who do we need???

[tiggsywiggsywoo]

Who do we need? A good physiotherapist would be top of my shopping list.

 

[sam-caddick]

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 agree here mate, Dortmund and Porto have shown what very good scouting and most importantly good coaching can do to a team.

In my opinion we need the club to start scouting more players like when did with Hart, Kompany and Zabaleta because not only have these lads turned out to be top class players but these are three players who are arguably our most die hard, heart on their sleeve players, and it's these type of players who have the mentality to win you titles.

Constantly buying egos and big money signings doesn't work in my opinion because I just think a lot of the time they think they are doing us a favour instead of fighting for the badge week in week out. I would say Sergio and Silva have been the only big money signings that have turned up when we need them most on a consistent basis.

Obviously you are not going to be able to find 5m bargains who turn out to be stars every transfer window, but I would like to see more of the Negredo and Navas type signings, players who have quality but have a point to prove at the very highest level.

Just look at Rodgers at Liverpool, he took two players who had promising starts to their careers but seemed to lose their way in Sturridge and Coutinho, he bought them for very good prices and is turning them into world class talents, that's good coaching and good scouting. Plus, not forgetting what he has done to Sterling and Flanagan, firstly Rodgers has now got Sterling playing as one of the best if not the best winger in the country, and Flanagan is turning out to be a player you could potentially see as England's future right full back.

Time for the club to scout better and time for Manuel to prove his coaching ability (something he has done with Nasri and Kolarov to be fair), but buying stars every transfer window and just expecting them to perform is not going to work.

With the signing of Zuculini maybe the club is starting to put faith in the scouting, let's hope so.

 

[simon23]

Sell garcia and barry and buy another mobile dynamic midfielder

Sel dzeko and guedetti (he will never be good enough) and buy a player in the sergio mold

Sell lescott and MDM and get a ball playing cenre half who has pace

a player to play wide left???????

promote Lopez to the first team as well...get him loads of time for sub appearances - better experience than loaning him out

 

[Palerider]

Our defence has been caught out big time this year with the more attacking style. I've no idea who but I'd want two quality defensive full backs with pace and a solid pacey Centre back. The way we play I think pace in defence is essential. Until our defence is sorted we will never be a threat at Champions League level. The young Real Madrid centre back Varana? would be ideal. We should make a bid and unsettle him!

 

[We are City not Chelsea]

Messi Inesta and valdes.

Problem sorted !

All past their best. We need players at their prime or on the way up.

We bought Macken because he scored a good goal against us. Let's not make the same mistake with that number 10 from the other night.

 

[CAPTAINKIPPAX]

We need to get a worldie CB to partner Vinny more than anything IMO, Vinny is not confident in the ability of other CB partners (however Pell picks) to do the job so he,s basically running himself into the ground every game trying to do all the other players jobs as well as his own.I worry that he'll eventually get sick and tired of it and seek a transfer (a disaster).So the signing of either Mangala or Hummels has to be Pells priority, maybe another top class CM to rotate with Fern and Yaya I don't see a problem up front apart from Edin who has to be moved on (he's had more than enough opportunities and frankly has looked as if he just can't be arsed lately) so a good quality replacement added to Kun, Negrado and Jovetic (provided his persistent injury problems can be resolved). I'd keep Milner, Garcia, Kolarov, Zab, Clichy - also nailed on to be frontline troops are David, Samir, Navas ----- I feel at present we are only a couple of world class players in key positions from being the finished article.