• Dear Guest, Please note that adult content is not permitted on this forum. We have had our Google ads disabled at times due to some posts that were found from some time ago. Please do not post adult content and if you see any already on the forum, please report the post so that we can deal with it. Adult content is allowed in the glory hole - you will have to request permission to access it. Thanks, scara

James McCarthy

parklane1 said:
That is the million dollar question, our problem is the two in CM not being that different, I would have liked to have seen Stambouli given more chances ( but that is no longer a option) so if we do not get MS then scouts have their work cut out.

I do not have any particular favourite to fit in instead of Mason but one who can read the defensive side of the game is a must, that may seem that I am passing the buck but they are players who are able to do that part of the game. Needless to say the chances that whoever I say will be slagged off by some ( McCarthy is the proof of that), but he will be able to do a better job of tracking runners then Mason does so ( imo) he will be a better option.
Click to expand...

I personally do think McCarthy would be a decent addition but I see what you mean, I would also give a shout for Nzonzi who I have seen have many a decent game protecting the Stoke Backline. Its a shame if people are uncomfortable mentioning players they like for fear of being shouted down. I would rather see people's opinions, I would like to think I could argue constructively about someone wanting a player I didn't without getting uppetty!

Another side to me would hope that Mason/Bentaleb will both improve playing together, getting better at understanding that when one of the twists the other should stick.
 
parklane1 said:
That is the million dollar question, our problem is the two in CM not being that different, I would have liked to have seen Stambouli given more chances ( but that is no longer a option) so if we do not get MS then scouts have their work cut out.

I do not have any particular favourite to fit in instead of Mason but one who can read the defensive side of the game is a must, that may seem that I am passing the buck but they are players who are able to do that part of the game. Needless to say the chances that whoever I say will be slagged off by some ( McCarthy is the proof of that), but he will be able to do a better job of tracking runners then Mason does so ( imo) he will be a better option.
Click to expand...

Key. In fact, I'd suggest that quickly and efficiently tracking/stopping runners is one of the three qualities we should be looking for, with the other two being a) a tireless work ethic, and b) the ability to play accurate long passes to start attacks off - passes above 20 meters in length, played into the feet or path of our forwards.

The players we've been linked to so far seem to be possessed of two out of those three attributes: McCarthy, for example, is tireless and can track runners, but is a pretty shoddy long passer. Ditto Imbula and Kondogbia. Rabiot, on the other hand, can run all day and is also a good long passer, but isn't the best defensively: that Barca lad we were linked with earlier (Sergi Roberto, I think) is by contrast a good tracker of runs and a good long passer, but isn't known for his great work-rate. Shelvey is again similar to Rabiot in this department.

A player who has all three attributes in abundance is the holy grail of our midfield search. Schneiderlin has all three, but he's long, long gone, imo. That Johannes Geis lad had all three, but he's gone to Schalke: really starting to think we missed out on a potentially perfect player there. This Mario Suarez we've been linked to? Well, to be honest I don't know much about him, but I can't imagine he's all that good, or else Atletico wouldn't be as amenable as they seem to be to the prospect of losing him (although for what it's worth, he seems like a fiery, tireless player with loads of CL and title-winning experience, and I think we could do with all those qualities). So who?
 
Nigeyman said:
I personally do think McCarthy would be a decent addition but I see what you mean, I would also give a shout for Nzonzi who I have seen have many a decent game protecting the Stoke Backline. Its a shame if people are uncomfortable mentioning players they like for fear of being shouted down. I would rather see people's opinions, I would like to think I could argue constructively about someone wanting a player I didn't without getting uppetty!

Another side to me would hope that Mason/Bentaleb will both improve playing together, getting better at understanding that when one of the twists the other should stick.
Click to expand...

I was not suggesting you would do anything else but that :), but we both know that some would. Anyway maybe Mason and Bentaleb will grow into a good pairing but we cannot wait for that to happen as yet another season of shipping goals will see our good players leave. If we are to persist with them together then we have to play a more defensive player alongside them but I do not see Poch doing that as we have to have Ericksen in our M/F as well.
 
DubaiSpur said:
Key. In fact, I'd suggest that quickly and efficiently tracking/stopping runners is one of the three qualities we should be looking for, with the other two being a) a tireless work ethic, and b) the ability to play accurate long passes to start attacks off - passes above 20 meters in length, played into the feet or path of our forwards.

