Say we've got £30m left...

[FoxForceFive]

I love the fact that almost the entire forum is now posting best elevens.

I keep imagining Ryan getting really angry reading them, with all his staff looking through his glass walled office & panicking in case they've done something wrong as his face gets redder & redder.

 

[peterhague]

Ryan's stance on best elevens is such a load of cobblers. Pretty much any reasonably settled club will have 8 or 9 players who always start. There's virtually always a best eleven or twelve players you can identify, even at a club with a huge squad like City.

 

[Fabio]

Also, I don't want bacca

1 season of quality does not make a good player. Especially at that age.

I'd rather rondon, but failing that, I have no clue.

 

[Best Believe It]

Ryan's stance on best elevens is such a load of cobblers. Pretty much any reasonably settled club will have 8 or 9 players who always start. There's virtually always a best eleven or twelve players you can identify, even at a club with a huge squad like City.

Mourinho certainly does. It's why his teams have a tendency to slow towards the end of the season.

 

[FoxForceFive]

Mourinho certainly does. It's why his teams have a tendency to slow towards the end of the season.

Usually after they've won a couple of trophies though. So it can work.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

 

[doctor_mac]

Just say we're bonkers rich and we can sign Lacazette. That would be ok.

 

[Skullflower]

If we sign Clyne and bacca then we'll sell sterling and that will be it imo. That be how we roll.

 

[Skullflower]

The only thing this impetus in our dealings represents is that we've already agreed a fee with city.

 

[peterhague]

If we sign Clyne and bacca then we'll sell sterling and that will be it imo. That be how we roll.

Yep. There might be more if we shift some of the players we've got for sale, but we'd be about on budget without that.

 

[ibromurph]

All these wonderful speculative line ups that look great, talent-wise, on paper. But these players would actually need time to gel. Looking at our first 10 games, I don't see much time for team building there. I'd have 2 maybe 3 new players starting. Clyne (if confirmed), Milner as they know the league and one of the new CFs (because that's what we missed last year). Everyone else, Firmino included, will need to be eased in.

 

[Ryan]

Ryan's stance on best elevens is such a load of cobblers. Pretty much any reasonably settled club will have 8 or 9 players who always start. There's virtually always a best eleven or twelve players you can identify, even at a club with a huge squad like City.

So it's a best 8 then is it?

Fuck me.

 

[FoxForceFive]

So it's a best 8 then is it?

Fuck me.

Ha. Deep breaths Ryan.

 

[Ryan]

Ha. Deep breaths Ryan.

This cunting thing has gone full circle.

It took years for everyone to finally acknowledge it, and I even saw evidence of folks castigating others for bothering with 'best 11' shit in threads, and I was all hurrah my work is done.

And now here we are again.

 

[peterhague]

So it's a best 8 then is it?

Fuck me.

It's a best 8 95% of the time and a best 11 maybe 80% of the time.

Shorthand for that is a best 11, because the reality is most teams have a small group of players easily identifiable as the 'first team', which only varies very minimally due to tactics. The way you go on it's as if there's a pool of 20 odd players, none of whom play much more than any other.

I think the reality is closer to a best XI system than anything else.

Try and name,say, Barca or Man City's best XI. It's really not that hard, is it?

 

[Ryan]

I couldn't name City's "best 11" to save myself. Does Kolarov play? Nasri or Milner? Two up top? Mangala getting a game? Not even City fans could agree on it.

And Barcelona are the exepction to every rule. If we had their starting 11, I'd be the first to say we've got a best fucking 11.

Tell me what Arsenal's starting 11 is? Or United's? Actually, I'll save you the bother, they don't have one. Arsenal have about 8 midfielders who could all legitimately play in a 'best' side, but they dont.

Because form happens, and players get injured, and systems change, and players gel in better formations, and opposition and match-up's dictate selection, and home, and away, and fucking tons of things happen.

We're not Barcelona Peter. We don't have a best 11 or anything close to it.

You're being deliberately obstinate.

 

[peterhague]

No, I'm right. Even with City I could name 7 or 8 automatic starters, regardless of other factors. And where there's doubt it tends to be due to player failings rather than a positive commitment to a squad system. Managala was bought to play every week. He's just turned out to be a bit shit. Same for Nasri/Navas - Sterling will take that spot, and basically play every week.

