http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11675/8462395 Tottenham Hotspur manager Andre Villas-Boas claims he snubbed Reading's offer for Gylfi Sigurdsson as he needs strength in depth. Reading made three bids for the midfielder on deadline day, with Brian McDermott determined to return Sigurdsson to the club in which he first made his name in English football. Spurs were unwilling to do business, though, which each approach knocked back. Sigurdsson has struggled to hold down a regular role since moving to White Hart Lane last summer, but Villas-Boas still considers him to be an important part of the senior set-up. He said: "Obviously he's a player that means a lot to Reading. "But he's a player that we rate very highly, we brought him here after his amazing contribution (on loan) for Swansea last year and he's a player we have high expectations for. "Probably this season, at the moment, he is not going to the level he wants, but he's a player that we believe a lot in, and in his future here. "We couldn't allow him to leave." -------------------- Surprised we have kept him to be honest. I live in Reading and all my mates who are Reading fans said he was brilliant and that we had a real class player, but for us he's been average at best and apparently the last bid was for £10million.
I think the idea is that he's the best option on the left (OTHER THAN BALE! (edit)), even though he's now bumped down to third in the center. You can make a case we should have kept Townsend and loaned Gylfi, but the fact Gylfi almost had two late game winners indicates he's valuable as a late game sub.
I think next season we will see an improved Siggy,he's had a hard time adjusting,but i still believe he will come good.
The speed at Spurs has come through 2 players Lennon and Bale. These two explode and either make chances for themselves or others. Apart from them our build up play is often quite slow and this I suspect does not suit Sigurdsen. Now with addition of Holtby I expect our play to speed up which would suit the Icelander and improve his contributions to the team.
As others have said he's a useful impact player and provides better cover for the wings than anyone else at the club. It was a good offer though and had Willian or Moutinho been on the table as possible signings I think we might have gone for it. I really thought Willian's price would go down to a more realistic £15mill or so and I'm gutted we missed out on him because he looked like a player that would fit right in for us. Lets hope he improves with us though, with Willian going for crazy money and Damiao and Moutinho looking to go for similar we've got to take a punt on players like Sigurdsson making the grade for us.
I believe in him and that he will come good. He's come so close to scoring in the league and as it's been pointed out they would have been important goals, and he's been denied by great goalkeeping in those situations rather than by any deficiencies in his ability. He just needs to get some confidence back. Maybe having Holtby at the club, a man of similar age playing in 'his' position might galvanise him as well. To sell him would have been downright wrong, and if we hand't of loaned Townsend I would have been open to loaning him to a Prem club where he could get regular football.
Funny one this.Our Icelander hasn't done a lot for me so far although he's had some very near misses.Hopefully he will come good towards the latter part of the season. Dempsey too has been more cold than hot,but he has scored a few important goals.Eh Fergie?
The story of Gylfi's seasons is two near-late game winners denied by superb saves. I continue to be glad we kept him, not just for the cover on the wings, but for his potential as an impact sub, for his crosses and for the decent chance he'll turn into a big player for us. I think he'll be fine the moment his luck changes. I lost the link, but some site speculated that Gylfi will start in Dembele's place against Lyon. Strange--though I can't vouch either that they know anything or that I didn't misinterpret their lineup sheet. I'd prefer Carroll, AVB has played Hudd. I think we've tried him there once or twice, unsuccessfully most said.
