The Daily ITK Discussion Thread 22nd May 2016

gnuelwerdna said:

I think we need both kinds of central midfielders. Last season, Dier needed to play nearly all matches and the team dropped a level without Dembele. And I admit that both Dembele and Dier are not good at creativity and vision in passing.
What we need:
- A real DM (Wanyama) to replace Mason, competing with Dier
- A playmaker comfortable at both CM and AM to replace Carroll, providing competition to Eriksen and a more playmaking option for Dembele's position, and at the same time can still give game time to Bentaleb and Pritchard (if he stays) since this single player is not enough to cover both positions
- (Optional) A winger with pace and dribbling ability to replace Chadli, much better if can also play striker
- A real striker competing with Kane (Batman/Janssen...)

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Any idea of the playmaker ?

thebenjamin said:

Sensible signing all round. Goop player, Poch knows him, he's used to the Prem, will be massively undervalued due to contract situation freeing up more funds to spend elsewhere. No downside.

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Well..apart from at least a year listening to B-C go on and on about what a clogger he is like we had with Dier for some time even when our team was playing very well with Eric in the middle.

His contract is running down so its very predictable we'll go for him. Luckily in this case, rather than a Stambouli situation, we could actually do with another player of his ilk, especially one who knows the league very well and knows our manager well too.

dace said:

Any idea of the playmaker ?

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Bazoer would be nice if we want a more progressive CM too.

Bus-Conductor said:

Is Wanyama really progression ? Evolution ?

He's just a different coloured version of Dier. This is like the defensive ying to the yang of Wenger every year since Petit and Viera departed constantly buying flouncy attacking midfielders instead of just adding what they actually need to compliment instead of fucking supplement what they already have.

We do not need another robust athlete trundling around making rudimentary noises. We need to evolve, we need to find a busy **** who can grasp the fairly simple concept of reading the game defensively who can also apply some forward directional quick wit too.

Did we really upgrade our whole scouting and analytics department just to go back to Southampton for a player who fulfils a remit we already have taken care of ?

I'm not overly blown away by the 30+ mil we spent on Son and Njie either. We'd have been better off just going and blowing all that on Embolo, Fekir or Lacazette. And Alderweireld's been great, but again, we hardly needed a room full of screens and servers watching and analysing the data from every game in the world to sign him. Just a Sky subscription. And according to Pleat he convinced Levy to sign Alli.

I think someone needs to go on to the roof of Levy towers and give the arial connected to Mitchell's black box a good kick.

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I think you're being unfair personally.

Why should all of our signings represent evolution? We had a midfield three last season who could dominate any team on their day. Why not add more of the same (or similar), so that we can play two DM types when it suits us, or so that we have more cover if someone is missing or knackered?

Personally, if we produced clones of Dier, Dembele and Alli this summer instead of signing any new players for central midfield, then I would consider it good business.

I think Wanyama would be a good start for us this transfer window, ticks some midfield boxes, and also could be considered to give the option of dropping Dier back to centre back if necessary, meaning we can get rid of donkey chops and not have to worry about signing a replacement.

Bus-Conductor said:

Is Wanyama really progression ? Evolution ?

He's just a different coloured version of Dier. This is like the defensive ying to the yang of Wenger every year since Petit and Viera departed constantly buying flouncy attacking midfielders instead of just adding what they actually need to compliment instead of fucking supplement what they already have.

We do not need another robust athlete trundling around making rudimentary noises. We need to evolve, we need to find a busy **** who can grasp the fairly simple concept of reading the game defensively who can also apply some forward directional quick wit too.

Did we really upgrade our whole scouting and analytics department just to go back to Southampton for a player who fulfils a remit we already have taken care of ?

I'm not overly blown away by the 30+ mil we spent on Son and Njie either. We'd have been better off just going and blowing all that on Embolo, Fekir or Lacazette. And Alderweireld's been great, but again, we hardly needed a room full of screens and servers watching and analysing the data from every game in the world to sign him. Just a Sky subscription. And according to Pleat he convinced Levy to sign Alli.

I think someone needs to go on to the roof of Levy towers and give the arial connected to Mitchell's black box a good kick.

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You watch way too much Barcelona and Bayern. There are other ways of constructing a team, especially on a budget. And power is as important a facet as finesse in the Premier League. The ability to win 50-50s, and contest physically will always be a key part of winning matches in this league.

bceej said:

Wish the idea of competition superseded that of back up.

