03 Aug 2022 16:41:14
Ed01 can I ask what you think of Koulibaly as a player? He's been rated very highly by a lot of people, but I don't know too much about him, so I would like to ask your opinion, if you don't mind? :)

Also, do you know anything about the young gentleman we signed yesterday from Villa? He, too, is a player, that I don't know too much about!

{Ed001's Note - Koulibaly is a very good defender, but he can be inconsistent because he is highly reliant on physicality. Rather than being positionally solid, he is someone who gets right into the face of a forward and looks to take them on. When he is at it and on fire, he is like a brick wall. Unfortunately, there are times when he is not quite at it, for whatever reason, and then he can be made to look a bit foolish as he takes risks with his challenges. In Serie A, it was rare that a forward could come close to matching up with him, in the Prem there are a few that can make it difficult for him. A lot is going to be down to Silva to talk him through, to get him positioned better, a bit like Evans does with the Leicester defenders, none of whom have a clue without him. And yes I am including Fofana in that, he was carried by Saliba in France and is not that good. Koulibaly is good but he is getting older and picks up some injuries which can mean you probably can't expect him to carry on for more than a couple of years as a stop-gap before he starts to decline noticeably. With him relying on pace and power, that is the issue with him that I see, it does seem a short-term buy, which is fine if you were keeping the youngsters to learn from him and Silva. However you seem to be looking to move them on, which I really do not understand.

As for the kid from Villa, I will just call him Chucky as I don't want to butcher the spelling of his name and can't be bothered to look it up right now! He is a very good player but I don't see why you need him. It seems to be an unnecessary buy, with money that could have been better spent elsewhere right now. Added to that, his choice to move from a team where he would have played regularly to join a team where he is likely to be, at best, on the fringes, seems to be about money rather than advancing his career. I always think that players motivated by that seem to lose their way very early - the Balotellis etc - because they quickly get lots of money and so lose their motivation. If he can stay motivated and get regular first team football, he is a very good player, but I just don't see how he and Gallagher and Mount fit in one side. Mount needs to be looking to drop deeper now, as he clearly isn't a winger or striker, and Gallagher has shown he is ready to play, but I can't see how you can fit all three along with Kante in Tuchel's system. You have 3 youngsters there that need to be playing as often as possible, but Tuchel is not known for taking risks, so I fear something will have to give. The lad is a player though, so I can see why you signed him, I just fear he is just another one to be loaned out and loaned out until he is sold purely to make a profit, rather than someone bought for the first team. If he is for the first team, what does it mean for Gallagher? That lad has earnt a shot in the team if anyone has!}

1.) 03 Aug 2022
03 Aug 2022 17:54:32
Brilliant summary Ed. I also think buying the new kid was not necessary at all. Especially now that we need to strengthen our forward position.

2.) 03 Aug 2022
03 Aug 2022 18:20:20
Thanks Ed, very informative. I do worry about Mount dropping into a a deeper role in midfield: he tends to get overrun in that position.

{Ed001's Note - he needs to learn it sooner rather than later for me. It just takes a bit of mental adjustment.}

3.) 03 Aug 2022
03 Aug 2022 20:19:50
Thanks for your reply, Ed. Much appreciated!

{Ed001's Note - very welcome Emil.}

4.) 03 Aug 2022
03 Aug 2022 20:20:44
Sorry but Saliba is not better than Fofana. Most over rated youngster in the world and I can’t wait to see it be proved.

5.) 04 Aug 2022
03 Aug 2022 18:03:02
Ed02 has already stated that Chukwuemeka was purchased as a alternative to Tchoumeni who we were unable to obtain and will be eased into the first team slowly. Obviously the club see a future for the lad and it seems they must rate him pretty highly. With Kante and Jorginho’s contracts coming to and end I can see either one or both of them leaving the club either this summer or the next. That’s two starting positions in midfield opening up for youngsters to step into. I expect Mount and Gallagher both to get plenty of game time this season and hopefully cement themselves into the starting 11 for years to come. The futures looking pretty bright in my eyes.

6.) 04 Aug 2022
03 Aug 2022 21:23:50
Good stuff as always Ed! As a follow up, what is your opinion of Cucurella and how do you see him fit in the squad?

{Ed001's Note - I absolutely love Cucurella as a player. He was probably the best left-sided player in Europe last season. Particularly good at wing-back. He would make an excellent replacement for Chilwell or to play left-side of a back 3 behind him, if he is given the freedom to get forward still. I was saying about him all last season and did say he would be perfect for City. He excels on the ball and would fit into any team that wants to play a passing game.}

7.) 04 Aug 2022
04 Aug 2022 07:45:18
I was contemplating asking about Cucurella, but figured I wouldn't push it too much - but nice to see that you think highly of him - so do I ;)
And of course you'd answer about him as well, I just didn't want to be too pushy ;)

8.) 04 Aug 2022
04 Aug 2022 07:48:30
hahaha no worries Emil ask away.