The managerial decision

[Stephen Paul]

Still think it was wrong announcing Pep was coming in the middle of the season

[clevblue]

Things weren't exactly great before the announcement, but we've taken a bit of a tumble since, and Pelle looks pale and drawn

[Lekos]

Nah.  I don't think that's the issue.  We've not been playing well for a while now.  Bayern announced Pep was coming mid season and went on to win the treble.

The announcement is not a valid excuse.

[Rowley Birkin QC]

Nah.  I don't think that's the issue.  We've not been playing well for a while now. Bayern announced Pep was coming mid season and went on to win the treble.

The announcement is not a valid excuse.

Quite.

[Ludo]

There's a number of things that could be responsible for our poor form recently.

1.Pellegrini may have taken his eye off the ball.
2.Some of the players might have done the same.
3.Injuries.
4.Some of our players are just shit.

[Hesperus]

It's not just recent poor form though. As a team we've regressed significantly in the last 2 seasons.

[Rowley Birkin QC]

In one or two areas I think we're actually a touch better than we were two seasons ago, but for the most part I agree with Hesperus' assertion that we've regressed.

In that time - only Fernandinho and De Bruyne have represented significant additions to the squad. (Sterling has potential, but yet to prove himself). Only one youth player, Kelechi, has broken through.

For a club with our aspirations and resources, that's a pretty crap showing for two seasons of 'development'. I think we'd all agree that our planning for our defence's future, in particular, has been little short of disastrous. (And don't get me started on central midfield...) 

I've always been in the camp that says money alone isn't going to bring every player we want to City. We don't have that kind of glamour pulling power yet, so we can't always just pick and choose. But even so, I've become very disappointed with the performance of the ex-Barca backroom boys and their preferred transfer targets. 'Very limited in scope' and 'unimaginative' sums up our recent squad development programme for me. City are still going to have to pay over the odds for talent, at least for the foreseeable future - but FFS let's at least get someone for our money with some personal drive and proven abilities that will actually compliment the rest of the team and the style we play.

[goat]

certain yayas ...i mean players are well off the sell by date

two left backs that just about make one combined
back four isnt all that and the best one is made of glass
and only one striker

never did believe the old shit about having enough players for two top teams

[Rowley Birkin QC]

The whole "City have enough players to put out two top class teams" nonsense is just a media beat up. Lazy journalists just looking at the financial bottom line and assuming all the money spent = lots of talent. The fans of other clubs (and a few of the more negative City supporters I'm sorry to say) lap up that shit.

The true picture is more complicated than that. Some of it is due to unavoidable circumstance, but a good deal of it is down to overly rushed 'quick-fix' planning. More than once over the last two years there has been a distinct whiff of panic about some of our dealings in the transfer market. Too often we've jumped into expensive deals for average talent - or - once talented players who are now past their peak. A more measured approach, casting the net wider than doing cosy deals with various Euro clubs we are 'close' to - might have proved more fruitful.

[goat]

The true picture is more complicated than that. Some of it is due to unavoidable circumstance, but a good deal of it is down to overly rushed 'quick-fix' planning. More than once over the last two years there has been a distinct whiff of panic about some of our dealings in the transfer market. Too often we've jumped into expensive deals for average talent

nice  to see javi garcia get a mention of  sorts, even  his mam wanted de rossi or the other one instead of him

[gavin]

The whole "City have enough players to put out two top class teams" nonsense is just a media beat up. Lazy journalists just looking at the financial bottom line and assuming all the money spent = lots of talent. The fans of other clubs (and a few of the more negative City supporters I'm sorry to say) lap up that shit.

The true picture is more complicated than that. Some of it is due to unavoidable circumstance, but a good deal of it is down to overly rushed 'quick-fix' planning. More than once over the last two years there has been a distinct whiff of panic about some of our dealings in the transfer market. Too often we've jumped into expensive deals for average talent - or - once talented players who are now past their peak. A more measured approach, casting the net wider than doing cosy deals with various Euro clubs we are 'close' to - might have proved more fruitful.

Spending a lot of cash on players is more often miss than hit and not just for City. It is more of an art than a science but at least if you have loads of cash you get to try again. Hughes best signings were probably Zab and Vinny and it was interesting to note Hart say that he was told that they were both midfielders. Good judgement or luck?

[goat]

vinny  did  play in midfield in germany, so wasnt wrong

[gavin]

And Hughes did play him in midfield. But my point is not just against Hughes, surprisingly I know. I don't believe that the success rate of big signings is that great throughout football.

[Rowley Birkin QC]

I agree gavin. All signings are to some extent a gamble - and they are HUGE gambles for clubs with limited resources.

In the mythologising of Sour Alex your typical rag only remembers the "brilliant" signings and the ones he got wrong are quietly drowned in the ship canal and never spoken of again. When a transfer doesn't work, wealthy clubs can usually buy their way out of trouble.

Yes, it is probably more of an art than a science, identifying the players your team needs - and yes, there's a fair bit of luck in it, but it has to be said that City's 'hit rate' these past couple of years has been particularly poor.

[Swiss]

Djemba x 2 & Kleberson ring a bell