Ok, i'll admit it.. i'm anxious.

[City64]

Just need Bonucci now for me . And 4 or 5 need fucking off sharpish ! Our squad is suddenly enormous !?!?!?

[South Stand Balti]

As far as this season goes it's been another underwhelming summer for me. Some of these players we have signed may or may not be fantastic in 3 years time but I can't see this squad challenging for the league this season. CBs and CMs are not great. Just watching Messi and Suarez rip Leicester to bits. I'd be much happier if we signed one world class player. A bit greedy I know but I enjoyed the days when we hammered the Rags and Arsenal and Spuds by 5 and 6.

[mr_nool]

As far as this season goes it's been another underwhelming summer for me. Some of these players we have signed may or may not be fantastic in 3 years time but I can't see this squad challenging for the league this season. CBs and CMs are not great. Just watching Messi and Suarez rip Leicester to bits. I'd be much happier if we signed one world class player. A bit greedy I know but I enjoyed the days when we hammered the Rags and Arsenal and Spuds by 5 and 6.

The failure of our central defenders the last couple of seasons was more down to set-up than to personnel. The Count's whole approach was to play all-in attacking football and as long as we scored for fun, like the first season, that was fine. But the draw backs were plain to see. With both full backs bombing forward and no de Jong or Barry to cover, the centre backs were horribly exposed. Mangala, Otamendi, et al may not be world class, but they are all capable defenders that would look just as good as Shawcross, Huth, etc. in similar roles and surroundings. I struggle to see which defenders we could have signed that would've saved Pellegrini's bacon once we stopped scoring for fun.

[john@staustell]

Agree with that Noolie

[mr_nool]

And to continue on the same subject...

There were plenty of players being clearly demotivated last season, not performing to their usual standard. If Pep can get them to reach something similar to their full potential again, we have an amazing squad. De Bruyne, Silva, Nasri, Aguero, Sane, Iheanacho, Nolito, Yaya, Fernandinho, Delph, Gundogan, Sterling, Navas... No Other team comes close. Ok. A few are a bit long in the tooth, but if Pep can get them going again, we have one more season to replace them. There's no need to panic!

[South Stand Balti]

And to continue on the same subject...

There were plenty of players being clearly demotivated last season, not performing to their usual standard. If Pep can get them to reach something similar to their full potential again, we have an amazing squad. De Bruyne, Silva, Nasri, Aguero, Sane, Iheanacho, Nolito, Yaya, Fernandinho, Delph, Gundogan, Sterling, Navas... No Other team comes close. Ok. A few are a bit long in the tooth, but if Pep can get them going again, we have one more season to replace them. There's no need to panic!

My biggest concern is CM. Having watched Yaya dominate games for years and score so many "big" goals. I just can't see who will be so influential now. It won't be Delph. We do have lots of good creative players but we need some power too. I do admit though to panicking......pre season nerves!

[Im_Spartacus]

And to continue on the same subject...

There were plenty of players being clearly demotivated last season, not performing to their usual standard. If Pep can get them to reach something similar to their full potential again, we have an amazing squad. De Bruyne, Silva, Nasri, Aguero, Sane, Iheanacho, Nolito, Yaya, Fernandinho, Delph, Gundogan, Sterling, Navas... No Other team comes close. Ok. A few are a bit long in the tooth, but if Pep can get them going again, we have one more season to replace them. There's no need to panic!

Quite right, choose any 6 from that 13 (plus Jesus and Bony) and we have got a formidable threat with talent in depth for each position. Looks like we have the rest of August to sort our shit out at the back but if we keep possession well, and actually do something with the ball rather than just play it around neutral territory until we lose it and put ourselves under pressure, I'd argue as you did in your earlier post, that the defence may not be as much of a concern as we believed last season.

[mr_nool]

And to continue on the same subject...

There were plenty of players being clearly demotivated last season, not performing to their usual standard. If Pep can get them to reach something similar to their full potential again, we have an amazing squad. De Bruyne, Silva, Nasri, Aguero, Sane, Iheanacho, Nolito, Yaya, Fernandinho, Delph, Gundogan, Sterling, Navas... No Other team comes close. Ok. A few are a bit long in the tooth, but if Pep can get them going again, we have one more season to replace them. There's no need to panic!

My biggest concern is CM. Having watched Yaya dominate games for years and score so many "big" goals. I just can't see who will be so influential now. It won't be Delph. We do have lots of good creative players but we need some power too. I do admit though to panicking......pre season nerves!

I agree that Yaya will never reach his full potential again. But in all honesty Yaya from a couple of seasons ago is simply irreplaceable. There's no 1:1 replacement, we just have to work around it.

[sheblue]

Definitely feeling more confidant. Still a little concerned about our central midfield, if we had a younger Yaya type or a creative game controlling central midfielder the league would be as good as over...........

Gundogan can do that job.

Gundogan, Fernandinho and KDB as our midfield trio, what's not to like?

Mmmm not 100% convinced. Kev is not really a deep controlling playmaker expect him higher up the pitch. Fern1 and Gundo will be fine, but if one or both miss games for whatever reason, were light in replacements.

