The Official Manchester City Thread

[mrbojangles]

1 hour ago, RickG16 said:

Really giving youth a chance means making room for them and bruising egos. It's the only reason Jessie Lingard has been starting ahead of Alexis - for both Jose (who did, maybe begrudgingly, understand our club ethos) and Ole. 

Hang on. Jesse Lingard is 26 isn't he? Hardly a youth and only scored his first senior goal at about 23. Don't know why you picked him as your example of your youth policy, he's almost a pensioner. We have been playing Leroy Sane regularly since he was 21. We've been playing Gabriel Jesus regularly since he was 19. We've been playing Sterling regularly since he was 21

[Bredbury Blue]

6 hours ago, RickG16 said:

Thanks, but me and you both know that's a request to move young players from a minor competition to a slightly less minor competition.

 

Really giving youth a chance means making room for them and bruising egos. It's the only reason Jessie Lingard has been starting ahead of Alexis - for both Jose (who did, maybe begrudgingly, understand our club ethos) and Ole. 

 

Let's not kid ourselves here. In order to fully blood Foden you need to get rid of one of KDB, D Silva , B Silva or Fernandinho. You need to play him in the big games.

 

You have amazing players, but you aren't willing to roll the dice fully on young players, That's fine, but don't pretend. 

I dont know your age but for me the League Cup is relevant and important though it is of course considered the least prestigious of the 3 domestic trophies so im not having a "slightly less minor competition".

 

with regards your comment "1. City are not committed to developing young players for the first team." is just so wrong on so many levels. ALL clubs which have a youth level are committed to developing their young players for the their first team and/or selling on for revenue - ALL INCLUDING CITY. City spend a shit load on developing players and have built an amazing  youth development next to the Etihad and have very good kids and teams at all levels. Pre-sheikh Mansour and currently City like all clubs develop players; pre- some made it in to the first team, some became regulars and some were sold on, while now some have made it in to the first team, no one has yet become a regular (yet) and some were sold on. Why has no one has yet become a regular? Most probably because City are now able to buy very top level internationals so the bar for our kids has been raised higher than at most clubs or simply because none of them  are or have been good enough to push the regulars out.

 

Foden. City are getting a lot of stick from those who are ill-informed and think he is ready to hold down a place in City's  1st team. Simple fact is he isn't. He's physically not up to it (8 stone weakling  who needs building  up) and while he clearly  has great technical  skills and ability for the most part his game play still shows his lack of experience. So City are doing  the right thing and giving him games and minutes but easing him through without  too much pressure. 

 

[Bredbury Blue]

Academy in the foreground...part of the reason ex-ManU players are putting their kids through City's  academy AND NOT UNITEDS and sending them to the not so impressive The Cliff or Carrington.

 

 

Edited January 23, 2019 by Bredbury Blue

[carmine]

7 hours ago, mrbojangles said:

Hang on. Jesse Lingard is 26 isn't he? Hardly a youth and only scored his first senior goal at about 23. Don't know why you picked him as your example of your youth policy, he's almost a pensioner. We have been playing Leroy Sane regularly since he was 21. We've been playing Gabriel Jesus regularly since he was 19. We've been playing Sterling regularly since he was 21

Lingard would be a seasoned veteran in some teams!!!????

 

Still lets not get it in the way of a pleasant fiction!

[carmine]

14 hours ago, RickG16 said:

It doesn't matter if he was a flop, at the time nobody knew that. We are talking about attracting players. We wanted him, we got him. We and possibly City are the only clubs that cab compete with the Spanish big 2 and PSG

You're living in the past mate. United have nowhere near the pull they used to. CL qualification means more than your club name in terms of signing elite players. and some of the players "you wanted and you got" no one else wanted, especially at the ridiculously inflated price tag and wages you paid! Honestly, some of you United fans need to wake up and smell the coffee. FERGUSON HAS RETIRED, HE'S GONE.  You are the biggest club in the country, no denying but you ain't no Real Madrid or Barcelona.  Apart from being able to pay ludicrous wages which you clearly have to do to attract players you have little more in the ability to attract players.

 

Kovacic and Boating if you remember made very public statements saying they did not want to join United.  In the case of Kovacic he went to Chelsea as you know, a club that has been very successful since they found a billionaire owner but a relatively small club nonetheless, a fact that still gets under the skins of some of their fans!!  In short, you are living in the past, and despite the attentions of Woodward i very much doubt Pochettino will join you either.

