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Transfer window now shut - what do we make of our squad now?

Seven in, 25 out and a profit of some £6m...

P0334_zpsb5a1a90f.png


...and we have a far stronger squad than the one we ended last season with.

Amazingly successful transfer window.
 
Ginolius said:
That was exactly my thinking for our best formation.

I find it odd Holtby isn’t in more people’s first team plans, he has got the workrate and stamina to press all game from the middle – which we don’t know Lamela or Eriksen have yet - has shown he has a great range of passing, can shoot from distance and has 6 months more experience of the league than our new signings.
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I agree, Holtby seems to be overlooked a lot, at times by me as well. Probably because he doesn't exactly fit into the perfect tactical system we envisioned in pre-season: namely, the three brutish central midfielders flanked by two creative outlets and one complete centre-forward. Holtby isn't brutishly strong, or particularly adept at screening the back four, which seemingly rules him out of the powerful 'destroyer' template. But if anything, the game against Arsenal showed that playing three of our destroyers is a bad move, and that they will struggle to maintain possession and create chances. We need to have variation in our central midfield, and Holtby can provide that in spades. He can pass well, has an eye for a through ball, works tirelessly to harry opponents and provide support to the man in possession and, as you say, has had six months in the league to adapt. He was a creative force for Schalke up until he moved to us, and I feel he can both reach and eventually surpass that level if given a chance.

Play him alongside a dedicated destroyer (Sandro/Capoue) and a box-to-box midfielder (Paulinho/Dembele). Then you have a destroyer, a runner from deep and a creative player, which seems to me to be a fne balance.

I hope we see this, or at least a version of this, perhaps with Eriksen or Siggy in Holtby's role.

Oh, and I just remembered that we've spent 110 million quid on seven new signings, and somewhere in the region of seventy million quid on flashy new midfielders alone. Compared to that, poor 2 million Holtby doesn't stand much of a chance when trying to gain the fans' attention. :) Could be another reason.
 
DubaiSpur said:
I agree, Holtby seems to be overlooked a lot, at times by me as well. Probably because he doesn't exactly fit into the perfect tactical system we envisioned in pre-season: namely, the three brutish central midfielders flanked by two creative outlets and one complete centre-forward. Holtby isn't brutishly strong, or particularly adept at screening the back four, which seemingly rules him out of the powerful 'destroyer' template. But if anything, the game against Arsenal showed that playing three of our destroyers is a bad move, and that they will struggle to maintain possession and create chances. We need to have variation in our central midfield, and Holtby can provide that in spades. He can pass well, has an eye for a through ball, works tirelessly to harry opponents and provide support to the man in possession and, as you say, has had six months in the league to adapt. He was a creative force for Schalke up until he moved to us, and I feel he can both reach and eventually surpass that level if given a chance.

Play him alongside a dedicated destroyer (Sandro/Capoue) and a box-to-box midfielder (Paulinho/Dembele). Then you have a destroyer, a runner from deep and a creative player, which seems to me to be a fne balance.

I hope we see this, or at least a version of this, perhaps with Eriksen or Siggy in Holtby's role.

Oh, and I just remembered that we've spent 110 million quid on seven new signings, and somewhere in the region of seventy million quid on flashy new midfielders alone. Compared to that, poor 2 million Holtby doesn't stand much of a chance when trying to gain the fans' attention. :) Could be another reason.
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Let's hope AVB isn't blinded by the fees then, as I'd love to see that front 3 of Eriksen - holtby - Lamela behind Soldado with our Brazilian pair behind them.

Even with all that talent though, it'd be a while until we see it click - one of the reasons I imagine we've been so cautious in our setup, playing Dembele, Paulinho and capoue is because if you've not gelled as a team but try to be overly attacking in your play then you are likely to end up all over the place when you concede possession and vulnerable. Whereas we've largely mitigated that by having such a defensive core.

It's what happened to Liverpool last year when they couldn't buy a point; Rogers insisted - rightly or wrongly - on keeping with his attacking system even though the players obviously weren't settled in the formation and they consequently looked atrocious. Six months later and it paid off.

Perhaps we'll see all slow shift in our play while we adapt to life without bale and bed our new recruits, with the aim more damage limitation than Rogers' attempt to throwing caution to the wind.


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On paper a much stronger squad, but obviously we will miss Bale massively. I don't think we'll see the best of this team before Christmas, hopefully we'll still get the results to keep us in contention for top four.

It could be a good thing that Liverpool are starting so well, and **** bought Özil - the pressure will now be on them, rather than on us, after we lost Bale. It could work in our favour, giving us the time and quiet to make the team gel and get stronger. Hopefully.

I'm happy with our dealings this summer, apart from losing Bale, but the additions to the squad help soften the blow substantially. It could still be a very exciting season, lets hope there won't be too much transition.
 
Ginolius said:
Let's hope AVB isn't blinded by the fees then, as I'd love to see that front 3 of Eriksen - holtby - Lamela behind Soldado with our Brazilian pair behind them.

Even with all that talent though, it'd be a while until we see it click - one of the reasons I imagine we've been so cautious in our setup, playing Dembele, Paulinho and capoue is because if you've not gelled as a team but try to be overly attacking in your play then you are likely to end up all over the place when you concede possession and vulnerable. Whereas we've largely mitigated that by having such a defensive core.

It's what happened to Liverpool last year when they couldn't buy a point; Rogers insisted - rightly or wrongly - on keeping with his attacking system even though the players obviously weren't settled in the formation and they consequently looked atrocious. Six months later and it paid off.

