who do we need???

[FromPollockToSilva]

We've been given a proper lesson this year by Bayern and Barcelona, so the club should realise that buying more mediocre players is not going to close the gap in any way. We've three genuinely top players (Kompany, Silva, Aguero) and we need to ensure that they feel that they are playing alongside people of comparable quality, because regardless of tying people down on contracts and public utterances, of loyalty, these are the three players who could walk into the teams of Bayern, Barcelona, and Real, and those teams will all want to improve. I don't want to lose any of them, so we need top quality, since it could prove even costlier in the long run.

Yaya? I'd also hedge my bets that Fernandinho is one of the top three or four players in his position in the world too.

As for your general point, I agree that quality needs to be prioritised over just bringing in bodies (and after summer 2013 I have faith that this will be the case). However, what I don't understand is why it is that in order to improve the team, we have to spend ridiculous amounts of money. Why aren't our scouts able to find quality players on their way up?

Just look at what Dortmund have paid in recent years for players that would all improve our squad:

Sven Bender - €1.3M
Mats Hummels - €3.7M
Neven Subotic - €4M
Robert Lewandowski - €4M
Shinji Kagawa - €300K
Lukasz Piszczek - Free Transfer
Jakub Blaszczykowski - €2.7M
Ilkay Gundogan - €4.8M
Marco Reus - €15M

That lot cost £30M.

Or Porto:

Fernando - €600K
Fredy Guarin - €880K
Falcao - €4.8M
Nicolas Otamendi - €7M
James Rodriguez - €6.5M
Eliaquim Mangala - €5.7M
Alex Sandro - €8.5M
Jackson Martinez - €7.7M

That comes to £35M.

Now granted a number of those players weren't necessarily at the desired standard at the time they were signed (although I'm sure most would have merited places in the squad, if not the first-team), but when you're paying that kind of fee you can afford to give players time to develop. The worst case scenario is that you end up with a situation like Chelsea are in, where they can turn a big profit on players like De Bruyne should they not prove to be first-team quality.

 

[Gabriel]

We've been given a proper lesson this year by Bayern and Barcelona, so the club should realise that buying more mediocre players is not going to close the gap in any way. We've three genuinely top players (Kompany, Silva, Aguero) and we need to ensure that they feel that they are playing alongside people of comparable quality, because regardless of tying people down on contracts and public utterances, of loyalty, these are the three players who could walk into the teams of Bayern, Barcelona, and Real, and those teams will all want to improve. I don't want to lose any of them, so we need top quality, since it could prove even costlier in the long run.

Yaya? I'd also hedge my bets that Fernandinho is one of the top three or four players in his position in the world too.

As for your general point, I agree that quality needs to be prioritised over just bringing in bodies (and after summer 2013 I have faith that this will be the case). However, what I don't understand is why it is that in order to improve the team, we have to spend ridiculous amounts of money. Why aren't our scouts able to find quality players on their way up?

Just look at what Dortmund have paid in recent years for players that would all improve our squad:

Sven Bender - €1.3M
Mats Hummels - €3.7M
Neven Subotic - €4M
Robert Lewandowski - €4M
Shinji Kagawa - €300K
Lukasz Piszczek - Free Transfer
Jakub Blaszczykowski - €2.7M
Ilkay Gundogan - €4.8M
Marco Reus - €15M

That lot cost £30M.

Or Porto:

Fernando - €600K
Fredy Guarin - €880K
Falcao - €4.8M
Nicolas Otamendi - €7M
James Rodriguez - €6.5M
Eliaquim Mangala - €5.7M
Alex Sandro - €8.5M
Jackson Martinez - €7.7M

That comes to £35M.

Now granted a number of those players weren't necessarily at the desired standard at the time they were signed (although I'm sure most would have merited places in the squad, if not the first-team), but when you're paying that kind of fee you can afford to give players time to develop. The worst case scenario is that you end up with a situation like Chelsea are in, where they can turn a big profit on players like De Bruyne should they not prove to be first-team quality.

I omitted YaYa, as I just can't imagine him being tempted away by the three clubs I mentioned, while Fernandinho is, in my opinion, not quite the finished article yet. Agree with your points on unearthing diamonds, though.

 

[Marvin]

We've been given a proper lesson this year by Bayern and Barcelona, so the club should realise that buying more mediocre players is not going to close the gap in any way. We've three genuinely top players (Kompany, Silva, Aguero) and we need to ensure that they feel that they are playing alongside people of comparable quality, because regardless of tying people down on contracts and public utterances, of loyalty, these are the three players who could walk into the teams of Bayern, Barcelona, and Real, and those teams will all want to improve. I don't want to lose any of them, so we need top quality, since it could prove even costlier in the long run.

A proper lesson? Every Champions League campaign should tell you something but really we performed a lot lot better this time around, and we are now one of the top teams in Europe and we can say this with conviction.

The over-riding conclusion is how much we have improved. I think it is largely a mental thing, of the squad collectively realising that they can play at this level, and knowing what is required.

