2025/26 pre-season

[Muttley]

I'm still thinking about that game in partnerships.

I don't see much wrong with Romero / VDV and I'm falling in love with the Porro / Kudos combination already. However, I've seen nothing in pre-season to get me excited about the equivalent left side. Today's combination of Spence and Johnson was simply woeful. BM walked through it every single time and we know putting Davies there won't make any difference. Udogie is clearly first choice.

In midfield it was first run out today for the Palhinha / Bentancur partnership. They did do some good work defensively but I didn't feel that they added much to our attack. Sarr seemed to be disconnected from them and he certainly had no partnership with Richi of note. Not Sarr's fault though as he's clearly helping his gaffer out by filling in there.

I'd like to see this team with Udogie for Spence, Tel or Odobert for Johnson and Solanke in for Richi. Obviously, we are going to need to think more about the 10 position.

 

[SubZero]

That's all well and good, results aren't important in pre season but you still work on things in these games. The facts are issues with our squad that were there last season are still there, and have been compounded by Maddison's injury - and we are apparently expecting to compete on all fronts.

Our midfield and attack is pretty average, you didn't need a poor defeat to Bayern to tell you that...

The post may or may not have been intended to be taken too seriously. And I agree with you, this is the bar for how good we have to be to compete in the CL. Safe to say we look a few puddings short of a picnic, but early days and all that.

 

[afsoc4life]

Didnt watch the friendly but one thing I do know is any team hoping to finish top 4 better have multiple credible goal threats

Can any 3 of Solanke, Richarlison, Kulu, Kudus, Brennan, Odobert, Tel give us 15 to 20 goals in the Premier league this season? That is your answer to Spurs finishing top 4.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

I'm still thinking about that game in partnerships.

I don't see much wrong with Romero / VDV and I'm falling in love with the Porro / Kudos combination already. However, I've seen nothing in pre-season to get me excited about the equivalent left side. Today's combination of Spence and Johnson was simply woeful. BM walked through it every single time and we know putting Davies there won't make any difference. Udogie is clearly first choice.

In midfield it was first run out today for the Palhinha / Bentancur partnership. They did do some good work defensively but I didn't feel that they added much to our attack. Sarr seemed to be disconnected from them and he certainly had no partnership with Richi of note. Not Sarr's fault though as he's clearly helping his gaffer out by filling in there.

I'd like to see this team with Udogie for Spence, Tel or Odobert for Johnson and Solanke in for Richi. Obviously, we are going to need to think more about the 10 position.

Pre season you mix up your line ups
We were missing 4 starters and Abby more because I really really hope we don’t start with Johnson left wing

It was Pahlihnas first start fir us after a few days training
No 10 playing
No left winger playing
No CF playing (Richy ain’t a CF)
We can address some or all of these things pretty quickly IMO

 

[Bedfordspurs]

Didnt watch the friendly but one thing I do know is any team hoping to finish top 4 better have multiple credible goal threats

Can any 3 of Solanke, Richarlison, Kulu, Kudus, Brennan, Odobert, Tel give us 15 to 20 goals in the Premier league this season? That is your answer to Spurs finishing top 4.

Kulu, son and Maddison between them had around 60 goal involvements (would include supplying each other)
I’m very confident in Solanke and Kudus
Johnson is a possibility but not playing the way we did today … not a chance
Richy can get double figures if he is fit… we don’t see that often of at all
If we’re honest
Tel and Odobert are curve balls
But you will not get goals and good chances against good sides playing with no creative lynbchpin and it doesn’t have to be a central player
Imagine Kudus and another specimen on the other side. That’s a different dynamic for a start

 

[Muttley]

I'm also trying to re-imagine that game with one of these 2 formations.

Vic
Romero, Danso, VDV
Porro, Palhinha, Bents, Udogie
Kudus, Solanke, Tel/Odo

or this

Vic
Romero, Danso, VDV
Porro, Sarr, Palhinha, Bents, Udogie
Kudus, Solanke

Part of me thinks it would be way more equipped in tough away CL first halves without Madds or Kulu to get the 3 at the back working.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

I'm also trying to re-imagine that game with one of these 2 formations.

Vic
Romero, Danso, VDV
Porro, Palhinha, Bents, Udogie
Kudus, Solanke, Tel/Odo

or this

Vic
Romero, Danso, VDV
Porro, Sarr, Palhinha, Bents, Udogie
Kudus, Solanke

Part of me thinks it would be way more equipped in tough away CL first halves without Madds or Kulu to get the 3 at the back working.

Or we make sure we address the fact that Maddison isn’t getting younger and get another player in

 

[thfcsteff]

Had a minor argument with my miserable mate
We haven’t improved
Were relegation candidates
We’re brick
We haven’t improved
So I did say we have signed some actual players, 2 will start and the other 2 will get a lot of game time
But.. we’re missing 40% of the first 11… again
He didn’t seem to recognise that
How we fix that, I don’t know. But we haven’t regressed despite what people think IMO

As we have all discussed, the squad remains imbalanced for the competitions we are in. This restricts who we can bring in of course, which in turn means (IMO) we are losing an opportunity to take advantage of our CL status in the market...I wonder if Frank will Odobert as a Damsgaard 10? He could certainly train him into that. A trio of Richy, Odobert in that Damsgaard role and Kudus could be useful (in a 4 2 3 1)...I know, I rejected the idea of Odobert as a 10 last week but our options are receding...personally think Kudus there with Johnson on the right could be good too...

 

[Bedfordspurs]

As we have all discussed, the squad remains imbalanced for the competitions we are in. This restricts who we can bring in of course, which in turn means (IMO) we are losing an opportunity to take advantage of our CL status in the market...I wonder if Frank will Odobert as a Damsgaard 10? He could certainly train him into that. A trio of Richy, Odobert in that Damsgaard role and Kudus could be useful (in a 4 2 3 1)...I know, I rejected the idea of Odobert as a 10 last week but our options are receding...personally think Kudus there with Johnson on the right could be good too...

The latter is something worth trying if we don’t go out and invest (which we should)
Odobert has shown nothing to me that makes me think he can play 10. I think his decision making is his weakest part so that’s a big no for me
Richy worries me still. He should be gone for his own sake as much as ours. He won’t last 4 games again before he breaks down

 

[Gutter Boy]

Today's combination of Spence and Johnson was simply woeful. BM walked through it every single time and we know putting Davies there won't make any difference. Udogie is clearly first choice.

Spence really isn't half the player at LB as he is at RB. Ange's (lack of) formation covered that up a bit, but in an organised setup it shows.