I'll go with that, I also like Holtby, I like his speed of thought, and commitment.
Summer Transfers
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I too am a fan of Holtby and was surprised he was loaned out. Then again we have a big squad and maybe it was seen as better to have him playing, even elsewhere, as nobody wanted to take any of the others off our hands? He has many of the attributes that you'd think Pochettino would value in a player and performed well in pre-Season too. That said I'm not sure you could call his time at Hamburg so far a resounding success - he has only 14 appearances, no goals and only 1 assist - so it may be that he is deemed surplus to requirements in the Summer. We shall see I guess.
Holtby's loan may well have been for a more straightforward reason, namely we didn't have any places for non-HG players in the squad. That's a wider issue that needs to be addressed in the summer, for several reasons.
I had thought Pritchard could play deeper, but you seem to know more than I do. About Pritchard, at least. Who knows? Maybe about everything else as well.
I was hoping either Pritchard or Carroll might be able to play the deep lying role.
I agree with you completely about Dembele in Mason's spot. He's the opposite of what we need. But Dembele at CAM or LM has been good more often than not, I think, though he was poor there last time out. The damn thing is, if we could somehow get someone with Dembele's technical ability and strength, and Mason's determination to get the ball forward, we'd be much better.
My knowledge could be well off rwaeb! But to my knowledge Pritchard has always been a more forward type of player than Carroll or Mason, and a player of his build and ability is going to be better suited to playing further forward at high levels of the game I feel.
I also think that moving Dembele forward into a no.10 role does nobody any favours because he still slows the game down and isn't intelligent enough in his use of the ball. And he doesn't carry enough of a goal threat to even begin to compensate for that deficiency in his game. Defensively his strength is an asset but he frequently lacks the positional intelligence to use it in a way that doesn't result in a foul. His one-footedness is too easy for a good player to read which becomes a problem too. The same problem exists out wide - he'll always beat a man or two but you'll rarely see him use the ball well afterwards. He'd do very well in a team that can use him solely for what he is good for - because he is very, very good at beating a few men from a standing start and then giving the ball to someone else who is better at using it, and retaining possession, but in a pressing, counterattacking team playing the fast football that Pochettino wants he is too often found lacking to the detriment of the team in my opinion.
I also think that moving Dembele forward into a no.10 role does nobody any favours because he still slows the game down and isn't intelligent enough in his use of the ball. And he doesn't carry enough of a goal threat to even begin to compensate for that deficiency in his game. Defensively his strength is an asset but he frequently lacks the positional intelligence to use it in a way that doesn't result in a foul. His one-footedness is too easy for a good player to read which becomes a problem too. The same problem exists out wide - he'll always beat a man or two but you'll rarely see him use the ball well afterwards. He'd do very well in a team that can use him solely for what he is good for - because he is very, very good at beating a few men from a standing start and then giving the ball to someone else who is better at using it, and retaining possession, but in a pressing, counterattacking team playing the fast football that Pochettino wants he is too often found lacking to the detriment of the team in my opinion.
However that may be, I'll take credit for Townsend's and Mason's goals today.
Does anyone think the signing of Alli spells the end of Pritchard, assuming Eriksen is first choice in the position?
Alli's a central midfielder, so I wouldn't have thought so. Very young, too.
We don't really have suitable backup for Eriksen at the moment, in my opinion.
Watching Brentford's latest highlights, our youngster seems to be playing all over the place:
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Would offer us options, he's homegrown and he's familiar with the other youth players that have come through. I'd keep him."Does anyone think the signing of Alli spells the end of Pritchard, assuming Eriksen is first choice in the position?"
Nope. With the fixture list Spurs now have annually, there is plenty of space in the squad for him.
And he is a player who refuses to be shut out of a game.
He will move anywhere on the pitch in an attempt to get involved and exert control on a game.
Nope. With the fixture list Spurs now have annually, there is plenty of space in the squad for him.
And he is a player who refuses to be shut out of a game.
He will move anywhere on the pitch in an attempt to get involved and exert control on a game.
I wouldn't have though so, I'm not so sure Alli is a 10 like Eriksen (I literally have no idea, I've only ever seen highlights of him) and Pritchard tends to start from out wide as far as I know.
Alli's more of a central midfielder, if he's a threat to anyone stepping up it's Carroll or Winks.
S
Spur of the Moment
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There's a consistent theme in the thread above to the 'outs' so far, with a few certainties and a few others who are 50/50.
I think we have to continue to show faith in the younger players, although I would probably exclude Rose in that, as he has done little to show he's capable of being a top LB. A few runs and a couple of decent crosses doesn't make up for some appealing defensive blunders that have cost us dearly. Townsend has also not developed enough and has been a one-trick pony. (Ironically getting a good goal and an assist in his last two matches.... Lol). Lamela too flatters to deceive and although has shown a few tricks and some effort has the rest of this season to show he's worth keeping
Haven't been monitoring his loan, but I would have Holtby back like a shot as I can see him fitting into this team and the way that Poch has them playing.
