We’ve Taken Manchester City’s Scouts ...

[el matador]

Rafa was often criticised for a lack of width in his teams, the point of which appeared to be completely lost on most people. The reason for it was in fact the bit in bold there. Rafa's teams were built to completely stifle the middle of the pitch, suffocate the play, and hopefully with better players, have enough quality to win out in a that confined space more often than not.

Rodgers clearly sets his teams up differently, with more width, and therefore space in the middle. Last season it often looked like the team were chasing the ball when not in posession - a high risk game as when the ball was lost, the team were often over exposed and cut right open. This season so far it has happened less (we've played 3 crap teams), so we'll see how it pans out against quality, incisive opposition.

Each manager has their own preference and way of playing, and I'm not sure it's completely down to the personnel in this case,.

Wow, I just talked football stuff.

yes there's definitely something to that.

Rafa was risk averse whereas rodgers seems to crave it. But under BR we're taking the game to the opposition so we are more open - but are we too open ? rafa made us into the best counter attacking side in europe but not great at creating things. credit to BR because we're opening teams up really well and brilliant on the counter.

If we take the 'outscoring the opposition' approach against the lesser sides then we're going to be in with a chance of top 4. you can take 4-2's against norwich etc... As long as we tighten up against the top teams.

[James P]

the simple answer would be to put gerrard at 10 because he;s played there before etc... but for me gerrard's legs have gone. that searing pace that he used to have has disappeared and im not sure he could handle the intensity of playing 90mins there week in week out. whereas furthest back he has oceans of space and little pressure on him so he can still be one of our top contributors.

i think whats happened is that lucas is the mascherano type (although not as good), Gerrard has taken on alonso's role pretty well but we're looking for a younger gerrard to play 10 the way gerrard used to.

Rafa said that although gerrard wasnt a typical 10 like a silva or a coutinho he could play that role because of his vision, range of passing and the goals he created and scored. But what gerrard gave you in that role that other typical 10's cant is that they can double up as a third central midfield player when we're under pressure and gerrard could pick up second balls and knockdowns which coutinho isnt great at.

for me gerrard was at his best when he played off torres. what a combination that was.

Unless my memory is playing tricks on me, wasn't Gerrard's most productive season (in terms of goals) when Rafa played him on the right of midfield?

[el matador]

Unless my memory is playing tricks on me, wasn't Gerrard's most productive season (in terms of goals) when Rafa played him on the right of midfield?

yes it was but it was when he moved into the middle off fernando did we see the best of him. For 3 years he was outstanding and for me that was the best gerrard we ever saw.

[Neil Young]

wasted though, whoosh....

With any luck someone on Twitter will soon claim we want to sign him.

[el matador]

anyway just some youth info on Man city for you guys.

I was speaking to someone who works for the academy at Platt lane and they said that due to the influx of money into the system, they have plenty of scouts all over the country looking at the brightest and best young players.

One thing this guy said was that that their network is so extensive that by the age of 11, every amateur youth player in this country will have been seen playing football at least once by a scout.

If you think how many amateur youth games are played then thats some going. But whats the point of having a youth system if your young players wont be given a chance.

But the level of detail of some of the analysis they do astounded me. I was genuinely shocked but i would imagine that its probably the same at all top clubs including ours.

[Fredo]

Rafa was criticised for a lack of girth, not width, and that was earlier in his career with us as he has compensated for that largely now.

[smu1977]

4'6"

Voles are quite small, and we've a shed load of them..........apparently.

The ****house vole is actually a cousin of the vole and is much shorter at 3'8"

[el matador]

Rafa was criticised for a lack of girth, not width, and that was earlier in his career with us as he has compensated for that largely now.

[Frenchie]

With any luck someone on Twitter will soon claim we want to sign him.

Escher the SC Heerenveen left winger being lined up by Brendan Rodgers to add some perpetual motion to the flank...

[Redbug1]

:wave :

I think the magical word is PR. It is the way owners of teams in the NBA, NHL, MLB and NFL works.

The lack of ground work is a big worry IMO. We should have known that the only way we could get HM was to offer Shakhtar a few millions more than Dortmund offered and the player mega wages. Would have saved a lot of time if we had done the ground work better because we clearly wasn't prepared to outbid Dortmund and offer the player mega wages.

In the William case we should have known that our interest would leak and because of that our only chance to get him was to offer Anzi the kind of money Chelsea paid for him, at least the same wages. Offer Anzi that kind of money straight away and do a VERY quick deal.

It is very naive to think that agents or the club we are dealing with won't leak anything. They will if we start making low bids.

Arn, was a condition of your unbanning the slight decreasing of the font size of "stop the cyber hate"? it should have been!!

[Fierce]

You can do a deal quickly without any leaks if you offer enough money. The Willian deal is one example.

The opening bid sets the floor but if you offer enough money in the opening bid then it is much bigger chance that the player will put pressure on the club to accept it. The player really can't do that if the bid isn't high enough.

What possible benefit does a selling club get from accepting the first offer put on the table in secret?

[Arn]

Arn, was a condition of your unbanning the slight decreasing of the font size of "stop the cyber hate"?

No but I get the point

[Imy]

Rafa was criticised for a lack of girth, not width, and that was earlier in his career with us as he has compensated for that largely now.

very good

[Arn]

What possible benefit does a selling club get from accepting the first offer put on the table in secret?

Depends on how big the bid is. If a club show that they are prepared to let a player leave for a fair price then other players will see that and make the club more attractive in the future.

I doubt that a player will move to a club that show that you more or less don't have any chance to leave it the player for some reason want a move.

The club want to have the power but to much of it and it will make it almost impossible to sign top class players if you don't offer them fantasy wages.

More power to the players and it get easier to sign them.

Fine balance between to much power or to little power.

[Neil Young]

It's incredible. Nested fantasies unto infinity, each more intricate, delicate and insubstantial than the one enclosing it.

It's beautiful in a way.

Ok, so that way is ugly, nonsensical and idiotic but ugliness, nonsense and idiocy raised to the level of Art has a certain perverse and ridiculous beauty.