Squad next year

[thetallaghttiger]

Keepers (2): Friedel, Lloris

Defenders (7/8): Walker, Naughton/Rose, Assou-Ekotto, Kaboul, Vertonghen, Dawson, Caulker (22 yrs on Dec 29 2013 so still underage next season???)

Midfielders (8): Bale, Lennon, Sandro, Dembélé, Parker, Holtby, Sigurdsson, Dempsey

Forwards (2): Adebayor, Defoe

Out (7): Gomes, Huddlestone, Khumalo, Gallas (free), Bentley (free), Jenas (free), Obika, Mason

Promising/Worthwhile Loans Out from Squad (7): Smith, Livermore, Townsend, Kane, Fryers (21 in Sept 2013), Carroll (21 in May 2013), Pritchard.

Spaces left in Squad: Presuming Caulker is still a free pick of sorts for next season, my list therefore adds up to 18/19 leaving 6/7 spaces left!

We've big-ish decisions to make on 6 players aged 18-23, do we keep them in the first team squad or loan them out?

Kane, Fryers, Pritchard and Carroll will still be underage next year so won't need to be on the 25 man list if retained, so keeping them is conceivable IF AVB is willing to use them that is! I only mention Pritchard as he appears to be the standout of our U19's, for the type of player he appears to be we need to get him involved in the first team if possible. The other 3 however will be overage though, so do we hang onto them and use them sparingly at best, try get them 1st football on loan somewhere (ideally in Premier League), or do we cut our losses and try to sell? IMO so I think we should perhaps loan 2-3 of them.

I rate Smith so I'd like to see him integrated into the team if possible, but he may be best served playing on loan with an EPL side, same with Townsend. Livermore could be worth hanging onto as one injury to a CM could bring him back into contention.

I believe we have a decision to make in relation to Kyle Naughton and Danny Rose - I think we should sell one of them. If we sell Rose, Kyle Naughton is first cover for Walker/BAE, but if we sell Naughton, then Adam Smith is first cover for Walker so we then have to look to either retain Smith or buy a right full.

On exits, we let the obvious few go and try get money for some; Gomes, Khumalo, Bentley, Jenas. I think it's time to say bye to Huddlestone and Obika, both not going to do it for us, the Hudd has had his moments, and may still play a bit before this season ends, but we need better. Obika has been class, but only in the reserves! Mason presumably won't make it either.

Then there's William Gallas! Any call on Billy the Goat must be made in June IMO, we don't know how Kaboul will recover just yet and if Gallas was happy to play 8-15 games in a season, I'd retain him, would be well worth having around the place, a top professional.

SO TO TRANSFER TARGETS! Not going to list players' names, but instead the positions that I believe we DEFINITELY need to improve and may possibly need to add to!

• Centre back (dependent on Gallas' future, if he's happy to stick around and play at most 20 games, then we're sorted & no need to get anyone)
• Right Back (dependent on what AVB thinks of Naughton/Smith, again not a necessity to sign one though if one of the lads stays)
• Left Back (if we sell Rose, I wonder would AVB look to buy someone to improve on BAE... again not a necessity as we could put faith in Fryers, but who knows!)
• Central Midfielder, a specialist defensive one or an all rounder, but someone of PROVEN QUALITY (if we send Livermore out on loan AND sell Hudd, we either promote Tom Carroll or look for someone new - that's presuming that Sandro's recovery goes well also - the only name I'll mention as a target is Moutinho, he'd be great)
• A wide player with pace/final ball (we've only 3 proper wide men, Bale/Lennon and Townsend who is likely to be loaned, while we'd love proven top class talent like a Robben, etc, a young prospect around £6-10 million would be good)
• A goalkeeper (either we sign a prospect, promote a reserve keeper, OR sign a middle aged pro happy to be number 2/3)
• A STRIKER - Someone to score 20+ goals a season is a NECESSITY! (If we lose either Defoe or Adebayor for whatever reason, could we see two strikers coming in?! Probably not!)

That's my two cents worth anyway! With 2-3 new incomings, and the retention of some of the "old promising players", that is likely to be our squad for next season IMO!

Now I'm saying all this on the presumption that we qualify for the Champions League - not going to talk about the scenario where "IF we don't qualify" - we will do it and that is that! POSITIVITY!!!

