Man City 2020/21 - General discussion

Wedge

Full Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2012
Messages
3,079
Location
Various fields
Supports
a soft spot for Ajax
The fact that they spent 40m on ake and they don't need to ever use him shows how strong they are. Any manager would love to manage Man city, huge funds to back a manager every season is always a dream.
I forgot he existed. I loath city and hope they get dumped out the champions league.
 

RooneyLegend

New Member
Joined
May 3, 2013
Messages
12,963
Not sure how you've misunderstood that.

Of course they can make as many subs as you, the point is the subs you can bring on are absolute top tier quality. Nobody else in the country is anywhere close to the strength and depth of your squad.

Look at the differences between their bench and yours for feck sake. If they need a goal then can bring on who? Leban or Tom Davies?

You can bring on Mahrez or Augero or Torres or De Bruyne.
Everton have done a great job wasting money. If they had bought better they'd have better players on the bench. One of their expensive recent signings is out on loan.
 

Maluco

Last Man Standing 3 champion 2019/20
Joined
Jan 4, 2014
Messages
5,949
Boring, and extremely sad that it has been allowed to get like this. They will be the ruin of the PL.
 

AshRK

Full Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2017
Messages
12,200
Location
Canada
I forgot he existed. I loath city and hope they get dumped out the champions league.
I fear it is their year to win it finally. The moment the ban got overturned, it was bound to happen that they will win it.
 

Ladron de redcafe

Full Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2020
Messages
3,682
What?

That's a bizarre take on it
They look better as a collective than they have any right to be, because they're being coached by Guardiola.

On the flip side, we have some really great players who don't necessarily shine with the system Solskjaer plays. Some managers maximize the value of the team they have while others don't quite have the same ability to do the same.

City's squad would not be lauded if anyone other than Pep were coaching them. Becuase they wouldn't look as good.
 

SqualorVictoria

Full Member
Joined
Dec 25, 2013
Messages
716
Supports
City
The fact that they spent 40m on ake and they don't need to ever use him shows how strong they are. Any manager would love to manage Man city, huge funds to back a manager every season is always a dream.
Couldn't you apply the same to Van de Beek, then?
 

RooneyLegend

New Member
Joined
May 3, 2013
Messages
12,963
What?

That's a bizarre take on it
They have very good players but they aren't exactly filled to the brim with top class players. Outside of KDB they don't have a top 10 player in the world. They are being made to look better by the competition they're facing.
 

Djemba-Djemba

Full Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2007
Messages
21,496
Location
Manchester
They have very good players but they aren't exactly filled to the brim with top class players. Outside of KDB they don't have a top 10 player in the world. They are being made to look better by the competition they're facing.
They're got tons of absolute top quality players all through the squad.

I don't think I've ever seen anyone else try and argue they don't have much quality.
 

Guy Incognito

Full Member
Joined
May 21, 2011
Messages
17,821
Location
Somewhere
The fact that they spent 40m on ake and they don't need to ever use him shows how strong they are. Any manager would love to manage Man city, huge funds to back a manager every season is always a dream.
There is no element of risk for City. They can freshen up their squad at a quicker rate than the chasing pack.

They've got a good system in place though, years of planning.
 

miked99

Full Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2016
Messages
880
The fact that they spent 40m on ake and they don't need to ever use him shows how strong they are. Any manager would love to manage Man city, huge funds to back a manager every season is always a dream.
He's been injured since Christmas. Just coming back now. Also missed most of November through injury as well.
 

SER19

Full Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2008
Messages
12,769
We have spent almost the same amount of money as Man City.

If we had people with actual footballing brains and direction running the club instead of the clown Woodward and his friends, we could have arguably been just as dominant if not more.

Imagine if we lured Klopp here in 2014 or 2015 instead of giving 250million to Van Gaal to waste(250million was a LOT back then), and let Klopp build a team instead. We would have been such a force and probably have swept up every trophy domestically and in Europe.

Its depressing to think about, but Man City running away with these trophies and having such a strong squad is our own fault. They are run by football people who want to win, we are run by inept clowns.
I laugh every time this comes up. As if Uniteds utter failure somehow equalises the other 90 teams in England. And even then its not true, there's still about 160m between the clubs which is a Haaland. And for some reason people choose January 2014 as the time to start counting.

Its become embarrassing for English football. Forget United and their shit running, give city credit for spending 1.2 billion well. And then get on to discussing how Everton had any real chance of beating them. Or moenchengladbach or dortmund. They've essentially made one of 3 long standing domestic trophies absolutely useless 0
 

footballistic orgasm

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Sep 3, 2017
Messages
656
Supports
No team in particular
They're got tons of absolute top quality players all through the squad.

