Players that slipped through City’s fingers…

[giorno]

Of course not. But everyone knew they had a slim squad, with key players at an age where they could hit a wall at any time this season. And it definitely feels like an avoidable mistake for them to be so reliant on players in obvious decline with so many talents doing well at other clubs.

Those talents aren't going to be happy riding the bench while the world class players are still performing at a world class level though

The only way to not bleed good young players while your team is winning is to either have a bunch of Lamine Yamals who are already better than your 25-30 year old stars at 18 and so you might as well just play them and move the estsblished player on, or, more realistically, to risk moving your WC players on earlier to bet on the young player - which might result in you not winning...

The only big mistake you can lay on them is Palmer, and even that came with strong mitigating circumstances - the player they mostly picked over Palmer won POTY last season as they won a record 4th PL in a row

 

[Pepesuave]

I recall ten years ago having discussions with people who were telling me about how amazing city’s academy was and how they were pulling in all these youngsters and how it was to be jealous of.

And I remember saying it’s completely pointless in the grand scheme of things because young players won’t get a chance at city. Guardiola was never going to bred young players into his team at any significant level. All he cares about is his own legacy and collecting trophies.
What is hilarious too is that they didn’t sell many of those players for a great price. Hell even palmer it looks like they should have got a lot more.

So basically, after fifteen years of building and upgrading their fancy academy. Fifteen years of bribing the parents of half the young prodigies around the world. All they have to show for it is Phil Foden and a bang average sideshow bob lookalike.

The strategy was always to stock-pile young talent and sell at decent fees to off-set marque purchases. Recall Pep touting a minimal net spend after splurging 100M on Grealish

 

[Bale Bale Bale]

He wanted to keep him. He was starting him at the beginning of 23/24 in order to get him to stay, but he still forced his way out to Chelsea by the end of the window.

This is like when people used to bring up Ferguson letting Pique leave. If a player refuses to sign a new contract and is asking to leave there's not a lot you can do.

He played 10 minutes of City's first three games that season and Palmer himself said he didn't want to leave:

https://www.skysports.com/football/...e-never-wanted-to-leave-boyhood-club-man-city

"My thing was to never leave Manchester City. That was not my intention. I wanted to go on loan for a year, come back and be ready."

"But they said I couldn't go on loan, either stay or you get sold."

 

[dcrompton]

You could make a title winning squad from ex Chelsea first team and academy players. This is from top of my head so probably missed some. Just like current Chelsea they seem to be lacking in goal-keeper and centre-forward

Kepa
Aina
Lamprey
Chalobah
Livramento
Hall
Maatsen
Ake
Tomori
Guehi
Rice
De Bruyne
Gallagher
Gilmour
Mount
Kovacic
Havertz
Hudson-Odoi
Musiala
Loftus-Cheek
Olise
Dibling
Abraham
Salah
Werner
Lukakau
Broja

 

[Kablamo]

You could make a title winning squad from ex Chelsea first team and academy players. This is from top of my head so probably missed some. Just like current Chelsea they seem to be lacking in goal-keeper and centre-forward

Kepa
Aina
Lamprey
Chalobah
Livramento
Hall
Maatsen
Ake
Tomori
Guehi
Rice
De Bruyne
Gallagher
Gilmour
Mount
Kovacic
Havertz
Hudson-Odoi
Musiala
Loftus-Cheek
Olise
Dibling
Abraham
Salah
Werner
Lukakau
Broja

I would only take three players from that list.

One of them is Salah, one of them is Lewis Hall, the other isn't Mount.

 

[RicheyManic]

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