The Squad planning thread

Viana will sell what he wants to sell for the good of the club , he ripped Sporting apart.

Viana has an eye for talent. He’s very good at spotting young talent that can become world class in their position.

I just don’t think Viana works with Pep. Pep wants ready made, Viana wants projects there is going to be a clash somewhere down the line. I think our board have looked at the scouting and talent Viana has found and thought if he could do that here.

It would save money and the players we get from that strategy wouldn’t be sold since we don’t have too. It’s basically Sporting and Brighton model with the constant scouting for talent and not having to sell the talent that’s already here
That sounds like a disaster and if you frame it like that, I'd back Pep to the hilt if given the choice.

The likes of Sporting and Brighton operate several galaxies underneath City's level. They are not expected to win the Prem and CL and can thus afford to take punts on young projects. It's magnitudes easier to rip apart and patch up Sporting than a club at City's level, even moreso a Sporting which was in the gutter when he took over.

Viana in 6 years at Sporting has signed one player that turned out to be world-class (so far): Raphinha. Some decent players to win the Portuguese league and sell on for a profit is not what is needed here. I guarantee that the board has not employed Viana to copy exactly what he has done in Portugal. There will be an expectation for him to adapt to a higher level of competition. Eye for young talent, excellent as a supplement. But the core of the team needs to hit the ground running, in the Prem and Europe.
 
That sounds like a disaster and if you frame it like that, I'd back Pep to the hilt if given the choice.

The likes of Sporting and Brighton operate several galaxies underneath City's level. They are not expected to win the Prem and CL and can thus afford to take punts on young projects. It's magnitudes easier to rip apart and patch up Sporting than a club at City's level, even moreso a Sporting which was in the gutter when he took over.

Viana in 6 years at Sporting has signed one player that turned out to be world-class (so far): Raphinha. Some decent players to win the Portuguese league and sell on for a profit is not what is needed here. I guarantee that the board has not employed Viana to copy exactly what he has done in Portugal. There will be an expectation for him to adapt to a higher level of competition. Eye for young talent, excellent as a supplement. But the core of the team needs to hit the ground running, in the Prem and Europe.

I would expect some compromise. We need ready made players who don't have to be at their peak but improve us. However there's also merit in building for life after Pep so identifying top young talent to loan out is a solid structure to help us in the future.
 
Viana bought 3 needed CB talents in Khusanov and Reis which makes absolutely sense when stones and Ake are still here and gone in the near future. He had no other choice. Other established CB wouldn’t join to sit on the bench. This guys are the replacements for Akanji, Ake and Stones. Reis was Real bound, Bah Inter bound and Khusanov was also on Real‘s list. So there‘s nothing wrong with getting them.

The players we are talking to now are established players beside Wesley. I don’t see a problem here. Viana is clearly mixing the present and the future. Pep can’t expect the club not to go for young stars with the potential to hit world class .
The rebuild won’t start when Pep leaves. It already started. Viana is doing good and if the Reijnders, MGW, 2 fullbacks join I will be pleased.

The minutes you giving injury prone players like Ake and stones you can give them to players like Echeverri or Reis. I really really hope that Viana doesn’t care and gets rid of certain players. That’s what he is here for. The Gundogan extension was definitely on purpose by Pep
 
it's not so much that we need a bigger squad, it's that we need serious player turnover.
We could probably do with one or two more for the squad size but what we really need is all of the squad to be fit for most of the season. We can't continue to carry players like Stones and Ake who are only fit for 2 months (if we're lucky) of the season
 
21.

2 keepers.

Nunes, Akanji, Dias, Stones, Ake, Gvardiol, O’Reilly, new FB

Rodri, Nico, Kovacic, Gundogan, Bernardo, Gibbs-White, Foden, Savinho, Doku

Marmoush, Haaland.

He doesn’t want to leave people in the stands.

There’s no way both Stones and Ake are with us next season based on Pep’s comments about players being available, one may stay not both. I don’t see both Akanji and Nunes being at City, one of them will cover right back, probably Akanji.

At least one of Kovacic, Bernardo and Gundogan will leave as well.

If Pep is looking at small squad he’ll be looking at players who can play 50 games a season. The likes of Stones, Ake and Akanji all had long term injuries which left us in trouble in November and December. Plus Dias, Kovacic, Doku and Haaland all had various shorter injury issues. Small squads will only work if you have a core who can play almost every game.
 
Viana will sell what he wants to sell for the good of the club , he ripped Sporting apart.

Viana has an eye for talent. He’s very good at spotting young talent that can become world class in their position.

