Taking stock for 5pm...

[Bedfordspurs]

That is a fair assessment; i disagree (i doubt Pochettino thought after 3 successive CL place finishes all we'd do is sign no-one) but at least we sold no-one (so far...)

I think he knew exactly what what we could and couldn’t do when he signed the new contract. I also think he knew what we were doing with regards to signing players to long term deals which makes them harder for others to sign

Unless we sell someone we have no one to replace. That’s a very string position to be in

The negative is it makes it hard when trying to sign someone as their really isn’t many that would get in our team and squad fillers are something we have enough of

 

[glorygloryeze]

I think he knew exactly what what we could and couldn’t do when he signed the new contract. I also think he knew what we were doing with regards to signing players to long term deals which makes them harder for others to sign

Unless we sell someone we have no one to replace. That’s a very string position to be in

The negative is it makes it hard when trying to sign someone as their really isn’t many that would get in our team and squad fillers are something we have enough of

Again, fair points.
In terms of signing players to long-term deals: we have Kane, Sanchez, Son, Lamela signed, i believe.

However, Eriksen and Alli are not signed to longer deals as far as i know; Eriksen in particular is possibly our most important after Kane and unless I've missed the news, him not signing like the others mentioned above is quite a big issue when we haven't made signings, i'm sure he goes into next summer with only 1 year left which is not a strong position to be in at all imo.

I very much take your point of squad fillers and i do wonder how much they are holding us back (the inability to shift them) but that being the case we are suffering from:

A) Pochettino buying a few too many players who in the end are not good enough and we are taking a hit in terms of struggling to shift them; or
B) Levy far too often goes for the 'cheap and cheerful' option and asks Pochettino to make do and now we have reached saturation point and even Pochettino has said "No more"

I also wonder how much we are overestimating our squad as well...we stumbled over the top 4 line in the end last season and we really shouldn't and it's quite feasible that the squad as it is has only got so much more to give (two of the key CBs reaching an age where we might not be able to rely upon them as much, Dembele and Wanyama likely at their physical limits, a possible hole at LB etc)

 

[glorygloryeze]

Of course he has made mistakes ( everyone does) but your bit in bold is a telling point. And in no way is what you said earlier in the thread is anyway "reasoned and well thought out."

ie you said this "The window in the end was a complete shambles if we're honest". Now no one ( imo) can call that a "reasoned and well thought out." statement.

Well i gave my thought out statements (and tbh others do). But every time you say they are wailing and 'criticising Levy for everything'.

Quite happy for you to tell me using my post how i was NOT "reasoned" or "well thought out", because that is different from disagreeing with said points

 

[Bedfordspurs]

Again, fair points.
In terms of signing players to long-term deals: we have Kane, Sanchez, Son, Lamela signed, i believe.

However, Eriksen and Alli are not signed to longer deals as far as i know; Eriksen in particular is possibly our most important after Kane and unless I've missed the news, him not signing like the others mentioned above is quite a big issue when we haven't made signings, i'm sure he goes into next summer with only 1 year left which is not a strong position to be in at all imo.

I very much take your point of squad fillers and i do wonder how much they are holding us back (the inability to shift them) but that being the case we are suffering from:

A) Pochettino buying a few too many players who in the end are not good enough and we are taking a hit in terms of struggling to shift them; or
B) Levy far too often goes for the 'cheap and cheerful' option and asks Pochettino to make do and now we have reached saturation point and even Pochettino has said "No more"

I also wonder how much we are overestimating our squad as well...we stumbled over the top 4 line in the end last season and we really shouldn't and it's quite feasible that the squad as it is has only got so much more to give (two of the key CBs reaching an age where we might not be able to rely upon them as much, Dembele and Wanyama likely at their physical limits, a possible hole at LB etc)

I don’t see a hole at LB just people rose out when he ain’t going anywhere IMO

The CBS will be an issue in time as they get older

I think we limped over the line but in the end we were comfortable and that’s with paying at Wembley all season (the impossible feat)

We need a few players to go this window if possible to free up space for younger ones who may be equally as good and that would be a positive step IMO

 

[glorygloryeze]

I don’t see a hole at LB just people rose out when he ain’t going anywhere IMO

The CBS will be an issue in time as they get older

I think we limped over the line but in the end we were comfortable and that’s with paying at Wembley all season (the impossible feat)

We need a few players to go this window if possible to free up space for younger ones who may be equally as good and that would be a positive step IMO

LB: we will see re Rose; wouldn't surprise me if he ends up going. Not looked great most of the time when he has played since he came back and i do wonder if he is physically now fvcked...those rumours of a loan seemed to have a lot of legs. I guess we'll see in a couple of weeks. One thing seems sure: if he did go, unlike in other positions i can't see a youngster in our ranks who can rotate with Davies.

