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Thoughts on the new season

Gutter Boy said:
I think his ratio of top vs mediocre performances has been falling for a while. We know he has that chronic hip condition that is going to keep getting worse too

The moment Pogba bullied him off the ball in the cup semi was a bit of realisation moment too I think. That would never have happened to him at his peak
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It really did happen at his peak - he had games where Kouyate (West Ham) bullied him, if he got tackled in the first 5 minutes by a player I could tell it was not going to be his day. I did not see more mediocre than top last year and was surprised when I heard he was going China as I thought he was key.

I know about the hip problem but he was the fittest I have seen him after Christmas last year, and as long as he makes it to summer its someone else's issue. I genuinely think we were resigned to losing him so were already replacing him. I am over the moon he stayed as it gives Winks another year to see if he could step up and a genuine replacement to what he will offer this year will cost a fortune and be very difficult to get.
 
nayimfromthehalfwayline said:
For me its not that he is on his last legs when he plays, its the frequency of injuries/unreliability in that sense.
Also, when he has been injured, he takes a few games to get up to speed.

Aside from his apparent desire to leave, I think we should look at succeeding him anyway, but for now I have no issue with him for this season, and if he is playing I dont see him as a liability.


For me, if we switch to a 4-3-3 type set up, we arent exposed in midfield at all and arguably set up in a way that favours more players.

.............................vorm
............................LLORIS

aurier.........alderweireld.....foyth...............rose
TRIPPIER.....SANCHEZ..........VERTONGHEN....DAVIES

............................wanyama
..............................DIER
....................winks..........dembele
...................ERIKSEN........ALLI

........lamela.................................... ?
.......MOURA.....................................SON
...........................llorente
.............................KANE

Very well balanced for me, everyone playing to their strengths, and no obvious weakness bar that gap at LWF - though Alli has done if before.
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Other than the very start of the season last year was he injured at all? post November he was even playing two games a week and looked the fittest I had seen him I a long while.
 
r-u-s-x said:
Other than the very start of the season last year was he injured at all? post November he was even playing two games a week and looked the fittest I had seen him I a long while.
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Was it you listing his appearances the other week? Its fair to say he has played more than I thought he had.

That said, he was out for a good while at the beginning of last season, and when he was back it was still some time before he found any real form. Id say it wasnt until the new year he was more like himself.
 
Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino has revealed that the likes of Toby Alderweireld and Danny Rose were ringing him throughout the World Cup about transfer rumours.

Alderweireld and Rose are among those Spurs players who have both been linked with moves away from the club. In the end neither were bought by Premier League clubs before Thursday's 5pm transfer deadline but could still move to foreign sides before the end of the month.

Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino has revealed that the likes of Toby Alderweireld and Danny Rose were ringing him throughout the World Cup about transfer rumours.

Alderweireld and Rose are among those Spurs players who have both been linked with moves away from the club. In the end neither were bought by Premier League clubs before Thursday's 5pm transfer deadline but could still move to foreign sides before the end of the month.

He added: "You say that situation is maybe different from that of Hugo [Lloris]. Of course it's different. We need to deal with that and maybe help the player to be in a very good shape and then to help the team.

"But I am not worried whether it's this week or next week or maybe the week after. It's so long the season there's a lot fo games to play and I hope that all will be fit and help the team to acheive what we want."

Spurs skipper Lloris lifted the World Cup as France's captain and Pochettino joked that the goalkeeper had now become tough to control.

"It's difficult to manage him eh? You cannot talk to him in the same way as before. Now he says I am World Champion!" joked the manager.

"No, it's unbelievable because he's so humble. We have the golden boot too in Harry [Kane], who is so disappointed because he says to me 'I should have scored more goals'. But you know it's good.

"It's good that they feel that we are all together, the same team as last season and we can all fight for big things and show to everyone that we have a very good squad and very good team and the players can still improve."



Still dont see any cracks, I think he is genuinely ok with our situation.

Ive no doubt he would have wanted a couple in (and some out!) but theres no sign of any issues is there?
 
nayimfromthehalfwayline said:
.............................vorm
............................LLORIS

aurier.........alderweireld.....foyth...............rose
TRIPPIER.....SANCHEZ..........VERTONGHEN....DAVIES

............................wanyama
..............................DIER
....................winks..........dembele
...................ERIKSEN........ALLI

........lamela.................................... ?
.......MOURA.....................................SON
...........................llorente
.............................KANE

Very well balanced for me, everyone playing to their strengths, and no obvious weakness bar that gap at LWF - though Alli has done if before.
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This would be my preferred starting lineup as well, assuming it's a wider formation than indicated (more of a 4-1-4-1). Maybe even push Trippier up as a winger against the more feisty ones.
 
