Can we buy a midfielder to help fern?

[Nick]

Other than Fernie the list of people I don't think are good enough is too large.

Yaya, Nasri, Sagna, Kolorov need to go. Milner too?

I just dont know im so dejected and pepe the so called saviour is jumping up and down as another team beats us. Our main issue is ego and lack of trying. Watch how rakiitic runs past yaya.

Navas and Hart deserve credit tonight too but I don't want this to be another game that takes Hart's head up a notch and end with WBA scoring a bag full. His kicking was shite and Barca's finishing was woeful.

[Nick]

Outs: Sagna (because hes a mercenary, doesnt care), Kolorov, Nasri, Yaya, Lampard

Maybes: Dzeko, Jove,

Chances needed: Fern2, Mangala, Bony.

Starters: Fern1, Aguero.... Silva?

I don't know how we can buy a whole squad in the summer (and shift this one) the answer must be to supplement with our kids.

We need players who give a shit. I dont want pellers to go but he doesnt even appeal for fucking blatant decisions in front of him. How can we ask for passion and fight from the players that wouldnt give it to mancini if pellers looks like he couldnt give a shit?

[Ted Hughes]

Fernandinho has been on the list of not good enough so far as many people are concerned.

Fernando was brought in to help him but is struggling & the general theme is to get rid of him rather than see if he can get upto PL speed.

If we do sign a player to help him, don't hold your breath that anyone will give them time to find their feet.

[zuricity]

I think what you mean is, can we buy a midfield player because both Ferns are simply not good enough.

Actually we have the guy. James M

[sheblue]

milner is as good as gone, very surprised if he was around next season.

I have a love hate view on yaya, used to love him going forward and hated him going back, but now the going forward bit is just as bad as the going back bit always was. Its time to sell, we will be lucky to get 10-15m for him at this age.

milner leaving, yaya and possibly nasri sold all three could be gone, but it might be too much to shift out three of them in one window.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

I would not at all be surprised if we lose Yaya, Nasri and Milner for next season but keep the 2 F's. Fernandinho for me is a quality player who is very good getting around midfield winning balls and passing it on but not quite good enough creatively when given the chance. Fernando seemed to be the business when we first saw him but after injury has tailed off a lot but I would give him the benefit of the doubt for another season.

Yaya I think is a spent force. Useless on the defensive side of the game if he is given such a role but still capable of quality in the attacking 3rd. The trouble is we don't let him free to just attack. Nasri has tons of quality when he is allowed to play but basically he is a soft git and just doesn't do it often enough. Milner is mainly a worker and puts in fantastic effort but last night maybe summed him up as when he did get on the ball his quality was nil.It's not always like that and I do like him but he is a squad player and nothing more.If we can keep him without having to pay too much or guarantee anything then great but if he goes to say Liverpool he won't improve their team and again be just a squad member.

So if we lose a good few ( Edin, Jovetic,Kolarov also likely leavers) we need to buy one or two high quality performers and then bring one or two in from the youth. Denayer and Lopes spring obviously to mind but maybe others as well.

[lets all have a disco]

I would not at all be surprised if we lose Yaya, Nasri and Milner for next season but keep the 2 F's. Fernandinho for me is a quality player who is very good getting around midfield winning balls and passing it on but not quite good enough creatively when given the chance. Fernando seemed to be the business when we first saw him but after injury has tailed off a lot but I would give him the benefit of the doubt for another season.

Yaya I think is a spent force. Useless on the defensive side of the game if he is given such a role but still capable of quality in the attacking 3rd. The trouble is we don't let him free to just attack. Nasri has tons of quality when he is allowed to play but basically he is a soft git and just doesn't do it often enough. Milner is mainly a worker and puts in fantastic effort but last night maybe summed him up as when he did get on the ball his quality was nil.It's not always like that and I do like him but he is a squad player and nothing more.If we can keep him without having to pay too much or guarantee anything then great but if he goes to say Liverpool he won't improve their team and again be just a squad member.

So if we lose a good few ( Edin, Jovetic,Kolarov also likely leavers) we need to buy one or two high quality performers and then bring one or two in from the youth. Denayer and Lopes spring obviously to mind but maybe others as well.

I've got a lot of hope for Lopes it seems when he plays well so do Lille by all accounts.

