Transfer rumours

[Indianablue]

I agree, PSG are a well balanced team playing at a pace. City aren't well balanced, we dont really attack at pace and our attack is one dimensional. Our wide players need to inject pace and beat players on the outside as well as inside but mostly they need to not slow the attack down. Too many check backs allow defenders to organise. We were much better to watch several years ago. Today we are leaden footed. The youngsters we have bought need to be played properly before we indoctrinate them into Pep's possession play. Every player needs to be drilled more in shooting, from any distance , any angle, because we are relatively poor at this as well. . Finally, Alvarez is a great player, playing international football for a great footballung nation and a winner. Tbe posters who thought he was shit for us ( i don't) should think about why. Haaland has gone backwards for us since he hit the 50 goal record. Why? Because we dont play him to his strengths . Next season will be Pep's last.Apart from a proper RB he has the players but can he adapt his style?

[carl_feedthegoat]

I agree, PSG are a well balanced team playing at a pace. City aren't well balanced, we dont really attack at pace and our attack is one dimensional. Our wide players need to inject pace and beat players on the outside as well as inside but mostly they need to not slow the attack down. Too many check backs allow defenders to organise. We were much better to watch several years ago. Today we are leaden footed. The youngsters we have bought need to be played properly before we indoctrinate them into Pep's possession play. Every player needs to be drilled more in shooting, from any distance , any angle, because we are relatively poor at this as well. . Finally, Alvarez is a great player, playing international football for a great footballung nation and a winner. Tbe posters who thought he was shit for us ( i don't) should think about why. Haaland has gone backwards for us since he hit the 50 goal record. Why? Because we dont play him to his strengths . Next season will be Pep's last.Apart from a proper RB he has the players but can he adapt his style?

Spot on IB !. City are way too slow and predictable these days and have been for longer than I care to remember — and here are some lovely stats to back it up:
We average 5.1 passes per move and progress the ball at 1.4m/s — slowest team in the league. PSG move quicker AND still control games. It’s not just “Pep style” — it’s a choice to crawl forward.
We’ve had 650+ ten-pass sequences this season... but what do we do with them? Most of the time, fuckall and bore the fans in the process.
High press? We lead the Premier league in high turnovers (300+)... but only turn 13% of them into shots !!. Compare that to Bournemouth who do better with half the talent.
Long shots? We’ve scored just 8 goals from outside the box across all competitions.The dippers have 33 !!. Is it any wonder why most teams camp in the box when we attack ?? — we’re just not a threat from range....fact.

As IB stated above , Haaland’s goals have dropped every year:

22/23: 50 goals
23/24: 42 goals
24/25: 34 goals
Thats not because hes suddenly going downhill— we’ve just stopped playing to his strengths and its somthing the manager has not or cannot rectify.

As for Alvarez, at Atleticio he is smashing it — 9 goals, 9 assists in 28 games. Turns out he wasn’t “shit” after all … he was just misused.
We’re 14th for crosses into the box, 17th for progressive carries down the right hand side. That’s on PePs system, not the players.

At the end of the day we have the tools, but Pep’s current setup ( not so current actually , more the norm ) is draining any urgency out of the team. If next season’s his last, he has to adapt — or this stale,boring, sideways shit will be what defines his final year.

[Scatman]

+1

[Indianablue]

I agree, PSG are a well balanced team playing at a pace. City aren't well balanced, we dont really attack at pace and our attack is one dimensional. Our wide players need to inject pace and beat players on the outside as well as inside but mostly they need to not slow the attack down. Too many check backs allow defenders to organise. We were much better to watch several years ago. Today we are leaden footed. The youngsters we have bought need to be played properly before we indoctrinate them into Pep's possession play. Every player needs to be drilled more in shooting, from any distance , any angle, because we are relatively poor at this as well. . Finally, Alvarez is a great player, playing international football for a great footballung nation and a winner. Tbe posters who thought he was shit for us ( i don't) should think about why. Haaland has gone backwards for us since he hit the 50 goal record. Why? Because we dont play him to his strengths . Next season will be Pep's last.Apart from a proper RB he has the players but can he adapt his style?

Spot on IB !. City are way too slow and predictable these days and have been for longer than I care to remember — and here are some lovely stats to back it up:
We average 5.1 passes per move and progress the ball at 1.4m/s — slowest team in the league. PSG move quicker AND still control games. It’s not just “Pep style” — it’s a choice to crawl forward.
We’ve had 650+ ten-pass sequences this season... but what do we do with them? Most of the time, fuckall and bore the fans in the process.
High press? We lead the Premier league in high turnovers (300+)... but only turn 13% of them into shots !!. Compare that to Bournemouth who do better with half the talent.
Long shots? We’ve scored just 8 goals from outside the box across all competitions.The dippers have 33 !!. Is it any wonder why most teams camp in the box when we attack ?? — we’re just not a threat from range....fact.

As IB stated above , Haaland’s goals have dropped every year:

22/23: 50 goals
23/24: 42 goals
24/25: 34 goals
Thats not because hes suddenly going downhill— we’ve just stopped playing to his strengths and its somthing the manager has not or cannot rectify.

As for Alvarez, at Atleticio he is smashing it — 9 goals, 9 assists in 28 games. Turns out he wasn’t “shit” after all … he was just misused.
We’re 14th for crosses into the box, 17th for progressive carries down the right hand side. That’s on PePs system, not the players.

At the end of the day we have the tools, but Pep’s current setup ( not so current actually , more the norm ) is draining any urgency out of the team. If next season’s his last, he has to adapt — or this stale,boring, sideways shit will be what defines his final year.

