Alex Song

[THFCSPURS19]

Worth the risk in my opinion. It's not like we are short in numbers in central midfield, if Sandro and Dembele get up and running then they are in a completely different league to Alex Song.

Song in the PL was much better than Dembele ever has been IMO. Sandro just seems to be on his way out regardless

 

[THFCSPURS19]

Free?!?!?!?!?

Christian Bestford ‏@BestfordC 58s
@pokeefe1 @Anthoulla1 @HotspurRelated As Barça cant sell for a year after next monday they are willing to let him go free to save wages

 

[felmani26]

Worth the risk in my opinion. It's not like we are short in numbers in central midfield, if Sandro and Dembele get up and running then they are in a completely different league to Alex Song.

Well one of them is making way for Schneiderlin - do you believe that is an upgrade?

In any case, Poch's remit is to have deep lying playmakers who are equally adept at being physical and harassing the opposition - Song and MS display these traits much stronger than Sandro and Dembele who are more ponderous in possession and not particularly adept at long range passes across field.

Probably all a moot point as i'd be surprised if we went for both but just interested to see the views more on Dembele than Sandro who's days look increasingly numbered here.

 

[The Scarecrow]

Song in the PL was much better than Dembele ever has been IMO. Sandro just seems to be on his way out regardless

Agreed. As apposed to Dembele, Song actually has some end product. For free, I'm all for it, but I hope he doesn't bring back any of the ridiculous haircuts from his gooner days.

 

[InOffMeLeftShin]

Well one of them is making way for Schneiderlin - do you believe that is an upgrade?

In any case, Poch's remit is to have deep lying playmakers who are equally adept at being physical and harassing the opposition - Song and MS display these traits much stronger than Sandro and Dembele who are more ponderous in possession and not particularly adept at long range passes across field.

Probably all a moot point as i'd be surprised if we went for both but just interested to see the views more on Dembele than Sandro who's days look increasingly numbered here.

Schneiderlin is a completely different player and as you mention it all depends on how Poch wants us to play. Schneiderlin isn't an upgrade on Sandro (at his best) just a different kind of player. If Sandro hadn't have gotten injured he could have easily been playing a key role for Brazil at the World Cup, he was on that trajectory.

 

[THFCSPURS19]

Schneiderlin is a completely different player and as you mention it all depends on how Poch wants us to play. Schneiderlin isn't an upgrade on Sandro (at his best) just a different kind of player. If Sandro hadn't have gotten injured he could have easily been playing a key role for Brazil at the World Cup, he was on that trajectory.

You see, that's the problem. You always need to put "(at his best)" when talking about Sandro. That was 18 months ago, we're talking about the present day.

 

[EastLondonYid]

You see, that's the problem. You always need to put "(at his best)" when talking about Sandro. That was 18 months ago, we're talking about the present day.

Spot on....

At his best Soldado would be our first choice

At his best Paul Robinson would still be here..

Sandro was very good, he hasn't been for quite a while now....time to move on without him , like Dawson...great guys, both love Spurs...but both have to move on for their sakes and ours i'm afraid,

 

[Stoof]

Smokescreen for Schneiderlin.

Can't see Song coming in at all.

 

[SpartanSpur]

It would be very interesting if Pool got Song. I know Rodger's rates himself highly but I think he's already bit off more than he can chew with Balotelli, so good luck if they add Song to the mix!

Certain players are so good you can take a gamble on their behaviour/attitude, Suarez is one of them, Ade and Balo are maybes, but I just don't see that with Song, DMs are more replaceable (and abundant) than attackers IMO.

 

[InOffMeLeftShin]

Spot on....

At his best Soldado would be our first choice

At his best Paul Robinson would still be here..

Sandro was very good, he hasn't been for quite a while now....time to move on without him , like Dawson...great guys, both love Spurs...but both have to move on for their sakes and ours i'm afraid,

Fair enough, I just completely disagree. It's like saying Lamela was crap last season and was a flop, it's not really true but it's the impression because we didn't really see any of him. Sandro is similar in my opinion, he missed a half season through injury in 12-13 and then missed half season for whatever reason in 13-14, but we didn't see him playing, it's not as if he played and was horrible.

The dude has only just turned 25, has been consistently one of our better players over the last 5 years whenever he's played and we have a big enough squad to allow him to get back up to speed after missing a lot of football, yet people think his days are over. I just don't get it.

 

[THFCSPURS19]

Fair enough, I just completely disagree. It's like saying Lamela was crap last season and was a flop, it's not really true but it's the impression because we didn't really see any of him. Sandro is similar in my opinion, he missed a half season through injury in 12-13 and then missed half season for whatever reason in 13-14, but we didn't see him playing, it's not as if he played and was horrible.

The dude has only just turned 25, has been consistently one of our better players over the last 5 years whenever he's played and we have a big enough squad to allow him to get back up to speed after missing a lot of football, yet people think his days are over. I just don't get it.

If we didn't want Schneiderlin, people would want to keep Sandro, without a doubt.

However, Poch does want Schneiderlin and therefore, we have no choice but to let a CM go. It seems that in Poch's eyes, Sandro is the CM (or one of the CMs) that should be sold- probably because he doesn't feel he is vey suited to his system...

 

[JonnySpurs]

I'd much prefer us to sign Schneiderlin BUT if the deal can't be done then we should be doing our upmost to sign Song.

I think people are forgetting how good he was for Arsenal before he left.

Think about it, you don't get bought by Barcelona for being average.

