Summer Transfer Thread and Gustavo Cisneros Type Rumours.

[Holy Trinity]

Davis wasn't in the squad either. Apparently injured but possibly close to loan move you'd think.

no he's injured and that's the reason his stoke loan fell through 

[PaulWinch again]

I wouldn’t leap to judge Buendia, he’s a cracking player.

Is he just that in the championship though? I don't think he was fully fit today but the question needs asking..he is our record signing

The question doesn’t need asking in his first game, in a team that was clearly not properly prepared (ironically). If he’s still playing like that in 2 months then we have a problem, but he won’t be because he’s quality.

[ozzjim]

He needs to play on the right with Bailey on the left next week and see how it settles. Much like Jack in the centre, too often he looked out of sync. It's a tough position in this villa team as you need to support the striker, lead the press and get back in to make a 3. Much as I am not a fan for England, a player like Mount is ideal for the role. Maybe it is where we see Ward Prowse, or McGinn if Ward Prowse makes a double pivot with Doug or Nakamba or Sanson.

[richtheholtender]

We are probably paying out a fair bit more in wages though which is being ignored amidst all the "Our net spend is zero/-£10m" talk. 

Nas and Wes might feel that Dean has to produce results with the funding put in so far.

Probably took £150k a week with the rat left so it probably isn't that much.

[eamonn]

Guardiola getting all cranky, the self-entitled American-English speaking twonk:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/58216727

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has challenged the club's critics to come up with the evidence if they believe the Blues are breaking Financial Fair Play rules.

Thirteen months after the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned City's two-year ban from European competition for breaching Uefa's FFP rules, questions about the club's spending are again being raised.

Guardiola defended City's British record £100m signing of England midfielder Jack Grealish.

The Spanish manager insists the deal was only possible because of the £60m-worth of sales by the club over the past 12 months, including the £11m received from Borussia Dortmund following Jadon Sancho's move to Manchester United.

However, with City understood to be preparing an offer in excess of the sum they spent on Grealish to try to persuade Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy to let Harry Kane join them, Guardiola responded to a fresh broadside from Jurgen Klopp.

The Liverpool manager said his club could not be compared to City because "obviously they have no limits".

It is a view Guardiola rejects.

We have limits because of FFP," said the City boss. "We are on the same page like everyone. After that, each club decides what they want to do. Every season we have passed the controls that are there for everyone. If we are wrong, prove it."

Guardiola evidently feels the criticism of City's Abu Dhabi-based ownership is triggered by clubs whose own owners do not wish to invest on the same scale.

"I have said before, there are owners who want the benefits for themselves," he said.

"Our owners don't want to lose money but if they can spend, they will.

"In the past, [Manchester] United won a lot of titles because they spent more money than the other clubs. You remember that? They spent more than Manchester City because we couldn't do it.

"Before it was one club, or two, or two and a half. Then other clubs arrived - Chelsea with [Roman] Abramovich, us with Sheikh Mansour. They want to be in this world. What is the problem?"

For many, the problem is that City's spending threatens to take them so far clear of almost every other club that meaningful competition becomes impossible.

Guardiola uses his own Champions League successes with Barcelona in 2009 and 2011 to reject that theory as well.

"There are no guarantees," he said. "You can win with different squads, different players and in different situations.

"At Barcelona, I had the best player I ever seen in my life, Lionel Messi, in the academy. We won the Champions League twice with seven players from the academy at zero costs. Each club has its own reality."

[Matt C]

How dare anyone question ‘Pep’.

[cdbearsfan]

Absolute chancer. You put anyone on this forum in charge of the greatest Barcelona team ever featuring the greatest player ever, the German team that always wins the league and the English team that spends more money than anyone on the planet and they'd have won more European Cups that he's managed.

[LeonW]

Guardiola getting all cranky, the self-entitled American-English speaking twonk:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/58216727

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has challenged the club's critics to come up with the evidence if they believe the Blues are breaking Financial Fair Play rules.

Thirteen months after the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned City's two-year ban from European competition for breaching Uefa's FFP rules, questions about the club's spending are again being raised.

Guardiola defended City's British record £100m signing of England midfielder Jack Grealish.

The Spanish manager insists the deal was only possible because of the £60m-worth of sales by the club over the past 12 months, including the £11m received from Borussia Dortmund following Jadon Sancho's move to Manchester United.

However, with City understood to be preparing an offer in excess of the sum they spent on Grealish to try to persuade Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy to let Harry Kane join them, Guardiola responded to a fresh broadside from Jurgen Klopp.

The Liverpool manager said his club could not be compared to City because "obviously they have no limits".

It is a view Guardiola rejects.

We have limits because of FFP," said the City boss. "We are on the same page like everyone. After that, each club decides what they want to do. Every season we have passed the controls that are there for everyone. If we are wrong, prove it."

Guardiola evidently feels the criticism of City's Abu Dhabi-based ownership is triggered by clubs whose own owners do not wish to invest on the same scale.

"I have said before, there are owners who want the benefits for themselves," he said.

"Our owners don't want to lose money but if they can spend, they will.

"In the past, [Manchester] United won a lot of titles because they spent more money than the other clubs. You remember that? They spent more than Manchester City because we couldn't do it.

"Before it was one club, or two, or two and a half. Then other clubs arrived - Chelsea with [Roman] Abramovich, us with Sheikh Mansour. They want to be in this world. What is the problem?"

For many, the problem is that City's spending threatens to take them so far clear of almost every other club that meaningful competition becomes impossible.

