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Player watch: Toby Alderweireld

kaz Hirai

Well-Known Member
Nov 5, 2008
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Lamela had a thirteen month lay off and only started two league games since his come back I believe and he didn’t start the following game after either

He's been with the squad though, same with Danny when injury was shaken off, it is unusual considering foyth can't be included now.

To be fit enough to play 90 against Newport then not even make the squad for arsenal or juve is curious.

He's either still really unfit, not putting the effort in training, or something more unfortunate.

We'll see at the weekend which one
 

Graysonti

Well-Known Member
May 8, 2011
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He's been with the squad though, same with Danny when injury was shaken off, it is unusual considering foyth can't be included now.

To be fit enough to play 90 against Newport then not even make the squad for arsenal or juve is curious.

He's either still really unfit, not putting the effort in training, or something more unfortunate.

We'll see at the weekend which one

Well it’s not curious at all is it.

Playing a minnow in Newport in a game we will have 70/80 % possession and almost guaranteed to win verses two top teams with players like Aubameyang and Higuaín who will twist you inside out. The Newport game was part of the ease back, and he was never ready for selection in the big big games - his touch and fitness won’t be there and we are doing well so hardly likely to change at whim
 

spursfan77

Well-Known Member
Aug 13, 2005
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People want to see problems in everything nowadays. It's obviously a fitness issue. I just hope it's not a flare up from playing against Newport after not playing for 3 months.
 

KILLA_SIN

Well-Known Member
May 24, 2008
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He's been with the squad though, same with Danny when injury was shaken off, it is unusual considering foyth can't be included now.

To be fit enough to play 90 against Newport then not even make the squad for arsenal or juve is curious.

He's either still really unfit, not putting the effort in training, or something more unfortunate.

We'll see at the weekend which one

Neither Toby nor Foyth made the bench against Pool or Arse in both games. I think Vic was backup CB/DM and with Dier on the pitch we didn’t need a backup CB.

And Vic has not started a league game since his injury either but has been subbed in 7 games
 

KILLA_SIN

Well-Known Member
May 24, 2008
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That explains why he was not part of the squad against Arsenal, but not Juve...
I don’t think anything more than him not being rushed back can be read from this. If he was being petulant why would he play a full 90 against lowly Newport?

Also with Sanchez, Dier, JV and Vic how many players do we need that can fill in at CB
 

Hazardousman

Audere est Facere
Jul 24, 2013
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I don't think for one second that Toby isn't fit enough to play football, he came back ahead of schedule with his injury and has been working his arse off to get back in the side, even going as far to declare himself fit.

That being said, being fit enough to play Newport and being fit enough to play Juve are two different matters and I think that's the issue here, we all know deep down that Poch wouldn't make this decision lightly he knows how important Toby is.

I am not suggesting that anything sinister is going on here, I think either Poch is airing on the side of caution because he knows we will need him for the run in or Toby isn't as fit as he actually thinks he is.

In the very unlikely event this is contract related then well, we already know what happens with players that don't play ball with Poch, Kane said it himself and Son as well, basically, don't cross the boss.

That being said, I think that's very unlikely in the case of Toby, he doesn't seem the type to be unprofessional.
 

LexingtonSpurs

Well-Known Member
Aug 27, 2013
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If he was being petulant why would he play a full 90 against lowly Newport?
I may be in the minority - and I have not seen Gard's tweet - but I don't think Toby is being petulant.

We have seen this play out before under Poch - where a player not willing to sign a new deal was frozen out. I think its more likely that Poch/Levy are saying to Toby that Toby will not be involved in important matches if he (Toby) is unwilling to sign a new deal.

I think its Toby's right to not sign a new deal. I also understand its a little bit of leverage the club have over the player - playing time in a year leading up to the WC. I doubt Toby's spot is under fire - so I don't think he will feel any pressure at not getting regular matches leading up to the summer.
 

KILLA_SIN

Well-Known Member
May 24, 2008
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I may be in the minority - and I have not seen Gard's tweet - but I don't think Toby is being petulant.

We have seen this play out before under Poch - where a player not willing to sign a new deal was frozen out. I think its more likely that Poch/Levy are saying to Toby that Toby will not be involved in important matches if he (Toby) is unwilling to sign a new deal.

I think its Toby's right to not sign a new deal. I also understand its a little bit of leverage the club have over the player - playing time in a year leading up to the WC. I doubt Toby's spot is under fire - so I don't think he will feel any pressure at not getting regular matches leading up to the summer.
I think he would be crazy to leave but each to their own.

Anyway JV has been the best CB st the club last season and this season. Arguably best CB in the league
 

kaz Hirai

Well-Known Member
Nov 5, 2008
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Well it’s not curious at all is it.

Playing a minnow in Newport in a game we will have 70/80 % possession and almost guaranteed to win verses two top teams with players like Aubameyang and Higuaín who will twist you inside out. The Newport game was part of the ease back, and he was never ready for selection in the big big games - his touch and fitness won’t be there and we are doing well so hardly likely to change at whim

Danny rose was out longer and was on the bench away to Madrid though. Lamela in all match squads he was eligible for after a year and a half once he declared himself ready for selection

Anyway it's all random spec. Won't be long till it's sorted
 

kaz Hirai

Well-Known Member
Nov 5, 2008
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25,340
Neither Toby nor Foyth made the bench against Pool or Arse in both games. I think Vic was backup CB/DM and with Dier on the pitch we didn’t need a backup CB.