SubZero said:
This would be my preferred starting lineup as well, assuming it's a wider formation than indicated (more of a 4-1-4-1). Maybe even push Trippier up as a winger against the more feisty ones.
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Formations are flexible, of course. When we are dominating Id expect it to shift to more of a 3/4/3 with the full backs pushing up and Dier sitting more between the CBs.

This formation was also the main reason I really felt Zaha/Martial would have been a key buy - of course theres always January though!
 
nayimfromthehalfwayline said:
Formations are flexible, of course. When we are dominating Id expect it to shift to more of a 3/4/3 with the full backs pushing up and Dier sitting more between the CBs.

This formation was also the main reason I really felt Zaha/Martial would have been a key buy - of course theres always January though!
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Absolutely, Dier's ability to do a job both in defense and midfield is the strenght of this formation. Obviously I would have hoped for a little bit more progress from back when this was Poch's masterstroke, but he distributes the ball well, knows that the opposition's goal is not at the sidelines, and has good vision. Now if Poch can coach him to understand WHEN he needs to switch ranks we have a winner, I don't think he has as many "brain farts" as he is sometimes a bit "positionally challenged" :)
 
Wrote a long post saying we may move to a 4-3-3, but when you play out the players it really doesnt work, the squad is setup for a 4-2-3-1. With the fluidity of Dier stepping back into CDM and 2nd CM sitting in-front when we push up full-backs

We really don't look that short of options, but to push on this year and set us up for next is

Moura to really push on
Alli to nail down a position
Winks to push Dembele out to the team
Skipp / Onomah to push out Sissoko from the squad, hes hated but Sissoko does a good job at what he does
Foyth to get more minutes
KWP to play all cup games at LB

Would mean next few transfer windows will wind a few up as id expect very few changes, targets would be Martial, De Ligt, Grealish or we wont bother again

Has to be a LCB who pushes Vertonghen out of the team
RCB to replace Toby dont think 2CV will make it (Tanganga will but is too young)
Has to be a CM who can push Dier out of the team
Has to be a member of front 3 who can push Son out of the team

We need to improve the squad by pushing first team down to the bench.
Zero point replacing Sissoko in the squad, you want to replace Dier in the team thats i think Poch's point
 
nayimfromthehalfwayline said:
Alli was excellent in the world cup, and with Eriksen and Dier instead of Hendersen and Linguard he will be able to shine even more.
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He could have been a star of the tournament in his proper role off Kane's shoulder

But he had to be sacrificed for the good of the team to compensate for how poor the rest of the midfielders were
 
Gutter Boy said:
He could have been a star of the tournament in his proper role off Kane's shoulder

But he had to be sacrificed for the good of the team to compensate for how poor the rest of the midfielders were
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Regardless, he was excellent in midfield.

If, perhaps, Hendersen wasnt so limited, Sterling so anonymous and Linguard so brainless, he might well have done a lot more to catch the eye.

Even so, his performances were top draw.

In our side, coming from deeper, I think he could be outstanding.
 
nayimfromthehalfwayline said:
Regardless, he was excellent in midfield.

If, perhaps, Hendersen wasnt so limited, Sterling so anonymous and Linguard so brainless, he might well have done a lot more to catch the eye.

Even so, his performances were top draw.

In our side, coming from deeper, I think he could be outstanding.
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Or if we'd been able to play Winks and Dier in CM, he might have rivalled Kane for the golden boot

I think his goalscoring and penetration are his outstanding attributes, and you always want to play him in his best position, not use him as a square peg.

I wouldn't be against converting him into a CM in his late 20s when his energy and pace start fading, but its far too premature now.
 
Gutter Boy said:
Or if we'd been able to play Winks and Dier in CM, he might have rivalled Kane for the golden boot

I think his goalscoring and penetration are his outstanding attributes, and you always want to play him in his best position, not use him as a square peg.

I wouldn't be against converting him into a CM in his late 20s when his energy and pace start fading, but its far too premature now.
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In the team I suggested he is in CM with the freedom to move as he always does, its not "square peg" at all.

Its a midfield 3, it offers him a good deal of freedom, and it also allows him to find space between the lines with ease.

While, also, doing the great work he always does for the team - but so often doesnt get recognised for.
 
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