Txiki Begiristain

Chelsea have Lukaku.

Utd have Cavani and Ronaldo.

We have Torres.

Pep can say is happy but we know he isn't.
On the flip side though, we have the best collection of midfielders/attacking midfielders in the world, arguably the best set of centre backs, best right backs, two really strong goalkeepers, and overall a very young team still.

The lack of out and out strikers is a stinger, but maybe Pep is just more appreciative of the rest of the squad than the fans are.
 
Every couple of years, experts here deride Txiki. Every year, we have success. We are in the twilight zone.
The majority of successful signings he has made have been more by luck than judgement. He's paid top dollar (invariably the asking price) for every player he's signed, and sells at knock-down prices.
His inability to negotiate effectively meant that we lost out on his 'first choice' replacement for Kompany, the decidedly average Koulibaly, and he pretty much panic bought Dias. Classic TB fluke.
If he hadn't been instrumental in getting Pep to City, he'd probably have been kicked out years ago, and have slithered off to some other comfy DoF old pals job in La Liga.

From what I've seen of him since he arrived, I can only imagine that if he's involved in his own pay negotiations at City, he's probably only on about £75 a week.

He's what us FOCs used to call a spiv. I certainly wouldn't buy a used car off him.
 
Totally agree about a striker. I wish we had signed one. But for example if Halaand is determined to sign for whoever gives him the most money then it’s likely we will get him which must down to our owners I suppose one criticism of our dealings is that we spend too long on players we don’t get. But again we don’t really know this to be true.
Where have all the world's strikers gone. Messi and Ronaldo, in their mid 30's still commanding huge money. Haaland, Mbappe able to name their own price, Lewandowski looking for a short term pension top up contract. Where are the very good and potentially great strikers aged 23 to 28 that well managed club's like ours usually opt for. Fans howling like banshees because they are not getting what they want or feel entitled to, spoilt attitudes and clueless about our transfer policy. To quote a Rolling Stones oldie.
"You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometime you find
You get what you need"
Released 1969, look where we have been since then, some rough times but this management team have "mostly" managed to get what we need. Owners like ours make money because they "mostly" invest and manage intelligently and having the money to buy "anyone we want" doesn't mean we should abandon the attributes that have put us where we are. I hope we buy a quality striker by 31st, not a galactico or teenage sensation, someone solid, mainly because I would hate for young Delap to face pages of whinging if he doesn't become a 30 goal a year overnight sensation if he has to fill the vacancy.
 
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Let's be honest, we pulled ourselves out of a massive mess in November. The players and coaches did that.

Now it looks like our season is going to be a backs to the wall one.

This higher management have never been worth a damn to me. Proud, foolish, stubborn, fanciful and loose lipped.

If they are what Pep needs, that's one thing. He isn't perfect, but he is extremely talented and when focused and advised, and listening, can deliver truly great things. I rate many of the people around him, his personal mentors and confidents, very highly. These are people with their own stories that make perfect sense. Txiki and Ferran, no. They are the Barca boys, who got ousted, and towards the end, got shafted, as did the club. My impression of them is that the club has been continuously in a cycle of digging ourselves out of whatever hole we find ourselves in. For ages, many moaned that the club felt out of touch. We had so little to relate to. My view is that they are fundamental to that impression building, and totally unrelated to it being broken down again and again by players like Fernandinho, and the priceless trio of Silva Kompany and Zabaleta - all of who of course came here before they did.

They're not hopeless - they are capable, smart, resilient, and tough. But they need to deliver more than this constant state of emergency, and show something more than just aloof stubborness that they and the club will survive.
The old "Barca boys" trope, how original and gross misuse of the word "emergency", something I hope you don't experience in the real world.
 
Increasingly looking like City are backing the Academy topped up by players who add to the mix.

This was the stated aim backed by Txiki and Pep. It would be Peps crowning glory to see a dominant City team built around academy and young players with the addition of marquee signings. Economically it would blow the history clubs out of the water.

Already Manchester City success is attracting young supporters from other clubs.
 

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