at some points, which I think was directly down to poor goalkeeping.
I guess best way to sum up my feelings is that we are in a better position to win titles this season than we were last.

Definitely much stronger and we finished 3rd last season so that promises much, although we have the return of the massives: Liverpool and Utd to contend with.

We definitely faced a phenomena last season whereby we dominated possession, couldn't score and then faced counter-attacks which sliced through our defence and left the keeper exposed. We are open, and remain very open. It's the price you pay for the Guardiola football. Mourinho is much more cautious. Perhaps in one off cup games, Mourinho's method pays off, but over the course of a season, I much prefer the Guardiola way.

I think this season we will have a nerve-wracking head to head again with Man Utd. Are we ready for that?