I thought Romans investment, was to help build a successful team, achieved i admit, but one with a distinct and attractive playing style, so why are we now chasing every big lump of a centre forward, Morata has stalled and his attributes don't help really with the way we played Yesterday, so i ask is Contes apparent vision way forward shared by Roman, some how i doubt it...

Actually, historicaly we have always had a large central presence up top. It is just that the players chosen have gradually deteriorated in quality. Costa was an improvement but his attitude was always going to cause problems.

We still seem to be searching for the next Didier. The clowns that we are being linked with now are laughable of course, but the reasoning may be sound. We have all of the artistry, we need a central figure to play off of that can also hurt the opposition as well.

With our current style when we get the ball it needs to be held up by the striker for a few seconds to being the wingers into play, our strikers now can hold up the ball for 1.5 seconds before having the ball pinched or Alice Morata falls over. When you have just one striker you want him to be big and strong anyway, we're not trying to be the next Stoke we're trying to find a new Drogba though admittedly the rumoured targets makes it look like the former.

I think we are just trying to ensure we make top 4 and regroup after with a different manager and adopt another approach with a back four.

Re RA I think he is much more cagey about players and managers these days having made a few mistakes here and there.

Michy isn't what you call big, he played well yesterday, combined well with the awesome Haz and Mercurial Willian, Man city seem to not need a lump up top...now linked with Barnes of burnley, wtf.......

Michy isn't what you call big, he played well yesterday, combined well with the awesome Haz and Mercurial Willian, Man city seem to not need a lump up top...now linked with Barnes of burnley, wtf.......

Not needed for a possession-based system. But you can still play attractive, attacking football with a lump (Ibrahimovic).

Roman is definitely still chasing that dream. First 6 months of Jose's return saw us play some scintillating stuff, but the team was unbalanced and Jose seemed uncomfortable. For sure Roman would have given anything to get Pep here.

Hazard has alluded to the fact he likes to play with fast equally skilful forwards, cant deny thats what Willian and Pedro bring, oh for a young Aguerro..

6 minutes ago, Ballack & Blu said:

Hazard has alluded to the fact he likes to play with fast equally skilful forwards, cant deny thats what Willian and Pedro bring, oh for a young Aguerro..

dybala?

Exactly, that is a man we should covet.

 

City have been planning for Pep over the last couple of seasons and sacrificing immediate, short term success for what they have now. 

 

Why can't we do this? Instead of bringing in various managers with different visions for how to play why can't we build a squad and hire managers that fit. 

55 minutes ago, RIP Mourinho said:

City have been planning for Pep over the last couple of seasons and sacrificing immediate, short term success for what they have now. 

 

Why can't we do this? Instead of bringing in various managers with different visions for how to play why can't we build a squad and hire managers that fit. 

We did. Then Jose sold most of them.

36 minutes ago, Zeta said:

We did. Then Jose sold most of them.

touche

But You was supposed to be our saviour, went all nihilistic and destroyed from within!

Since Roman bought the club, Chelsea is well known for his strong, almost unbreakable defense. And we tried only twice something else, both times remarkable fails(Scolari and AVB). And I have no problem with that. I'm even flattered when people mention Chelsea first thing to comes in their mind to be defense. That's our style. Solid rock backcourt, one diligent DM, one strong forward and discipline. Conte teaches that, Jose did, Carlo did, Di Matteo did(as much as he could), even Rafa tried the same. That's our style. 

If people want a consistent style they can identify with they can also enjoy watching other teams work it out and beat us.

Must always be changing and adapting, innovating and improvising. 

Edited January 24, 20188 yr by Van Butsen

I think we need some proper wingbacks, if we are going to continue with 3-4-3. The same goes for a midfield partner for Kante. 

To answer the original post, I think Roman has realised that not even with the best manager and best players is winning guaranteed.

He has also realised others have more money these days.

Now I think he is more pragmatic and looks like it as building a successful business.

 

 

agree strider,  we have now won everything, every single trophy available under Roman.  It's possible now he is looking inwards,  starting with building us an incredible stadium to strengthen the base on whuch our future will build, and just maybe begin to see our youth integrated into the squad rather continually recycling transfers in and out the club. 

On 1/23/2018 at 03:08, RIP Mourinho said:

City have been planning for Pep over the last couple of seasons and sacrificing immediate, short term success for what they have now. 

 

Why can't we do this? Instead of bringing in various managers with different visions for how to play why can't we build a squad and hire managers that fit. 

Why's he needed to spend 500m in a season and a half then?

18 hours ago, TheChelseaBlues said:

Why's he needed to spend 500m in a season and a half then?

He hasn't? £400m since he's been here. Then another £150m the year before he came for the like of Sterling, KdB etc.. that he wanted. £550m for an  entire new squad ain't too shabby. Now the manager has exactly what he wants and can dominate. Instead we have a new manager stuck with the likes of Danny Drinkwater.

400/500 doesn't change the point. They haven't done that well if they have to spend 400 more when he got there. 

I do agree it's the right thing to start having a playing style and finding managers to fit it. Managers don't stick around long enough. It seems like what the club are doing now but we'll see if that changes when/if Conte leaves. 

Hire manager, year and a half later fire manager. Rinse and Repeat. Thats our identity. 

16 minutes ago, Semper Fi said:

Hire manager, year and a half later fire manager. Rinse and Repeat. Thats our identity. 

You forgot pay off the manager after firing him. Its the most attractive gig in the game.

I think we played with no identity tonight, False no9 , never unless its played by Messi

No identity is our identity.