Seems like a steal when you have Maguire’s price in mind.
Man City 2020/21 - General discussion
- Thread starter Suedesi
- Start date
Long way to go yet. Laporte looked a steal at his price and was doing well pre-injury, he's been a disaster since he came back. Good thing with Dias is he's only 23 so if he keeps improving and we hold him for a few years it'll be a great deal. LOts of talk about him being the next Kompany which I find a bit early. So for he's been everything we've lacked though. He's got that warrior throw himself into everything attitude Otamendi and Kompany had but his decision making seems to be far superior to Otamendi.
That said I think Ota would look pretty decent in our current system.
I still think Laporte will come good. He looked good when he was on top form. In Dias and Laporte you might have found a solid defensive partnership and you also have stones who is a solid back up.
It's on Laporte to show he wants to play every game. We'll see. He lacks leadership skills, made a lot of stupid mistakes in big games so who knows if he can step up when it's tough.
We never looked in any trouble ourselves. The only real effort of note they had in the game, of their own making, was the KDB shot which hit the bar. They had a couple of other shots from outside the box which were easy saves for Henderson.
They were playing without a striker but so were we. I don't consider Rashford & Martial to be traditional strikers anyway. They are nowhere near the level of Cavani.
If we can keep Cavani, Baily & fernandes fit for the majority of the season & cut out the unforced errors at the back we'll be in with a great shout of the title.
Our Title challenge will be a distant memory by the end of Feb, however, that’s an improvement on what we’ve had in recent years.
61 million
Pretty sure covid also reduced his price. Maguire would have been about the same if covid happens in 2019.
Dias was €65m but Otamendi went the other way for €15m so he’s basically free.
It’s amazing what a few clean sheets can do - suddenly Dias (23), Stones (26), Laporte (26) and Ake (25) looks like a fantastic set of centre-backs to have for the coming years. I know there is a Stones resurgence at the moment but I can’t see how in the long run our first choice pairing doesn’t become Dias and Laporte.
It’s amazing what a few clean sheets can do - suddenly Dias (23), Stones (26), Laporte (26) and Ake (25) looks like a fantastic set of centre-backs to have for the coming years. I know there is a Stones resurgence at the moment but I can’t see how in the long run our first choice pairing doesn’t become Dias and Laporte.
Just hope Ake can finally stay fit.
That and mostly, Benfica had suddenly financial issues given they couldn't qualify to UCL. So he suddenly became available.
Terrifying turn of form
Will it last?
Will it last?
I think it gives you so many options. Stones resurgence is excellent and all will pressure each other for starts.
Looks like City will be the only club to come out of this Covid disaster unscathed. They've even been aided by it.
They've hoodwinked the FA into giving them an ''unofficial'' Winter Break while everyone else has been playing back to back.
It's also been announced that Etihad are extending their sponsorship deal on increased terms. Wouldn't surprise me if many of the other Abu Dhabi sponsors also increase their sponsorship deals too. It looks like Covid won't impact their revenues too severely either.
They've hoodwinked the FA into giving them an ''unofficial'' Winter Break while everyone else has been playing back to back.
It's also been announced that Etihad are extending their sponsorship deal on increased terms. Wouldn't surprise me if many of the other Abu Dhabi sponsors also increase their sponsorship deals too. It looks like Covid won't impact their revenues too severely either.
Oh look another conspiracy theorist on RAWK.. I mean Redcafe... sad really.
Yeah everything dodgy is a conspiracy thats how the world works kid
Hardly a conspiracy unless you believe Citys PR without question.
Other than being "time barred" there are still serious doubts hanging over City and their financial practices.
As for the 7 day covid break in December, it certainly has given the club an advantage so far. Maybe not when the fixtures get more congested.
City are going to City aren't they, them being dodgy doesn't even get a reaction out of me anymore.
True. Other than maybe PSG there is no competition in the dodgy stakes.
Their fanbase will believe anything their clubs expensive PR spits out. Very little self awareness.
I hate it when I make a sarcastic quip about conspiracy theories, only for my club do get caught breaking the rules again a few days later.
State owned City have not, do not and will never play by the same rules as everyone else. This is a 16 year old kid being offered back handers - we all know the same happened with Mancini and only a fool would believe worse isn't happening with their big names players and coaches.
For every kid like this who calls them out on it, there are hundreds who take the money and keep their mouth shut. When club owners aren't accountable to financial regulation (or any other authorities for that matter), this is what you get and it's the reason state ownership of clubs is a stain on the sport.
