One For The Road Posted January 24, 2017 Share Posted January 24, 2017 Just now, villa89 said: Indeed, but only him and no other keeper. I.E. According to your definition, World class = the best player in the world in a given position. Yeah perhaps that's right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted January 24, 2017 Author Share Posted January 24, 2017 11 hours ago, PaulC said: By that yardstick you could equally class Harry Kane as world class. He's been disappointing in the AFCON hasn't he. at least he was in the game I watched. He got their only 2 goals in a squad that is pretty poor. put Suarez, Aguero or Lewandowski in that squad and they arent doing much better Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted January 24, 2017 Share Posted January 24, 2017 (edited) 46 minutes ago, villa89 said: Indeed, but only him and no other keeper. I.E. According to your definition, World class = the best player in the world in a given position. That's why I extend it to the top 5 in each position, although I'd probably say at the moment in the full back position there is a real lack of quality and with English mentality I think there's been an issue with the belief that the Prem is the best league in the world, a certain player is the best player in the best league and therefore he's automatically world class, doesn't work like that, lampard and Gerrard, Rooney, etc never got in to that bracket, I'd say the only world class players England have had have been Rio and terry at times and Ashley Cole for a while city have had kompany and aguero in spells but struggle with consistency due to injuries and imo silva flirts with it but that's it for me, £500m (?) and they've had 2 players in spells hit the top table... Edited January 24, 2017 by villa4europe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulC Posted January 25, 2017 Share Posted January 25, 2017 In one aspect De Bruyne is world class. He's about the best goal provider there is in the game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa89 Posted January 25, 2017 Share Posted January 25, 2017 It will be interesting to see how much more money City throw at Pep in the summer. Struggling to get a top 4 finish isn't what he was brought in to do. I suspect the likes of Touré, Clichy, Sagna, Zabaleta, Kolarov, Fernando, and maybe a few more may all leave or be paid to leave in the summer. Either way it will be a huge turnover of players and if that happens Pep will have to produce results right from the start of next season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobzy Posted January 25, 2017 Share Posted January 25, 2017 1 hour ago, PaulC said: In one aspect De Bruyne is world class. He's about the best goal provider there is in the game. Best player at City imo. Aguero is a great striker, but De Bruyne is a phenomenal player - potentially the best playmaker in World football? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurtsimonw Posted January 25, 2017 Share Posted January 25, 2017 3 hours ago, villa89 said: It will be interesting to see how much more money City throw at Pep in the summer. Struggling to get a top 4 finish isn't what he was brought in to do. I suspect the likes of Touré, Clichy, Sagna, Zabaleta, Kolarov, Fernando, and maybe a few more may all leave or be paid to leave in the summer. Either way it will be a huge turnover of players and if that happens Pep will have to produce results right from the start of next season. Surely more than the World-high £200m he spent this season. But when it all clicks it's because he's a great manager, not because he's spent the most. Honest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted January 25, 2017 Moderator Share Posted January 25, 2017 4 hours ago, villa89 said: It will be interesting to see how much more money City throw at Pep in the summer. Struggling to get a top 4 finish isn't what he was brought in to do. I suspect the likes of Touré, Clichy, Sagna, Zabaleta, Kolarov, Fernando, and maybe a few more may all leave or be paid to leave in the summer. Either way it will be a huge turnover of players and if that happens Pep will have to produce results right from the start of next season. Touré - 33 Sagna - 33 Zabaleta - 32 Clichy - 31 Kolarov - 31 Silva - 31 Fernandinho - 31 Kompany - a knackered 30 Nolito - 30 There's a very expensive generational shift coming around the corner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurtsimonw Posted January 25, 2017 Share Posted January 25, 2017 Not sure what he saw in Nolito. Rich man's Scott Sinclair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted January 25, 2017 Moderator Share Posted January 25, 2017 Navas is also 31 and relies on his speed, so ... good luck with that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulC Posted January 25, 2017 Share Posted January 25, 2017 (edited) Exactly so when people say pep has walked into a great squad of players, he hasn't. he has walked into an ageing squad, not too dissimilar to when Moyes took the Man U job, Edited January 25, 2017 by PaulC 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurtsimonw Posted January 25, 2017 Share Posted January 25, 2017 Chelsea have an ageing squad and Conte has had no such issues. City definitely had the most capable squad at the end of 15/16 season. