Would you take Modric back?

[braineclipse]

It doesn't really matter what I think, if AvB thinks that he would improve the side and is our best chance of moving the team forward then I'm behind it.

Well put.

Dembele will never do all the things Modric could. He's just not that type of player.


What has happened is that we have changed our style of play to his strengths and we no longer need a Modric player as much as we previously did.

There have been several similar posts to this, stating that we just don't need him.

We have done well this season, very well even. But we have no idea how good we could have been if we had Modric around along with this current squad.

And it's still not going to happen.

 

[Spursalot]

There have been several similar posts to this, stating that we just don't need him.

We have done well this season, very well even. But we have no idea how good we could have been if we had Modric around along with this current squad.

And it's still not going to happen.

I didn't say we flat out didn't need him, just that we don't need him anywhere as much as we did.



Sure we could have done better with him, but then we also could have done worse with him. The 'What if?' game works both ways.

 

[braineclipse]

I didn't say we flat out didn't need him, just that we don't need him anywhere as much as we did.



Sure we could have done better with him, but then we also could have done worse with him. The 'What if?' game works both ways.

That was why I said that I thought PLJ worded himself well.

Do you really think it's as likely that we would have done worse with him as it is that we would have done better with him?

 

[Spursalot]

That was why I said that I thought PLJ worded himself well.

Do you really think it's as likely that we would have done worse with him as it is that we would have done better with him?

No, I think we'll never know either way. We have no idea how well he would have gotten on with AVB, how well he would've gotten on with his role in the new 'system', how opposition managers might have changed their tactics against us given that he was in the side and a whole host of different things that can change the outcomes of games.


Which is why my original quotes said nothing of us doing 'better or worse' with him in the side.

 

[Rorschach]

Leaving emotion aside, the simple question for me is whether we would now be better or worse off by having him back in the squad and the answer IMO is obviously better.

But it is never as simple that, and in this hypothetical scenario where he returns then we are into weighing up his value to the team now versus other transfer targets, probably our acquisition of Moutinho. Plenty of factors to consider but I still believe we have a need for a creative player in this mould. So in this hypothetical choice between Modders and Mountinho I would pick Modders, but I imagine AVB would go the other way.

 

[braineclipse]

No, I think we'll never know either way. We have no idea how well he would have gotten on with AVB, how well he would've gotten on with his role in the new 'system', how opposition managers might have changed their tactics against us given that he was in the side and a whole host of different things that can change the outcomes of games.


Which is why my original quotes said nothing of us doing 'better or worse' with him in the side.

You said that we didn't need him as much.

I took that to mean that we wouldn't be significantly better with him.

 

[Spursalot]

You said that we didn't need him as much.

I took that to mean that we wouldn't be significantly better with him.

No, it was more of a 'We've adapted well without a deep lying playmaker'..


Looking forwards, not backwards..

 

[braineclipse]

No, it was more of a 'We've adapted well without a deep lying playmaker'..


Looking forwards, not backwards..

You don't think Dembele plays a similar role to the one Modric had?

 

[Spursalot]

You don't think Dembele plays a similar role to the one Modric had?

Not at all, no. I think they are completely different types of player.

 

[africanspurs]

Tough one,

i think i would.

 

[braineclipse]

Not at all, no. I think they are completely different types of player.

Completely different? Surely not...

Similar role to me doesn't mean that they are very similar as players or that they solve that role in the same way.

 

[Spursalot]

Completely different? Surely not...

Similar role to me doesn't mean that they are very similar as players or that they solve that role in the same way.

I see it as they play different roles because that is where their strengths lie. How many through balls have you seen Dembele play? And how many times do you see Modric bully his way past someone?


To name two differences straight off the bat.



Dembele is a direct player, whilst Modric is an indirect player.

 

[Libero]

Its annoying really in that im sure if we had kept Modric we wouldnt have signed Dembele yet the thought of playing them 2 with Sandro in a midfield 3 is so exciting. It really would have everything although maybe slightly short on pace but full of craft, power and agility to make up for it.

I would have him back but would feel more comfortable about if he sacked his agent first.

 

[Robspur12]

He never refused to play. I know that, because he never sat out a game refusing to play like Berbatov did. Complete overraction to say he refused to play.

Mate, he missed the tour of America because he ws having a strop at home. Any way it doesn't matter both are as bad as each other in my eyes, its just that I loved Berbatov when he was our player. Also I think a striker of his calibre would be much more useful to us now.

 

[Robspur12]

Well put.



There have been several similar posts to this, stating that we just don't need him.

We have done well this season, very well even. But we have no idea how good we could have been if we had Modric around along with this current squad.

And it's still not going to happen.

Not sure that Dembele and Modric would play that well together in this team as they both occupy a deep position. You could say then move Dembele to play in a more advanced role but this season we look much more solid imo with him occupying the deep position alongside Sandro and he protects the back 4 better than Modric did last year. The problem is of course he can't thread through balls like Modric could. I believe that Sig is capable of filling the play maker role and in a more advanced position. Bringing back modric would not increase our goal tally therefore a striker is more important imo at the moment and we have a lack of cover in that position.

 

[Wriggly]

He did really throw his toys out of his pram last season and at the start of this season did the same without huge media stories. He is a little fudger, but on the park he is professional and almost genius like. I'd have him back in a heart beat.

 

[southstand1882]

I would, but only if it was done this January, to help us push for top 4

Otherwise, i couldn't care less what happens to him

 

[Robspur12]

Leaving emotion aside, the simple question for me is whether we would now be better or worse off by having him back in the squad and the answer IMO is obviously better.

But it is never as simple that, and in this hypothetical scenario where he returns then we are into weighing up his value to the team now versus other transfer targets, probably our acquisition of Moutinho. Plenty of factors to consider but I still believe we have a need for a creative player in this mould. So in this hypothetical choice between Modders and Mountinho I would pick Modders, but I imagine AVB would go the other way.

You have a followed his travails at Madrid do you not think there are better options out there? When we were struggling towards the end of last season he did not look like the player who would turn us around. Ho hum opinions are opinions

 

[braineclipse]

I see it as they play different roles because that is where their strengths lie. How many through balls have you seen Dembele play? And how many times do you see Modric bully his way past someone?


To name two differences straight off the bat.



Dembele is a direct player, whilst Modric is an indirect player.

If Dembele doesn't play through balls as often, how is he more direct?

We clearly mean different things by "role". The fact that there are differences in their style of play and that they have some different abilities doesn't to me mean that they play different roles - like I already said.

 

[Spursalot]

If Dembele doesn't play through balls as often, how is he more direct?

We clearly mean different things by "role". The fact that there are differences in their style of play and that they have some different abilities doesn't to me mean that they play different roles - like I already said.

He's more direct by being a ball carrier that runs at players, and then past them.


Different roles. I see Modric as a deep lying player maker which is a role i can't see Dembele excelling as, whilst Dembele is more in the box-to-box mould.


I'm not sure what other kinds of roles you could be thinking about.