recently we've been discussing how bad our set pieces are. corners in particular, but free kicks to a large extent also. If the £7mill rumours about us trying to sign Dorlan Pabon are true, our free kick worries could be over!! http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/sp...-free-kick-cracker-for-Atletico-Nacional.html
The two questions that spring to mind are... a.) Seriously, how much overtime has our South American scout been doing? If we follow up on a handful of his leads, he needs a raise b.) Can we do a combined deal to bring over his set pieces coach? The one we have simply needs replacing.
good points HBIC! c) but... do we actually need ANOTHER midfielder? or is this guy a replacement or someone else who's going out the door? bearing in mind we're faffing about over a fee with Ajax for vertonghen, if the 7mill fee for Pabon is true, that would seem like a lot to spend on someone who we don't necessarily need. (when we're squabbling over 9 mill for vertonghen who we're desperate for!! (or someone of his calibre))
It's notable the Telegraph article lists him as a striker. According to Transfermarkt, he can operate as an attacking midfielder, on the right, or as a centre forward. If this is the case, he can operate in either the 4-4-1-1 system as VDV's understudy, or in a 4-2-3-1 on the right hand side, which would make him a useful addition. As for players he'd be replacing, Dos Santos and Bentley are both likely to leave this summer - and we should be able to get more than £7m for the pair of them, so it would be a tidy piece of business. Not sure where we're at with the other South American players we've run the rule over, though - Leandro is in limbo (as per), there's been no news on Uvini, and we had Cristian Ramirez in for a trial but that's gone quiet as well.
i get afeeling..or maybe it is due to past experiences that we may blow this Vertonghen deal due to petty squabblings over the odd mill..not getting him could cost us alot more than the odd mill in success on the pitch...and at the same time it is obvious that if we dont get him then it will be a rival who gets strengthened by him.
I have the same feeling, Spurlock. I'm just hoping that it's more to do with seeing how the CL final goes or something.
Another way of looking at it is that we're investing a little too much in his comments about us being the preferred destination. Or maybe we've got different packages dependant on Saturday's result: Straight cash if we're in the CL, cash + add-ons if we're in the EL.
that's what i,m worried about ffs give them what they,re asking,we'll get it back when we get rid of the deadwood
possible. i do hope your spot on. we need early business done one way or another..next season can be very good for us..it really can..all depends on the prep...and gagging the runt that is Modric.
I'm not panicking in the slightest over vertonghen. Usually at this stage of "the summer", it's just the media making reports with no substance, linking us to everyone, with all of us sat here talking about who we want and who we hope to sign. - but not seeing any signs of any movement! This year, is the first in a long time where it feels like there's actually some weight behind what's going on. Yes, we've been linked to every Tom, Dick and Harry again already, but at least there are signs we're trying to purchase early. (vertonghen at WHL) The Vertonghen stuff isn't bullshit, IMO. Some of the finer details might be, but it's well known that he's been at WHL. - We very rarely get on with our transfer business this early, which shows me that Levy means business this summer. I think HBIC might be onto something where he's mentioned about the CL result and the package to bring him to WHL. maybe it's not that exactly, but something on those lines. he'll be our first signing, I'm confident of that.
the evidence points towards what you are saying Roo. i think 31 years of following Spurs has left me with a little dose of pessimism at any given opportunity...maybe that is all it is..i mean the lad has visited WHL even..yet im still not giving him a hope!
I think we all have that pessimism built into us, Dona. we've been let down to many times. especially in recent transfer windows!
quite frustrating really...as i think we are on the cresp of something good..then again im an ungrateful tw@ i mean who can complain with a squad consisting of Modric Ribery VDV Bale Robben Neur Gomez am fekin cacking it with regards tommorw..so much so that i had to go and wind some gooners up..they bit...they bit hard.....damn they left me cockless!
I'd agree with that except the passing, but add that Adebayor's best qualities may have been his effort and ability to get into good positions. So many times he was the first one down the field, and got the ball the at the edge of the penalty area. He'd draw one or both CB, leaving a great space for the next runner. I forget who said when his name came up that he'd be perfect for this team, but I think that's just about right. We'll have to see if we can work out a way to keep him. If not, someone who can take his place is by far the top priority.
What do you all think the top price is we should pay for players? Should we break the bank for a £25 million pound player or keep to the £10 mill mark? I genuinely don't know.
A certain amount of our business will probably be dependent on generating funds through sales - we'd get at least £15m moving on Gomes, Bassong and Dos Santos, which can reinvested in any number of ways alongside any summer transfer budget we have set aside already. We've most likely got a forward and a defender listed as players we need to bring in ASAP due to the potential of any of our targets having their value inflated by performances at the Euros, and after that it's going to be adding squad depth. For example, should Bentley and Dos Santos both leave this summer, we'd need to bring in another right winger - and we do keep being linked to players who can play on the right wing and in the VDV role (for example, Dorlan Pabon and Georginio Wijnaldum), so there must be something in that.
Using the (probably made up, or at least ballpark) figures on Transfermarkt: Gomes: £2.5m Corluka: £6m Bassong: £4.5m Bentley: £4.5m Dos Santos: £4m Jenas: £5.5m Corluka sounds about right, we'd probably get more for Gomes, Dos Santos and Bassong, and I'd swap the values for Bentley and Jenas. Either way, if we got that sort of money, we could certainly bring in Remy or Giroud, with some left over.
Well I just hope we can find a 25-30 goal a season striker which would have made all the difference last season. We don't in my opinion have a match winner like RVP or even a Cisse and we need one. We also need a new keeper soon and there's some good talent about.
