The Daily ITK Discussion Thread - 22nd July 2016

[Trix]

Rubbish. Why should we move one of the best defensive midfielders in the league, a superstar in my opinion, to slot in as center back? That's what crap clubs do. Man city wouldn't do that, Chelsea, Utd. They would have a back up defender ready to come in if there first choice gets injured

Couldn't count the number of times Roy Keane played CB under probably the best manager the game has ever seen.

 

[WiganSpur]

Agree that it is good to get our business done earlier for a change, the issue I have is we leave gaps in our squad every summer and we just don't learn and it is so frustrating. The biggest issue we had last year was opening up tight defences, its what cost us the league and what have we done about that? Signed an unknown winger which is same risk as Njie, and a striker who I think will do well but could go Suarez but could equally go Kezman or Soldado - we just don't know...! we badly needed some experience in that team and I don't feel we have strengthened our biggest weakness last year. Wanyama is a great signing but if at expense of Dier to go to CB then I don't like it either. Some fans don't realise how hard top 4 or even top 6 will be this year and our squad will not be strong enough I am afraid for it especially with CL football to play. I just hope Poch can see we need to strengthen further, 3 players was never enough this summer unless they were 3 established premier league players and only 1 of them is!

Don't have an issue with the signings we have made so far, particularly Wanyama and Janssen. They will plug the gaps in the squad very nicely. We were having a brilliant window until we've seemingly decided to let go of Bentaleb without replacing him, creating another weak spot in the squad. Up until this week I would have been quite content for us not to make any further signings after GKN, but i'm not too sure now. I hope this Spanish player is a midfielder.

 

[Hot Spur]

If it's Kovacic, it's about time our "special relationship" with RM paid off !!

 

[millsey]

Couldn't count the number of times Roy Keane played CB under probably the best manager the game has ever seen.

20 years ago?

 

[StevePil]

Couldn't count the number of times Roy Keane played CB under probably the best manager the game has ever seen.

Keane doesn't mention ever playing CB in his Man Utd career?? I am sure you would know but I don't follow Man Utd that closely, you can't honestly be content with our summer if we are finished though @Trix are you, I just hope we are not done as I am fearful what position we will be in when our sales are done, other than net profit again

 

[mark87]

Well it's obviously modric...

 

[TH1239]

I don't think it's Kovacic. I think it's possibly someone else from Real Madrid, who Poch has publicly said in the past he liked a lot and could have brought in on loan last summer (http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/tottenham-...signing-real-madrid-star-sergio-ramos-1514214).

Marco Asensio. I followed him last season after Poch's comments because I was curious how he'd progress in a poor side. He's pretty much perfect for what we need. A electric attacking midfielder who can press, pass, and score. Has great workrate and would be a second Lamela with the ability to slip through key passes in the final third. Even though he's behind both Isco and James, I don't think Madrid would sell outright (just signed a contract extension), but I think there's a real chance he'll get loaned out again, and he may not want to go to Espanyol again.

 

[daveduvet]

Any guesses?

Torres ...

 

[Trix]

Both Levy and MP have said numerous times what we are looking at doing as far as transfers are concerned(perhaps people should have taken note). surely everyone understood this window was going to be minimal as far as incomings are concerned because that is what MP wants, I posted before the season ended that our list was not dependant on CL and we were looking to bring in the same players regardless of where we finished.

Our competitors are spending shedloads on lots of players because they need to. Stability and a chance to grow as a team is what the manager wants, and I feel he has earned the right to be backed by the board and to do it his way. The amount of bitching going on regarding us not replacing players that don't hardly bloody play anayway is ridiculous.

 

[Trix]

Keane doesn't mention ever playing CB in his Man Utd career?? I am sure you would know but I don't follow Man Utd that closely, you can't honestly be content with our summer if we are finished though @Trix are you, I just hope we are not done as I am fearful what position we will be in when our sales are done, other than net profit again

As I say it was quite a lot over his Yanited career, some very big CL games as well

 

[thinktank]

Both Levy and MP have said numerous times what we are looking at doing as far as transfers are concerned, surely everyone understood this window was going to be minimal as far as incomings are concerned because that is what MP wants, I posted before the season ended that our list was not dependant on CL and we were looking to bring in the same players regardless of where we finished.

Our competitors are spending shedloads on lots of players because they need to. Stability and a chance to grow as a team is what the manager wants, and I feel he has earned the right to be backed by the board and to do it his way. The amount of bitching going on regarding us not replacing players that don't hardly bloody play anayway is ridiculous.

Agree, mainly. But not seeking a proper back-up for dembele is a big mistake imo. A long term injury and we are looking at Dier Wanyama/Dier Mason/ Wanyama Mason and I'm not sure if Mason is up to it, consistently, tbh, if 'bele gets long term crocked (and Dier Wanyama is too turgid).

Big gamble imo.

Hopefully, Josh gets a few more looks here and there and seizes his chance to really make an impression and him and Mason can push each other.

Either way I'm properly uncomfortable about this particular situation.

Fine with everything else.

