A need for selectivity.

[Esky]

Firstly, I know Mancini, Marwood and co. aren't in for a tenth of the players we're linked to in the papers, so this isn't some knee-jerk reaction to a particular rumour.

Still, given that we're 'only' going to be playing in the Europa next season, I find it really interesting reading people's wish lists for the rest of this window.

So far we've brought in Silva, Toure and Boateng, all of whom are improvements on those we already had. When good players are available, there's always a case for doing the utmost to sign them. All the same, I'd be happy if we cooled off and didn't move for anyone else until this time next year.

The squad we already have took us to within 90 minutes of the Champions League; it isn't one that needs a massive overhaul. We don't need another central defender, a left back, a right back and a center forward on top of the three we've brought in. Further to that, we have 37m worth of strikers in Jo and RSC aren't anywhere near anyone's starting eleven. Paying 20 or 30 million for Milner (something that's been pretty much unanimously been rejected here, I know) and similar figures for an uncapped, untested David Luiz seems like lunacy when we've a very realistic shot of cracking the tier of players above them (via Champions League qualification/trophy wins/etc) in 12 months time.

I've faith that Mancini and the playing squad will get the job done this year. Already we've improved the quality of player here and, by and large, our squad size is sufficiently to challenge on all four fronts. Another great overhaul is both unneeded and unwarranted.

NQDP said something about decent players costing us 15m, good players 20+ and great players anywhere up to 100. We've set a dangerous precedent in a) paying as much as we did for RSC, Bridge et al last year and b) moving so early in this window. I think we need to be patient in order to bring the numbers down (even just a little bit) for this time next season.

What I want to know then, ultimately, is why some people here thinking we need to sign 6 or 7 players this time out when we're not terribly further along in the project than we were twelve months ago? Further to that, why do we need to sign anyone at all? With the attacking midfield department now sorted, I can't think of anymore crippling weaknesses in the squad at all.

[ant london]

I hear you on the "90 mins from CL" part but for me we should have been well out of it by the time we played Spurs. We were only still in the race because (yes we had picked up some good results ourselves but also) Spurs, Villa and Liverpool had all dropped stupid points.

If any of them had been able to put together a consistent run of form in that last couple of months of the season we would have been well short of the 4th spot.

Secondly, I don't think we should just be aiming to clinch 4th spot. If we do so we are bound to fall short. I'm not saying that we, as fans, should expect a title challenge to be alive come May but that is 100% what we should be setting out to maintain for most of the season.

As things stood at the end of last season we had plenty of players who were either:

a) not actually plying their trade at City
b) out of form and looking like they didn't know when/where they would find it again or
c) just patently not of the required quality

So, yes, I do think we need further reinforcements.

Take LB as a prime example. Garrido has not consistently figured under Sven, Hughes or Mancini. He was a good squad player for a side with UEFA Cup ambitions, he's been v useful to have but he will have to be upgraded. Sylvinho, gone. Cunningham, too raw to be one of the "two for each position". That leaves Wayne Bridge. Just on a pure numbers basis, we need another LB. We should be aiming to step up in quality every time we buy a new player now. We shouldn't ever really recruit an understudy. So we aim to bring someone in at least as good as, if not better, than Bridge.

Striker-wise we have Tevez and Adebayor who are top top quality. If Roque and Bellamy both stay, they are together worth about 1 player for the whole (enlarged Europa) campaign. We need, therefore, at least one more striker.

Attacking midfielder is the one where I agree with you. I would honestly prefer to persevere with Ireland and see what happens with Johnno coming back from injury.

But overall, we definitely need more additions to get where we want to go in the PL. We should also be looking to develop a real team/squad this year that will gain the experience of the Europa campaign and go on, in largely the same form, to take on the Champions League the year after.

[Vhero]

Also the point is it's all fine going and building a team strong enough to get in the CL this year but what if you could build a team capable of going for the title? Of course we would take the chance. Our chairman said himself that he is aware that we spent too much on players last year however in development we leaped ahead 2 years because of it so it was money well spent. Also those players drive up shirt sales as well as sell seats and merchandise which is especially important since we are expanding the stadium.

[Esky]

Also the point is it's all fine going and building a team strong enough to get in the CL this year but what if you could build a team capable of going for the title? Of course we would take the chance. Our chairman said himself that he is aware that we spent too much on players last year however in development we leaped ahead 2 years because of it so it was money well spent. Also those players drive up shirt sales as well as sell seats and merchandise which is especially important since we are expanding the stadium.

True, but its much easier to turn a top half squad into one that challenges for Europe than it is from 5th to a title challenge.

If we overhaul the squad now with the aim of grabbing the title then any consistency/team chemistry from last year will just be uprooted (and we'll ultimately fall short again). Like it or not, better players (or greater numbers of better players) will be available to us if/when we make the CL.

Agree about left back Ant - that's the one position to reinforce if a good enough player was out there. Bridge/Garrido/Lescott/Boateng doesn't sound too bad on paper though.

[Vhero]

Also the point is it's all fine going and building a team strong enough to get in the CL this year but what if you could build a team capable of going for the title? Of course we would take the chance. Our chairman said himself that he is aware that we spent too much on players last year however in development we leaped ahead 2 years because of it so it was money well spent. Also those players drive up shirt sales as well as sell seats and merchandise which is especially important since we are expanding the stadium.

True, but its much easier to turn a top half squad into one that challenges for Europe than it is from 5th to a title challenge.

If we overhaul the squad now with the aim of grabbing the title then any consistency/team chemistry from last year will just be uprooted (and we'll ultimately fall short again). Like it or not, better players (or greater numbers of better players) will be available to us if/when we make the CL.

Agree about left back Ant - that's the one position to reinforce if a good enough player was out there. Bridge/Garrido/Lescott/Boateng doesn't sound too bad on paper though.

Your point is basically stop now so when we get in CL we can get even better players?? Well my point is if we could get those players who are the best in the world now why wait??

[dazby]

If Casio is going to stay as 4th choice striker then fine. If we are going to release him and get someone else in that's brilliant. Otherwise, we are done for mine.

Maybe one more striker. Yeah one more.