The Daily ITK Discussion Thread - 31 May 2011

Mr Pink said:

with you on that one mate - for sure.

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Parker is 30, Scholes just had a bloody good albeit thuggish season at 37, Parker has years left in him

Scott Parker hype machine is out of control.

Why is he being discussed anyway? Can't see any ITK on him.

Flynn said:

Has Harry actually said anything about this? I know it's been implied and I think it was suggested by Jamie Redknapp that what he'd do but I don't think I've seen anything from Harry on this.

When he first joined he did play youngsters in the UEFA cup but that had more to do with Premier League survival and the fact we still had a reserve team. I think it's more likely that our youngsters will be shipped out on loan once again, perhaps Rose and Walker will be held back but I'd be expecting them to make matchday squads anyway. I just can't see us playing many UEFA cups games with this young player thing.

Another thing, Investec didn't pay Millions of pounds to have their name on our cup shirts for kids. They want pics in the paper with Modric, VDV and Bale in their shirts.

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we have such a big squad we dont need to play the kids (not that we have any they are all out on loan) - if it had been this year our europa cup team could have been

cudicini
hutton bassong kaboul rose
piena jenas palacios kranky
defoe pav

and some spare bits on the bench - not too shabby for the earlier rounds

Indeed by taking the europa cup seriously it gives the squad members games and fitness so they are ready for first team action rather than just looking depressed if not in the team

europa league can be really useful for our season and actually gives us a chance to win something

Matt C said:

Parker is 30, Scholes just had a bloody good albeit thuggish season at 37, Parker has years left in him

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To be fair though, Scholes has adapted his game as he's got older and was dictating games from deep with his fantastic vision and his incisive passing - you don't lose that.

Parker is a bit of an all-action midfielder and an upgrade on Jenas but trust me, he won't be playing anywhere near the level of Scholes aged 37 - a few years maybe but certainly no longer than a 3 year plug.

felmani26 said:

To be fair though, Scholes has adapted his game as he's got older and was dictating games from deep with his fantastic vision and his incisive passing - you don't lose that.

Parker is a bit of an all-action midfielder and an upgrade on Jenas but trust me, he won't be playing anywhere near the level of Scholes aged 37 - a few years maybe but certainly no longer than a 3 year plug.

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I think we would probably get him for about £7m, I would guess he probably has 4 good years left in him and if he helps us like I think he would he would repay that several times over.

talkshowhost86 said:

I didn't either but the way he brought Hudd stright back into the team even though Sandro had been excellent did get me a bit worried.

I also don't think the strikers rotating was his choice...they were just all as useless as eachother so he couldn't really rely on any of them.

But I'm not one of these people who thinks Harry only plays certain players...I just hope he doesn't prove me wrong.

As for our transfer targets, there's always room for some experience (such as Friedel and Parker) and I'd support both of these signings as long as Harry is also looking at some of the younger talent. The links with the likes of Leandro and Gervinho suggest that those who think Harry only targets old players are somewhat pissing in the wind.

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Sandro did ultimatly displace Hudd though, and at that time I actually supported Hudds intoduction to the team. We where drawing blanks. As soon as Hudd came into the team we started scoring again, just conceding a lot. Infact I recall many on this board saying how much better we played with Hudd in the team after his first few games back. Sandro did displace Hudd. Just like Hudd displaced Jenas before hand, and Bale displaced Wilson (by Mod going into the centre). The reason Redknapp's teams do so well is because they work as a team, they have a n1 team if you like, but I don't think we played with the same squad consecutively this season too much. We have had a freakish amount of injuries (went through most of this season with about 10 players out, we couldn't eve fill the bench half the time). We really where down to bare bones like it or not. It is hard to say what would of happened without so many injuries.

Legacy said:

Assou Ekotto has played an insane amount of games in the last two seasons. Bale only got into the team because Benni got injured. Bale then moved into left midfield and played every game when not injured, regardless of poor fitness and form during the second half of the year. Van der Vaart played every game possible, even being moved out of position in a 442 just to make sure he played, despite poor fitness for a while. Huddlestone played every game possible until he got injured. Sandro's run was, like Bale's, only because of injuries to almost every other player in his position. Once Huddlestone was 'fit' though, he was straight back into the first team with Sandro on the bench.

Harry definitely does have his preffered XI, in my opinion. Which is why players like Bassong, Palacios and Kranjcar have barely played this year, even when the players ahead of them are struggling for form and/or fitness.

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BAE played none stop because he was our only LB. And although Bale did dip in form he wasn't exactly playing badly, if he was not so highly hyped then nobody would of said that. Sandro was given chances even without injuries, he actually played pretty poorly in his first few games for us. Redknapp played Sandro against Milan when he could of played someone else without a problem. Redknapp does have a prefered XI but it does change. The people in the best XI tend to be the best players, in the best possible formation. Also players like Lennon, Charlie and Kaboul where offen rotated without injurys forcing them out. We even played wingless one game, under no pressure to do so, it was a disaster, but none the less.

VDV asked to be played even when he was clearly unfit. He asked not to be subbed even when clearly unfit.

Bassong has been a disaster when he has played this year, he actually started some high profil games at the start of this season, but screwed up. Harry removed him right off, actually supporting the thesis he doesn't have favs. Palacios has played 20 odd games this year, not bad including some real high profile games, he is not good enough to start most people know this. Kranjcar maybe was treated unfairly although is clearly our 3rd best LW he does do well moving the ball at the end of games sometimes. But he was signed by Harry, and was a regular at Portsmouth and signed by Harry there. Maybe he is one of Harry's favroutes?

