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The Winger Thread

I repeat......we have to stop playing him as a winger. Otherwise we will continue to see ineffective performances from him.

He finished last season strongly when playing most of each game from a largely central position.

I think he is much better receiving the ball in the widest position possible and then drifting infield to either cross or shoot at goal. There is much more space out wide when he receives it. In tight central areas he hasnt got the quick footwork to create space for himself and do something positive
 
I wonder whether Pochettino is reluctant to play him centrally because he loses the ball so easily and regularly?.... It is generally more dangerous when losing the ball centrally then it is to lose it in wide positions.

You could be right with that, IF he settles down and plays at his best I think we will see him playing through the middle though.
 
The problem with him through the middle is he is so one footed

He is only goes one way

It's a problem with him on the right in that he dies t go outside anyone down the channel hence why he is predictable

He has to learn that his right foot is for more than standing on and that the room outside him can also be attacked

It's why he looked better with walker playing as he went outside all the time therefore we used more of the pitch
 
The problem with him through the middle is he is so one footed

He is only goes one way

It's a problem with him on the right in that he dies t go outside anyone down the channel hence why he is predictable

He has to learn that his right foot is for more than standing on and that the room outside him can also be attacked

It's why he looked better with walker playing as he went outside all the time therefore we used more of the pitch

I think that would be less of a problem if he was playing at the top of his game. There have been plenty of one footed players in his position that have been amongst the best in the world.
 
I think that would be less of a problem if he was playing at the top of his game. There have been plenty of one footed players in his position that have been amongst the best in the world.

And he looked like he could be one of them at Roma

He needs to do that here
 
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I wonder whether Pochettino is reluctant to play him centrally because he loses the ball so easily and regularly?.... It is generally more dangerous when losing the ball centrally then it is to lose it in wide positions.

Which is why we need to play him at CF or not at all.
 
How many times have you seen him play at CF? Why do you think that he cannot be a success as a RWF?

I get the logic of playing him centrally even though I can't see it working personally

I don't see him working as a forwtaf though based on last seasons experience but you never know

The thing with Bale when moved him into that kind of role he had pace to burn and real strength. Neither characteristic lamella possesses
 
I am getting concerned that the only winger links at the moment seem to be Mirallas and Moses. I'd take Mirallas for sure (especially if we have another, better winger coming too), but Moses would be very underwhelming.

Let's put it in business terms - failure to sign any fast, tricky wingers this summer will mean teams doubling up on Kane and his goal output diminishing. He will get accused of under performing in the media and fingers will be pointed at various people within the club. He will be linked with a move away to Man Utd or whoever, but this time for £20m instead of £40m. I'd rather spend that extra £20m now on a top class wide forward who actually can change games for us.

This seems like the first summer since 2011 that we have a settled manager with a settled squad and don't look like losing any star players (even then, Modric wanted to leave). We cannot afford to miss this opportunity to build and sign the biggest missing pieces of the jigsaw. Namely - fast players, who can dribble past opponents and drag defenders out of position.

How about Denis Cheryshev? Not sure how he'll be getting into the Real side this year and he's looked half decent whenever I've seen him play...
 
How about Vargas.

Not sure about his situation at Napoli but they did let him drift off to QPR on loan. Suitable for all our forward positions and the Chile way of playing must be akin to poch's ideas?
 
Sadly, it is my belief that forward/attacking-minded players don't find the Poch/Bielsa 'pressing' method very attractice when they compare with our rivals challenging to break the top 4 ceiling.

Imo, i think this is why the vast majority of buys under Poch have been defensive/defensive players.

Time will tell, but if this transfer window closes and we don't make any buys who are clear upgrades on our attacking players then that will say it all imo.

Hopefully Levy and co prove me wrong
 
Sadly, it is my belief that forward/attacking-minded players don't find the Poch/Bielsa 'pressing' method very attractice when they compare with our rivals challenging to break the top 4 ceiling.

Imo, i think this is why the vast majority of buys under Poch have been defensive/defensive players.

Time will tell, but if this transfer window closes and we don't make any buys who are clear upgrades on our attacking players then that will say it all imo.

