Spurs win title for youthful promise and being the most watchable

[Gaz_Gammon]

Spurs’ achievements under Pochettino this season deserve at least a slice of the adulation being lavished on fairytale champions-elect Leicester City.

Read the full article at The Guardian

 

[rupsmith]

Read that article with some pride. We really need to make sure Poch and the players are kept together for a couple of more seasons.

Will the really Mr Levy please step up?

Actually to be fair to him - he has stepped up brilliantly during his time with us.

COYS!

 

[Yid]

Good article, indeed.

 

[Smokinhotspur]

As we get closer to securing CL football next season, I can't help but look to the business we need to do in the summer. Here goes:

Goallie: Lloris stays. Maybe get a new No 2 instead of Vorm as not sure he is the right type for this role. He was a better No 1 at Swansea. Wouldn't be a major deal if we stuck with him either

Defence: No change needed: outs or ins. Just need more time and experience together to forge an even better understanding.

Centre Midfield: Happy with Dier and Dembele but wonder whether we need someone with CL experience that can help us control the tempo of games in that competition. I can see Bentaleb leaving as although currently injured, seems to have lost his way a bit. This could open up a slot in the squad. Not sure who could come in though. Would be interested to hear people's thoughts

Striker: Tricky one as Kane is clearly no 1 and we need the right profile striker that would accept this coming in. I would still go with Berahino, fits our ethos with being young, English, bags of potential, good workrate and PL goals and experience. Was also nice to see his contrition at how he handled the whole transfer saga. Also added benefit of versatility as could slot into any of the 3 positions behind the striker so could allow somebody like Chadli to be sold given that we have Son, Njie, Onomah and Pritchard possibly to come back in.

Forward: Now this is the big one. There comes a time when a football club needs to make a statement and with the new training ground, new stadium on way and finally a team with clear identity I think that time is now. I say we go to Real Madrid and pull out all the stops to get Bale back to the club. Maybe offer Eriksen (who has bags of ability but nowhere near aggressive enough for Poch's system and also a bit inconsistent for me) in part exchange (+€45m) . I can see him doing very well in Spain. Otherwise we could sell him to another club as I am sure we would not be short of offers for a player like him. May not be too difficult a deal to do as long as Bale is interested in coming back given that RM still owe us some payments from his initial transfer. A forward 3 of Alli, Bale and Lamela/Son/Berahino would be some force!

Thoughts?

 

[rupsmith]

Forward: Now this is the big one. There comes a time when a football club needs to make a statement and with the new training ground, new stadium on way and finally a team with clear identity I think that time is now for us. I say we go to Real Madrid and pull out all the stops to get Bale back to the club. Maybe offer Eriksen in part exchange (+€45m) who has bags of ability but nowhere near aggressive enough for Poch's system and also a bit inconsistent for me. I can see him doing very well in Spain. Otherwise we could sell him to another club as I am sure we would not be short of offers for a player like him. May not be too difficult a deal to do as long as Bale is interested in coming back given that RM still owe us some payments from his initial transfer. A forward 3 of Alli, Bale and Lamela/Son/Berahino would be some force!

That is a title winning team. Even the thought has me actually smiling - Gaz Bale behind Kane and bringing Alli and Lamela along. We will be simply destroying teams.

 

[Spurs 1961]

We have come a long way since last season when we were still mostly very boring to watch. I hope the evolution continues in fitness levels, skills and tactical invention as players improve athleticism, fitness, confidence and technique. Teams like Barca were not born over a couple of years but with a permeating philosophy ... and of course time

 

[Jamesbashspur]

We should in no way try to sell eriksen or Chadli who on there day are excellent players.we do need a striker and an impact sub with pace too.on a different note shayon Harrison looked excellent for the u21s with a hat trick.a bench spot in final games could be possible!

 

[JUSTINSIGNAL]

As we get closer to securing CL football next season, I can't help but look to the business we need to do in the summer. Here goes:

Goallie: Lloris stays. Maybe get a new No 2 instead of Vorm as not sure he is the right type for this role. He was a better No 1 at Swansea. Wouldn't be a major deal if we stuck with him either

Defence: No change needed: outs or ins. Just need more time and experience together to forge an even better understanding.

