Man CitHEHEHE

[Silver Fox]

Just watched the highlights. Lolz obviously but the main take is that if Kyle Walker isn't banned for the rest of the season he should at least have the self-awareness to retire out of shame

[Royal Rother]

I do wonder a bit about Pep's mental state.

He knows he is brilliant of course, and has huge confidence in his own abilities.

But he also seems quite an emotional man and now that he knows this team is basically done and will surely feel he should have seen it coming, (and that realitically it's too late to save this season and mount a title challenge) how is he going to react?

What he should be doing right now is rubbing his hands together, getting down to work, and coming up with a plan for January and next Summer. He needs a clear and ruthless plan of who is going out (Gundogan, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Walker, and possibly Ederson and Grealish as well I would suggest) and who he wants to bring in. He should see it as an exciting time, and a new challenge.

One always had the impression that Ferguson relished that sort of challenge, but, although it would be daft to underestimate him, there are signs that right now Pep is as broken as his team.

Thoughts?

[Hendo]

I do wonder a bit about Pep's mental state.

He knows he is brilliant of course, and has huge confidence in his own abilities.

But he also seems quite an emotional man and now that he knows this team is basically done and will surely feel he should have seen it coming, (and that realitically it's too late to save this season and mount a title challenge) how is he going to react?

What he should be doing right now is rubbing his hands together, getting down to work, and coming up with a plan for January and next Summer. He needs a clear and ruthless plan of who is going out (Gundogan, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Walker, and possibly Ederson and Grealish as well I would suggest) and who he wants to bring in. He should see it as an exciting time, and a new challenge.

One always had the impression that Ferguson relished that sort of challenge, but, although it would be daft to underestimate him, there are signs that right now Pep is as broken as his team.

Thoughts?

I’d probably agree with that.

[Sutekh]

I do wonder a bit about Pep's mental state.

He knows he is brilliant of course, and has huge confidence in his own abilities.

But he also seems quite an emotional man and now that he knows this team is basically done and will surely feel he should have seen it coming, (and that realitically it's too late to save this season and mount a title challenge) how is he going to react?

What he should be doing right now is rubbing his hands together, getting down to work, and coming up with a plan for January and next Summer. He needs a clear and ruthless plan of who is going out (Gundogan, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Walker, and possibly Ederson and Grealish as well I would suggest) and who he wants to bring in. He should see it as an exciting time, and a new challenge.

One always had the impression that Ferguson relished that sort of challenge, but, although it would be daft to underestimate him, there are signs that right now Pep is as broken as his team.

Thoughts?

Shankley and Paisley both did it with Liverpool in the 70s and 80s. The knack, which I think Paisley cracked, was to keep it turning over season after season rather than go down the "do nothing because there's no need" road and suddenly find the club in a bit of a state. As a successful manager I would have said that that is rule 1 but then given the idiocy these days of the financial shenanigans at some clubs and recruitment not necessarily involving the manager I don't know how easy it is.

[Winston Biscuit]

I do wonder a bit about Pep's mental state.

He knows he is brilliant of course, and has huge confidence in his own abilities.

But he also seems quite an emotional man and now that he knows this team is basically done and will surely feel he should have seen it coming, (and that realitically it's too late to save this season and mount a title challenge) how is he going to react?

What he should be doing right now is rubbing his hands together, getting down to work, and coming up with a plan for January and next Summer. He needs a clear and ruthless plan of who is going out (Gundogan, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Walker, and possibly Ederson and Grealish as well I would suggest) and who he wants to bring in. He should see it as an exciting time, and a new challenge.

One always had the impression that Ferguson relished that sort of challenge, but, although it would be daft to underestimate him, there are signs that right now Pep is as broken as his team.

Thoughts?

I keen wondering if we are going to see him quit and walk away before the year is out. Just say he can't have the impact anymore that he wants and that he is done.

[Royal Rother]

Yep.

[Winston Biscuit]

[Pepe the Horseman]

Mental. What has happened to them? Shades of Reading under Ince once the points deductions got leaked, but you'd think if that was going on at City it'd be all over the internet.

[AthleticoSpizz]

All quite pleasant to witness after so many years of Citeh £ dominance…….maybe they should make a cheeky bid for Rashford

[Sutekh]

Now 1 win in 13 and jeered off after Everton came back for a point. Rumours that Paul Ince is there as morale coach are being heavily denied.

[Stranded]

Now 1 win in 13 and jeered off after Everton came back for a point. Rumours that Paul Ince is there as morale coach are being heavily denied.

If Everton had had any idea of what to do in a 4 on 2 break in the last minute, the result could have been much worse.

Does make you think if news has got back to the squad that the hearing has not gone well and that frankly, this season doesn't matter as they will be deducted a ton of points and/or relegated in the very near future.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Oooh, that’d be nice

[Pepe the Horseman]

Now 1 win in 13 and jeered off after Everton came back for a point. Rumours that Paul Ince is there as morale coach are being heavily denied.

If Everton had had any idea of what to do in a 4 on 2 break in the last minute, the result could have been much worse.

Does make you think if news has got back to the squad that the hearing has not gone well and that frankly, this season doesn't matter as they will be deducted a ton of points and/or relegated in the very near future.

Thought the same, but you'd think it would've been leaked by now if that was the case.

[Stranded]

Now 1 win in 13 and jeered off after Everton came back for a point. Rumours that Paul Ince is there as morale coach are being heavily denied.

If Everton had had any idea of what to do in a 4 on 2 break in the last minute, the result could have been much worse.

Does make you think if news has got back to the squad that the hearing has not gone well and that frankly, this season doesn't matter as they will be deducted a ton of points and/or relegated in the very near future.

Thought the same, but you'd think it would've been leaked by now if that was the case.

Depends, if the legal vibe is just that, it hasn't gone well, then not much to leak I guess but inside the club they may just be being transparent.

[Winston Biscuit]

Erling Haaland reportedly signs a 10 year contract extension with City (backdated to the start of this season) on basic wages of £500,000 a week

crikey

[Silver Fox]

Reeks of financial chicanery to me

[Winston Biscuit]

I wonder how much of a 10 year contract it really is. I can't imagine the player or club would want that contract unless there were ways out of it for either side

[Sanguine]

Reeks of financial chicanery to me

Same, but I'm not sure of what. His 'book value' is relatively low, they'll have already written down a portion of his €60m transfer fee. The rest is just in-year expense. On the face of it, this bakes in $25m of wages to Haaland in every year's books.

Again, re the signings I mentioned on another thread - different world. City commit £0.5m a week to Haaland in wages for the next decade, Liverpool struggling to tie their stars down because they don't want to pay £300k a week for two years.

[Sutekh]

I wonder how much of a 10 year contract it really is. I can't imagine the player or club would want that contract unless there were ways out of it for either side

Given the earlier court ruling this season it means naff all as Haaland can walk out any time he wants so long as he gives notice.

[Stranded]

Widely reported over here that City are about to sign Omar Marmoush from Eintracht for between €70 and €80m

Stranded Jr slighly annoyed about it but happy that we were at what looks like being his last game (and last goal) for Frankfurt on Tuesday night.

Frankfurt keeping up their frankly incredible record, if it happens, of signing a slightly underrated striker on a free and turning a massive profit within a year or two - Marmoush was the replacement for Kolo Mouani who they sold for around €100m - both signed on frees.

Be interesting to see who their next gem turns out to be.