The Daily ITK Discussion Thread CHRISTMAS EDITION

Bus-Conductor · Dec 31, 2015

I wouldn't give a shit if we signed nobody this window. I can't even think of many out there who are actually available to us and who would actually improve our first team drastically, and we have players like Pritchard, Onomah, Bentaleb, Mason, Son, Njie, Chadli, CCV,KWP, Harrison, Oduwa, Veljkovic (if we can get him to sign a contract) really talented players who aren't getting games right now.

If a real gem who could improve us is out there and available ok, but the last thing we need is any more padding or progress blocking.

We have Son and Njie who are slightly different options as striker already (and Chadli & Lamela), so we don't need a "different" type for those plan B tactical changes (as various games have proved this season). At best we need someone who if Kane was injured could play that fulcrum role but who would be happy to be understudy, because that's what we are going to play every week, because that's what we do. Utterly pointless signing someone like Berahino, Perez etc.

Hoops · Jan 1, 2016

At the very very least we should bring in Dembele or Austin.

Bus-Conductor · Jan 1, 2016

Hoops said:
At the very very least we should bring in Dembele or Austin.

Steve, a man barely alive ?

Hoops · Jan 1, 2016

Have we signed anyone yet?

Spursidol · Jan 1, 2016

Hoops said:
Have we signed anyone yet?

TW doesn't open until 2nd January

BPR_U16 · Jan 1, 2016

yankspurs said:
Not signing anyone would be the least shocking thing of all time. This is Daniel Levy we are talking about. Even if he signs someone, which is a huge if, it's likely to be a saha or nelsen type. You'd be playing yourself if you think Levy will sign someone with enough quality to help this team achieve its goals.

Same old story Yank - cant you change your tune please.
Its a New Year - lets have some new thinking

Lemon · Jan 1, 2016

BPR_U16 said:
Same old story Yank - cant you change your tune please.
Its a New Year - lets have some new thinking

You're quite literally talking to the past now though dude... (still 2015 over there)

Spursidol · Jan 1, 2016

Bus-Conductor said:
I wouldn't give a shit if we signed nobody this window. I can't even think of many out there who are actually available to us and who would actually improve our first team drastically, and we have players like Pritchard, Onomah, Bentaleb, Mason, Son, Njie, Chadli, CCV,KWP, Harrison, Oduwa, Veljkovic (if we can get him to sign a contract) really talented players who aren't getting games right now.

If a real gem who could improve us is out there and available ok, but the last thing we need is any more padding or progress blocking.

We have Son and Njie who are slightly different options as striker already (and Chadli & Lamela), so we don't need a "different" type for those plan B tactical changes (as various games have proved this season). At best we need someone who if Kane was injured could play that fulcrum role but who would be happy to be understudy, because that's what we are going to play every week, because that's what we do. Utterly pointless signing someone like Berahino, Perez etc.

Without Kane (and no other attacking incomers) think we'd need to work out how to play a 460 (or 424) - Monaco were not great opposition.

The fulcrum could be anyone principle, just a question of whoever shows they can do it - whether Chadli, Bentaleb or whoever.

Biggest problem would be replacing Kane's goal scoring rate

millsey · Jan 1, 2016

Sweech said:
Who is going to be able to just step right into a fit actively pressing team and kick right off and score goals without a bedding in time?

Even if we brought in a striker I'd expect Son to still act as Kane's backup for the next few months.

Agreed. Son is a bloody good back up to Kane, is intergrated into the squad now. He will Kane's back up till the summer as we simply won't be able to buy better than him in January and why would we

Bus-Conductor · Jan 1, 2016

Spursidol said:
Without Kane (and no other attacking incomers) think we'd need to work out how to play a 460 (or 424) - Monaco were not great opposition.

The fulcrum could be anyone principle, just a question of whoever shows they can do it - whether Chadli, Bentaleb or whoever.

Biggest problem would be replacing Kane's goal scoring rate

If we accept that no "back up" is ever going to score at the rate of your first choice (back ups rarely do, that's why they are back ups) then we accept that as back up to play in the system we play week in week out, what we need is a player who can do the other things that Kane does, hustle bustle, drift wide and deep, hold and lay off the ball. I think we have players who can do this. I think Son probably isn't as good in the air but he'll do the rest and he's not far off Kane as a finisher either. Chadli scores goals and assists more than Kane, he sees as much ball as Kane and can hold and lay it off, he'd just need a kick up up the arse into working harder on the press. Then we have Lamela who could do it I think, he works hard, always sees plenty of ball can score and create and works his bollocks off. I even think Alli could do the role at a push, he virtually does when playing ACM already. Hime and Kane share some very similar traits - whilst of course not being the same.

Hoops · Jan 1, 2016

Sweech said:
Who is going to be able to just step right into a fit actively pressing team and kick right off and score goals without a bedding in time?

Even if we brought in a striker I'd expect Son to still act as Kane's backup for the next few months.

Didnt Toby, Son and Alli do it straight away? Thats what we hire scouts for.

It would be a huge mistake not to get some backup. I dont buy the January is not a selling month, any month is a selling month provided you offer the asking price.

Krafty · Jan 1, 2016

Hoops said:
Hertyid - Makes sense.

