Pochettino: I’ll promote an academy striker if we can’t find the right signing

[Atomic Flea]

Good. But of course it will all be the fault of Levy if we don't sign a striker.

It's unfair to blame Levy for not buying the 'correct' striker that Pochettino wants. Most likely, the striker that Poch want's will not leave in January. Most big signings happen in the summer. Very few strikers in good form will leave their club in Jan to play second fiddle to Kane, especially when there's plenty of international football to play in the summer.

Blame other clubs reluctance to let their key players go mid way during the season, rather than Levy.

 

[SpursDave88]

If we have am academy player that is potentially capable of doing the job, why pray tell has he not at least found his way onto our subs bench for a cup game or two. Honest question.

 

[davidmatzdorf]

Pochettino has now said the same thing, in slightly differing words, at least 6, perhaps 7 times. And still people keep re-spinning it to suit what they already thought, as opposed to listening to what he is saying.

He is saying that he, personally, does not want us to buy striker unless it is one of a very small number of people whom he is prepared to incorporate into the squad on a long term basis. He is implying that he has issued instructions, or at least a firm request, to the management not to buy a striker unless it is one of those players. He has now added that he would prefer to meet this season's requirements from our academy than to buy a striker whom he does not want for the long term. The overall implication is that he would prefer to risk an inferior result to this season, rather than have us sign a striker he does not want. The subject of money does not even arise - he's only discussing the identity of the player.

You can all disagree with what he's saying - I'm not sure I entirely agree with his priorities - but FFS, stop making it all say something it does not say. It doesn't say that Levy won't pay what Pochettino wants to pay for a striker. It doesn't say that we "can't" sign a striker, nor that we "couldn't" sign one last summer. It doesn't say that there are disagreements in the management team about whether to sign a new striker or about whom to sign.

It is Pochettino saying, very plainly, that he has control over, or at least responsibility for, whether we sign a striker this month and whom we sign. Most specifically, it is Pochettino restating ad nauseam that he will not accept players he does not want in his squad, even if this is at the expense of short term results.

This is the way he runs the club now - he doesn't shift blame onto the rest of management, he takes responsibility for working within the club's constraints - and thus wailing about the "failure" to sign players whom he does not want is getting a bit weird.

 

[tiger666]

It's unfair to blame Levy for not buying the 'correct' striker that Pochettino wants. Most likely, the striker that Poch want's will not leave in January. Most big signings happen in the summer. Very few strikers in good form will leave their club in Jan to play second fiddle to Kane, especially when there's plenty of international football to play in the summer.

Blame other clubs reluctance to let their key players go mid way during the season, rather than Levy.

Someone that gets it.

 

[Geyzer Soze]

we have one striker, all that rubbish about son and clinton being able to play up front on the evidence isnt true, and i think even poch has admitted this
possible title, cup games and we have one striker who played all through the summer and has hardly had a break
would be madness, but that hasnt stopped us before

I still think Nacer can do it up top

 

[jezz]

Have we lost when kane hasn't played?
We're doing just fine without this back up striker we so desperately need.
What will be will be.

 

[yankspurs]

Problem is, I personally dont think Harrison or Sterling are ready yet and are a few years away at most. I dont think Poch is the type that would rush someone if they arent ready.

 

[Ribble]

All this makes me think about poor Cameron Lancaster and what might have been had he not missed all that time being injured and ill...

 

[Spursidol]

Problem is, I personally dont think Harrison or Sterling are ready yet and are a few years away at most. I dont think Poch is the type that would rush someone if they arent ready.

Sssh, I think Poch knows that, but many on SC do not, so lets give them a surprise if we don't sign a striker

 

[talkshowhost86]

If we have am academy player that is potentially capable of doing the job, why pray tell has he not at least found his way onto our subs bench for a cup game or two. Honest question.

I think this is a very good question.

We obviously don't have an academy prospect who Poch thinks is better than Chadli or Son as an out and out striker, so whilst I generally applaud Poch's approach with regards to the yoof, this one doesn't really hold much water.

We need a striker.