I don't think I've ever seen anyone else try and argue they don't have much quality.
You are judging the finished product that Pep has made out of them, do yes they all look like being top quality. But before being coached by Pep, how many of these players were playing at this level or were top 5 or even top 10 in their various positions order than KDB and maybe (arguably) Aguero?

Even KDB and Aguero have improved greatly with Pep and have both had their best seasons with him.
 

Morty_

Full Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2013
Messages
2,994
Supports
Real Madrid
Boring, and extremely sad that it has been allowed to get like this. They will be the ruin of the PL.
Just wait until they get Haaland, things are about to become even worse.
 

Djemba-Djemba

Full Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2007
Messages
21,496
Location
Manchester
You are judging the finished product that Pep has made out of them, do yes they all look like being top quality. But before being coached by Pep, how many of these players were playing at this level or were top 5 or even top 10 in their various positions order than KDB and maybe (arguably) Aguero?

Even KDB and Aguero have improved greatly with Pep and have both had their best seasons with him.
They have a £50m player in every single position all through the squad.

I'm not saying guardiola isn't a top manager, but the advantages city have now are just so huge it's difficult to know what other teams can do.

Especially in this lockdown season with so many games in such a short period of time.
 

gibers

Full Member
Joined
Apr 14, 2017
Messages
1,065
Location
UK
We have spent almost the same amount of money as Man City.

If we had people with actual footballing brains and direction running the club instead of the clown Woodward and his friends, we could have arguably been just as dominant if not more.

Imagine if we lured Klopp here in 2014 or 2015 instead of giving 250million to Van Gaal to waste(250million was a LOT back then), and let Klopp build a team instead. We would have been such a force and probably have swept up every trophy domestically and in Europe.

Its depressing to think about, but Man City running away with these trophies and having such a strong squad is our own fault. They are run by football people who want to win, we are run by inept clowns.
Exactly. Guardiola has a net spend of less than 60 million more than us since he joined and the difference is night and day. FFs they are playing Zinchenko at left back and they got 100 points with Delph as a starting LB. Klopp even said we were like Disney Land when we approached him. Unreal how badly the club has been run. The difference in spending between City and the teams in the league is less than Mou's Chlesea and the league back then.
 

Mark_Barca

Full Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2016
Messages
2,268
Supports
Barcelona
Absolutely hilarious seeing @SER19 come in here these days crying about Citys depth. Yet back in October he posted in this thread saying Guardiola's recruitment had been terrible.

In the space of 6 months its went from bad signings to top players throughout the squad. :lol:

City and the likes of Cancelo, Stones, Rodri, Jesus, Gundogan and so on have been slated on here even this season. Now its a squad of 30 world class players. Fernandinho was past it as well...
 

PepG

Full Member
Joined
Jun 23, 2016
Messages
1,196
Supports
Ajax
Become a joke now. Look at Everton, a very good team, absolutely shattered by 75 mins, while city have near half a billion on the bench and same as every week, pull away comfortably. Even pretending there's a level playing field anymore is embarrassing

Pundits going on that 'they never stop, they're relentless'. Why would they ever stop? Their team is fresh every single week
This is getting out of hand really. This user is relentlessly WUMing this thread since the start of the season :lol: is he even human or just some random software spilling the same rubbish over and over again ? :houllier:
 

SER19

Full Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2008
Messages
12,769
This is getting out of hand really. This user is relentlessly WUMing this thread since the start of the season :lol: is he even human or just some random software spilling the same rubbish over and over again ? :houllier:
Why is this wumming? Did you see the 2 benches tonight?
 

SER19

Full Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2008
Messages
12,769
Absolutely hilarious seeing @SER19 come in here these days crying about Citys depth. Yet back in October he posted in this thread saying Guardiola's recruitment had been terrible.

In the space of 6 months its went from bad signings to top players throughout the squad. :lol:

City and the likes of Cancelo, Stones, Rodri, Jesus, Gundogan and so on have been slated on here even this season. Now its a squad of 30 world class players. Fernandinho was past it as well...
There's no contradiction here. He's bought and bought until he got it right. He's bought plenty of rubbish but it doesn't matter
 

gibers

Full Member
Joined
Apr 14, 2017
Messages
1,065
Location
UK
Absolutely hilarious seeing @SER19 come in here these days crying about Citys depth. Yet back in October he posted in this thread saying Guardiola's recruitment had been terrible.

