1 hour ago, JJP said:

Still baffled as to why we sold Matic, Chalobah and sent RLC on loan...

It's all part of a cunning plan...

Don't ask me what though.

Everyone we seem to be linked with seem to be 'not for sale. 

We should make life a bit easier and try and pick up some players with reasonable buy out clauses. 

Grimaldo £50m, telles £35m, gaya £40m for left back. 

Seri £35m, sergi roberto £35m  for centre midfield. 

Ricardo Pereira £22m for right back. 

 

3 hours ago, JJP said:

Still baffled as to why we sold Matic, Chalobah and sent RLC on loan... Now we only have Baka, Kante and Cesc and Cesc is a different mould to the first 2. 

We seriously need some more CM's for squad depth

Chalobah had a buy out clause

RLC needed to have a season of 1st team football, he couldnt be a squad player again

Matic we got offered more than he is worth. 

54 minutes ago, benjsross said:

Chalobah had a buy out clause

RLC needed to have a season of 1st team football, he couldnt be a squad player again

Matic we got offered more than he is worth. 

We may have got more than what Matic is worth, but i would rather have the player than the money right now. The squad wasn't in a strong enough position to sell a player like Matic. As it stands we are in a right mess in CM.

Simple answer to the topic: Absolutely yes.

4 hours ago, benjsross said:

Chalobah had a buy out clause

RLC needed to have a season of 1st team football, he couldnt be a squad player again

Matic we got offered more than he is worth. 

Thats a fair point, but i think having RLC as a backup would have been useful, because he would have got much more game time than he did last season

16 hours ago, JJP said:

Thats a fair point, but i think having RLC as a backup would have been useful, because he would have got much more game time than he did last season

I am more confused by getting rid of Pasalic. He is someone that could have been a squad option. 

19 hours ago, Scott Harris said:

We may have got more than what Matic is worth, but i would rather have the player than the money right now. The squad wasn't in a strong enough position to sell a player like Matic. As it stands we are in a right mess in CM.

Oh I agree. Matic should have been sold on deadline day and we should have never made it appear like he was on his way out by not including him on the China trip. 

3 minutes ago, benjsross said:

I am more confused by getting rid of Pasalic. He is someone that could have been a squad option. 

Apparently he was struggling to get a work permit

What do we think to this Daily Mail article saying that Roman has demanded an urgent meeting with Conte to discuss why so little of the youth team are in the first team squad? 

1 minute ago, doctorblue said:

What do we think to this Daily Mail article saying that Roman has demanded an urgent meeting with Conte to discuss why so little of the youth team are in the first team squad? 

Did the mail not see our bench last weekend? 5 players from the youth team in the 1st team squad. 

Hopefully christiensen breaks into the starting 11, I think he will be world class if we give him the platform. Always looked quality when he was in the youth teams. Musonda and boga will get opportunities this season, hopefully at least one will establish themselves. 

Then the best of the rest are on loan, rlc will come back a much improved player, possibly even a full England international. Hopefully abraham will prove he is capable of scoring goals in the prem, and he is trusted to back up morata next season. 

All the other loanees are at least 2 seasons away from being considered first team players. 

Not really sure what roman would have an issue with. 

Just now, doctorblue said:

What do we think to this Daily Mail article saying that Roman has demanded an urgent meeting with Conte to discuss why so little of the youth team are in the first team squad? 

It's the daily mail, ergo it's completely made up bollocks.

Conte should sub himself on against the spuds, board not getting the hints. 

On 18/08/2017 at 13:26, big blue said:

Everyone we seem to be linked with seem to be 'not for sale. 

We should make life a bit easier and try and pick up some players with reasonable buy out clauses. 

Grimaldo £50m, telles £35m, gaya £40m for left back. 

Seri £35m, sergi roberto £35m  for centre midfield. 

Ricardo Pereira £22m for right back. 

 

We only go for players that arent for sale meanwhile we let city buy all the fullbacks in European football, ignore cancelo, aurer...have no f**king clue what the board are doing, hoping for an Aha! moment when it all comes together.

On Friday, August 18, 2017 at 20:26, big blue said:

Everyone we seem to be linked with seem to be 'not for sale. 

We should make life a bit easier and try and pick up some players with reasonable buy out clauses. 

Grimaldo £50m, telles £35m, gaya £40m for left back. 

Seri £35m, sergi roberto £35m  for centre midfield. 

Ricardo Pereira £22m for right back. 

 

Makes too much sense for this board = not happening.

All we need for now is LWB, CM and RF which has been apparent since preseason and the board still continue to disappoint. For now. 

No.

In the worst scenario Antonio takes off his suit and plays near Kante or Baka.

We need anywhere between 1-3 more signings but I think the lack of depth gets overplayed because people focus only on pure numbers.

We have depth within the squad with versatility of several players. Call it hidden depth or whatever but we are not as short as some would have you believe.

