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Starting 11 (without players aged 28+ at start of next season):

Ederson(25)

Walker(28) Stones(24) Laporte(24) Mendy(24)

Gundogan (27)

Bernado(24) De Bruyne(27)

Sterling(23) Jesus(21) Sane(22)


Bench:

Gunn(22)

Tosin(20)
Maffeo(21)
Angelino(21)

Garcia(21)
Diaz(19)
Foden(18)
Zinchenko(21)

That is a very strong starting 11. Good enough to beat most PL teams. Each one of that starting 11 is a regular. 8 players 24 years old or less.
Look at the emerging talent - future world starts in that lot if they stay focused and avoid serious injury (Diaz, Foden, Gunn...).

The age profile is incredibly low.

Hats of to the Spafia - comments please.

I suspect Fred will fit nicely in there. It's a much better picture than a couple of years or so ago.

I'd have Danilo on the bench rather than Angelino. Patrick Roberts also worth considering for the bench.

Also, Ginger Kev is only 26.

Dipstick wrote:I'd have Danilo on the bench rather than Angelino. Patrick Roberts also worth considering for the bench.

Also, Ginger Kev is only 26.

I'd agree with Danilo. I'm not sure about Angelino's defensive capabilities. Roberts seems to have regular experience njury problems. I hope he grows out of that.

incredible to think sane is only 22. unlimited potential.

Sideshow Bob wrote:incredible to think sane is only 22. unlimited potential.

Sterling also, who’s young than him.

To be honest Silva is showing no signs of slowing down despite his age. He's getting better if anything

It's almost as if this was the plan all along, allow contracts to run down with ageing players so the cost of getting rid is minimal and then give Guardiola somewhat of a blank canvas to build his own squad.

Almost forgot to mention, Spafia Out.

or should that be Catalfia Out? nah doesn't quite have the same ring to it.

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:It's almost as if this was the plan all along, allow contracts to run down with ageing players so the cost of getting rid is minimal and then give Guardiola somewhat of a blank canvas to build his own squad.

But why give Yaya a year extension last summer then?

Spafia in !

Mase wrote:

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:It's almost as if this was the plan all along, allow contracts to run down with ageing players so the cost of getting rid is minimal and then give Guardiola somewhat of a blank canvas to build his own squad.

But why give Yaya a year extension last summer then?

Because we couldn't afford his replacement.

Mase wrote:

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:It's almost as if this was the plan all along, allow contracts to run down with ageing players so the cost of getting rid is minimal and then give Guardiola somewhat of a blank canvas to build his own squad.

But why give Yaya a year extension last summer then?

Not sure but no harm being done Mase, maybe Fred in the summer brings down the curtain on Yaya at City !

Rather than start a new thread I'll post this piece in here as it's loosely related.


https://www.coachesvoice.com/the-apprentice/

When Txiki (Begiristain, Manchester City’s director of football) came to speak to me in 2013, it seemed like that right opportunity.

They chose me because of what I could offer in terms of football. And, for me, Manchester City was a club that was similar to Villarreal in some ways: very hierarchical, very well organised and a place where you get all the facilities, trust and support to work well.

The idea of football that City’s chairman Khaldoon (Al Mubarak), executive director Ferran Soriano and Txiki had was similar to mine, too. Attacking football. The kind of football where people go to the ground not only to see their team win 1-0, but to see a team that tries to be entertaining.

In my first year at the club, we had the opportunity really to shape things how we wanted, with the players we wanted.

It was a team that put on a fantastic show. A team that scored 100 goals faster than any other in Premier League history. A team that beat Liverpool in a wonderful late race for the title in the last few matches.

That run of games showed just how strong the group was, to win them all and take the Premier League title, having already won the League Cup at Wembley.

It was an amazing year. Unforgettable times in my life as a manager.

Coming into a new league, you might need time to adjust. Luckily, having been in Europe for many years I already had a great understanding. Maybe there were a lot of doubters, but to win the Premier League in that first year – with the ideas I had about football, and then instilling them in the team – was just so satisfying.

I think we were able to combine the very direct style of play in England with possession football. Not exaggerated possession, because you have to respect the idiosyncrasy of the English fans, who like the direct approach – the second ball, the crosses into the box, the finish.

What we had was a mixture of the football I had practised my whole career with something a bit more direct, which the English league requires.

I did make one mistake in my time at City, though.

I said I would end my contract after three years. After that, I said we would see. Not just for me and my career, but because of Ferran and Txiki’s plans to carry on their strategy with Pep Guardiola, who they had worked with at Barcelona for a long time.

There is a lot of trust between those two and myself, so I was always kept in the loop about the plans to try and bring Guardiola to the club. I knew that if he hadn’t wanted to come to City for any reason, they weren’t going to interview for a manager. They would come straight to me.

But I learned something from the experience in my final season. It’s the same in the case of Sir Alex Ferguson. With all the experience and influence he had at Manchester United, he made his first retirement announcement several months early. I think he always described it as a mistake in his career. I also describe mine as a mistake.

Because, as much as you don’t want it to be this way, the group has a tendency to relax. To start thinking about the next step.

That’s why I say that as a manager you have to keep on learning. Carry on reading.

To be a manager in the Premier League is an unforgettable experience. One that I would always recommend to managers who haven’t been able to do it yet. As far as I’m concerned, it’s the best league in the world as a whole. No doubt about it.

