Luka Modric / Signs for Real Madrid

City have reached an interesting stage now. They have a big squad filled with lots of players just under the 'top 5 in the world in that position' bracket. Tevez is perhaps the only player who possibly qualifies.

They've tried to sign real marquee players and failed. I'm not convinced qualifying for the CL will make that much of a difference now. The players they need to go up another level will still be extremely difficult to sign. Keeping Tevez is vital.

Are you serious? Top players want to play in Europe and want high wages. City, provided they qualify, can give players both and they can offer higher wages than any other club in the world.
 
I don't see the difference. They have Abramovich, you don't. I mean a man who can easily spend 70m in January can spend much more in the summer.

Furthermore, they win trophies, you don't. You can't compete period! Accept it.
Spurs are very clever in the transfer market. Have been for some time. Chelsea are probably looking at an overhaul in certain areas, whereas Spurs will be content to sign one or two players to fill their weakest areas.

With outgoing players boosting the bank account, I reckon Spurs could comfortably afford two £20m+ signings this summer, and if they end up losing any players that they'd prefer to keep you can be sure it won't be on the cheap.
 
City have reached an interesting stage now. They have a big squad filled with lots of players just under the 'top 5 in the world in that position' bracket. Tevez is perhaps the only player who possibly qualifies.

They've tried to sign real marquee players and failed. I'm not convinced qualifying for the CL will make that much of a difference now. The players they need to go up another level will still be extremely difficult to sign. Keeping Tevez is vital.
Only if they don't get a champions league place. Lack of a champions league place cost them players in the past. With their financial muscle, a champions league place will get them almost anyone. For me, Tevez will be the on to regret a departure from City this summer, if they do secure that place.
 
Are you serious? Top players want to play in Europe and want high wages. City, provided they qualify, can give players both and they can offer higher wages than any other club in the world.
The next stage of their development can only come from signing the real big names. I think it could be more difficult than you realise. Most of them are already playing CL football with more prestigious clubs, and earning a great salary without the tax restrictions they'll face in the UK.
 
Only if they don't get a champions league place. Lack of a champions league place cost them players in the past. With their financial muscle, a champions league place will get them almost anyone. For me, Tevez will be the on to regret a departure from City this summer, if they do secure that place.
I'm not so sure they'll be able to sign 'anyone' this summer if they get that CL place. I think they'll find it very difficult.
 
I'm not so sure they'll be able to sign 'anyone' this summer if they get that CL place. I think they'll find it very difficult.
We shall see. Who ever bags Tevez will be kicking out some top notch people to balance the books. Plus alot of potential stars like Hamsik and Lukaku will be up for sell this summer.
 
The same when anyone with even one working brain cell can see we are still in the process of seeing what selling Ronaldo has benfited us. For incase you hadn't noticed, his sale coincided with us starting to re-builid the entire team. A re-building job that is only half way done. The final chapter comes next summer. If the re-building flunks you can then say we gained nada from letting Ron go.

How do you work that out Chief?
 
.... They have Abramovich, you don't. I mean a man who can easily spend 70m in January can spend much more in the summer. ....
Only if you believe that the new financial regulations will have zero impact on Chelsea's continuing ability to spend money they haven't earned, but which is instead simply gifted to them.

Spending 70m in January already smacks of panic buying ....
 
Modric' agent releasing these stories about United's interest. Seems they want to negotiate a new contract.
 
How do you work that out Chief?
Read my post again. Since we sold Ronaldo we have been reshaping the side. We have changed the defence and improved the attack. This coming summer we will have to spend to replace the keeper and beef up the midfield, most likely using a good bulk of the money we got from the Ronaldo sale this time.
 
Only if you believe that the new financial regulations will have zero impact on Chelsea's continuing ability to spend money they haven't earned, but which is instead simply gifted to them.
That stuff will not start to bite for another season at least. By then the likes of Chelsea and City would have spent relevant cash on all the players they will need.

Spending 70m in January already smacks of panic buying ....
Torres and David Luiz panic buys:lol:
 
Only if you believe that the new financial regulations will have zero impact on Chelsea's continuing ability to spend money they haven't earned, but which is instead simply gifted to them.

Spending 70m in January already smacks of panic buying ....

Haha what a way to spin the purchase of two fantastic players.


Buying Torres is 'panic' buying?


Come off it!


I think Spurs will lose one of their prized assets this summer tbh as I think they will finish fifth. Not sure which one, or to who.
 