Utd are in transition so they don't count. Wenger is clearly suffering from acute midfielder addiction and not in his right mind. They don't count either.

 

[mark1975]

When we challenged and when teams slip into good form, it becomes pretty obvious what their best group of players are. I know teams continuously evolve, we dont need to be told how to suck eggs, but the point is pretty obvious, a strong nucleus will form one way or another and the fans, manager, media will be able to draw assumptions on that and form what they think is their most productive set of players, which as Peter says, would form the majority of the side. It's not simplifying anything and it's not old hat, if a team goes into a CL final, you more or less know how most of the team will lineup.

 

[StevieM]

Hang on..... somebody let Ian Ayre go to South America with £30m in cash?

Are we sure he didn't spend it all on hookers & coke.

 

[Dreambeliever]

Peter what's our best 11 on paper now for the start of next season assuming everyone is fit and in average form

Ming
Johnson
Skrtel
Sahko
Flangan
Henderson
Can
Sterling
Coutinho
Firminio
Sturridge

That leaves the back up 11 of
Bogdan
Manquionn
Kolo
Lovren
Moreno
Lallana
Allen
Lucas
Ibe
Ings
Origi

And we still have the left overs

Ballotelli
Teixeria
Borini
Gomez
Irroli
Rossiter
Markovic
Enrique
Lambert
Yesil
Brannagan
Ward
Smith

 

[Skullflower]

there is no way dream believer is actually this thick. He's a total wum

 

[redhorizon2]

Peter what's our best 11 on paper now for the start of next season assuming everyone is fit and in average form

Ming
Johnson
Skrtel
Sahko
Flangan
Henderson
Can
Sterling
Coutinho
Firminio
Sturridge

That leaves the back up 11 of
Bogdan
Manquionn
Kolo
Lovren
Moreno
Lallana
Allen
Lucas
Ibe
Ings
Origi

And we still have the left overs

Ballotelli
Teixeria
Borini
Gomez
Irroli
Rossiter
Markovic
Enrique
Lambert
Yesil
Brannagan
Ward
Smith

you forgot Coates, Wisdom and Alberto

 

[Skullflower]

Milner

 

[Ryan]

there is no way dream believer is actually this thick. He's a total wum

I want to know what a "Flangan" is.

It sounds like a dirty vagina.

 

[Skullflower]

I want to know what a "Flangan" is.

It sounds like a dirty vagina.

Like a klingon's fleshlight

 

[Ryan]

Peter what's our best 11 on paper now for the start of next season assuming everyone is fit and in average form

Ming
Johnson
Skrtel
Sahko
Flangan
Henderson
Can
Sterling
Coutinho
Firminio
Sturridge

Dreamy's best 11 consists of a right back who's contract with the club expires in 5 days time, and a left back who hasn't played in 14 months.

He can't even do wind-up, this mortally thick cunt.

 

[Skullflower]

You seem wound up though

 

[Ryan]

No, I'm right. Even with City I could name 7 or 8 automatic starters, regardless of other factors. And where there's doubt it tends to be due to player failings rather than a positive commitment to a squad system. Managala was bought to play every week. He's just turned out to be a bit shit. Same for Nasri/Navas - Sterling will take that spot, and basically play every week.

Utd are in transition so they don't count. Wenger is clearly suffering from acute midfielder addiction and not in his right mind. They don't count either.

So it's a "best 7" now is it? Not a "best 11", or "8 or 9" anymore? Right.

And what would City's best 7 be Peter? Do let me know so I can look forward to seeing those 7 lads playing every single week.

And "most teams" have this fabled best 11, or 9, or 7. According to you. Apart from us, and United, and Arsenal. Who for vague reasons don't. Do they have a best 4 maybe?

 

[Ryan]

You seem wound up though

I may have called Dreamy a "thick cunt" before though.

I'll check.

 

[FoxForceFive]

Hang on..... somebody let Ian Ayre go to South America with £30m in cash?

Are we sure he didn't spend it all on hookers & coke.

Well no one had a clue who this lad is, or what he looks like, & Ayre has now posted the least professional photo of himself with some 15 year old school kid looking mofo wearing a Liverpool top without his name on it.

So my guess would be, no, I'm not sure at all.