Centre Midfield: Happy with Dier and Dembele but wonder whether we need someone with CL experience that can help us control the tempo of games in that competition. I can see Bentaleb leaving as although currently injured, seems to have lost his way a bit. This could open up a slot in the squad. Not sure who could come in though. Would be interested to hear people's thoughts

Striker: Tricky one as Kane is clearly no 1 and we need the right profile striker that would accept this coming in. I would still go with Berahino, fits our ethos with being young, English, bags of potential, good workrate and PL goals and experience. Was also nice to see his contrition at how he handled the whole transfer saga. Also added benefit of versatility as could slot into any of the 3 positions behind the striker so could allow somebody like Chadli to be sold given that we have Son, Njie, Onomah and Pritchard possibly to come back in.

Forward: Now this is the big one. There comes a time when a football club needs to make a statement and with the new training ground, new stadium on way and finally a team with clear identity I think that time is now. I say we go to Real Madrid and pull out all the stops to get Bale back to the club. Maybe offer Eriksen (who has bags of ability but nowhere near aggressive enough for Poch's system and also a bit inconsistent for me) in part exchange (+€45m) . I can see him doing very well in Spain. Otherwise we could sell him to another club as I am sure we would not be short of offers for a player like him. May not be too difficult a deal to do as long as Bale is interested in coming back given that RM still owe us some payments from his initial transfer. A forward 3 of Alli, Bale and Lamela/Son/Berahino would be some force!

Thoughts?

All very sensible and rational until the Bale bit. We as a club simply can't afford his wages - he's on around 250k per week. It's just not feasible for us to pay any player that amount.

 

[avonspurs]

It's amazing how two people can view/experience the same situation and get two contrasting views. Case in point:
1. Author states that Leicester "deservedly" beat us at WHL 1-0. I didn't think it was a deserved win.
2. Author states that Leicester are getting huge plaudits from the media, etc. and I agree with him, yet a Leicester fan on the radio yesterday argued that Leicester haven't been given the credit they deserve.

All about opinions I suppose.

 

[zinzanzee]

Like, that this sort of article from someone not "involved" like we are shows how far we are ahead of where we all thought we would be at this point. No doubt the $$$ teams will try and unsettle us over the transfer period

In my gut I feel pretty much all will feel there is unfinished business to be done. How anyone out there thinks that this is a one off I feel hard to believe. This is just the start......

COYS

 

[davidmatzdorf]

...Forward: Now this is the big one. There comes a time when a football club needs to make a statement and with the new training ground, new stadium on way and finally a team with clear identity I think that time is now. I say we go to Real Madrid and pull out all the stops to get Bale back to the club. Maybe offer Eriksen (who has bags of ability but nowhere near aggressive enough for Poch's system and also a bit inconsistent for me) in part exchange (+€45m) . I can see him doing very well in Spain. Otherwise we could sell him to another club as I am sure we would not be short of offers for a player like him. May not be too difficult a deal to do as long as Bale is interested in coming back given that RM still owe us some payments from his initial transfer. A forward 3 of Alli, Bale and Lamela/Son/Berahino would be some force!

Thoughts?

I have to think hat this is just a first step in setting up a summer of discontent on SC. It's a pure fantasy. This is not the way we do business under Pochettino. I think it is highly unlikely that we will make any major and expensive transfers this summer.

Assuming we finish 3rd or higher and avoid the qualifying round of the Champions League, we'll read post after post here about how "we have to strengthen", meaning "we have to buy established star players".

And then the summer will progress and we won't have signed anyone, except for some promising youth players. And people will blame Levy for "failing to capitalise", invent "splits" between Levy & Pochettino, invoke the January 2012 transfer window as a cautionary tale, bemoan our "lack of ambition" and blame the stadium development for soaking up the cash that we "would have spent" on famous, established footballers.

People will insist that "all the other clubs are improving" (which is basically impossible). By mid-August, everyone will be in a rage about everything and will be predicting that we will finish 7th and that we have missed the chance of a generation.