Read my post again. Since we sold Ronaldo we have been reshaping the side. We have changed the defence and improved the attack. This coming summer we will have to spend to replace the keeper and beef up the midfield, most likely using a good bulk of the money we got from the Ronaldo sale this time.

How have we reshaped?

We lost Tevez and Ronaldo, to be replaced by Valencia and an injury prone has been Owen last year. This season Hernandez. Defence is pretty much the same with the exception of Rafael. Midfield has hardly changed.

Let's wait till the summer before making any predictions.
 
I think Spurs will lose one of their prized assets this summer tbh as I think they will finish fifth. Not sure which one, or to who.

Let's just say, for the sake of fun, Bale or Modric to United. Who do we want?

Bale.
 
We have Nani to cover the left.

Modric seems to be the type of player we are lacking.
 
Let's just say, for the sake of fun, Bale or Modric to United. Who do we want?

Bale.

Well I think we need a CM more than we need a Winger.. having said that Modric is also capable of playing on the wing as well.. Modric for me..
 
I'd go for Modric.

Nani to be first choice LW, Valencia first choice RW - Modric would then play either CM in a 442 (as he has shown he can do) or as the more attacking player in a 451, offering better support to the striker than we usually see from our midfield. That CM/AMC role needs to be filled this summer, imo, and there are few players I would trust more than Modric to fill it (that I feel we could actually get).

Bale would be a very welcome addition to the squad, but at the price that would be required, it would be a poor purchase imo - as we woulnd't be able to strengthen in the more pressing areas of the team as well (due to costs) which are GK and CM, imo. We don't need to go out and purchase an expensive world class (arguable) left winger as we will be fine with Valencai and Nani as as the first choice wingers, but I do feel we need to bring in someone who can play on the left. Ashley Young, with just a year left on his contract in the summer, would be a much more realistic option in my opinion. Not as good as Bale, but he can be very good on his day and can play either side - would offer very good rotation with both Nani and Valencia.
 
We have Nani to cover the left.

Modric seems to be the type of player we are lacking.

Good point that, but I've never seen anything from Nani on the left to suggest he'd be as good there as on the right.

Wouldn't Modric in a midfield two require a partner in the Keane/Essien mould?
 
Good point that, but I've never seen anything from Nani on the left to suggest he'd be as good there as on the right.

Wouldn't Modric in a midfield two require a partner in the Keane/Essien mould?

I think him with either of Fletcher, Carrick and to a stretch even Anderson would be workable..
 
I think him with either of Fletcher, Carrick and to a stretch even Anderson would be workable..

I wouldn't play it away to Arsenal/Chelsea/City etc, but in most home games and a good few away games i reckon it would be ok. Modric isn't terrible defensively, but you'd just want his partner to sit a bit more than they might like. Also, I think Modric would help us keep possesion better than we do at the moment, so we wouldn't need to defend as much.
 
.Wouldn't Modric in a midfield two require a partner in the Keane/Essien mould?

He does fine with Spurs without any quality partners. Nani mostly played on the left last season and was pretty impressive.
 
I wouldn't play it away to Arsenal/Chelsea/City etc, but in most home games and a good few away games i reckon it would be ok. Modric isn't terrible defensively, but you'd just want his partner to sit a bit more than they might like. Also, I think Modric would help us keep possesion better than we do at the moment, so we wouldn't need to defend as much.

Its not like we ever do play a 442 home or away against the big sides anymore anyway.. We rarely do it.. besides him in a 3 man midfield will be more potent than him in a 2 man midfield so that's no problem either..

He does fine with Spurs without any quality partners. Nani mostly played on the left last season and was pretty impressive.

I agree with the Modric bit.. Although I am not so certain on the Nani bit.. His best performances came from the Right wing starting with the stellar performance at the Emirates in the PL last season..
 
Good point that, but I've never seen anything from Nani on the left to suggest he'd be as good there as on the right.

His best individual performance of last season was against Bayern Munich at Old Trafford, playing on the left.

Check this out (these individual highlight reels are usually pretty dull but stick with this one, it's worth it):



EDIT: You'll want to turn the sound down though

Wouldn't Modric in a midfield two require a partner in the Keane/Essien mould?

I used to think that too but he's really come on as a player and been outstanding in the centre this season, partnered by dross like Jermaine Jenas.
 
His best individual performance of last season was against Bayern Munich at Old Trafford, playing on the left.

Check this out (these individual highlight reels are usually pretty dull but stick with this one, it's worth it):



EDIT: You'll want to turn the sound down though



I used to think that too but he's really come on as a player and been outstanding in the centre this season, partnered by dross like Jermaine Jenas.


