Summer 2019 Preseason
- Thread starter rurikbird
- Start date
- Latest activity Latest activity:
- Status
The club went out of their way to say that the big purchases were not "selling to buy". And last season saw us with our highest ever income. Even if payments were staggered from those purchases I doubt we'd have got out of our depth banking on a high PL finish or CL trophy win. Even the increase in salaries doesn't amount to that much, say 25% average across the board for 15 top players only equates to maybe £20m (ave. £100,000 per week x 52 x 15 x 0.25). That's nothing for a Top 6 team.
However we definitely need cover for the front three and Ancelotti inadvertently highlighted our lack of attacking personnel after the match :
“To win helps to win,” said the Napoli boss. “Liverpool won last year, they have the quality to continue to win, to be competitive.
“For sure, Liverpool will be competitive with the squad that they have in Champions League and also in the Premier League. To win? I don't know.
“You have more difficulty to solve when you lose than when you win. Every season has its own history, I don't know what will happen this year.
“Liverpool haven't changed their squad a lot, but they don't have their three most important players so you can't judge their team at this moment.”
What I've no trouble with your premise re. the rest of the team or the team you posted for Norwich, with respect it's not about one match. Imagine if Mane was out for 4-6 months, or Mo, or Firmino, or if two were out (even if just because we desperately needed to rest them after 13 months of football). We simply don't have enough cover. We need at least one more capable of playing either wing. I'm happy enough with Brewster / Origi covering Firmino for short periods.
Harsh to drop Fabinho mate.
I'll be happy when this pre-season is done. It's been awful; no signings, loads of players missing and poor displays.
Get the Shield out of the way next. They seem to take it very seriously, so they can have that.
Get the Shield out of the way next. They seem to take it very seriously, so they can have that.
Nah, he was pretty infamous at Chelsea for not giving a fuck about fitness. His body to fat percentage has always been high for a pro footballer, its obviously just got worse. Madrid shouldn't be completely surprised if they actually bothered with their research.
I think he's class, but he was never likely to be one who burst onto the scene because his attributes need to be complemented (technique, passing, creativity, intelligence) by experience.
He's good enough that we shouldn't just write him off.
Of course thats true mate, but what can we really do? Even City struggled when KDB was out for months, some players just can't be suitably covered.
They struggled to 98 points, the title, and both domestic cups.
No shit sherlock, but City's loses all came around the time De Bruyne was coming back from injuries and notably off the boil, and they weren't nealry as good without him. The fact they were a ruthless machine for the rest of the season doesn't alleviate that fact.
So they lost their best player for long periods and he wasn't in top form, and yet still won the title, FA cup and League Cup.
Because they had the likes of Sane, Silva x2, Gundogan and Mahrez to come into the side. And they lost Fernandinho for a few games. Same story, same solution.
Better squad.
You are trying to turn my point into a point you want to make, not the one I actually made, classic Brendan.
However, if thats not so, and you intend to sit there and pretend Manchester City didn't look worse and drop points without in form KDB, and Fernandinho (thanks for reminding me), then fair enough, you just look a bit silly.
He's got a lot in common with Brannagan, who plays for Oxford. They were both very slight, and struggled to make an impression on the game despite both being technically excellent.
Hopefully he bulks up a bit and discovers his best position.
It's amazing they won the league twice on the bounce really
Dont think anyone is arguing they have a better squad. Its the most expencive assembled squad in the history of football funded by oil money.
If it wasnt the best squad they’d have done a horrendous job.
They can buy anyone and not even blink about the fee.
If it wasnt the best squad they’d have done a horrendous job.
They can buy anyone and not even blink about the fee.
Dreamy, want to take over? Brendan's struggling to follow a simple conversation here.
Perhaps I'm not following. Can you clarify?
Is your point that City can be without their best players for long periods and still win the league, because they have a better squad?
My point was that if you lose your best players, you won't be as good regardless of your squad size, just like City weren't when they lost KDB and Fernandinho, despite having a massive squad.
Right, and that effect is ameliorated by having a massive, quality squad so that even any discernible dip in quality isn't going to be enough stop you winning the league again.
I agree, we should do that.
That's lovely mate, but what the fuck has that got to do with the point I was making?
Woodburn's not slight at all. He's well built and about 5'11"
Probably, but then pretty much the only times we lost points all season were when we had big leads.
Maybe they just didn't bottle it like us.
ok then
Nice new tat Bobbs
- Status
Similar threads