Guardiola uses his own Champions League successes with Barcelona in 2009 and 2011 to reject that theory as well.

"There are no guarantees," he said. "You can win with different squads, different players and in different situations.

"At Barcelona, I had the best player I ever seen in my life, Lionel Messi, in the academy. We won the Champions League twice with seven players from the academy at zero costs. Each club has its own reality."

Got two things to add to the Pep interview posted by Eamonn:

1). Man City have previously been fined on FFP in 2014 (think it was between £30-40m). To my knowledge, neither Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea (or perhaps any other English team??) have been fined by UEFA for breaching FFP.
2). UEFA’s case against Manchester city fell on its’ arse but the premier league are still investigating them for the same issues so City have not yet been totally cleared of FFP issues for the same period. Plus, they will have been able to see where UEFA fell down in their case which will give them an advantage.

[LeonW]

Guardiola getting all cranky, the self-entitled American-English speaking twonk:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/58216727

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has challenged the club's critics to come up with the evidence if they believe the Blues are breaking Financial Fair Play rules.

Thirteen months after the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned City's two-year ban from European competition for breaching Uefa's FFP rules, questions about the club's spending are again being raised.

Guardiola defended City's British record £100m signing of England midfielder Jack Grealish.

The Spanish manager insists the deal was only possible because of the £60m-worth of sales by the club over the past 12 months, including the £11m received from Borussia Dortmund following Jadon Sancho's move to Manchester United.

However, with City understood to be preparing an offer in excess of the sum they spent on Grealish to try to persuade Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy to let Harry Kane join them, Guardiola responded to a fresh broadside from Jurgen Klopp.

The Liverpool manager said his club could not be compared to City because "obviously they have no limits".

It is a view Guardiola rejects.

We have limits because of FFP," said the City boss. "We are on the same page like everyone. After that, each club decides what they want to do. Every season we have passed the controls that are there for everyone. If we are wrong, prove it."

Guardiola evidently feels the criticism of City's Abu Dhabi-based ownership is triggered by clubs whose own owners do not wish to invest on the same scale.

"I have said before, there are owners who want the benefits for themselves," he said.

"Our owners don't want to lose money but if they can spend, they will.

"In the past, [Manchester] United won a lot of titles because they spent more money than the other clubs. You remember that? They spent more than Manchester City because we couldn't do it.

"Before it was one club, or two, or two and a half. Then other clubs arrived - Chelsea with [Roman] Abramovich, us with Sheikh Mansour. They want to be in this world. What is the problem?"

For many, the problem is that City's spending threatens to take them so far clear of almost every other club that meaningful competition becomes impossible.

Guardiola uses his own Champions League successes with Barcelona in 2009 and 2011 to reject that theory as well.

"There are no guarantees," he said. "You can win with different squads, different players and in different situations.

"At Barcelona, I had the best player I ever seen in my life, Lionel Messi, in the academy. We won the Champions League twice with seven players from the academy at zero costs. Each club has its own reality."

Got two things to add to the Pep interview posted by Eamonn:

1). Man City have previously been fined on FFP in 2014 (think it was between £30-40m). To my knowledge, neither Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea (or perhaps any other English team??) have been fined by UEFA for breaching FFP.
2). UEFA’s case against Manchester city fell on its’ arse but the premier league are still investigating them for the same issues so City have not yet been totally cleared of FFP issues for the same period. Plus, they will have been able to see where UEFA fell down in their case which will give them an advantage.

Most recent case that is in relation to point 2.

[ROBBO]

After watching Ward-Prowse today not sure he is a player we need except for set pieces, we are crying out for a defensive bully with decent disposal, most of his passes went sideways or backwards we have numerous mid-fielders that can do that.

[ozzjim]

Of all that we've been linked to the one that fits the need most looks like Doucouré (I've googled the spelling this time!). Nakamba is a limited squad player, but should not be the standard. When we are spending £30 plus million on attacking options, defenders etc, its strange that the one position we haven't gone big on is central midfield, arguably the most important. I still think we need 2 players better than what we have in there if we are to push on, with McGinn used slightly further forward.

[Scott Nielsen]

From Dean's comments I'm not sure if there is more money to spend. Saying the Grealish money "enabled" us to spend on Bailey and Ings, suggests we would not have been able to do so otherwise.

Still, Vinnie says we are still in the hunt so hopefully I'm reading too much into that.

[Mister E]

We don't take care of the ball enough and we're not strong enough off it in midfield.

The fact that we could have written that anytime in the last 2 and a half seasons says it all.

[frank black]

From Dean's comments I'm not sure if there is more money to spend. Saying the Grealish money "enabled" us to spend on Bailey and Ings, suggests we would not have been able to do so otherwise.

Still, Vinnie says we are still in the hunt so hopefully I'm reading too much into that.

They’ve definitely been giving that impression . Purslow and Dean have said as much. However, I’d like to think this isn’t the case. We will have gone very big on wages for the new players, to beat the competition but surely there’s some cash down the back of the sofa for a midfield enforcer?

[john2710]

How much of the issues yesterday can be fixed within the current squad, new players finding their feet, being fit, key players being available & a better formation. I'd suggest most of them can.

When I saw that Young, Buendia, El Ghazi behind Ings I knew we'd have problems.

The club know we need a better balanced midfield, that's why we've been looking at JWP & Smith-Rowe. But neither of them are going to happen.

But we have to buy better than we have or not bother.