I think Son will stick around but agree on Kane, it’s highly unlikely and no one could blame him. I think Sarr and Spence should be in the squad next season, the latter is why I’d sell Emerson too, 5 good games shouldn’t be enough to cloud the 20-30 awful ones, his purple patch was probably similar to Doherty’s, ultimately neither are/ were good enough. I also like Davies but mainly as a good squad player. If say you compare him to Vertonghen for the LCB role, there’s clear difference in quality in Vertonghen’s favour and that’s the calibre of player I think we need starting most weeks at the back. I do like Lenglet too though, he’s comfortably the best ball playing CB we have at the moment but like Davies is probably a level below what we need from a regular starter. Romero’s decision making pisses me off but from a talent perspective he is/ can be very good. I’m all for dark arts and ****housery but the yellows he picks up are largely needless, needs to cut that **** out, if you’re gonna pick up a yellow make sure it’s worthy of something.
I wonder if Romero is just as pissed off as us about the way the team are playing and he might change in a better balanced team.
Very possibly, although I do wonder what goes on in his head at times with certain things. He wouldn’t be the only player suffering from this style of football though. I don’t think one single player has improved or excelled under Conte/ Stellini.
I think (I hope) Kane's situation hinges on which manager we appoint. Either way I can't see him signing a new deal, nor should he, but if the manager we have lined up is one he sees promise in and is excited to work with, I can see him seeing out the rest of his contract and either leaving on a free or signing a new one at the end of next season if we've actually made solid progress. In a way, it'd actually be a very selfless strategy that we could benefit from if instead of Levy saying 'I'll pay you what you want, just sign', Kane turned round and said 'I don't want money, I want to see progress. Make it, and I'll sign.' As I've written elsewhere, us proactively selling him if he isn't downing tools and clamouring for the exit would be a typically stupid thing for us to do, at a time when already at least 4-5 first team players need upgrading, replacing or bedding in (GK, CCB, LCB, LWB and AM). Adding our best player to that list, unless he essentially forces a move/an eye-watering offer comes in, is madness imo, especially as we'd probably go and blow half the transfer fee on Adama Traore's great uncle.
I think Bentancur was the beating heart of this team until he was injured. Without him the lack of anything in the midfield was revealed.
We have always made expensive mistakes Bent for 16 million which in todays money would have been another 60 million transfer on the back of little evidence. Nothing new when it comes to football clubs buying ponies.
Maybe, although you could argue he was just a top player that brought his quality to the team. One of the few signings we’ve made in the last 5-6 years that’s been ridiculously good value for money.
Going back to CKs original intention for this thread, I am reappointing Poch I think he will be good for Romero and represents our best chance of keeping Kane. I would like us to play 4-2-3-1 Sign Oblak and Laporte to fill the 2 major holes in our team. Oblak Porro, Romero, Laporte, Regullion Bentancur, Bissouma Kulusevski, new Cam, Son Kane New cam One of Maddison, Eze, McAllister, or Beundia As for sales other than 8 current players I have listed I would keep Skipp, Davies, Sarr (though I would consider loaning him out), Spence and Danjuma. Everyone else is up for grabs.
I would hope that with the financial situation of the club now that we are in a position to just take what money we can get from the likes of Sanchez etc and move on once it’s clear they’re not going to settle as first team players after a couple of years. Hanging on in hope rather than expectation is not the move.
The obvious point going forward is that, unless a Kante regen falls into our laps, we need to accept we cannot play a two-man midfield as every member of our CM mountain has at least one flaw that needs another player to balance it out and that effectively has us needing to play a midfield three so we have that spare man This also means that we need to sign players who can perform in specific roles in that system, for example we need a ball-playing CB who can actually pass the f'n ball accompanying Romero at the back which we don't have (Sanchez's first touch is not good enough to be that, Dier's passing has always been too conservative) just as we need to look at what roles we need in the midfield three, as that requires - A player who can play at the base (Skipp is the best candidate at present) - A player who can move the ball quickly either by passing (Bentancur) or driving upfield (Bissouma) - A player who can support the other players whether we are attacking or defending (Hojbjerg & Sarr) (This also allows a mix-and-match approach, for example a three of Skipp, Bentancur Bissouma could be a thing if we're chasing games) Looking at it this way, this also reveals weak links, players that can be upgraded, or players who are surplus to requirements: Ndombele is rendered surplus to requirements by Bentancur & Bissouma both remaining, likewise Winksy is rendered surplus to requirements by Hojbjerg and Sarr - but we also start to see Hojbjerg as a player who could be improved upon, because while his determination and workrate do remain commendable it does have to be said the amount of football he's played for us in the past 2 1/2 years have been catching up with him lately and this has exposed some weaknesses in his game
i The last player we signed who strongly improved an already strong side was Victor Wanyama in 2016. I will die on this hill.
OUT: Levy Lewis ENIC Sanchez Lloris Lenglet (loan return) Tanganga Hojbjerg Lucas Danjuma (loan return) Lo Celso Ndombele Winks Rodon In: New ambitious owners New chairman New ideas New manager GK CB x 2 (maybe 3) CDM AM RWF LWF All pure fantasy, obviously.
Agree RE Kane, I wouldn’t sell for any price but if he pushes for the move the club might act. I won’t blame Kane if he does. Udogie will be our new LWB and that’s even assuming we play WBs next season. If we do switch to a back four then Reguilon’s return plus Davies gives us good enough options for LB along with Udogie who should be able to retrain to the role. Sign Lenglet on a permanent deal and bring in a first choice CB, then in a back four we should have decent enough depth with Romero, new CB, Lenglet and one of Dier or Tanganga. Maddison would be the ideal candidate for CAM and some reports even claim we want the deal and are front runners.
For a season he did. Then got crippled, unfortunately. Damn shame as he was excellent that debut season.
I still think it feels like we don’t do enough to actually force them out and I can’t help but feel we probably do still over-value “non-assets” which may reduce interest. The players themselves seem unbothered about forcing moves either, understandable to a degree because they likely won’t get the same pay elsewhere but equally frustrating seeing their lack of ambition by just accepting a bench role. Fans were criticised for the booing of Sanchez on the weekend and yes, morally it’s probably wrong, but that might just be enough to force Sanchez to seek a move and if it does, it’ll have proven more productive than anything the club’s tried doing with unwanted players over the last few years.
Exactly this, Levy is happy to spare no expense with the stadium, training centre and other infrastructure, but won`t do the same with the football operation. Why? well, property development and infrastructure is way less risk and way more profitable than success on the football pitch. Levy knows that he can still make huge profits without any silverware, all he has to do is keep the football team on the PL gravy train, any ventures into European qualification is seen as a welcome bonus. Financing a squad capable of being champions is high risk, Levy won`t do high risk even though he could if he wanted to, he is a businessman here to run a business, any sporting success is secondary. For the true fans of Spurs, ENIC`s time is up, their approach to running Spurs will not take us back to the very top, they will just keep us on the same roundabout year after year.
They can't take us back to the very top because we've been nowhere near the very top at any point in our history.