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Given that we will want to start strong teams in CL and PL matches, I think of it as expanding the list of quality starters to allow for sensible rotation without sacrificing quality.

I think the pros outweigh the cons when you look at signing Wanayama

LexingtonSpurs said:

Given that we will want to start strong teams in CL and PL matches, I think of it as expanding the list of quality starters to allow for sensible rotation without sacrificing quality.

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I'd like us to compete in domestic cups too.

If you look at VW's red cards. The last one in particular, that was the "tackle" of a player who couldn't give a feck about the end of the season, a bit like our boys ay Newcastle. It was obvious then he was looking for an out.

If our manager wants him and Southampton fans highly rate him , why are some so negative .

The wanyama itk is pleasing to hear , we need an additional strong mqn in imdfield, with cl well need cover and good to have a direct player to draft in rather than a makeshift. He is a beast, unsure on his decision making but both mitch n poch know him, would be graeat for defending a lead him demble and dier forming a human steel barrier that bites back hard !!!!!!

If wanyama was gonna sign for Utd. We'd all be saying " why didn't we try sign him etc" no pleasing some fans. We clearly showed a total lack of fight and bottle and that sort of mentality those last few games of the season which has opened poch's eyes I think to certain players. So looks like he's gone out and addressed it nice and early in the window something we've also always complained about with someone he knows has all those characteristics and has Premier league experience seems like a no brainer to me

dace said:

Any idea of the playmaker ?

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Bazoer would be perfect

dace said:

Any idea of the playmaker ?

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Modric would do

THFCSPURS19 said:

He got sent off 3 times last season, but not once in the 2 seasons before that. At least look it up before ridiculously claiming it happens every season. I've also read that only one of the red cards was justifiable.

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That is good to hear, bring him in

Would love a wee cryptic or something, just miss the days when this thread spiralled out of control!

Archibald&Crooks said:

Get the shirts printed chaps?

Get the fucking shirts printed?

I despair.....what's up with ITK these days? Not a hint of Blue and Yellow, nor a whiff of Cabbage not even a cursory 'goodnight' flung over his shoulder. It was never like this back in the ITK heyday........

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A&C I'm a little surprised you haven't misread this and ordered yourself a new pair of printed chaps.

Wanyama ITK is great news in my opinion.
Poch worked a very useful system last year with Dier as DM often dropping deeper into a back 3 alongside Toby & Jan, allowing the fullbacks to push high up the pitch, providing width with he ball, and a wider press without it. As and when Dier wasn't played, we had no natural replacement, and were forced to alter the system, playing Carroll and Mason in a lightweight midfield pairing. Now having Wanyama as a like for like option means we aren't forced to abandon a particular system based on player availability. For the fullback rotation, we also could now have the DM rotation option. This is a very clever move. Prem proven, CL experience, right age at 24yrs old, contract running down to 12 months left so likely available, and above all else, known to Pochettino.
Secondary to this, we now have greater options at RCB. For games against the likes of Hull, Boro, Sunderland, we can use Carter-Vickers if Toby isn't available, but for a top tier team in PL/CL, we can move Dier back to RCB and use Wanyama at DM with no drop off in quality or experience, or change to the system.

Positive sign it's getting done early too, get a decent preseason to settle. Also, he will already be familiar with Poch's demands, fitness wise and tactically.

Beyond that, at times last season it appeared Bentaleb was being moulded into that role, and that just didn't seem to take, then with his injury issues we didn't see half the level of player we saw the season before. Now with a designated alternative DM, Bentaleb can get back to being the box to box player he looks best at, and as such give us a better Dembele backup. Dier & Dembele, Wanyama & Bentaleb. Throw Alli into the mix as able to fill the box to box role as he matures, and we have a solid midfield stable.

Positive sound being thrown around regarding Batshuayi too, which would give us the Kane backup we've missed. Room for a dynamic AM then, someone with pace and guile on the ball, able to take the game to defenders, and I think we're laughing.

3 in, 5 out, (Yedlin, Fazio, Carroll, Mason? and Chadli). As much as I like Mason's attitude, I just think allowing him to leave will not weaken us too much when you think we have Winks & Onomah already on the horizon to step up. Trim down the senior players to clear the path for some of our talented youngsters.

I'd be happy with that.

I still don't see Wanyama coming though, he will want to play in every game and Dier/Dembele/Alli was a successful midfield 3 this season so Wanyama would spend lot of time on the bench

DiamondLites said:

I think the pros outweigh the cons when you look at signing Wanayama

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I wont get excited until I hear that Koeman has sanctioned it?