 

[Ghost Hardware]

As long as this doesn't translate as Berahino or no one.

 

[talkshowhost86]

Have we lost when kane hasn't played?
We're doing just fine without this back up striker we so desperately need.
What will be will be.

Pfft. You would say that.

You are just trying to deflect from the fact that this is clearly all Lamela's fault.

 

[Styopa]

Have we lost when kane hasn't played?
We're doing just fine without this back up striker we so desperately need.
What will be will be.

Technically you're right. We haven't lost when Kane hasn't played. But then again he has played in every single league game this season and been involved in (at least as a sub) all of our cup games except one!

 

[Geyzer Soze]

As long as this doesn't translate as Berahino or no one.

I think it clearly does

 

[beats1]

It's unfair to blame Levy for not buying the 'correct' striker that Pochettino wants. Most likely, the striker that Poch want's will not leave in January. Most big signings happen in the summer. Very few strikers in good form will leave their club in Jan to play second fiddle to Kane, especially when there's plenty of international football to play in the summer.

Blame other clubs reluctance to let their key players go mid way during the season, rather than Levy.

Someone that gets it.

This is where I disagree, we are in a dire situation, where we have only got one striker

People may say well we have youth the reality is that we don't to be honest. Harrison has spent more time as a no.10 than a no.9 and Sterling who I like a lot, just turned 17 last month and isn't having the best season and isn't ready.

I have criticised Levy before for the Saha and Frasier-campbell signings but I would argue they are perhaps what we need a short term option for 6 months that could leave at the end of the season. Shit even Sinclair(just left liverpool) would have been a very good signing.

If Kane is injured, we will be fucked if we don't sign a striker imo

 

[tiger666]

This is where I disagree, we are in a dire situation, where we have only got one striker

People may say well we have youth the reality is that we don't to be honest. Harrison has spent more time as a no.10 than a no.9 and Sterling who I like a lot, just turned 17 last month and isn't having the best season and isn't ready.

I have criticised Levy before for the Saha and Frasier-campbell signings but I would argue they are perhaps what we need a short term option for 6 months that could leave at the end of the season. Shit even Sinclair(just left liverpool) would have been a very good signing.

If Kane is injured, we will be fucked if we don't sign a striker imo

So blame Poch for not wanting any old striker. He was offered Charlie Austin in the summer and said no. He only wants the right striker, if he isn't available, it's probably no-one.

 

[Geyzer Soze]

It was a ridiculous risk to start the season with no backup to him

To not address this now, which is looking increasingly likely, would be criminally negligent imo

 

[Hazardousman]

If we do not get backup for Kane (someone who plays as an out and out striker who is a like for like replacement) then I literally have no excuses for the club or management.

I don't care if we sign someone or if we promote someone, either way we need someone who can give Kane a rest because there is no way he will stay fit or maintain his best levels right until the end of the season with all the competitions we are in, we made this mistake before (not strengthening when we were in a good position to take advantage) and it cost us then and we had three strikers on the books at that point.

We can all argue until the cows come home but this is fact, we need a backup option or we can kiss our hopes of getting anything this season goodbye.

How can anybody in their right mind excuse only having one striker given the position we are in? With all the competitions we are in? Blindly defending and ignoring the blatant evidence in front of you will do nothing for our club.

We need a backup striker. End of.

 

[Everlasting Seconds]

If we have am academy player that is potentially capable of doing the job, why pray tell has he not at least found his way onto our subs bench for a cup game or two. Honest question.

Fair question. That can happen already tonight, though. We haven't played that many cup games over the last 4 weeks.

 

[millsey]

So blame Poch for not wanting any old striker. He was offered Charlie Austin in the summer and said no. He only wants the right striker, if he isn't available, it's probably no-one.

All well and good, but is it really hat sensible? Well we won't get anyone is great sound bite, but if we suddenly play 4 months with just Son up top and an academy striker as back up, will we all say oh well at least we didn't buy a striker Poch didn't want. What you do is find a striker you like of a list and get one of them! It's not good enough to say I only want one and of that fails our season might? We
Should have 4-5 potentials for each position