Player watch: Toby Alderweireld

[thelak]

Poch hasn't played 5-3-2 for ages and I still don't think he will touch it for a while with Lamela back and Moura signed too.

It's going to be ridiculous if we splurge £50m on Bale or whatever other attacking player only to play 3-5-2 and have only 2 attacking spots behind Kane up for grabs for 6 players.

If you want to play the odd game 3-5-2 you definitely still have the ability to do so with Sanchez, Dier, Verts and Foyth. Davies too can play LCB.

I'm really not too sure we need another CB, especially a mega money one.

Interesting how 3-5-2 seems to have had a one season moment in the sun. What worked for Chelsea now holding them back, Arsenal tried and given it up and we dropped it post Toby and our attacking play which was pretty turgid pre Xmas has looked much better to state the obvious although we've lost a bit of defensive solidity really only against Juve for those 5 mins and were overrun by City

So can see the logic in what you are saying - I would be more than happy to see Wanyama back in the centre and Dier spending more time in a back 3 on occasion - although Dier still makes mistakes at CB - more than Toby would anyway so as the two players stand today we do lose a bit quality wise in a Dier,Verts,Sanchez back 3 - against the top top sides if we actually want to win things still some risk with the back line

 

[WiganSpur]

I do agree that Alderweireld needs to be replaced. I don’t agree that it needs to be a like replacement, as even if he is our best centre back, he’s become obsolete. Our defence is that company who have brought in a great FD and managed to restructure in a way that doesn’t damage productivity or efficiency, but does make it’s most highly salaried department redundant. Ergo, Toby is now playing the role of an unnecessarily high quality reserve. If we sold him and replaced him with an up and coming lefty to succession plan for Verts, or a reliable experienced player who’s be happy just to be in our squad, then I’d be happy,

Basically, Mawson or Evans will do just fine (I think we should use this as an opportunity to improve our HG pool).

I can understand this line of argument.

But what up and coming lefty would be guaranteed to do a better job than Foyth? Having watched him a few times he is excellent on the ball and I see no reason why he can't play LCB for us more regularly.

 

[BringBack_leGin]

I can understand this line of argument.

But what up and coming lefty would be guaranteed to do a better job than Foyth? Having watched him a few times he is excellent on the ball and I see no reason why he can't play LCB for us more regularly.

I think to get full use of Foyth passing range, as with Toby, he should be RCB as much as possible because it gives him more of the pitch to aim at.

 

[WiganSpur]

I think to get full use of Foyth passing range, as with Toby, he should be RCB as much as possible because it gives him more of the pitch to aim at.

Mawson or De Ligt would fill your criteria but would cost upwards of £35m. Is it worth spending that sort of money for defenders who are likely very marginally better than Foyth? Evans I can understand more due to the small fee that would be involved, but still, if he signed then that really limits opportunities for Foyth. I think we'd have to loan him out personally.

 

[BringBack_leGin]

Mawson or De Ligt would fill your criteria but would cost upwards of £35m. Is it worth spending that sort of money for defenders who are likely very marginally better than Foyth? Evans I can understand more due to the small fee that would be involved, but still, if he signed then that really limits opportunities for Foyth. I think we'd have to loan him out personally.

I think Foyth is still a season away from being where we’d need him to be, which may also be how much time at this level of performance Vertonghen has left given he’s about to turn 31 this month. I think the timing to bringing in someone like Mawson could be perfect in terms of LCB succession planning, buying Foyth another season to develop and having enough immediate depth.

 

[Univarn]

Interesting how 3-5-2 seems to have had a one season moment in the sun. What worked for Chelsea now holding them back, Arsenal tried and given it up and we dropped it post Toby and our attacking play which was pretty turgid pre Xmas has looked much better to state the obvious although we've lost a bit of defensive solidity really only against Juve for those 5 mins and were overrun by City

So can see the logic in what you are saying - I would be more than happy to see Wanyama back in the centre and Dier spending more time in a back 3 on occasion - although Dier still makes mistakes at CB - more than Toby would anyway so as the two players stand today we do lose a bit quality wise in a Dier,Verts,Sanchez back 3 - against the top top sides if we actually want to win things still some risk with the back line

The thing for me is that Poch has decided that having a fit and firing Son and Dele in the side is more important than finding a place for Toby to rebuild form. 3-5-2 still has some really great applications and I would not be opposed to us reviving it as need be.

