goon

Another ex-City product. Along with Lavia and Palmer, I can imagine @Clrnc losing his mind if we let that kind of talent go.

      I don’t understand how a team that won 20 in a row or whatever earlier in the year now looks like it could go 20 without winning.

        daredevil

        Like I said in the summer there should always be a pathway for our best talents even if it comes at the expense of more experienced depth.

        Don’t think City have had a shot in the second half other than a couple from 30 years by Foden.

          Gonna be a looking for a new job at this rate is Pep

          How's Mr Humble doing?

          Tielemans blows hot and cold but probably wouldn’t have been a bad pick up.

            goon I don’t understand how a team that won 20 in a row or whatever earlier in the year now looks like it could go 20 without winning.

            The best player in the world got injured and they don't have any sort of backup for him. Not dissimilar with us and Odegaard.

              goon The longer it goes on, the more I rate my theory they're facing a big points penalty in the league, and the word's gotten out. Their form doesn't make much sense. And if so perhaps Guardiola's new contract was a failed attempt to shore up morale.

                  City have given up. Hard to understand that this same team didn't have a single blip in the spring.

                    goon I always wanted us to sign him. He'd have been a great Xhaka replacement. He's not really the sort of athlete Arteta likes though.

                      Burnwinter

                      Otoh, a member of City's legal team uses the same Soho barber as me and he is, as of three weeks ago, incredibly bullish that City will beat the charges. Hopefully it's just bravado.

                      Given City's form now and the yearly spankings his Bayern team used to take in the CL, Guardiola might also just be a limited coach.

                          Segway I just think they hit a wall. It's a number of issues coming together at once. Rodri is an issue but they'd have dealt with that 2 years ago and still won the league. A lot of them are ageing out. Walker looks done, I can't remember such a sudden drop off but his pace is gone and he's not my ch without it. KDB and Gundo are way past their best too. Bilva has wanted out for years. Grealish and Foden both overrated. Their defence is mediocre. All these things were waiting to catch up with them. They won 5 titles in a row, you can't keep going like that forever.

                              Dom Honestly if all they got was a ten point penalty this season, that'd count as beating the charges.

                                Qwiss That all makes sense but doesn't really explain their dramatic drop in quality in such a short space of time.

                                    Segway

                                    Their recruitment has been poor in recent years and that is the single biggest reason. You can have the greatest ideas in all the world but without the right execution it's all moot.

                                    I'm actually quite worried about the game right now. Where is all the talent? City have always had an exceptional transfer strategy but players like Doku, Savinho and Nunes are all downgrades on their predecessors.

                                    They're going to struggle massively to recreate the creative hub of De Bruyne, Gundogan and Silva. Who is the next big creative/attacking midfield talent? Musiala and then? Bellingham? Palmer? Who else is there?

                                        Qwiss spot on. Plus I think as a collective they have no clue how to deal with adversity. From the coach, to the players and the tea lady. This is all knew. Like getting slapped in the face with with a cock.

                                            Qwiss

                                            There were signs if it last two years too. I think even the season they won the treble they looked off.

                                            It’s been a team on its last legs for a while, they’ve somehow kept it together but as soon as soon as one of the bolts came loose (Rodri) it’s all come apart.

                                            Despite the early season hype, Savinho turns out to be pretty average, at least by their standards.

                                              Who can explain why I made Isak vice captain instead of captain. I debated for a second and made Saka capi. Meh.