- Joined
- May 20, 2019
- Messages
- 168
Koulibaly would be a top signing but personally I believe our defensive issues come more from midfield than our CB's. He would be a big improvement for sure but until we get some pace in defensive midfield I don't think we'll challenge.
I would agree that another DM needed to be signed (alongside 2 CB's) to enable Fernandinho to be phased out. My personal suggestions would be for City to sign either De Jong or Ndidi.
Absolutely Mangala is probably the worst signing in PL history. Funny thing is before his confidence got destroyed and in a team that didn't require ball playing CB's, I think he'd have turned out much better. Terrible move for both parties. Porto were the only winners.
Alongside the various Third-Party Owners to be fair.
Yeah, I thought for ages Stones was going to be our Rio, young English good on the ball. But he hasn't developed at all defensively despite being in the same dressing room as Kompany. I wouldn't be surprised to see him off in the summer
I suspect that the main reason to why Stones hasn't developed defensively has been the fact that his place in the Starting XI had largely been guaranteed by Kompany's regular injuries and by having both Otamendi & Mangala being even worse. So what exactly would motivate him to further develop his skills in this area?
I have no clue where he'll end up though.
Arsenal has been suggested, although I highly doubt they would be able to afford him. Personally I think that he would likely stick around at the Eithad as a Squad Option for the next few seasons (mainly because he counts as an "Home Grown" Player for Squad Purposes), especially since City need to get 2 CB's just to replace Kompany & Otamendi. So if Stones is going to leave as well, another CB would need to be signed.
The rumor was a swap for Semedo so we'd probably end up giving Barca Cancelo and money. I'd like to see Cancelo given another season just to see.
Cancelo should be given another season. However there would be a case to sign Semedo regardless to replace Walker after next season.
Yeah he's more of a lead by example. I don't think we have anyone whose captain material off the pitch. They all seem too easy going etc..
Manchester City would be better off going down the road United took and sign someone (such as Koulibaly) that would end up wearing the armband once they arrive.
The problem with this is when this happened the first time we cut a (shady?) deal with UEFA instead of taking them on and trying to abolish FFP in 2014. That is when we should have taken this on. We gladly cut that deal instead of sticking up for ourselves and other clubs who could benefit like we did from huge investment, we decided to step on them to keep them down just like the g14. We should have showed spine back then but we cut the deal and for better or worse became part of the clubs trying to prevent others from climbing up. To go and try and abolish FFP now would be hypocritical. We signed up to be part of FFP the day we struck that deal. Now we're kind of reaping what we've sewn.
What I still don't get is why did Khaldoon Al Mubarak agree to this 2014 compromise in this first place? I mean I do get why Infantino was desperate to agree such a compromise with City; but considering that Khaldoon Al Mubarak was openly willing to take UEFA to Court over FFP, its seems a bit strange that he suddenly agrees to a pretty poor compromise back in 2014. Especially when he could have forced even more concessions out of UEFA such as having FFP amended to allow club owners to "sponsor" their own clubs (1).
Regardless I would very much agree that City should have never accepted the deal, called UEFA's bluff and take them to court over FFP. Had they done so back in 2014 than both Manchester City and European Club Football as a whole would be in a much better place (2).
(1) Which would actually make a lot of sense; since it would allow club owners to invest into their own clubs, but not in a way that would lumber said clubs with massive debts owed to their owners.
(2) Especially when it would have forced the likes of the Glazers to invest more money towards the clubs that they owned, least they fall further behind (and lose their best players to) the likes of City & PSG.
That said if we lose in CAS I wouldn't bet against us going to Europe over this and eventually taking on the rules themselves. The problem I would have with this, is it will look like we're taking on the rules out of spite because we were punished instead of doing it for the right reasons (FFP being a ball of shite).
When it comes to FFP, the likes of City look the least hypocritical out of all the clubs involved. Mainly because the rest of Europe's Elite Clubs are even more hypocritical than yourselfs in this area. Especially the likes of AC Milan & Inter Milan (1).
(1) Who only started calling for FFP once their owners couldn't be arsed to put more money towards either club, despite being among Europe's highest spenders of transfer fees for a very long time.
Pep already said only 1, maybe 2 players this summer.
Last time I checked; Digne, Koulibaly, Škriniar, De Jong, Fabian & Sancho & Kane where not on Manchester City's looks, if they where then Pep would be fully correct.
I don't think the rebuild is 7 or 8 players as many are stating but we need a CB, LB and CDM for certain.
Realisitically Manchester City actually do need 7-8 signings. Especially when they also need to sign another CB, a David Silva replacement & another winger to enable B.Silva to become a full-time CM.
Sane is a big loss as when he goes we have to play with inverted wingers. For me our best attacks was Sterling, Aguero, Sane.
Would Mikel Oyarzabal be a good replacement for Sane? Or should City aim to get someone like Mane (who has been rumoured to leave Liverpool since 2018) instead?
My big problem with us is pace in midfield and Pep's Rodri and Gundo obsession, I dislike both but think either one is ok when surrounded by pacy midfielders (even Foden is quick enough).
Getting someone like Fabian (to directly replace D.Silva) would help address this problem, especially when it would mean that Pep would no longer have to play both Rodri & Gundogan in the same midfield when he would have KDB, B.Silva, Fabian & Foden as options in CM.