Strengthening

[whitelightwhiteheat]

Amongst all the delirium and the dream sequences that have passed through my mind since last night a thought entered my mind.

Is it crucial to any potential title challenge that we strengthen this January?

With the position we are in, would not strengthening the squad show a lack of ambition from the club?

So here's that thread to discuss this, will put a poll up too so we can have a little look.

 

[vegassd]

I don't think we need to sign anybody, but I would be a bit worried if we coasted through an entire window without even looking.

There are places where we could upgrade, so if we don't get anybody new in (even as cover) then maybe it's a slight lack of ambition.

 

[Adam456]

You realise that virtually everybody will misinterpret this as another 'who shall we sign in Jan' question

I think we need to strengthen but I don't think it'll send out a bad signal if we don't

It's more where we strengthen and the calibre of player we bring in. e.g. upgrading Pav to a top international striker and/or one with a massive physical presence and prem experience a la Adebayor would send out a massive message compared to buying a prospect

 

[whitelightwhiteheat]

Yeah, I don't really want this to be about who we should sign...

Not to piss on our bonfires or burst our balloons or anything cos I'm LOVING where we are!! It's the best time I can ever remember being a Spurs fan, simple as that!

I just casually wondered whether it would be a lack of ambition from the board if we didn't maybe take advantage of where we are right now and get someone in who could make a difference.

We don't want to get to 2014 or 2015 and wonder what might have happened if only we'd taken our chance to join the top table in the back end of 2012, or whatever.

 

[tototoner]

Every team needs to freshen up and strengthen every season, but we shouldn't buy players just for the sake of it or to give the fans a fix.

We should only buy players who are better than the ones we move on.

 

[whitelightwhiteheat]

Every team needs to freshen up and strengthen every season, but we shouldn't buy players just for the sake of it or to give the fans a fix.

We should only buy players who are better than the ones we move on.

Yeah. The key is in the word strengthening I think. It has to be someone who comes in and improves our first XI, really.

IMO we need some bits to strengthen a few areas to make sure we don't run out of steam.

We may not buy anyone, and that may be ok. We've got a good squad, generally speaking, so I don't think not buying anyone would show a lack of ambition.

But on the other hand, this is a period in time where we need to take advantage of our strong position. With one or two signings we could be genuine title winners. That's a frightening thought!

 

[JerryGarcia]

It all depends who's available really, I'd be surprised if we didn't sign anyone though.

 

[Spurz]

We badly need another striker. If ade is out, we are gone

 

[stemark44]

We need 2 players............a wide man who can cover both flanks and a striker.
That's all we need.

 

[Paolo10]

Strike when the iron's hot. We have dragged our feet in the market for too long and need upgrades in two or three key areas if we want to maintain this level and push on to be regular contenders. We still don't own a line leading striker.

If we don't spend, United, City, Chelski, Liverpool and the scum all will and then were will we be? Back scrapping for 4th spot at best. Remember about showing ambition? We still need to.

 

[kdspur]

i worry about fatigue kicking in later in season. we are constantly playing same 11 or 13 players and whilst we have a real strong squad i think we cud see a dip in performances later in season. thats whay i think a few signings of real quality are really needed to get us over the line whether for title or for me just been in top 4 ...

a couple of top signings will kick us on, create a massive excitement and belief even further withing squad and at same time we cud possibly affird to rest a couple of out top players in certain games.

 

[tototoner]

We badly need another striker. If ade is out, we are gone

Super Super Pav, Super Super Pav, Super Super Pav

Super Pavlyuchenko

I agree totally with you

 

[WhiteHart4Ever]

Strike when the iron's hot. We have dragged our feet in the market for too long and need upgrades in two or three key areas if we want to maintain this level and push on to be regular contenders. We still don't own a line leading striker.

If we don't spend, United, City, Chelski, Liverpool and the scum all will and then were will we be? Back scrapping for 4th spot at best. Remember about showing ambition? We still need to.

Sorry Paolo, but these kind of statements really, really annoy me. How have we dragged our feet in the market? Have can you not see what magnificent build-up of a title-challenging squad we've witnessed for the past couple of season. Mind you, in the summer we brought in Friedel, Parker and Adebayor, precisely the areas we needed to improve. The year before we got in VDV for his creativity and Sandro for the obvious reason that we needed bite in the midfield. At the same time we have a sound policy of bringing in plenty of young raw talent that might make the grades and from our investments the last few years in that area we currently have one of Europe's best wingers in Bale, an England international in Walker because of that policy.

