Haaland watch

[Nigels Tackle]

pay the lad what ever he wants
he's a superstar for the next 50 years

[PeterParker]

pay the lad what ever he wants
he's a superstar for the next 50 years

Exactly. The most promising youngster in the world is a club fan.
Pay and get him. Simple as that.

If he doesn't deliver we can always loan him to Girona.

[Outcast]

Not sure about this deal. The lad sounds like a generational talent but if he disrupts our wage structure then I’d say it’s not worth it. We have great harmony in the squad and nobody is a billy big balls. This is important.

I’d make him a reasonable offer and if he goes for it great but be prepared to walk away.

Our signings have been very good under Txiki (generally) so I’d trust him. We’ve made some really good signings who sit just under the superstar level eg Dias, B Silva

KDB on course to shatter that structure - Maybe we can make exceptions for certain individuals?

I'd argue KDB has earned his payday. Been here 6 years now, 250 odd games. Been the PLs best player for a while.

Haaland undoubtedly is a huge prospect but is young and hasnt been proven in the PL yet, but more importantly he has still to pay his dues

I think the same plus he tried the 9 with Zlatan and we know how that worked out, false 9 as you said earlier gives us dominance, I have a gut feeling it’s Messi for Pep, Even Foden in the future?

Foden for the future? Why not now? Why buy an aging star? Messi could disrupt the team and dressing room with his wage demands! Who is to say Messi will make it here? Do you think Messi is a wise investment? we're literally buying a brand that could go horribly wrong.

[Dimples]

Not sure about this deal. The lad sounds like a generational talent but if he disrupts our wage structure then I’d say it’s not worth it. We have great harmony in the squad and nobody is a billy big balls. This is important.

I’d make him a reasonable offer and if he goes for it great but be prepared to walk away.

Our signings have been very good under Txiki (generally) so I’d trust him. We’ve made some really good signings who sit just under the superstar level eg Dias, B Silva

KDB on course to shatter that structure - Maybe we can make exceptions for certain individuals?

I'd argue KDB has earned his payday. Been here 6 years now, 250 odd games. Been the PLs best player for a while.

Haaland undoubtedly is a huge prospect but is young and hasnt been proven in the PL yet, but more importantly he has still to pay his dues

I think the same plus he tried the 9 with Zlatan and we know how that worked out, false 9 as you said earlier gives us dominance, I have a gut feeling it’s Messi for Pep, Even Foden in the future?

Foden for the future? Why not now? Why buy an aging star? Messi could disrupt the team and dressing room with his wage demands! Who is to say Messi will make it here? Do you think Messi is a wise investment? we're literally buying a brand that could go horribly wrong.

Messi takes the club to the next level commercially.
Puts us up there with the Rags and Dippers re fan base, exposure, clicks, new shirt buying 'supporters', etc...

Foden is a generational talent. Being introduced and educated in a sustainable way. This season he has announced himself, for ex, in the Dippers game. Still
young, still requires handling and management.

Same goes for Haaland. So you take him if you get him (same terms for him as everyone else).
Chelsea seem to want him regardless of cost. So it may come down to Ab's money Vs. Pep for him.

With Foden and Haaland in the same team our core attack would be in place for the next ten years.

[Im_Spartacus]

Messi takes the club to the next level commercially.
Puts us up there with the Rags and Dippers re fan base, exposure, clicks, new shirt buying 'supporters', etc...

Foden is a generational talent. Being introduced and educated in a sustainable way. This season he has announced himself, for ex, in the Dippers game. Still
young, still requires handling and management.

Same goes for Haaland. So you take him if you get him (same terms for him as everyone else).
Chelsea seem to want him regardless of cost. So it may come down to Ab's money Vs. Pep for him.

With Foden and Haaland in the same team our core attack would be in place for the next ten years.

I remember all the talk about the fee for Sterling aged 21, then the biggest transfer fee for an english player, and even after all our big money signings it seemed obscene. At the time the level heads were saying that it was a no-brainer transfer as you would never 'not' get your money back, and by the time they are 27-28 you have had majority of a career out of them and will still sell for the same if not more than you paid.

