Poch: Tottenham must spend to be in the title shake-up

[JAYSTAR]

Is it too late to sign Van Dijk? Would love a proven CB to challenge Dier for first team football.

 

[2bearis2do]

Is it too late to sign Van Dijk? Would love a proven CB to challenge Dier for first team football.

He has his poor little heart set on Liverpool.
When players have that in their DNA it's hard to change their course. But - yup - Great player and would be a fantastic addition.

 

[JAYSTAR]

He has his poor little heart set on Liverpool.
When players have that in their DNA it's hard to change their course. But - yup - Great player and would be a fantastic addition.

Wish we would have a go. For me, Dier needs to pull his head in and develop as a player. He's too cocky and needs to show more respect to the likes of Toby and Verts. The way he sees himself as 'captain material' already is great, but arrogant. Perhaps some time down the line, but players like Lloris, Toby and Kane all lead by example and don't coast through games. The team is bigger than the player for them.
Also, Van Dijk has good aerial presence and athleticism and strength meaning he doesn't lose too many one on one battles, which would work well for us defending set pieces.

https://www.premierleague.com/players/5140/Virgil-van-Dijk/stats

 

[JimmyG2]

Perhaps before wowing us all with your analytical presence you should have taken into account that my initial post might have been an ironic joke.

You obviously didn't.

Missed the penalty but scored the rebound.

 

[thebenjamin]

Is it too late to sign Van Dijk? Would love a proven CB to challenge Dier for first team football.

At 70m we're more likely to sign Dick van Dijk

 

[Hazardousman]

Bit of a knee-jerk chap. It is pre-season and we were well behind their levels of fitness and desire (rightly or wrongly) - So it was a wake up call - but I don't sense any panic just yet Mr Mannering! ;-)

All I am saying is, the tone from Poch about signings has shifted after that City game, sure he is still saying it is hard to bring in players and find them, which is what he was saying before, but it's the insistence on needing signings now which has changed.

Also the fact he is saying that we need signings to push the other players tells me that he is noticing a lack of motivation with them, otherwise he wouldn't be saying that surely? He would be talking about youth players pushing them on.

 

[JAYSTAR]

At 70m we're more likely to sign Dick van Dijk

70 million is crazy money to be sure, but we need to strengthen our team and if that means we use the money from Walker, Fazio, possibly Wimmer and even Sissoko etc to buy Van Dijk and Pereira and overall only spend a net 20 odd million. We will have improved our team and squad.

 

[thelak]

Dave, I'm sure you're a lovely bloke, but don't patronize me or take me for an idiot.

Not in the history of football has a manager not wanted players in to strengthen his squad, nor has any manager 'accidentally' trotted out snippets to the media without them having a veiled message to either his chairman, or the fans.

One mans lovely bloke is another mans condescending .....

 

[Shadydan]

Is it too late to sign Van Dijk? Would love a proven CB to challenge Dier for first team football.

If he's had Liverpool and Man City after him then we're not going to match his wage demands.

 

[JAYSTAR]

If he's had Liverpool and Man City after him then we're not going to match his wage demands.

True, but then Poch might win him over - future gains / high wages to come once new stadium is built. Just consider a back three of Toby, Van Dijk and Verts - that is an amazing back three.

 

[Shadydan]

True, but then Poch might win him over - future gains / high wages to come once new stadium is built. Just consider a back three of Toby, Van Dijk and Verts - that is an amazing back three.

Yeah....never gonna happen

 

[dominguezmonkey]

There is a great deal of journo license in his interpretation of what MoPo said. "Big" players won't come to sit on our bench unless we pay them a fortune. And we're not going to do that, rightly so, because what message does that send out to our excellent academy and the rest of the team?

I'm sure we'll make some signings to bolster the squad, players that we probably haven't heard too much about and then the management will be slated for a lack of ambition despite making their position abundantly clear.

Without wanting to go full Theresa May, nothing has changed. Yes, we've had a couple of ropey pre-season results but nobody, and I mean nobody, should get too excited about those games. I'd feel exactly the same if we'd beat City 3-0.

 

[dominguezmonkey]

And people can have their view on the Kyle Walker situation but I doubt it was a huge surprise to the players given his lack of games at the back end of last season. Games which we did rather well in if I recall...

 

[spurslenny]

Totally unnecessary level of rudeness. Your original post was a reasonable, measured response but as soon as he mentioned 'patronising' in his follow-up, you decided gleefully to open up on him. I hope you enjoyed playing Billy Big Balls; personally I found it unedifying.

This is a forum for us to celebrate our shared love of this great club - anyone using it as a platform to parade their ego would be better served patrolling the comments section of a newspaper

That was not my intention and I apologise if my post came across that way.

Plus, I was tired and irritable and probably snapped a little. Apologies all round.

 

[Tiberius Gracchus]

That was not my intention and I apologise if my post came across that way.

Plus, I was tired and irritable and probably snapped a little. Apologies all round.

I was referring to David's post Lenny, rather than yours. FWIW I don't think David meant anything malicious initially (in the post that you felt was patronising), but I was rather taken aback by his later message.

 

[Coyboy]

Totally unnecessary level of rudeness. Your original post was a reasonable, measured response but as soon as he mentioned 'patronising' in his follow-up, you decided gleefully to open up on him. I hope you enjoyed playing Billy Big Balls; personally I found it unedifying.