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodders0223 Posted January 25, 2017 Share Posted January 25, 2017 54 minutes ago, PaulC said: Exactly so when people say pep has walked into a great squad of players, he hasn't. he has walked into an ageing squad, not too dissimilar to when Moyes took the Man U job, Which is why I grow tired of pundits saying for the past 3 years that City should be winning the league, CIty have the strongest squad, City have the greatest strength in depth. They don't. Their transfer policy is abysmal. How many hundreds of millions wasted on players simply just not good enough? If you sat down and actually thought about it I think I would cry. ....but they can afford it, so **** it I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodders0223 Posted January 25, 2017 Share Posted January 25, 2017 28 minutes ago, kurtsimonw said: Chelsea have an ageing squad and Conte has had no such issues. City definitely had the most capable squad at the end of 15/16 season. I stand by what I said : On 16/02/2016 at 17:15, rodders0223 said: Sagna - God knows how much he is on. A born loser as proven at Arsenal. Well past his best. Zab - Good player once upon a time. Well past his best. Kompany - Crock. Fernando - Utter toilet. Sterling - No where near elite level. £50m pound player who still doesn't know how to strike a ball properly. No better a player now than he was 3 years ago. Nasri - Bottling lady boy who only comes out to player at 4 nil up. Kolarov - Nice strike on him, was pretty crap when he signed four years ago, He still is, why is he still there. Clichy - Another player who only comes out to play at 4 nil up. Not a player you would rely on in a crisis. Same player he was at Arsenal, and at 30 isn't going to be getting any better. Bony - Flat track bully, doesn't have the bottle to play for a top 4 club. £28m was it Navas - To call him one dimensional would be kind. Only has one trick hit the byline and cross. Problem being...he is one of the shittest crossers of a ball in the league. Mangala - Utter Clown. Delph - Average. Otamendi - Jury well and truly out. Toure - Fat, lazy clearing in the woods. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurtsimonw Posted January 25, 2017 Share Posted January 25, 2017 Most of those 'crap' players who are 'well past their best' won the title 2 years ago. Maybe Count Pelligrini is just better than Pep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted January 25, 2017 Moderator Share Posted January 25, 2017 7 minutes ago, rodders0223 said: I stand by what I said : I can't disagree with any of that. In fact if anything I could add to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulC Posted January 25, 2017 Share Posted January 25, 2017 4 hours ago, kurtsimonw said: Most of those 'crap' players who are 'well past their best' won the title 2 years ago. Maybe Count Pelligrini is just better than Pep. nearer 3 really which is a long time in football. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobzy Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 On 25/01/2017 at 16:36, PaulC said: Exactly so when people say pep has walked into a great squad of players, he hasn't. he has walked into an ageing squad, not too dissimilar to when Moyes took the Man U job, Mourinho gets a pass for the same thing, though. Amusing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrentVilla Posted January 27, 2017 Moderator Share Posted January 27, 2017 On 1/25/2017 at 22:24, PaulC said: nearer 3 really which is a long time in football. I'm not buying this. It was 2 years when he arrived, you can't try and say he inherited a squad nearer 3 years older than when they won the league. Besides they got to the CL semi final last season, they aren't a bad side and I think their decline is being over played. It doesn't though help when Pep is asking players to do jobs they aren't capable of doing. Oh and I saw someone mention Nolito earlier as one of the ageing players, Pep signed him! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrentVilla Posted January 27, 2017 Moderator Share Posted January 27, 2017 49 minutes ago, bobzy said: Mourinho gets a pass for the same thing, though. Amusing. Disagree for a number of reasons. Firstly, Jose is a very good manager as is Pep. The issue a lot of fans have with Pep is that he is hailed as some sort of genius, as the best their is or possibly ever has been, we were told he would cause a revolution in English football. Put simply the praise was OTT and a lot of people have thought that for a while given the elevated level at which he has managed. Now he isn't failing but I think even his biggest fan would have to agree he has struggled a little and certainly isn't changing English football. He might in time, we shall see, I have my doubts and think this is just OTT hyperbole. As for the comparison to Jose and the idea he gets a free pass. I don't agree because for a start I don't think there is the same hyperbole with Jose. He is seen as and indeed is a very good manager who unlike Pep has proven himself in much more difficult circumstances even though like Pep he's lived at an elevated level. Jose however took plenty of stick early in the season yet has just come to the end of a 17 game unbeaten run. In terms of what they inherited, there really is no comparison at all Pep inherited a far better side than Jose, I don't really know how anyone could claim otherwise. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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