He played well and scored twice (I think) but I regard that as more a product of Valencia playing so well. Nani has had better games imo and those have generally come on the right.
 
He played well and scored twice (I think) but I regard that as more a product of Valencia playing so well. Nani has had better games imo and those have generally come on the right.

Valencia deserves credit for creating Nani's goals but I don't see how he will have had any effect on Nani's overall performance. Which was excellent IMO.

Besides, that video is also a useful reminder of just how effective a player Valencia can be. All the more reason to find a way to play them both in the same team.
 
Why have so many myths started that certain players only play well in a 3 man midfield?

I agree with you, it started happening with the switch to the more conservative 3 in midfield approach, especially with the Mourinho and Benitez effect on the EPL.

I guess also the obssession with a "AM" type midfielder. So when a midfielder is really talented on the ball it is (mostly) naturally assumed that said player is scared of getting "stuck" in in midfield, which is hardly ever the case.

The specifics of midfield means you hardly ever get stuck in anyway, because the ball is moved around so fast. There are hardly any top dribbling midfielders out there.

Tbf though, some midfielders wouldn't be ideal in a 2 man midfield, but generally these players can be shifted to the wing. So the statement is definitely a LAZY stereotype thrown around when someone is typically great on the ball, in midfield.
 
Valencia deserves credit for creating Nani's goals but I don't see how he will have had any effect on Nani's overall performance. Which was excellent IMO.

Besides, that video is also a useful reminder of just how effective a player Valencia can be. All the more reason to find a way to play them both in the same team.

Yeah, Valencia has grown on me. I was always sceptical, even though he did very well for us I never really gave him the benefit of the doubt - though I liked him as a character, hard working and just gets done with the job.

I often criticised him for being too "one dimensional" but since his injury he's definitely been missed and gives us something, a directness which suits the United way, which none of our other wingers give us and his presence would help alleviate alot of the pressure on Nani to produce something.

I've seen Nani produce on the left many instances, but he lacks a bit of consistency. With his talent I'm hoping this could be put right.

An attack of Nani ------ Rooney --------- Valencia, in Europe, away from home especially would be nice to have. Shame about Berbatov though, not sure if/where I'd fit him in, as much as I man-love the man.
 
Spurs are very clever in the transfer market. Have been for some time. Chelsea are probably looking at an overhaul in certain areas, whereas Spurs will be content to sign one or two players to fill their weakest areas.

With outgoing players boosting the bank account, I reckon Spurs could comfortably afford two £20m+ signings this summer, and if they end up losing any players that they'd prefer to keep you can be sure it won't be on the cheap.
That won't get them attract better quality of player than Chelsea. Which Glaston is claiming will happen.
 
How have we reshaped?

We lost Tevez and Ronaldo, to be replaced by Valencia and an injury prone has been Owen last year..
Since Ronaldo left We added Valencia. Rooney and Berbatov finally became a partnership. Added Owen plus found a gem with our Hernandez purchase. We also saw the emergence of potential like Macheda and Welbeck from the youth ranks.

While having Tosic not work out, sending Diouf, Welbeck and Macheda on loan while waiting to see where Obertan and wild card Bebe will take us.

...... Defence is pretty much the same with the exception of Rafael.
We added Smalling and now Rafael is a starter. Neville has retired

Let's wait till the summer before making any predictions.
I agree
 
Read my post again. Since we sold Ronaldo we have been reshaping the side. We have changed the defence and improved the attack. This coming summer we will have to spend to replace the keeper and beef up the midfield, most likely using a good bulk of the money we got from the Ronaldo sale this time.

How have we reshaped?

We lost Tevez and Ronaldo, to be replaced by Valencia and an injury prone has been Owen last year. This season Hernandez. Defence is pretty much the same with the exception of Rafael. Midfield has hardly changed.

Let's wait till the summer before making any predictions.

Completely right. We have done hardly any "reshaping" of the side, unless promoting a young talented right back to replace a retired older one and telling our replacement winger to help track back is a significant "reshape". We sold Ronaldo, we bought Valencia.

If we reshape the team in the Summer it will be down to the ageing Giggs/Scholes, the retire(d/ing) Neville/VDS, the inevitable footballing death of Hargreaves and the paper talk regarding the sale of the likes of Brown/Carrick/Gibson/Evans/Macheda/Welbeck etc. Absolutely nothing to do with Ronaldo, he was just an epic player we lost but replaced with a good one.