Manchester City Thread

GK situation at Barca seems a bit up in the air from what I've read. Ter Stegen and Bravo may be swapping roles this season but not sure if either are completely happy about it (missing out on LL vs missing out on CL)
Maybe we've just made Barca an offer too good to refuse or his injury has made him skittish about his starting spot (Bravo will be starting in his absence)? Dunno. The info could just be false too I suppose.

I hope it's true. Ter Stegen is even better than Neuer with the ball at his feet (not so much GK-wise), it's like playing with an extra playmaker. Wouldn't say no to Bravo either tbh.
 
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Was not expecting that team

Think it will be a 4-1-4-1 tho, and Sterling on the right, Nolito on the left
 
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I read somewhere it will be 3 at the back, with Sagna as the right-sided CB and Nolito as a wing-back.

EDIT: It's even weirder than that! Sagna and Clichy tucking in like CMs, while De Bruyne and Silva are right behind Aguero. Haven't seen much of Bayern, so I was quite surprised haha.
 
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Yea, like a 2-3-4-1.

I don't think it's something we'll always do but it's good to practise this in a game (esp considering our tiny preseason) we would be expected to win - which we thankfully did.
Not sure the FBs are cut out to do the DM/FB role tho. Sagna is a decent defender but he's no Lahm on the ball. Maybe when Gundogan comes back Fernandinho could play RB at times.

Liked what I saw today. A lot more workrate and pressing than last season. Better use of the ball in periods in the first 2 thirds. Will need to speed things up in the final third but that'll come, I'm sure.

Sterling looked more confident. Silva and Stones looked at home in the system. KDB looked sluggish but he's only played like 30 mins in preseason.
 
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Turns out it's Bravo, not Ter Stegen. The fact City sent a medical team over there made the assumption it was Ter Stegen.

Think that (and Coric, if it is indeed done) will be our window done in terms of signings. Quite a few to go yet tho.

Apparantly, Hart did this after he found out Caballero would be starting
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Hart is much better then Bravo. Although players go through a rough patch from time to time. Bravo biggest weakness is bottom left corner slow to the floor. Good luck on tomorrow night qualifiers .
 
Bravo is a quality GK from what I've seen. The weakness you mention Hart has too. The other weakness Hart has is his distribution tho. If he could play out of the back well I've no doubt he'd be our number 1 still. As a traditional GK he is very good, and one who almost always steps up when it really matters.
 
Bravo only plus is his ability to pick out the wing. For country he was able to find Alex deep that killed teams @Copa . I just don`t see that part in Pep game. Well, see I suppose .
 
Great breakdown of Pep's tactics on MNF, Clichy and Sagna tucking in to be midfielders to stop the counter and allow the wide players to get into great space freeing up your midfielders to sit inbetween the pockets.
 
Yea saw it. Much better for Sterling. He made 11 attempted dribbles, 7 successful. That's a huge increase on last season. It will level out during the season but no way will it be as low as it was last year

As Neville said, Sagna and Clichy don't really offer much in terms of attacking threat tho but when Gundogan comes back I could see Dinho being moved to RB.


------------- Aguero
Sane - De Bruyne - Silva - Sterling
--- Clichy - Gundogan - Dinho
-------- Kolarov -- Stones
-------------- Bravo

Could possibly have Clichy and Kolarov switch when we reach the final third so that in Kolarov - Gundogan - Fernandinho each player poses a threat and therefore need to be closed down (freeing up space for the front 5)

Pep is the only person in the world who would see a CB in Kolarov :LOL: Every City fan assumed he'd be the first out the door but he actually looked great there yesterday. Obviously wasn't against top opposition but even if he can play just against the 'lesser' sides at home it'll be a triumph. Would allow Kompany to gets lots of recuperation inbetween the bigger games.
 
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I still think Guardiola will start with Otamendi like he is doing tonight. Stones to be his Piqué and Otamendi to be his Puyol.

I like seeing City line-up with Silva, Sterling, De Bruyne, Nolito (presumably Sané when fit) and Agüero all from the start, as they should.
 
Sterling is like a man reborn

Guess that's what happens when you go from Pellegrini/Hodgson to Guardiola

Not sure he has helped with Kun's penalty taking tho :LOL:
 
Well, that was enjoyable.

The way Steaua started off it looked like it was going to be a tough game. They looked totally demoralised later on tho.

So nice to see some structure/plan to our play after the anarchic MP era

And looks like Claudio Bravo is done. £13.8m. Potentially £17.2m - £1.7m if we win CL and another £1.7m for PL.
 
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Yea, I've watched the game 3 times now just to see the movement of the players off the ball.
Things like if the fullbacks tuck in the wide players hug the touchline. If the FBs stay wide the wide players move in. Constant movement making triangles. Sure beats watching the back 4 and wingers passing in a U shape all the time the last 2 years.
The workrate of the players is alot better too
 
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:D

Kompany, Gundogan and Sane should be back for the Utd game. Hopefully neither team picks up any injuries between now and then, it'll be a better spectacle if we're both at full strength - at least on paper.

Yaya will only be picked when his off the ball intensity improves (code words for "he can leave")
Hart, Mangala, Nasri and Bony aren't wanted either. Whether we can get money for them now is another matter. Selling Hart, Mangala, Toure, Nasri, Bony will take around £37m off the wage bill, and that's the problem, finding buyers will be difficult. Maybe a PL club will panic before the deadline and make an offer for Bony.
 
He does seem like the real deal...and with Guardiola, I believe he is in good hands...

A bit of a worry would be the lack of successful Brazilians in the EPL though...hope that he is the exception
 
Hopefully. Brazilians have had an easier time tho lately, eg. Fernandinho, Willian, Coutinho

Unlike your stereotypical Brazilian flair player, G.Jesus's workrate is very high. The way he plays, the shots he takes (snapshots) and the determination to get to/win the ball no matter what, he reminds me more of Suarez than someone like Robinho
 
I was not impressed by his Copa America run , but I trust Pep to get the best out of him. He still a kid , he should go out on loan to Europe before the step to the show!
 
First few games Brazil were a joke. You had Jesus isolated upfront surrounded by Neymar, Barbosa and Anderson all trying to win the games on their own.
When they started playing as a team they started winning and Jesus started scoring.
Don't think he needs a loan. I think he'll score goals for us right from the off.
 
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