One thing I know that won't be lost on our financially prudent chairman Mr. Levy is that we have a fair amount of business to attend to before even considering to purchase players. I hope we clear the decks of the handful left of "Players For The Exit" before launching into any business!

2-3 top class purchases and we can look to be at least aiming for 2nd-4th next season - COYS!!!

 

[Spursidol]

Still a lot of people assuming we will make a few signings in the summer. However not sure that's a good assumption - the PL is agreeing to a MAXIMUM of £4m pa (ie £80k pw) wage increase plus increase in non TV money increase in wages per club next season.

Whilst we will have the benefit of high wagee players like Gallas leaving (and whatever wages Spurs are paying Bentley whilst he is on loan - I am sure the loaning club is nmot picking up 100%) , it will not allow the extra players that soime seem to be confidentally forecasting. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...inancial-cap-clubs-face-points-deduction.html

The likes of Soldado would probably take all or most available wage increwae by himself and even more modest acquisitions might require a third of the entire permiitted increase - and it is lkikely that some players will get an increase via a contract extension, so the wages budget may well be a lot tighter then even that.

With that background, imo its going to be an intyeresting window - a focus on ensuring fringe players go (eg Bentlkey, Gomes and maybe Huddlestone if his fiorm has not picked up) and getting in maybe 2 or 3 (maxiimum) good players plus some interesting low wage prospects. Of course any main squad players leaving might result oin an equivalent wage but better player coming in.

 

[Barry Mead]

Still a lot of people assuming we will make a few signings in the summer. However not sure that's a good assumption - the PL is agreeing to a MAXIMUM of £4m pa (ie £80k pw) wage increase plus increase in non TV money increase in wages per club next season.

Whilst we will have the benefit of high wagee players like Gallas leaving (and whatever wages Spurs are paying Bentley whilst he is on loan - I am sure the loaning club is nmot picking up 100%) , it will not allow the extra players that soime seem to be confidentally forecasting. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...inancial-cap-clubs-face-points-deduction.html

The likes of Soldado would probably take all or most available wage increwae by himself and even more modest acquisitions might require a third of the entire permiitted increase - and it is lkikely that some players will get an increase via a contract extension, so the wages budget may well be a lot tighter then even that.

With that background, imo its going to be an intyeresting window - a focus on ensuring fringe players go (eg Bentlkey, Gomes and maybe Huddlestone if his fiorm has not picked up) and getting in maybe 2 or 3 (maxiimum) good players plus some interesting low wage prospects. Of course any main squad players leaving might result oin an equivalent wage but better player coming in.

I would imagine Ade will be off if we can find someone prepared to take him, also I have a feeling Benny will be gone, Gallas certainly, Hudd maybe, then loan players like Gomes and Bentley there's some big salary bucks to be cut because all have been first teamers, even Livermore will no doubt be on decent money and he most likely will move

Against that I have a feeling we might sign a striker that will no doubt be demanding big wages (but no more than Ade) then even if we signed some younger players starting to come through like say Griezmann, Clasie, Belhanda and Corchia -all players recently linked then if anything our wage bill will be lower never mind hitting any increase amount

 

[rabbikeane]

Caulker (22 yrs on Dec 29 2013 so still underage next season???)

Promising/Worthwhile Loans Out from Squad (7): Smith, Livermore, Townsend, Kane, Fryers (21 in Sept 2013), Carroll (21 in May 2013), Pritchard.

Spaces left in Squad: Presuming Caulker is still a free pick of sorts for next season, my list therefore adds up to 18/19 leaving 6/7 spaces left!

Rules are fairly simple, when a player is born in the year has nothing to say,
cut off date is january 1st, every player born in 1991 will be considered senior next season, just like all born 1990 are this season.

Players born in 1990 had their first season considered as senior players this season 2012/13.
Walker, Rose, Holtby, Falque, Obika

Those born 1991 will be seniors next season, 2013/14:
Smith, Hall, Caulker, Parrett, Mason, Townsend

Born 1992, seniors in 2014/15:
Byrne, Fredericks, Fryers, Luongo, Carroll, Bostock, Ceballos, Lancaster etc.

1993 in 2015/16:
Vigouroux, Archer, Miles, Barthram, Stewart, Pritchard, Munns, Kane etc.