I've never seen Haaland play, but if he's as good as everyone says then using the same logic it's hard to see how paying a big fee for a once in a generation player at 21, can be seen as a bad investment no matter what he costs. On a tactical level having someone up front with a bit of height could be a game changer with our wing and fullback play.

The opportunity to come and be the main man in a squad with one fit striker most of the time must be appealing, as is the evidence of the development of the likes of Sterling and Foden who have had or are on a similar journey.

[BlueinBosnia]

Messi takes the club to the next level commercially.
Puts us up there with the Rags and Dippers re fan base, exposure, clicks, new shirt buying 'supporters', etc...

I don't think he does anymore. A new generation of footballers has come through (with Haaland at the fore), and while Messi might still have the potential to grab the headlines now, in a season or two he'll mean very little to younger fans, and won't attract new supporters or the money they bring with them. If we want someone to "take us to the next level commercially", we need to be looking to carve out our own future, not relying on Messi's legacy from his Barca days.

[BlueinBosnia]

I remember all the talk about the fee for Sterling aged 21, then the biggest transfer fee for an english player, and even after all our big money signings it seemed obscene. At the time the level heads were saying that it was a no-brainer transfer as you would never 'not' get your money back, and by the time they are 27-28 you have had majority of a career out of them and will still sell for the same if not more than you paid.

I've never seen Haaland play, but if he's as good as everyone says then using the same logic it's hard to see how paying a big fee for a once in a generation player at 21, can be seen as a bad investment no matter what he costs. On a tactical level having someone up front with a bit of height could be a game changer with our wing and fullback play.

One big difference between Sterling and Haaland is their nationality. There was something the Secret Footballer wrote about the value of a player who is capped by Ireland vs. a player capped by England, and how it will affect their career earnings (due to sponsorship, marketability, etc.). The story related to a player who, at the time I read it, I assumed was Declan Rice, but Googling it now, rumours are that it was in reference to Bristol City player Callum O'Dowda.

In spite of that, though, I think he's worth going all-out for as a once in a generation talent. Yes, it's unlikely he'll ever get into the knock-out stages of a World Cup (although Messi has only made it past the Quarter Finals once in his career - the same amount of times as Jordan Pickford), but I think that club football is totally overshadowing international football these days; a trend that will be accelerated by coronavirus and the re-scheduling of the Qatar WC outside of its summer slot.

[sheblue]

Messi takes the club to the next level commercially.
Puts us up there with the Rags and Dippers re fan base, exposure, clicks, new shirt buying 'supporters', etc...

I don't think he does anymore. A new generation of footballers has come through (with Haaland at the fore), and while Messi might still have the potential to grab the headlines now, in a season or two he'll mean very little to younger fans, and won't attract new supporters or the money they bring with them. If we want someone to "take us to the next level commercially", we need to be looking to carve out our own future, not relying on Messi's legacy from his Barca days.

Cant agree more.

Too much is made of his 'commercial value' which is decreasing all the time as the new stars come along and take the limelight.

I've said all along in the long term were better trying to get the next best thing rather than the last best thing.

[BlueinBosnia]

Messi takes the club to the next level commercially.
Puts us up there with the Rags and Dippers re fan base, exposure, clicks, new shirt buying 'supporters', etc...

I don't think he does anymore. A new generation of footballers has come through (with Haaland at the fore), and while Messi might still have the potential to grab the headlines now, in a season or two he'll mean very little to younger fans, and won't attract new supporters or the money they bring with them. If we want someone to "take us to the next level commercially", we need to be looking to carve out our own future, not relying on Messi's legacy from his Barca days.

Cant agree more.

Too much is made of his 'commercial value' which is decreasing all the time as the new stars come along and take the limelight.

I've said all along in the long term were better trying to get the next best thing rather than the last best thing.

