I think that it's hard for an academy player to break into the first team at all nowadays. A lot of it depends on impressing on loan and ours have been extremely poor overall. Skipp demonstrated exactly how valuable a good one can be for a career. Tanganga might benefit from a good one next season, especially if he can avoid injuries. As you suggest, an academy coach with an overall philosophy would probably help a lot. There would be no point in bringing through a solid fullback or an attacking midfielder at the moment, for example. Scarlett should be fine as backup for Kane system-wise, but he's nowhere near good enough right now.
This is where raw data doesn't always tell the whole story. 1. Conte does not have the players he requires to play the system he wants. 2. Conte had to change the style of play and the players fitness levels during the season whereas Nuno had a close season to bed in his ideas. 3. Nunos games were: City, Wolves, Watford, Palace, Chelsea, Arsenal, Villa, West Ham, United and Newcastle. Wolves and Newcastle weren't winning against anyone at the time and we were humiliated by Palace, Arsenal, Chelsea and United...scoring just once and conceding 3 in each game. 4. Under Nuno we were near unwatchable imho. I accept this is an issue of personal taste but no way would I pay to watch that type of football. Tbh I didn't really watch us on TV cos is was so tedious. Only this place kept my interest in spurs going tbh! 5. Under Conte our style of football has generally improved .... the number of goals scored, the rise in the in the chances created (up from 9 - 10 per game to 13 - 14) and the enjoyment I now get watching the majority of our games all show this. Hopefully a full pre season and some good transfer business under Conte and Co will keep us improving. Although I would love a trophy and to see us in the CL, I can can accept these may or may not happen but I can not and will not pay to watch the turgid dross served up by JM and Nuno.
The "season compass" compares (at fine granularity) the performance of the team one season against the season before. Given that you seem to need at least two full seasons' of PL results from a manager even to have statistically "robust" derived measures, a multi-manager season tells you nothing significant.
Spurs are very inconsistent. From being quite turgid and creating little to being freescoring and then back again. Arsenal and inconsistent too. But at least you know your team have it in them to play well and get results on their day - even if that is currently 3 days out of every 5 or 6. Utd are just consistently bad. Conte’s challenge - which is the same for all managers vying for the top places - is to make those days 5 or 6 times out of 6. Klopp and Guardiola only managed it when they had a squad of sufficient depth and quality to enable two or three players in the team to be changed every game yet still play the same style, formation and tactics and produce an end result. Conte knows what it takes.
Yes, I know, but Nuno had a harder set of fixtures. We only got nine points from them last year. But I also agree with @The RDBD that the data isn't significant yet. Which was actually my point all along ..
Ah, but apparently we're supposed to settle for that because of the memes that the bloke responsible for the dross supplied...
I was wondering anyone else think that Klopp had a plan B yesterday? Origi for Keita looked like a change of shape to me and it changed the game and they won!
Everton were just trying to play on the break, so he didn't need both Keita and Fabinho. He changed shape, got the goal, then replaced Jota with Henderson to solidify things again. Shouldn't have been in a position to do so, of course, as Mane should've gone.
Which is what we should have done against Brighton. Bring on Lucas for Reggie and if we score , then replace Kulu with Sanchez. Both Brighton and Brentford were closing the middle; we should go 4,4,2 and if it works and we score, then go back to 5 at the back.
This is why the lack of another striker is annoying. Lucas and Bergwijn aren’t strikers and sometimes you need an Origi type who can come on and make a difference.
I was baffled by taking off sess and bringing on Sanchez, when we needed a goal. I understand that this pushed up Davies to LWV but surely we didn’t need 3 CBs. Should have at least put winks on in place of sess, in an attempt to get control of the midfield.
I’d say he’s probably the second best super-sub in Prem history after Solskjaer. Scored some massive goals for Pool despite very, very rarely starting or even appearing for them. The importance of impact subs like that is huge.
Even if they don't make a tangible difference in terms of actual goals, having that option from the bench is worth its weight in gold. Llorente's actual record for us was paltry, yet he played a key role in our journey to the CL final and the few goals he did score tended to be crucial. Even when he didn't score, his aerial ability and strength gave us a totally different dimension and the opposition a lot to think about. Should they man mark him? Should they double mark the runners his flick-ons were aimed for? How should they then deal with the pockets of space either of these options create? Should they be extra cautious not to concede corners or free kicks in dangerous areas due to the new aerial threat, or continue playing the same? That's what I miss - subs that ask questions of tired legs. Currently all of our subs bar none are essentially like-for-like poorer mimics of what's already out on the pitch. Most teams who have sussed out how to deal with Son will almost certainly be fine dealing with Bergwijn or Lucas. There's not enough variety in some areas and too much variety in others (I'm looking at the right flank as I type that). It's a patchwork squad built by 4 different managers over just 3 years, and it shows.
You meant to say Jermain Defoe, of course. Now go and sit on the naughty step and think about what you've done.
I was at Brentford on Saturday. Not sure what to make of the new ground, the unusual shape upsets my OCD and preference for symmetry. Anyway, I overheard someone saying that the capacity of this new stadium is less than the capacity of our new south stand !!
Decent player is probably the perfect summary for him. I’d take the £30m you lot are supposedly planning on offering though.
