Post by eaststand on Jun 2, 2012 21:34:53 GMT 1
If you take Mancini's interview in tutto sport for anything i reckon he's indicating he wants to add another CM of the Yaya, Schwienstiger, Xavi mold; someone who passes the ball frequently and accurately to start all our play, a versatile and pacey winger that can play down either side or off of a front man and a CB with experience or the ability to play in Champions League/Continental football where Lescott seems to still be struggling to find his feet, even when we went down into the Europa League.
I don't reckon the media are far away from the mark in saying he'd be more than happy with Javi Martinez to kill the CM & CB problem with one stone and Younes Belhanda. But personally i cannot see either joining this summer. Both players are very intelligent and not alike with the Hazard's of this world, i think, taking from the soundbites they've given over the last 6 months that they both think another season at their respective clubs would be what is best for them and i don't think either of their respective clubs will be looking to sell. The one thing i think that might generate a greater chance of getting either one of them or both is that a lot of both teams stand out performers are being looked at and could end up getting poached. That 'hang on, everyone else is f**king off, i don't want to be left on my own with whats left of this squad' kind of reaction.
Montipellier will most likely sell Oliver Giroud (21 goals 9 assists) because he's only got 1 year to run on his current contract and a lot of clubs are looking at centre back & club captain Yanga-Mbiwa and right back Bocaly. Last year they sold a lad called Raphel Varane to Real Madrid for £10 million (he's going to be unreal) but even then when the transfer went through their chairman said there was no financial pressure to sell, just that he'd resisted moves (rumoured to be United) in the past but he couldn't stand in his way of the chance to go to Real Madrid.
The same has got to be said for Bilbao; although their players have attracted more media attention and Llorente is also approaching the last year of his contract. Apparently Llorente has had fresh terms on a contract to make him their highest paid player ever on the table for a couple of months and is yet to sign. They will most likely sell Llorente if he doesn't sign which will probably generate around £20 million and will mean they will be even less likely to have to sell or want to sell others like Ander Herrera, De Marcos, Susaeta, Munian & Martinez. Plus they've got that rule about only signing players of a Basque background so they won't see all these offers as 'great £100 million to buy a new squad'. It's contradicting myself a little but if i was bobby manc I'd be looking into getting a deal sorted for Munian, a buy now - loan back job; he's got a low centre of gravity, he's quick, he can beat a player with ease and he's got an eye for goal. He reminds me a lot of, dare i say it, Ryan Giggs.
Like i said if the interview is to be believed he's pretty much said we need 3 players to improve in competing across the board and despite Dzeko frustrating the hell out of us all and in hindsight after I've had a few rants about him; it would be splitting hairs to say we desperately need to replace him with another world class striker (RVP).
So yeah, i think all of the 'realistic' players out there that i reckon Mancini would think can improve the team in the areas he wants them, will be out of reach this summer and i can't see him just signing a player for the sake of it. Which is exactly why i think he needs to turn his attention to what we do have at the club. Players like Wiess who could do at the very least do job for a season and worst case scenario, add another zero to any possible transfer fee next summer.
I was reading an edition of, i think, the MEN, a couple of weeks back that had quotes from Jim Cassell saying that himself and Andy Welsh have come to a couple of conclusions about the way they will be training/assisting the squad next year through competing against teams in the Next Gen. To be honest i expect to see a lot more movement of that spinning door in-out of the EDS side this summer than i do with the first team. After all, it doesn't matter if they aren't English, just as long as they've spent 3 years at the club between the ages of 16 & 21 to be classed as trained by club.
I don't reckon the media are far away from the mark in saying he'd be more than happy with Javi Martinez to kill the CM & CB problem with one stone and Younes Belhanda. But personally i cannot see either joining this summer. Both players are very intelligent and not alike with the Hazard's of this world, i think, taking from the soundbites they've given over the last 6 months that they both think another season at their respective clubs would be what is best for them and i don't think either of their respective clubs will be looking to sell. The one thing i think that might generate a greater chance of getting either one of them or both is that a lot of both teams stand out performers are being looked at and could end up getting poached. That 'hang on, everyone else is f**king off, i don't want to be left on my own with whats left of this squad' kind of reaction.
Montipellier will most likely sell Oliver Giroud (21 goals 9 assists) because he's only got 1 year to run on his current contract and a lot of clubs are looking at centre back & club captain Yanga-Mbiwa and right back Bocaly. Last year they sold a lad called Raphel Varane to Real Madrid for £10 million (he's going to be unreal) but even then when the transfer went through their chairman said there was no financial pressure to sell, just that he'd resisted moves (rumoured to be United) in the past but he couldn't stand in his way of the chance to go to Real Madrid.
The same has got to be said for Bilbao; although their players have attracted more media attention and Llorente is also approaching the last year of his contract. Apparently Llorente has had fresh terms on a contract to make him their highest paid player ever on the table for a couple of months and is yet to sign. They will most likely sell Llorente if he doesn't sign which will probably generate around £20 million and will mean they will be even less likely to have to sell or want to sell others like Ander Herrera, De Marcos, Susaeta, Munian & Martinez. Plus they've got that rule about only signing players of a Basque background so they won't see all these offers as 'great £100 million to buy a new squad'. It's contradicting myself a little but if i was bobby manc I'd be looking into getting a deal sorted for Munian, a buy now - loan back job; he's got a low centre of gravity, he's quick, he can beat a player with ease and he's got an eye for goal. He reminds me a lot of, dare i say it, Ryan Giggs.
Like i said if the interview is to be believed he's pretty much said we need 3 players to improve in competing across the board and despite Dzeko frustrating the hell out of us all and in hindsight after I've had a few rants about him; it would be splitting hairs to say we desperately need to replace him with another world class striker (RVP).
So yeah, i think all of the 'realistic' players out there that i reckon Mancini would think can improve the team in the areas he wants them, will be out of reach this summer and i can't see him just signing a player for the sake of it. Which is exactly why i think he needs to turn his attention to what we do have at the club. Players like Wiess who could do at the very least do job for a season and worst case scenario, add another zero to any possible transfer fee next summer.
I was reading an edition of, i think, the MEN, a couple of weeks back that had quotes from Jim Cassell saying that himself and Andy Welsh have come to a couple of conclusions about the way they will be training/assisting the squad next year through competing against teams in the Next Gen. To be honest i expect to see a lot more movement of that spinning door in-out of the EDS side this summer than i do with the first team. After all, it doesn't matter if they aren't English, just as long as they've spent 3 years at the club between the ages of 16 & 21 to be classed as trained by club.