This is a forum for us to celebrate our shared love of this great club - anyone using it as a platform to parade their ego would be better served patrolling the comments section of a newspaper

I think what one could also find unedifying or perhaps annoying, idiotic or arrogant is this belief that a) Pochettino has only just realised that we can strengthen the squad as if a qualified football coach who works with that very squad and who has achieved our best league positions since the 1960s and [ENTER ALL OTHER RECENT ACHIEVEMENTS] needs to wait for the proverbial penny to drop to realise something football fans have 'known' for ages and b) that once players have been 'identified' (whatever that means) deals can very simply be done and that Pochettino and/or Levy are deliberately or negliglently stalling or procrastinating.

People reading the headline and not engaging brains to read and consider articles and comments has been going on here since the year dot (i.e. 2004) and is probably best suited for the comments section of a newspaper (preferably one edited by Paul Dacre).

 

[Tiberius Gracchus]

I think what one could also find unedifying or perhaps annoying, idiotic or arrogant is this belief that a) Pochettino has only just realised that we can strengthen the squad as if a qualified football coach who works with that very squad and who has achieved our best league positions since the 1960s and [ENTER ALL OTHER RECENT ACHIEVEMENTS] needs to wait for the proverbial penny to drop to realise something football fans have 'known' for ages and b) that once players have been 'identified' (whatever that means) deals can very simply be done and that Pochettino and/or Levy are deliberately or negliglently stalling or procrastinating.

People reading the headline and not engaging brains to read and consider articles and comments has been going on here since the year dot (i.e. 2004) and is probably best suited for the comments section of a newspaper (preferably one edited by Paul Dacre).

Hi Coyboy,

In terms of the original point I'm in agreement with you. Pochettino and Levy have done wonders for this team and the last couple of seasons have been wonderful to watch. I am also a realist and not one of these people who expects Spurs to be in the top 2 every year, or gets angry if we don't blow £90m on a new signing.

Which I think is your position as well? Which begs the question, why are you accusing me of not engaging my brain? Are you saying that you too are brainless? Genuinely don't understand the point you are trying to make.

It also begs the question of why the attitude? Why the rudeness? Why are you mentioning the fact that I have been on Spurcommunity since 2004? How is that relevant?

I don't agree with what Lenny said, I share the viewpoint of you and David. But I am asking, can we please try not to be so hostile and aggressive? If we can't even agree on the same point without resorting to angry screaming, what hope is there?

Best wishes,
Spurs1961

 

[Lighty64]

It feels to me like since that City game in preseason Poch is in panic mode, I think he realizes that Alli and the other players are nowhere near their best and I think he realizes it's because they see other clubs active in the market as a sign of ambition to push forward.

I also think selling Walker was a huge mistake and it has probably turned our players heads a little because they have seen him not only go and double his wages but also now just been on the end of a complete spanking from the team he joined.

People kept telling me "It's only a preseason game" but the message from the manager and the players couldn't be any clearer as far as I am concerned.

They are worried, we should be worried as well. We are on the brink of something special and if we aren't careful we will throw it all away in a heartbeat and a new stadium will not do a damn thing for us then.

Healthy competition and better depth is what we need, I completely agree with Poch and if we fail to do this for him then frankly it's an insult to the man, he is the best manager we have had in my lifetime and other clubs would have him in an instant.

it's not just you, but it's getting tiring reading that all the teams are being ambitious and buying players.

the only team that have really improved is Man City, but they have owners that have money to burn.

Man U, have signed Lukaku to replace Ibra, Ibra is world class Lukaku? Lindelof never played in the prem, might not settle, Matic is he really that good, Chelsea didn't put up a fight to keep him.

Chelsea, Morata to replace Costa, Costa and Hazard are the reason they have won the title twice in 3 seasons. Bakayaro not fully fit, replacing Matic, the defender Rudiger who is he better than who they already have, they also have a thread bare squad that has Premier League experience, just like last season, but this season they have CL

Liverpool signed a defender who played for a relegated team, only difference is compared to Milner it's his natural position, but will he have the same influence. Salah already failed once in prem, Solanke a kid stepping into the best and toughest league in the world, and no guarantee he will even get enough play time.

Arse signed a defender on a freebie, also signed Lacazzette, but most probably losing Sanchez and a 3rsd of their squad are in the last season of their contracts, and we all know Thursday night football ain't no fun

 

[Coyboy]

Hi Coyboy,

In terms of the original point I'm in agreement with you. Pochettino and Levy have done wonders for this team and the last couple of seasons have been wonderful to watch. I am also a realist and not one of these people who expects Spurs to be in the top 2 every year, or gets angry if we don't blow £90m on a new signing.

Which I think is your position as well? Which begs the question, why are you accusing me of not engaging my brain? Are you saying that you too are brainless? Genuinely don't understand the point you are trying to make.

It also begs the question of why the attitude? Why the rudeness? Why are you mentioning the fact that I have been on Spurcommunity since 2004? How is that relevant?

I don't agree with what Lenny said, I share the viewpoint of you and David. But I am asking, can we please try not to be so hostile and aggressive? If we can't even agree on the same point without resorting to angry screaming, what hope is there?

Best wishes,
Spurs1961

You've totally misunderstood the tone and content of my post.