There’s also clearly a trend of teams putting the ball in the box from corners instead of passing it all the way back to the keeper
Thank ****
Transfer Rumours Summer 2025 Transfer Thread…
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Thank ****
With the goals they are conceding, they are planning on playing with 2 keepers so a move may well be on the cards!
Good for Pandurs confidence that he has been linked with a Premier team perhaps.... knowing he has to keep performing to keep his name in the frame so to speak...?
Depends what you mean exactly, it's a big topic to cover fully. I think a lot of people saying it are just wishing for a trend that validates what they've been feeling.
We're unlikely to see an end to teams playing goal kicks short any time soon. And we're unlikely to see teams just punting it out of fear as soon as they're pressed, like English teams used to do. Both our current and most recent manager aren't really possession focused but under them we still do/did pass it between defenders and goalkeeper at times. It's an unavoidable, fundamental part of the game.
Some geezer called John Victor or Victor John is the keeper west ham are apparently looking at, never heard of him myself tbh
Considered you initially replied to me then you're barking up the wrong tree.
I can see the merit in drawing the press to play out in the right place at the right time.
I just criticise dogmatic rigidity in any system. And that is a criticism that can be levelled to at least some degree at 4 out of our previous 5 coaches. Regardless of style.
I enjoy possession-based football and playing out from the back. I see the logic behind it. You’re less likely to turn over possession if the keeper makes a five-yard pass on the ground to a centre-back than if he kicks it long to a striker who will have to challenge in the air for it. Yes, that means the ball is closer to your own goal but that’s the risk vs reward element.
What pisses me off are coaches like Russell Martin who do the same thing over and over even when it isn’t working because the players aren’t comfortable doing it. They talk about their ‘system’ as if it’s some unique, revolutionary style. For all his faults, Walter’s style actually was unique. The rotating centre-backs is a novel idea and quite interesting but it didn’t work with us. What I like about Jakirović is that he doesn’t talk a load of guff about ‘systems’. There are recognisable traits about how City play under him like the attacking fullbacks, the defensive mid dropping deep during build-up and narrow, direct wingers but by his own admission, he won’t define himself or us by that specific system. He can adapt based on the opposition or the players he has fit and available.
What pisses me off are coaches like Russell Martin who do the same thing over and over even when it isn’t working because the players aren’t comfortable doing it. They talk about their ‘system’ as if it’s some unique, revolutionary style. For all his faults, Walter’s style actually was unique. The rotating centre-backs is a novel idea and quite interesting but it didn’t work with us. What I like about Jakirović is that he doesn’t talk a load of guff about ‘systems’. There are recognisable traits about how City play under him like the attacking fullbacks, the defensive mid dropping deep during build-up and narrow, direct wingers but by his own admission, he won’t define himself or us by that specific system. He can adapt based on the opposition or the players he has fit and available.
I feel like Walter, with a team who was set up to play his way, would probably have done quite well if he'd been able to drill his system into a squad for 6 weeks then start the season.
Unfortunately he didn't have the actual squad until 3 weeks into it and had no chance.
He also didn't help himself with his attitude and man management of course.
Am I missing something? I know we can only get loans and frees, but isn't the rule you can have 5 loans in the matchday squad and isn't AH's imminent loan signing number 5? All this talk of if Furlong, Vaughn, Pandur or Hughes were to go 'just get a loan in to replace them', why when you can't put said loans into the matchday squad but still have to pay their wages.
Just checked and Kristijan Bistrović is still a free agent. I think the wage cap being an extra obstacle imposed by the EFL but not officially published is a bit ****ty. The official sanction is that we can’t pay fees for any sort of transfer. I’m not sure why they’ve imposed a backdoor wage cap on us. That only exists in League One and League Two as an alternative for PSR.
This. Said this back at the time as well. I even admitted I'd have given him until Christmas because of the squad churn and how late most of it happened was ridiculous. We made 16 signings that summer window, about 14 of them coming in after the season had already started. We also had a back line that were far more comfortable just playing the ball between themselves, waiting for others to create openings or take the ball from them a la Seri. The only one who took to Walter's system quite well at the time was Coyle.
I did change my tune once the fans vocally turned on Walter however. I wish we'd have given him longer to see if it really could have worked, but once that night had happened where most of MKM booed him like that, it was never going to be feasible to continue with him at the helm, regardless of his attitude with the fans and some of the players which didn't help.
not this walter is a genius **** again
he was a ****ing disaster and set the club back quite a lot
he was a ****ing disaster and set the club back quite a lot
No, we only have 3 loans as it stands (Ndala, Gelhardt, Lundstram). Hadziahmetovic will be number 4 and it sounds like we're trying to make Laalaoui the 5th and final for the match day squads.
Wasn't saying he was a genius tbf, just that it would be interesting to have seen the system with a settled team who had a summer to have it drilled into them. We'll never know though as he'll never get another job in England.
Let's, once again, look at the actual facts.
OUT (in this "Fire Sale", "Not a firesale per se but ..." )
Selles
2 Assistants
Simons (sold)
Racioppi (sold)
Smith (sold)
Mehlem (sold)
Macca (sold)
A Jones (sold)
Alzate (sold)
Kamara (sold stc)
Sinik (released)
Amrabat (released)
Pedro (released)
Foster (released)
C Jones (released)
Fleming (released)
Puerta (returned/contract voided)
Jacob (loan - not returning)
Omur (loan - not returning)
Burstow (loan - suspect not returning)
+
TLT (loan, returning)
R Coyle (loan, returning)
Cartwright (loan, suspect returning)
That's some impressive clearing up. I understand a bit of debate could be had over maybe a couple of players in that list depending on which side of the fanbase split (over said players) you sit, but that's all. I don't think there's even 1 player on that list that the fan base would unanimously be saying why the **** have we let him go.
Now lets look at who's come in.
Jakirovic
3 assistants
+ Holden
+ Hodges
McBurnie
Williams
Destan
Ajayi
Akintola
Famewo
Philips
Gelhardt (loan)
Lundstram (loan - likely view to permanent)
Ndala (loan)
Hadziahmetovic (loan stc - likely view to permanent)
Laalaoui (loan until permanent stc)
Giles (back in from the cold)
(stc = subject to confirmation / completion)
A more than impressive window tbf.
On top of all that, I fully expect Furlong, and maybe Vaughan too, to still exit and then be replaced with upgrades in positions where further depth or strengthening would be welcome.
We've also added another couple of interesting prospects to the academy in the process.
Yes, there's a chance that Panda and Hughes may still end up leaving. I don't believe the club are wanting to sell at this stage, and I don't think either of them are pushing for a move .... but the fact is, if a big money offer comes in for either from the right club then their heads would possibly be turned and they could be gone; that's life, just the way it is for pretty much all clubs. So long as it's not last minute, it's highly likely we'd replace them.
But anyway, crack on with the dramatic, self defeating, fact-warping rhetoric if it makes some feel better. I'll continue to stick with actual facts and realities
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