The thing that bugs me most, is that if 2 players like that leave, we've got more new players coming in who need to settle. Regardless of lloris' mistakes, he and jan form a crucial part of our backbone. Just as our players start to look comfortable and pretty strong overall, we have to deal with another "revamp". We have to stop it or otherwise we'll never reach our objectives because there's too much disruption all the time. Adam suter says we were close to agreeing something on Wednesday, but he doesn't know who it is. He's waiting for news which he hopes to get tomorrow, but hasn't got a name yet due to this "media lockdown" scenario again. - pinch of salt again, obviously. But he's pretty reliable.
That's true of virtually any club though, unfortunately. Only a few teams don't have to do this. We're competing with those clubs. I think he could be a little more vague on this one.
I said before the start of the season that I don't think Vertonghen will be with us for a 3rd season. Even if we achieve a top 4 spot and get into the Champions League. He's a perfect fit for Barcelona. With Puyol growing older and older, Barca will soon look for a proper replacement instead of playing the likes of Mascherano or Bartra there. I'd expect a £20m bid in the Summer and a farewell from the classy Belgian. As for Hugo, I think he's superb, I know he has mistakes in him but so do most keepers these days. Hugo is arguably the best sweeper keeper in world football. BUT, having said that, in my opinion, the goal keeper spot is a position where you can afford to chop and change so to speak providing you ensure the defensive system is suited to the type of keeper. Friedel is a still a very good keeper yet in a highline formation looks like he should be playing in League 2. I'm not saying we can sell Hugo, give Brad an extension and make him first choice but there are keepers out there such as Begovic, ter Stegen, Zieler, Akinfeev, Reina (if he doesn't join Napoli permanently), Casillas (if he's to leave Madrid), Handanovic who could possibly be interested in joining a club like us - all of whom are fantastic in their own right - should Hugo be sold.
No one else has said it but I'm quite ****ed off with this attitude, " I'm going to have CL football next season with or without Spurs" If that is his personal goal, no pun intended! I'd question his commitment at achieving it for us and with us, he's turning into that other erratic Gallic loony Barthez as fas I'm concerned!
You're reading quite a lot into it. He hasn't said he'll leave us if we don't make CL football but that he doesn't know what will happen. He's not a Spurs fan, he doesn't have the same love for the club that we have so I wouldn't expect him to ignore offers when they come in for him, particularly if we're not in the CL and a money club is offering him more money than he'd ever get with us. I'd rather that he said what he has then do a Judas saying the exact opposite of what he ends up doing a few months later.
No, you've read alot into my comment and taken it to extreme YV, I'm not suicidal over it, it just confirms he's another allout for himself, of which that is majority of players these days as you rightly point out. its still disappointing when a players comment alludes to it though, and is my only small point that you've missed, not the "quite a lot". They may well have cherry picked a sentence, if there's anything more accurate to discuss be my guest I was just expanding that line of topic as there's little else happening...stirred you into life at least!
YV's been making a habit of running away with comments to the extreme. He's becoming a sly WUM! ..... I'll stop there before I get banned It's dead at the minute with Spurs news. It's getting to the point where I miss Avb a bit as at least he made for good debates!! As for Lloris. Why players can't just shut up and get on with their job , no I don't expect any player to commit to us blindly regardless of how we perform but players like Lloris will always have suitors so if the time comes when he moves then so be it, he doesn't have to warn us!
I didn't think I took it to an extreme, I was just saying that we can't expect our best players not to be interested in a move if we're not in the CL. If we were in the CL we'd be doing the same, picking up top players who aren't currently playing in the CL. I see no reason to question his commitment to the club in the immediate future but he's realistic about the possibility that he could move if we miss out on CL football for a 4th straight season.
Why am I expecting anything??, can't I just react to something I don't like and express it. I don't expect anything, nor hinted it, don't know why you jump to these conclusions. I do, its not good when you're building a team to have one of the all important spine of the team wavering. Personally I think the timing is ****, when Tim is looking to galvanise the team for the run in, rather surprised you're missing that. I'd rather hear "we've missed out before, don't want to think about anything else other than securing it this time". Btw, anyone heard any players from Liverpool, Everton or United being 'realistic' lately?
Lloris might well say the same to you. He said he hadn't thought about what will happen if we don't get in the CL and he'll think about it if it happens, you're saying that means he's wavering. I'm sorry but his quotes are a total non-issue.
Such is the vicious circle Spurs find themselves in. Fortunate in that good players can see we are on the verge of something big, so join on that basis. But similarly you cannot expect them N yrs later to sit there getting the "next year is our year" crap (which has effectively lost Spurs Berbatoss/Modric/Bale) .
Top prospect Players see Spurs as a stepping stone . The club has little chance of silverware with the viagra clubs (chavs, City) constantly able to buy success. If we are lucky to make top 4 we have not the will from those upstairs to maintain it. We have a "buy to sell policy" no matter what propaganda the club spills out. Sadly Eriksen, Lloris, Verts etc will all be sold if a tempting offer comes in. Unfortunately we have become " the club that can't say no "
Whether it was propaganda or not, we seemed to play pretty hardball with Real over Bale. Hopefully Vert/Lloris/Eriksen/Paulinho/Chiriches etc wil be held on to for at least one more year, otherwise we'll never build a team if they go after one season. Unless Real want to offer £85m of course?
True but the player always go in the end . I think the majority of those players named will be around for 2 seasons and then another round of rebuilding will come along .
"Top prospect Players see Spurs as a stepping stone." At the moment. If we become a CL regular, we may hold onto these players. If we become like the Poool have these past 3+ seasons, they won't even see Spurs as that.
"Whether it was propaganda or not, we seemed to play pretty hardball with Real over Bale." On the sum, but not the alleged payment terms (over 4 yrs) .
Getting into the champions league is no longer enough to keep certain players as players like Modric and Bale aren't interested in soley playing champions league football. They also want to be part of a squad that can win or challenge for each competition they enter and win silverware. Man Utd, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Chelsea are clubs which can keep players happy. Take a look at club like Dortmund, huge fan base, exciting team, won the double and appeared in the champions league final but they can't keep their players.. We do the best we can yet until we become a super club all we are, is a talent pool for bigger clubs to take their pick while we try and close the gap.
Realism says that we will not be able to maintain top 4. Chavs, City will always have the best players as money is king. Arsenal have opened the tills and spending 40 million net plus. Liverpool have the will to keep their best player. Utd will have the resources long term to maintain top 4, if not this season. We need a miracle and occasionally that happens.
