"Strengthening key-positions"

[jezz]

Don't entirely agree on some of your personnel, but I'm very glad to see you highlighting the midfield for needed work nonetheless. Very important we address it this summer, or nothing will change regardless of manager or back line overhaul.

I would say midfield is were we are strongest.

 

[Barry Mead]

Sorry, me and you must be watching different games.

Evidently

 

[Barry Mead]

I would say midfield is were we are strongest.

Actually we have a number of good midfielders, but the balance is wrong, there is no real flow through the midfield and we badly lack a quality playmaker. The problem when the midfield isn't ticking over well it impacts the rest of the team. Obviously individual mistakes from any player can impact the rest of the team in terms of result, but if the midfield aren't getting the ball through to the advanced players or not getting it through quick enough and if they aren't protecting the defence enough it impacts other players ability to do their job as well

 

[millsey]

Nearly all of players mentioned are brittish. We need HG players[/
Yeah but not terrbile home grown players!

 

[Macspur261]

Every position on the pitch is ' key ' , so I'm not sure what I can read into this.

Out of 11 starting positions for next season, how many of our current squad deserve to have one them nailed down, Hugo, Jan, Walker, Eriksen, Sandro, maybe Ade ?

Even my little list will be open to discussion I'm sure.

 

[CoopsieDeadpool]

Goalkeeper will be a key position to strengthen as I can't for the life if me see Hugo sticking around, as much as I hope he does but a Barca/PSG type club will be in for him. Begovic or Krul would do me, promote Archer to number 2, give Brad a rocking chair and a coaching job

Lloris won't be going anywhere mate. If he does, though, I'd go for Fraser Forster. Not sure about Archer, the lad from Southend is gonna be special though, despite his name. Daniel Bentley, only 20 and has very much cemented his place as their 1st choice 'keeper.

 

[jezz]

Actually we have a number of good midfielders, but the balance is wrong, there is no real flow through the midfield and we badly lack a quality playmaker. The problem when the midfield isn't ticking over well it impacts the rest of the team. Obviously individual mistakes from any player can impact the rest of the team in terms of result, but if the midfield aren't getting the ball through to the advanced players or not getting it through quick enough and if they aren't protecting the defence enough it impacts other players ability to do their job as well

Somthing we agree on

 

[RJ1882]

Our English players are very poor. can we exchange Naughton, Rose & Lennon for Ward Prowse, Shaw and Lallana? Maybe Dawson and Rodriguez too?

Lloris, Verts, Sandro, Eriksen are keepers - Walker as good as we can get I think. Rest are dispensable.

 

[DaSpurs]

Actually we have a number of good midfielders, but the balance is wrong, there is no real flow through the midfield and we badly lack a quality playmaker. The problem when the midfield isn't ticking over well it impacts the rest of the team. Obviously individual mistakes from any player can impact the rest of the team in terms of result, but if the midfield aren't getting the ball through to the advanced players or not getting it through quick enough and if they aren't protecting the defence enough it impacts other players ability to do their job as well

Spot on. Thanks for taking that one.

 

[Tit&Ham]

Replacing the people we inevitably sell?

(apologies if someone's said this already, but there are a lot of pages)

Well, yes. If we sell Lloris, verthongen or Adebayor of course. But that's not strengthening key positions is it?

And in my opinion we need to let go some players must be sold to have a healthier Squad. I refer especially to central midfield where we are a bit crowded...

 

[Tit&Ham]

Every position on the pitch is ' key ' , so I'm not sure what I can read into this.

Out of 11 starting positions for next season, how many of our current squad deserve to have one them nailed down, Hugo, Jan, Walker, Eriksen, Sandro, maybe Ade ?

Even my little list will be open to discussion I'm sure.

Yes, Jan is dead to me... Or close to. Weird actually, cause every time I go to London he is matchwinner...

 

[guiltyparty]

Well, yes. If we sell Lloris, verthongen or Adebayor of course. But that's not strengthening key positions is it?

And in my opinion we need to let go some players must be sold to have a healthier Squad. I refer especially to central midfield where we are a bit crowded...

Goalie, centre back and striker aren't key positions?

