Transfer Strategy

[cjn]

I posted this in the other thread, but better suited here. The fact is that our squad cost nearly a billion pounds to put together and we still somehow don't have a striker, nor a left back for the nth year running, nor a defensive midfielder that Pep trusts in big games. Inexplicably leaving positions short is a pattern also: we lost the league two years ago because we didn't bother buying a Vinny replacement, and it took us too long to buy our last defensive mid after going into a season with no one but Fernandinho. We only seem to replace players after it's an obvious problem and we really need someone.

To be balanced, recruitment has been mostly good, our hit rate does seem to be better than other clubs. Dias was an absolute home run of a transfer. My issue is always just tactics - we're seemingly incapable of doing big deals without release clauses and and we desperately want to be seen as not spending too much. The problem is that no one gives a shit, the other clubs hate us anyway, and we should just spend the money.

People say, but we won trophies we're doing something right! Yes, of course, but we also have an extraordinarily expensive squad and maybe the best manager ever...we should win trophies. That still doesn't mean we've been particularly good in the market.

 

[BlueMoonAcrossThePond]

@cjn
I've been saying exactly this since the start of the window! Great post.

 

[decmancity]

I posted this in the other thread, but better suited here. The fact is that our squad cost nearly a billion pounds to put together and we still somehow don't have a striker, nor a left back for the nth year running, nor a defensive midfielder that Pep trusts in big games. Inexplicably leaving positions short is a pattern also: we lost the league two years ago because we didn't bother buying a Vinny replacement, and it took us too long to buy our last defensive mid after going into a season with no one but Fernandinho. We only seem to replace players after it's an obvious problem and we really need someone.

We have a left back, Zinchenko is a good player. If Pep thought it was an issue he would have addressed it, we haven't. So unless Pep is so hell bent on handicapping himself, you have to trust his decision. There is a handful of top fullbacks in the world and they play at the top clubs, no one wants to sell.

The defensive midfielder "problem" is nonsense. Pep made a decision on the CL final and that is that, he talks about Fernandinho like hes a son so if he can't trust him then he won't trust anyone.

It wasn't a case of "not bothering" with a replacement for Kompany, we clearly felt there was no player we wanted. No guarantee of anything in football, the dippers could have still won the league.

 

[asahartford1]

I posted this in the other thread, but better suited here. The fact is that our squad cost nearly a billion pounds to put together and we still somehow don't have a striker, nor a left back for the nth year running, nor a defensive midfielder that Pep trusts in big games. Inexplicably leaving positions short is a pattern also: we lost the league two years ago because we didn't bother buying a Vinny replacement, and it took us too long to buy our last defensive mid after going into a season with no one but Fernandinho. We only seem to replace players after it's an obvious problem and we really need someone.

To be balanced, recruitment has been mostly good, our hit rate does seem to be better than other clubs. Dias was an absolute home run of a transfer. My issue is always just tactics - we're seemingly incapable of doing big deals without release clauses and and we desperately want to be seen as not spending too much. The problem is that no one gives a shit, the other clubs hate us anyway, and we should just spend the money.

People say, but we won trophies we're doing something right! Yes, of course, but we also have an extraordinarily expensive squad and maybe the best manager ever...we should win trophies. That still doesn't mean we've been particularly good in the market.

The greatest manager ever was recruited you know
We have sold young players who have been recruited for hundreds of millions .
We have 5 England first teamers in our squad 4 were recruited, and one developed by the Academy.
Recruited a unique goal keeper who is integral to our success.
Of those recruited there are only a couple of total failures, have a gander at our rivals, you will find many more failures .

So try and get a balanced view, and by that I mean compare us to Rags,Chelsea, Spurs, and Arsenal, and I feel for one that such negativity is unfounded and wrong.

People like you believe the recruitment game is so simple, money no object, whereas in reality FFP, and covid and a loss of 200milion, with more to come is the reality .

 

[cjn]

We have a left back, Zinchenko is a good player. If Pep thought it was an issue he would have addressed it, we haven't. So unless Pep is so hell bent on handicapping himself, you have to trust his decision. There is a handful of top fullbacks in the world and they play at the top clubs, no one wants to sell.

The defensive midfielder "problem" is nonsense. Pep made a decision on the CL final and that is that, he talks about Fernandinho like hes a son so if he can't trust him then he won't trust anyone.

It wasn't a case of "not bothering" with a replacement for Kompany, we clearly felt there was no player we wanted. No guarantee of anything in football, the dippers could have still won the league.

Pep wanted Harry Maguire, we didn't end up buying a centerback that summer. Pep wanted Fred and Frenkie de Jong, didn't buy a midfielder. Pep definitely wants a striker now, doesn't look like we'll get one. He doesn't do the transfers himself and we don't get him everything he wants. Zinchenko is a decent player who gets exposed at times. Him and Mendy aren't a good enough pair if you want to serious compete at the highest end, in my opinion.

 

[wayne71]

Whilst we we are listing all the things we don't have can I just add a new GK to the list for when pep fucks off.

 

[Pubteam Lomas]

@cjn You are spot on.
I haven't heard one word of praise for our 'net spend' just Grealish being called the '£100m man' in his first two games.

 

[decmancity]

Pep wanted Harry Maguire, we didn't end up buying a centerback that summer. Pep wanted Fred and Frenkie de Jong, didn't buy a midfielder. Pep definitely wants a striker now, doesn't look like we'll get one. He doesn't do the transfers himself and we don't get him everything he wants. Zinchenko is a decent player who gets exposed at times. Him and Mendy aren't a good enough pair if you want to serious compete at the highest end, in my opinion.

City don't get free reign to pick up players like a pint of milk. There are so many variables involved.

Every player gets "exposed". No player is perfect. Mendy just hasn't worked out but we are stuck with him, we don't have the squad space or finances for a 3rd LB when Zinchenko and Cancelo do more than a good enough job 99.9% of the time.
We didn't lose the CL final because Pep played Zinchenko.

Strikers, like left backs are few and far between. I don't subscribe to this notion we can put Carroll up top and he will score 30. We are trying to replace one of the best goal scorers in the world with someone, its very difficult.

 

[cjn]

The greatest manager ever was recruited you know
We have sold young players who have been recruited for hundreds of millions .
We have 5 England first teamers in our squad 4 were recruited, and one developed by the Academy.
Recruited a unique goal keeper who is integral to our success.
Of those recruited there are only a couple of total failures, have a gander at our rivals, you will find many more failures .

So try and get a balanced view, and by that I mean compare us to Rags,Chelsea, Spurs, and Arsenal, and I feel for one that such negativity is unfounded and wrong.

People like you believe the recruitment game is so simple, money no object, whereas in reality FFP, and covid and a loss of 200milion, with more to come is the reality .

I literally wrote in my post that I thought recruitment had been good on balance, not sure what your point is.

 

[cjn]

City don't get free reign to pick up players like a pint of milk. There are so many variables involved.

Every player gets "exposed". No player is perfect. Mendy just hasn't worked out but we are stuck with him, we don't have the squad space or finances for a 3rd LB when Zinchenko and Cancelo do more than a good enough job 99.9% of the time.
We didn't lose the CL final because Pep played Zinchenko.

Strikers, like left backs are few and far between. I don't subscribe to this notion we can put Carroll up top and he will score 30. We are trying to replace one of the best goal scorers in the world with someone, its very difficult.

You were arguing that since we didn't buy a left back Pep doesn't think it's an issue. My response is that we have no idea if that's true because Pep doesn't do the transfers. He's wanted players for positions before where we haven't gotten anyone.