Edited January 23, 2019 by carmine

[RickG16]

9 hours ago, mrbojangles said:

Hang on. Jesse Lingard is 26 isn't he? Hardly a youth and only scored his first senior goal at about 23. Don't know why you picked him as your example of your youth policy, he's almost a pensioner. We have been playing Leroy Sane regularly since he was 21. We've been playing Gabriel Jesus regularly since he was 19. We've been playing Sterling regularly since he was 21

He could be 36, it doesn't matter. We are talking about creating a pathway from the Academy to the first team. That was the point you originally challenged.

 

 

 

[RickG16]

4 hours ago, Bredbury Blue said:

I dont know your age but for me the League Cup is relevant and important though it is of course considered the least prestigious of the 3 domestic trophies so im not having a "slightly less minor competition".

 

 

You are kidding yourself. Every single Premier League game, including Huddersfield at home, would be considered more important than the League Cup semi-final. Especially if you are 9-0 up from the first leg. Playing some homegrown talent in that game means nothing.

[Bredbury Blue]

23 minutes ago, RickG16 said:

You are kidding yourself. Every single Premier League game, including Huddersfield at home, would be considered more important than the League Cup semi-final. Especially if you are 9-0 up from the first leg. Playing some homegrown talent in that game means nothing.

For a team challenging for the Premier i agree that "Huddersfield at home, would be considered more important than the League Cup semi-final", however for the majority of Premier teams the League Cup semi-final would be considered more important than Huddersfield at home in the Premier.

 

I happen to like both cups and remember  when they both were important. FA Cup day starting with Breakfast with the teams, meeting the travelling fans, even its a knockout, all great fun and a real build up to kickoff. Trips to Wembley for the Finals always were great day out or stayovers. Sadly teams - did it start with Wenger - started taking it not so seriously putting out weakened teams. Pellegrini pissed me off a few years back vs Chelsea away when he brought 5 kids in for their debut in a game that was winnable. Sometimes the managers need to consider what the fans want and a cup final is well up on their list.

 

[Bredbury Blue]

Trying to second guess Pep is always difficult.

 

Muric will play. 

 

Sounds like Kompany is out. Mendy will get a run out. Expect zinchenko and Delph to play. One of Stones or Otamendi or Laporte; Stones maybe. Eric Garcia will play again at CB Im sure. He likes Luke Bolton, maybe get a debut at RB? Sandler will get minutes.

 

Foden and KdB will start in midfield. With Delph? Or Gundogan?

 

Up front mahrez. Maybe jesus. A debut or two? 

 

 

 

[BangrakBob]

52 minutes ago, Bredbury Blue said:

For a team challenging for the Premier i agree that "Huddersfield at home, would be considered more important than the League Cup semi-final", however for the majority of Premier teams the League Cup semi-final would be considered more important than Huddersfield at home in the Premier.

 

I happen to like both cups and remember  when they both were important. FA Cup day starting with Breakfast with the teams, meeting the travelling fans, even its a knockout, all great fun and a real build up to kickoff. Trips to Wembley for the Finals always were great day out or stayovers. Sadly teams - did it start with Wenger - started taking it not so seriously putting out weakened teams. Pellegrini pissed me off a few years back vs Chelsea away when he brought 5 kids in for their debut in a game that was winnable. Sometimes the managers need to consider what the fans want and a cup final is well up on their list.

 

I think United pulling out of the 2000? FA Cup completely was the catalyst of devaluation.

[mrbojangles]

2 hours ago, RickG16 said:

He could be 36, it doesn't matter. We are talking about creating a pathway from the Academy to the first team. That was the point you originally challenged.

 

 

 

Still don’t know why you are using Lingard as a example of how to bring a youth player through the academy into the first team when you kept sending him out on loan until he was about 23. You said in an earlier post about rolling the dice but United didn’t roll the dice with him, you let Leicester, Birmingham, Brighton and Derby roll the dice for you

[RickG16]

2 minutes ago, mrbojangles said:

Still don’t know why you are using Lingard as a example of how to bring a youth player through the academy into the first team when you kept sending him out on loan until he was about 23. You said in an earlier post about rolling the dice but United didn’t roll the dice with him, you let Leicester, Birmingham, Brighton and Derby roll the dice for you

Loans can be an important part of a player's development, as long as there is room for those players when they are ready.

 

Come back to me when City introduce a former Academy player into the team aged 23 after learning the ropes on loan. I'll recognise that as an achievement for your Academy.

