I think Rose will come back when he is ready, I can only assume that waiting on his fitness is what is keeping him out. We miss him though. And the switching off after play restarts is laughable and simply has to stop, both in the immediate sense, and because too often we let teams into the game in the 10/15 minutes after we score, even if its not the immediate seconds after kickoff. The cause of us dropping points over the last couple of weeks though? I myself would say that it is a combination of key players being knackered already after our frankly laughable pre-season schedule, linked to transfer activity not being competed in a timely manner resulting in the squad being understocked in key areas, so the tired players have to play regardless poor choices from the management re. selection and tactics, magnified by individual errors 1, 2, and 4 have probably already been covered enough, as has 3 really, but anyway I certainly disagree with you about Dembele and Dier. Part of the reason that we look so toothless and slow in attack is because in Dier we have a midfielder who frankly is not good enough on the ball to play midfield at this level in this team, and Lamela who has been useless, and Dembele who as always flatters to deceive and ultimately in most situations does more harm than good. I'm sure Dembele looks world class in all the 2/3 a side games we see in training on Spurs TV but in a full size match situation he is simply ineffective. Mason is a good all rounder but he can't compensate for Dier's lack of mobility and footballing ability in midfield like Modric could with Parker. I would certainly drop Dier (unless he's moved to CB) and Lamela for the next game, and if we can get enough players ready to play (Pritchard, Eriksen, N'jie or any new signings we eventually make happen) drop Dembele too. I think Carroll has more to offer than people think, he seems to have a good understanding with Kane and Mason and at least moves the ball effectively in the attacking third of the pitch. I don't know how good this Illaramendi chap is but if he has the attributes YV talks about in his post then he's certainly be a welcome addition to the team.
I'm a big fan of Illara, I'd be over the moon if we got him and gutted if you did. World Class player in the making there.
You're right, Dier will never make it as a capable DM, he is simply a stop gap and the manager being slow to react to a problem we have had for over a season, which sums up Pochettino for his decisions, not just in-game, also how he reacts overall, he is slow to correct issues, or attempt to correct issues. We have both been in support of Carroll since an early stage of his spurs career but currently his best role would be as an impact sub, to change a game but if you play him deep in this team, he offers neat and tidy passing, while unlike Dembele he can pick a forward pass so if we're dominating play then Carroll has greater ability to be creative then Dembele, yet unfortunately Dembele is the player currently being trusted by Pochettino, but he will fail (like previous managers) to help him fulfill any possible attacking potential. Dembeles best role was when Bale was here, ball carrier, use his strength and release to Bale, thats all he is good for, as while he has talent, we're talking about what his actual role could be and in terms of his effectiveness, it's to win/pass the ball to talented players.
The frustrating thing is that we had a capable DM who was reasonably good on the ball and composed under pressure, and we needlessly sold him this summer to PSG because...PROFIT!! With Carroll you're right, ideally he'd be an impact sub, but right now we are crying out for somebody to actually use the ball productively and so although he's less than perfect at least he is capable of doing that. We often have plenty of possession, and hopefully playing somebody like Carroll might mean that the play takes place higher up the pitch rather than being across the back 4 and occasionally bouncing off one of the midfielders because nobody will receive the ball under pressure and attempt to reverse the direction of the game. I honestly cannot fathom why Pochettino seems to have put so much trust in Dembele for this coming season. Hopefully I will have to eat my words on the matter, but I just cannot see it being a productive strategy for exactly the reasons you've mentioned Boss.
