Manchester City FC Thread - Champions of England, Europe & The World

[moomba]

On the Indy piece, I think a fair bit of journalistic licence has been used but I don't think we can completely disregard it.

I think the club has work to do, more and more long time supporters are drifting away from the club. Cost, lack of communication, and the general feeling that getting new supporters has become a priority for certain sections of the club rather than keeping the existing supporters happy.

It's not irretrievable, and we still have it pretty good. But I think the supporters have a responsibility to make sure the club doesn't lose it's way.

 

[Magma]

cucumber, cool as a.

 

[moomba]

Just gone off with a strain/knock/cramp. Another good performance, really hope he gets a run out with the seniors in pre season.

 

[moomba]

Was wondering where this kid had gone. Cracking goal by a very talented young player.
https://streamable.com/61ve

Just seen that. Has been a good loan for him, another 12 months to go too. Still not ready for premier league IMO, but if he can do stuff like that he might not be too far off.

 

[NSWCROW]

4 years ago tomorrow night.....

 

[Eddie Dingle]

What an awful season.

Glad it's over.

 

[moomba]

I'm glad it's over, but looking forward to the next era already.

Going to write down a few thoughts on the squad, how they performed this season and what we need to go next season.

 

[Magma]

thrilled it's over, feeling very burnt out from the sport. it's just a bombardment these days no matter where you live during the season. looking forward to the transfers, squad changing and the peplution, but it can take it's time coming over the next couple of months. will watch the cl final but after that i'll tone it down with the euros.

 

[moomba]

Keepers

Hart - 47 appearances
Outstanding season from Hart, one of the few that didn't let his standards slip. Again, saved his best for the champions league where he had to be one of the best in the comp. Cockup against Norwich but pretty solid apart from that - 8/10

Willy Caballero - 14 appearances
13 rubbish appearances, and became a hero with his good one. Not much to say about Willy, rarely inspired confidence and took up a valuable foreign player spot in Europe. But the cup was good. - 6/10

Next season

Too much talk of Hart leaving for my liking. I just can't see the point in it, and think that if it does happen it will bite us on the arse down the track. Expect Willy will go and Richard Wright has retired.

I really like the looks of Angus Gunn in the U21's but hope he'll be playing week in week out on loan. So looks like 2 or maybe three keepers coming in. Ter Stegen, Geronimo Rulli have been linked. I'd like to see Hart stay, a Rob Green/John Ruddy style home grown backups.

 

[moomba]

Defenders

Pablo Zabaleta - poor season from a club legend, and looks like he might have played his last game for us. Is missing international football over the summer so there is a slight bit of hope that he will get his body right. But I doubt it. - 5/10

Bacary Sagna (45 appearances) - took a big step up and was one of our most consistent. Definitely our number 1 choice at RB and expect it will stay that way - 7/10

Martin Demichelis (31 appearances) - was pleased when he signed an extension, but in hindsight it was a mistake. Legs have gone, and was a liability pretty much every time he played. - 3/10

Vincent Kompany (22 appearances) - All about injuries, generally pretty good to exceptional when he played. Injury killed his season, and didn't help ours too much. - 5/10

Nicolas Otamendi (49 appearances) - had some good performances but for me he's too rash, dives in too much and needs to learn to stay on his feet. - 6/10

Eliaquim Mangala (33 appearances) - the most criticised in our squad, but I like him. I see a player there that has a good attitude, all the tools to be good but is playing in a system that hangs him out to dry. Our record when he plays is generally pretty good. - 6/10

Cameron Humphreys (2 appearances) - can't take a whole lot out of 2 sub appearances in the cup but the fact he is up there being considered for senior football as a 17 year old central defender is positive. - n/r

Tosin Adaradbioyo (1 appearance) - pretty solid in his only appearance of the season against Chelsea in the cup. Was probably our best defender on a pretty tough night for defenders. - n/r

Gael Clichy (28 appearances) - missed the first part of the season but was pretty good when he came back. Always capable of a bad game or a cockup but it was a solid season from him. - 6/10

