Transfer Rumours Summer Transfer window

Shades of David Moyes.

 

they have versatile players yes. And some players might be trusted in two positions more than the manager trusts the other player in that position. But they all have two players in each position.

 

Man City have spent most of the last 4 seasons with only a single striker on the books. They’ve only got one of each fullback too. Pep - with all the games that city will play next season - wants a first team squad of 20.

 

He does. Won me money a few times

 

GK: Patterson, Moore, Blondy
RB: Hume, Huggins*
LB: Cirkin, Alese*, Huggins*
CB: O’nien, Ballard, Seelt*, Hjelde, Alese*
CM: Enzo, Neil, Rigg, Browne, Aleksic, Jones
LW: Mundle
RW: Roberts, Poveda* (“injured “)
ST: Mayenda, Isidor, Abdullahi*

- (*) - players who have been injured most of their time here

I’ve put players who are versatile and who I reckon could still do a good job in the PL in their secondary positions. which is why you see Huggins and Alese in multiple places

Caveat is, those two are bad with injuries


I think this glaringly shows how much work needs doing, not counting the ones loaned out who need to be shifted

 

Only really commenting on the u21 stuff. Stansfield did a proper team job tonight imo. Barry hasnt really stood out all and when he came on the other night he seemed lost. But aye, opinions and all that. Probably best neither linked to us.

 

Wouldn’t say holes as such, but certainly key positions that we need to fill - and some where the talent gap is more pronounced. My only niggle here is that the strongest links we’ve seen thus far don’t address those bigger talent gap areas. Just nervous excitement though. Seems like we’re taking care of ‘less critical’ spots first. As I said earlier that’s either very bad (as we’re confused about our needs) or very good (as we’re going a lot further than we expected). Defo voting for the latter

 

Maybe not the thread for it but this is why the Tuchel appointment makes zero sense to me. There is a clear pathway, identity, good young players, I'm sure the coaches are briefed on a way to play and then we get to first team it's a German who is very much his own guy with his own ideas. I think it's nonsense that he's this untouchable elite coach and there aren't English coaches out there. Madness

 

Burnley signing Quilindschy Hartman. Thoughts? Their fans seem very happy. Dutch international left back and only 23

 

Watch this space. May not get to lead England at the world cup.

 

you getting a late call up?

 

Was listening to the Sunderland echo I think and they were saying how speakman and RLB want a small squad so everyone feels they can get in the team and there’s a path for the u21s (quite like that thought) so it would be interesting what the number is they want. Of your list I count 8 that I don’t feel have a place in the squad now which leaves 15 (including alese and Huggins who aren’t reliable).

I think we’ll bring 10 in overall and have around 25 in the squad at most. No idea mind, didn’t think we’d be linked with a £15m goalkeeper that’s for sure.

 

We’ve got a hell of a lot of players to shift if we want a small squad and a side that can stay up.

 

I can see Moore, Blondy, Poveda, Aleksic, Jones, Browne, Poveda, Seelt, Hjelde all leaving either sold or out on loan from that.

Then I’d focus on upgrading what we can in the starting XI with those Lauriente, Bulka type players. Then whoever stays in the XI, maybe get someone younger who costs less but has high potential to be their depth.

The ones who fell out of the XI (IMO would be O9, Rigg, Mundle, Roberts, Patterson, Isidor, Cirkin (Maybe) would become very solid options form the bench to complete and rotate

 

Having a smaller squad is good for so many reasons. Pathway, connection, involvement as you highlight (plus in our particular case we have to remember that RLB tends to stick with his XI and there aren’t tonnes of minutes from the bench). It also enables you to concentrate your money into that smaller squad, ultimately giving you access to better players. Of course you look like a twat if you run out of right backs at some point, but even then a single game with a makeshift selection is unlikely to outweigh 37 games of a better quality squad. It’s all a hostage to fortune though. And fans rarely criticise clubs for having money sat in the stands - whereas the opposite is considered a clear failure.

 

That was my 8 other than Moore who was my 3rd choice, my current starters from last season would of been:

Patto, Hume, Ballard, ELF, Mundle, Mayenda.

Which would leave 5 high quality starters to sign and then another 5 with potential and that can compete for the starting 11.

The fact our strongest rumours so far would replace patto and mundle, suggests the club thinks I’m talking ****e

 

I think he's a step too far for this summer.... Having said that, if we give Liverpool the £35-40m that helps them afford Isak, then it's an added bonus

 

The problem is for me, with the current squad. The depth to our current XI aren’t good enough for PL football. If we can upgrade 5/6 of our XI those players that were good for us can become that depth and rotation in turn making us stronger

 

I'm not sure if Elliott is more Smith-Rowe than Palmer. A massive upgrade for sure but I'm not sure he moves on to that elite level.

 

Not as good as they'll think he is and hardly played since injury