I sometimes think that the only person who understands our predicament is Levy. When he took over we were mid-table with income less than half of the Sky 4. Now we are disappointed that we're not 4th or better. According to most posters this is despite Levy being fixated by profit, not results, him being unable to sign a good manager, with the current one being clueless and us having a disastrous policy on signing players. Presumably those must be worth 5 or 6 points a season each so we would be winning the league at a canter if they were sorted despite only having the sixth best squad because we can only afford that quality of players. I don't think I've ever called for a Spurs manager to be sacked and I'm not about to start now. But if a manager starts behaving in a way contrary to what he said when he was appointed then I'm going to support sacking Levy's decisions too. I think the only one that wasn't true about was Jol who was treated unfairly. IA wrong decision only matters if we sack a superstar manager who could get us to the next level but didn't get time and the only ones who could possibly be in that category are AVB, Sherwood and Pochettino. I agree with Boss that its a bit of a fantasy to expect the current young squad led by an inexperienced manager to make it into the top four but there really is no alternative but to try. Hiring the sixth best experienced manager plus the sixth most expensive squad of experienced players (which is all we can afford to do) will get us sixth. But if we can hang on to 5th or os, build the new stadium and increase our resources by earning the profit that is so despised then we might eventually get into the top four the now traditional way of buying the best.
My last post contradicted itself. We created the better chances three straight games. That indicates continuity is paying dividends. One player showed he's not working. Drop him and replace him with the one who siezed his big chance. And ban celebrations. If that doesn't work then make more changes.
I've always backed Levy and still think he gets unfair criticism but the following is why I'm totally unhappy with our transfer window: 1. We've started the season with 1 striker. We're now 3 games in and have 1 striker. 2. We've started the season with 2 centre mids that have any PL experience, one of which was injured in preseason. 3. Out of those that play in the front 4, Kane played in a summer tournament, Pritchard played in it too and was out of preseason injured, Townsend was injured, Soldado was clearly on his way, whilst Adebayor and Lennon were not wanted in the squad. 3 games and only Kane, Eriksen, Chadli, Lamela and Dembele as realistic options to start in 4 positions of our starting 11. 4. We've done well to move on a number of surplus players and many of the deals were done fairly early on. I could understand a lack of activity in the transfer market if we were still lumbered with those players but we're not which begs the question. Why were we selling those players if not to buy new players? The 4th is actually a positive, I really didn't expect us to move so many on, especially given how quickly it's been done. Somehow Levy has contrived to turn what was a good thing into a negative though. All those wages freed up, decent transfer fees coming in, all for nothing. You always look to start the season in a stronger position than last season and that's what the transfer window is there for and we've managed to start it significantly weaker. For what it's worth, I think we've done really good business in defence. 2 out with Fazio possibly on his way out too and 3 in. I might have my reservations about signing Alderweireld but the deals were all done early and I think that's great. Levy has to realise that he's damaging us on the pitch. We've started the season taking on Leicester and Stoke as equals and a United side that were there for the taking by any quality side that played them. I don't mean to be disrespectful to Leicester or Stoke but I like to think it would take something special for them to get points off us. A great 'keeping performance, or some luck, or a moment of genius. Ultimately all it took is for them to keep playing their game and that's far too easy for us to be surrendering points to them.
We do have a great deal to thank Levy for, firstly targeting us as a sound investment, an investment which needs to be managed to be a successful, building the profile of the club back up, new training ground/stadium and while I take issue with some of his decisions, you can't doubt the guys commitment to keeping us at a certain level, even if I believe he has impacted us progressing to a higher level. Thats the main issue I have, it appears the business plan which keeps us as a sound investment, means the only way (under ENIC) is now to invest in bringing through youth but also remember its happening at a time when other clubs are spending to move further ahead of us, while smaller clubs are also showing ambition and taking advantage of the new TV deal. I'm sure we all have views on why ENIC/Levy purchased us, what their end goal is, but we shouldn't forget that regardless, when they leave, we will be in a much stronger position then they arrived, and the club has potential to achieve great things, but for that to happen it means new owners, a different approach and a different end goal.
Agreed. I've said for years that the stadium will be ENIC's swansong - time will prove me right or wrong I guess. They will leave a legacy that granted hasn't exactly returned many trophies, but a club with immense potential for future ROI with a shiny new stadium in the capital city of the most popular league in the world and an academy whose track record already more than speaks for itself. And no doubt there'll be many thousands of fans crowing in delight when Levy and Lewis do eventually sell up, but the fact remains that we were in an utter mess before they took over, and they will - as you say - leave us in a much stronger state than when they found us.