Chelsea still do 3-5-2 but Conte nuked the team that made it work for whatever inexplicable reason. Sold Matic and Costa. Tried to buy Kante v2 in Bakayoko but that failed, burned bridges with Luiz, benched Cahill, overrelied on an overperforming Pedro, and never played their Matic replacement (Drinkwater). He also spent half the year trying to find a way to not have to play Moses or Alonso as wingbacks. Their whole season has been one long windup from him to fix problems they didn't have.

 

[Khilari]

Interesting how 3-5-2 seems to have had a one season moment in the sun. What worked for Chelsea now holding them back, Arsenal tried and given it up and we dropped it post Toby and our attacking play which was pretty turgid pre Xmas has looked much better to state the obvious although we've lost a bit of defensive solidity really only against Juve for those 5 mins and were overrun by City

So can see the logic in what you are saying - I would be more than happy to see Wanyama back in the centre and Dier spending more time in a back 3 on occasion - although Dier still makes mistakes at CB - more than Toby would anyway so as the two players stand today we do lose a bit quality wise in a Dier,Verts,Sanchez back 3 - against the top top sides if we actually want to win things still some risk with the back line

I wonder if it worked really well for us when we had Walker and Rose and needed to exploit the wider areas on our smaller, White Hart Lane pitch last term.

Whereas now, with the focus of our attacks less through our wingbacks and more spreading play across our front 4 with the fullbacks supporting on a wider pitch where we have more room to get in between defenders centrally, this seems to work better.

 

[WiganSpur]

I wonder if it worked really well for us when we had Walker and Rose and needed to exploit the wider areas on our smaller, White Hart Lane pitch last term.

Whereas now, with the focus of our attacks less through our wingbacks and more spreading play across our front 4 with the fullbacks supporting on a wider pitch where we have more room to get in between defenders centrally, this seems to work better.

The 3-5-2 made much more sense last season and the start of this because Lamela was not available and we had not signed Lucas Moura.

But things have obviously changed now and the 3-5-2 is no longer suitable for us to use regularly unless we sell a couple of attacking players.

 

[JUSTINSIGNAL]

I really don't get this talk of spending £30m+ on a CB replacement for a player who can't even make the bench. Point is we have Dier, so we don't need a specialist back up to sit on the bench. We just bring in Wanyama and move Dier back if there are injuries or suspensions. Plus Foyth has already shown promise, it doesn't make any sense to block his pathway with another expensive signing.

 

[Shadydan]

I really don't get this talk of spending £30m+ on a CB replacement for a player who can't even make the bench. Point is we have Dier so we don't need a specialist back up to sit on the bench. We just have Wanyama and move Dier back if there injuries or suspensions. Plus Foyth has already shown promise, it doesn't make any sense to block his pathway with another expensive signing.

Exactly, this talk comes up every year with same old people giving it what if so and so get's injured scenarios lol

We've got cover already, literally no point spending big money just to sit a player on the bench for a just in case scenario.

 

[Khilari]

Is CCV no longer thought of highly enough? I'd have thought along with Foyth, he'd make an excellent backup/cup player?

 

[AJW]

Few reliable sources saying he isn’t in the squad for tomorrow’s game

 

[spursfan77]

Few reliable sources saying he isn’t in the squad for tomorrow’s game

I saw something in the Mail but then read it and it was just Poch saying he’s got a battle to get in the side. I’m assuming that’s the tact they’re taking?

 

[AJW]

I saw something in the Mail but then read it and it was just Poch saying he’s got a battle to get in the side. I’m assuming that’s the tact they’re taking?

It was from someone strongly linked with the academy. Can’t rememeber his username but always accurate

 

[John48]

Poch seems to be saying he's not working hard enough in training & is being considered for the squad & as long as they keep winning there won't/can't be any complaints.

It will be interesting to see what MP does for the semi, but it seems highly likely we won't see in a Spurs shirt again. A shame, but you have to say the manager has got it right so far.

 

[tommyt]

I think we will miss Toby, but for the good of the team he has to go.

 

[nailsy]

So how could we ever win the league if we sell our senior players one at a season? We will always be that young side forever...

So you're saying that you can't win anything with kids?

 

[MichaelPawson]

Here's a tweet from a Belgian journalist who covers the Prem that's saying the same thing about tomorrow's squad:



Not going to lie, I'll be pretty sad to see Toby go. Would be nice to see him get one more run out for Spurs, but Poch obviously has more important things to worry about than sentimentality.

 

[Hercules]

The guy played the wrong game. He went back on his word. You don’t do that with Poch. Europe can have him. His advisors been trying to come back to the table, but the horse has bolted

 

[Shadydan]

Poch is a ruthless mofo, love what he's doing here.