In the space of 6 months its went from bad signings to top players throughout the squad. :lol:

City and the likes of Cancelo, Stones, Rodri, Jesus, Gundogan and so on have been slated on here even thos season. Now its a squad of 30 world class players. Fernandinho was past it as well...
Laughable. People were saying the squad was past it at the start of the season :lol:

Sometimes you can only shake your head. Today I learnt that Zinchenko is a world class left back.
 

gibers

Full Member
Joined
Apr 14, 2017
Messages
1,065
Location
UK
There's no contradiction here. He's bought and bought until he got it right. He's bought plenty of rubbish but it doesn't matter
How can you have terrible recruitment and have a squad with 22 world class players....
 

adexkola

Doesn't understand sportswashing.
Joined
Mar 17, 2008
Messages
48,600
Location
The CL is a glorified FA Cup set to music
Supports
orderly disembarking on planes
I just went back and read the first 10 pages of this thread.

You'd be forgiven for thinking City's squad was crap, judging by general consensus first quarter of the season.
 

Maluco

Last Man Standing 3 champion 2019/20
Joined
Jan 4, 2014
Messages
5,949
Just wait until they get Haaland, things are about to become even worse.
That’s my fear. It should have been regulated years and years ago. Now, not only do we have to watch a boring team dominate, but we have to listen to their fans try to tell us it was all done above board and they have the letter from CAS to prove it.
 

SER19

Full Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2008
Messages
12,769
How can you have terrible recruitment and have a squad with 22 world class players....
Well he spent 200m+ on this

Ake
Angelino
Danilo
Mendy
Bravo
Nolito
Sane

That's off top of my head. Being able to piss away 200m helps your recruitment options
 

DoneDaDa

Full Member
Joined
Jun 5, 2019
Messages
622
Location
Canada
Supports
Toronto FC
They have very good players but they aren't exactly filled to the brim with top class players. Outside of KDB they don't have a top 10 player in the world. They are being made to look better by the competition they're facing.
What's funny is that its there more cheaper, less quality options that have created their depths.

Foden (free): A player many thought should leave City as Pep wouldn't give him any mins yet he is top 10 players with most minutes in the team and has been a great depth option for them
Gundogan (24m): A player that was on the market for everyone no one wanted to take the gamble, City did first few years he was a great depth/rotation options, now he's one of the best midfielders in the world
Zinchenko (2m): He's been benching 2 50/60m fullbacks has started many big games and isn't even a traditional FB
Jesus (28m): A player many people on this forum don't even rate he's contributed to 110 G+A IN 185 games for City

^Those are the players mainly benching Mahrez/Sterling/KdB/Aguero/Silva

There most expensive options that have provided depths are:
Laporte (60m): With Stones ressurengent he's fallen behind the pecking order, but obviously a great luxury off the bench
Silva (40m): Brilliant player who deserve to be starter here or somewhere else, but he's provided much needed quality

More or less I've really been surprised and impressed by Zinchenko level tbh
 

Thunderhead

Full Member
Joined
Nov 2, 2016
Messages
3,156
Supports
City
Well he spent 200m+ on this

Ake
Angelino
Danilo
Mendy
Bravo
Nolito
Sane

That's off top of my head. Being able to piss away 200m helps your recruitment options
And recouped about £120 when players left and two of the players who cost £90m between them are still at the club
 

gibers

Full Member
Joined
Apr 14, 2017
Messages
1,065
Location
UK
Well he spent 200m+ on this

Ake
Angelino
Danilo
Mendy
Bravo
Nolito
Sane

That's off top of my head. Being able to piss away 200m helps your recruitment options
Ake has been injured, Mendy has been injured and they haven't had a regular lb in his tenure. Danilo wanted to leave, Nolito wanted to leave and Sane wanted to leave. Angelino was bought to be sold by City.


So apart from Bravo, which one of them was poor given the way the players played before signing?
 

SER19

Full Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2008
Messages
12,769
And recouped about £120 when players left and two of the players who cost £90m between them are still at the club
He still had it to waste.... And having 2 flops on the books isn't exactly mitigating
 

wolvored

Full Member
Joined
Jul 6, 2016
Messages
9,962
Think the quadruple will only be stopped by Bayern. The domestic treble is theirs again i'm afraid.
 

SER19

Full Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2008
Messages
12,769
Ake has been injured, Mendy has been injured and they haven't had a regular lb in his tenure. Danilo wanted to leave, Nolito wanted to leave and Sane wanted to leave. Angelino was bought to be sold by City.