Okay, I’ve always said that perhaps the best football from a technical point of view is played in Spain, because there are great players and you have teams like Real Madrid and Villarreal that make it particularly attractive.

But if you add it all up – the whole football environment around a league, the quality of the spectacle, the respect of the fans, the respect for the players, the football grounds, the emotions, the party atmosphere, the support of the fans, which is the same whatever match the team is playing – it’s a league that, as a manager, you just can’t stop enjoying.

It’s an experience you have to have, if you get the chance.

Mase wrote:

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:It's almost as if this was the plan all along, allow contracts to run down with ageing players so the cost of getting rid is minimal and then give Guardiola somewhat of a blank canvas to build his own squad.

But why give Yaya a year extension last summer then?

It was in lieu of a birthday cake the previous year I heard.....

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:Rather than start a new thread I'll post this piece in here as it's loosely related.


https://www.coachesvoice.com/the-apprentice/

When Txiki (Begiristain, Manchester City’s director of football) came to speak to me in 2013, it seemed like that right opportunity.

They chose me because of what I could offer in terms of football. And, for me, Manchester City was a club that was similar to Villarreal in some ways: very hierarchical, very well organised and a place where you get all the facilities, trust and support to work well.

The idea of football that City’s chairman Khaldoon (Al Mubarak), executive director Ferran Soriano and Txiki had was similar to mine, too. Attacking football. The kind of football where people go to the ground not only to see their team win 1-0, but to see a team that tries to be entertaining.

In my first year at the club, we had the opportunity really to shape things how we wanted, with the players we wanted.

It was a team that put on a fantastic show. A team that scored 100 goals faster than any other in Premier League history. A team that beat Liverpool in a wonderful late race for the title in the last few matches.

That run of games showed just how strong the group was, to win them all and take the Premier League title, having already won the League Cup at Wembley.

It was an amazing year. Unforgettable times in my life as a manager.

Coming into a new league, you might need time to adjust. Luckily, having been in Europe for many years I already had a great understanding. Maybe there were a lot of doubters, but to win the Premier League in that first year – with the ideas I had about football, and then instilling them in the team – was just so satisfying.

I think we were able to combine the very direct style of play in England with possession football. Not exaggerated possession, because you have to respect the idiosyncrasy of the English fans, who like the direct approach – the second ball, the crosses into the box, the finish.

What we had was a mixture of the football I had practised my whole career with something a bit more direct, which the English league requires.

I did make one mistake in my time at City, though.

I said I would end my contract after three years. After that, I said we would see. Not just for me and my career, but because of Ferran and Txiki’s plans to carry on their strategy with Pep Guardiola, who they had worked with at Barcelona for a long time.

There is a lot of trust between those two and myself, so I was always kept in the loop about the plans to try and bring Guardiola to the club. I knew that if he hadn’t wanted to come to City for any reason, they weren’t going to interview for a manager. They would come straight to me.

But I learned something from the experience in my final season. It’s the same in the case of Sir Alex Ferguson. With all the experience and influence he had at Manchester United, he made his first retirement announcement several months early. I think he always described it as a mistake in his career. I also describe mine as a mistake.

Because, as much as you don’t want it to be this way, the group has a tendency to relax. To start thinking about the next step.

That’s why I say that as a manager you have to keep on learning. Carry on reading.

To be a manager in the Premier League is an unforgettable experience. One that I would always recommend to managers who haven’t been able to do it yet. As far as I’m concerned, it’s the best league in the world as a whole. No doubt about it.

Okay, I’ve always said that perhaps the best football from a technical point of view is played in Spain, because there are great players and you have teams like Real Madrid and Villarreal that make it particularly attractive.

But if you add it all up – the whole football environment around a league, the quality of the spectacle, the respect of the fans, the respect for the players, the football grounds, the emotions, the party atmosphere, the support of the fans, which is the same whatever match the team is playing – it’s a league that, as a manager, you just can’t stop enjoying.

It’s an experience you have to have, if you get the chance.

Class act. Thanks for posting.

Dimples wrote:Starting 11 (without players aged 28+ at start of next season):

Ederson(25)

Walker(28) Stones(24) Laporte(24) Mendy(24)

Gundogan (27)

Bernado(24) De Bruyne(27)

Sterling(23) Jesus(21) Sane(22)


Bench:

Gunn(22)

Tosin(20)
Maffeo(21)
Angelino(21)

Garcia(21)
Diaz(19)
Foden(18)
Zinchenko(21)

That is a very strong starting 11. Good enough to beat most PL teams. Each one of that starting 11 is a regular. 8 players 24 years old or less.
Look at the emerging talent - future world starts in that lot if they stay focused and avoid serious injury (Diaz, Foden, Gunn...).

The age profile is incredibly low.

Hats of to the Spafia - comments please.

re your starting eleven, i rather suspect Pep had more to do with it. He knew of gundo , kdb , Sane,
laporte, Ederson , bernardo and Mendy probably before the spafia.

So no , i wouldn’t say it is down to the Spafia at all.

They have screwed up as many times as we have bought quality.

Mase wrote:

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:It's almost as if this was the plan all along, allow contracts to run down with ageing players so the cost of getting rid is minimal and then give Guardiola somewhat of a blank canvas to build his own squad.

But why give Yaya a year extension last summer then?

May be part of a bigger plan for Yayas future role in the CFG so had to give him the year as a sweetener