Christmas Wish List

[milo]

Right, but that's probably the position we need the most back-up in - even the backup DM isn't as much of a priority as getting another striker in. If we got another DM but missed out on a striker, it wouldn't be a catastrophe (like January 2012, perhaps), but it would leave us open to all kinds of fateful circumstances, with the only plus being that at least we wouldn't be as exposed should Dier fall prey to injury. And even then...Dier could be replaced by Dembele, who's roughly the same size and about as physical as Dier is, having played as a DM before (for us). We simply can't replace Kane with a like-for-like replacement, or even with a vaguely similar player - it would have to be with an inside forward, and that means a sea change in the way we play.

I agree, I am sure that everyone does but we do have different options in the current squad and I think that is preferable to bringing in a player that the manager would be reluctant to use.

With regards for a like for like replacement for Kane, I am not aware of us being in for one in the summer or Poch saying anything to suggest that he wants one since. What he has said is that he wanted players who can fill a number of positions, so I would not be surprised if we went in for another inside forward who can also play up front (or a forward who can also play wide).*

I think that the one outcome is success, the other a disaster is a false dichotomy. There are many possible outcomes and I do not think that it will be apparent on 1 February whether it has been successful or not, just as many of those who were most critical at the end of the summer have since been shown to be wrong.












*I know that Kane has played in all of the front four positions and frequently drift wide and deep.

 

[Pirate55]

I agree, I am sure that everyone does but we do have different options in the current squad and I think that is preferable to bringing in a player that the manager would be reluctant to use.

With regards for a like for like replacement for Kane, I am not aware of us being in for one in the summer or Poch saying anything to suggest that he wants one since. What he has said is that he wanted players who can fill a number of positions, so I would not be surprised if we went in for another inside forward who can also play up front (or a forward who can also play wide).*

I think that the one outcome is success, the other a disaster is a false dichotomy. There are many possible outcomes and I do not think that it will be apparent on 1 February whether it has been successful or not, just as many of those who were most critical at the end of the summer have since been shown to be wrong.

I think you are agreeing that the best option is to bring in a striker that is cover and replacement for Kane, and who will feature in the managers long term plans. If so, I don't think you will get any argument from anyone on here.

 

[braineclipse]

I agree, I am sure that everyone does but we do have different options in the current squad and I think that is preferable to bringing in a player that the manager would be reluctant to use.

With regards for a like for like replacement for Kane, I am not aware of us being in for one in the summer or Poch saying anything to suggest that he wants one since. What he has said is that he wanted players who can fill a number of positions, so I would not be surprised if we went in for another inside forward who can also play up front (or a forward who can also play wide).*

I think that the one outcome is success, the other a disaster is a false dichotomy. There are many possible outcomes and I do not think that it will be apparent on 1 February whether it has been successful or not, just as many of those who were most critical at the end of the summer have since been shown to be wrong.

*I know that Kane has played in all of the front four positions and frequently drift wide and deep.

Solid points Milo and certainly quite possible that Poch doesn't think we need another player for that role. However I don't think we can read too much into rumours from the summer or Poch's silence on the issue since. Other than a very much after the fact comment about Dier we're not really getting much insight into what Pochettino is thinking about transfers.

Our failure to sign a player of that type also doesn't tell us much as there aren't many players of that type available that would be good enough for us.

Also very good point about the false dichotomy of success or failure. If we don't sign anyone and don't reach our targets people seem all too willing to draw a direct causal link and seemingly assume that if only we had signed X player we would have succeeded.

Related to that the two years where we have finished in the top 4 our January business was Kaboul & Gudjohnsen (loan) in 09/10 and the now infamous Saha and Nelsen loan deals in 11/12. Signings that were pretty much bit-part players, but came in and did a job for the club as squad players in some important games. Fairly underwhelming signings that quite a few were unhappy about at the time (with the possible exception of Gudjohnsen, I don't remember). In terms of squad depth and competition for places I think we're in a much stronger position now than we were then.

Perhap a few more underwhelming signings that quite a few people will be unhappy about is exactly what we need...

 

[DublinSpur]

However I don't think we can read too much into rumours from the summer or Poch's silence on the issue since. Other than a very much after the fact comment about Dier we're not really getting much insight into what Pochettino is thinking about transfers.

I think this is a key point. When it comes to transfer strategy / targets, we fans (and I'm as guilty as anyone) love to speculate and infer based on media rumour, the occasional offhand comment from someone at the club or just our own wishful thinking. And when you have a manager like Harry Redknapp, there may well be merit in that (whatever anyone thinks of him, I think we can all agree that he had a fairly cosy relationship with the media and was happy to drop hints about - and evenly openly discuss - transfer targets).

Right now, the club simply isn't leaking info, and I don't think anyone on this board - or any Spurs board - has the faintest idea about who we may be tracking or hoping to bring in.

And to be honest, I'm happy about that. It's not going to stop me speculating and inferring though. And nor should it.

 

[Pirate55]

I think this is a key point. When it comes to transfer strategy / targets, we fans (and I'm as guilty as anyone) love to speculate and infer based on media rumour, the occasional offhand comment from someone at the club or just our own wishful thinking. And when you have a manager like Harry Redknapp, there may well be merit in that (whatever anyone thinks of him, I think we can all agree that he had a fairly cosy relationship with the media and was happy to drop hints about - and evenly openly discuss - transfer targets).

Right now, the club simply isn't leaking info, and I don't think anyone on this board - or any Spurs board - has the faintest idea about who we may be tracking or hoping to bring in.

And to be honest, I'm happy about that. It's not going to stop me speculating and inferring though. And nor should it.

Spot on. That's why I called this the Christmas wish list.