So apart from Bravo, which one of them was poor given the way the players played before signing?
They've all been poor signings that he freely upgraded on and will upgrade on what's left. Not a single good signing there
 

Dookingham United

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Dec 11, 2015
Messages
92
Become a joke now. Look at Everton, a very good team, absolutely shattered by 75 mins, while city have near half a billion on the bench and same as every week, pull away comfortably. Even pretending there's a level playing field anymore is embarrassing

Pundits going on that 'they never stop, they're relentless'. Why would they ever stop? Their team is fresh every single week
Absolutely it is a joke, but whose job is it to stop them? It is Manchester United's!
We should have stepped our game up in every area when City were bought. Instead we stagnated, which in any sport means we went backwards. We are behind them in facilities, training, management, purchasing, squad. In every area I can think of.

It should have been a case that we have 2 of the worlds best teams duking it out every season, making every competition better. Instead it's one of the best run clubs in the world, who got there in only a few short years with a clear vision against a club that completely relies on their past glories. How long before we don't have a single league winner in the squad?

We have to remember it is our job to stop Manchester City. We will not do that until our great club is owned by its fans and not a business.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Grinner

Thunderhead

Full Member
Joined
Nov 2, 2016
Messages
3,156
Supports
City
They've all been poor signings that he freely upgraded on and will upgrade on what's left. Not a single good signing there
And the books have been balanced so what's the issue

Are you generally saying Sane was a bad signing?
 

RooneyLegend

New Member
Joined
May 3, 2013
Messages
12,963
They're got tons of absolute top quality players all through the squad.

I don't think I've ever seen anyone else try and argue they don't have much quality.
Let me ask you this, who's their second best player? And that player, where would you rank him in a top players list. Top 10? Top 20?
 

SER19

Full Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2008
Messages
12,769
And the books have been balanced so what's the issue
Man city's books have not been balanced.

Anyway i was pointing out that his recruitment can be poor and still have s better stocked squad than any in the world.

You don't have to agree, and can put me on mute if it troubles you. Its just my opinion
 

gibers

Full Member
Joined
Apr 14, 2017
Messages
1,065
Location
UK
They've all been poor signings that he freely upgraded on and will upgrade on what's left. Not a single good signing there
How were they poor? In what sense? Again apart from Bravo how have any of them been poor? All of them wanted to leave. Danilo was benching Walker so is Walker poor? I thought the team was filled with 22 WC players or did Walker suddenly become WC when Danilo left?
 

SER19

Full Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2008
Messages
12,769
How were they poor? In what sense? Again apart from Bravo how have any of them been poor? All of them wanted to leave. Danilo was benching Walker so is Walker poor? I thought the team was filled with 22 WC players or did Walker suddenly become WC when Danilo left?
:lol: why do you keep saying they wanted to leave as if that means they weren't crap signings that were bought for too much and delivered too little. Its like saying di Maria wasn't a shocking waste of money. Feck it, sanchez wanted to leave too, let's chalk him up as a decent punt :lol:
 

Thunderhead

Full Member
Joined
Nov 2, 2016
Messages
3,156
Supports
City
Man city's books have not been balanced.

Anyway i was pointing out that his recruitment can be poor and still have s better stocked squad than any in the world.

You don't have to agree, and can put me on mute if it troubles you. Its just my opinion
It doesn't trouble me, it seemed to me on what you're posting on a basis when city are playing that they're a club living in your head rent free
 

Bearded One

Full Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2017
Messages
1,245
Well he spent 200m+ on this

Ake
Angelino
Danilo
Mendy
Bravo
Nolito
Sane

That's off top of my head. Being able to piss away 200m helps your recruitment options
To be fair, Ake has been done with injuries. You cannot call him a flop if he has had like 3 starts this season which is his first in city. I don’t think Angelina cost them anything. Isn’t he one of their youth products? Danilo asked to leave and got replaced by Cancelo but was an okay back up to Walker before he left. Mendy was actually very good but got done by injury after injury. He has played an average of maybe like 10 games per season since he came to England largely because of injuries. Nolito asked to leave because he missed Spain so much and Sane brought the premier league in its knees largely. He wasn’t a flop even though Bayern did a smart one to poach him away.

The one I’ll give you is Bravo. He was truly a flop but calling the rest flops is stretching it a bit.
 

Djemba-Djemba

Full Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2007
Messages
21,496
Location
Manchester
Let me ask you this, who's their second best player? And that player, where would you rank him in a top players list. Top 10? Top 20?
You don't need to have 7 or 8 players in the top 10 in the world to have a great squad. I'm not saying Guardiola is a shit manager or a fraud or anything like that, but I just 100% disagree with City " not having much quality".

They've got a squad of what ? 20 25 quality players?

Look at the Everton bench tonight compared to theirs.

Even we're having to play the likes of Dan James or a clearly knackered and injured Rashford.

Sterling's been in poor form so they can afford to just drop him. If one of our top players is playing shite like Martial he has to just keep playing because there's no other options.