And Vic has not started a league game since his injury either but has been subbed in 7 games

That's the point though isn't it. These long term injuried players may not play but they Always make the squad
 

coys200

Well-Known Member
May 22, 2017
8,436
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Fitness wise I think CB is different to any other position when returning from long injury. A striker or AM if they are 10% off it’s not going to cost you the game. Going into a CL last 16 against juventus with even a 90% fit toby is a risk. And if he’s just gonna sitting bench it’s pretty unlikely he would get on. So the sensible thing would be to carry on with fitness and play Rochdale. Then you have another 8 days to palace. That seems the obvious recovery program.
 

Twizzle

The Alpha Male
May 25, 2008
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However, Mauricio Pochettino excluded him from the match-day squad and has now decided to leave him in London to work on his fitness, rather than take him to Italy for what is Tottenham’s biggest game of the season.

Pochettino reacted badly when questioned after the 1-0 win against Arsenalabout why he had preferred Davinson Sánchez to Alderweireld in central defence and Spurs fans will hope the Belgian is not too unhappy to be omitted against Juventus and that it will not impact on his contract talks, which have been continuing for more than a year without reaching a breakthrough.

Alderweireld’s £50,000-a-week deal contains a one-year extension option, which is scheduled to activate in the summer of 2019 and would see him contracted until 2020. But it also features a £25m release clause. In the summer of 2019 he would be permitted to leave if a rival club were to pay £25m and complete the transfer at least 14 days before the closure of the window.


Pochettino has shown with several players – chief among them Danny Rose and Erik Lamela – that they must prove their full fitness following long injury lay-offs before they are reintegrated into the squad on a regular basis. Alderweireld did make the point after the Newport game that he and the medical staff had “worked very hard so my muscles are ready for this type of game and to play a lot of games again”.


https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...eireld-tottenham-mauricio-pochettino-juventus
 

theShiznit

Well-Known Member
Jul 26, 2004
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He's clearly not been back long enough to be involved in this game, nothing more nothing less (IMO)

Poch is a great believer in the man in possession of the shirt staying there until others have earned it. Rightly or wrongly 90 minutes against Newport is not enough to get him a seat on the plane to Juve.

He will not have the sharpness just yet for big games.

I am sure he will be involved at the weekend, probably on the bench but may start.

Our squad is so strong ATM that Poch is going to have to make tough calls in the coming weeks/months, with everyone coming back to fitness at the same time, we have viable alternatives all over the pitch (well almost) ideally a fully fit Toby would be one of the first names on the team sheet, but he's not fully fit, and others have come in and not let us down, and would be rightly pissed if TA just walks back in with no game time under his belt.
 

LexingtonSpurs

Well-Known Member
Aug 27, 2013
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I think people forget last season - Toby missed almost 2 months with injury.

1st game back, he came on as a sub on December 7, played 90 minutes on December 11, and 90 minutes again on the 14th and then proceeded to start the next 27 matches of the season.
 

danielneeds

Kick-Ass
May 5, 2004
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I think people forget last season - Toby missed almost 2 months with injury.

1st game back, he came on as a sub on December 7, played 90 minutes on December 11, and 90 minutes again on the 14th and then proceeded to start the next 27 matches of the season.
Difference is last season we had Wimmer who Poch didn’t trust, this season we have Sanchez, who he does.
 

Bulletspur

The Reasonable Advocate
Match Thread Admin
Oct 17, 2006
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I think people forget last season - Toby missed almost 2 months with injury.

1st game back, he came on as a sub on December 7, played 90 minutes on December 11, and 90 minutes again on the 14th and then proceeded to start the next 27 matches of the season.
Plus even if he is not fit enough he should still be travelling for the social comradery support element of this fixture. I remember both Verts and rose travelling to Europe with the team even though both were in casts
 

Gspurs11

Well-Known Member
Aug 19, 2012
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Might mean nothing, but JJ liked a tweet about Sunday Supplement trying to ‘sell off’ Toby - reiterated the point about him lacking match fitness and game time etc.
 

SirNiNyHotspur

23 Years of Property, Concerts, Karts & Losing
Apr 27, 2004
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Difference is last season we had Wimmer who Poch didn’t trust, this season we have Sanchez, who he does.
Considering Sanchez almost cost us v scouse with his headless performance and was a Lacazette crap miss away from costing v scum I’d have to question that belief, I’m not saying Sanchez can’t become a great for us but at the moment he’s inconsistent and it’s night and day between him and Tobe, who if is available he should be starting every time. Not sure if any politics is playing out here but wouldn’t surprise me as Toby has said he was ready, and not having a dig at Levy, if he is involved it may be for the best for our club, but on the face of it does seem like more than a fitness issue, if just fitness I would expect him to at least make bench. Unless of course he’s reinjured, then ignore the rest...
 
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