I agree Levy and ENIC are a net positive, even if some of the negatives continue to be maddening. But haven’t they said the plan is to build a big stadium, then sell Spurs for a big profit? The ambition they’ve showed with the new stadium trumps everything for me, including their maddening deficiencies. I have trouble thinking of owners who have consistently showed as much ambition. If it falls flat, which it might, I still give them credit for daring. If they can pull it off successfully thanks largely to creating a better academy, they deserve all the credit in the world.
It's often the same on 606, 3 games into the season some disappointing performances and Spurs are on the decline, the manager is out of his depth and Levy is messing up the transfers again. And the evidence for these statements? None! just opinions. MP will never get us 4th! Really where can you buy these crystal balls? The manager game goes round and round and clubs invest fortunes employing these magicians who will get them to glorious new heights. The Tinkerman has popped up again, Allardyce will no doubt soon be installed somewhere new. AVB is a great success again, Sherwood has merited the faith of Aston Villa. I'll tell you what they are all good at: convincing gullible football chairmen with far more money than sense to throw more millions at their feet and they will take their club to the promised land. Football is akin to a religion for many and those involved often act like believers and desperately seek new prophets to keep the faithful on board. When a club finally gets a successful manager it is usually just a set of helpful circumstances that fall in to place and then everyone believes in the magic powers of this particular individual. In other words I venture to suggest that this nonsense about managers, is just that, nonsense. I'm sure if you checked you would find that the best way to achieve success is continuity with a manager who is left to go about his business for a number of seasons with a chairman who tries to provide the funds required. We have to be patient IMO the current chairman has laid the foundations of a first class training facility and that is already paying off and plans for the new stadium are well advanced, That's pretty much all you can expect or perhaps even more than we should expect. MP is our manager he's a young man who theoretically will improve with experience, since we have taken the trouble to employ him we might be wise to give him the time to advance Spurs and not as fans jump on his back as soon as results do not pan out as we would like. Perspective is needed, I think, and a dose of realism. The league giveth and the league taketh away.
The problem with the last bit is that under FFP there is no sensible different approach that I can see whoever the owner is.
Several of the issues can be put down to vital components of Poch's system either not being available, or simply being faulty - the most notable of which yesterday being... i.) Chadli is at his best with an attacking full back supporting him which allows him to cut inside, which is what we see with Rose and his runs down the flank - however, Davies is more conservative going forward so Chadli doesn't have the outlet and, as a result, is easily dealt with when he cuts in ii.) Walker has had a good start to the season, certainly a marked improvement on his form from February onwards - but his forays forward are getting undermined by Lamela's shambolic start to the season, which quickly gift possession back to the opponents and the move breaks down iii.) The most obvious one, we don't have any players who can understudy Eriksen - and the best backup options have obvious flaws, be it Dembele being too conservative with his distribution or Lamela creating set pieces for the opposition rather than opportunities for Kane This is what happens when a manager installs a system: when all the components are in place and are working at their peak, the results can be magnificent - but when a component is not performing (or is missing altogether) then the system starts to falter. For example, the system used by the 1982 Brazil side obliterated the group stages and saw them swat aside Argentina in the first group stage playoff, - but when they faced Italy the system fell apart after Cerezo's misplaced pass gifted Italy a 2-1 lead, which led to Cerezo having an on-pitch meltdown, which meant part of the system no longer worked.
Depends who defines sensible as sensible depends on who's financing the club, but FFP rules have been relaxed, not that I'm crying out for a billionaire, more Its the only sensible way under Levy/ENIC due to how they run the club, the club they own and we're their investment, but much of the issues we have aren't regarding fans demanding we spend extra millions, more change of approach in transfer targets. However It will be interesting to see how certain fans react when Pochettino really struggles (and that will happen) and I look forward to hearing comments about this "manager nonsense" - Maybe we should have just kept Ramos and let him get on with the job and not wasted time with employing managers as he had access to the same players as Jol and took us to winning a cup (Jol didn't have that in him). Or we should have kept AVB and allowed him to recover from the hammering's and used his great man management to bring together the squad and win over the fans and we could now be discussing the great young team under AVB.
