A theory as to why Pochettino was hired...

[MightyModric]

How do you pronounce his name???

 

[ItsBoris]

In both Soldado threads I asked for examples of strikers brought in as the main man (not as youngsters like RvP or Ade at Arsenal) who have under-achieved spectacularly and gone on completely to retrieve their reputation. No-one was able to supply a name. It's easier to think of one-season wonders.

I don't say it's impossible that Soldado will improve (he could hardly get much worse, could he?). History says it's unlikely, though. What I do say is that it is absolutely barking to suggest he should start ahead of Ade.

Maybe that's because you're asking for something needlessly specific. I can tell you from recent memory though that Yaya Toure wasn't great in his first season in the league. Dzeko and Giroud both improved quite a lot in their second season.

 

[SpurSince57]

Maybe that's because you're asking for something needlessly specific. I can tell you from recent memory though that Yaya Toure wasn't great in his first season in the league. Dzeko and Giroud both improved quite a lot in their second season.

Really? There are plenty of strikers who have come to the EPL with great expectations and failed. How many have retrieved their reputations?

What you seem unable to tell me from recent memory is that Touré is a midfielder, not a striker, and his goalscoring record at Barça was all but non-existent. Dzeko struggled in his first half-season (he joined in January, to replace Ade, who'd been shunted off to Real), and City also had Tevez and Balotelli, so it wasn't essential he hit the ground running. Giroud's 11-goal haul was a whole lot better than Soldado's pathetic showing, and Wenger also signed Podolski and had Walcott in place.

 

[Hoddle&Waddle]

Really? There are plenty of strikers who have come to the EPL with great expectations and failed. How many have retrieved their reputations?

What you seem unable to tell me from recent memory is that Touré is a midfielder, not a striker, and his goalscoring record at Barça was all but non-existent. Dzeko struggled in his first half-season (he joined in January, to replace Ade, who'd been shunted off to Real), and City also had Tevez and Balotelli, so it wasn't essential he hit the ground running. Giroud's 11-goal haul was a whole lot better than Soldado's pathetic showing, and Wenger also signed Podolski and had Walcott in place.

Plus both Dzeko and Giroud still contribute when not scoring.

 

[ItsBoris]

Really? There are plenty of strikers who have come to the EPL with great expectations and failed. How many have retrieved their reputations?

I can't think of that many in recent memory. Who then? At least not that many that fit your criteria - experienced, brought in as the "main man" for big money.

 

[THFCSPURS19]

How do you pronounce his name???

Along the lines of "I'm a massive ****".

So when one of your friends asks "What do you think of your new manager?"

You can say "What do I think of him? I think I'm a massive ****" etc...

 

[THFCSPURS19]

Suggesting we should give a flop like Soldado preference is not merely perverse, it borders on a mental health issue.

Statements like these make me question humanity.

 

[SpurSince57]

I can't think of that many in recent memory. Who then? At least not that many that fit your criteria - experienced, brought in as the "main man" for big money.

Sheva? Jo? Kluivert? Alves? Kezman? Pizarro? Morientes? Marlet? Our very own Pavlyuchenko?

 

[ItsBoris]

Sheva? Jo? Kluivert? Alves? Kezman? Pizarro? Morientes? Marlet? Our very own Pavlyuchenko?

So going back well over 10 years you've got 9 pretty tenuous examples, many of which don't even fit your criteria. For example: Jo is was not the "experienced" player you're talking about when City signed him (you didn't allow Ade or RVP as examples), Pizzaro did restore his reputation in Germany, Pavlyuchenko wasn't really a big money signing. Kluivert went to Newcastle for free - previously released by Barcelona. Morientes had a good season for Valencia after he left Liverpool. The only one of your examples that really strikes me as being relevant is Shevchenko.

 

[Norwegian Spurs fan]

In both Soldado threads I asked for examples of strikers brought in as the main man (not as youngsters like RvP or Ade at Arsenal) who have under-achieved spectacularly and gone on completely to retrieve their reputation. No-one was able to supply a name. It's easier to think of one-season wonders.

I don't say it's impossible that Soldado will improve (he could hardly get much worse, could he?). History says it's unlikely, though. What I do say is that it is absolutely barking to suggest he should start ahead of Ade.

Why?

 

[SpurSince57]

So going back well over 10 years you've got 9 pretty tenuous examples, many of which don't even fit your criteria. For example: Jo is was not the "experienced" player you're talking about when City signed him (you didn't allow Ade or RVP as examples), Pizzaro did restore his reputation in Germany, Pavlyuchenko wasn't really a big money signing. Kluivert went to Newcastle for free - previously released by Barcelona. Morientes had a good season for Valencia after he left Liverpool. The only one of your examples that really strikes me as being relevant is Shevchenko.

Well, more than one a season would really bring the value of overseas imports into question, wouldn't it?

Really? He was young, but had had plenty of football with Corinthians and CSKA, and was City's record signing. He was brought in as a main striker. Pav cost £14m, which was big money in 2008, certainly for us (I could also have thrown in Rebrov). Pizarro restored his reputation in Germany, and Morientes in Spain, (and overall, his spell at Valencia wasn't that great). Yes, Kluivert was a free, but came with a huge reputation.

Meanwhile, you've failed to provide a single example to the contrary.

 

[ItsBoris]

Well, more than one a season would really bring the value of overseas imports into question, wouldn't it?

Really? He was young, but had had plenty of football with Corinthians and CSKA, and was City's record signing. He was brought in as a main striker. Pav cost £14m, which was big money in 2008, certainly for us (I could also have thrown in Rebrov). Pizarro restored his reputation in Germany, and Morientes in Spain, (and overall, his spell at Valencia wasn't that great). Yes, Kluivert was a free, but came with a huge reputation.

Meanwhile, you've failed to provide a single example to the contrary.

It's not more than 1 per season, you provided 9 examples over 13 years and most of those examples weren't relevant ones. And no it wouldn't bring overseas imports into question because it's a small fraction of the number of players who have been bought from overseas.

Adebayor and Van Persie both had years of football before joining Arsenal. The point was Jo was bought as a prospective talent, not as the experienced "main man".

Even in 2008, 14 million is not enough to expect a real top quality player out of it. We've always had to take gambles on players because we can't afford to buy the ones that we know will come in and be top class.