I just don’t think Viana works with Pep. Pep wants ready made, Viana wants projects there is going to be a clash somewhere down the line. I think our board have looked at the scouting and talent Viana has found and thought if he could do that here.

It would save money and the players we get from that strategy wouldn’t be sold since we don’t have too. It’s basically Sporting and Brighton model with the constant scouting for talent and not having to sell the talent that’s already here

That was the basis of the conversation mate but i`m not sure Pep is up for it.
 
Viana will sell what he wants to sell for the good of the club , he ripped Sporting apart.

Viana has an eye for talent. He’s very good at spotting young talent that can become world class in their position.

I just don’t think Viana works with Pep. Pep wants ready made, Viana wants projects there is going to be a clash somewhere down the line. I think our board have looked at the scouting and talent Viana has found and thought if he could do that here.

It would save money and the players we get from that strategy wouldn’t be sold since we don’t have too. It’s basically Sporting and Brighton model with the constant scouting for talent and not having to sell the talent that’s already here
We are not sporting or Brighton this strategy is ridiculous for a club our stature. Do Madrid and Barca do it? No. So why are we going this route. Unfortunately Pep wont win this one, peps gone in 2 years. Viana is only starting so club will back viana
 
Everyone saying Pep wants ready made over project. We're only really talking Wesley really from the targets of about 10 players so far. Doubt they fall out over 1 guy when the deals are all done.
 
Everyone saying Pep wants ready made over project. We're only really talking Wesley really from the targets of about 10 players so far. Doubt they fall out over 1 guy when the deals are all done.

The greater fall out would probably be about clearing out his players, if they do fall out. Anyway, he was annoyed with Txiki etc a few times over targets - like not spending enough to get Maguire
 
The greater fall out would probably be about clearing out his players, if they do fall out. Anyway, he was annoyed with Txiki etc a few times over targets - like not spending enough to get Maguire
yeah, think it'll be nothing when the final lines are drawn and no more in/outs come August.
 
Viana will sell what he wants to sell for the good of the club , he ripped Sporting apart.

Viana has an eye for talent. He’s very good at spotting young talent that can become world class in their position.

I just don’t think Viana works with Pep. Pep wants ready made, Viana wants projects there is going to be a clash somewhere down the line. I think our board have looked at the scouting and talent Viana has found and thought if he could do that here.

It would save money and the players we get from that strategy wouldn’t be sold since we don’t have too. It’s basically Sporting and Brighton model with the constant scouting for talent and not having to sell the talent that’s already here
I think this is a concern of mine with Viana and Pep. Txiki has had criticism from City fans and at times fairly for some of the players bought, but he was a big driver in getting Pep here in the 1st place and his relationship with Pep is excellent. They have the same vision and its why its been such a successful model the last 8 years. I think Pep's recent words about a smaller squad were pretty clear. He wants 21-22 players of quality that are reliable. Right now we don't have that and we're stacked with players.

I think Viana has a big job of signing 4 or 5 quality players to improve the squad this summer, but also balancing this with getting players out the door. It's a tough job for your 1st summer at the club as expectations are still high. If he gets it right, it'll set us and his relationship with Pep on the right track.
 
Everyone saying Pep wants ready made over project. We're only really talking Wesley really from the targets of about 10 players so far. Doubt they fall out over 1 guy when the deals are all done.

I think its as much as Pep doesnt want to lose his trusted soldiers but Viana wants to clear the decks and rebuild bigger than Pep wants as well?
 
I think its as much as Pep doesnt want to lose his trusted soldiers but Viana wants to clear the decks and rebuild bigger than Pep wants as well?
Maybe, but pep knows who can and cant do 3 games a week. He's said so, he just doesn't want the bloat when they are all fit. I expect it gets down to 20ish outfield players regardless of what either says in the press.
 
Akanji would never be a backup. Pep loves him too much for that, he would start almost every game, ahead of players that are far better than him
He would be a perfect backup since he can play across the whole backline. But yeah he will start so gvardiol goes back to LB for whatever reasons. Ego pep at it.

Viana just do it
Gundo, Kovacic/ Bernardo, Grealish, McAtee, Nunes/Akanji, Stones, Ake ,KDB. It’s possible
 
Gone extremely quiet on any rumours now?

Has it? By all accounts most people think Rejners and Gibbs White are virtually done and the season hasn’t even finished.

Only the specific full back targets we are going to get remains unclear imo & the rest I imagine depend on outgoings e.g ederson and/ or Ortega. Imagine we get a couple of signings over the line before the CWC shite.
 

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