Unfortunately Carl, not everyone seesit this way.

[stupot]

Suppose it's hard to see it that way when you talk about Haaland dipping on 34 goals and Alvarez smashing it on 9

[zuricity]

Suppose it's hard to see it that way when you talk about Haaland dipping on 34 goals and Alvarez smashing it on 9

Horses for courses is it not ? . Farmers la Liga vs Premier League.

[Scatman]

Suppose it's hard to see it that way when you talk about Haaland dipping on 34 goals and Alvarez smashing it on 9

Horses for courses is it not ? . Farmers la Liga vs Premier League.

Alvarez is worse than first thought?

[carl_feedthegoat]

Suppose it's hard to see it that way when you talk about Haaland dipping on 34 goals and Alvarez smashing it on 9

Its plainly hard for you to see most things.

[Pretty Boy Lee]

Suppose it's hard to see it that way when you talk about Haaland dipping on 34 goals and Alvarez smashing it on 9

This for me.

Alvarez was good and I was sad to lose him. He’s not on Haaland level however.

I do think Pep could have used him a bit more and kept him however.

[PeterParker]

About PSG.

Their left side is Nuno Mendes, Kvaratskhelia.
Their right side is Hakimi, Dembele
Fast-paced world-class players.

While our flanks are a constant experiment.

[Mase]

About PSG.

Their left side is Nuno Mendes, Kvaratskhelia.
Their right side is Hakimi, Dembele
Fast-paced world-class players.

While our flanks are a constant experiment.

You don't think Doku and Savio are world class?

[PeterParker]

About PSG.

Their left side is Nuno Mendes, Kvaratskhelia.
Their right side is Hakimi, Dembele
Fast-paced world-class players.

While our flanks are a constant experiment.

You don't think Doku and Savio are world class?

Not under Pep. I like both of them, I am a fan, but our style does not suit them. Their are not player to pass it side to side.
But going back to PSG, they have the best left back and right back in the world. We've never had that under Pep.

[carl_feedthegoat]

About PSG.

Their left side is Nuno Mendes, Kvaratskhelia.
Their right side is Hakimi, Dembele
Fast-paced world-class players.

While our flanks are a constant experiment.

You don't think Doku and Savio are world class?

Not under Pep. I like both of them, I am a fan, but our style does not suit them. Their are not player to pass it side to side.
But going back to PSG, they have the best left back and right back in the world. We've never had that under Pep.

Pep’s relationship with the left-back position is borderline fucking bizarre.
He buys square pegs and forces them into his round-hole ideology. If you’re an actual LB, don’t bother. He will turn you into a sideways-passing midfielder.
(I think Mendy was the last real LB he bought?)

[Indianablue]

About PSG.

Their left side is Nuno Mendes, Kvaratskhelia.
Their right side is Hakimi, Dembele
Fast-paced world-class players.

While our flanks are a constant experiment.

Difficult to fit in Alvarez in an Argie side but they did it. A well oiled machine of different gears. Pep loves crunching gears and it runs slowly

[Sparklehorse]

About PSG.

Their left side is Nuno Mendes, Kvaratskhelia.
Their right side is Hakimi, Dembele
Fast-paced world-class players.

While our flanks are a constant experiment.

You don't think Doku and Savio are world class?

My heart sinks when Sav is selected, he’s old enough and experienced enough to be scoring and assisting on a regular basis but he’s not, so he’s most definitely not world class and to be honest I don’t think he ever will be. Doku has much more potential for me but still does not score and assist enough, this is the season that he needs to step up. He’s incredibly skilful at getting past people and he needs to be finding our players in the box. Potential for sure and really could be world class.

[PeterParker]

About PSG.

Their left side is Nuno Mendes, Kvaratskhelia.
Their right side is Hakimi, Dembele
Fast-paced world-class players.

While our flanks are a constant experiment.

You don't think Doku and Savio are world class?

My heart sinks when Sav is selected, he’s old enough and experienced enough to be scoring and assisting on a regular basis but he’s not, so he’s most definitely not world class and to be honest I don’t think he ever will be. Doku has much more potential for me but still does not score and assist enough, this is the season that he needs to step up. He’s incredibly skilful at getting past people and he needs to be finding our players in the box. Potential for sure and really could be world class.

It's not their fault, mate. Both are suited for direct style of football, not pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-ass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-ass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-ass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-ass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-ass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-ass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-ass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-ass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-ass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-ass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-ass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-ass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-ass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-ass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-ass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-ass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-ass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-ass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-ass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-ass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-ass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-ass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-ass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-ass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass, block and counter.

[PeterParker]

Regarding the transfers, the situation at right-back has gone quiet. Livramento and that was about it, some bits about Dumfries, but overall nothing obvious.

[carl_feedthegoat]

Regarding the transfers, the situation at right-back has gone quiet. Livramento and that was about it, some bits about Dumfries, but overall nothing obvious.

Tino Livramento -Newcastle, 22 yrs £70‑80 m ( Newcastle digging in )
Wesley França -Flamengo, 21 yrs £20‑30 m,Attacking RB; Brighton have already bid £20 m, City weighing whether to trump it.
Andrea Cambiaso-Juventus, 25 yr  €40 m ,Two‑footed and tactically versatile (played both flanks under Allegri). On the list if Livramento proves impossible.

Rico Lewis is the ONLY RB we currently have available.

[nottsblue]

Nunes will be in Peps mind our first choice RB

[PeterParker]

Nunes will be in Peps mind our first choice RB

I am also convinced this will the case.