Kyle Walker Sold £50m

Walker will be a bit closer to his home parish (if you believe that part) .
Definitely more wages, and perhaps a chance to win the big silverware
with Citeh than at Spurs (though if the past 3 seasons are anything to go
by - good luck with that) .

Other than that, would be good to know whether the FA Cup SF tantrum
actually escalated into something far more serious/irreparable.

 

3 at the back and Lamela in front? There are other options should Trippier be crocked. Looking for replicas of missing players is not always the game, we have a number of versatile midfielder/defenders and many options of playing in different ways.
MP's use of Son as a wing back didn't work in the semi final, but it shows how flexible he is prepared to be.

 

In emergency, Dier can also cover RB. We'd lose the WB element but it's an option.

 

I know **** about the LA Galaxy. But all North American sports have a salary cap and don't have relegation. The system works fairly well in the sense that most leagues give every team a chance to win, with the differentiating factor being how well the front office plays moneyball. Of course, there are always teams which are at least somewhat richer even given this system. How uneven the wealth distribution is varies from league to league. As a system on the face of it it works much better than football's lack of a system to ensure a level playing field. But North American leagues have a monopoly on their sports, unlike any football league, except for MLS. So I don't see how a salary cap is practical. If the EPL agreed to one, it would effectively make itself a minor league, like MLS. Ideally, it would be possible to make a worldwide agreement, but I can't see either the Reals agreeing to it, or ambitious new leagues, like China's, being content with a much smaller share of the pie.

 

An interesting assessment of Kyle Walker v Kieran Trippier by a former Citeh coach. His final comments regarding Kyle and United's Valencia being brilliant at getting to the end of the pitch at top speed to find the penalty area full of bodies and Kieran Trippier getting the ball in 15 to 20 yards earlier is spot on.

http://www.football.london/tottenham-hotspur-fc/transfer-news/former-man-city-coach-says-13360316

For all Kyle's talents, we didn't score that many goals from his attacking. I recall watching Phil Neville doing a piece on Trippier's game against Watford. He said that Harry Kane knows where Trippier's going to put the ball, so do Son and Dele. It's going where it will bring about the best chance of a goal as soon as possible. That kind of appreciation is a rare talent. I wonder who'll be first choice for England at the World Cup? It could be a close run thing.

 

It is disingenuous to say that a player without a decent delivery doesn't, despite this, manage to create numerous goals. What Kyle lacked in crossing ability, he amply made up for with pace and power, keeping defences on the back foot and stretching the play to give Kane and Alli more space and time in the box. I'm a big fan of Trippier's having changed my opinion of him the more I saw him last season, but he offers neither of these attributes and so relies on crossing to create those chances. And until I have seen him doing it on a regular basis against teams better than Watford and Hull, I refuse to believe that he 'offers more' than Kyle going forward. I also refuse to believe that he offers more defensively too, and will do so until I have seen him - like Kyle did last season - spend 90 minutes introducing the likes of Hazard, Sanchez and De Bruyne to the inside lining of his pockets.

If I've said it once I've said it a dozen times: Kieran doesn't hold a candle to what Kyle achieved here. We need a proper replacement at RB.

As always, perhaps even more so than always, I would love to be proven wrong.

 

It's often difficult to judge the effectiveness of one player in isolation.
Walker's stock has risen as Spurs have improved significantly as a team.
He has benefited from having two top quality centre backs playing together with either Dier alongside them or just in front in a defensive midfield role.
This has enabled both full backs to play as wing backs and push forward at the same time.
Walker's athleticism makes him ideally suited to this role in this formation.
When he played in a back four and was often isolated as the last defender, he was found wanting.
As this latter scenario is more likely to be the one he faces at City, time will tell whether he has become a much more accomplished defender or whether he is just a powerful running wing back.

 

I cannot but find myself wishing him well after the effort he has put into the team, but I fear you may be right. He'll either be shackled in a role he isn't suited to or up field and isolating an already poor defence. If they go 3 at the back (and buy 2 more defenders) it'll work out.

 

I am ok with that providing when this scenario occurs and Citeh are getting
turned over, the Citeh plastics vent their anger at Pep the messiah and not Walker.

 

Seeing as City have been caught allegedly tapping up yet another player, how likely is it that they did the same with Walker?
They knew that they needed new fullbacks quite a while ago, having now got shot of all four, so they had plenty of time.
Could explain his sudden, unexpected fall from Pochettino's graces, couldn't it?

 

Walker played today in his first Manchester Derby, of sorts, as the two sides met in the International Champions Cup.
His side lost 2-0, as Ederson did his finest Claudio Bravo impression:
https://www.clippituser.tv/c/xybxmg
Then City's defence looked it's usual self, while Walker took it out on the post:
https://www.clippituser.tv/c/qdvxrv

Only a friendly, of course. Doesn't mean anything.

 

Funnily enough there's plenty of people wondering when the best of Stones, Otamendi, Mangala and Fernandinho will come - and I'm sure he'll be asking the same question, since he was on the pitch with all four of them...

 

Do you think :

1. Walker will give Citeh fine details about Pochettinos' player
fitness regime

2. Pep will give a damn even if Walker does

 

Right back isn't he. Someone is going to be less than happy, maybe both

 

Walker will be good to fill the HG quota if Danilo settles quick, good cover if not.
TBF Walker will be the starting player because Danilo was quite poor for Madrid and should only be cover.

 

He's left Madrid because he didn't want to sit on the bench.
So what's he going to do at City? Play ahead of a £50M signing?

 

He can play both right and left back so should get plenty of game time even if he's not first choice.

 

Well tbf, £27M + English tax + Rival tax probably ends up at £50M so basically the same. I suppose it will come down to who can follow Peps order best.

 

My money is on the player who can speak Spanish best.