thfcsteff
Garth Crooks
Hello mate,
Will answer in bold face within the quote block...
Will answer in bold face within the quote block...
What are your season's expectations now we know what the team will be? I think we should be top six, but I am underwhelmed and I wouldn't be shocked if we missed out on top six this year (which concerns me as I think we'll lose Bale if that happens, and we may lose him anyway if we don't get Champion's League).
Top 5 and a trophy for me. I think AVB can steer us to silverware on one of the three cups, and depending on what happens in January, top 4 isn't entirely beyond our reach even now.
I feel for Defoe too. He signs a new contract, probably under the impression it will be Ade, him & Kane as our strikers and then we go and do an opportunist purchase of Dempsey who will surely now become Ade's back up, dropping Defoe to third in the pecking order. I bet deep down he is sick as a pig that he will be stuck at the club until at least January.
It's interesting with JD...I actually think that if AVB decides to go 4-3-3 in some games, Defoe could operate on the right of the front three pretty effectively (admittedly it's my vision and not proven!)...I think/hope he gets good game time.
Our previous manager got a LOT of flak over the last couple of years about "MOTD" purchases. This transfer window we have seen us sign Lloris (ironic considering a new keeper for this season wasn't a pressing requirement IMO) who is hardly an unknown and? Ade, Sigurdsson, Dembele and Dempsey. Four Premiership players, which isn't a bad thing really.
Not sure of the initial criticism to be fair. I personally did not understand the pursuance of Parker, but was happily proven wrong as he turned out to be an excellent buy for two thirds of the season. As for Lloris, I think it was a vital signing personally. Yes, a decent window for me.
So I know we are changing our formation but with the transfer business done (assuming Moutinho isn't coming in) I don't feel good about VDV leaving. Our team has gone from being a cavalier, attractive short passing team playing with flair to a functional, direct passing and workmanlike outfit in one transfer window. Not impressed at all.
I think that's short-changing both Dembele and Sigurdsson personally. We'll see...for me, VdV was a conundrum last season; flashes of genius but unable to really open matches up when we most needed it. Also not able to last the 90 seemingly ever. We will miss Modric without a shadow of a doubt, just like the goons miss van persie.
Like for like?
Friedel - he is old and I felt would have done for this year but I understand the requirement to buy a younger keeper. Whether Lloris will be the next big thing or the next Gomes, unable to cope with the physical aspects of the Premiership, remains to be seen but he is highly rated and we have to say it's an upgrade. So good business there. The information that Lloris was not sure about joining us may prove to be trouble ahead if we don't qualify for the Champion's League in the next two years.....
Did not hear that info regarding Lloris, and i think the issue with Gomes is mental. Physically he handles things well for me.
Modric/Dembele : I like Dembele a lot, but he is no Modric but Modric had to go so not really much we could do there. So weaker there.
Sadly agree, though I think Dembele is a cracking player.
VDV/Sigurdsson : I know we have a change of formation but VDV is a far superior player to Sigurdsson IMHO so we are definitely weaker here.
On his day I agree, VdV was world class. My issue was the infrequency with which this was starting to happen. yeah, Sigurdsson is no VdV but I back him to take on the mantle with a degree of aplomb.
Dempsey : Ironic transfer for me. He won't be a first team player for us, and probably wasn't one of our main targets. I wonder if AVB sees him as Lennon's replacement and not as a striker? Either way I don't think he strengthens the first team.
On this one, I respectfully disagree. I think Dempsey is a tough goalscorer (20 for Fulham last year) plus he likes to attack the box. No, I think this is great myself.
Ade : Well we had him last season, so no change.
So IMO we now have a functional midfield that lacks flair, but is athletic and should be hard working and well organised. Comparitive to our rivals I don't think we've done that badly even though I think we're weaker than last year. Arsenal are definitely weaker, Liverpool probably about the same. The two Manchester clubs & Chelsea are out on their own. The threat to us is still Saudi Sportswashing Machine (as strong as last year), Everton & now I think Fulham. It's just too close to call and I think the distance between 4th to 8th this season is going to be very small.
I agree with your assessment of the 4th-8th, I think we have a bit more flair than you might think (Bale, Lennon, Dembele, Walker and Benny from the full-back positions) but we don't have that magician who can potentially unlock a door like VdV did occasionally. It's why if Berbatov had come back I would not have been unhappy at all, even though I believe Dempsey will prove very effective for us.
My final thought is that with the 4th place margin likely to be so close I am again frustrated that we've waited until deadline day to conduct most of our business. We have 1pt from 2 matches and had we had our business done before the season we'd probably be sitting on 4pts now. If we miss out on 4th by a couple of points it will be just like last year and I will be sick as a parrot.
As you know (and we don't need to re-visit IMHO) I think our missing 3rd by a couple of points last season was about much more than those first two games, though granted, the general notion that it appears Levy thinks Tottenham Hotspur only need a 36 game season to hit the CL placings is becoming very very old indeed. I think my main disappointment was Moutinho. I thought it would get done 100%. How it didn't I do not now. If 3rd parties were involved in making it tough at the last, then that's bad luck in a sense but the counter argument would be that he should've got Moutinho in earlier.
Overall though, i think we have a squad which can compete and I am not too unhappy at all. Good thread.
