Blue Moon

[Ruggy]

Manchester City appoint Matthew Bethell




Manchester City Football Club is delighted to announce the appointment of Matthew Bethell as first-team manager.

The 30-year-old joins after departing the Belgian First Division’s Club Brugge where he spent three years. He joined Club Brugge back in 2019 as head coach and went onto win two league titles and one domestic cup during his time in Belgium.

During his first full season, Matthew managed to complete an overhaul of the squad at Club Brugge by reducing the wage budget and drastically reducing the average age of the squad. The Belgian press were full of praise for his development at Brugge and now he has returned to England to try and reignite the flame at Manchester City.

“Manchester City Football Club is a massive club in England and it is an honour to be appointed first-team manager,” said Bethell. “I’m excited by the challenge ahead and I can't wait to improve the squad over the next few years.

“I’m looking forward to getting to work with the players and creating a positive, winning mentality for our fan base."

“I’ve been impressed by the Board’s vision for the club which aligns with my own and I look forward to playing my part as we enter an important season, which I see as a transitional period because the roster is the worst in the league at the moment and everyone needs to be patient.”

Manchester City FC Chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak said: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Matthew to Manchester City Football Club.

“Matthew is a proven leader and I’ve been very impressed with his ideas for the Football Club, his appetite to succeed and his focus on leading the Club back to the Premier League.

“Matthew has shown impressive credentials in previous job roles and we’ve been excited by his philosophy, approach and ambition for the Club. All of us in the backroom staff are delighted with our choice of manager and we wish him the best of luck next season.”

[Ruggy]

Manchester City - Squad Plans




Manchester City Football Club plan to make huge changes to the first-team roster as Matthew looks to do a complete overhaul to make the team more competitive after poor management.

Goalkeepers
J_Hart 32 eng 30 2 2 2 33 323 624 624 624
A_Areola 28 fra 30 1 1 1 27 349 300 300 300
L_McGee 24 eng 21 2 1 1 18 546 570 570 570

Joe Hart's tenure as Manchester City's number one is set to come to an end as Bethell has already told the former England international that he is free to talk to other clubs. Hart has declined rapidly over the past few years and the new manager believes it's time to trust someone else with the number one shirt. Alphonse Areola will likely be rotational as the new manager hopes to sign a new goalkeeper. Alphonse is just entering his prime years and if he can prove his worth then could end up between the sticks. McGee will likely remain at the club as third option.

Defenders
R_Yates 24 eng 1 28 11 3 22 300 431 22 360
B_Mendy 27 fra 2 26 10 3 26 300 98 647 363
C_Dummigan 23 nir 2 26 3 2 16 570 571 931 960
D_Boyata 30 eng 3 25 3 2 33 300 405 950 365
B_Galloway 23 eng 2 25 4 3 16 570 576 971 355
M_Navarro 25 spa 1 25 8 3 23 300 199 9 420
D_Alaba 27 aut 2 24 2 3 25 350 493 921 757
Bernado 25 bra 1 24 10 2 23 300 738 527 344
J_Okore 28 den 1 23 5 3 25 300 854 392 338

Yates could be the only player that remains within the Manchester City defence as Matthew has made the other defenders available for transfer. It is reported that Dedryck Boyata has already agreed a transfer away from the club and it won't be long until the likes of Jores Okore, Bernardo, David Alaba and Brendan Galloway follow suit of the Belgian International. Benjamin Mendy has been labelled at 4/7 by the bookies to stay at the club despite interest from French side Olympique Lyonnais.

Midfielders
S_McTominay 24 sco 1 10 29 6 27 300 414 351 357
L_Messi 33 arg 2 2 27 12 25 300 449 123 943
P_Roberts 24 eng 2 3 27 10 25 300 307 761 337
B_Diaz 20 spa 2 3 26 6 21 300 856 507 329
D_Silva 33 spa 3 1 26 11 24 624 217 380 38
G_Nkoudou 25 fra 2 3 26 7 22 300 647 356 713
S_Forte 22 eng 2 5 26 3 29 570 859 200 950
F_Nmecha 19 eng 2 2 25 2 19 300 974 978 663
O_Mabaya 19 eng 1 10 25 4 24 300 523 737 387
S_Diallo 20 eng 2 5 26 2 23 300 335 192 613

The new manager has already told the official website that Scott McTominay has really impressed him in the Manchester City midfield, but needs more talented players around him. Patrick Roberts might also be staying at the club, the young Englishman could be used in a rotational system if new players come through the door.

