Nucleus

[Bluedj]

Can Pep even think about building a team around Ian?......... This kid is seriously gifted. His strike ratio, is staggering, his eye for goal outstanding and he's still a teenager. I'm not getting carried away, but, since he first put on a City shirt, some of his goals are just jaw dropping and today's second goal against the Saint's just pure class........So can Ian be the nucleus and spearhead for CITY?

[patrickblue]

Of course not.
Only yoonited give youth a chance.










Although my real view is without a doubt.

[Sister of fu]

You build a team around KDB IMO. He's that good. Ian is pretty special though.

[Bluedj]

You build a team around KDB IMO. He's that good. Ian is pretty special though.

Kev is special and with Sergio, we have three exceptional talents who frequently find the back of the net.

Pep seriously needs to work on bringing quality to the wings and midfield

[nottsblue]

Surely you build a system of play with players in multiple positions who can play it. A bit like Barca or Bayern or Atletico for example. Even Leicester. Madrid tried building a side round tranny and Barca have wiped the floor with them recently.

That said, if we want a style of play built around pace, breaking swiftly with someone two footed who beats players and can shoot as well, then KDB is the man

[freshie]

Kelechi is destined to reach the very top. We have a potential world class player on our hands here - it was apparent from watching him in the EDS last season, he was head and shoulders above everyone else and the way he has made the transition to the first team so seamless proves what an exceptional talent he is

[carolina-blue]

Surely you build a system of play with players in multiple positions who can play it. A bit like Barca or Bayern or Atletico for example. Even Leicester. Madrid tried building a side round tranny and Barca have wiped the floor with them recently.

That said, if we want a style of play built around pace, breaking swiftly with someone two footed who beats players and can shoot as well, then KDB is the man

This for me .
it's plain to see our pedestrian style is Fookin awfull against teams that are prepared to press and hastle us . In the words of Private Pike We don't like it up us . can't wait for Pep to get here now .

[Dameerto]

Kelechi is destined to reach the very top. We have a potential world class player on our hands here - it was apparent from watching him in the EDS last season, he was head and shoulders above everyone else and the way he has made the transition to the first team so seamless proves what an exceptional talent he is

It's been apparent since he played for us a while back on tour in pre-season as a 17 year old. He was ready for the first team then - but we couldn't sign him until he turned 18. It's not often this forum agrees on something but pretty much everyone had the same opinion.

[Dunnylad]

Surely you build a system of play with players in multiple positions who can play it. A bit like Barca or Bayern or Atletico for example. Even Leicester. Madrid tried building a side round tranny and Barca have wiped the floor with them recently.

That said, if we want a style of play built around pace, breaking swiftly with someone two footed who beats players and can shoot as well, then KDB is the man

This for me .
it's plain to see our pedestrian style is Fookin awfull against teams that are prepared to press and hastle us . In the words of Private Pike We don't like it up us . can't wait for Pep to get here now .

Worst example of our pedestrian style was demonstrated by Nasri - just slowed play far too often, lethargic play that doesn't inject any energy into the team. No surprise our only spark came from Nacho

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Kelechi is quality but KDB would have to be the man if there is such a thing as building a team around one player. First things first though , How exactly will Pep want to set his team up and what players will he bring in?

Assuming Kun is still with us and surely he will be do we expect a 4.3.3 formation and if so does Kelechi play a wide attacking role with Kun central and then KDB in the other wide attacking role? Or will he look at 2 up front with KDB playing just behind?

Too many imponderables.

[Dunnylad]

Kelechi is quality but KDB would have to be the man if there is such a thing as building a team around one player. First things first though , How exactly will Pep want to set his team up and what players will he bring in?

Assuming Kun is still with us and surely he will be do we expect a 4.3.3 formation and if so does Kelechi play a wide attacking role with Kun central and then KDB in the other wide attacking role? Or will he look at 2 up front with KDB playing just behind?

Too many imponderables.

Interesting point Doug, so who do you see in that 4-3-3 formation, based on current players & potential purchases?

[nottsblue]

The danger of playing to a formation is that players can get shoehorned in because they are deemed too good to be left out. Yaya is a perfect example . Yet the team then suffers as the best players for the formstion arent picked.

England with Gerrard Lampard and Scholes is another prime example.