Perhaps we'll see all slow shift in our play while we adapt to life without bale and bed our new recruits, with the aim more damage limitation than Rogers' attempt to throwing caution to the wind.


Sent from my HTC One using Fapatalk 4
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I agree
 
milo said:
I agree
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I just hope I'm right; AVB is no mug and despite what he says publicly he has to be frustrated at our poor forward play. But this is what happens when you buy a marquee striker that thrives on service, and throw him into a completely unsettled team.

I think we must have been certain that we'd keep bale when we decided to buy such an expensive striker in his prime, as given the current bale - less, in-flux team you'd have to think a stronger, more direct player would provide more immediate payout, and a younger talent who could grow with those around him would be a more astute long term purchase.

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Absolutely fantastic squad of players. The talent is there. Like I've never seen before at Spurs.

Now it's a psychological challenge for AVB and the squad to bring the best out of this hugely talented squad. United, Arsenal, City, Liverpool all have some very good players. We probably have the most exciting young squad out there, and I believe many football fanatics are itching to watch us play now.
 
Ginolius said:
I just hope I'm right; AVB is no mug and despite what he says publicly he has to be frustrated at our poor forward play. But this is what happens when you buy a marquee striker that thrives on service, and throw him into a completely unsettled team.

I think we must have been certain that we'd keep bale when we decided to buy such an expensive striker in his prime, as given the current bale - less, in-flux team you'd have to think a stronger, more direct player would provide more immediate payout, and a younger talent who could grow with those around him would be a more astute long term purchase.

Sent from my HTC One using Fapatalk 4
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I'm not convinced that Bale, in the position he took up for us last season, was the player to bring out the best in Soldado.

I'm hoping that a more team based approach, with a wider variety of attacking options will make us harder to play against.
 
After seeing the first 3 games we miss something, speed...

I would say this is becouse we miss bale and the team aint a "team" yet but we are a team that play fast atacking football and when the players get to know there team mates, this is going to be fixed.
But at the time its hard to see players getting the ball, waking with the ball and pass, only place we had som fast moving play has been on the right side with Walker and Lennon.

I was hoping Dembele would take more chances beating his man and making room for Soldado, in time this will happen.


The team that I hope will be our best team is

-----------------Lloris (Captain)---------------
Walker-----Chiri-------Verts--------Rose
------------------Capoue/Sandro----------- (both as good)
------------Paulinho-----Holtby-----------
Lamela-------------------------Eriksen----
-----------------Soldado-----------------

Cant make up my mind about who is best of sandro and Capoue.
Holtby has what is takes to be a awsome player, and I can see him and Eriksen teaming up well and can change places in the game.

I think we are alot stronger as a team, and I dont think this team will have a long down time as we had last year and the year before....

COYS!
 
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I must say I was absolutely delighted by the business and thought we could put up a title challenge, then Arsenal got Ozil and it changes things a bit. I don't know what I expect, as we still have the stronger depth in the squad but I fear that is the type of signing that puts them up a level. I hope we can keep pace.

One thing that does help me is the fact that last year, we had the marquee player in Bale and we still finished 5th, so just because Arsenal have Ozil it doesn't immediately stick them up a level.

I guess it comes down to what is better...Ozil/Carzola/Walcott/Ox vs Eriksen/Lamela/Holtby/Lennon/Chadli/Townsend.

We still have a chance of being ahead of them, we can do it. It's just I viewed our business as giving us an amazing chance, and now it's more of a...'chance'.
 
I think our team is stronger and we shouldn't have to struggle to finish 5th or 6th, but we've lost the special player that can make the difference and with Arsenal signing the bug eyed monster 4th is even further away
 
Stenno said:
Simple untrue. Great delivery and very attacking. He played there when we best ManU away last year..
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Good going forward but he got absolutely roasted playing as LB on more than one occasion last season. Verts is 1st choice CB and that is where he should stay IMO
 
Defense is not good enough.


We'll sadly again miss out on CL, and lose Vertonghen/Lloris next summer.

Some of the signings are average ( Capoue/Chadli) while Paulinho and Soldado look very slow maybe due to a lack of fitness.

Chichares is unproven.

Eriksen could be a good surprise though.
 
------------------Lloris

Walker--Kaboul/Chiriches--Vertonghen--Rose

-------------Paulinho---Capoue/Sandro

Lamela-------Holtby/Eriksen----Chadli/Lennon/Townsend

-----------------Soldado
 
Hotspur said:
------------------Lloris

Walker--Kaboul/Chiriches--Vertonghen--Rose

-------------Paulinho---Capoue/Sandro

Lamela-------Holtby/Eriksen----Chadli/Lennon/Townsend

-----------------Soldado
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This is the formation that will get the best of the squad we have.

4-3-3 with our squad unless we play an attacker in the deeper 3 doesn't work and leaves Soldados isolated

Playing 4-2-3-1 (which I was anti last season) is the only way IMO with these players.

We have so man combinations we have the best squad in my time

We lack pace for counter attacking but this team should be able to dominate from start to finish without the need to play like that

I would have liked and extra forward and a left back but I think we have done exceptionally well
 
In retrospect, I'd have felt much more confident we will be competitive for a top 4 finish if we'd stood firm on keeping Bale and only added Soldado, Eriksen and Lamela. That would have meant a fairly hefty net spend, obviously, and it was probably foolish to think that was going to happen. This is Spurs, after all, "really going for it" but still managing to end up making a profit on dealings.
 
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