23 minutes ago, startedwithglenn said:

We need anywhere between 1-3 more signings but I think the lack of depth gets overplayed because people focus only on pure numbers.

We have depth within the squad with versatility of several players. Call it hidden depth or whatever but we are not as short as some would have you believe.

We have 16 senior outfield players (Morata, Bats; Hazard, Willian, Pedro, Musonda; Cesc, Kante, Baka; Moses, Alonso; Luiz, Azpi, GC, Rudi, Andreas) for 10 positions. 

With players like Scott, Tomori, Kenedy making up the numbers.

So I would say even with the versatility within the squad we are atleast 2/3 players short. 

I worry until all my hair is fall out. Aiya!!!

But one player on left side and Big bullock from Arsenal stop hair fall out. 

Maybe we buy the Mahrez and the Belotti and hair grow back again!

 

 

Edited August 22, 20178 yr by Sun zhi

1 hour ago, didierforever said:

We have 16 senior outfield players (Morata, Bats; Hazard, Willian, Pedro, Musonda; Cesc, Kante, Baka; Moses, Alonso; Luiz, Azpi, GC, Rudi, Andreas) for 10 positions. 

With players like Scott, Tomori, Kenedy making up the numbers.

So I would say even with the versatility within the squad we are atleast 2/3 players short. 

The only area of real urgence is centre mid.

After that I agree ideally we'd get another wingback option and one more attacking option.

But I think even going with 17 senior outfield players is okay with the versatility within the squad. I am more than fine with youth players having regular openings for bench spots.

46 minutes ago, startedwithglenn said:

The only area of real urgence is centre mid.

After that I agree ideally we'd get another wingback option and one more attacking option.

But I think even going with 17 senior outfield players is okay with the versatility within the squad. I am more than fine with youth players having regular openings for bench spots.

Who have you got playing wing back if alonso/Moses go down out of interest?

1 hour ago, Adamrb said:

Who have you got playing wing back if alonso/Moses go down out of interest?

I know the question isn't aimed at me but the options we have are.

Azpi as RWB and Kenedy as LWB,

With Tomori playing RWB in the cups.

There is also Baba to come in when he returns from injury, but realistically he isn't going to be first team ready for 2+ months so that roles him out 

I personally won't consider Pedro for this role, despite being used last season as he just isn't a WB. 

Azpi is a decent RWB IMO and does provide strong cover especially when we are loaded with CBs.

Kenedy doesn't fill me with nearly as much confidence though, however if he can show some of the potential he showed under Hiddink he might just about provide decent cover.

Either way I think CM is more important but the more the merrier.

Kenedy is bad as hell as wing-back. And he probably will go on loan untill the window is finished. With such squad, you will lose a lot of points, because of the inexperience players and lack of proper rest. When your players is not fresh, you have a problem.

Conte didn`t want Rahman last year, when he was fit, so don`t see it now after that injury.

And that squad is not good enough for CL and to be fair not expecting much there.

If you want to fight for titles, you got to have quality on the bench, and numbers.

Sometimes changing player position will play, sometimes not. Everyone have versatility players, but that doesn`t mean you should cut your squad by half. For every position you need 2 players for that level of football.

I just don`t see us with such short squad winning anything, as much as i wanted to regain the title in PL.

The perfect scenario was 2 new quality wing-backs, 2 CM, top winger for Pedro/Willy position, and third striker option.

With that squad Conte can maneuver with players and formations. And players will be fresh and we will be prepared if there is a injury.

Don`t know why and how the board messed that much.

We could have been on another level that season. But to me we are level below.

 

 

21 hours ago, brakeit said:

Kenedy is bad as hell as wing-back. And he probably will go on loan untill the window is finished. With such squad, you will lose a lot of points, because of the inexperience players and lack of proper rest. When your players is not fresh, you have a problem.

Conte didn`t want Rahman last year, when he was fit, so don`t see it now after that injury.

And that squad is not good enough for CL and to be fair not expecting much there.

If you want to fight for titles, you got to have quality on the bench, and numbers.

Sometimes changing player position will play, sometimes not. Everyone have versatility players, but that doesn`t mean you should cut your squad by half. For every position you need 2 players for that level of football.

I just don`t see us with such short squad winning anything, as much as i wanted to regain the title in PL.

The perfect scenario was 2 new quality wing-backs, 2 CM, top winger for Pedro/Willy position, and third striker option.

With that squad Conte can maneuver with players and formations. And players will be fresh and we will be prepared if there is a injury.

Don`t know why and how the board messed that much.

We could have been on another level that season. But to me we are level below.

 

 

He find answer in way of struggle. Now he see enlightenment of wingback. 

 

If we sign Drinkwater, Ox, Barkley and Llorente nobody is worried about squad depth any longer right? 

I'd say we've had a quite a good window with the addition of those 4.