 

[Spursidol]

I would imagine Ade will be off if we can find someone prepared to take him, also I have a feeling Benny will be gone, Gallas certainly, Hudd maybe, then loan players like Gomes and Bentley there's some big salary bucks to be cut because all have been first teamers, even Livermore will no doubt be on decent money and he most likely will move

Against that I have a feeling we might sign a striker that will no doubt be demanding big wages (but no more than Ade) then even if we signed some younger players starting to come through like say Griezmann, Clasie, Belhanda and Corchia -all players recently linked then if anything our wage bill will be lower never mind hitting any increase amount

Ade - maybe gone if we can find some one to pay his high wages, after an indifferent season. But needs replacing so probably neutral to slightly positive effect in terms of wages (but if we went for Soldado etc - their wages even greater than Ade)

Players like Hudd, Benny are not on big money - if we buy established players they want an incrrease on what they are on now, so at best its likely to be neutral, at worst it could be wages negative. And established players include those like Belhanda whose wage demands are niot small - they may be relatively young but players like Belhanda are proven (hence the link to us) and want relatively big money.

Livermore is on small money having just come through the academy and still trying to establish himself, equally Caulker and Walker (small that is to say versus Premierhip average wages). But we may well need to offer these type of players substanbtial increases to reflect increased experience gained this season - and ward off potential poachers of our players.

Our big hope to reduce the wage billl are that :

1. Gallas is at the end of his (high wage) contract and will not be replaced as a CB (assuming Kaboul comes back as good as he was)
2 To sell Bentley and Gomes - but that has been on the agenda for 3 years now. Even if they go we ae likely to be subsidising their wages

So I think you are being optimistic when you say the wages bill will definitrely be lower. IMO to improve the squad, we have to be clever in the transfer market, and to bring through more of our youth to achieve a neutral/marginally higher wage bill

 

[Barry Mead]

Ade - maybe gone if we can find some one to pay his high wages, after an indifferent season. But needs replacing so probably neutral to slightly positive effect in terms of wages (but if we went for Soldado etc - their wages even greater than Ade)

Players like Hudd, Benny are not on big money - if we buy established players they want an incrrease on what they are on now, so at best its likely to be neutral, at worst it could be wages negative. And established players include those like Belhanda whose wage demands are niot small - they may be relatively young but players like Belhanda are proven (hence the link to us) and want relatively big money.

Livermore is on small money having just come through the academy and still trying to establish himself, equally Caulker and Walker (small that is to say versus Premierhip average wages). But we may well need to offer these type of players substanbtial increases to reflect increased experience gained this season - and ward off potential poachers of our players.

Our big hope to reduce the wage billl are that :

1. Gallas is at the end of his (high wage) contract and will not be replaced as a CB (assuming Kaboul comes back as good as he was)
2 To sell Bentley and Gomes - but that has been on the agenda for 3 years now. Even if they go we ae likely to be subsidising their wages

So I think you are being optimistic when you say the wages bill will definitrely be lower. IMO to improve the squad, we have to be clever in the transfer market, and to bring through more of our youth to achieve a neutral/marginally higher wage bill

Soldado won't be on huge money and nothing like Ade earns. He was a Real B team player who went to Getafe. Valencia have been skint for years and have huge debts so they sold their gold as it were and high earners and brought in cheap

No doubt Soldado would ask for bigger money but he won't be on a high basis

Belhanda is at Montpellier one of the poorest clubs in lique 1 and again though he will be asking for bigger money teams won't pay huge wages for a player only starting to shine last season

Players like Clasie, Belhanda etc are not earning anywhere near the likes of Huddlestone or Benny, their salaries may not be huge compared to some PL players but they dwarf eredivisie and lique one salaries for the most part where even Lyon have been working on getting their remaining higher earners sold.

