The 7

Last seasons title 'fight' was basically whoever bottled it the least, tbf.

Last season was a joke title race. I'm talking about City's first title win.

TBH, City have turned all the warriors in their team into Mercenaries. Overpaid and passionless. Aguero has some passion left in him, but i reckon he'll be looking for a way out, quite soon.

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Sanchez has exceptional mental strength. The lad is a winner and it shows in his play. He wouldn't look out of place in any top European side.

Apart from him, that really is it.

Wouldn't say fabregas is a born winner. He usually goes missing in big games.

Wouldn't say fabregas is a born winner. He usually goes missing in big games.

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Say what you want about him, but by the end of his career I expect him to have won medals for PL title, FA Cup winner, La Liga title, Copa Del Rey winner, CL winner, Super Cup winner, Club world championship winner, World Cup winner, European Championship winner.

He's only two away from that list now. I'm sure that will do it for being a player who doesn't turn up in big matches.

There is an alternative to these 'fighters' however. Your Lahms, Azpilicuetas even Gary Neville ffs. We don't seem to get them either.

I'd say Gibbs is our closest.

There is an alternative to these 'fighters' however. Your Lahms, Azpilicuetas even Gary Neville ffs. We don't seem to get them either.

I'd say Gibbs is our closest.

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Agreed having a '7' isn't an absolute requirement for a title winning team. United two years ago didn't have a seven, come to think of it, I'm not really sure how they did it. Fergie black magic perhaps.

You can get away with just world class talent that is completely committed to the cause, who are tactically astute and focused on winning more so than anything else. The Barca team which is perhaps the best team of all time didn't have a seven, they just had pure talent.

It just seems it can really help to have a team that is full of these kinds of players/personalities that fit into the idea of a '7'. And boy are we lacking them currently.

I'm with DJ on this one.

The trouble with these arguments is that anytime someone wins something, people then retrospectively claim that they had great mental strength, regardless of the viewpoint beforehand.
It pretty much makes for an unfalsifiable argument .

For years, it was claimed Spain wouldn't win international tournaments because they lacked grit, desire, mental strength etc.....then they won things, and suddenly they appeared to have a team filled with ample fight and determination.

The Brazil team that won the World Cup had very little in the way 'fighters'. Their front-three - which tore teams apart - consisted of Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, and Rivaldo - all world-class players, but none of them 'fighters'. Players like Cafu, Roberto Carlos, Lucio, and Gilberto were all great, but I wouldn't consider any of them to be particularly aggressive or tenacious.

Guardiola's Barcelona team was hardly filled with players willing to die on the pitch, but they passed teams off the park en route to winning pretty much every trophy available to them.

Of course, having players with great work-rate, determination, tenacity etc can help, but I don't see how someone can come up with an arbitrary figure regarding a very broad subject, and claim that specfic number is a prerequisite.

Sanchez
Koscielny
Debuchy
Gibbs
Coquelin
Sanogo
Wilshere
Ramsey
Szczesny
Ox

Some of them are borderline but once players win big trophies you see them grow in stature, nobody said Terry, Lampard, Drogba etc were winners and fighters until they won things. And it's similar to talking about the quality of our squad, it doesn't really matter when half of them are out injured.