Who now then?...

[LIBlue]

Stones fine for cover in dm for 90% of prem league but top teams and champs league he will be lost.

I will be amazed if we dont get cover in now or in January.

Pep and the board want champs league we won’t get it without cover, simples!

So rest fern game before cl and use him for cl :D don’t risk him against easier teams

 

[robbieh]

We're going to drop a shit load of points if we start leaving Dinho out the team and that's assuming he is not dropping off a level anyway.
Rather than having an understudy I think we need an immediate starter with Dinho filling in or indeed playing alongside.

 

[blueballs84]

Rakitic.

Probably too late.
Love him as a player though, I woulda gone balls in.

 

[TCIB]

I had us down as done when we pulled out of the Jorginho deal. We still then got the very highly rated Claudio Gomez for nothing or close to it in compo, that was a very nice treat indeed.

In a computer game fantasy world having that second player for Fernandinho would be just ideal seemingly but i would be hard pressed to say i am anything but super happy with our squad. Indeed i am more than confident Delph could fill in with no drop in effectiveness, he is that good a player i think.

 

[kun]

Think Kovacic was the one we where trying to get but Chelsea beat us to him.

Probably due to the keeper.

Still the best squad for me!

This sounds plausible

 

[Afterthefact]

Might sound crazy, but not that worried...I think we could win league even if fern weren’t there (with no one added). And think we could have won CL the last three years (yes, pre-pep with pellers) with slightly different breaks regardless. Continue to think that if we’d passed Monaco and Liverpool, both of those were there for the taking. And we were an aguero screamer away from a final before that. An extra would help, and I get the little extra bump, but it’s at the point of marginal probability and lucky breaks now.

 

[LIBlue]

Probably too late.
Love him as a player though, I woulda gone balls in.

Blue balls deep?

 

[roy.or.r]

Might sound crazy, but not that worried...I think we could win league even if fern weren’t there (with no one added). And think we could have won CL the last three years (yes, pre-pep with pellers) with slightly different breaks regardless. Continue to think that if we’d passed Monaco and Liverpool, both of those were there for the taking. And we were an aguero screamer away from a final before that. An extra would help, and I get the little extra bump, but it’s at the point of marginal probability and lucky breaks now.

I want to have what you are smoking.

 

[Afterthefact]

I want to have what you are smoking.

I get it, but obviously:

- gotten past Madrid, into final and could have won.

- past Monaco - for real why not? Possible.

- past Liverpool last year - almost certainly would have won.

That’s three where it well could have happened. Sorry, not crazy. At all.

 

[Wolfkin]

January it is then.

 

[basokla]

January it is then.

That’s when reality will set in.

Doubt anyone worth a shit will be available though.

 

[bluethai]

I think Delph will end up taking this job perfectly. He can prove everyone wrong again.

 

[Saddleworth2]

I think Delph will end up taking this job perfectly. He can prove everyone wrong again.

I might be wrong, but did Delph not briefly play in that position for England and did rather well. Cant remember if it was world cup proper or run-up. I'm sure he could do it. He is fast enough, physical enough and his passing range is pretty good. He has already shown what a versatile footballer he is.

 

[MCFC_4Heatons]

I might be wrong, but did Delph not briefly play in that position for England and did rather well. Cant remember if it was world cup proper or run-up. I'm sure he could do it. He is fast enough, physical enough and his passing range is pretty good. He has already shown what a versatile footballer he is.

Yes he did

 

[Jazzman]

I might be wrong, but did Delph not briefly play in that position for England and did rather well. Cant remember if it was world cup proper or run-up. I'm sure he could do it. He is fast enough, physical enough and his passing range is pretty good. He has already shown what a versatile footballer he is.

I think we have enough options to allow us to rest Fernandinho every now and then. You said Delph already, in no particular order there is also Gündogan, Zinchenko (provided he is not sold), Danilo, Douglas Luiz (if he gets the work permit), Claudio Gomes, and John Stones who could play there. I think we will be fine, as long as Fernandinho does not get a long term injury. I can't really decide whether I like the fact that we will develop our own DM instead of buying a new one, or not.

 

[Saddleworth2]

I think we have enough options to allow us to rest Fernandinho every now and then. You said Delph already, in no particular order there is also Gündogan, Zinchenko (provided he is not sold), Danilo, Douglas Luiz (if he gets the work permit), Claudio Gomes, and John Stones who could play there. I think we will be fine, as long as Fernandinho does not get a long term injury. I can't really decide whether I like the fact that we will develop our own DM instead of buying a new one, or not.

This season will tell us. Realistically, none of the above will get the game time at DM to become world class. We will need to replace Fern within a couple of seasons so my guess is the hunt will continue with one or two of your list being developed in parallel.

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

We are still trying. Pep isn't lying, he is just managing expectations.

City have repeatedly rubbished off the record Kovacic and Pjanic.

Money isn't the issue, it is the manager's clear definitions.

 

[Jazzman]

This season will tell us. Realistically, none of the above will get the game time at DM to become world class. We will need to replace Fern within a couple of seasons so my guess is the hunt will continue with one or two of your list being developed in parallel.

My wording was poor. I also think we will buy a new DM at the latest next summer. Instead of developing our own DM, I should have written using the existing squad for the season.

 

[bojinov29]

We are still trying. Pep isn't lying, he is just managing expectations.

City have repeatedly rubbished off the record Kovacic and Pjanic.

Money isn't the issue, it is the manager's clear definitions.

any feelings/ideas as to who tolmie?

 

[without a dream]

We managed fine with Gundogan there against Chelsea, Spurs and Arsenal so we should be fine really.