I guess we'll have to wait and see but aside from Soldado, everyone was sold prior to the start of the season. Obviously Soldado/N'Jie basically cancel themselves out money-wise but if we spend more than we buy between now and the end of the window then it'll prove that there was money there for transfers all along.
Not sure exactly who you're referring to Spurf but I've seen little, if any of the group of 606er's disappointed on here at our limp start to the season making any reference to do with a top 4 push. I for one have stated in several posts that I have accepted that for the next few years at least (until the stadium takes us into a different wage league) that we will at best be a top 6 side for the foreseeable future and have accepted that. What I don't accept is a squad that has been allowed to be so squeezed to the limit in terms of numbers, an overly busy pre-season schedule and a serious slack of foresight in terms of depth and glaringly obvious needs in certain positions. Anyone can see our attack is lacking backup for Kane, pace down the flanks, creativity and someone prepared to make a run - albeit it was finally great to see someone like Ali do that for our goal against Leicester. Yet the main spend was on our defence and we still haven't learned our lessons. I hope we do very soon, quickly. It seems to me that if anyone airs their disappointment at the way that Spurs are progressing, the counter argument always comes back as those voicing concerns being "the deluded top 4 hopefuls" when very few of us have actually uttered those words since who knows when. It's a stigmatism that is unjust. You're the eternal optimist for the most part yet, you've had your moment to air your grievances at the way Spurs are playing and have always stated you wanted to be entertained, playing good football as the game is about glory, yet I see none of that in our play thus far which I feel we're perfectly entitled to point out. We look flat and devoid of ideas. I wonder if the players spend most of their time in training passing the ball sideways as this seems to be a developing trend at Spurs. Great to watch but little end product. We've had to put up with that for several years now and it begs the questions, is this the coaching set up or something that runs through the culture at the club because its about time we changed that.
You need to factor in wages too as over the course of several years, that can mean millions. Soldado would have commanded a much higher wage than N'Jie so it's not quite as clear cut at that mate. That's why we're out buying youngsters again. Lower wages, smaller sign on fees, lower transfer price, higher sell on value. The stuff Levy loves.
For me its just that I don't understand how anyone could be 'disappointed' at how we are progressing. We've finished above our 'rightful' place in five of the last six seasons despite increasing handicap from others' financial power, we've got the new stadium under way, we've got a very successful youth set-up and the youngest team in the PL. Anything more would be a miracle. But all we hear on here is that we've got a thin squad, terrible signings, a hopeless manager and an owner who is only in it for profit. Look at the other clubs, who 10 years ago were our direct competitors, Villa, Leeds, Newcastle, Everton - that's what disappointment looks like.
Your counter to my argument Fla is not based on what I said. Have a look; where have I suggested that those complaining expect a top 4 finish quite the opposite in fact. Yes I have said many times that I look for entertainment and I agree our performances so far this season (at least what I have seen) are far from the kind of football I'd like to see Spurs playing. The difference is I don't then go on to make definitive statements on the limitations or otherwise of MP. It's obvious to me that our pre season did not offer the team the best preparation for the new season and I voiced that in pre season. I don't think the board and management are doing a perfect job but as I am not involved in the board meetings I am unable to make definitive statements on who exactly is responsible for what. They have, however, recently laid foundations that will I am sure serve the club well in the future and for that they should be congratulated. Transfers are such an amazingly fickle and ridiculous area that if you under the illusion that we are bad at it, I suggest, you may not have noticed the other clubs in the league and their efforts. Despite the obvious blunders the fact that we have for the last few seasons finished above our 6th place, the place where our size and turnover puts us, shows we can't be any worse than most clubs and a lot better than many at obtaining players. The number of home bred youngsters coming through also suggests that we are performing well in terms of team building. Having those youngsters means we have a potentially bright future but it also means they will show us their inexperience from time to time as in losing concentration when having just score a goal. The same with the manager, MP is young and relatively inexperienced but from the outside looking in, he appears to have improved our fitness levels and he appears to have identified our weaknesses he is also presiding over the 'young revolution'. WE need to be a little patient and he needs a little time.