The players we've been linked to so far seem to be possessed of two out of those three attributes: McCarthy, for example, is tireless and can track runners, but is a pretty shoddy long passer. Ditto Imbula and Kondogbia. Rabiot, on the other hand, can run all day and is also a good long passer, but isn't the best defensively: that Barca lad we were linked with earlier (Sergi Roberto, I think) is by contrast a good tracker of runs and a good long passer, but isn't known for his great work-rate. Shelvey is again similar to Rabiot in this department.

A player who has all three attributes in abundance is the holy grail of our midfield search. Schneiderlin has all three, but he's long, long gone, imo. That Johannes Geis lad had all three, but he's gone to Schalke: really starting to think we missed out on a potentially perfect player there. This Mario Suarez we've been linked to? Well, to be honest I don't know much about him, but I can't imagine he's all that good, or else Atletico wouldn't be as amenable as they seem to be to the prospect of losing him (although for what it's worth, he seems like a fiery, tireless player with loads of CL and title-winning experience, and I think we could do with all those qualities). So who?
Click to expand...

I totally agree with your synopsis in regards to what we need. A Matic style signing that Chelsea made and paid off big time for them, the problem is players with all those attributes are going to cost north of 20m plus unless we can find an absolute gem missed by the bigger boys which is highly unlikely.

I would say the likes of A.Song McCarthy, Nzonzi are the best we could hope for, unless our scouts can pull something amazing out of the hat...I also believe MS is dead and buried and would have preffered him but he does not want to come unless others back out which makes me feel meh about him.
 
parklane1 said:
That is true as well, what we need to do ( imo) is to let home grown players grow into the team instead they are those who either think they are going to be the best thing since sliced bread, or not worth bothering with ( but to be honest I have never met many who do that in my experience).

The problem with our CM at this time is that neither Bentaleb or Mason are able to do the defensive part of the game and that is our biggest problem, now Bentaleb offers a little more in that respect but its not in Masons game. I have no idea if Mason will become a top player or just another of our youngsters who get built up ( by some of our fans) only to be playing for a lesser team in the future.

What I do know at this present time is that our CM needs to be strengthened otherwise we will be having the same problems next season.
Click to expand...

I don't think that anyone who has seen much of Spurs over the past season or so would dispute that. And clearly we are in the market for a defensive midfielder (or two).

I simply happen to think that Mason is worth our perseverance - especially since, alongside a more specifically defensive midfielder, he could be far more effective. He was, after all, very much a high scoring no. 10 when so highly rated as a youth player for us.
 
Nigeyman said:
I totally agree with your synopsis in regards to what we need. A Matic style signing that Chelsea made and paid off big time for them, the problem is players with all those attributes are going to cost north of 20m plus unless we can find an absolute gem missed by the bigger boys which is highly unlikely.

I would say the likes of A.Song McCarthy, Nzonzi are the best we could hope for, unless our scouts can pull something amazing out of the hat...I also believe MS is dead and buried and would have preffered him but he does not want to come unless others back out which makes me feel meh about him.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Particularly McCarthy, imo: he's the most rounded player we could hope to get, and one of the least risky in terms of investments in the 12.5 - 20 million range. He does have drawbacks, but...well, like you said, we need to find an absolute gem unheard of by anyone else if we want a player with all the desired attributes to fill that role. I'm starting to think Geis could have been that player: not only was he an outrageously good long passer (averaged passes of 25-odd meters) last season, but he was a good tackler, a tireless worker, built like a brick outhouse and apparently a natural leader. We could really have used all that in one package. Ah, well.

As for who we can get right now...to be honest, I'm leaning towards the idea of someone like Mario Suarez more and more. Someone old enough to only be able to expect two to three years of regular first-team football (Suarez is 28), while still being able to guide the younger lads around him by dint of his experience and fierce attitude. The reason I'm leaning towards this solution is because I'm interested to see how Veljkovic will do at the CDM spot: and, if we do make this kind of signing, then that opens up a first-team place for Milos when the aforementioned two to three years of Suarez/A.N.Other's first-team career end. So, stick with someone like Suarez partnering Bentaleb, while having first Dembele and then Milos be his backup and then gradually (in Milos' case, hopefully) his successor. I don't know if Veljkovic has the qualities we need, but maybe we can drill them into him over time.
 
jimmyb said:
I don't think that anyone who has seen much of Spurs over the past season or so would dispute that. And clearly we are in the market for a defensive midfielder (or two).

