Early is good but quality is better, I think if United sign Griezmann, one of Belotti/Lukaku/Morata, James plus a top left back and midfielder (you could yet beat City to Fabinho and Mendy) it'll show Woodward was right to be patient. Also as it stands we at City have one confirmed and lots of almost deals but given how many media related almost deals never actually come off I won't be counting my chickens.
Manchester City 17/18 discussion | "If you're here for the Champions clap your hands" (#6505)
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) is joined by CEO Duncan Drasdo and Financial Director Andy Green from the Manchester United Supporters Trust for a special episode on all things behind the scenes at Old Trafford including a brief history of MUST and their aims today, views on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe so far, and the Old Trafford regeneration.
Early is good but quality is better, I think if United sign Griezmann, one of Belotti/Lukaku/Morata, James plus a top left back and midfielder (you could yet beat City to Fabinho and Mendy) it'll show Woodward was right to be patient. Also as it stands we at City have one confirmed and lots of almost deals but given how many media related almost deals never actually come off I won't be counting my chickens.
There is an argument on some level the team that spends the most deserves the league. I mean if I have a 2k car and yours is 20k I'd admit you deserve a finer vehicle. Football thankfully is about more than just that thanks to managers. I mean I think Jose should Be challenging if i only gave him veratti and lewandowski. He needs to get more out of what we have as we'll as just adding another 4-5+ players. He undeperformed on that front as much as shaw and martial did for me.
I'm not scared of city, whoever they buy they'll find a way to feck it up. They won sweet FA last season and Pep is bald.
Annoying thing is if City do win the league you can bet that smug prick Redknapp won't mention a thing about the money spent to do it, seems to be a drum he only likes to bang when a club doesn't live up to the money spent
Yes, but you don't need a striker/second striker. That's why you aren't in for any of those players.
We could arguably do with a left back, right back (Valencia turns 32, but maybe TFM or Tuanzebe as understudy) and a GK if De Gea leaves.
I'd give Romero his chance, but City will have strengthened positions we could also do with strengthening.
But if you spend huge and win a league it means it worked I guess.
The combinations and creativity of David/Bernardo can be amazing.
Anyway they still need a fit Gundogan or a top substitute for him
Anyway they still need a fit Gundogan or a top substitute for him
Do you need 11 top class players and a top class manager to win a league though? SAF was a one off granted but won leagues carrying 3-4 first teamers in many fans opinions. I don't think that should be beyond some of these world class managers who have won as many CLs as he did...
How do they fit him in though as well as all the others? I agree City looked at their best with Gundogan in the side but unless they play him in front of the back 4 which is a role he can't do I don't see how you can fit him, Silva, Silva, De Bruyne, Sane and Jesus/Aguero in week in week out?
Personally I don't think it's a problem they're ever going to have as Gundogan is a crock but there's always that what if....
Silva
Ederson (maybe)
And I still couldn't give a toss about city.
Ederson (maybe)
And I still couldn't give a toss about city.
..and why would you ever need them all on the pitch there are tons of games for any successful team to navigate so every squad gets down to relying on kids at some point through injuries over a long period.
I remember us having 4 top strikers as the norm for example.
They can buy all the players in the world but they can't get rid of the rag-spiracies.
Not taking anything away from Sir Alex but he had 2 rivals at a time max. Liverpool than Arsenal, than Chelsea. He would carry no passengers in the current Premier League, he wouldn't have 11 galacticos but I don't think he'd be winning the league with the team he used to take the title back off City in 12-13. He would of course do better than I think anyone bar the top two but I don't think he'd win the league with the holes that United, City, Liverpool and Arsenal had last season,
He would though have been much more ruthless and never let a situation develop when he had to use Wengers fullbacks from 2004 at City. Ferguson always did enough whether it was through the transfer market or with his youth, he always built a squad capable of competing and would never have started a season with his pants down like alot did last season.
If our opponents had 11 world class players we would have, or Fergie would have gotten us a few great title wins like Simeone did for Atletico but nowhere near as many.
I'll be betting on City to win the Prem next year by just scoring a dickload of goals, but go out in the champions league, where that midfield and defense won't be tough or experienced together enough to get through 3 home and away knockout legs.
Name a successful side that didn't/doesn't have a settled and clear first XI?
City have too many first choice players and they'll find it impossible to keep them all happy next season the obvious casualties at the moment looking like Sterling and Aguero
Incredibly lightweight 11, will look exceptional with the ball but whose gonna get the ball back or put the tackles in when under pressure.
Just screams out the exact same problems as last year.
Just screams out the exact same problems as last year.
I'd put my house on it SAF could have won the league with last season's squad. Defence was one of the best...created tons of chances but couldn't finish it in other games we played very conservatively against some average teams. I actually think Maureen would usually do so much better than he did. Miki, pogs, shaw playing their best football and we come very close. It's up to him to get them playing back to their best. You can't keep buying and buying again instead of getting the best out of what is already at the club. It starts to look daft and it starts to make a manager look weak.
