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I don't think we are as good as some people think we are. I don't think we have a hope in hell of making top 4. We haven't got a clue what our best team is compared with more established challengers. That's the negative bit. We will make UEFA and with the money available next pre season can have a damn good time and win it next year. I'm happy with that. I think it will be the next step, really challenge for the UEFA, top 4 and domestic cups next year. Learn the talk, learn the walk and then run off with it. Slowly comes the revolution.

And yes we're still in FA and the race for top 4 this year but we won't get either, however I don't care. I've been here for long enough to know that I can wait. A class 'get out of jail' goalscorer, one or two fullbacks, an engine midfielder... here comes the controversial bit (and an alex ferguson, never give up type work ethic) and we're there.

Typical City wrote:And yes we're still in FA and the race for top 4 this year but we won't get either, however I don't care. I've been here for long enough to know that I can wait. A class 'get out of jail' goalscorer, one or two fullbacks, an engine midfielder... here comes the controversial bit (and an alex ferguson, never give up type work ethic) and we're there.

what a positive approach.

CityFanFromRome wrote:

Typical City wrote:And yes we're still in FA and the race for top 4 this year but we won't get either, however I don't care. I've been here for long enough to know that I can wait. A class 'get out of jail' goalscorer, one or two fullbacks, an engine midfielder... here comes the controversial bit (and an alex ferguson, never give up type work ethic) and we're there.

what a positive approach.

what a great response.

agree with you TC, the "engine" MF in particular. de Jong can't really be faulted for the lack of creativity, but we are crying out for an alonso type player who can keep us motoring.

trouble is, where do we find him?

The Man In Blue wrote:

CityFanFromRome wrote:

Typical City wrote:And yes we're still in FA and the race for top 4 this year but we won't get either, however I don't care. I've been here for long enough to know that I can wait. A class 'get out of jail' goalscorer, one or two fullbacks, an engine midfielder... here comes the controversial bit (and an alex ferguson, never give up type work ethic) and we're there.

what a positive approach.

what a great response.

agree with you TC, the "engine" MF in particular. de Jong can't really be faulted for the lack of creativity, but we are crying out for an alonso type player who can keep us motoring.

trouble is, where do we find him?

I'll make my point clearer then.

I agree with the engine midfielder thing, and probably with the fullbacks too, but I don't agree that we won't get FA and/or fourth spot. It might well be the case, of course, but it's too early to say it now, and give up, so I don't see the positive in such a stance at the moment.

As for the engine midfielder and where to find him, that's the difficult part because they aren't that common, sadly, and most of them are out of our reach (Xavi, Iniesta, Gerrard, Lampard, Essien, Fabregas, Xabi Alonso just to mention the first that come to mind). De Rossi might be an option, but he says he doesn't want to leave Roma and would only consider it to save the club from going bust, so he's hard to get too.

Gourcuff is a possibility, but he's more attacking than box-to-box so we would leave the whole weight of covering the back four to a single DM imho. Aquilani from Liverpool, if can stay fit and adapt well to the English game as he seems to be doing, is another option but I doubt they will want to sell him only one season after having bought him.

Too bad Ireland doesn't seem to be able to adapt to the role as he does have the passing ability to do it, but he just gets lost when played as a CM, he seems to like the attacking midfielder position better.

We do of course have one of those box to box types amongs our ranks dont we..... albeit not fit, and not proven by any means at this level, but, if we can't find one of those box to box types then he remains an option...... Michael Johnson!!!

I'm not saying we shouldn't buy a gerard/lampard type etc.... but if we don't all is not lost, as I believe Johnson can be our Gerard, whether he will be or not is a completely different story, but it is still an option to us.

Typical City wrote:I don't think we are as good as some people think we are. I don't think we have a hope in hell of making top 4. We haven't got a clue what our best team is compared with more established challengers. That's the negative bit. We will make UEFA and with the money available next pre season can have a damn good time and win it next year. I'm happy with that. I think it will be the next step, really challenge for the UEFA, top 4 and domestic cups next year. Learn the talk, learn the walk and then run off with it. Slowly comes the revolution.

No i wouldnt be happy with that because then mancini will just clear out the team and buy loads of randoms and we'd need to start AGAIN. We get a new squad every year.

The Man In Blue wrote:

CityFanFromRome wrote:

Typical City wrote:And yes we're still in FA and the race for top 4 this year but we won't get either, however I don't care. I've been here for long enough to know that I can wait. A class 'get out of jail' goalscorer, one or two fullbacks, an engine midfielder... here comes the controversial bit (and an alex ferguson, never give up type work ethic) and we're there.

what a positive approach.

what a great response.

agree with you TC, the "engine" MF in particular. de Jong can't really be faulted for the lack of creativity, but we are crying out for an alonso type player who can keep us motoring.

trouble is, where do we find him?