No doubt any decent players from these leagues are going to ask for better money but we aren't going to be offering crazy money that's not Levy's way. Of course if there's competition for a players signature then they might opt for a higher wage offer assuming the club offer the same fee, but we aren't for the most part going to be competing for players against the big money players like City, PSG and Chavs and even the one time big payers in Italy and France have cut back on salaries and are looking for far cheaper wage bills going forward

I honestly don't see any problems with wages, Gallas is one of our highest earners and his contract is up and I can't see anyone coming in earning more than him. I think Gomes's contract is up in summer and Bentley will be on his final year so maybe at last we can offload him offering some salary compensation

I don't see salaries for new signings being higher than we save, the only issue on salaries is how well we control existing salaries for players that remain. There's talk about a big new deal for Bale and no doubt any others will be far more within a lower range

 

[Spursidol]

Soldado won't be on huge money and nothing like Ade earns. He was a Real B team player who went to Getafe. Valencia have been skint for years and have huge debts so they sold their gold as it were and high earners and brought in cheap

No doubt Soldado would ask for bigger money but he won't be on a high basis

Belhanda is at Montpellier one of the poorest clubs in lique 1 and again though he will be asking for bigger money teams won't pay huge wages for a player only starting to shine last season

Players like Clasie, Belhanda etc are not earning anywhere near the likes of Huddlestone or Benny, their salaries may not be huge compared to some PL players but they dwarf eredivisie and lique one salaries for the most part where even Lyon have been working on getting their remaining higher earners sold.

No doubt any decent players from these leagues are going to ask for better money but we aren't going to be offering crazy money that's not Levy's way. Of course if there's competition for a players signature then they might opt for a higher wage offer assuming the club offer the same fee, but we aren't for the most part going to be competing for players against the big money players like City, PSG and Chavs and even the one time big payers in Italy and France have cut back on salaries and are looking for far cheaper wage bills going forward

I honestly don't see any problems with wages, Gallas is one of our highest earners and his contract is up and I can't see anyone coming in earning more than him. I think Gomes's contract is up in summer and Bentley will be on his final year so maybe at last we can offload him offering some salary compensation

I don't see salaries for new signings being higher than we save, the only issue on salaries is how well we control existing salaries for players that remain. There's talk about a big new deal for Bale and no doubt any others will be far more within a lower range

Its the competition which drives up wages. Its only in the last year or so that most clubs have started to watch what they are paying - clubs like Newcastle and QPR for example were driving up the wages of several targets last TW, and players like Diame for example at West Ham were rewarded for staying put as Spurs and Arsenal eclined to match West Ham's wages.

So that's why the likes of Belhanda might not be on a huge wage now - but might well attract a trebling of his wage. Hence Spurs may decide not to go for a number of these players if that happens.

Maybe the measures in the article I posted will stop other PL clubs from driving up wages, but it might take a couple of TW's to really make it happen.

 

[bceej]

I think it's always safer to start with outs, with those who aren't necessarily going to fit into the long-term plan, or simply aren't up to where we want to be.

Gallas, though providing a winning mentality, or so he'd like us to think, has been an occasional liability, and for someone of his age that is a worry. Kyle Naughton is older than Kyle Walker, and is playing second fiddle to him. Would do well back at Norwich I reckon. Jake Livermore may progress, but we have myriad good midfielders coming through who probably provide more quality in the middle, even though he is Spurs through and through. Bentley simply has to go, as does Gomes. Khumalo too should probably be shifted. Though it pains me, Huddlestone's day has probably past, especially in this new style of football being employed by AVB.

In terms of players who may be on the knife edge, Parker may well be a candidate for transfer unless he improves significantly. Have a feeling Harry ran him ragged and beyond recovery. Similarly Falque has to show his worth at Almeria, and reportedly he has been playing well albeit in the Spanish second division. Harry Kane is another who has to prove himself, as does Mason and Obika. On the other hand, based on their loan performances, they could be candidates for loaning to a PL side.

Positions that need to be strengthened seem to be left back, the box-to-box midfielder role so as to play in AVB's fluid 3 system, a wide man and a striker, or two. Otherwise I think we are strong enough to compete in any competition we are involved in.

At left back, I think bringing in Eliaquim Mangala, who we were linked to before he went to Porto, would be ideal. He can actually play at centre back too, is young, strong and has Champions League experience. At present we only have one left sided centre back in Vertonghen too.

For the midfielder role I think Jordy Clasie for Feyenoord would be ideal as a significantly cheaper version of Moutinho. Other candidates would include Etienne Capoue, Pedro Obiang, Kevin Strootman, Radja Nainggolan (who has been great for a few years and Belgian ).

The wide man I would love would be Iker Muniain, though he is probably unattainable. Antoine Griezmann has been touted, and he looks like he could be a great addition. Alain Traore, though not a wide man does have plenty of traits which would go down a storm in the final third.