[Blue Since 76]

As far as this season goes it's been another underwhelming summer for me. Some of these players we have signed may or may not be fantastic in 3 years time but I can't see this squad challenging for the league this season. CBs and CMs are not great. Just watching Messi and Suarez rip Leicester to bits. I'd be much happier if we signed one world class player. A bit greedy I know but I enjoyed the days when we hammered the Rags and Arsenal and Spuds by 5 and 6.

Ah yes, the season we battered spurs and arsenal at home after making world class signings like Navas and Negredo...

[Foreverinbluedreams]

Definitely feeling more confidant. Still a little concerned about our central midfield, if we had a younger Yaya type or a creative game controlling central midfielder the league would be as good as over...........

Gundogan can do that job.

Gundogan, Fernandinho and KDB as our midfield trio, what's not to like?

Mmmm not 100% convinced. Kev is not really a deep controlling playmaker expect him higher up the pitch. Fern1 and Gundo will be fine, but if one or both miss games for whatever reason, were light in replacements.

Kev won't be deep the way I see it, he'll be the most advanced of the three.

[Piccsnumberoneblue]

As far as this season goes it's been another underwhelming summer for me. Some of these players we have signed may or may not be fantastic in 3 years time but I can't see this squad challenging for the league this season. CBs and CMs are not great. Just watching Messi and Suarez rip Leicester to bits. I'd be much happier if we signed one world class player. A bit greedy I know but I enjoyed the days when we hammered the Rags and Arsenal and Spuds by 5 and 6.

The failure of our central defenders the last couple of seasons was more down to set-up than to personnel. The Count's whole approach was to play all-in attacking football and as long as we scored for fun, like the first season, that was fine. But the draw backs were plain to see. With both full backs bombing forward and no de Jong or Barry to cover, the centre backs were horribly exposed. Mangala, Otamendi, et al may not be world class, but they are all capable defenders that would look just as good as Shawcross, Huth, etc. in similar roles and surroundings. I struggle to see which defenders we could have signed that would've saved Pellegrini's bacon once we stopped scoring for fun.

Horribly exposed?
We played with two defensive midfielders, one of whom is widely regarded as our player of the season. It's a strange one.

[Cocacolajojo]

And to continue on the same subject...

There were plenty of players being clearly demotivated last season, not performing to their usual standard. If Pep can get them to reach something similar to their full potential again, we have an amazing squad. De Bruyne, Silva, Nasri, Aguero, Sane, Iheanacho, Nolito, Yaya, Fernandinho, Delph, Gundogan, Sterling, Navas... No Other team comes close. Ok. A few are a bit long in the tooth, but if Pep can get them going again, we have one more season to replace them. There's no need to panic!

Quite right, choose any 6 from that 13 (plus Jesus and Bony) and we have got a formidable threat with talent in depth for each position. Looks like we have the rest of August to sort our shit out at the back but if we keep possession well, and actually do something with the ball rather than just play it around neutral territory until we lose it and put ourselves under pressure, I'd argue as you did in your earlier post, that the defence may not be as much of a concern as we believed last season.

Agree with everything you say Noolie.

And as for your comment about the two DMs Piccs, it doesn't matter if you have two DMs on the pitch if there's no organization and they're running around like headless chicken. I think I wrote something like "it doesn't matter who we play, none of them have any idea what to do and where to be anyway" last season and I still think that's true.

[nottsblue]

Must say that as with any new manager coming in there is always a little sense of worry of whether he will fit in and whether the existing squad of players will adapt to a different way of playing. Two games in and any little worries I had have evaporated. I have seen enough in the 180 minutes albeit against poor opposition, to lead me to think we will have a fantastic season

[Blue Blood]

I wish i could delete this thread.

Whelp.

[Slim]

I wish i could delete this thread.

Whelp.

I bet KK thinks the same about his Yaya thread.

[Moonchesteri]

We have played Sunderland (at home) where we played "nicely" but without that famous bit of luck that performance would have been criticised. A lot. And that's a fact.
What exactly you saw in this game that makes you feel confident we'll break down well organised defences this season? Again we failed to create proper chances (IMHO our biggest problem last season) and ended up playing the odds game of putting the crosses in and on Sat we were lucky a rag cunt put that one in his own net.

And then we played a pub team tonight.
Yes we were good on a bad pitch but IMHO these two performances tell us fuck all.

The next to away games however will IMO tell us much more.

[bigblue]

We have played Sunderland (at home) where we played "nicely" but without that famous bit of luck that performance would have been criticised. A lot. And that's a fact.
What exactly you saw in this game that makes you feel confident we'll break down well organised defences this season? Again we failed to create proper chances (IMHO our biggest problem last season) and ended up playing the odds game of putting the crosses in and on Sat we were lucky a rag cunt put that one in his own net.

And then we played a pub team tonight.
Yes we were good on a bad pitch but IMHO these two performances tell us fuck all.

The next to away games however will IMO tell us much more.

Are you anxious my friend?