As for showing ambition; few clubs do in a january transfer window. Some, like Chelsea, show desperation. Some just show they have money. We show ambition in our long-term planning being manifested in having, according to the standings, the joint second best team in the league. Now that's bloody ambition - not splashing 35 big ones on Andy bloody Carroll.

 

[whitelightwhiteheat]

Sorry Paolo, but these kind of statements really, really annoy me. How have we dragged our feet in the market? Have can you not see what magnificent build-up of a title-challenging squad we've witnessed for the past couple of season. Mind you, in the summer we brought in Friedel, Parker and Adebayor, precisely the areas we needed to improve. The year before we got in VDV for his creativity and Sandro for the obvious reason that we needed bite in the midfield. At the same time we have a sound policy of bringing in plenty of young raw talent that might make the grades and from our investments the last few years in that area we currently have one of Europe's best wingers in Bale, an England international in Walker because of that policy.

As for showing ambition; few clubs do in a january transfer window. Some, like Chelsea, show desperation. Some just show they have money. We show ambition in our long-term planning being manifested in having, according to the standings, the joint second best team in the league. Now that's bloody ambition - not splashing 35 big ones on Andy bloody Carroll.

Ha ha!!! Good post. Interesting points made.

I agree with a few previous posters though it's fairly obvious. I'd like to see us bring in a striker. Apart from that I'm not overly worried about the squad in other areas. I think we could get by until the summer with what we've got.

 

[Blake Griffin]

not sure i really follow ... is the question about january or the summer? i don't think we really need anyone this window but would like to see us do something in the summer.

 

[whitelightwhiteheat]

not sure i really follow ... is the question about january or the summer? i don't think we really need anyone this window but would like to see us do something in the summer.

It's about this January. The point/question is this:

We're 3 points behind the league leaders. We could look to strengthen this month, to push us onwards and maybe give us a bit of something extra in our search for the glory of a league title.

Would not strengthening the squad this month show a lack of ambition from those in charge, or not?

 

[Paolo10]

How have we dragged our feet? We have needed a No.9 type for fucking ages now and still do not have a permanent solution. From talk of breaking our transfer record for Aguero and Rossi we ended up making a profit from the last windows.

There should be money there IMO, just look at the games at the start of the season. We fannied about and write off those two games. Injuries haven't helped, but at the moment I see no reason why we shouldn't upgrade Pav, GDS and Bassong for starters. They are all nowhere near first team competiton and rightfully so.

We should at the very least bring a striker in, as said before if Ade gets injured it could derail our season.

Waiting until the summer is a bit of a risk IMO and we're so close. Also the last widow before FFP innit. SHOW ME THE MONEY!

 

[brasil_spur]

We have the players to make a title challenge, in fact we are currently making a title challenge.

However injuries is what can cost us dearly - but this applies for most teams in the PL.

I do think we need to sell Pav and buy someone new, simply because Pav is not good enough to be 2nd choice in a top 4 team.

I'm a bit concerned about the back 4 as well. I'm not sure Rose is quality enough cover for Benny if he gets injured and this whole thing with King and Gallas coming in and out of the team all the time doesn't help with consistency.

Ideally if we really wanted to show we're serious about winning the prem we should go out and sign Leandro (£20m) and Cahill (£7m) and sell Pav (£7m) and Gio (£5m).

That's a £15m outlay for what i reckon would guarantee as Champions League next season and give us a serious chance at winning the League.

 

[whitelightwhiteheat]

We have the players to make a title challenge, in fact we are currently making a title challenge.

However injuries is what can cost us dearly - but this applies for most teams in the PL.

I do think we need to sell Pav and buy someone new, simply because Pav is not good enough to be 2nd choice in a top 4 team.

I'm a bit concerned about the back 4 as well. I'm not sure Rose is quality enough cover for Benny if he gets injured and this whole thing with King and Gallas coming in and out of the team all the time doesn't help with consistency.

Ideally if we really wanted to show we're serious about winning the prem we should go out and sign Leandro (£20m) and Cahill (£7m) and sell Pav (£7m) and Gio (£5m).

That's a £15m outlay for what i reckon would guarantee as Champions League next season and give us a serious chance at winning the League.

Ironically we've only concded 12 goals in the last 18 games. Not bad for consistency at the back. Considering the situation.

 

[dontcallme]

The poll question asks about the summer but the OP is about January. I'm guessing the poll question is a typo.

I don't think it will show a lack of ambition if we don't sign anybody but will be if we don't even try.

I'd like to think HR will let Levy know his top targets. For example: Leandro, Remy, Hoillett and Samba. Leave Levy to try and make any of these deals happen. If they do great, if not hopefully we could have made our interest known enough for a summer deal to happen.