Aleks Kolarov (39 appearances) - Kizza will probably hate me for this but I don't mind Kolarov. He is what he is, playing in a system that asks as much of our fullbacks going forward as it does defensively. He doesn't have the tank to do both effectively, but had his moments. Soured a bit at the end with a few inexcusable efforts. - 4/10

Angelino (1 appearance) - only 9 minutes off the bench which is disappointing. Really needed to play senior football this season, and I think if we can't find a loan for him or put him in the senior squad he'll be off without ever getting a real chance. - n/r

Next season

Remains to be seen whether we'll play with 3 or 4 at the back. I'll presume 4. In that case I think Zaba, Mangala, Demichelis and Kolarov will be off. Denayer will hopefully come back and fit straight into the squad as RB/CB. Maffeo by all accounts hasn't played much at Girona so I doubt we'll see too much of him (maybe loaned out again). Angelino could do with a loan as well, if not he really needs to be in there getting game time with us.

I don't any of our other kids are ready to step up to being regular squad members for us so that will involve new signings. Laporte seems an option, Wendell at Bayer Leverkusen another while Bellerin and Dani Carvahal are less likely options.

Kompany is the interesting one. Can we get him right and if not to we play him sparingly or let him go? If he does leave that will really affect our signings as we need a leader back there.

 

[Magma]

demi made 31 appearances? ******* hell that's disgusting.

the main reason i hate kolarov is he's a quitter. he just gives up, and did about 18 months ago. he clearly thinks the world of himself. at least in the past he had his crossing and set piece ability, but that evaporated too. he should be the first one gone from the club, his whole attitude has just stunk. should've gone back to serie a with dzeko.

 

[moomba]

His crossing would be more effective if we got players into the box every now and then.

I think I said in his first season we need a good 10 goals/assists from him to make up for his defensive inadequacies. Not sure how many goals he was involved with this season but I doubt it was close to that.

Agree, needs to leave. But I think our tactics don't help him.

 

[moomba]

Midfield

Brendan Barker (1 appearance) - few minutes off the bench in the cup, a failed loan move. Real crossroads for him. Needs to be playing 30+ senior games next season, club needs to find the right move for him on loan though. Too often we've sent kids where they don't get played. - n/r

Bersant Celina (4 appearances) - good to see him break through, and he could be one that makes the step up into the senior squad next season. If not, a loan move at a good level. Should be getting some international games too with Kosovo. - n/r

Kevin De Bruyne (41 appearances) - well worth the money we paid for him. 16 goals, 12 assists from his 41 appearances, and I can only see him getting better. Thought he was being overplayed about half way through the season and his performances suffered. But still very good overall. - 8/10

Fabian Delph (27 appearances) - injuries hurt a bit but was a disappointing season for Delph. Played in the middle and I thought he offered real value in certain games against certain opposition. But for some reason MP decided he was better wide left, where he was pretty much ineffective. Cross roads for him. - 4/10

George Evans (1 appearance) - has gone now but was good to see him get a senior appearance at the club he has been at since he was 8. - n/r

Fernadinho (50 appearances) - love this bloke. Never stops running and often made to do the job of two men (or one man and an inanimate Yaya shaped carbon rod). Got to be in the running for our player of the season. - 8/10

Fernando (42 appearances) - thought he came good this season. Especially when partnered with Fernandinho in the middle. Still had the odd utensil-up (PSG game) but overall pretty good. - 7/10

Aleix Garcia (1 appearance) - looked more than capable in the cup against Chelsea. Shame he didn't get more of an opportunity as the season went on. - n/r

Manu Garcia (4 appearances) - much the same as Aleix, looks suited to senior football right now and should have played more. Surprisingly enough he looks better in senior football than he does in juniors. But I feel he's getting nothing out of youth football any more, if he can't get in our senior squad he needs to go out on loan. - n/r

Samir Nasri (13 appearances) - injury ruined his season, and I think we missed him. Can't excuse that hairstyle though - 5/10

