Will City be queuing overnight

[RayCTID]

The ones that are injured you mean? It's not about form, it's simple maths, we have 6 defenders, 2 are constantly injured, 1 is 34 and unable to perform anymore, the remaining are being pushed to breaking point and we're playing midfielders in defence or kids who are nowhere near ready. we simply do not have enough numbers. they won't be replacing anybody, we'll be bolstering the squad.

We have the smallest squad in the league, potentially signing 2 players to fill up the allotted squad places isn't suddenly replicating Chelsea's transfer policy. It's fixing the glaring mistakes made in the summer as early as possible to minimise the cost of those errors.

You seem to be suggesting firefighter txiki doesn't tackle the blaze that is our season, doesn't attempt to put the fire out before it spreads and salvage what they can from it but instead allow the entire house to burn to the ground destroying everything in its path and rebuild afterwards.

Problem is they would just be squad fillers and nothing that could really improve us at this stage. They still have to fully bed in. If anything they could still fuel the fire even further. We have finally got both Akanji and Stones back.

 

[ninjamonkey]

Problem is they would just be squad fillers and nothing that could really improve us at this stage. They still have to fully bed in. If anything they could still fuel the fire even further. We have finally got both Akanji and Stones back.

Who says they have to be squad fillers? No reason why we cannot find quality, we'll just have to pay for it.

But even if they are, so what? That's precisely what we need right now.

You seem to be vastly underestimating the size of the hole we are currently in and just how much it will cost us if we don't find a way out.

No champions league next season could see us lose almost triple figure millions in revenue, coupled with the less attractive proposition we become for new targets.

Even in the unimaginable nightmare scenario where we go and sign 2 players for say £30million each in January or there abouts, they do what we need and we for some reason then release them in the summer, and lose the lot, it will still have been worth it.

Stones is back in training but you surely know by now it's a coin toss as to whether he wakes up injured every morning. And akanji will be thrown back in again out of neccesity and there's a good chance he'll break down again, it's the exact thing that happened a month ago, he comes back, we have to play him because there's nobody else, they break down within a few games, that cycle only stops if we don't have to throw them back in and play every minute and that only happens when we have more than 6 defenders on the books.

 

[RayCTID]

Who says they have to be squad fillers? No reason why we cannot find quality, we'll just have to pay for it.

But even if they are, so what? That's precisely what we need right now.

You seem to be vastly underestimating the size of the hole we are currently in and just how much it will cost us if we don't find a way out.

No champions league next season could see us lose almost triple figure millions in revenue, coupled with the less attractive proposition we become for new targets.

Even in the unimaginable nightmare scenario where we go and sign 2 players for say £30million each in January or there abouts, they do what we need and we for some reason then release them in the summer, and lose the lot, it will still have been worth it.

Stones is back in training but you surely know by now it's a coin toss as to whether he wakes up injured every morning. And akanji will be thrown back in again out of neccesity and there's a good chance he'll break down again, it's the exact thing that happened a month ago, he comes back, we have to play him because there's nobody else, they break down within a few games, that cycle only stops if we don't have to throw them back in and play every minute and that only happens when we have more than 6 defenders on the books.

A new signing doesn't have any wriggle room to really click. He still has to really adapt to the pace of the Premier League and in our current state it wouldn't be ideal for his career and we need to get some familarity amongst our current lot before adding. Better in biding our time and really get what we really require and give Hugo Viana real chance in sorting us out. We can afford one season out of the Champions League if needs must.

 

[ninjamonkey]

A new signing doesn't have any wriggle room to really click. He still has to really adapt to the pace of the Premier League and in our current state it wouldn't be ideal for his career. Better in biding our time and really get what we really require and give Hugo Viana real chance in sorting us out. We can afford one season out of the Champions League if needs must.

Plenty of examples of players clicking instantly. The man you mentioned in the previous post, Akanji came in on deadline day and made an instant impact. He was far more of a panic buy than anybody we might be looking at in January and he's been fantastic.

They don't even actually need to be instant overwhelming successes, they just need to be better than the likes of a 34 year old finished walker and a tiny midfielder who can't defend to have a positive impact. The bar is very low right now, A body is better than nobody.

I find it utterly bewildering you're suggesting we essentially throw close to £100m away and make future recruitment harder, for what? So we can give Viana even more work to do in the summer with less money available to do it and a harder sell. It's completely nonsensical.

It's going to cost us more to do nothing.

 

[Blue2202]

Plenty of examples of players clicking instantly. The man you mentioned in the previous post, Akanji came in on deadline day and made an instant impact. He was far more of a panic buy than anybody we might be looking at in January and he's been fantastic.

They don't even actually need to be instant overwhelming successes, they just need to be better than the likes of a 34 year old finished walker and a tiny midfielder who can't defend to have a positive impact. The bar is very low right now, A body is better than nobody.

I find it utterly bewildering you're suggesting we essentially throw close to £100m away and make future recruitment harder, for what? So we can give Viana even more work to do in the summer with less money available to do it and a harder sell. It's completely nonsensical.

It's going to cost us more to do nothing.

His argument is beyond bewildering mate, I don’t understand why on earth they would not be pro active in addressing the clear squad issues after witnessing the impact it’s had on the season (after not doing so in the summer) The chance or thought of us missing out on the CL will hopefully have given them even more of a wake up call.

The suggestion that Txiki is just going to be sitting on his hands until he leaves is ridiculous. He will no doubt want to leave the club and his good mate pep in the best position possible and if that means moving any transfer plans forward then surely he will.

 

[Gingers Dad]

No club is ever consistently active in January. It's nearly always reserved for clubs in trouble, we've never fallen under that category, until now.

There's really nothing to back the idea we won't spend now when it is very much required simply because we haven't needed to spend at this point in previous seasons.

Next seasons CL qualification is now in doubt.

 

[Roachy]

If Nunes needs a lift back to Wolverhampton I’m available.

And if you broke down on the way, I'll come and push.

 

[Shazza458]

It’s a maximum of 3 unless they got someone happy to not play in the CL for the rest of the season.

Managing my expectations, not expecting the likes of Bruno or Zubimendi to walk through the door. I think the club dropped a monumental bollock in the summer by standing still.

Genuinely have no clue who they’ll get in January. I have a feeling it’ll be a project guy, another risky midfield acquisition.

We need floor raisers now. Top 5 is at risk

 

[Semper aggressus]

They will give the players who had got them the 4 league titles in a row and a Champions League all the time to get some form back. They aren't going to suddenly replicate Chelsea's transfer policy either.

Those players were younger then and in better form, or not injured. Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and make a change. There is no room for sentimentality. Some of our current squad have been amazing for us, but as a club you have to recognise when it’s time to move on, change things or add some fresh legs.

This isn’t a testimonial season giving these blokes a run about, we have to win something or at least finish in the top 4. This current team as it stands with injuries and age is looking very unlikely to do either. A couple of very good signings could change that.

 

[Roachy]

Problem is they would just be squad fillers and nothing that could really improve us at this stage. They still have to fully bed in. If anything they could still fuel the fire even further. We have finally got both Akanji and Stones back.

For how long mate? If the physical exertions of the past 3 to 4 seasons are the problem, as so many claim, then you'd suspect they wouldn't remain injury free from here on in. I'm sort of in agreement with your stance with a couple of things but not all. We need an overhaul, no doubt. Some will disagree as to the extent of it as a whole and also what needs to happen in Jan and the summer. One thing is for sure, we cannot afford to sign any more mediocre players. We've got a bit of a conundrum.