 

 

[Bredbury Blue]

1 hour ago, BangrakBob said:

I think United pulling out of the 2000? FA Cup completely was the catalyst of devaluation.

Thanks Bob, and i think you are correct. Bloody prima donnas!

[Bredbury Blue]

17 minutes ago, RickG16 said:

Loans can be an important part of a player's development, as long as there is room for those players when they are ready.

 

Come back to me when City introduce a former Academy player into the team aged 23 after learning the ropes on loan. I'll recognise that as an achievement for your Academy.

 

 

Without going back a page  or two,  you were criticising City for not throwing 18 yr old Foden in the first team / making him a starter or something like that.

 

I'm trying to think who are all these starting first-teamers who came through your academy currently. Rashford and Lingards is it? Rashford is a talent. In his first season at 17/18 he featured in 18 games - similar to Foden, given appearances and minutes - to allow him to develop as he wasn't the finished article. He's 21 now and only recently has been first choice.

 

Lingard. Discussed already. Loaned out. Not thrown in by ManU at all. A relative oldman before he's been able to hold down a posiition. 

 

Who are they keeping out of the team? Flops like Lukaku Sanchez Mata?

 

Any one else who's  a regular starter came through your academy  whos currently  playing  i missed above?

 

PS. And you call City fans 'bitters' - that's laughable   as you can't stay off here pissing and whinging all the time. Too much time on your hands?

[Bredbury Blue]

2 hours ago, Bredbury Blue said:

Trying to second guess Pep is always difficult.

 

Muric will play. 

 

Sounds like Kompany is out. Mendy will get a run out. Expect zinchenko and Delph to play. One of Stones or Otamendi or Laporte; Stones maybe. Eric Garcia will play again at CB Im sure. He likes Luke Bolton, maybe get a debut at RB? Sandler will get minutes.

 

Foden and KdB will start in midfield. With Delph? Or Gundogan?

 

Up front mahrez. Maybe jesus. A debut or two? 

 

 

 

M.E.N.

Predicted Man City XI: Muric;

Bolton, Garcia, Sandler, Zinchenko;

Stones, Foden, De Bruyne; Mahrez, Poveda, Jesus.

[RickG16]

23 minutes ago, Bredbury Blue said:

 as you can't stay off here pissing and whinging all the time. Too much time on your hands?

Actually when I'm posting on here a lot it usually means I'm working a lot as I'm on the comp. ????

 

I'm not whinging, we were just having a discussion. Loans mean nothing if you aren't willing to take a chance on a player at the end of it. Just look at Chelsea with Loftus-Cheek etc etc

 

Rashford, Lingard and Pogba all come through the academy and are all first teamers. Call it 2 1/2 if you want, as we had to buy Pogba back.

 

We ain't going to agree are we? Let's just leave it there.

 

Edited January 23, 2019 by RickG16

[Bredbury Blue]

36 minutes ago, RickG16 said:

Actually when I'm posting on here a lot it usually means I'm working a lot as I'm on the comp. ????

 

I'm not whinging, we were just having a discussion. Loans mean nothing if you aren't willing to take a chance on a player at the end of it. Just look at Chelsea with Loftus-Cheek etc etc

 

Rashford, Lingard and Pogba all come through the academy and are all first teamers. Call it 2 1/2 if you want, as we had to buy Pogba back.

 

We ain't going to agree are we? Let's just leave it there.

 

Why did you bring up Pogba? He joined you at 16, got a couple of appearances (as sub i think), left, was made the player he is by Juventus, embarrassingly you had to buy him back for a world-record transfer fee of 90m quid and he's been hit n miss since his return.

 

On the comp? You a postie or something?

 

[Bredbury Blue]

43 minutes ago, RickG16 said:

Actually when I'm posting on here a lot it usually means I'm working a lot as I'm on the comp. ????

 

I'm not whinging, we were just having a discussion. Loans mean nothing if you aren't willing to take a chance on a player at the end of it. Just look at Chelsea with Loftus-Cheek etc etc

 

Rashford, Lingard and Pogba all come through the academy and are all first teamers. Call it 2 1/2 if you want, as we had to buy Pogba back.

 

We ain't going to agree are we? Let's just leave it there.

 

Using you comments on Foden, i'd say only one - Rashford.

[Bredbury Blue]

Duplicate post

Edited January 23, 2019 by Bredbury Blue

[Bredbury Blue]

City's Under-21 side, the only academy team left in the competition, were knocked out of the Checkatrade Trophy quarter-final 0v2 away to Sunderland.

