Our second string....

[Michael Brookes]

My god we've wasted a lot of money on very average players

[Dunnylad]

Which second string players are you on about? We've wasted far more on players who should be first team starters, we didn't buy them to become second string & many have contributed to earlier successes, but we're seeing a side where the desire has gone & should have been refreshed, albeit if they knew Pep was coming you don't go overboard

[nottsblue]

A really good case for utilising the Academy for squad players and paying top dollar for superstars. Going forward this must be high on the priority list for the club. Would Lopez for example done any worse than Bony. Or would Huws have been much less effective than Delph. The money spent on Sinclair or Garcia or Savic or Nastasic to name just four and there are others could have funded a Neymar or a Pogba or a Lewandowski for example

I hope our transfer policy changes in this regard and soon. I hate to mention it but it is one thing the rags did well. Squad filler from their academy, not world beaters by any stretch of the imagination but they give 100% unlike some of the squad we have

[dick dastardley]

Angelino is a far better player than kolorov the tattooed idiot that thinks hes a fucking hard man,

[Blue Since 76]

A really good case for utilising the Academy for squad players and paying top dollar for superstars. Going forward this must be high on the priority list for the club. Would Lopez for example done any worse than Bony. Or would Huws have been much less effective than Delph. The money spent on Sinclair or Garcia or Savic or Nastasic to name just four and there are others could have funded a Neymar or a Pogba or a Lewandowski for example

I hope our transfer policy changes in this regard and soon. I hate to mention it but it is one thing the rags did well. Squad filler from their academy, not world beaters by any stretch of the imagination but they give 100% unlike some of the squad we have

Worse is when people then say we shouldn't be bothered as it's not our money. As you say, we could save the money and buy someone decent but from a fans perspective, every £5m on a player on a 5 year contract adds £20 to a season ticket without thinking about wages, so the £10+ we overspent on Sterling is £40 on my ticket, the £25m on Bony is £100 on my season ticket! I'd pay an extra £100 to not watch the fat twat wear a City shirt again.

I'm happy to pay it to watch top class players or those who put the effort in, I'd be more than glad to pay it to see a few kids coming through, but I'm getting pissed off paying it to see players who aren't even good enough to be on the bench and who throw games every time they're given a chance

[nottsblue]

A really good case for utilising the Academy for squad players and paying top dollar for superstars. Going forward this must be high on the priority list for the club. Would Lopez for example done any worse than Bony. Or would Huws have been much less effective than Delph. The money spent on Sinclair or Garcia or Savic or Nastasic to name just four and there are others could have funded a Neymar or a Pogba or a Lewandowski for example

I hope our transfer policy changes in this regard and soon. I hate to mention it but it is one thing the rags did well. Squad filler from their academy, not world beaters by any stretch of the imagination but they give 100% unlike some of the squad we have

Worse is when people then say we shouldn't be bothered as it's not our money. As you say, we could save the money and buy someone decent but from a fans perspective, every £5m on a player on a 5 year contract adds £20 to a season ticket without thinking about wages, so the £10+ we overspent on Sterling is £40 on my ticket, the £25m on Bony is £100 on my season ticket! I'd pay an extra £100 to not watch the fat twat wear a City shirt again.

I'm happy to pay it to watch top class players or those who put the effort in, I'd be more than glad to pay it to see a few kids coming through, but I'm getting pissed off paying it to see players who aren't even good enough to be on the bench and who throw games every time they're given a chance

Another consideration is that squad players are by definition happy to play fewer games. It's not as easy to buy good quality squad players for good value as we have found out. They then don't care as much about the team as their wage packet. Guys coming up through the ranks are at the stage in their careers where those minutes are like gold dust and they give much more in performance levels in terms of energy and commitment as a result. Yes, they are not as experienced or match savvy as older pros but that's what the senior members of the side are there to do, guide the younger lads and look out for them. If they get kicked then the older lads will give the retribution. Keane, Vieira, Starfish, Terry all did this.

We can't fill the side with them but a couple at a time is easily achievable. The rags have put in Rashford because they have had to and a few in defence and they could beat us to fourth so it's arguable their performance level hasn't suffered. In fact I bet they have better since the new year with their younger lads than they did beforehand.

I only want to see signings which will really improve the first eleven, not £15m guys who improve the squad. Spend whatever it takes to improve the first eleven. Saving money on squad players will balance the books

[iwasthere2012]

A really good case for utilising the Academy for squad players and paying top dollar for superstars. Going forward this must be high on the priority list for the club. Would Lopez for example done any worse than Bony. Or would Huws have been much less effective than Delph. The money spent on Sinclair or Garcia or Savic or Nastasic to name just four and there are others could have funded a Neymar or a Pogba or a Lewandowski for example

I hope our transfer policy changes in this regard and soon. I hate to mention it but it is one thing the rags did well. Squad filler from their academy, not world beaters by any stretch of the imagination but they give 100% unlike some of the squad we have

Fully agree NB. That's been my thinking all along, too.

[branny]

Should have a look at the Chavs extensive portfolio. May pick up a KDB for a few mill.

[Dunnylad]

A really good case for utilising the Academy for squad players and paying top dollar for superstars. Going forward this must be high on the priority list for the club. Would Lopez for example done any worse than Bony. Or would Huws have been much less effective than Delph. The money spent on Sinclair or Garcia or Savic or Nastasic to name just four and there are others could have funded a Neymar or a Pogba or a Lewandowski for example

I hope our transfer policy changes in this regard and soon. I hate to mention it but it is one thing the rags did well. Squad filler from their academy, not world beaters by any stretch of the imagination but they give 100% unlike some of the squad we have

Fully agree NB. That's been my thinking all along, too.

Is there not an argument that some players have been bought as 1st team choices, not bench warmers? I would certainly put Bony in that category. You make a point though that I think we would all like to see, a 1st XI of quality but with a backup of youth talent, some of whom may well go on to be quality replacements or sold. I think in previous years the quality wasn't in reserve, but surely some of those there should be gracing the bench but we have to create space to do so - Angelino (selling Kolarov), Manu Garcia (selling YaYa), Tosin (releasing MDM), etc, the younger lads will be more hungry but we have to accept that they wont be perfect & I worry whether we have that holistic vision to see that flourish, hopefully that will be what Pep provides