And it will all be a waste of breath, because that isn't how Pochettino runs a squad. He gradually builds a team and he retains his key players. Eriksen is obviously one of his key players and is moving toward signing a new contract.

The last thing Pochettino is going to want this summer is any major change in his carefully-balanced squad. He's just going to try to keep everyone together and keep working. I hope we'll sign some backup for the positions where we lack cover (striker and defensive midfield). But even those might come from the academy.

 

[Jenko]

Like, that this sort of article from someone not "involved" like we are shows how far we are ahead of where we all thought we would be at this point. No doubt the $$$ teams will try and unsettle us over the transfer period

In my gut I feel pretty much all will feel there is unfinished business to be done. How anyone out there thinks that this is a one off I feel hard to believe. This is just the start......

COYS

I'd say outsiders only think its a one off because they feel for sure that we will either lose Poch or Kane or they think that we've been lucky this season as none of the big teams showed up.

Valid points for stupid people I suppose.

 

[Jenko]

Gotta love the Guardian though. Full of proper articles and always balanced and fair.

 

[Matthew Wyatt]

As we get closer to securing CL football next season, I can't help but look to the business we need to do in the summer. Here goes:

Goallie: Lloris stays. Maybe get a new No 2 instead of Vorm as not sure he is the right type for this role. He was a better No 1 at Swansea. Wouldn't be a major deal if we stuck with him either

Defence: No change needed: outs or ins. Just need more time and experience together to forge an even better understanding.

Centre Midfield: Happy with Dier and Dembele but wonder whether we need someone with CL experience that can help us control the tempo of games in that competition. I can see Bentaleb leaving as although currently injured, seems to have lost his way a bit. This could open up a slot in the squad. Not sure who could come in though. Would be interested to hear people's thoughts

Striker: Tricky one as Kane is clearly no 1 and we need the right profile striker that would accept this coming in. I would still go with Berahino, fits our ethos with being young, English, bags of potential, good workrate and PL goals and experience. Was also nice to see his contrition at how he handled the whole transfer saga. Also added benefit of versatility as could slot into any of the 3 positions behind the striker so could allow somebody like Chadli to be sold given that we have Son, Njie, Onomah and Pritchard possibly to come back in.

Forward: Now this is the big one. There comes a time when a football club needs to make a statement and with the new training ground, new stadium on way and finally a team with clear identity I think that time is now. I say we go to Real Madrid and pull out all the stops to get Bale back to the club. Maybe offer Eriksen (who has bags of ability but nowhere near aggressive enough for Poch's system and also a bit inconsistent for me) in part exchange (+€45m) . I can see him doing very well in Spain. Otherwise we could sell him to another club as I am sure we would not be short of offers for a player like him. May not be too difficult a deal to do as long as Bale is interested in coming back given that RM still owe us some payments from his initial transfer. A forward 3 of Alli, Bale and Lamela/Son/Berahino would be some force!

Thoughts?

Whoa there ... maybe time to switch to decaf?

 

[JimmyG2]

Always liked that Barney Ronay.
Own grown. fresher, full of vitamins and no nasty chemicals.
Sorry what were we talking about?

We got off the money go round
and the ghost train full of scary superstars on frightening money
and look where it's got us.
Steady as she goes say me and DL.

 

[Smokinhotspur]

I have to think hat this is just a first step in setting up a summer of discontent on SC. It's a pure fantasy. This is not the way we do business under Pochettino. I think it is highly unlikely that we will make any major and expensive transfers this summer.

Assuming we finish 3rd or higher and avoid the qualifying round of the Champions League, we'll read post after post here about how "we have to strengthen", meaning "we have to buy established star players".

And then the summer will progress and we won't have signed anyone, except for some promising youth players. And people will blame Levy for "failing to capitalise", invent "splits" between Levy & Pochettino, invoke the January 2012 transfer window as a cautionary tale, bemoan our "lack of ambition" and blame the stadium development for soaking up the cash that we "would have spent" on famous, established footballers.

People will insist that "all the other clubs are improving" (which is basically impossible). By mid-August, everyone will be in a rage about everything and will be predicting that we will finish 7th and that we have missed the chance of a generation.