Added to that: If we got him last season, it would have been because we wanted him. If we got him at the start of this season, it would have been because he wanted us. If we get him next season, it's because Barca think he's no longer a decent-enough return on investment. The progression of the saga doesn't do us any favours in terms of the club's image.

[john68]

The previous points are well made.
When our owners first took over, City were nowhere near the the glamour clubs. We needed Robinho to make the World sit up and notice us. Sadly. we all know how that short lived experience lasted.

Today the football world may hate us but that's because they know us. We no ponger need a commercially glam star gto lift our visibility.
We already have a great TEAM, do we need Messi?

We are a team of the 'now' building for the future,as others have already said, do we need the past?

[patrickblue]

Messi takes the club to the next level commercially.
Puts us up there with the Rags and Dippers re fan base, exposure, clicks, new shirt buying 'supporters', etc...

I don't think he does anymore. A new generation of footballers has come through (with Haaland at the fore), and while Messi might still have the potential to grab the headlines now, in a season or two he'll mean very little to younger fans, and won't attract new supporters or the money they bring with them. If we want someone to "take us to the next level commercially", we need to be looking to carve out our own future, not relying on Messi's legacy from his Barca days.

Cant agree more.

Too much is made of his 'commercial value' which is decreasing all the time as the new stars come along and take the limelight.

I've said all along in the long term were better trying to get the next best thing rather than the last best thing.

I'm with you both 100%. TBH, if we got Messi, he'd be regarded (and in my view, correctly) as Barca's cast off.
We need to look to the future, and at the moment we really should be seriously looking at Haaland

[Dimples]

Messi takes the club to the next level commercially.
Puts us up there with the Rags and Dippers re fan base, exposure, clicks, new shirt buying 'supporters', etc...

I don't think he does anymore. A new generation of footballers has come through (with Haaland at the fore), and while Messi might still have the potential to grab the headlines now, in a season or two he'll mean very little to younger fans, and won't attract new supporters or the money they bring with them. If we want someone to "take us to the next level commercially", we need to be looking to carve out our own future, not relying on Messi's legacy from his Barca days.

Cant agree more.

Too much is made of his 'commercial value' which is decreasing all the time as the new stars come along and take the limelight.

I've said all along in the long term were better trying to get the next best thing rather than the last best thing.

I'm with you both 100%. TBH, if we got Messi, he'd be regarded (and in my view, correctly) as Barca's cast off.
We need to look to the future, and at the moment we really should be seriously looking at Haaland

I think Messi improves us from two perspectives. Both are short term i.e. two maybe three seasons.
Football wise, Messi on the end of the huge number of chances we create, would push us towards 200 goals a season!
Commercially and this is sad for football, money talks, just look at the pl/sky/var/refs decisions week after week. Messi is still a
massive revenue generator. Sky/PL would hype up his arrival to generate subscriptions, we would have a whole new (plastic) fan base and
with both of those goes favorable decisions on matchday. Fact of life unfortunately.
The Rags and the Dippers get all the calls for a reason, it is because of their huge fan bases.
We get shafted because if we push the Rags and Dippers aside, Sky do not generate the same amount of income.
Messi goes a long way to rectifying that.

Haaland should b our number one target without a doubt but if we can also get Messi we should take him.
(Provided neither upset the apple cart with the existin squad re wages, ego, etc...)

[RodneyRodney]

Some fair points stated above , which I hadn't considered up to now.
Additionally , think of the learning impact he could have on Foden, etc. Align F's raw talent with Messi's experience of how to deploy that talent . . . you could end up with something frightening

[Nick]

Interesting from pep

Sancho dig ?

But he did say: "Dortmund have experience - Witsel, Guereirro, Sancho, Reyna, they invest in good young players with wages and salaries for agents. They have a lot of quality.

[Dimples]

Interesting from pep

Sancho dig ?

But he did say: "Dortmund have experience - Witsel, Guereirro, Sancho, Reyna, they invest in good young players with wages and salaries for agents. They have a lot of quality.

Looks like it.

