You can never rely on having a full squad fully fit (one day someone will do the stats on how many games yer average PL/CB etc can expect to be out injured for in a season) . The WC summer has exacerbated this for Spurs, with not enough squad players fit enough to cover any fatigue in the Bel/Inger Spurs + playing enough pre-season games to competitively have a chance of fronting up to Spurs PL level as a starting XI. The starting XIs + benches will get progressively stronger as the weeks go on, hopefully while allowing the WC contingent to recover from mental/physical fatigue.
I said it last season. Llorente is the new Sissoko. Offers us nothing. Yet he gets a second season? If anyone deserved one it was Janssen just on work rate and link up play alone. I hope when Vinnie gets fit he’s given a few opportunities otherwise he’s just taking the pay check for nothing. I remember when Pav first came. He couldn’t get up to speed. When he got a chance he suddenly went on a rich run of form. Maybe just maybe VJ can do the same.
Sissoko at least offers us a Jamie O'Hara-type player to bring on late to shut out games (while costing two or three times what we should pay for that sort of player), Llorente basically offers us the nebulous "experience" that doesn't seem to be worth much if he never actually plays and (to my knowledge) he isn't mentoring any of the other strikers at the club
Should be an interesting team against Watford. Gazza Aurier Big Dave Dier Davies Amos Wanyama Winks Lamela Son Alli
I really hope Dier is rested. We massively overuse him and I think that’s partly why his form has been iffy this and some of last season. Think Foyth is fit now, sure I’ve seen him in recent training photos. If he’s not, I’d play Davies at CB with KWP on the left.
I completely agree. Sissoko is and always was a utility player and he's fulfilled that role fairly well. The only reason he's gotten so much stick is because of the ridiculous fee we paid for him and the fact it was last minute and stank of desperation. He has as much control over his own valuation as he does a football. But who Spurs buy is not his fault, and he's done a decent job when he's been called upon. Problem is, he lacks finesse and as Spurs fans, we demand that almost across the entire pitch, regardless of position. As for Llorente, I'm not sure why we decided to keep a slow, one dimensional 33 year old and ship out a 24 year old who just needs an arm around him, and the encouragement and backing to grow and develop. Baffles me.
Agree on Sissoko, he only gets stick because of his price tag. Lacks finesse as Spud says but his work rate both in attack and defence should be commended and acknowledged to be relatively useful. As for Llorente, I feel he's only been bad because we've not played to his strengths. He's an aerial target man yet we barely hit long balls to him, it's as if Poch wants/ wanted him to emulate Kane, which was just never going to happen. As for Janssen, works hard but he's not cut out for Premier League football in my opinion. Think I read he's injured until December/ January, maybe Poch can find space for him in the second half of the season as he's not registered in our Prem or CL squad but I doubt that'll happen, better off just cutting our losses when he's fit, anything from £7m-£10m would be decent.
Agree. Only picked him cause i thought Foyth was injured and couldn't think of an alternative. Davies and KWP is a good alternative
