Emi Buendia

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Humble pie here too, I was a big fan pre injury but thought he was a busted flush after last season.

On top of the goals, he has recently become less wasteful in possession (one or two small transgressions today notwithstanding). Where earlier in the season, our play seemed to frequently break up at his feet (too often looking for the threaded pass, and at other times just plain mistakes), he seems to have cut out a good portion of the errors and his judgement in forward passing is better.

It’s a great redemption story.

You make him sound like Morgan Rogers with all those incomplete passes, mistakes, etc.

The big difference and the one that he was constantly accused of was being too lightweight and so easily pushed off the ball. That seems to have disappeared and it reminded me of an interview with Vitinha at PSG, who at 64kg had a very similar problem. He never had the physicality to compete so had to use other attributes of his game to compensate.

[villadelph]

Second best goal involvement ratio per 90 mins this season behind Haaland.

[dcdavecollett]

Apart from all the other stuff, what I like about the new Emi is that he no longer sits on the floor waving his arms and demanding free-kicks when he gets clobbered. He now gets up and closes down the man with the ball.

[paul_e]

Apart from all the other stuff, what I like about the new Emi is that he no longer sits on the floor waving his arms and demanding free-kicks when he gets clobbered. He now gets up and closes down the man with the ball.

Yep, that's something I noticed as well.

[Baldy]

Another area Emi has improved is his tackling. Might of learnt a trick or two from players like David and Bernado Silva who are of similar size (65kg). There is no need for full blooded tackles to try and regain possession.

Man City mastered the art of getting the ball back with subtle, niggly, tap of the ankles, nudge like contact. Once an opponent is slightly off balance they are more likely to lose possession.

Less chance of getting hurt, booked and you stay on your feet more often. Terrier like.

Leave the full blooded challenges to the better equipped players in the team.

[ChicagoLion]

Humble pie here too, I was a big fan pre injury but thought he was a busted flush after last season.

On top of the goals, he has recently become less wasteful in possession (one or two small transgressions today notwithstanding). Where earlier in the season, our play seemed to frequently break up at his feet (too often looking for the threaded pass, and at other times just plain mistakes), he seems to have cut out a good portion of the errors and his judgement in forward passing is better.

It’s a great redemption story.

You make him sound like Morgan Rogers with all those incomplete passes, mistakes, etc.

The big difference and the one that he was constantly accused of was being too lightweight and so easily pushed off the ball. That seems to have disappeared and it reminded me of an interview with Vitinha at PSG, who at 64kg had a very similar problem. He never had the physicality to compete so had to use other attributes of his game to compensate.

I think it’s because he releases the ball quicker whereas before he was often caught in possession.
His all round decision asking has improved immensely.

[Steve67]

It’s brilliant that he has been called up to the national team, totally deserved as he’s been playing really well. I hope he signs a new contract. A complete turnaround as it looked out of the door and surplus to require requirements in the summer.

[Percy McCarthy]

It’s a huge PSR bonus that three of our relatively big money signings are giving value for that initial outlay in Emi, Onana and Torres. Maybe Malen as well. On a similar note, there’s no pressing need for an upgrade on Cash.

When you look at the squad list now, the transfer spend looks incredibly efficient.

Martinez £17m (AFA)
Bizot £2m

Cash £14m (AFA)
Garcia £6m
Konsa £12m (AFA)
Mings £20m (AFA)
Torres £27m (50% A)
Digne £25m (75% A)
Maatsen £37m (25% A)
Lindelof Free

Onana £50m (25% A)
McGinn £2.5m (AFA)
Tielemans PP
Kamara PP
Barkley NF
Elliott Loan
Bogarde PP


Buendia £33m (AFA)
Rogers £15m (AFA)
Watkins £33m (AFA)
Malen £18m
Guessand £30m
Sancho (Loan)
Aloba PP

AFA: Almost fully amortised
PP: Pure profit
A: Amortised
NF: Nominal fee

Such a shame Duran was nuts.

[Beard82]

Interesting post Percy - out of interest does a purchase ever get fully Amortised or does the amount just get spread over the increasingly length of the contract.

[Percy McCarthy]

Interesting post Percy - out of interest does a purchase ever get fully Amortised or does the amount just get spread over the increasingly length of the contract.

Thanks Beard.

Whatever’s left unamortised is re-calculated and spread over any new contract. And it’s all calculated right down to the day.

The fees only become 100% fully amortised at the end of a contract, but obviously then they can leave for nothing.

Re-reading it now, Onana & Maatsen are probably only around 25% amortised so I’ll edit it.

[eye digress]

Surprised you have Rogers 'AFA' but Digne '50% A'. Surely it's the other way around?

[Percy McCarthy]

Surprised you have Rogers 'AFA' but Digne '50% A'. Surely it's the other way around?

Yes, you’re right on the percentages I suppose. In cash terms though, if we assume Rogers’ add-on criterias have been met, it’s £15m, almost two years of which have been and gone on his original contract, and now the rest will be spread over another six years - a piddling amount really compared to his true value. So although the fee might only be 50% amortised as you say, at the same time he’s very close to pure profit.

As for Digne, I can’t see it while typing, but I think I put 50% +.

Edit: I put 50+%, so I’ll have a more realistic guess at 75%.

[Beard82]

Thanks Percy

[eye digress]

Small numbers for Rogers, yes - €7.5m over the six years is peanuts land.

In the case of Digne, he'd served 3.5 years of his €25m, 4.5-year contract this summer at the extension time, representing a balance rounded very roughly down to €5m, spread over the three remaining years - i.e., very similar (negligible) numbers to Rogers, actually.

[Percy McCarthy]

Small numbers for Rogers, yes - €7.5m over the six years is peanuts land.

In the case of Digne, he'd served 3.5 years of his €25m, 4.5-year contract this summer at the extension time, representing a balance rounded very roughly down to €5m, spread over the three remaining years - i.e., very similar (negligible) numbers to Rogers, actually.

Good stuff mate, thanks, better than I (absent-mindedly) thought.