[Foreverinbluedreams]

Kelechi is quality but KDB would have to be the man if there is such a thing as building a team around one player. First things first though , How exactly will Pep want to set his team up and what players will he bring in?

Assuming Kun is still with us and surely he will be do we expect a 4.3.3 formation and if so does Kelechi play a wide attacking role with Kun central and then KDB in the other wide attacking role? Or will he look at 2 up front with KDB playing just behind?

Too many imponderables.

It's something I've been pondering. Wouldn't surprise me to see Aguero pushed wide with Sterling on the other side and Kelechi through the centre with KDB at the tip of the three in midfield.

[bigblue]

Hopefully our spine of Aguero, Silva, Yaya, Kompany, Hart can transition to Nacho, KDB, ???, Denayer, Hart. If only Fernandinho was 5 years younger

[Wonderwall]

Depends on how he wants to set it up. A diamond would be the best way to set up with KDB in behind kelechi and Kun (just realised we have KKK as our attack, not sure it will be used like the anfield SAS tag was).

However this would have one holding midfielder.

Fernandinho

Navas...............................Sterling

KDB

Kelechi.............. Kun

[Tokyo Blue]

Depends on how he wants to set it up. A diamond would be the best way to set up with KDB in behind kelechi and Kun (just realised we have KKK as our attack, not sure it will be used like the anfield SAS tag was).

However this would have one holding midfielder.

Fernandinho

Navas...............................Sterling

KDB

Kelechi.............. Kun

Not enough in the centre of midfield for me there, WW.

One of the strikers goes for a box-to-box man alongside Fernandinho for my money. KDB is not going to do enough defending to warrant being a midfielder, nor do I think he should be asked to as I think it would be a waste anyway.

[Foreverinbluedreams]

Depends on how he wants to set it up. A diamond would be the best way to set up with KDB in behind kelechi and Kun (just realised we have KKK as our attack, not sure it will be used like the anfield SAS tag was).

However this would have one holding midfielder.

Fernandinho

Navas...............................Sterling

KDB

Kelechi.............. Kun

Not enough in the centre of midfield for me there, WW.

One of the strikers goes for a box-to-box man alongside Fernandinho for my money. KDB is not going to do enough defending to warrant being a midfielder, nor do I think he should be asked to as I think it would be a waste anyway.

You don't think KDB could do a similar job to what Iniesta did for Pep at Barca?

[Tokyo Blue]

Depends on how he wants to set it up. A diamond would be the best way to set up with KDB in behind kelechi and Kun (just realised we have KKK as our attack, not sure it will be used like the anfield SAS tag was).

However this would have one holding midfielder.

Fernandinho

Navas...............................Sterling

KDB

Kelechi.............. Kun

Not enough in the centre of midfield for me there, WW.

One of the strikers goes for a box-to-box man alongside Fernandinho for my money. KDB is not going to do enough defending to warrant being a midfielder, nor do I think he should be asked to as I think it would be a waste anyway.

You don't think KDB could do a similar job to what Iniesta did for Pep at Barca?

I didn't really watch Barcelona, to be honest with you, mate, so I can't tell you what that job actually was. I'd like someone a bit more defensively solid in there, that's all. And not at the expense of KdB.

[Foreverinbluedreams]

Depends on how he wants to set it up. A diamond would be the best way to set up with KDB in behind kelechi and Kun (just realised we have KKK as our attack, not sure it will be used like the anfield SAS tag was).

However this would have one holding midfielder.

Fernandinho

Navas...............................Sterling

KDB

Kelechi.............. Kun

Not enough in the centre of midfield for me there, WW.

One of the strikers goes for a box-to-box man alongside Fernandinho for my money. KDB is not going to do enough defending to warrant being a midfielder, nor do I think he should be asked to as I think it would be a waste anyway.

You don't think KDB could do a similar job to what Iniesta did for Pep at Barca?

I didn't really watch Barcelona, to be honest with you, mate, so I can't tell you what that job actually was. I'd like someone a bit more defensively solid in there, that's all.

I agree with your general point, that midfield WW has suggested would be too lightweight for me too and besides Fernandinho is not a defensive midfielder.

If we were to take Pep's Barca as a template just for argument's sake then I'd expect to see something like this from the players we have available at the moment.

Fernando

Yaya DeBruyne

Sterling Kelechi Aguero