 

Dan Grimshaw 

Nathanael Ogbeta, skipper Colin Rosler, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Jeremie Frimpong.

Iker Pozo, Tom Dele-Bashiru, Tommy Doyle.

Jayden Braaf, Benjamin Garre, Nabil Touaizi 

 

[mrbojangles]

1 hour ago, Bredbury Blue said:

City's Under-21 side, the only academy team left in the competition, were knocked out of the Checkatrade Trophy quarter-final 0v2 away to Sunderland.

 

Dan Grimshaw 

Nathanael Ogbeta, skipper Colin Rosler, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Jeremie Frimpong.

Iker Pozo, Tom Dele-Bashiru, Tommy Doyle.

Jayden Braaf, Benjamin Garre, Nabil Touaizi 

 

Think we even played a weakened side in the U21’s to let the better ones have a game tonight 

[Bredbury Blue]

Good to see those names isn't  it; Rosler and Doyle. Colin named after King Colin is a fullback  / centreback / defensive. Tommy Doyle is reckoned to be the best central midfielder of his age  group. Both 18.

 

And yes Colin's greatgrandfather bombed old trafford.

[wilai]

49 minutes ago, mrbojangles said:

Think we even played a weakened side in the U21’s to let the better ones have a game tonight 

I would have played your best kids to try and get a result v Sunderland as they are a better team than Burton. And you didn't have a 9 goal start in that one.

[Bredbury Blue]

1 minute ago, wilai said:

I would have played your best kids to try and get a result v Sunderland as they are a better team than Burton. And you didn't have a 9 goal start in that one.

When Pep leaves ill put a word in for you .

[Kadilo]

Far be it for me to question the mindset of Guardiola but I’m still struggling to understand why  playing Foden for the last half hour against Huddersfield would not be more beneficial than playing him in a nothing match vs Burton. 

 

Surely its top level experience he needs hence why have him on the bench in that match? 

[Bredbury Blue]

23 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

Far be it for me to question the mindset of Guardiola but I’m still struggling to understand why  playing Foden for the last half hour against Huddersfield would not be more beneficial than playing him in a nothing match vs Burton. 

 

Surely its top level experience he needs hence why have him on the bench in that match? 

He will play 90 tonight and i(probably) in the FA cup.

 

Not sure why he didn't come on as last sub at 0v3 up instead of Delph - he couldn't have come on earlier as we were pretty poor until the Silvas came on. For me he could have come for either gundogan, poor again, or KdB but he needed to search for his mojo.

 

I'm  not sure why its not registering with you all that Pep IS bringing Foden through but hes not rushing it - seems right to me as i watch every minute of City games and see Fodens involvement in them.

 

Lessons learnt from Huddersfield was never start without a Silva - less creativity without them.

Edited January 23, 2019 by Bredbury Blue

[mrbojangles]

20 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

Far be it for me to question the mindset of Guardiola but I’m still struggling to understand why  playing Foden for the last half hour against Huddersfield would not be more beneficial than playing him in a nothing match vs Burton. 

 

Surely its top level experience he needs hence why have him on the bench in that match? 

I think it’s purely down to giving everyone game time. Both players returning from injury and those who haven’t played much recently. He is trying to keep everyone happy I reckon

[Kadilo]

2 minutes ago, Bredbury Blue said:

 

 

Not sure why he didn't come on as last sub at 0v3 up instead of Delph - he couldn't have come on earlier as we were pretty poor until the Silvas came on. For me he could have come for either gundogan, poor again, or KdB but he needed to search for his mojo.

 

That was my point. If he was not going to come on in that scenario to gain experience why have him on the bench? 

I’m not questioning your superior knowledge about your team but just struck me as a bit off an odd decision. 

[jellydog]

19 minutes ago, mrbojangles said:

I think it’s purely down to giving everyone game time. Both players returning from injury and those who haven’t played much recently. He is trying to keep everyone happy I reckon

With all the trying to keep everyone happy, now apparently Mahrez ain't. Bound to happen.

[alfieconn]

3 hours ago, Kadilo said:

Far be it for me to question the mindset of Guardiola but I’m still struggling to understand why  playing Foden for the last half hour against Huddersfield would not be more beneficial than playing him in a nothing match vs Burton. 

 

Surely its top level experience he needs hence why have him on the bench in that match? 

Surely he must have played against Hudds as he's a regular ????

Edited January 23, 2019 by alfieconn