Manchester City

I’m straight popping wood over Asano…I’ve got a fetish for work permit issues. It’s just another thing that Arsenal does unlike any other top club.

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I won’t even compare our 3 to City’s 3.
Gundogan-Sane-Nolito
Xhaka-Asano-Holding

Filled out all their needs before the season started. Needed a proper cm; got Gundogan. Needed wingers got Sane, Nolito and Moreno. Needed a subsitute striker got Gabriel. Obviously money is less of a problem for them, but still.

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You are right, to identify the problem/weakness and get replacement.

Our manager did not see having Arteta, Flamini and Rosicky (and a bunch) as problem/weakness is a huge problem

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Did they really need four new wingers? They already had Sterling, KDB, and Nasri. I don’t think Jesus will be a CF in England but they didn’t have big needs there either, given Aguero and Iheanacho.

What City really need are new fullbacks, a ballplaying CB, and a couple high level central midfielders, including a DM that can control the tempo of matches. So far they have not addressed the first, not yet addressed the second (they seem likely to get Stones but we’ll see if he is any good, I’m not optimistic), and only partially addressed the last in that Gundogan is a great passer but also a guy that has never played as a lone DM before and could get exposed in that role.

I’d say City’s window so far has been about adding exciting young talents for the future, not about filling their immediate needs.

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City are overrated with their new signings imo.

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I believe some of us are overrating our signings instead.

Definitely needed at least two.

I don’t think all of them are planned as immediate first team additions and some will be utilized in the middle too, considering that Silva is getting older.and more inconsistent. I also don’t believe that they’re actually done adding to their squad.

I think we are going to see De Bruyne and/or Silva on the midfield more often which would upon up wing slots and add bodies to the current crop of midfielders. Which would make a midfielder less needed this summer. Moreno is probably going to be loaned out. Their fullbacks are solid imo there is no real priority there. They’re rumoured to be after Stones so they are adressing that. Those players might be young but I reckon a player like Sane can be involved immediately. I’m not convinced about the Nigerian tbh and Bony is shit so yeah I do think they needed a sub striker.

People need to worry more about our own issues rather than downplaying the business and exaggerating the apparent issues of other clubs, seeing far too much of this from Arsenal fans lately.

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Its hard to tell what Pep is really planning in midfield. I can see him experimenting with a midfield of De Bruyne and Silva as CAMs and Gundogan as the DM/Pivot. But I can also see that group getting completely overrun. I am not convinced that Gundogan has the defensive nous to play the role that Xabi Alonso played for Bayern and Silva and De Bruyne are both natural 10s, not box-to-box players with huge engine like Vidal or natural ball playing midfielders like Thiago. In the end, I think it is more likely to be Gundogan, Fernandinho, and one of De Bruyne or Silva in the center. Or another player will be in the mix that is yet to be added.

IMO, their fullbacks are a big weakness at this point. Zabaleta has not been at his prior level for two seasons now and its not clear he will ever regain that level given age and injuries. Sagna is near the end of the line at 33 and offers very little going forward. Clichy is mediocre all around. And Kolarov is also pretty shit going forward and gave almost no effort at times last year. Given the importance to Pep’s prior teams of attacking fullbacks and combination in wide areas between wingers and fullbacks, I am very surprised that he hasn’t yet tried to bring in more dynamic players that are more skilled on the ball. Obviously, that might still happen.

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Can’t argue with that. Players are dumb & pampered these days. Wenger has to drill them some tactical nous to get them going.

Wenger thinks that players getting out of position is “interchange play”.

Uefa.com has John Stones listed as ManCity player for the qualifiers. Seems unless they really bottled it, that it’s just a matter of time before it’s announced.

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Knew they’d get Stones difference between them and us is in that aspect is that if they haggle they get their man in the end.

The fee will be really high but in this day and age for a CB that could easily be a mainstay in the team for over a decade plus being homegrown it’ll likely end up money well spent.

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https://twitter.com/TomPayneftbl/status/762758470491922436?lang=en-gb

Pep is only manager I would willingly trade Wenger for, it given assurance that he won’t leave after 3 years.

I understand his short term nature as a person with ambition but as a fan it is a turn off.

John Stones has completed his move to Manchester City in a £47.6m deal on a six-year contract.