VMC’s Lorna gives us her weekly take on the City squad’s needs with one eye on this summer’s transfer window…
Two things City need for the next season, wingers and the return of the fear factor!!!
This season City seem to be reliant on overlapping full backs a little bit too much whereas if we had wingers Roberto Mancini would surely have more squad options….we need wide players as an alternative to use instead of full backs attacking all the time at every game. Shaking the game plan up every now and again would surely be a good thing. It would be especially beneficial as to other teams NOT knowing our tactics each and every time The Blues take the field.
Ironically, we do have a wingers, (as we did when Adam Johnson was on board). Scott Sinclair, Brian Marwood’s signing from Swansea. It seems that Sinclair is still not on Mancini’s list of favourites, and I for one don’t know why. As a point of interest David Moyes of Everton who watched City beat Chelsea, has expressed an interest in Sinclair and given the right moment and the lack of play time he has had for City, Moyes just might tempt Sinclair away. City fans and the media have been a bit harsh on Sinclair saying his performance level when it has come along has been, shall we say crap. How can you say that if you never see him play regularly? Also, what’s the point in buying someone if you are not going to use them? It constitutes a waste of their time and talent and a waste of City money. Mancio wanted Hazard but lost out, we wanted Sanchez but lost out. So hopefully, this area will be looked at a little more closely at the end of this season in readiness for our battle to win the title back from Stretford.
When it comes to wingers, 27 year old Jesús Navas González, right winger/midfielder for Sevilla FC, offers quick dribbling and an ability to run at opposing defenders. His name is already being mentioned in media circles.
One slight doubt that I would have about Navas is that he can be prone to an ankle injury which can tend to keep him out of the game albeit for no more than a month, but a month is a month and regular absence can be fatal especially when your aiming to win the Premier League!
Another Sevilla player, 19 year old central midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia has been linked with City. French Football Weekly said recently that ‘Kondogbia has all the attributes needed for a midfielder; physique, aerial ability, tactical discipline.’ Yet the player does have a reputation for immaturity. Something City do NOT need especially when you look back at Balotelli and his stroppy moods when things did not go his way coupled with his off pitch antics which the press soooo loved and desperately miss. Still, the brilliant Matija Nastasic is the same age and he has maturity in spades. Sevilla need to sell players and we need to buy so lets keep fingers crossed for one or both of the above and coming in at a combined market price of £17.6m could represent the type of bargains Zabaleta, Kompany, De Jong and Nasty himself did.
As a point of interest, one of the reasons Mancini may have gone to watch Sampdoria recently after our horrible defeat to Southampton is Erik Lamela the 20 year old Argentine winger currently at AS Roma, (as well as weighing up Icardi as I suggested last week). Lamela has cracking pace and exceptional quality and for Roma he has scored some brilliant goals.
Allegedly we also have our sights set on Aaron Lennon of Spurs. AVB is aware of our interest and would be very reluctant to let a young international go, but I guess at the right price anything can happen. City could do with a player like Lennon as he has speed and directness. Combined this would give opposing teams something to think about. The next step would be trying to lure him away from Spurs as he has recently signed a 4 year contract in September which means he would cost a bob or two. Of course on the subject of Spurs…Gareth Bale always comes to mind, as no doubt he does for quite a few clubs, but I get the feeling he won’t come to an English club.
Next up, we have Marco Reus (followed by Mr. Begiristain), Dortmund’s brilliant 23 year old. Reus only joined Dortmund last summer, and you will remember, scored against us in the Champions League this season. He could come with a target price of about £30 million, which in my estimation would be worth it, he is young, fast and eager. As a point of interest he has already won 14 caps for Germany, not bad for his age.
Do you remember, Omar Abdulrahman the Emerati winger and attacking midfielder? He came to us for a two week trial (from Al-Ain) last year and he was impressed with what he saw of City and we were just as impressed with him. Abdulrahman has only recently rejected an offer to go over to Benfica (on a loan move) as he still has a passion to come to City.Well our interest has come to the fore again and rumours abound.
So bearing all of the above mentioned players in mind, I think we (and the City hierarchy) have plenty of food for thought. This summer could prove an exciting time for City who don’t have the legion of thirty year old’s that Stretford have to replace. Maybe they pushed for new financial rulings too soon for their own liking…
I’ts time for City’s bosses to get their sights firmly fixed on wingers in the bid to win our title back!
Furthermore, we need the return of the City fear factor. In the last campaign our fear factor was immense. we had the strongest defence in the league as we still do now, but our attack was consistently strong.
Finally this week a word for Jack Rodwell. What a 100% cracking performance he gave again on Sunday. I don’t want to blow my own trumpet but did I not say he would come good in one of my earlier articles this season?
UPCOMING FIXTURES:
all times East Manchester
Mo 04Mar 20h00 Aston Villa, Villa Park, PL
Sa 09Mar 17h30 Barnsley, The Etihad, FACQF
Sa 16Mar 12h45 Everton, Goodison Park, PL
Sa 30Mar 15h00 Newcastle, The Etihad, PL
Mo 08Apr 20h00 The Rags, The Swamp, PL
Mo 15 Apr 20h00 West Brom, The Etihad, PL
Su 21 Apr 13h30 Spurs, White Hart Lane, PL
Sa 27 Apr 12h45 West Ham United, The Etihad, PL
Sa 04 May 15h00 Swansea, The Liberty Stadium, PL
Su 12 May 15h00 Reading, The Madejski Stadium, PL
Su 19 May 16h00 Norwich City, The Etihad, PL
City vs Wigan To Be Rearranged
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