I thought that the performances by City at Bayern and Barca were outstanding. And the performance at home to FCB with 10 men equally so when you consider the problems we caused them even with 10 men.

At this level, you need strength in depth and lets face it, the Premiership is the most intense League in the world. Teams like Bayern can coast through most of their League games resting players. The 2nd line central defenders were exposed.

Conclusion: One central defender required but remember we have Nastasic and Rekik. I've no idea how good Rekik now is, but h looked very promising. I watched Mangala yesterday, and even though it was just one game he didn't look impressive apart from being an athlete

I know it's not the subject of this thread, but the era of Barcelona dominance is over.

 

[Gabriel]

We've been given a proper lesson this year by Bayern and Barcelona, so the club should realise that buying more mediocre players is not going to close the gap in any way. We've three genuinely top players (Kompany, Silva, Aguero) and we need to ensure that they feel that they are playing alongside people of comparable quality, because regardless of tying people down on contracts and public utterances, of loyalty, these are the three players who could walk into the teams of Bayern, Barcelona, and Real, and those teams will all want to improve. I don't want to lose any of them, so we need top quality, since it could prove even costlier in the long run.

A proper lesson? Every Champions League campaign should tell you something but really we performed a lot lot better this time around, and we are now one of the top teams in Europe and we can say this with conviction.

The over-riding conclusion is how much we have improved. I think it is largely a mental thing, of the squad collectively realising that they can play at this level, and knowing what is required.

I thought that the performances by City at Bayern and Barca were outstanding. And the performance at home to FCB with 10 men equally so when you consider the problems we caused them even with 10 men.

At this level, you need strength in depth and lets face it, the Premiership is the most intense League in the world. Teams like Bayern can coast through most of their League games resting players. The 2nd line central defenders were exposed.

Conclusion: One central defender required but remember we have Nastasic and Rekik. I've no idea how good Rekik now is, but h looked very promising. I watched Mangala yesterday, and even though it was just one game he didn't look impressive apart from being an athlete

I know it's not the subject of this thread, but the era of Barcelona dominance is over.

We have indeed performed better, we managed to get out of the group (admittedly a comparably easier one) but we were bettered by Bayern and, then, Barcelona. At the Etihad we were effectively dismantled by Bayern and over the two legs against Barcelona we lost 4-1 and it could, perhaps should, have been a more emphatic scoreline. Our performances in games have improved, often only when we we were behind and scrapping, but the gulf between us and the really top teams will not be bridged by one central defender. I think I heard that Barcelona have now qualified for the last eight for the seventh consecutive season, so while their dominance may be waning, we very much remain a work in progress.

 

[willipp]

I'm watching Mangala and Fernando now for Porto v Napoli

Porto 1-0 up, but Mangala has made a couple of big mistakes in the 2nd half and got away with it. If this is anything to go by, he's not the finished article by any means

Completely agree about his mistakes. I've watched him a couple of times since we have been linked with him and to me he reminds me of David Luiz a bit. In a way where he looks good for 85 minutes but then has a shoicking 5 minutes with some big mistakes that can cost you. For the money were being quoted i would expect the finished article, but for me Mangala has a huge amount to improve on. For me we need a CB that fits straight in and is nailed on pairing with Vinnie. We have Nasty developing and takes any pressure of him to be that person straight away.

As for the rest of the squad, we don't need a great deal. Someone to compete with Yaya and Fern and for me Luke Shaw. We should make him an absolute must and get rid of Clichy and keep a much improved Kolarov.

We cannot go out this summer and completely overhaul our squad. If we do i can already see in Sept / Oct us all saying we need time to bed new players in when we have a few ropey results. Were not far off this year, a slight tinker in a couple of positions and we will be awesome next year.

 

[Bluep*ss]

We need pace - I am not well versed as most of you about foreign players - nor about our English quota? within the squad of 25. When you mention Bayern , Barca , R/Madrid they have speedy players - especially in defence.
The player that comes to mind is the LB of Barca - very quick to close us down when it looked like we were about to threaten their goal.
Pace and skill that is what we need. very easy to say though!!.

 

[vintiz]

Messi Inesta and valdes.

Problem sorted !

 

[Akira]

Obviously the biggest problem right now is defence, thus the highest priority should be placed on getting a CB and a RB. We need a world-class centre back to back-up/partner Kompany and a solid right back to fill in for Richards, who is out most of the time now.

Other than that, we should just get a central midfielder, someone who can fill in and do a job, giving Yaya and Fernandinho enough rotation and rest.

 

[trevorriley]

defender, right back, one midfield..... Sort out strike force so to have 4 at world class level ( not dzecko standard ).... Id say MP will say to owners at the end of season that he has about 70% of the squad he wants, summer will see quite a few go with 5 or 6 new faces of MP's standard..

 

[Craig T]

How about Mehdi Benatia at Roma or Diego Godín from Atlético Madrid?