Jesus Navas (52 appearances) - often criticised but I thought he did a good job this season. You don't really want him to be the player with most appearances in a season but he works hard, and I'm happy for him to stay in the squad next season. - 6/10

Patrick Roberts (3 appearances) - didn't look ready for me in the first part of the season, but has come along nicely at Celtic. He's there again next season and will be interesting to see how he develops. - n/r

David Silva (36 appearances) - his worst season at the club and I'm not sure how much longer he has left with us. Hope he gets his ankles right but with the Euros coming up I can see him continuing to struggle. Still managed 4 goals and 12 assists, but was far below his best - 6/10

Raheem Sterling (46 appearances) - up and down season from him Started well, particularly in the champions league. I think the cup final affected him and he was poor after that. Injuries didn't help in the second half of the season, and our don't think our style of play really suited him. Hopefully that's not the case under Pep. Still, 11 goals and 8 assists is not bad, but I expect to see significant increase on those numbers next season. - 6/10

Yaya Toure (47 appearances) - still got the skillzzzz but not the attitude. Great player, but diva. Hopefully gone nice and early so we don't have to listen to his and his agents summer shenanigans. Will be remembered as a club legend when the dust has all settled. - 5/10

Next season

Big changes here, and the end of an era in a lot of ways. KDB and Sterling are the only ones I could say with a degree of certainty will be at the club. I think (and hope) Silva is but I expect (and want) Yaya to leave. Navas, Fernandinho (why?), Fernando, Nasri, Delph, Navas all have question marks going into the off season.

Gundogan, not sure if that will still go ahead. Pogba seems unlikely. Kante has been ruled out. Thiago Alcantara maybe? Will be one of the most interesting aspects of the season.

From the kids, we really need to farm out the likes of Barker, Garcia x2, Celina on loan or get them in the squad and give them a proper opportunity. There is so much talent in this group and I really want to see all of them at least get a taste before they start looking elsewhere. Brahim will get a chance too I think, maybe only the sub apearance or two but we really need to start integrating him into the squad. Going down a year, I'm hearing very good things about one of our U16's Jaden Sancho, and hope he can follow Brahims path in the U18's next season before pushing for senior football in a few years time.

 

[Eddie Dingle]

Great write up thanks moomba. Handy having an eye on things over there for us over here.

Agree on Fernadinho from what I saw he was our best of the season. Probably only because of KDB's injury but still our best and most consistent. Merlin has just lost that zap (pardon the pun) but I guess that comes from all the ankle taps he gets and really receives no protection from Refs. Sometimes I wish he and Kun would dive but I'm proud they don't I guess.

Did appreciate the mention of Nasri's appalling do.

What was he thinking?

 

[Magma]

i reckon we got a good one

 

[Kompany]

Yeah I asked about him on a Galatasaray forum because he had only played 17 games this season. He must have had an injury I didn't know of because they were really raving about him.

 

[Zidane98]

Can't even spell his own name.

 

[moomba]

Yeah I asked about him on a Galatasaray forum because he had only played 17 games this season. He must have had an injury I didn't know of because they were really raving about him.

He had a three or four niggling type injuries over the season I think.

 

[moomba]

 

[Magma]

the chief.

apparently it was pretty good. about to watch it.

 

[moomba]

I like that he doesnt try and hide away from the fact that the season was a disappointment and that we didnt really go for it in the semi.

 

[Magma]

a lot of mentions to effort and passion too. doesn't try and sweep it under the carpet. points out that while reaching the cl semis was something to celebrate, the players didnt show up and it was particularly disappointing the lack of effort for such a game.

he's always been exceptionally well spoken and genuine though. gave the deserved kudos to leicester, and did point out that there was plenty to learn from it. liked that chris bailey didn't shy away with any questions either. parts 2 and 3 should be really good. wouldn't be surprised if he announces laporte.

 

[moomba]

Part 2. Get the feeling we'll see a big change regading the way we integrate kids into the first team next season. MP never seemed committed to the idea but I reckon Pep won't be allowed that freedom even if he wanted it

 

[moomba]

And the last bit

 

[Magma]