Summer Transfer Thread and Gustavo Cisneros Type Rumours.

[ASHTONVILLA]

I like the signings, but if you'd asked at the start of the window whether Grealish out, Bailey, Ings, Buendia and Young in would have been enough, I'd have said no.

Forgot about Tuanzebe. Still no, though.

We need something more in the middle.

you're spot on. Despite how highly we rate Mcaginn and Luiz we are often powder puff in the middle of the park.

Agree.

Much as I like McGinn, I would sell him and / or Luiz if decent offers came in. They are among our more saleable assets, but neither really fit the system Smith has been using, or would fit well in a 4-4-2 if that is how we will set up now we have Ings.

We have a superb defence and a potentially top 4 attack but that will be wasted if we don't have the right balance in midfield. in midfield we have a bunch of reasonably good players that can all play in a midfield three, but only Nakamba that is much good in the system we play. McGinn is becoming a square peg in a round hole, and being asked to play in a position that does suit his natural game.

If we offloaded McGinn, Luiz and Connor we would have wages and squad numbers freed up and maybe another £60m in the bank to spend along with the Jack cash. We could then get a couple of more combative midfielders that can operate as a two, with Nakamba and Sanson backing them up.

[Risso]

There's no way we're going to sell McGinn and Luiz, they're both good players who need utilising properly. In addition, that would be far too high a turnover of players in one season.

[PeterWithe]

I think Luiz is going to get stonger and stronger, we saw flashes of it last year although he showed the kind if inconsistancy you'd expect from someone with so few games under his belt.

He'd be among the last players I'd sell.

[sickbeggar]

Being linked with hermaso cb from athletico madrid for 30m. Dont know too much about him but cant see it if we have signed tuanzebe on loan

Very odd story. Apart from the where would he play/who's being sold? aspect, he seems to be very much in their plans if google has correctly translated their panic after he ended up in hospital a week back.

[ASHTONVILLA]

There's no way we're going to sell McGinn and Luiz, they're both good players who need utilising properly. In addition, that would be far too high a turnover of players in one season.

I am just looking at the new signings and can't see how they play in a two without us getting walked through. Of course he may stick with a three and have Ings or Watkins on the bench, in which case it works.

[Brend'Watkins]

Is Luiz our player proper now? If he has a very good season can Man City invoke some release clause still?

[LeeB]

Is Luiz our player proper now? If he has a very good season can Man City invoke some release clause still?

No, that ship has now sailed.

[Risso]

There's no way we're going to sell McGinn and Luiz, they're both good players who need utilising properly. In addition, that would be far too high a turnover of players in one season.

I am just looking at the new signings and can't see how they play in a two without us getting walked through. Of course he may stick with a three and have Ings or Watkins on the bench, in which case it works.

I really do think that Watkins can play wider right of Ings, and lose none of his attacking threat.

[Brend'Watkins]

Is Luiz our player proper now? If he has a very good season can Man City invoke some release clause still?

No, that ship has now sailed.

Good.  I now want him to be the best midfielder in the country so we can get another £100 odd million off you know who next season and for him then to revert back to one half decent game every 5 games.

[placeforparks]

There's no way we're going to sell McGinn and Luiz, they're both good players who need utilising properly. In addition, that would be far too high a turnover of players in one season.

I am just looking at the new signings and can't see how they play in a two without us getting walked through. Of course he may stick with a three and have Ings or Watkins on the bench, in which case it works.

I really do think that Watkins can play wider right of Ings, and lose none of his attacking threat.

that's where he played for brentford under smith, when maupay was their sole striker.

i suppose the challenge could be that watkins has bloomed in the sole striker role over the past 2 seasons, and has got himself into the england squad. he may be unhappy to switch back into that wide role.

[Smithy]

There's no way we're going to sell McGinn and Luiz, they're both good players who need utilising properly. In addition, that would be far too high a turnover of players in one season.

I am just looking at the new signings and can't see how they play in a two without us getting walked through. Of course he may stick with a three and have Ings or Watkins on the bench, in which case it works.

I really do think that Watkins can play wider right of Ings, and lose none of his attacking threat.

One of the pluses of having a player playing wide who has spent a lot of time playing centrally, is that when the play develops on the opposite flank, they will ALWAYS get into a central position in the hope of a chance.  That's not always the case with pure 'wingers' or attacking midfielders.  The downside of that is them not always holding position if we lose the ball, but one thing I'm absolutely not worried about with Ollie is him putting in a shift when it's needed.

I really like the idea of a fluid front three, and whether it's Ings or Ollie occupying the 'central' role in that three, they could all equally be the one finishing off a move.  I'm not saying Liverpool is the model to follow, but they have a front three it's not easy to pin down who is left/right/centre when they'll all playing a moving.

[ChicagoLion]

Except Sala is on the right and Mane drifts in from the left with Firminio central and deeper.

[robbo1874]

I did want a big hard bastard DM in, still do really. But if we don’t get one, Nakamba’s decent enough this season. I go more on what I see than stats and his stats were very good last season. From what I saw he’ll be fine I reckon.

[Risso]

I really don't think that Nakamba is decent enough though. I think if he played regularly his flaws would be massively exposed.

[chrisw1]

I think Luiz is going to get stonger and stronger, we saw flashes of it last year although he showed the kind if inconsistancy you'd expect from someone with so few games under his belt.

He'd be among the last players I'd sell.

Agreed.  A lot of us thought he would become an exceptional player.  Half a pretty average season doesn't really change that view for me.  I'd like to see him play more box to box, but we are pretty crowded in that position.