Reckon we need a proven LB, at least one CB, at least one striker (Ade and possibly Soldado will be gone) and a replacement for Brad in his dotage! Have to say that I am impressed by Charlie Austin and would be more than happy if he ends up in a Spurs shirt next season.
I think we have to continue to show faith in the younger players, although I would probably exclude Rose in that, as he has done little to show he's capable of being a top LB. A few runs and a couple of decent crosses doesn't make up for some appealing defensive blunders that have cost us dearly. Townsend has also not developed enough and has been a one-trick pony. (Ironically getting a good goal and an assist in his last two matches.... Lol). Lamela too flatters to deceive and although has shown a few tricks and some effort has the rest of this season to show he's worth keeping
Haven't been monitoring his loan, but I would have Holtby back like a shot as I can see him fitting into this team and the way that Poch has them playing.
Reckon we need a proven LB, at least one CB, at least one striker (Ade and possibly Soldado will be gone) and a replacement for Brad in his dotage! Have to say that I am impressed by Charlie Austin and would be more than happy if he ends up in a Spurs shirt next season.
I’d disagree about both Rose and Townsend. They are the two players we have who have provided the most width. (Walker’s crosses aren’t good enough, and Davies doesn’t have enough pace). They both have downsides, but I’d like more quality wide players, not fewer. Rose has also shown he can play effectively in midfield. His mistakes have cost us though, no doubt.
Makes me think the person who started the Reid to Spurs rumor was Reid’s agent, with an eye to getting the most money out of of West Ham.
Makes me think the person who started the Reid to Spurs rumor was Reid’s agent, with an eye to getting the most money out of of West Ham.
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S
Spur of the Moment
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Rose is a defensive liability and providing width doesn't make up for that I am afraid. I can only begin to imagine the comments being made about the previous incumbent at LB if he had made half the level of mistakes that Rose has in half a season! I also don't think he's shown enough to be considered in a more forward role either.
Townsend may be worth persisting with a while longer but he needs to get a new SatNav cos he still ends up in too many dead ends!
I agree we need width - but quality width - and if we don't have it 'in-house' then we need to buy it in.
I don't thinkany of our first choice back four are a liabilty,i think the fault lies with the midfield cover,not providing it when they should be,when the full backs are overlapping providing width,the D/Ms should be covering for the backs,but they don't,the opposition break and the backs are stranded,that needs to be sorted, imo
Rose has been much better than last season and considering I was one calling for him to be sold in the summer, he's shown to me that he perhaps does have a future. He's still erratic at times but I think he has marginally improved defensively and he's been a strong outlet going forward in recent months. Rose and Davies is a good battle, with Davies you're guaranteed solid consistent performances where he doesn't excel but doesn't devastate, kind of like a 6 or 6.5 performance type of guy if you're playing Football Manager or scoring performances on a newspaper rating. With Rose, based on this season, over the cause of say ten games, he'd have three or four 2.5/ 3 performances but then six or seven 7 or 7.5 ones, so it's sort of down to if you want to calculate whether it's worth taking the risk with Rose where he can be really good for a period and shocking in another or take the safe option with Davies. Left backs are a troublesome position to fill, although there are more left footers in the business every year, it's still massively outweighed by right footers, so finding a standout left footed left back that hasn't already been snapped up by someone else is pretty difficult. I think with Rose and Davies, we have a decent pairing and good competition, so I wouldn't consider the LB role a position that needs meddling with, at least for the foreseeable future.
Townsend has been better than Lamela, which isn't saying much as neither have set the world alight but at least with Townsend he has that willingness to make the runs and to try and make something happen, Lamela can be so anonymous at times you wonder if he's still on the pitch until he pops up with a rare touch. I'd keep Andros though (and Lamela for the record, still think he'll eventually come good but he needs to start showing something soon), he's still young and the way Poch is getting the best out of our home-grown talent, I think there's still time and faith that he can turn Andros into the player we all hope he can be. Certainly has all the skill and attributes to be a top player.
Townsend has been better than Lamela, which isn't saying much as neither have set the world alight but at least with Townsend he has that willingness to make the runs and to try and make something happen, Lamela can be so anonymous at times you wonder if he's still on the pitch until he pops up with a rare touch. I'd keep Andros though (and Lamela for the record, still think he'll eventually come good but he needs to start showing something soon), he's still young and the way Poch is getting the best out of our home-grown talent, I think there's still time and faith that he can turn Andros into the player we all hope he can be. Certainly has all the skill and attributes to be a top player.
I see Rabiot's name has resurfaced once again, with the club meeting with his mother to see if he can come and play for us.
I agree with SOS. I like to see Rose and Townsend in the lineup because they both tend to address our tendency to attack too slowly and through the middle too often. After they’ve made a few runs and crosses (even though they don’t usually come to anything), we seem to start moving the ball better, and more quickly, and have more options in the middle. I’d keep Lamela as well, but I’m not convinced he’s a right sided player. I’d rather play him in the middle or on the left, and bring in another right sided player.
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