Hopefully Levy and co prove me wrong

I think its very difficult to come up with that conclusion right now .. in my opinion

- #1 priority was our defense, we had the 5th worse defense in the league, potentially if we had cut out 10 goals conceded, we likely would have been top 4. So far, work done.
- #2 priority was cull the deadwood, cut the bloat out of squad, cut wages, get money in, and get rid of any potential bad influences in squad. So far, work done very well
- #3 priority, add creative and attacking options to the team, cover for Kane, options for goals from elsewhere. So far, not started

Not sure what rivals you are speaking of, the only sides I think we lose players to either pay silly wages, have CL football or both, not because we have a coach that demands you actually work on the field.
 
I think it probably means we have a smaller pool of potential targets - but the main reason for me that we have yet to sign attacking players in the new regime is because we blew a brick ton of money a couple of summers ago and have been trying to make the most of them before throwing the towel in. We've now reached a point where we are ready to cut our losses on those that haven't worked out - so are no doubt looking to move them on and replace them
 
I think its very difficult to come up with that conclusion right now .. in my opinion

- #1 priority was our defense, we had the 5th worse defense in the league, potentially if we had cut out 10 goals conceded, we likely would have been top 4. So far, work done.
- #2 priority was cull the deadwood, cut the bloat out of squad, cut wages, get money in, and get rid of any potential bad influences in squad. So far, work done very well
- #3 priority, add creative and attacking options to the team, cover for Kane, options for goals from elsewhere. So far, not started

Not sure what rivals you are speaking of, the only sides I think we lose players to either pay silly wages, have CL football or both, not because we have a coach that demands you actually work on the field.

Well, time will tell on priority #3. Last summer we didn't really do much in terms of signing attacking players either (or at least what we did do was not successful, certainly not as much as our rivals).
Our rivals in this regard imo are Liverpool, Everton, Southampton, Stoke and Saudi Sportswashing Machine. Yes, Saudi Sportswashing Machine.
Liverpool, yes pay silly money. But the others? Not sure that can be the case across the board.

As i say, time will tell about priority #3, but let's not make out that Poch is the only coach that demands hard work on the field. My issue is hard work vs hard work AND enjoyable/renewable/smarter methods.
Not sure whether attacking footballers and their peers would necessarily put Poch and his style in the latter category.
 
I think it probably means we have a smaller pool of potential targets - but the main reason for me that we have yet to sign attacking players in the new regime is because we blew a crud ton of money a couple of summers ago and have been trying to make the most of them before throwing the towel in. We've now reached a point where we are ready to cut our losses on those that haven't worked out - so are no doubt looking to move them on and replace them

If our smaller pool is young, hardworking, technical, versatile and fit players, then I'm happy for us to keep fishing in it.

Once the whole squad fits that mould, it'll save us having to spend every summer clearing out at least half-a-dozen players who aren't suitable
 
Well, time will tell on priority #3. Last summer we didn't really do much in terms of signing attacking players either (or at least what we did do was not successful, certainly not as much as our rivals).
Our rivals in this regard imo are Liverpool, Everton, Southampton, Stoke and Saudi Sportswashing Machine. Yes, Saudi Sportswashing Machine.
Liverpool, yes pay silly money. But the others? Not sure that can be the case across the board.

As i say, time will tell about priority #3, but let's not make out that Poch is the only coach that demands hard work on the field. My issue is hard work vs hard work AND enjoyable/renewable/smarter methods.
Not sure whether attacking footballers and their peers would necessarily put Poch and his style in the latter category.

We've brought in Pritchard, so only need to add one AM to the mix (probably a LWF taking Lennon's squad place).

I think we are very safe in 6th for next season. It's Liverpool and at a push Arsenal who we need to focus on beating
 
We've brought in Pritchard, so only need to add one AM to the mix (probably a LWF taking Lennon's squad place).

I think we are very safe in 6th for next season. It's Liverpool and at a push Arsenal who we need to focus on beating

A lot of big sweepeing assumptions there, but we'll see how things go..
 
We've brought in Pritchard, so only need to add one AM to the mix (probably a LWF taking Lennon's squad place).

I think we are very safe in 6th for next season. It's Liverpool and at a push Arsenal who we need to focus on beating

I have a small hope that Nathan Oduwa might make something of a breakthrough this summer too. By all accounts, he's acquitted himself well in training and in the two behind-closed-doors friendlies thus far. He certainly has qualities that our current first team squad lacks in any great depth.
 
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