I simply happen to think that Mason is worth our perseverance - especially since, alongside a more specifically defensive midfielder, he could be far more effective. He was, after all, very much a high scoring no. 10 when so highly rated as a youth player for us.
Click to expand...


I have no problem with that and I have said elsewhere if we were to play him in a three ( Bentaleb, Mason and another with a defensive mindset) then it could work. However that would leave us with the problem of where we play Erik and I can not see Poch going that whay.
 
parklane1 said:
I have no problem with that and I have said elsewhere if we were to play him in a three ( Bentaleb, Mason and another with a defensive mindset) then it could work. However that would leave us with the problem of where we play Erik and I can not see Poch going that whay.
Click to expand...

Play him behind Kane, in the middle of our AM three. Shift Eriksen out to the left-hand side if Chadli's having an off day, or just bench him while we give Mason minutes in that position. I think we'll see the best of him there. However, we won't see the best of him in a deeper position (except perhaps at the tip of a midfield three, like you said), that's for sure.
 
DubaiSpur said:
Play him behind Kane, in the middle of our AM three. Shift Eriksen out to the left-hand side if Chadli's having an off day, or just bench him while we give Mason minutes in that position. I think we'll see the best of him there. However, we won't see the best of him in a deeper position (except perhaps at the tip of a midfield three, like you said), that's for sure.
Click to expand...

That could be the way to go but I would rather see Eriksen in the middle with a proper DM behind him which would allow Eriksen to do what he does best. I was hoping that we would get Benteke and have Kane as our man in the hole, but that seems to be out of the equation. :(
 
parklane1 said:
That could be the way to go but I would rather see Eriksen in the middle with a proper DM behind him which would allow Eriksen to do what he does best. I was hoping that we would get Benteke and have Kane as our man in the hole, but that seems to be out of the equation. :(
Click to expand...

True, and that's probably going to happen anyway. But I get the feeling that we'd be a lot more defensively solid and a lot more energetic when pressing if Mason's played at #10: in away games against tough opposition, I'd like to see us try it. Same goes with Kane at #10, to be honest: I'd like to see us try it, if only because I feel it would really solidify our physical presence up front while still allowing for some creativity and invention in our front line. However, you're right, it doesn't look like it'll happen (or if it does, it won't be with a striker of Benteke's calibre :( ).
 
Superhudd said:
Me.. Because he is a step up from Capoue and Strombouli. He will make us a better 'team', whether that's as 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th choice central midfielder.
Click to expand...

Clubs above us already have, or are in the process of signing, top quality players. It's therefore not good enough for Spurs to buy a player merely because he is a slight upgrade (and even that is debatable) on what we already have - because it will still leave us trailing those clubs we wish to catch. If we are to sign players, they must at least have the potential to take us to a higher level. And McCarthy is not that type of player.

If it's squad filler that we need, then let's use the academy and development squads. If given a first team chance at DM, I believe that Veljkovic could relatively quickly prove himself to be a player with a much higher ceiling than McCarthy. If we don't soon give him the opportunity, we will risk losing him. And I think we would regret that. Besides, we are not a club that can afford to spend £10-15m on squad filler.

So let's buy a DM, by all means. But no more of these meh signings that we've specialised in over the past year or two.
 
Agree with jimmyb. We need to bring in someone who is going to upgrade our midfield in someway and that player is not McCarthy. Alli could quite easily be our 4th choice midfielder this season (behind the new guy, Bentaleb and Mason) which should place even more emphasis on who we go looking for.
 
I'd prefer Jedinak over McCarthy and he would be a fraction of the cost with better attributes for a dynamic team IMO

When we played our best football last Season we effectively played mason and Bentelab with Dembele in front in a 4-3-3, it suited our attacking player andeant we kept a solid shape

The best example was west rom away who were flying high!!! We did the same bs arsenal too

The reason that worked was with Dembele holding the ball up it stayed in the opposition half more

It also allowed out goal threats to play to their strengths

We didn't have a destroyer on the picture yet played our best football
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back