The Squad planning thread

Yes a quote trumps the actual quality of the player...

If you think Echeverri can play in the middle like Bernie has done for us then you’re simply insane.
A quote from Bernardo who should know as he is Bernardo.

Not right now. Eventually. There were reports when we signed him that Pep thought he could be Bernardo’s replacement. I don’t agree with it I’m saying that may have been the idea.
 
Bernardo Silva: "I'm a big fan of Claudio [Echeverri] because he plays football in a similar way to the way I play; he has a lot of blood in his veins, fights for every possession, fights for every ball. Then his talent does the rest.

Having passion doesn't make them similar players.
 
Here's my guess at a 24 man squad for next season. Some might question Mfuni, but they will only be those who haven’t seen enough of him.
If they ain't on the 24 list then they are sold (Stones, Ake, Kovacic, Grealish, Bernardo, Phillips, Savinho) to raise approx £100m or on loan (Rico, Nypan, Echeverri, Alleyne, Muamba, Bah etc....)

Donnarumma
Trafford ?
Bettinelli

Nunes
Kayode £40m

Reis
Khusanov
Dias
Gvardiol
Guehi

Ait-Nori
Mfuni

Anderson £70m
Rodri
ORelly
Gonzales

Foden
Semenyo
Doku
Cherki
Reinders
Mukasa

Marmoush
Haaland
 
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Here's my guess at a 24 man squad for next season. Some might question Mfuni, but they will only be those who haven’t seen him enough.
Mfuni needs to go out on loan
Seems to be playing well with Watford so far but needs to continue with regular game time for his own development.
 
we continue to have a substandard fullback then...

If he is the back up then fine but despite the huge improvement he aint good enough
I don’t believe that you watch the same games as us when it comes to Nunes.

Genuinely who has been better in the world this season at RB? A flying fullback btw, not inverted or a CB playing at RB. Only Hakimi has, and Lord knows we aren’t getting Hakimi through the door unless PSG want him out.

Nunes has been quality this season and has ironed out his bozo errors too.
 
I don’t believe that you watch the same games as us when it comes to Nunes.

Genuinely who has been better in the world this season at RB? A flying fullback btw, not inverted or a CB playing at RB. Only Hakimi has, and Lord knows we aren’t getting Hakimi through the door unless PSG want him out.

Nunes has been quality this season and has ironed out his bozo errors too.
Ive said numerous times that he has improved massively...there is no disagreement there. Ive said he is better than Walker offensively as well.

Ive also said he is the best option available right now at the club.

I would just prefer someone better defensively....again he has improved but up against the very best attackers/wide players he may struggle.

I still think he has the bozo error in him...but yes he does it less.
 
Ive said numerous times that he has improved massively...there is no disagreement there. Ive said he is better than Walker offensively as well.

Ive also said he is the best option available right now at the club.

I would just prefer someone better defensively....again he has improved but up against the very best attackers/wide players he may struggle.

I still think he has the bozo error in him...but yes he does it less.
Has he more errors than any other right back in the league ? in fact I’d go as far as asking is there a right back that’s been better than Nunes this season ?
 
Has he more errors than any other right back in the league ? in fact I’d go as far as asking is there a right back that’s been better than Nunes this season ?
The answer is no. Nunes has been nothing short of spectacular for us as of late. Props to the lad.

Didn't sulk and moan. Put in the work and will now be a mainstay on our right flank for the foreseeable future. Not sure I'd swap him for any other RB in world football.

No other RB's are without flaw.
Hakimi is good but injury issues and the looming rape allegations.
Timber doesnt offer near as much going forward.
Trent I would take in a heartbeat but not as an every-match player. More of a utility player.
Kounde has certainly had his struggles of late.
Reece James probably the best on his day but that day comes just as much as Santa's.
Others like Livramento, Gusto, and Frimpong are simply not as good.
 
The answer is no. Nunes has been nothing short of spectacular for us as of late. Props to the lad.

Didn't sulk and moan. Put in the work and will now be a mainstay on our right flank for the foreseeable future. Not sure I'd swap him for any other RB in world football.

No other RB's are without flaw.
Hakimi is good but injury issues and the looming rape allegations.
Timber doesnt offer near as much going forward.
Trent I would take in a heartbeat but not as an every-match player. More of a utility player.
Kounde has certainly had his struggles of late.
Reece James probably the best on his day but that day comes just as much as Santa's.
Others like Livramento, Gusto, and Frimpong are simply not as good.

I’m also really looking forward to seeing him in midfield again at times if we get another RB like Kayode. Whether that’s box to box or wide right, he’s got genuine pace and energy we don’t really have elsewhere, he’s a unit too, and it’ll be interesting to see if 2 years under Pep has just made him a better all round player and not just a better RB.

Another reason why I don’t think we need more than 1 midfielder (Anderson) even if Kovacic and Bernardo go.
 
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Here's my guess at a 24 man squad for next season. Some might question Mfuni, but they will only be those who haven’t seen enough of him.
If they ain't on the 24 list then they are sold (Stones, Ake, Kovacic, Grealish, Bernardo, Phillips, Savinho) to raise approx £100m or on loan (Rico, Nypan, Echeverri, Alleyne, Muamba, Bah etc....)

