Speculation The hysterical and annoying, but traditional, totally unfounded summer 2020 rumours thread

[Brown Nose]

No, he's more a left wing-back. Essentially exactly the sort of person we'd look for to replace Chilwell. Don't know much about defending but he scored 9 and assisted 8 last season in Serie A, I believe.

This says that 70 of his 71 appearances for Atalanta were as a left midfielder/defensive left midfielder - which I assume means wing back. He's started at left back for them once. https://understat.com/player/6155

Surely this only makes sense if we plan to go three at the back. He's also been called up for the Germany squad today so his price tag is probably rising.

 

[Brown Nose]

Gray's agent is getting busy apparently because he only has a year left on his contract

That's probably correct.

 

[City Fan]

Surely this only makes sense if we plan to go three at the back. He's also been called up for the Germany squad today so his price tag is probably rising.

I think it’s clear that Brendan likes three at the back - from his first starting up when he joined us, and then at the back end of the season.

But, we already needed a new centre back with four at the back, we’d need to bring two in if we’re going to play three at the back.

What the hell is going on at our club? It feels like we have zero plan at the moment.

 

[Jeff]

It feels like we have zero plan at the moment

The plan is to sell Chilwell as quickly as possible. Then we'll have some money to spend on players.
Chilwell's injury has delayed the transfer, which has ****ed up our transfer window.

Hopefully some transfers have been agreed and will go through quickly once Chilwell has gone.

 

[pork pie fox]

I think it’s clear that Brendan likes three at the back - from his first starting up when he joined us, and then at the back end of the season.

Despite the fact that by far and away our best form came with a back four and the end of the season, featuring the above line-up, was an unmitigated disaster

I'm not in the "Brendan out" camp, but feck me I hope he doesn't persist with this.

 

[Lako42]

Despite the fact that by far and away our best form came with a back four and the end of the season, featuring the above line-up, was an unmitigated disaster

I'm not in the "Brendan out" camp, but feck me I hope he doesn't persist with this.

He spent 6 months ****ing with a winning formula, of course he's going to persist with it.

 

[homer]

We looked hopeless with a back three. Totally ****ing clueless

But yeah, let’s try it again because it’s bound to work this time

 

[City Fan]

We need to bring in some more wonderful human beings that he’d be really proud to manage.

Shame we’ve spent all the money on a training ground.

 

[Graz]

3-5-2 wasn't working due to the players we were playing rather than the system, IMO.

If we'd played 4231 with the players available, I'm not sure it would have been any better.

A 3-5-2 with a better centre back than Bennett, and Ricardo at RWB would've been a lot better.

I definitely think Brendan sees it as an option and is keen on it as a system, but suspect we will use both rather than switching permanently to 352

We need at least one centre back signed for 4 at the back though, so I think we need two if we plan to use 3 at the back more often.

 

[sparky79]

Most teams are only just closing deals and some just starting to do 1 deal. We aren't too far behind on the timing front - and are being firmly linked with several. Also. teams like Man Yoo, Wolves, Man City had players playig about 10 days ago who have then been boozing since. Most competitor teams will also have players away with England for about 7days right before season starts. We should be going all out to hit the first 5 games hard and competitively against teams who have had worse prep (or who are just worse) than us...
we don't exactly have the worst first 5 games with Burnley, West Ham and Villa at home, and a promoted side away first up.
Touch of positivity and then some new signings before window closes could do us wonders. If we had a left back and right winger in the bag we can keep building to the deadline.

West Brom, Burnley(h), Man City, West Ham (h), Villa(h).

 

[pork pie fox]

3-5-2 wasn't working due to the players we were playing rather than the system, IMO.

If we'd played 4231 with the players available, I'm not sure it would have been any better.

A 3-5-2 with a better centre back than Bennett, and Ricardo at RWB would've been a lot better.

I definitely think Brendan sees it as an option and is keen on it as a system, but suspect we will use both rather than switching permanently to 352

We need at least one centre back signed for 4 at the back though, so I think we need two if we plan to use 3 at the back more often.

But we didn't play 4231 when we were at our best either, Graz.

Our best form came with a 4141, with Ndidi and Vardy as the "1s". Our poor form around Christmas/January coincided with them both being injured/unfit. Both of these were fit when the league restarted and yet he didn't revert to what has proven to be our most successful set up. Even if he thought it might work better with 3 at the back, all evidence was that it wasn't, which makes it even more frustrating.

 

[Feriol]

We’ll probably just ‘swoop’ to re-sign Danny Simpson. He is after all training with us again.

6 month contract to provide cover while Ricardo is injured maybe, anything more would be madness

 

[homer]

Twittering from Jason Bourne

As per @Alex_Crook on @talkSPORT it looks like there's real interest in Leicester's Dennis Praet from Torino.

I get the impression Brendan Rodgers would be open to letting him go after just a year at the club.

 

[TommyK]

The plan is to sell Chilwell as quickly as possible. Then we'll have some money to spend on players.
Chilwell's injury has delayed the transfer, which has ****ed up our transfer window.

Hopefully some transfers have been agreed and will go through quickly once Chilwell has gone.

I mean i know money is tighter than usual. But are we seriously saying after finishing 5th and getting into Europe we have to sell to buy?

 

[Jeff]

I mean i know money is tighter than usual. But are we seriously saying after finishing 5th and getting into Europe we have to sell to buy?

Not necessarily.

The players we sign will depend on whether Chilwell goes.

If we sign players now, based on the assumption that Chilwell is leaving, but he doesn't, we could have problems with FFP - and might have to go into more debt to fund them.

If we sign cheaper players, based on the assumption that Chilwell is staying, we might end up with a weaker team.
So the Chilwell transfer is the key to the whole transfer window.

 

[City Fan]

Twittering from Jason Bourne

Let him go, he’s not good enough.

 

[Brown Nose]

I mean i know money is tighter than usual. But are we seriously saying after finishing 5th and getting into Europe we have to sell to buy?

We made £24m more from TV/prize money in 19/20 than the previous season (£147.4M vs. £123.3m). There is very little money in the Europa League unless you go close to winning it.

On the downside, we must have lost £15m-£20m in revenue so far due to COVID; gate receipts, hospitality, sponsors, TV revenue (non-TV income from the previous season was approx. £48m). We will also need to budget for similar or greater losses from this in 20/21 as well as losing some of the TV income which is being withheld. We are also committed to paying for the training ground which is about £15m a season extra going out for the next 6 years.

We also made a big investment in December on new contracts for BR and his team and have given out new contracts to several other players. Our wage bill before all this was already £150m.

Our net spend over the last couple of years has been about £10m-£15m a season. If we're starting the summer more than that down before we start transfer activity, it would make sense that we have nothing to spend unless we sell first.

 

[Feriol]

Apparently Chelsea are interested in Messi, so maybe couldn't afford Chilwell as well.

 

[Graz]

Let him go, he’s not good enough.

Harsh, 4-4-2 was a valuable member of this site before.

 

[LoopisDeLupis]

The plan is to sell Chilwell as quickly as possible. Then we'll have some money to spend on players.
Chilwell's injury has delayed the transfer, which has ****ed up our transfer window.

Hopefully some transfers have been agreed and will go through quickly once Chilwell has gone.

He's not for sale, but our whole transfer window strategy is based on him going. Expert play by Brenda.