Break the bank and buy Fabregas !

Dubaimancityfan wrote:Break the bank and buy Fabregas !

I did in FM.

Seriously though, he slated us some time ago, didn't he? I don't think he'd come...maybe xavi or Iniesta?

CityFanFromRome wrote:

Dubaimancityfan wrote:Break the bank and buy Fabregas !

I did in FM.

Seriously though, he slated us some time ago, didn't he? I don't think he'd come...maybe xavi or Iniesta?

I would take both if we could get them.Those 2 make Barca tick but i rate Iniesta the better of the 2.

Times have changed TC.
For a number of yearr, the teams who have eventually finished in the top 4 have dominated the league and there has been a gap between them and the chasing pack. This season there is a whole pack of clubs who are challenging for the places.
The reason is simple...there has been a levelling out of competition and the established top 4 are not having it all their own way.

Everyone is dropping points on a regular basis and we are no exception. There is still a long time to go and a lot more points will be dropped before the end of the season.

Even on a sunny day, the odd cloud will blot out the Sun every so often before the sunshine returns. I'm certain we'll recover and push on with our challenge Mate.

We have the players to be top 4 hell if you compare our team to say Scouse blue we are a lot stronger our problem I think is our midfield. A lot of people blame the defence but I think it's falling apart thanks to the pressure they are constantly under thanks to the midfield constantly not pulling their weight and one of our best midfielders is up front as hes the only one scoring for fun right now. This is why we went for 2 midfielders in the window and no defenders (Johnson and obviously we missed our second). I think we missed Shauny a lot when he was out which is why Johnson has been brought in as Weiss isn't ready for the right wing and although Petrov played well there its not his natural position.

People keep blaming the defence but I feel sorry for them in a way because they are being let down by a shoddy midfield who cannot link right now that's the only thing missing though as we saw in the last match I mean how many fucking passes went to a Hull player in that match? that's was fucking school boy passing. Not to mention the passes into a space where nobody was there to pick it up. I honestly don;t think it helps we change our midfield every damn week as Bellamy found out against Hull playing balls into spaces he knew Garrido would have been onto but Bridge had already pegged back (only did it once but mistakes like that cost us). A regular eleven is definitely needed. But injury's and African nations has seriously hampered us.

gillie wrote:

CityFanFromRome wrote:

Dubaimancityfan wrote:Break the bank and buy Fabregas !

I did in FM.

Seriously though, he slated us some time ago, didn't he? I don't think he'd come...maybe xavi or Iniesta?

I would take both if we could get them.Those 2 make Barca tick but i rate Iniesta the better of the 2.

Iniesta is also younger, Xavi is 30 or 31 now, can't remember exactly.

The Europa League would be an unfortunate distraction on our way to be the club we want to be, unless we won it?

All clubs are "Work in progress" but City more than most, given the fact that we have the resources to fund our amition to join the elite top clubs.
Part of that process is to attract those players we need to fullfill that ambition. The CL is the only competition that will interest those top players.
We also have to satisfy the financial criteria that could be set by UeFA on CL qualification and the CL is the only competition that will bring in the money to help us do this.
The Europa League is a 2nd tier competition and brings little or nothing to the club.

john68 wrote:All clubs are "Work in progress" but City more than most, given the fact that we have the resources to fund our amition to join the elite top clubs.
Part of that process is to attract those players we need to fullfill that ambition. The CL is the only competition that will interest those top players.
We also have to satisfy the financial criteria that could be set by UeFA on CL qualification and the CL is the only competition that will bring in the money to help us do this.
The Europa League is a 2nd tier competition and brings little or nothing to the club.

Unless we won it, but then some might say we won a second rate cup.

I like the UEFA and the fact it doesn't bring in as much money as the CL hardly seems relevant to us.
I would be happy if that is what we end up qualifying for at the end of the season,obviously I would like us in the CL but the Europa woould't be a bad second prize for me.

Does it not worry anyone the fact that we are not in the Europa this year and we still under perform? Imagine if we did make top 4 this season, do you think we could actually cope with the extra games? I dont with the squad we have, we blow too hot and cold!@

Very good chance this year that only 5th will get the Europa spot as both cups could be won by non-top four clubs.

It would be typical City to finish 4th in the league and then get knocked out in the qualifying round of the Champions League to some team I cannot pronounce :-)

gilford wrote:Does it not worry anyone the fact that we are not in the Europa this year and we still under perform? Imagine if we did make top 4 this season, do you think we could actually cope with the extra games? I dont with the squad we have, we blow too hot and cold!@

I think if we made top 4 mate our squad would look very different at the end of the summer window!