The Squad planning thread

[richards30]

I just don't think there's evidence this group will grow, we look so much more chaotic and we're in march and pep doesn't know what his best team is. I don't think it's been like this before in pep era city. He doesn't trust so many players.

I think again its the newer players getting used to Pep and his demands?

 

[Colin Bells Boots]

I think though like you said we had so much work to do in one go we couldnt sign 10 x £100m players due to FFP and PSR?

The PL will be very relieved about that, might get more brownie points from the cabal !

 

[Gumzy97]

It probably wouldn't work but I'd just like us to sign some very good technical players. Instead of going for runners and physicality. But the league is just about that now. The difference between La liga and the premier league technical level the gap is getting bigger.

 

[Gumzy97]

Agreed, this group in 12 months time will understand the club more and like you say, 2-3 top class additions will have us even better.

Looks like we are talking to Moussa Sissoko about one of his players, Hugo Viana and him spotted together. Notable players under him are Doue , Dembele, Kroupi and Barcola. He's now the go to agent for young French players

 

[ALDN_Ko]

Looks like we are talking to Moussa Sissoko about one of his players, Hugo Viana and him spotted together. Notable players under him are Doue , Dembele, Kroupi and Barcola. He's now the go to agent for young French players

Hopefully it’s Doue or Barcola. Dembele is excellent but he’s 28 and the best ability is availability

 

[richards30]

Looks like we are talking to Moussa Sissoko about one of his players, Hugo Viana and him spotted together. Notable players under him are Doue , Dembele, Kroupi and Barcola. He's now the go to agent for young French players

Doue or Barcola would be great but highly unlikely and Dembele is too old with them injury issues as well.

 

[ScottSinclair]

Doue or Barcola would be great but highly unlikely and Dembele is too old with them injury issues as well.

I'd say Kroupi from that group is the most likely based on the players we have targetted lately

 

[Salford_Blue]

These PSG players allegedly on the radar...be way easier when we get Luis in the hotseat.

 

[citytill1die84]

If we keep buying average players then we will end up with an average team.

True.

I believe the footballing market is very poor tho and currently the best players are at clubs who won't and don't need to sell.

Who would u go for that's obtainable? Because I'd love the likes of Olise, Hakimi and Kvaratskhelia image those 3 in our squad now we'd win absolutely everything.

:-)

 

[citytill1die84]

I'd offer Harry Kane a return to the Prem for 2/3 years to accommodate Haaland. Could play a little behind also. Opportunity for him to win some English silverware i think he'd jump at the chance.

Good old 4-4-2 or a 3-5-2 with Kane & Haaland at the top :-) tasty lol

 

[ScottSinclair]

I'd offer Harry Kane a return to the Prem for 2/3 years to accommodate Haaland. Could play a little behind also. Opportunity for him to win some English silverware i think he'd jump at the chance.

Good old 4-4-2 or a 3-5-2 with Kane & Haaland at the top :-) tasty lol

They would be perfect together but we would need a really physical pressing midfield

 

[simon23]

Saw a post from TH earlier today that said as many as 10 players could leave in the summer

Id be happy if that was true

This is our current squad list:

Goalkeepers​

• James Trafford - Keep
• Gianluigi Donnarumma - Keep - but his place as automatic number one shold be reviewed
• Marcus Bettinelli - ?????

Defenders​

• Rúben Dias - Squad player
• John Stones - SELL/let go
• Nathan Aké - SELL/let
• Josko Gvardiol - Keep
• Marc Guéhi - Keep
• Rayan Aït‑Nouri - Keep
• Rico Lewis - SELL
• Abdukodir Khusanov - Keep
• Max Alleyne- SELL
• Nico O’Reilly - needs time to develop

Midfielders / Wide players​

Rodri - Keep

• Bernardo Silva - Leaving
• Phil Foden - Keep
• Matheus Nunes - Squad player at best
• Tijjani Reijnders - SELL
• Nico González - Keep
• Jérémy Doku - Squad player at best
• Savinho - SELL
• Rayan Cherki - keep

Forwards​

• Erling Haaland - Keep
• Omar Marmoush - doesnt fit- SELL
• Antoine Semenyo - squad player at best - certainly not a number 10

There are so many of this squad that either just arent good enough and never will be or no more than squad players.

 

[Damanino]

Pep wont be able to get best out of the players that are for counterattacking style. we keep getting these players that look great in very different style but once that style is nowhere to be seen the players all of a sudden look mediocre.

 

[wolviedinho]

Sell as many as possible and go back to having a strong midfield. Stop trying to be a counter team some days and a possession teams some days. The players don’t know what to do and what they do is useless running into bodies.

Haaland may be an issue. No false 9 no control, no press.

Pep has tried to make it work with the big man and as a result destabilised the entire team. Yes we won a treble. Here and now it ain’t working.

The team is all over the place. Decide what we want to be and stick to it. What we are now is a little bit of everything but good at nothing.

 

[Master-Lotus]

Hopefully it’s Doue or Barcola. Dembele is excellent but he’s 28 and the best ability is availability

Kroupi and Barcola in, Marmoush and Savinho out.

 

[Master-Lotus]

These PSG players allegedly on the radar...be way easier when we get Luis in the hotseat.

God I'd love Enrique as Pep's successor. He confirmed he's leaving PSG for a new challenge just don't remember is it going to be this year or the next one. It would make a perfect sense.

 

[Mad 4 It]

I think again its the newer players getting used to Pep and his demands?

Sorry I don’t I think a lot just aren’t good enough mate

 

[Mad 4 It]

Sell as many as possible and go back to having a strong midfield. Stop trying to be a counter team some days and a possession teams some days. The players don’t know what to do and what they do is useless running into bodies.

Haaland may be an issue. No false 9 no control, no press.

Pep has tried to make it work with the big man and as a result destabilised the entire team. Yes we won a treble. Here and now it ain’t working.

The team is all over the place. Decide what we want to be and stick to it. What we are now is a little bit of everything but good at nothing.

Rodri needs help in midfield

 

[richards30]

Sorry I don’t I think a lot just aren’t good enough mate

Culture shock playing for someone like Pep as well can affect but we have a fantastic squad that so many changes is proving problematic mixed with a manager even in his own words last night is struggling to get the balance right? Simple idea…… play the best players in their best positions, let them go their natural game and see how that goes?

 

[Shazza458]

You can accuse me of being reactionary and perhaps there’s not much point in crying over it anymore but I still think Txiki’s last few years at the club massively damaged this project.

We were way too reactive with this 1 in 1 out stuff. Summer 2023 and summer 2024 are the root of the issues. We failed to rebuild at the the appropriate time, we ended up having issues in every position and Viana had to fix it. It’s not optimal bringing in like 12 new players in 18 months, we could’ve spaced it out if we’d nailed the previous windows

We missed out on far too many top players in that time too, I think Begiristain has a lot to answer for. I think Pep has taken some of that slack but I don’t believe him entirely when he says it’s on him

You can recognise what Txiki did for the club whilst also acknowledging that he was pretty poor from 2021 onwards imo