The way forward for 2019-20

Mostly because we fear your anger Spurlock.

 

I'll be heartbroken if we lose....Spurf this could be the beginning of an Elite era for us...we are so close

Angry if we don't leave everything on the pitch and die for that badge

COYS

 

Spurs must win today first (for many reasons) .

 

The atmosphere at the Lane today is friendly and jovial, it's like we are on holiday. worrying.

 

That reminds me, whatever happened to that bellend with his Levy Out sign that was stood outside Wembley a few months back?

 

If true, VERY.

 

He ran onto the pitch today I think

 

So now that CL qualification is done and dusted ...

IMHO we need to get the transfer targets done and dusted ASAP.
That means if necessary BEFORE any of the planned outgoings even
get put in motion. More so if they are non HG.

Requests for talking to targets should begin tomorrow.
As far as PL aggro goes, the only remaining variable other than being outbid
by the Mancs or the Poool is whether the Goons win the EL final.

So at least try and get some "agreements in principle" between clubs and
players in the time before then.

 

I agree in principle but don't our transfer and wages budgets depend on what we can get for those we sell? Eg I imagine we could target Coutinho if Eriksen left but that's unlikely if he stays

 

There's genuinely no reason why we shouldn't be on the phone to Fulham first thing in the morning seeing if we can thrash out a deal for Sessegnon
Similarly there's no harm in getting on the phone to Sampdoria to thrash out a deal for Joachim Andersen either, because even though they still have two games to play they're so remarkably mid-table they are neither challenging for Europa League places nor looking over their shoulder

Things get a little trick after that, though - not least due to Genk bottling it against Brugge earlier today, so instead of securing the league title this afternoon now they need at least four points from their last two games to clinch the title...

 

There are squad players that will be needed (CM/DM in particular) regardless
of which key/fringe players in the current squad could be leaving.

That is basic common sense.

 

Indeed.

Levy should also be adopting a "fail fast" regime.
If targets are not coming due to transfer or wage impasse, then make the cut-off
( "decision by default" ) dates closer to end June than end July.

 

As things stand, the negotiation timetable looks like this

Monday morning
Ryan Sessegnon of Fulham (the Premier League's finished so it won't affect the team's form in any way)
Joachim Andersen of Sampdoria (so secure in mid table they there's no ill effects of agreeing a deal)

Thursday morning
Donny van de Beek of Ajax (the Eredivisie wraps up on Wednesday evening, with Ajax needing a point to win the title)

A week Monday
Sander Berge of Genk (the Jupiler League wraps up a week Sunday, regardless of whether Genk hold on to become champions or choke in the last two games)
Gedson Fernandes of Benfica (the Primeira Liga wraps up a week Sunday, regardless of whether Benfica hold on to top spot of conspire to let Porto sneak past them at the last)

Two weeks from now
Tanguy Nodmbele of Lyon (Lyon need two wins from their last three games to secure a spot in the CL playoffs, and would likely tell us to piss off if we bid beforehand - and because of that, would definitely tell us to piss off if we bid later as their chairman is the French equivalent of Daniel Levy)

After that is when it gets complicated, for example if Villa get promoted there's no way we're getting Jack Grealish (while if they don't we have every chance of doing so) while Amadou Diawara hedges on Kieran Trippier heading to Napoli as part of the deal so it's best not to agree that deal in case he's earmarked to start in the CL final even though Napoli's second place finish was secured a few weeks ago

 

Yeah last summer was a one-off although it should've never been a one-off. It's meant this summer the workload has somewhat doubled but then the gauntlet is now laid down and I think or at least hope we'll rise to the challenge.

I don't fear those sides you've mentioned, they all spent big money and finished well below us. If we spend and strengthen, the gap should in theory grow larger, although I do think Wolves could prove a problem in another year or two.

The pool of players is probably smaller but not for bad reasons. Initially our model was to buy, improve, then potentially sell at a large profit and repeat that process, so that market was pretty large as there's plenty of young talent out there. We're now at a stage where we should still partially look at that model as it can be successful but also begin to be the team that takes the player who's been nurtured by another club. Kind of like how we did with Saints and Toby but on a more regular basis. Players that other clubs took a punt on, helped get them into the limelight only for a vulture to swarm in and take them, we need to be the vulture now because that's what big clubs do.

 

And now we start things proper ...

1. Transfers

The money is there for transfer fees.
Get busy on this starting tomorrow, and work on the basis that the deadwood
will not be shifted this summer (if they are it will be right at the end and
WELL AFTER / nothing to do with the incomings) .


2. Inger-Spurs

Want the boys to tell Southgate to eff off for ANY game that is NOT a Euro 2020
qualifier. He is well in the red with Spurs after Russia 2018, so I don't wanna
hear a squeak from his talking hole on the matter.

 

Judging by some of the rumours I think we might be going for a 343 formation next season. If so then I think the aim should be something like this:
GK: Lloris, Gazzaniga, ano
CB: Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Sanchez, Foyth, Dier, Davies
WB: Wan Bissaka, KWP, Rose, Sessegnon
CM: Winks, Sissoko, Ndombele, Lo Celso. Skipp
F: Son, Kane, Dele, Lamela, Lucas, Gomez
I make that five incomings costing about £250m and about £100m in sales.

 

You just know our players will start on Thursday against Holland. In Kane's and Winks' case, maybe a good thing, build up core fitness before the summer holiday. Alli just needs a break, as does Rose. Neither will start at the moment anyway.

 

Winks ain’t in the squad actually IIRC but Kane will start 100% and Rose is a possibility too. I’d be shocked if Alli started although Southgate does seem to like him.

 

I said on the other thread your team is pretty strong if the players play to their ability unless there time is up (some players just don't recover from their injuries)

Gk - hugo, Gazza fine
Fb - trip, davies, rose, aurier, kwp. Lb looks fine. Rb possibly replacement if trips can't hit the form of last year. Would personally replace but who is realistic and decent? Not many great rbs
Cb - toby, jan, Sanchez, foyth. 2 great cbs still with a couple of years left (if they don't move on) whilst sanchez and foyth still have potential but adequate squad players.
Cm - winks, dier, sissoko, youth - a creative cm that can play it quick and unlock defences. At the moment it relies on eriksen or your wingers dropping back to move the ball on or create a killer pass. Sissoko is great when there's space ahead of him to bomb into.

Dier needs to regain his form or be sold whilst he still has value

Wingers/basically not striker - well stocked son,moura, alli, eriksen, lamela. Probably sack lamela off (too injury prone, isn't about the one touch pass and move) but the other 4 are fine but probably need an eriksen replacement. Alli needs to regain his form or be sold off but him and kane have a great understanding.

Strikers - kane and llorente are fine.

Rather than spreading out the money on more squad players do a pool and go big on some superstars imo. It could be quite hard as a lot of the big sides might spend big to rebuild.

Psg as usual, city cause that's what they do. United possibly, real and barca and Bayern and juve as they all have fairly old stale sides.

 

Winks is in I think, as is Dier who I forgot and he should be rested after his illness

https://metro.co.uk/2019/05/16/engl...l-date-tv-channel-odds-squad-tickets-9574820/

I think Rose won't play as Southgate seems to like Chillwell now.

Edit: You are right, Winks was dropped when they trimmed the squad, as was Trippier