The arrogance of these former United pundits infesting the media is sickening to say the least, they show no respect whatsoever to Spurs and just assume United will walk in and take our best players.
Apparently United bid £40m for Kane but he turned it down. Keeping him, Lloris and our youth contingent is vital if we want to actually progress next season. I agree with everyone re. United's behaviour. They're obviously still a huge name and their wallets may be deep but are they so far ahead of us now? I'm not so sure. There's not much gossip re. the players we actually want to shift though - small rumour about Kaboul going to Turkey but it's twitter gossip at the mo.
To my mind, it's just more of the usual Red Top bollocks. Kane has already said categorically that he's very happy and has no wish to go anywhere. Levy has widely been reported as saying that Kane won't be sold. Unless and until I hear something different from either of those parties, it's just more of the same old crap from the usual unreliable sources.
Just for the sake of variety, shouldn't we be using the media to blatantly tap up Januzaj this summer?
"I agree with everyone re. United's behaviour. They're obviously still a huge name and their wallets may be deep but are they so far ahead of us now? I'm not so sure." The last 5 or so seasons have proved that managers are the real weak link at the top, and the margins of error are fine. AVB at Chelsky, they didn't finish the PL in a CL slot. Moyes at Man Utd, and the PL champions suffered the same fate. Mancini in 2012-13, and the PL champions finished only 6 pts ahead of Spurs. Brenton this season. You can go to these clubs, and get bigger wages and perhaps more regular CL. But ending up with medals, not so much of a guarantee is it.
The only rumor I take somewhat seriously ATM is Trippier. I’d like to believe both Bolasie and Martial. I just watched a vid of Bolasie. He’s a right footer who prefers the right side, tricky, fast and strong. The idea is we’ll swap Ade for Bolasie. And then we’ll wake up. Though it wouldn’t surprise me to see Ade score 13 or 15 again next year. It is his on-again year.
Trippier could be an astute signing for the money. Not a marquee signing or one to get massively excited about, but a good one nonetheless. With Yedlin being such an unknown quantity, and IMO huge question marks over Walker's ability to a) stay fit and b) ever consistently reproduce his breakthrough form for us, a consistent if somewhat unremarkable performer at RB should help produce a more settled and reliable defensive unit. That we're looking to revamp the CBs in the squad and signing fullback options implies strongly that Poch/Mitchell etc. are very aware that defensively we have had another badly weak season and that fixing that is a primary concern. That impression is reinforced by the fact that we're looking to change up the deeper midfield personnel as well, with the likes of Capoue and Paulinho looking likely to move on, and us potentially looking for another DM/deep-lying playmaker option in the squad too.
I've seen a theory that Klinsmann hopes that we'll teach Yedlin to be a right winger...which is based on Klinsmann playing him on the right wing in a friendly.
Trippier is no step up from Naughton. An average player replaced by an equally average player. Kyle Walker wil not be having sleepless nights over this one.
I hadn't heard about that hbic, as far as I'm aware Yedlin has generally come off the bench for the US but as a RB or a RW I'm not sure. I actually think someone with his pace will do better at RB when he can see what is in front of him, especially when he's still learning to read the game. I could well be wrong though. If he can develop the technical and game-reading aspects of his game then he could make RW his role. OS you probably know more about Trippier than I do, so fair enough if you hold that opinion RB is a problem position for us right now though. Trippier could be a cheap stop-gap to let Yedlin go and play a season of 1st team football at PL or Championship level while Walker tries to regain consistent fitness and form again I guess. I don't have anywhere near 100% confidence in either of the RBs on our books right now though, whereas Rose is arguable a more consistent performer at LB these days, and I personally think Davies is a good backup to him, although I know there will be some disagreement on that front.
Thought a little ditty might help to bridge that between-seasons gap. Gilbert & Sullivan's Mikado for the original. Little List! As some day it will happen that a transfer must be made, I've got a little list — I've got a little list - So I’m looking at our players and the way that they have played, And who never would be missed — who never would be missed! There's the Fancy Dan defenders who have never learned to pass – There’s players with eccentric hair who make the game a farce — And midfield players who get through but hold up the attack - And fullbacks who advance upfield but cannot then get back — And forwards who can’t cross the ball, but still they will insist — They'd none of 'em be missed — they'd none of 'em be missed! (Chorus They’re on my transfer list — they’re on my transfer list; And they'll none of 'em be missed — they'll none of 'em be missed! There's the “striker” called Soldado who is always bound to fail - (Think how many goals he’s missed!) - he tops my transfer list! And the clown “defender” Chiriches who thinks he’s Gareth Bale, He never would be missed — he never would be missed! Then the misfit called Paulinho, who often makes me groan, Brazilian he may be, but moves like a traffic cone! And Capoue has disappeared from sight – just who did he upset? And Adebayor’s got to go – I’m trying not to fret! - Then Fazio, Kaboul, Dembelé feature on my list I don't think they'd be missed — I don't think they'd be missed! (Chorus) But there’s a group of Tott’nam players I do not want to leave – They really WOULD be missed – don’t put them on the list! With first and foremost Harry Kane, whose skills I can’t believe! — He surely would be missed — he surely would be missed! I hope that Christian Eriksen will never change his mind, Add Hugo Lloris to this list – his name’s not far behind! And then there’s Dier and Bentaleb, and I’d add Mason too. The task of naming any more I'd rather leave to you……… But it really really matters that we keep them OFF that list Keep them OFF that transfer list — cos they'd all of 'em be missed! (Chorus Well, there’s my transfer list —my Tott’nam transfer list - And they'll none of 'em be missed — they'll none of 'em be missed! AND NO PREDICTIONS!
Trippier, for his consistent crossing alone, is a good signing IMHO. Freeing up Dier to CB. Young, developable. Not too expensive. Good enough to challenge/improve Walker. After seeing what Poch managed to achieve with Rose / Davies, I trust that whatever he has planned with Trippier and the RB position in general. Don't know much about Bartra, looks good from the little I've seen. Hopefully they know more than we do and Paul Mitchell will demonstrate why we got him in.
I like the fact we now have both a RB and a LB who specialize in crosses. It seems to me that crossing frequently enough made our four central attacking players effective. When we didn’t send in crosses, they tended to move forward at a walk and get mobbed by defenders. I’m still not convinced I prefer Trippier to either Dier or Yedlin, but we clearly needed another RB last year, and Trippier seems like the right back at the right price.
There's some pretty bad fanfiction being passed off as transfer speculation today. First of all one of the papers is convinced that there's going to be a chain of goalkeeper transfers: Lloris to Man Utd means De Gea goes to factitious which means Casillas joins us. Let's just ignore the fact that's not how it's going to happen, as De Gea to Factitious is what will happen first and foremost, as well as that little narrative implies that we'll get something out of our special relationship. Secondly, since it looks like the Spammers will miss out on the chance to make Carl Jenkinson's loan permanent as he prefers a move to Sunderland, one site has speculated that they could get Yedlin as he;s out of favour based on his lack of games for us. Let's just ignore that whole MLS season interspersed with a World Cup he played before he joined us, eh?