[getdressedmctavish]

Good thinking Doug and a measured response. We all know what Fernandinho can do, he runs effortlessly, is a tireless worker and can pass well, being particularly able at setting up counter attacks.. He has two problems, one technique, one mental. He cant for the life of him judge a tackle, hasn't learned to jocky so is too easily bypassed and fouls way too easily.Mentally he is far too happy as part of the supporting cast and seems incapable of making the progression to dominating games with shots and assists around the box.Hopefully he can step up but I suspect he is too lacking in temperament.He did well last night because he has the engine but the second problem was very evident. The idea was clearly to have Ya Ya creating and Fernando leg biting but this idea has signally failed so far. Who we replace Ya Ya with and whether we ever get any real steel in MF will determine whether Fernandinho succeeds.The other pressing issue is can Bony integrate. Personally I thought he was a certainty but he has looked clumsy and inept. Its a thin line with strikers.Thirdly, can we afford to carry a non scoring winger. Most don't. I think Sinclair would have been more use than Navas. But a wide striker like Sanchez or Muller is the way forward, which is why the interest in de Bruyne, which makes sense.The pressing problem is the loss of form of our key players which is why I reluctantly conclude they need a new manager, not that they deserve one.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Good thinking Doug and a measured response. We all know what Fernandinho can do, he runs effortlessly, is a tireless worker and can pass well, being particularly able at setting up counter attacks.. He has two problems, one technique, one mental. He cant for the life of him judge a tackle, hasn't learned to jocky so is too easily bypassed and fouls way too easily.Mentally he is far too happy as part of the supporting cast and seems incapable of making the progression to dominating games with shots and assists around the box.Hopefully he can step up but I suspect he is too lacking in temperament.He did well last night because he has the engine but the second problem was very evident. The idea was clearly to have Ya Ya creating and Fernando leg biting but this idea has signally failed so far. Who we replace Ya Ya with and whether we ever get any real steel in MF will determine whether Fernandinho succeeds.The other pressing issue is can Bony integrate. Personally I thought he was a certainty but he has looked clumsy and inept. Its a thin line with strikers.Thirdly, can we afford to carry a non scoring winger. Most don't. I think Sinclair would have been more use than Navas. But a wide striker like Sanchez or Muller is the way forward, which is why the interest in de Bruyne, which makes sense.The pressing problem is the loss of form of our key players which is why I reluctantly conclude they need a new manager, not that they deserve one.

Navas and Bony. I agree a none scoring winger is a question mark.Navas get s a little too much stick for me as I feel he almost always puts in a good shift but because of the crowds in opposition penalty areas it is not easy for him to find a player with his crosses.He could do better with them for sure but given that it really has to be a low cross it's hard as the defences have worked it out.On top of that he works really hard off the ball for the team but he just doesn't score goals and doesn't look likely to. Someone like Lopes playing from that side could do as much on the attacking side and has a good eye for a goal.Defensively though I am not at all sure about Lopes.

Bony has been given a raw deal so far and the early signs have been anything but encouraging. But we have seen enough to know there is quality in there and I have a little feeling that he and Aguero can play together and he will come good. If not it's a hell of a waste of money and bad judgement by somebody. It's effectively cost us Jovetic as well

[Nick]

Im gonna put it out there, I thought Navas had a good game.

9/10 of the times last night he put balls in where there were ZERO people in the box. OK, so people want one up front. But Aguero was so deep it was unbelievable. Why? He wasn't the usual Aguero last night, it was disappotinting from him. The reason Navas sometimes hesitates is that nobody is ever in the box. And that INCLUDES when we play dzeko and aguero (dzeko loves trying to play left wing).

Bony has looked like Benjani in all of his cameos. However; in his only start, at Leicester for me played really well and was unlucky to not bag 1-2 goals. He needs starts.

[iwasthere2012]

Im gonna put it out there, I thought Navas had a good game.

9/10 of the times last night he put balls in where there were ZERO people in the box. OK, so people want one up front. But Aguero was so deep it was unbelievable. Why? He wasn't the usual Aguero last night, it was disappotinting from him. The reason Navas sometimes hesitates is that nobody is ever in the box. And that INCLUDES when we play dzeko and aguero (dzeko loves trying to play left wing).

Bony has looked like Benjani in all of his cameos. However; in his only start, at Leicester for me played really well and was unlucky to not bag 1-2 goals. He needs starts.

I agree about Navas. We all go on about the players giving effort. I think we can't really judge the signings of Fernandihno and Navas and dare I say it Fernando, until you have a whole team putting in the same amount of effort. None of these players are the most skilled or clever players we have but they were obviously bought to fit into an ideology of how we are supposed to be playing, but the rest of the team are not responding.
I think Navas goes through a tremendous amount of work, every time I see him and I agree that he more often than not, has little or nothing to aim at in the box.
This team are not functioning as a team at the moment and I think it is our heroes of previous title winning campaigns that need looking at, not the usual scapegoats.

[Crossie]

2 changes, maybe 3 would change the rest of the squad for the better. If we can release Fernandinho and Silva, but at the same time up the cover the the defence, we would get better results from some of the so-so players I reckon.

We don't need a new squad, we just need some fucking sensible changes for the first time since 2012

[Mike J]

If we arent at least in for Pogba we are monumentally stupid

[Sideshow Bob]

I would not at all be surprised if we lose Yaya, Nasri and Milner for next season but keep the 2 F's. Fernandinho for me is a quality player who is very good getting around midfield winning balls and passing it on but not quite good enough creatively when given the chance. Fernando seemed to be the business when we first saw him but after injury has tailed off a lot but I would give him the benefit of the doubt for another season.