Dragon - doesnt make sense. Its like a property developer spending 10 years planning the shard, starting the foundations, then selling of plan before the thing is built. Makes no sense.

I agree I don't see Lewis selling - too much investment and, importantly, time put in. Could make much more doing something else that requires less time. (Property analogy is not right tho - a lot of developers sell off plan before they have built the thing, a lot sell with planning permission granted, never mind off plan. Better thinking you have bought the land, built it up, then rented it out, then sold it when rents and capital value are About to jump. Unless Lewis needs money, no need to sell)

Spursidol · Jan 1, 2016

Bus-Conductor said:
If we accept that no "back up" is ever going to score at the rate of your first choice (back ups rarely do, that's why they are back ups) then we accept that as back up to play in the system we play week in week out, what we need is a player who can do the other things that Kane does, hustle bustle, drift wide and deep, hold and lay off the ball. I think we have players who can do this. I think Son probably isn't as good in the air but he'll do the rest and he's not far off Kane as a finisher either. Chadli scores goals and assists more than Kane, he sees as much ball as Kane and can hold and lay it off, he'd just need a kick up up the arse into working harder on the press. Then we have Lamela who could do it I think, he works hard, always sees plenty of ball can score and create and works his bollocks off. I even think Alli could do the role at a push, he virtually does when playing ACM already. Hime and Kane share some very similar traits - whilst of course not being the same.

Think its the hustle, bustle,hold the ball and score goals where Kane excels. IMO

Son - scores the goals and is best fit
Chadli - too immobile, would need a Poch re-education
Lamela - Not physically robust enough to do the hustle, bustle and hold up the ball
Alli - fits all the physical requirements and probably the goalscoring, but may not be technically good enough, but certainly worth a try.

Might be the odd wild card in the squad - I thought of Bentaleb who used to play a more forward midfield role in u21's and has the physicality, height and technical skills - just needs to be seen whether he could be re-trained for the role. But there may be others

Spursidol · Jan 1, 2016

Hoops said:
Didnt Toby, Son and Alli do it straight away? Thats what we hire scouts for.

It would be a huge mistake not to get some backup. I dont buy the January is not a selling month, any month is a selling month provided you offer the asking price.

The question is identifying a striker who Poch wants - its clear he is very choosy and is not interested in Austin and most others.

And if you look at the number of players transferred in January, its a fraction of those transferred in the Summer, so the number of candidates is necessarily more limited. I would hope we have a reasonable list of targets, but from the ITK it sounds like a short list, hence the sense in figuring out how we play if we bring in nobody.

And even those available may require a settling in period - in the summer there is a lengthy pre-season to integrate, in January there iisn't which is why January purchases often have only a limited effect as they are often not integrated until say March.

Col_M · Jan 1, 2016

Bus-Conductor said:
Steve, a man barely alive ?

At Levy wouldn't haggle because the price is already known.

Hoops · Jan 1, 2016

Krafty said:
I agree I don't see Lewis selling - too much investment and, importantly, time put in. Could make much more doing something else that requires less time. (Property analogy is not right tho - a lot of developers sell off plan before they have built the thing, a lot sell with planning permission granted, never mind off plan. Better thinking you have bought the land, built it up, then rented it out, then sold it when rents and capital value are About to jump. Unless Lewis needs money, no need to sell)

Aye, i just realised that! What im trying to say, is that the club will be worth more when the stadium is built, than it is right now.

I think the best time would be to sell about 5 years after its built. When we have received all the benefits that it brings.

jasswolf · Jan 1, 2016

Shadydan said:
Roberto Martinez rotated against Stoke and Everton lost their shape and subsequently lost the match so its not always a good thing.

I think you will see some rotation especially when the EL kicks in anyway, just like last season Poch rotated heavily around February, the difference now is that we have a far better and hungrier squad to cope.

What I'm talking about is when you have two or more games in a 7-9 day window, that you rotate through the squad. I'm perfectly happy with a consistent XI if all we're doing is playing PL games, but we haven't been.

This physiologically has an impact through the season in how the body is able to recover from the wear and tear from games because simply put our body is fixing and stopping up and blocking off little microtears that we inflict upon ourselves every day, and these guys are creating much more havoc in that respect than most - or all - of us are.

How do you manage that slow degradation? Balance the need for continuity with form, injury and the opportunity for them to rest in season and during the off-season. At the very least 2017 is going to awful for us if this keeps up because guess what else is coming up: Euro 2016.

voxy28 · Jan 1, 2016

For me, getting a good striker would signal our intend and help out in Europa and cup games. We cannot go to every game and expect Kane to be consistent. He has to be rested to spear head our top 4 challenge in the league, likewise our starting 11.

So we must sign a forward that can play as a lone striker and versitile enuf to play the wide role replacing Son, Chadli, Eriksen, Lamela when they too are rested. Since we are moving Townsend then it is logical to get a striker since our squad size is relatively small to begin with. If we can get Berahino, I think it would complement the squad nicely if he gets his fitness and sharpness sorted but might require time which we don't really have.... So it would be more likely players like Dembele etc which will be realistic IMO.

tiger666 · Jan 1, 2016

I'd personally be perfectly happy if we didn't sign anyone at all.

whitechina · Jan 1, 2016

Amo said:
Hi.

Amo- that completes the set for you

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