 

[Hot Spur]

Agree, mainly. But not seeking a proper back-up for dembele is a big mistake imo. A long term injury and we are looking at Dier Wanyama/Dier Mason/ Wanyama Mason and I'm not sure if Mason is up to it, consistently, tbh, if 'bele gets long term crocked (and Dier Wanyama is too turgid).

Big gamble imo.

Hopefully, Josh gets a few more looks here and there and seizes his chance to really make an impression and him and Mason can push each other.

Either way I'm properly uncomfortable about this particular situation.

Fine with everything else.

Maybe they are seeking a rotation player for Dembele and that's the player from Spain which has now emerged. Levy has stated more than once in THST meetings that the stadium will not affect spending on players, they are two separate accounts. He also made it clear that money is available for the right players that the manager wants. That's straight from the horses mouth, and documented in the THST minutes.

 

[viktorviktor]

To be honest, it is a bit disappointing that our transfers are almost done with, but mostly because transfers are a great way to pass time until we can actually watch some football. You know, the thing football teams do between transfer windows.

I'm really looking forward to seeing how our young squad develops together and individually. Watching Dier become a beast of a DM last season was much more satisfying than any transfer we could have made. And just think how many players have had similar trajectories under Poch: Lamela, Dembele, Kane (partially), Rose, Alli. Much more exiting than us spending millions on unknown players that we as fans don't have a connection to.

 

[Danny B]

Agree, mainly. But not seeking a proper back-up for dembele is a big mistake imo. A long term injury and we are looking at Dier Wanyama/Dier Mason/ Wanyama Mason and I'm not sure if Mason is up to it, consistently, tbh, if 'bele gets long term crocked (and Dier Wanyama is too turgid).

Big gamble imo.

Hopefully, Josh gets a few more looks here and there and seizes his chance to really make an impression and him and Mason can push each other.

Either way I'm properly uncomfortable about this particular situation.

Fine with everything else.

The long-term successor to Dembele is surely Alli. It's the position he played at MK Dons, for England at age-group level and for us on a couple of occasions last season. He's a makeshift No.10. A bloody good one, but a makeshift one, nonetheless.

 

[thinktank]

Maybe they are seeking a rotation player for Dembele and that's the player from Spain which has now emerged. Levy has stated more than once in THST meetings that the stadium will not affect spending on players, they are two separate accounts. He also made it clear that money is available for the right players that the manager wants. That's straight from the horses mouth, and documented in the THST minutes.

My concern isn't actually willingness to spend, it's that Poch may not think a shadow for 'bele is necessary.

I would disagree with that assessment. He's still God and everything, but I think this is so key to our season. We may get lucky and 'bele is healthy throughout, but he's now coming back from an injury and that adds an extra element of doubt.

If the purported final poss. player in fills that gap then super.

 

[JayB]

The amount of bitching going on regarding us not replacing players that don't hardly bloody play anayway is ridiculous.

Trix, I appreciate your info and perspective as always, but I have to disagree with this (and I don't mean to single you out at all as a number of people have voiced this exact opinion.) We've heard over and over again "Bentaleb barely played last season..." and there seems to be an implied "...and we did just fine without him." But the reality is that we did not do well at all when we had to call upon someone to replace Dembele.

The chasm between our performances/results with and without Dembele was one of our biggest problems last season, and many of us hoped that we had a ready-made solution to the issue in the form of Bentaleb. So to see him shipped out and not replaced leaves us in precisely the same position of weakness that cost us last season. I'm hopeful, as @Danny B said, that Alli will be able to slot in at CM should Mason not rediscover his form, but I think it's a perfectly reasonable concern to have.

 

[thinktank]

The long-term successor to Dembele is surely Alli. It's the position he played at MK Dons, for England at age-group level and for us on a couple of occasions last season. He's a makeshift No.10. A bloody good one, but a makeshift one, nonetheless.

Seriously doubt poch has it in mind to stick Alli at CM if dembo gets crocked.

 

[millsey]

I think a player to unlock defences when teams park the bus is far more important to get than a CM. We can easily cover that. Players either side of Kane don't score enough

 

[thinktank]

I think a player to unlock defences when teams park the bus is far more important to get than a CM. We can easily cover that. Players either side of Kane don't score enough

That's totally ignoring lack of contingency if dembele gets long term crocked. And how crucial he is to our overall dynamic.

 

[danielneeds]

Agree, mainly. But not seeking a proper back-up for dembele is a big mistake imo. A long term injury and we are looking at Dier Wanyama/Dier Mason/ Wanyama Mason and I'm not sure if Mason is up to it, consistently, tbh, if 'bele gets long term crocked (and Dier Wanyama is too turgid).

Big gamble imo.

Hopefully, Josh gets a few more looks here and there and seizes his chance to really make an impression and him and Mason can push each other.

Either way I'm properly uncomfortable about this particular situation.

Fine with everything else.

I think Alli is Dembele's cover in big games to be honest. Move Eriksen behind Kane and bring Son or possibly Nkoudou on the left.