Matt C said:

Parker is an outstanding player, he didn't get voted player of the year for fun he got it for a brilliant season, he is also a leader which we lack on the pitch.

Parker would make a huge difference for us, I would even make him captain

DM - Sandro
CM - Parker
LM - Bale
ACM - Modric
RM - VDV

We would have the best midfield in the premiership

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One is a player voted POTW by the media, the other is a legend of the game universally recognised as the best midfielder of his generation by his peers (Read post 8 http://www.spurscommunity.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=74404 ). Funny thing is the media never really rated him....

talkshowhost86 said:

I wasn't having a pop at you mate. There just seem to be alot of people assuming alot at the moment and mostly using it to attack our current manager.

If we do get Parker I hope it doesn't prevent Luka playing in central midfield. That's where he's at his best and I wouldn't want him shunted out to the left regularly to accomodate Parker.

That said, Parker gives us lots of options and adding a player of the year to the squad can never be a bad thing.

With a selection of Modric, Sandro, Parker and Huddlestone we'd be in pretty good shape in central midfield.

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Mate you know I've been a huge advocate of Modric in the middle, as much so as BBLG.

But yes I agree we'll have a wealth of options as a result with all sorts of combinations and team shape to manipulate according to the opposition.

sunnydelight786 said:

One is a player voted POTW by the media, the other is a legend of the game universally recognised as the best midfielder of his generation by his peers (Read post 8 http://www.spurscommunity.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=74404 ). Funny thing is the media never really rated him....

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I wasn't comparing Parker and Scholes in ability I was comparing in career length, I disputed the idea that Parker would be finished in a couple of season by giving the example of Scholes playing well at 37, I don't think Parker will last to 37 but certainly 34/35 he will still be good IMHO

Matt C said:

I wasn't comparing Parker and Scholes in ability I was comparing in career length, I disputed the idea that Parker would be finished in a couple of season by giving the example of Scholes playing well at 37, I don't think Parker will last to 37 but certainly 34/35 he will still be good IMHO

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We will have to agree to disagree on this one. That money could be spent elsewhere on positions that are in urgent need of upgrading. Parker won't make most peoples first 11 apart from the media's, as they would have him starting ahead of Sandro...:roll:

p.s. VDV is NO right midfielder...

But if Wilson goes it is an upgrade and would most likely see the club make a profit.

Parker has more to his game than Palacios.

Parker loves playing the Big Fish.

Yawn Brett.

sunnydelight786 said:

We will have to agree to disagree on this one. That money could be spent elsewhere on positions that are in urgent need of upgrading. Parker won't make most peoples first 11 apart from the media's, as they would have him starting ahead of Sandro...:roll:

p.s. VDV is NO right midfielder...

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Sandro is not the same type of player to Parker, Sandro is more of a DM and Parker is an all action tough as nails box to box midfielder there is no reason at all why they can't play together.

It is like saying Paul Scholes playing meant Roy Keane wouldn't get a game, we are talking 2 totally different players with Sandro and Parker

I only see the logic of buying Parker if we play him next to Sandro with Modric pushed either further up or out on the left - Parker is instead of Huddlestone, no one else.

Paolo10 said:

But if Wilson goes it is an upgrade and would most likely see the club make a profit.

Parker has more to his game than Palacios.

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I would rather we kept WP than spunk a big fee + wages on Parker. Failing that just keep O'Hara with the promise of more games for him (i.e. EL, Cup & PL game against battlig teams). He has proved himself at both Pompey and Wolves where at the latter he was one of the big reasons they stayed up unlike the Spammers and Parker...

Matt C said:

Sandro is not the same type of player to Parker, Sandro is more of a DM and Parker is an all action tough as nails box to box midfielder there is no reason at all why they can't play together.

It is like saying Paul Scholes playing meant Roy Keane wouldn't get a game, we are talking 2 totally different players with Sandro and Parker

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So who you dropping out of Modric, VDV and Sandro to accomdate "all action" Parker seeing that VDV is NO right midfielder....?

New Striker,
VDV,
Bale, Sandro, Modric, Lennon.

felmani26 said:

I only see the logic of buying Parker if we play him next to Sandro with Modric pushed either further up or out on the left - Parker is instead of Huddlestone, no one else.

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I can think of several reasons to buy Parker

1) Added steel in midfield
2) CL experience
3) Vocal
4) A leader
5) Less chance of us being muscled out by Blackburn/Wolves/Bolton/Stoke in midfield
6) Better than Palacios, Hudd, Jenas, O Hara

sunnydelight786 said:

I would rather we kept WP than spunk a big fee + wages on Parker. Failing that just keep O'Hara with the promise of more games for him (i.e. EL, Cup & PL game against battlig teams). He has proved himself at both Pompey and Wolves where at the latter he was one of the big reasons they stayed up unlike the Spammers and Parker...

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Terrible logic.

Paolo10 said:

Yawn Brett.

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Charlton - small club - looked better than those around him
Chelsea - big club - looked out of his depth
Newcastle - midtable club - looked suited, didn't stand out either way
West Ham - smallish club - looked better than those around him
Tottenham - big club - ?