The season after winning the PL

[prestonibbo_mcfc]

The fact that we were after Fred in January and Jorginho this summer shows that Pep definitely thinks there is a issue in midfield or else he would have stuck with what we had,like the joke of a brief to journos the club is trying to pass.Crazy ideas like Delph/KDB/Zinchenko/Stones at DM are no-no..If we are serious about defending the title its obvious we need a DM asap.Can't go into a new season banking on a 33 yr old to reproduce his best ever season performance wise for a whole season without reliable and durable cover.We might get away with a makeshift one there against a few PL teams but in the big games and the CL we won't.

Or maybe he was planning ahead and not for the here and now. I agree we could do with an extra DM, but I don't think
not getting one is the crisis some are making out.

 

[kaz7]

Or maybe he was planning ahead and not for the here and now. I agree we could do with an extra DM, but I don't think
not getting one is the crisis some are making out.

It's a lot of fuss over nothing,we coped when dinho was banned last season,we have plenty of options,kahldoon said we will only buy someone who improves us so there won't be any panic going on at HQ

 

[argyle]

The fact that we were after Fred in January and Jorginho this summer shows that Pep definitely thinks there is a issue in midfield or else he would have stuck with what we had,like the joke of a brief to journos the club is trying to pass.Crazy ideas like Delph/KDB/Zinchenko/Stones at DM are no-no..If we are serious about defending the title its obvious we need a DM asap.Can't go into a new season banking on a 33 yr old to reproduce his best ever season performance wise for a whole season without reliable and durable cover.We might get away with a makeshift one there against a few PL teams but in the big games and the CL we won't.

Agree.

However who do we get? We're clearly working to a tight budget and our targets for that position have moved elsewhere. Players such as Pjanic are over priced.

 

[jamesha]

So you don't see Allison, Fabinho and Kieta making up the 25 points difference from last season. They have a really strong squad now arguably as good as ours. The rags will improve also. Its going to be a tight title race.

 

[Edwin Edwin]

Or maybe he was planning ahead and not for the here and now. I agree we could do with an extra DM, but I don't think
not getting one is the crisis some are making out.

Because it probably is or could quickly easily turn into one and that some choose to put last season aside and look at the situation without their blue-tinted specs..Our strongest option is a now 33 year old,who with the WC and the aftermath he went through,could easily have a Yaya-esque decline in a space of months.The next best options there are two crocks in Gundogan and Delph and whose qualities are suitable for other positions..That's it.No one else currently in the squad can play there..Not Stones,Not De Bruyne.
The drop off in quality between Fernandinho and the next best option(s) is huge for a club that is intending to stay at the top.

 

[Edwin Edwin]

Agree.

However who do we get? We're clearly working to a tight budget and our targets for that position have moved elsewhere. Players such as Pjanic are over priced.

The club obviously has/had a list of alternatives but to improve on the squad we have to pay a premium for such players..The market is the way it is whether the club want to accept the situation or continue to live in denial.About alternatives,harder to convince a younger player of the quality we would want to come as an understudy and even then they probably are at a good club so would command a high fee which the club might not want to pay.
Best option on the market,and at our level currenty,is an older player like N'zonzi with a 35 M € clause and don't think he'd mind sharing gametime with his age.

 

[peoffrey]

Agree.

However who do we get? We're clearly working to a tight budget and our targets for that position have moved elsewhere. Players such as Pjanic are over priced.

Everyone is overpriced sadly. Fernandinho, Gundogan and Delph might not be enough for defensive midfield (as daft as that seems.)

 

[cityzennn93:20]

The fact that we were after Fred in January and Jorginho this summer shows that Pep definitely thinks there is a issue in midfield or else he would have stuck with what we had,like the joke of a brief to journos the club is trying to pass.Crazy ideas like Delph/KDB/Zinchenko/Stones at DM are no-no..If we are serious about defending the title its obvious we need a DM asap.Can't go into a new season banking on a 33 yr old to reproduce his best ever season performance wise for a whole season without reliable and durable cover.We might get away with a makeshift one there against a few PL teams but in the big games and the CL we won't.

agree totally think it really was a big fuck up on our part not to wrap up jorginho asap especially when we had no back up plans.

 

[shemnel]

how much friendly game time are some players like de bruyne etc going to actually get? im still a bit concerned half a dozen players wont be up to speed for about 5 games

 

[King KdB of Belgium]

What worries me is that should Aguero and Jesus get injured, who have we got to come in and replace them. We can't rely on a player from the other ranks like Nmecha, who hasn't got any many 1st team games under his belt. I know that either Mahrez or Sterling can play there. However can they play there for 7/8 games on the trot, if the need arises.

Pep needs to bring in a striker to help our 2 strikers should they both get injured.