Manchester City - The Project

Pre Season 2015

• Most managers favourite, the 4-2-3-1
• Inside forwards & trequertista to lead the line
• Advanced playmaker supporting the forwards
• Two deep lying playmakers, defend & support
• Automatic fullbacks providing attacking prowess & also their defending duties
• Two ball playing centre backs, perfect for the way i want this team to play
• Going to mainly play on an attacking menatality whilst being flexible

• A friend of mine suggested this formation and going to try it out & see how it goes
• Not sure of the false nine position, best bets at the moment would be Sterling, Silva or KDB, will have to train them in the position in the long run though
• Ideal tactic to control games with the extra man in midfield being the ball winning midfielder to give some cover to the centre backs
• Again, two deep lying playmakers
• False nine to drop off and give another option to pick the ball up from deep
• Trequertista & the complete forward giving me extra strength & goal threat up top
• Hopefully works well & will be trying this out in pre season, see how it goes

• Very strong looking squad
• Will be looking to see what young Patrick Roberts & Bruno Zuculini are made of in pre season
• Brandon Barker, Kelechi Iheanacho & Manu Garcia to be drafted in for pre season & Cup games
• Main aim to develop youth & bring the average age of the squad down
• Have a few transfer targets in mind but wont be signing anyone until next season, give the youngsters a chance to prove themselves before i make any drastic changes

• Mixed bag of results really, first game was a distaster, even though i fielded some youngsters we really didn't perform. Probably because fitness & match sharpness wasnt any were near
• 7 goals in 5 games isnt that bad for pre season but let in a few which is a worry & will be adressed, even if it means a tactic tweak or two. hate conceding that amount of goals even if i did score. Like to keep it tight at the back.
• Porto provided a stern test, but in reality we dominated the game with controlled possession & a clinical finish.

• Fernandinho the latest to be stuck with the injury bug. 3-4 weeks with Tendonitits in his achilles. Shame really because he was playing well up until that point.
• Fabian Delph still out for the next month or so with a hamstring problem, will try and get him back, could do with his energy & dynanism in midfield
• Apart from that, pretty much a fully fit squad for the start of the season which is good

• Then they came back with another offer...... They must really want to sign him

• Quite alot of money for what most people would think is an average player but i really think he could be an asset to me in my midfield and will need players of his type in the squad, so i kindly declined to do business. I hope this turns out to be a good decision

• I did say i wouldnt be making any transfers in my earlier post, but this opportunity just couldnt pass me by, at 18 years old he has the potential to be a world class player with the right management
• At 10 million pounds i think that is a bargain, his first game brought a goal and an assist in what was a MOTM performance, he didnt even start
• The language could be an issue but hopefully he learns english fairly quickly
• Another option up top & he can also play on either wing if i wanted to change things up
• All in all i think he is a very good young player with bags of potential

• Mixed bag of results but the match sharpness & fitness is what matters to me in pre season really
• Tactics are growing on the players & look more comfortable with the current tactics being played
• Couple of injurys but mostly a fully fit squad
• Stand out performer is Yaya Toure
• Stand out young player is (surprisingly) Bruno Zuculini
• All in all i think we are ready for the new season, with the first game away at Newcastle, not the easiest of starts but easier than it could have been

2016-01-23 02:56#225146 Griffo : Definitely sell Fernando with that offer, I play without transfers in the first window but found him of little use during my season.

2016-01-24 21:37#225230 Spajkowy : I like this career and your the manner of presentation. Good luck and try sign more english players like Grealish or Lewis Cook or Ward-Prowse.

August 2015

• Great start to the season for the boys
• Wins against Liverpool & Arsenal gets us off to a flyer with Newcastle & West Brom fallinng foul to a City side determined to get ther season of to a flyer
• Kevin De Bruyne was the hero as he came off the bench to turn the game against Liverpool in our favour, Sergio grabbing our second
• The Baggies & newcastle provide good games but still second best to us, who at times played some scintitllating football goals from Gabriel Barbosa & Yaya Toure at St James's Park, Mangala & Nasri scoring for City at The Hawthorns while Salamon Rondon replied for West Brom, who played well themselves
• What a game against Arsenal even though we made it hard for ourselves (wouldn't be City if we didnt) 3-2 it ended with goals from Sergio (who missed a penalty at 2-2), KDB & Kompany with a bullet headrer from a Silva corner that win the game for City. A Cazorla penalty & wonder strike from Mesut Ozil provided consolation for Arsene Wengers team

• Great start for us, as we set the pace in the league with 4 wins from 4, brilliant from the boys
• Spurs, Arsenal & United make up the top 4

• City handed a tough PSG side in the group stage which will no doubt test my squad off their abilities in a two game clash against the French champions
• Dynamo Liev make up the 3rd seed team with long haul travelling for us to come going to Ukraine, which wont be easy but thats what the Champions League is all about
• Macabi Tel Aviv occupy the 4th spot in the group as surprise entrants into the competition

• Selhurst Park the venue as we go to face Crystal Palace in the 3rd round
• The Board deem this competition as not important, but i want to win it, they all count towards the trophy cabinet
• Will definatly be throwing a few youngsters in, then i will find out if they can cope with top level football & they need game time to improve. Palace never an easy place to play football