State owned City have not, do not and will never play by the same rules as everyone else. This is a 16 year old kid being offered back handers - we all know the same happened with Mancini and only a fool would believe worse isn't happening with their big names players and coaches.
For every kid like this who calls them out on it, there are hundreds who take the money and keep their mouth shut. When club owners aren't accountable to financial regulation (or any other authorities for that matter), this is what you get and it's the reason state ownership of clubs is a stain on the sport.
Can't see this story going anywhere, which a shame. We're dodgy as shit, we always have been, and I wouldn't mind us getting fined for something instead of scraping through loopholes every time someone calls us out. But, crucially, the parties who would need to push this in order to get City punished would only wind up being investigated themselves - which is why no clubs will pressure the authorities and why the authorities will stay silent themselves. Every club does this, every club engages in bad stuff behind the scenes. One of the reasons City didn't push for Liverpool to be investigated after the hacking of our scouting data was because we're likely doing it someone else. It's backhanders and favours for favours and this is yet another example of it that just won't go any further.
Thats how you judge other clubs right? And no not everything is a conspiracy theory, but claiming a club and the FA/PL of colluding for nicer fixture scheduling actually is a conspiracy theory especially when the evidence and the governing body point to the opposite.
Last edited:
What about the premier leagues? Or the FA's? Or the medical professionals the PL contacted before pp'ing the game. Were they all working together to give City an advantage? Or maybe just maybe, City had players with Covid and a legit postponement... Maybe you should read the post I quoted
"They've hoodwinked the FA into giving them an ''unofficial'' Winter Break while everyone else has been playing back to back." Evidence to back up this nonsense or its a conspiracy theory right?
I mean we all know city are bent as feck in general. Except when it comes to bribery of referees and VAR officials like the rags and bus smashers. This is where they draw the line though. Fake sponsorships deals, back handers to staff, fudging financial records, that’s all fine but they’ll never bribe refs, they’re above that.
And I’m not so sure this using covid to get a break thing stands up when they turn up facing lower league cannon fodder in the cup and put out a full first team.
And I’m not so sure this using covid to get a break thing stands up when they turn up facing lower league cannon fodder in the cup and put out a full first team.
Lots of very healthy and normal opinions in this thread. Good to see.
Imagine how many of Pep's extended family are on the payroll to keep his miserable arse there
That's a leap. Sponsorship irregularities are one thing but the probative burden of proof is in the accuser when you throw out an accusation of bribery. This sounds no different from what Liverpool and Arsenal fans in years past would accuse United of doing.
Haha, my post was a piss take. Not meant to be taken seriously.
Foden is now their leading scorer this season on 8.
Unbelievable player and a certainty to become world class. Mason has the talent to do so as well though, so I’m not too worried just yet.
Bet they're hoping a big cup game dosen't go to penalties this season.
Mahrez and Sterling aren't good penalty takers at all and Aguero and KDB miss the odd one aswell. Mind you think they've won a few shoot outs in league cup in last two seasons so perhaps it's just a mentality of they'll score when it really really matters.
Mahrez and Sterling aren't good penalty takers at all and Aguero and KDB miss the odd one aswell. Mind you think they've won a few shoot outs in league cup in last two seasons so perhaps it's just a mentality of they'll score when it really really matters.
On one hand that’s clearly positive for the lad but that’s quite underwhelming for the City team we have seen in recent seasons. Clearly they are missing Aguero this season.
Typical City
Last lost a penalty shootout in a competitive game in 2008.
That proud record can’t last the way things are going!
The really weird thing is I can't remember the last time we didn't win a penalty shoot out.
Reports re funneling money through to families is not surprising at all. There's a reason their players rarely have their heads turned.
Except Leroy Sane, Jerome Boateng, Nigel De Jong, Jadon Sancho, Brahim Diaz, Kolarov, James Milner, Daniel Sturridge and Carlos Tevez who were all wanted to stay.
Its a myth our players don't want to leave. How many first teamers or promising youth at United or Liverpool had their head turned and left during the same timeframe?
At United I could Di Maria, Ronaldo, Evra and Pogba. Everyone else was let go. There might be one or two more I missed.
At Liverpool there is a lot Coutinho, Sterling, Suarez, Agger (who I believe was homesick) Torres, Mascherano, Alonso, Arbeloa
Last edited: