January Transfer Thread - it couldn't open and close any quicker

[SpurMeUp]

I wouldn’t say no to Traore
But we would have to accept he isn’t a wing back and isnt creative
He can actually finish ok TBF
And he doesn’t lose the ball

I think that is fair. He's best on the break with space ahead of him.

The more exciting question is whether he can develop and say playoff the left-wing - cutting in to shoot. He can do what most can't - easily make space from defenders to shoot. He always has that injection of pace ready. For me, if Traore can receive the ball on the left-wing, then tease a full back, threatening to go past them down the wing, but then cut into the center, he'll almost always be able to use his pace to make space around the box. Then he can look for a pass or ideally perfect a shot into one of the corners.

It is a skill you can practice on the training pitch. And a way for players with serious pace to use it to great effect. The key for Traore is not using all his pace, but holding some back for when he needs to open a bit of space. He has to learn to focus on the pass or shot, and slow down, apart from when he needs to get away from a defender.

 

[Finney Is Back]

I wouldn’t say no to Traore
But we would have to accept he isn’t a wing back and isnt creative
He can actually finish ok TBF
And he doesn’t lose the ball

The one thing I see that just might mean that Traore could work is that of all the players in our team that we get the ball to giving them a one on one situation is Royale. He then almost always holds it up and goes back inside to one of our CMs or backwards to the RCB and very occasionally he will try to put in a cross having not actually got past/beyond the opposition's left back.

Traore would certainly give a different option in terms of beating his opponent in the one on one. Of course there is then a huge question mark about whether he would then make a good pass/cross having beaten the opponent. Personally, I'd rather we brought in a player who can beat his opponent and then has good quality in terms of his delivery as well.

 

[braineclipse]

I wouldn’t say no to Traore
But we would have to accept he isn’t a wing back and isnt creative
He can actually finish ok TBF
And he doesn’t lose the ball

A right sided wing back is a priority.

As is a striker/forward. We need one that can be Kane's backup. That's not Traore.

He can play other roles, but if we do sign him I think it's partly to play as a wing back at the very least.

I don't think signing him only as a wide forward makes much sense as a priority. As a bonus to other more important signings, perhaps, but not a priority.

 

[braineclipse]

The one thing I see that just might mean that Traore could work is that of all the players in our team that we get the ball to giving them a one on one situation is Royale. He then almost always holds it up and goes back inside to one of our CMs or backwards to the RCB and very occasionally he will try to put in a cross having not actually got past/beyond the opposition's left back.

Traore would certainly give a different option in terms of beating his opponent in the one on one. Of course there is then a huge question mark about whether he would then make a good pass/cross having beaten the opponent. Personally, I'd rather we brought in a player who can beat his opponent and then has good quality in terms of his delivery as well.

Would open up more space centrally too.

Opponents cannot leave Traore with as much space to exploit as they do Emerson.

Not the best option if we disregard cost, but we can't disregard cost.

Defensive ability probably is a concern.

 

[elyid]

Fine Paratici and release Hitchin on a free transfer asap.

Apparently we've tried, but the problem is Hitchin has to do the paperwork!

 

[AdamB]

Would open up more space centrally too.

Opponents cannot leave Traore with as much space to exploit as they do Emerson.

Not the best option if we disregard cost, but we can't disregard cost.

Defensive ability probably is a concern.

Agreed. We'd probably see Emerson play against the decent teams, and then either he's on the bench of RCB against weaker teams. No reason Emerson couldnt be similar at RCB as Davies is at LCB

 

[Gazza]

So basically we are going to accept Didier zokora as a wing back

 

[elyid]

Agreed. We'd probably see Emerson play against the decent teams, and then either he's on the bench of RCB against weaker teams. No reason Emerson couldnt be similar at RCB as Davies is at LCB

That would be really good imo. He has a good first touch and could even be better there than RWB.

 

[DubaiSpur]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1478026330570731525

Charles de Ketelaere being lined up by Leicester, who are willing to pay now to get him in in June.

The sort of proactive, forward- looking deal we should be constantly doing - but our transfer policy is the most reactive, unimaginative, useless thing in existence, mostly due to dear old Dan and his incompetent henchman Steve Hitchen.

One can only hope and pray that Paratici and Conte are a) making Levy sweat with their leverage, and b) sidelining 'I hate January' Hitchen, or nothing will change with the utterly abysmal way this club is run when it comes to transfers.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1478026330570731525

Charles de Ketelaere being lined up by Leicester, who are willing to pay now to get him in in June.

The sort of proactive, forward- looking deal we should be constantly doing - but our transfer policy is the most reactive, unimaginative, useless thing in existence, mostly due to dear old Dan and his incompetent henchman Steve Hitchen.

One can only hope and pray that Paratici and Conte are a) making Levy sweat with their leverage, and b) sidelining 'I hate January' Hitchen, or nothing will change with the utterly abysmal way this club is run when it comes to transfers.

Sarr was brought this way

 

[IulianSteaua]

Fabrizio Romano saying we are în for a CB this January.

 

[parklane1]

Sarr was brought this way

Indeed, but never stop another rant by Dubai

 

[parklane1]

Sounds like the usual made up gonad*s to me.... I reckon any one of us could've come up with the above and tried to pass it off as 'ITK'.... I mean from where exactly do these "ITK's" get their info from?.... Considering those peddling this stuff have remained the same people over several years that only leaves a single potential source at THFC who would have this information and that is Daniel Levy (and can any of you see Levy openly talking about this sort of stuff?)

Good to see we agree on something mate.

 

[braineclipse]

Jokes aside, I have had and will have a very bad feeling about 'I hate January' Hitchen sticking around, tbh.

He was the one who brought us most of the wasters we have now, from Doherty to Bergwijn to N'dombele to Lo Celso, and that he not only hasn't been sacked for some of those buys but has become the deadweight Paratici has to drag around with him speaks to how much this c*nt has Levy's ear.

Nothing good comes of having this bloke at the club.

That one line in one interview really has stuck with some in the most uncharitable interpretation

Sarr was brought this way

Gil to is clearly a proactive forward looking deal.

Can understand the frustration that we at point point seemes to stop making deals after it was an integral part to our success for quite a while.

Not sure that can be put on Levy or Hitchen. I think later years Pochettino had quite a bit of control over transfers, as did certainly Mourinho.

A lot of calls to back the manager and sign players the manager wants for the first team. Do that, get criticism for not buying potential. Do the opposite, get criticism none the less.

 

[Yiddo]

Coutinho has gone to Villa on loan.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1479385038764613637

 

[AdamB]

Fabrizio Romano saying we are în for a CB this January.

I'm sure we're in for players in all positions, apart from LWB

 

[DubaiSpur]

That one line in one interview really has stuck with some in the most uncharitable interpretation

Eh. I think it's pretty fair -it's something he actually said, and presumably believes. It also matches what his boss tends to think, and his boss's approach to transfers has been...increasingly called into question recently (happily so, imo).

A lot of calls to back the manager and sign players the manager wants for the first team. Do that, get criticism for not buying potential. Do the opposite, get criticism none the less.

Or, and hear me out here - we could focus on negotiating for players the year-round, working on it so that we have incomings that the manager wants early in the window, with plenty of time to acclimatize, take part in training and get up to speed quickly.

As opposed to the approach we have generally had since Modric, which is to apparently doze off between October 1st and May 31st, only waking up as a club once the window actually opens, by which point loads of clubs more proactive than us have already made signings and improved.

And then Levy steps in and haggles until deadline day, further delaying this already torturous process that is only difficult for us - few other clubs seem to experience the same mental blockages, year after year.

 

[DubaiSpur]

Sarr was brought this way

True - I give Paratici credit for that. Now, why aren't we doing it more? Sarr's a raw kid - the last time we did this for a serious first-team player off the bat was, as I recall, Modric.

In fact, that period saw us do multiple deals like this, including for Sandro - but it has become far rarer in the decade(!) since. We have regressed on being proactive - alarmingly so.

 

[DubaiSpur]

Indeed, but never stop another rant by Dubai

I know we agree on non-Levy things, but one day you'll agree with me on Levy too - I know it, mate. That will be the day.

 

[ricky2tricky4city]

Eh. I think it's pretty fair -it's something he actually said, and presumably believes. It also matches what his boss tends to think, and his boss's approach to transfers has been...increasingly called into question recently (happily so, imo).



Or, and hear me out here - we could focus on negotiating for players the year-round, working on it so that we have incomings that the manager wants early in the window, with plenty of time to acclimatize, take part in training and get up to speed quickly.

As opposed to the approach we have generally had since Modric, which is to apparently doze off between October 1st and May 31st, only waking up as a club once the window actually opens, by which point loads of clubs more proactive than us have already made signings and improved.

And then Levy steps in and haggles until deadline day, further delaying this already torturous process that is only difficult for us - few other clubs seem to experience the same mental blockages, year after year.

It would appear that Levy has taken on board your rantings and even considered some of it fair comment, and hence employed a sporting director to take control of scouting, player recruitment and player sales ie the bits you allege he's not good at. And one that by all reports has a excellent relationship with the manager.

But still you go on.