Once the greatest player in the world, Lionel Messi has gone past peak age now and slowly declines. Despite being a fan favourite, Matthew is open to selling Messi to instil fresh blood into the Sky Blues midfield. David Silva is also in the same boat as he also reaches 33 years old. A club legend but changes need to be made.

Finally the youth prospects, Forte has already agreed a transfer away from the club, reportedly around £27 million pounds. Diaz could continue his development here as he shows promise to the new manager, alongside Nmecha and Mabaya. Nkoudou and Diallo look set to leave the club despite having two years left on their current deals.

Forwards
A_Griezmann 29 fra 2 2 4 28 23 300 346 361 981
O_Edouard 23 fra 1 2 5 27 24 300 328 345 630
E_Cavani 33 uru 1 1 3 26 24 300 663 753 781
Maxi_Gomez 24 uru 1 3 9 25 22 300 406 548 204
L_Gonzalez 19 swi 2 2 4 25 17 300 611 280 482
T_Ambrose 22 fra 2 2 3 25 20 300 550 896 245
C_O'Hare 21 eng 2 2 4 25 19 300 641 44 416

A decent French partnership of Antoine Griezmann and Odsonne Edouard lead the line for Manchester City, but both players have considered their options with other teams and it is reported that the player's agents have been in contact with clubs outside of England. Griezmann would like to return to the Spanish capital, whilst Odsonne Edouard has ambitions to return to France.

Edinson Cavani and Maxi Gomez are both set to leave the club after a one-to-one meeting with the gaffer led to dissatisfaction about their roles moving forward. Matthew believes Edinson is past his best, whilst Maxi Gomez is not technically good enough to be playing at this level. Something against Uruguayans, maybe?

Gonzalez will likely stay at the club to see his progress and act as a reserve, whilst Callum O'Hare could also do the same. Thierry Ambrose has already agreed a transfer down South to Bournemouth. Manchester City and Bournemouth came to an agreement this afternoon for the young Frenchman, he will leave the club for £22 million pounds and is hoping for more involvement in Bournemouth's U23 side.

[Ruggy]

Manchester City - First Three




Manchester City will play matchday one in front of home supporters, before travelling to the Midlands for two away ties.

Manchester_City - Derby_County
First game of the season is against League Cup runners up Derby County. Derby County will be favourites in this one as their roster scores 449 on total overall stats in a 532 format. Manchester City score 421 on total stats, but the home advantage should cause the Rams some issues on their travels.

Stoke_City - Manchester_City
Stoke City will be hoping to go on step further this season after defeat in the Division One Playoff Final. Stoke City score 468 on overall stats in a 532 format, which is +47 higher than Manchester City. Home bonus should cause real problems for the Sky Blues.

Wolverhampton_Wanderers - Manchester_City
Out of the three teams, Wolverhampton Wanderers sit as the weakest by -4 with overall data of 445 in the standard 532 formation. Wolves should have the advantage with the home bonus and it proves to be another difficult task for the away side.

[Ruggy]

Gabriel Grando: Manchester City confirm signing of Gremio goalkeeper in £170m deal



Manchester City have announced the signing of Gabriel Grando from Gremio in a deal worth £170m. City have paid over the odds for the 23-year old Brazilian, but Matthew feels that the signing makes a huge statement in terms of club progression.

Code: Select all

G_Grando 23 bra 34 1 1 1 23 300 300 300 300

Director of football Txiki Begiristain added: "We have been monitoring Gabriel for several years now, so we are delighted to bring him here to Manchester City.

"He is a huge talent and has been one of the best goalkeepers in South America over the last few seasons. His saves per 90 rate is exceptional and his performances at Gremio and in the Copa Libertadores in particular have proved he can succeed at the highest level.

"Gabriel has everything we want in a goalkeeper and we are certain he will excel in this squad and this system.

"His rise in South America has been remarkable, but he is still only 23. His best years are ahead of him and we are confident he can get even better working with Matthew.

"This is a very exciting signing for our club, and I am sure our fans will enjoy watching Gabriel contribute to potential successes under our new manager."