I can see Higuain going to Chelsea or City, his wages will be crazily high and he'll want guaranteed CL football. Spurfectionist yeah im expecting Huddlestone's afro to be absolutely enormous, him and Benny will make quite a sight when they play together on the pitch next year. He can't afford to lose any more speed to wind resistance though, he's already not exactly speedy
I've always compare him to Ballack rather than, say, Sandro or Parker - he's got a decent shot on him and has an aerial threat, both of which will be handy. If we want to play 4-2-3-1, he'd slot in alongside Parker/Sandro and do the hard work, but would also help out going forward so Parker/Sandro can keep guard in midfield.
Ballack was a more attacking mid and SK isn't really used in that way by Madrid or his country, he's one of two DM's. His decent shot got him 2 league goals, in a record breaking season of over 106 goals, 4 in all comps I think...you sure we're talking about the same bloke.
In that regard, two goals and two assists in 28 league games is a better return than Parker's 0 goals and two assists in 27. When he was with Stuttgart, he was used as a midfield dynamo - which saw a better return in terms of goals and assists.
I didn't compare him to Parker you did, fancy not knowing that when you use DM's one sits and one can push up, I said Sandro, who if given the same number of games would score a couple more imo. I can't comment on his time at Stuttgart, all I can say is, I don't see Mourinho as a dunce who hasn't spotted this, if it were the case he could do it in La Liga, and I don't see alot of difference in the mid/lower Bundesliga/LaLiga teams. He is good in the air, but it would seem only at winning headers in general open play, handy in itself but directing them accurately at goal is a different ball game...so to speak! , thats where we really need aerial ability...goals! his have tended to be shots. Big lump though, adds presence, strength and power, I'll give you that.
I have the feeling Spurs will bounce back from this stronger, somehow. A part of me isn't too concerned about either Bale or Modric leaving, since I think we'll be getting good money for them. The more important factors may be the continued ability to get top players relatively cheap, and the continued commitment to more success. Since I don't see those two changing, I'm not worried about individual players going. I may be one of the few who isn't the biggest fan of Modric. Aside from the distraction he was last year, I wish some times he'd dial it back a notch and help keep possession. He's a brilliant player, but a little too much of a high wire act for me. VDV reacts to pressure better, I think. If it weren't for fitness issues, he might be worth a try as the team's playmaker. But I just don't think he'd hold up for a season.
I've often thought it would be worth dropping VdV back and putting Kranjcar in the VdV role. I think that could work as a plan B or if Modders needed a rest. Kranjcar's lack of pace won't matter as VdV has no pace anyway. VdV is crafty enough to not have his lack of pace (compared to Modders) exposed when in the Modders role.
To be frank, a few papers linking a couple of our players with moves elsewhere isn't as bad as it can get - look at Villa. The entire first team from the 2010 Carling Cup final has since left the club, and from the entire matchday squad only Fabian Delph and Nathan Delfouneso are still at the club. That's not going to happen to us anytime soon as we've kept within our budget and wage structure and grown within it to be where we are now, rather than gambling on CL qualification with wages that reflect the gamble (which can be blamed on a M. O'Neill Esq.), and if anything are looking at improving the squad by shipping out some deadwood on high wages like Bentley et al and bringing in someone younger, better, and who can grow within our wage structure rather than being right at the top of it immediately.