Sancho forced his way out 4 years ago.
Since then he has won 1 cup in Germany.
Foden, in the same time frame, had won 2 Pls, 1 FA cup,
3 EFLs and 2 charity shields. Most likely will add to that this season.
To that you can add a football education that is unreal - tactics, skill sets, attitude, winning mentality, etc...

Does anyone still think that Sancho made the correct decision to leave?

[carolina-blue]

Interesting from pep

Sancho dig ?

But he did say: "Dortmund have experience - Witsel, Guereirro, Sancho, Reyna, they invest in good young players with wages and salaries for agents. They have a lot of quality.

Looks like it.

Sancho forced his way out 4 years ago.
Since then he has won 1 cup in Germany.
Foden, in the same time frame, had won 2 Pls, 1 FA cup,
3 EFLs and 2 charity shields. Most likely will add to that this season.
To that you can add a football education that is unreal - tactics, skill sets, attitude, winning mentality, etc...

Does anyone still think that Sancho made the correct decision to leave?

Like button

[john68]

Yep, I certainly think Sanchomade the right decision to leave.
When you consider a kid still learning acting like Billy Big Bollox. A child diva with an overbloated ego, then yep I am chuffed to bits he fukked off.

City under Pep have engendered a mentality that whether we have stars or not, the team is the ultimate star. No room for anyone who thought at his age, he was too good to learn and rather earn.

Defo the right decision to go, not sure if it was right for him but defo right for City.

[Nick]

Interesting from pep

Sancho dig ?

But he did say: "Dortmund have experience - Witsel, Guereirro, Sancho, Reyna, they invest in good young players with wages and salaries for agents. They have a lot of quality.

Looks like it.

Sancho forced his way out 4 years ago.
Since then he has won 1 cup in Germany.
Foden, in the same time frame, had won 2 Pls, 1 FA cup,
3 EFLs and 2 charity shields. Most likely will add to that this season.
To that you can add a football education that is unreal - tactics, skill sets, attitude, winning mentality, etc...

Does anyone still think that Sancho made the correct decision to leave?

Mad when you see that ! Hope he sees it

Was wondering if it was also a dig at riola

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

Interesting from pep

Sancho dig ?

But he did say: "Dortmund have experience - Witsel, Guereirro, Sancho, Reyna, they invest in good young players with wages and salaries for agents. They have a lot of quality.

Looks like it.

Sancho forced his way out 4 years ago.
Since then he has won 1 cup in Germany.
Foden, in the same time frame, had won 2 Pls, 1 FA cup,
3 EFLs and 2 charity shields. Most likely will add to that this season.
To that you can add a football education that is unreal - tactics, skill sets, attitude, winning mentality, etc...

Does anyone still think that Sancho made the correct decision to leave?

I don't see the Sancho situation like that at all. Young players need to play in order to improve. We couldn't promise him playing time. Dortmund could. Our mistake was hanging onto that clown Sane too long as he was blocking way for Sancho.

[Dubciteh]

Interesting from pep

Sancho dig ?

But he did say: "Dortmund have experience - Witsel, Guereirro, Sancho, Reyna, they invest in good young players with wages and salaries for agents. They have a lot of quality.

Looks like it.

Sancho forced his way out 4 years ago.
Since then he has won 1 cup in Germany.
Foden, in the same time frame, had won 2 Pls, 1 FA cup,
3 EFLs and 2 charity shields. Most likely will add to that this season.
To that you can add a football education that is unreal - tactics, skill sets, attitude, winning mentality, etc...

Does anyone still think that Sancho made the correct decision to leave?

I don't see the Sancho situation like that at all. Young players need to play in order to improve. We couldn't promise him playing time. Dortmund could. Our mistake was hanging onto that clown Sane too long as he was blocking way for Sancho.

Sane didnt block Sancho. He was only here a year before sancho left and looked promising in that season before going on to have a great season. We had room for them all. Sancho should have been one of the four wide players we had but instead we chased Alexis Sanchez so i cant blame Sancho for leaving. Worked out well for everyone in the end, sometimes things like that happen and its no ones fault.