LFC fan in peace - I get you guys wanting a top manager and I can't see why you can't get one. I'm unsure as to whether you guys need someone who is going to make a project of Spurs or if you need an experianced manager to help this seasons influx of players gel to become a team Also, how do you think you will do suggestions 2 AND 3? If you keep your best players, how will you fund proven additions to the squad. Top class prem proven players (or European proven players) cost at least £12-15m a piece - that's £45m with no European football and no outgoings. Arsenal could be in the same boat as you guys next season so they'll probably be competing for the same names you are and they have the pedigree and money to pick those players up (I think a season out of the CL will shock the crap out of them)
Well Sherwood is going in the summer it's been confirmed. So AVB gets sacked, Sherwood takes temporary charge, then is appointed for 18 months, which turns out to be 6 months! The new manager should travel light.
We will have to sell some players at first to fund new one's until the new stadium is opened,then the income from that should fund them,hopefully
For me, I think we have some very good players. Yes, we need to strengthen in a couple of areas, I.e. Top striker, new left back, but generally they've just been poorly managed and motivated. I am hoping ( although god knows why!) that our erstwhile chairman will actually find a decent manager this time. Surely, even with his abysmal track record, the law of averages says he can't **** it up every single time....I mean, surely???.......
Definitely experience is needed although you can have both experience and a project. There are plenty of managers in their late 40s and 50s who have a successful history and time on their side to make a project at Spurs. It's just a case of identifying who's available and experienced. As it stands it looks likely that we could get Van Gaal but that's always subject to other clubs entering the market. If Wenger goes I think it will send the whole market into a spin so I'm really hoping that doesn't happen(I think winning the FA Cup should save him). Another move that I'm expecting is Low leaving Germany, regardless of the World Cup result and Klopp replacing him. Low would represent a very interesting gamble, he ticks all the boxes in terms of playing style and ability but he doesn't have the club level experience, at a high level at least. There were funds available last summer. Paulinho was signed with the expectation that Bale was staying and we were bidding for both Willian and Lamela when it became clear Bale was leaving. After we missed out on Willian we bought Eriksen for about £20mill less. I expect the money's there, around £15-20mill to spend if we need to. I agree that I don't think we'll have a £40mill net spend(or even close) but I don't think we need that kind of spend either, especially if we sell a player at a premium. Talking of selling players, unfortunately it all depends on whether the big money clubs are going to stump up. Levy's not the type to be bullied into selling well below a fee that he sees as acceptable and I think that'll be the case with Vertonghen, Lloris and who ever else attracts bids in the summer. At the moment no one can predict how high the likes of PSG will bid but if Levy's past is anything to go by I expect Lloris and Vertonghen will be valued at £25-30mill by Levy and I don't see either of them leaving for less than £20mill.
Just as long as our DoF doesn't advise Levy to hire someone as a manager, Levy agrees then changes his mind to bring in a "big name" so the recommendation gets shifted down the bench, said "big name" has us playing dire football then flounces off a couple of months into the season, and we get the coach we were originally supposed to have take charge. ...which is exactly what happened in 2003-4 with the Hoddle-Pleat-Santini-Jol sequence of managers.
You're sort of preaching to the choir and sort of not. My impression of Holtby is strongly influenced by the game I saw him, against Tbilisi. I was in the center of the South end. He played CAM and got off to a truly horrible start, losing the ball often and even tripping over his own feet and falling flat on his face once. I wanted him pulled. He kept calling for the ball and getting it. Then he sent Tbilisi's entire team the wrong way while sending Defoe in clear on goal to score the first goal. He had another assist later on. The lesson seemed to be: stick with Holtby as #10 even when it seems he's not doing well, and you'll be happy you did. I haven't seen anything to make me think differently. Watching his last game for Fulham, it was more of the same. An absolutely perfect centering pass to get the winner. Unlucky not to score earlier after being in the right spot. If you're willing to play him at the edge of the box, especially in the center, he'll get nearly a goal or assist a game, I think, unless you do something like play with a slow buildup. But I have yet to see him look like anything more than ordinary when played in a deeper role. His workrate did help close down Everton at Goodison Park, but there was no quality to what he did. He's small, he's fairly slow, I don't think he has the passing range of a deep lying player, and I wouldn't trust his tackling. What he has is a great eye for a pass around the box and a good shot. If we didn't have Eiriksen I'd be in favor of giving him the #10 role and leaving him to it. Considering Eiriksen is even better, I'm not sure what to do. It's tempting to keep him as another option, or a super sub. I can't say I'd favor playing either one out of position to get them both on the field. What I really wish is that Eiriksen could learn how to pass the way Holtby passes, or that Holtby could dribble and take free kicks as well as Eiriksen.
Holtby should be perservered with IMO because he has a football brain and therefore the makings of a playmaker. Hopefully he will be in a better position to impress next season as will most of our new signings. I don't think we should make any hard and fast decisions on any of our players after this season and certainly not until a new manager is appointed.
The only issue there is that he and Eriksen may be vying for the same position - although having a more than capable understudy is no bad thing, as long as he's happy to keep grafting.
As long as we don't play a doolally system where both of them play behind one striker in a 4321 formation...
I've always been more impressed with Holtby playing further forward, he can do plenty of damage when he gets the ball within 30 yards of goal so personally I'd see his place more as cover for Eriksen with the option of moving one to the wing to accomodate the other. They're both quality players and can both whip in a cross so I don't see why they couldn't do well alternating between the wings and attacking midfielder position.
My personal feelings on the 'what's gonna happen in the summer' issues: 1) New manager coming in AFTER World Cup - probably not LVG - maybe De Boer or Klinsmann on a three-year contract 2) Replacements to coaching staff, wouldn't be surprised to see Ferdi follow Sherwood if he goes, goes. Wouldn't be surprised to see Freund stay as a continuity link 3) Bye bye Baldini 4) Before World Cup - bye bye Siggy, Kaboul, Gomes, Capoue, Benny, Khumalo 5) Before World Cup - new left back, new striker 6) After World Cup - bye bye Naughton, Rose, Obika, Lloris, Vertonghen, Soldado, Lennon 7) After World Cup - New left back, two strikers, at least 1 new central midfielder, new winger, goalkeeper. 8) Contract re-negotiation for an extra year for Friedel and for 2 years for Ade Result: Another season of transition, no cup glory, nothing to play for, repeat at the end of next season and ad nauseum