Yaya I think is a spent force. Useless on the defensive side of the game if he is given such a role but still capable of quality in the attacking 3rd. The trouble is we don't let him free to just attack. Nasri has tons of quality when he is allowed to play but basically he is a soft git and just doesn't do it often enough. Milner is mainly a worker and puts in fantastic effort but last night maybe summed him up as when he did get on the ball his quality was nil.It's not always like that and I do like him but he is a squad player and nothing more.If we can keep him without having to pay too much or guarantee anything then great but if he goes to say Liverpool he won't improve their team and again be just a squad member.

So if we lose a good few ( Edin, Jovetic,Kolarov also likely leavers) we need to buy one or two high quality performers and then bring one or two in from the youth. Denayer and Lopes spring obviously to mind but maybe others as well.

this is spot on. fernandinho has really come on strong after looking shell-shocked for a few months after the WC. he is quality and is obv fit enough to continue at this level for another 3-4 years.

[Ted Hughes]

I would not at all be surprised if we lose Yaya, Nasri and Milner for next season but keep the 2 F's. Fernandinho for me is a quality player who is very good getting around midfield winning balls and passing it on but not quite good enough creatively when given the chance. Fernando seemed to be the business when we first saw him but after injury has tailed off a lot but I would give him the benefit of the doubt for another season.

Yaya I think is a spent force. Useless on the defensive side of the game if he is given such a role but still capable of quality in the attacking 3rd. The trouble is we don't let him free to just attack. Nasri has tons of quality when he is allowed to play but basically he is a soft git and just doesn't do it often enough. Milner is mainly a worker and puts in fantastic effort but last night maybe summed him up as when he did get on the ball his quality was nil.It's not always like that and I do like him but he is a squad player and nothing more.If we can keep him without having to pay too much or guarantee anything then great but if he goes to say Liverpool he won't improve their team and again be just a squad member.

So if we lose a good few ( Edin, Jovetic,Kolarov also likely leavers) we need to buy one or two high quality performers and then bring one or two in from the youth. Denayer and Lopes spring obviously to mind but maybe others as well.

I've got a lot of hope for Lopes it seems when he plays well so do Lille by all accounts.

Lopes currently, is about the same work level, without the ball, as Nasri on an average day.

He can do it & quicker, but he doesn't particularly do it at the moment. But he is faster & gives more potential for counter attacks, dribbles & goals.

[Wonderwall]

Im gonna put it out there, I thought Navas had a good game.

9/10 of the times last night he put balls in where there were ZERO people in the box. OK, so people want one up front. But Aguero was so deep it was unbelievable. Why? He wasn't the usual Aguero last night, it was disappotinting from him. The reason Navas sometimes hesitates is that nobody is ever in the box. And that INCLUDES when we play dzeko and aguero (dzeko loves trying to play left wing).

Bony has looked like Benjani in all of his cameos. However; in his only start, at Leicester for me played really well and was unlucky to not bag 1-2 goals. He needs starts.

I thought Navas did ok, but on the point where you state there was no-one in the box, it wasn't only Navas that had that issue! Kolarov overlapped and was the furthest person forward (with the ball) on two occasions and there was nobody for him to cross to. It was criminal, its not like we don't know where he is going when he overlaps and what he is going to do with the ball f he gets it given to him.

I also would like to give my backing to Fernandinho too, I thought he gave everything last night, there was no lack of effort from him.

Yaya can go for me, unless he is going to play as an attacking mid, he cannot cut it anymore, it has been pointed out too many ties. He is aliability

[Wilson Raine]

So going/looking forward for this team.....

Sell Yaya, Nasri, Jovetic, Kolarov, Boyata

Miner will be off this summer on a free, Lampard off to NY. Get rid of Demichelis,

Bring in Lopes or Zuculini and Denayer.

Buy Craig Gardner or Jordan Henderson and as left back Domenico Criscito from Zenit.

[iwasthere2012]

So going/looking forward for this team.....

Sell Yaya, Nasri, Jovetic, Kolarov, Boyata

Miner will be off this summer on a free, Lampard off to NY. Get rid of Demichelis,

Bring in Lopes or Zuculini and Denayer.

Buy Craig Gardner or Jordan Henderson and as left back Domenico Criscito from Zenit.

MDM got another year contract didn't he?

[Wilson Raine]

So going/looking forward for this team.....

Sell Yaya, Nasri, Jovetic, Kolarov, Boyata

Miner will be off this summer on a free, Lampard off to NY. Get rid of Demichelis,

Bring in Lopes or Zuculini and Denayer.

Buy Craig Gardner or Jordan Henderson and as left back Domenico Criscito from Zenit.

MDM got another year contract didn't he?

I believe he did but in the end we need fresh blood in that position and Denayer fits the bill

[Ted Hughes]

Denayer would not have survived in that last night. He is a great potential talent, but still a kid. He also plays Kompany's position, not Demichelis'. Not that he can't adapt, I'm sure, but it's another thing he will have to get used to as well as a huge leap in standard.

He should be 4th cb behind Vince, Mangala & Demi & then promoted as he settles.