"Strengthening" is open to interpretation. The minute someone good leaves, their position is an area we need up strengthen

 

[dondo]

Our English players are very poor. can we exchange Naughton, Rose & Lennon for Ward Prowse, Shaw and Lallana? Maybe Dawson and Rodriguez too?

Lloris, Verts, Sandro, Eriksen are keepers - Walker as good as we can get I think. Rest are dispensable.

Because it just that easy, shaw and lallana would cost 50m+ and I seriously doubt they would come to us anyway

 

[guiltyparty]

Because it just that easy, shaw and lallana would cost 50m+ and I seriously doubt they would come to us anyway

Also I love this "are keepers" attitude like that ever matters. Bale was a keeper. Modric was a keeper. Berbatov was a keeper. If they want out, and a big club wants them, they're gone at the right price, as part of the reinvestment process. With Vertonghen I'm not sure there would be that much upset either, which shows how far he's fallen this season, but this utopian ideal of keeping the star players and selling the less fashionable never, ever plays out.

 

[only1waddle]

Our English players are very poor. can we exchange Naughton, Rose & Lennon for Ward Prowse, Shaw and Lallana? Maybe Dawson and Rodriguez too?

Lloris, Verts, Sandro, Eriksen are keepers - Walker as good as we can get I think. Rest are dispensable.

What level of squad player do you realistically expect to attract whilst playing Europa league football?
Chadli for £7m, Ade for £4m, Chiriches for £9m Holtby for £1.5m Benteleb homegrown as an example of players who are good enough for squad places. People need to realise our second 11 won't be pulling up trees when we can't finish 4th.

 

[dondo]

Also I love this "are keepers" attitude like that ever matters. Bale was a keeper. Modric was a keeper. Berbatov was a keeper. If they want out, and a big club wants them, they're gone at the right price, as part of the reinvestment process. With Vertonghen I'm not sure there would be that much upset either, which shows how far he's fallen this season, but this utopian ideal of keeping the star players and selling the less fashionable never, ever plays out.

Next season the new man in charge should lay down the law , stay and give your all or fuck off too many players this season are showing bad body language and look like they dont want to be here.
Nobody is bigger than the club, the only player I think would be hard to replace with the same quality is lloris, everyone else is replaceable

 

[DiamondLites]

Lloris won't be going anywhere mate. If he does, though, I'd go for Fraser Forster. Not sure about Archer, the lad from Southend is gonna be special though, despite his name. Daniel Bentley, only 20 and has very much cemented his place as their 1st choice 'keeper.

I think we will be powerless to stop Lloris going, unfortunately. unless an LVG type can convince him otherwise. Good shout on Forster though, I always forget about him. And Bentley looks promising at Southend

 

[Tit&Ham]

Goalie, centre back and striker aren't key positions?

"Strengthening" is open to interpretation. The minute someone good leaves, their position is an area we need up strengthen

Don't want to argue, but I am very curious to who we may buy to strengthen if we lose Hugo, Jan and ade...

And, Sorry, but I don't think anyone interpret strengthening as "After we sell our best players we buy some new ones". If They are better Than those who left, then sure, but selling Lloris and buying Forster is not in my view anyway...

 

[Spurger King]

Don't want to argue, but I am very curious to who we may buy to strengthen if we lose Hugo, Jan and ade...

And, Sorry, but I don't think anyone interpret strengthening as "After we sell our best players we buy some new ones". If They are better Than those who left, then sure, but selling Lloris and buying Forster is not in my view anyway...

Let's be honest...we won't be strengthening the squad. We'll replace our best players with some more downgrades, and confirm our return to mid-table mediocrity.

 

[spurs9]

Actually we have a number of good midfielders, but the balance is wrong, there is no real flow through the midfield and we badly lack a quality playmaker. The problem when the midfield isn't ticking over well it impacts the rest of the team. Obviously individual mistakes from any player can impact the rest of the team in terms of result, but if the midfield aren't getting the ball through to the advanced players or not getting it through quick enough and if they aren't protecting the defence enough it impacts other players ability to do their job as well

If we play 4-3-3, we could have Sandro, Holtby, Paulinho (with Eriksen & Lamela behind the striker), with 4-2-3-1 we could have Sandro, Holtby as the 2 with Chadli, Eriksen & Lamela the 3. They are both pretty balanced IMO.

The problem has been both AVB and TS not playing a balanced midfield.