Well if you are competing on all fronts as we did in the past we proved ourselves that could only be achieved through constant rotation. I think we actually didn't field the same 11 for about 18 months when on top. To dismiss that tactic based on years passing with no one else coming close to what we were doing makes no sense to me.
But the thing though is that we can't forget that the season is long and hard and with such spending, it makes sense that the expectations will be high. I'd rather be in a position where the is quality on the pitch and quality on the bench
I assume you're referring to the 99 treble and while you're correct no one in England has done it trebles have been done by Spanish and Italian teams in the last decade
Be it Pep's Barcelona, Enrique's Barcelona, Zidane's Real Madrid, Jose's Chelsea, Conte's Chelsea even Leicester last season you knew pretty much who their first choice XI was/is from week to week
Of course you would but that level of competition in a squad isn't sustainable for a long period, you may get away with it for 1 season 2 tops but then those better players who aren't getting a game go elsewhere
Well I guess it's down to the manager to manage the squad and it's general happiness. It's why they are paid lots of money too.
The examples from the PL had no European football to contend with so were not competing on all fronts tho? This is the PL. You have to rotate to stand a chance. SAF mastered it over how many years. Proved it's essential. Are you Just talking about a title charge? Even then subs like fabregas for Chelsea played huge parts...
I would also say those Chelsea and Leicester teams had zero injuries almost probably because they were not challenging on all fronts!
It is indeed way too early (not even June) to be jealous of other teams or be worried. Long stupid summer ahead of us
Fair play to City, they seem to want to get their Summer business sorted as soon as possible.
Would love if we could do the same. In previous years, I like it when we spread it out as I was more of a transfer muppet back then.
Hopefully we can get everything rounded up by late June.
Would love if we could do the same. In previous years, I like it when we spread it out as I was more of a transfer muppet back then.
Hopefully we can get everything rounded up by late June.
So, going by the reports, if it all comes off then something like:
Ederson
Walker Kompany Bonucci Mendy
Fabinho
B.Silva De Bruyne D.Silva Sanchez
Aguero
Otamendi, Stones, Fernandinho, Gundogan, Sane, Sterling, JesusWalker Kompany Bonucci Mendy
Fabinho
B.Silva De Bruyne D.Silva Sanchez
Aguero
Is that a player or your comment
Doubt they'll get Bonucci.
If we get Sanchez it will be bye bye Aguero I think. Two Silva's, Sane, KDB, Jesus, Sterling are all certs to stay, given Sanchez versatility Sergio will be the one pushed out as he struggles the most interchanging positions.
Not a hope on Bonucci imo. Why would he, at his age leave one of Europes top teams?
Your also looking at £45m Ederson, £40 Walker, £50 Bonucci, £35 Mendy, £40 Fabinho, £43 silva £60 Sanchez. Thats around £310m to bring them in. It would certainly mean selling Aguero along with all our rejects to get net spend under £200m.
I'd argue that Pep does. His style requires each player to be pretty much perfect for him. Not every player needs to be world class necessarily, but they certainly need to be among the best at what they do. Particularly the midfielders, who have to be positionally perfect both when going forward or when they lose the ball, otherwise Guardiola teams look very exposed.
Trying to build a team with 5 or more new players will prove more difficult than some City fans speculate. Next season will be very interesting...
Although i agree with most of that, even when his Midfielders are near perfect his teams are still exposed. Pep's system requires a commanding center back that can organize the back 4 so the line and offside trap are carried out correctly. It also helps if a centre back is quick and good 1-on-1. Puyol/Mascherano were very good at organization and Pique was fast and hard to beat. So they made a good centre back pairing.
A long ball or through ball into the space behind the high line is a straightforward way to expose pep's system and has been done by many teams successfully at every team he's managed.
Pep's system can make a team play some fantastic football, he is probably better than LVG at implementing a possession based system, but his system isnt some holy grail when you have a world class team. I feel that Guardiola's time at Barcelona created unrealistic expectations about his system; because that team had the best player of all time in his prime.
Nah you don't. But I think Pep does, partly because he's a perfectionist and partly because he's not as well balanced a coach as a lot of successful coaches who've won major titles without needing 11 world class players.
If you can't muster up a challenge in any competition with the squad he had last year then yeah he undoubtedly needs a something resembling a world class 11.
I'm impressed/surprised that he's giving up on Bravo so soon. Cold-blooded!
And will it come before a new signing for you professing that it's always been his dream to play for United?
Both sets of players need to change the script a bit.
Bravo had no pre-season last time as was very late signing. Made debut vs United a few games into the season.
He'll get a chance to win the starting GK jersey with Ederson (probably) as competition. The loser will be the backup and Domestic Cups keeper.
Come on, you're not breaking the world record for a back up.