Donnarumma
Trafford ?
Bettinelli

Nunes
Kayode £40m

Reis
Khusanov
Dias
Gvardiol
Guehi

Ait-Nori
Mfuni

Anderson £70m
Rodri
ORelly
Gonzales

Foden
Semenyo
Doku
Cherki
Reinders
Mukasa

Marmoush
Haaland

I think Reis will go back on loan. 4 CBs is plenty when one of them doesn’t have the injury issues of Stones. In fact I can’t see us keeping Khusanov, Guehi, Dias and Gvardiol all happy with playing time if there’s a 5th.

With ~60 games a season that leaves them all playing 30ish which isn’t a lot. If someone gets injured it’s just 40 each which is what they’d probably all want.

Savinho isn’t going anywhere, I don’t think Pep could have been any clearer about that.
 
Has he more errors than any other right back in the league ? in fact I’d go as far as asking is there a right back that’s been better than Nunes this season ?
Ive no idea about other right backs for other teams

What I know is that if we want to get back to the very top Nunes at fullback is one area of the squad we need to address...amongst others.
 
I think Reis will go back on loan. 4 CBs is plenty when one of them doesn’t have the injury issues of Stones. In fact I can’t see us keeping Khusanov, Guehi, Dias and Gvardiol all happy with playing time if there’s a 5th.

With ~60 games a season that leaves them all playing 30ish which isn’t a lot. If someone gets injured it’s just 40 each which is what they’d probably all want.

Savinho isn’t going anywhere, I don’t think Pep could have been any clearer about that.
Granted, Stones and Aké have been particularly injury-prone; however, the injury to Joško proves to me how vital extra CB cover is. We have seen, for two seasons in a row, how devastating makeshift defensive line-ups can be.
The other point I would make is the number of international games our players have to play, and the need to insure against the likes of Southgate, who relished sending our players back injured. It would take some rotational skill and diplomacy from the coach, but for me it would be five CBs.
If we are going to spend £120m in the summer window, we would have to recover at least half from sales — that’s been the pattern in recent years. I can’t see anyone obvious, other than Savinho, who would command big money. Additionally, Reigan Heskey and McAidoo are improving month by month and could easily surpass Savinho, who looks stalled at the moment in terms of end product.
 
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Ive no idea about other right backs for other teams

What I know is that if we want to get back to the very top Nunes at fullback is one area of the squad we need to address...amongst others.
I’m sure years ago Pep converting Silva from a RW to an eight must have ticked you off? There’s nothing wrong with Nunes and there’s no upgrades out there either, he’s excelling as a RB, it’s his position now.
 
Ive no idea about other right backs for other teams

What I know is that if we want to get back to the very top Nunes at fullback is one area of the squad we need to address...amongst others.
Nunes has become a very good right back, most City fans have now accepted that, just one or two stragglers still to realise, sure you’ll realise one day. We need somebody to rotate with him but doubt whoever we bring in will be coming as a replacement
 
Nunes has been nothing short of outstanding. I do think we need another right-back surely to give him rest and recuperation time and to keep him on this toes as we struggle to have a like for like alternative and I don’t see Lewis as a viable option as a full-back at all id actually sooner have Reijnders there. Personally I’d sell Lewis with a buy-back and bring in a young full-back like Read at Feynoord.
 
It all kinda depends on if we stick to wide fullbacks (double wide like now or maybe just 1 or none next season).

1) Wide fullbacks 4222/442 (diamond)
Anderson alone isn't enough, I count only a strong core of 20, but we are light at fullback.

1770693385548.png

While Nico O can be considered the backup at LB, its kinda fake depth because then we lost a midfielder depth, and if we only bring in Anderson for the departures of Bernie and Kova you can see the problem.

This is easily solved by buying another LB and RB (Nunes backup), or ideally 1 fullback who can cover both positions would be ideal to keep a strong core of 21.

The downsides I see here are trying to convince the CBs to accept sitting on the bench, because when fit, usually Pep doesn't like to rotate the backline as much as he does anywhere else.

2) 442 to 3412 (in possession)

One potential solution is to go to a back 3 in possession (still back 4 out of possession) by tilting 1 fullback wide and 1 winger wide, which in a coincidence also requires no more new fullbacks, but can use our younger CB depth like Reis and Alleyne who are likely more accepting of backup roles than Guehi/Gvardiol.

1770694078125.png

I wonder which of these 2 systems we use next season, very clearly we are using 1), but Im not entirely sure we will next season.
 
MIDFIELD
Tonali
Anderson
Smit
Phil
Cherki
Rodri
NOR
top NU reporter


to replace
Bernie sad
Kova
Lewis
Reijnders don't see the fit
maybe Nico G don't see him fitting with NOR as well

DEFENSE
Hope Josko LB leaving 4 for 2 CB
Reis back
RB quality
out
Stones
Ake

Trafford hope he stays ?
Maybe Omar may go don't see the fit anymore ?

We need 7 1st team quality bench, when used there is no drop off and they need using most games
 
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