It didn't work out for him over there but then it didn't really work for Fabregas either. That doesn't make him crap, Barca are just very specific with their style of play and how players fit into it. Plus they always bought him as backup to Busquets.

Song has an excellent passing range, is high energy and would be an excellent fit alongside Capoue, IMO.

 

[EastLondonYid]

Fair enough, I just completely disagree. It's like saying Lamela was crap last season and was a flop, it's not really true but it's the impression because we didn't really see any of him. Sandro is similar in my opinion, he missed a half season through injury in 12-13 and then missed half season for whatever reason in 13-14, but we didn't see him playing, it's not as if he played and was horrible.

The dude has only just turned 25, has been consistently one of our better players over the last 5 years whenever he's played and we have a big enough squad to allow him to get back up to speed after missing a lot of football, yet people think his days are over. I just don't get it.

TBH....cos i love the guy as a person, i got to know him quite well on facebook, i find it hard to knock him, but injuries apart, i think he is weaker than the others we are linked with and those we already have in terms of passing, comfortable on the ball,tactical knowledge , just generally, when he has played over the last season or so, i always feel he is on the edge, a tackle away from a booking, his passing is erratic, i don't trust him anymore, and that has been part of his play for far too long now, i think the injuries didn't help, but i feel its more of a confidence mental thing with him, and i would with a heavy heart cash in on him.

 

[RuskyM]

song is a defensive midfielder who can't defensive midfield. which is a worry

 

[InOffMeLeftShin]

TBH....cos i love the guy as a person, i got to know him quite well on facebook, i find it hard to knock him, but injuries apart, i think he is weaker than the others we are linked with and those we already have in terms of passing, comfortable on the ball,tactical knowledge , just generally, when he has played over the last season or so, i always feel he is on the edge, a tackle away from a booking, his passing is erratic, i don't trust him anymore, and that has been part of his play for far too long now, i think the injuries didn't help, but i feel its more of a confidence mental thing with him, and i would with a heavy heart cash in on him.

That is match sharpness though. He hasn't had any sort of run of games. Kaboul looks a liability when he hasn't had games but you know the ability is there and that he is going to get better. Sandro probably won't get the games with us as it looks, but I expect him to go on somewhere else and us look on and wish we had him back.

He is weaker in terms of passing and being comfortable on the ball, but he is much better defensively and tackling than any of the players in the discussion. When you say tactical knowledge I am assuming you mean offensively because defensively he is pretty damn good. It may be a personal preference, it certainly seems to be based on the comments, but i'd take a specialist player over an all-rounder any day. I'd take Sandro over Capoue in a heart beat, despite Capoue being a better passer. I'd much rather the ball was one, the area in front of the defence was properly covered and the ball played off to a player with better technical ability who can influence higher up the pitch than players spraying it out from deep. Would rather have a defensive player and a guy pulling the strings in the middle than two deep lying passing players.

 

[Sweech]

Would people accept Song and Schneiderlin in, Sandro and Dembele out?

I would.

If We had to go that route I'd much more prefer Schneiderlin + Badelj.

Overall if we needed to buy a guy who would come in to be a squad player at CM/DM I would go for Milan Badelj. Shouldn't be expensive to acquire, nor should his wages be all that expensive either.

I still think Dembele will be able to perform a depth role admirably if Schneiderlin comes in.

 

[prawnsandwich]

Free?!?!?!?!?

Christian Bestford ‏@BestfordC 58s
@pokeefe1 @Anthoulla1 @HotspurRelated As Barça cant sell for a year after next monday they are willing to let him go free to save wages

It's Levy time!!!

 

[EastLondonYid]

That is match sharpness though. He hasn't had any sort of run of games. Kaboul looks a liability when he hasn't had games but you know the ability is there and that he is going to get better. Sandro probably won't get the games with us as it looks, but I expect him to go on somewhere else and us look on and wish we had him back.

He is weaker in terms of passing and being comfortable on the ball, but he is much better defensively and tackling than any of the players in the discussion. When you say tactical knowledge I am assuming you mean offensively because defensively he is pretty damn good. It may be a personal preference, it certainly seems to be based on the comments, but i'd take a specialist player over an all-rounder any day. I'd take Sandro over Capoue in a heart beat, despite Capoue being a better passer. I'd much rather the ball was one, the area in front of the defence was properly covered and the ball played off to a player with better technical ability who can influence higher up the pitch than players spraying it out from deep. Would rather have a defensive player and a guy pulling the strings in the middle than two deep lying passing players.

He is a monster in the tackle, i agree, but tht doesn't make you a good defensive midfielder......look i wouldn't be gutted if we kept him, but i think Poch sees what most of us see, CM is a vital position in his style and i don't think Sandro would be the man for Poch, abit like when we used to occasionally push Graham Roberts into midfield...alot of muscle but you sacrifice a whole lot more for it.

 

[FibreOpticJesus]

He is a monster in the tackle, i agree, but tht doesn't make you a good defensive midfielder......look i wouldn't be gutted if we kept him, but i think Poch sees what most of us see, CM is a vital position in his style and i don't think Sandro would be the man for Poch, abit like when we used to occasionally push Graham Roberts into midfield...alot of muscle but you sacrifice a whole lot more for it.

We employed new muscle yesterday who knows how to use his weight (and fists)

 

[CJMurray]

I'd be very wary if Barca were so desperate to get shot that they'd let him go for free.

Don't think Wenger was too bothered about selling him, supposedly a very sloppy trainer.