Up front I'd suggest one or two of Iago Aspas, Luis Muriel, Wilfried Bony or Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Very different players, but equally important for their respective teams. In an ideal world, I'd say Jovetic or Damiao, but who knows if that'll EVER happen.

 

[SlickMongoose]

Rules are fairly simple, when a player is born in the year has nothing to say,
cut off date is january 1st, every player born in 1991 will be considered senior next season, just like all born 1990 are this season.

Players born in 1990 had their first season considered as senior players this season 2012/13.
Walker, Rose, Holtby, Falque, Obika

Those born 1991 will be seniors next season, 2013/14:
Smith, Hall, Caulker, Parrett, Mason, Townsend

Assuming this is correct, our current squad list is:

1. Emmanuel Adebayor
2. Benoit Assou-Ekotto
3. Gareth Bale
4. David Bentley
5. Sandro
6. Michael Dawson
7. Jermain Defoe
8. Mousa Dembele
9. Clint Dempsey
10. Brad Friedel
11. William Gallas
12. Lewis Holtby
13. Tom Huddlestone
14. Younes Kaboul
15. Aaron Lennon
16. Jake Livermore
17. Hugo Lloris
18. Kyle Naughton
19. Jonathan Obika
20. Scott Parker
21. Gylfi Sigurdsson
22. Jan Vertonghen
23. Kyle Walker

We need to add in Falque, Rose, Hall, Smith, Caulker, Parrett, Mason, Townsend. That makes 31.

Assume Gallas leaves, that makes 30. So that leaves us with at least 5 players to sell or loan out. Preferably 7, so we have room for a new striker and another new signing.

 

[SlickMongoose]

Assuming this is correct, our current squad list is:
So that leaves us with at least 5 players to sell or loan out. Preferably 7, so we have room for a new striker and another new signing.

I'm not envisioning a huge raft of signings, and I am erring on giving our current U-21 squad a chance. So we're looking for 7 "Outs" from this squad:

Goal: Lloris, Friedel. No change.

Right Back: Walker, Naughton, Smith. We need to either sell Naughton or loan out Smith.

Left Back: BAE, Rose. No change.

Centre Back: Dawson, Caulker, Vertonghen, Kaboul, Hall. I assume that Hall won't get a squad place, and should be loaned out. Although i'll be honest, i've never seen him play.

Central Midfield: Sandro, Dembele, Parker, Livermore, Huddlestone, Parrett. 6 players is way too many for two spots, especially with Carroll around as well. 2 of these have to go. Huddlestone is obvious, although I like him more than most on here. If Parrett can get a good championship loan then great, but if not i'd be tempted to sell Parker. Even though I know we'd miss him.

Attacking midfield: Bale, Lennon, Dempsey, Sigurdsson, Holtby, Falque, Mason, Townsend, Bentley. Again, 9 players for three spots is way too many.This is the most difficult position to judge because of all the talented young players we have here. We need to get rid of at least two players from this list. Bentley is obvious. After that it's difficult. Dempsey is unpopular but does get some important goals, and the other possibilities are all very promising youngsters who deserve more game time. Frustrating though it is I think that Mason probably won't get a squad place next season. Which makes me sad.

Striker: Adebayor, Defoe, Obika. If Obika sets the championship alight, then great. But if, as is far more likely, he does not, then I think we have more promising young strikers in Kane and Coulthirst so we should let him go (maybe on loan again if his performances this season are middling).

 

[eddiebailey]

Assuming this is correct, our current squad list is:
That makes 31.

Not forgetting Gomes, Khumalo and Dawkins, so 34, giving us 9 to ship out or loan.

 

[SlickMongoose]

Not forgetting Gomes, Khumalo and Dawkins, so 34, giving us 9 to ship out or loan.

Gomes and Dawkins contracts run out this summer I think?

I forgot about Khumalo, you're right. But I assume he will be sold or loaned out again.

 

[Snarfalicious]

Gomes and Dawkins contracts run out this summer I think?

I forgot about Khumalo, you're right. But I assume he will be sold or loaned out again.

I know that Gomes still has time left on his contract. A main point of that loan to Hoffenheim was the view-to-buy option.

 

[SlickMongoose]

Oh yeah.



Well, he wont get a squad place next year anyway, hopefully.