And it will all be a waste of breath, because that isn't how Pochettino runs a squad. He gradually builds a team and he retains his key players. Eriksen is obviously one of his key players and is moving toward signing a new contract.

The last thing Pochettino is going to want this summer is any major change in his carefully-balanced squad. He's just going to try to keep everyone together and keep working. I hope we'll sign some backup for the positions where we lack cover (striker and defensive midfield). But even those might come from the academy.

A bit presumptuous isn't it - Did Pochettino personally tell you about the way we do business, how he likes to run a squad and what he wants this summer? Here is a quote from him when asked about Bale in January:

"If we have the option to sign him, why not? He's a great player and a player that can improve our squad," the Argentine told a news conference. "This is the kind of profile that we find."
http://www.espnfc.com/story/2791024/pochettino-refuses-to-rule-out-gareth-bale-return-to-spurs

The article also mentions that we inserted a clause in the deal that stipulates that we must be informed of and have the option to match any bids that come in from a Premier league rival.

Not saying it would be an easy deal to pull off. Just one that I would love to see happen if possible.

 

[Smokinhotspur]

All very sensible and rational until the Bale bit. We as a club simply can't afford his wages - he's on around 250k per week. It's just not feasible for us to pay any player that amount.

You raise a very good point about the wages. However, if it was a deal that we really wanted to do then there are different ways to structure it to get the right numbers in the end e.g. a big share of shirt sales, other merchandise and image rights, fat upfront signing-on bonus, loyalty payments, other performance related incentives linked to the club's success etc...

Such a scenario would ultimately come down to how much Bale wants to return. If he has had enough of the Real Madrid circus or his family not so keen to stay in Spain, he may be willing to make some sacrifices for a return. Probably fantasy but if you don't ask you don't get and all that jazz ....

 

[Smokinhotspur]

Whoa there ... maybe time to switch to decaf?

Ha ha ha. I don't even drink coffee - that's the scary thing.

 

[sak11]

A bit presumptuous isn't it - Did Pochettino personally tell you about the way we do business, how he likes to run a squad and what he wants this summer? Here is a quote from him when asked about Bale in January:

"If we have the option to sign him, why not? He's a great player and a player that can improve our squad," the Argentine told a news conference. "This is the kind of profile that we find."
http://www.espnfc.com/story/2791024/pochettino-refuses-to-rule-out-gareth-bale-return-to-spurs

The article also mentions that we inserted a clause in the deal that stipulates that we must be informed of and have the option to match any bids that come in from a Premier league rival.

Not saying it would be an easy deal to pull off. Just one that I would love to see happen if possible.

I think what we know for sure is that Poch will not add to the squad unless he can improve it and the player fits in with his philosophy. So as much as we'd all like some young superstars at the lane, that isn't how this TEAM is built. So expect players who are adaptable and can fill multiple roles. They may not be household names but they will be able to do the job required. Also expect/hope that some of this years new signings (son and njie) have adapted after a year here and make more of an impression.
We need backup for Harry and Eric Dier. Apart from that I can't see him splashing out unless it's to move around and improve on some of the squad players...

 

[Smokinhotspur]

fu

I think what we know for sure is that Poch will not add to the squad unless he can improve it and the player fits in with his philosophy. So as much as we'd all like some young superstars at the lane, that isn't how this TEAM is built. So expect players who are adaptable and can fill multiple roles. They may not be household names but they will be able to do the job required. Also expect/hope that some of this years new signings (son and njie) have adapted after a year here and make more of an impression.
We need backup for Harry and Eric Dier. Apart from that I can't see him splashing out unless it's to move around and improve on some of the squad players...

Fully agree that a DM and striker are highest priority. However, what I am saying is that in some games we have looked one dimensional and struggled to break down teams. The top TEAMS have that player that can get you something out of nothing that we lack since Bale left. Liverpool have Coutinho, City - Silva, Arsenal - Sanchez, United - wait a minute... . Even the likes of WHam have Payet.

I just put this out there as a potential final piece of the jigsaw to really move the TEAM up another level and I would be willing to sacrifice Eriksen and Chadli as part of a financial package to make that happen.