CBs: i think it might already be, see Toby's injury last year; the two seasons before Verts had a couple of longish layoffs. TBF we are more actively building the squad in this area

I think the Wembley factor is fair, but we gave ourselves a good lead and we were comfortable in the end because the teams we faced didn't punish us as they may well might have: after the Chelsea game i think we more often than not got away with things if we're honest and that can't continue, hence my feeling that the squad was almost spent and needed some refresh, not wholesale just one or two key buys to help Pochettini rotate better.

I'd like to discuss your last point a bit more: who would you like to see go and for each you list who do you think in the squad would be helped by having that squad place available?

 

[Bedfordspurs]

LB: we will see re Rose; wouldn't surprise me if he ends up going. Not looked great most of the time when he has played since he came back and i do wonder if he is physically now fvcked...those rumours of a loan seemed to have a lot of legs. I guess we'll see in a couple of weeks. One thing seems sure: if he did go, unlike in other positions i can't see a youngster in our ranks who can rotate with Davies.

CBs: i think it might already be, see Toby's injury last year; the two seasons before Verts had a couple of longish layoffs. TBF we are more actively building the squad in this area

I think the Wembley factor is fair, but we gave ourselves a good lead and we were comfortable in the end because the teams we faced didn't punish us as they may well might have: after the Chelsea game i think we more often than not got away with things if we're honest and that can't continue, hence my feeling that the squad was almost spent and needed some refresh, not wholesale just one or two key buys to help Pochettini rotate better.

I'd like to discuss your last point a bit more: who would you like to see go and for each you list who do you think in the squad would be helped by having that squad place available?

The obvious ones are Nkodu and Jansenn
Llorente and sissoko are two that could go if we were able to replace them
None would be missed and IMO only sisssoko actually adds anything’s to the squad and that’s something that can be replicated by players from the youth team

 

[glorygloryeze]

The obvious ones are Nkodu and Jansenn
Llorente and sissoko are two that could go if we were able to replace them
None would be missed and IMO only sisssoko actually adds anything’s to the squad and that’s something that can be replicated by players from the youth team

Yep; fair. Who'd replace Llorente though? That's my issue as to why i think we needed to add. Letting Nkoudou or Sissoko go is indeed fine

 

[Bedfordspurs]

Yep; fair. Who'd replace Llorente though? That's my issue as to why i think we needed to add. Letting Nkoudou or Sissoko go is indeed fine

We don’t need to replace llorente
Son plays striker and we never play to llorentes strengths

 

[Danishfurniturelover]

Lot of rumours linking Brerton with Blackburn of all teams. Not sure if we can sign anyone now or not. I presume we can sign people but they cant play till January. Would love to sign him but loan him back till January, obviously I know the window is shut but I assume you can do a deal where you sign a contract saying the money will be in forests account January the 2nd.

 

[awesome dawson]

Exactly Chich, Ben Brereton was identified a year ago as an ideal young understudy to Kane. A 19 year old who can learn from the best in the business.

Would allow us to release Llorente, get him off our wage bill and encourage a youngster to force his way into our squad.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

Lot of rumours linking Brerton with Blackburn of all teams. Not sure if we can sign anyone now or not. I presume we can sign people but they cant play till January. Would love to sign him but loan him back till January, obviously I know the window is shut but I assume you can do a deal where you sign a contract saying the money will be in forests account January the 2nd.

That would be a step down for him

 

[MKSpur]

We don’t need to replace llorente
Son plays striker and we never play to llorentes strengths

We needed to jettison Llorente and free up his wages for someone who is actually going to play his season. Guess we need to wait until January when hopefully Conte will have a new club.