The Daily ITK Discussion Thread - 29th January

[Spurs_Bear]

Somewhere in North London, a short bald bloke is sitting in a big leather executive chair and stroking a large white Persian cat in an office filled with clocks, set to different time zones.....

Not this again...

 

[Wick3d]

I give up. I don't care anymore. We aren't buying anyone!

 

[Hitch]

As much as I think Kane will come good, he is not a proven Premier League player - Danny Graham is.

If Defoe was fit and Ade not at the ACN I'd be happy with Kane being the third choice, but we currently have no strikers fit at all - and Graham has proven he can score goals at the highest level.

Some of the reactions to Graham on here, claiming he's a 'white Heskey' and other shit, are embarrassing. We are so up our own arses sometimes. He's a good player, who could do a decent job for us, and wouldn't cost much in fees and wages. Simple.

But Danny Graham is proven at Premier League level as what? A top player? No, as an average player. We may be missing Adebayor and Defoe at present but his ultimate role across the season would be as a third choice to those two (would also have him behind an on-form Dempsey). He's proven himself as somewhere between average and decent in the premier league, and so if I were to take a punt on a third/fourth choice striker I'd rather it be on someone who might have the capacity to prove their worth beyond that. I would include even Hooper in that. He's not proven in the premier league, but he has some aspects to his game that suggest that he might be able to make the leap.

As for Kane, I don't think that Graham would add a great deal on the whole, and so better off giving him a shot as third/fourth choice. He hasn't done much at Norwich but he's just back from injury and will get better as sharpness returns. Obviously it's not an ideal option but...

If we're looking for stop-gaps I'd rather concentrate on a Sandro replacement. That concerns me far more more and there are better options available for that position. Would prefer to see us spend on Diame over a striker like Graham.

 

[talkshowhost86]

If you were to look back on say, the last 4 or 5 January transfer windows and based on activity, what conclusions would you draw regarding Spurs' and more specifically, Daniel Levy?

He's a gemini?

 

[Viggspur]

I suppose it very much depends on the extent of Defoe's injury. I really don't think we can get 4th if we have to play Dempsey upfront for the majority of the season as he simply isn't a striker.

Ade coming back will help us obviously, but if Defoe is out for a sustained period then I'd rather have another striker on the books (for a reasonable price and assuming we have the money) than having nobody at all.

Obviously the ideal situation would be to bring in a striker who's going to be our main man for the long term, but as the window goes on that seems increasingly unlikely.

I can't fault your logic, I agree we probably can't get 4th playing dempsey upfront for more than just a couple of games, however, unfortunately, I think the same goes for Danny Graham to be honest, so i'd just rather us save the money we would be spending on fees and wages. I suppose we've just gotta hope Defoe's injury isn't too bad and Ade returns in a better frame of mind and in better form than he left us with, or failing that DL gets his chequebook out for that quality striker we've been hoping for. In any case it's gonna be an interesting next couple of days!

 

[kaz Hirai]

Even talkshite is ridiculing us.

http://www.talksport.co.uk/magazine...nally-responds-white-hart-lane-rumours-190390

who cares, Talksport, the website, the Radio station and all the people that work there can suck a dick

 

[Bizness]

Did this get posted from GhostofArmo?

Topic: i know for a fact
Posted: Today at 1:41am
that we're in for some of the top strikers available..
but if levy plays hard ball it prob wont happen.

 

[Danny1]

I think its safe to say tomorrow at around 18:45 (give or take a few minutes) we will know if we are likely to sign another striker in this window....if Togo are beaten then I dont think there is a chance of us seeing a new forward! Just me thinking!

 

[Bill_Oddie]

If you were to look back on say, the last 4 or 5 January transfer windows and based on activity, what conclusions would you draw regarding Spurs' and more specifically, Daniel Levy?

Well, basically, we've only really signed players on the 31st of the month. So I would conclude that he has a very heavy period of hibernation until 30th January.

Is he part-squirrel?

 

[Stavrogin]

Yes in short. Neither Defoe or Adebayor currently conistent enough to keep us in top 4. Defoe 1 goal in 8 games. Ade 2 goals all season.

You may think that - but we don't know that AVB does. I think it's plausible that he rates both Defoe and Adebayor and intends to play with 1 striker when able, so he's not that interested in a stop gap for 3 games. Some evidence for that, beyond quotes or selection, is that they let Kane, ostensibly our third choice, go on loan - and we weren't strongly linked with anyone else at that time, were we?

So when he says he's happy with our striking options, he may mean it. We just don't know - although the next couple of days may give us an inkling.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Gomis would be good... A crowbar type player to break open oyster-like defences...

Gomis is atrocious.

 

[Spurs_Bear]

Gomes is atrocious.

Bad spelling...

 

[Sandro30]

Did this get posted from GhostofArmo?

Topic: i know for a fact
Posted: Today at 1:41am
that we're in for some of the top strikers available..
but if levy plays hard ball it prob wont happen.

Yes, cheers for posting aswell though.

 

[padgateyids]

Did this get posted from GhostofArmo?

Topic: i know for a fact
Posted: Today at 1:41am
that we're in for some of the top strikers available..
but if levy plays hard ball it prob wont happen.

Thanks, I can see us playing hardball and going right down our target list, ending up with Peter Odemwingie, deadline day special.

 

[Gbspurs]

We are always "in for" some top strikers. Problem is I have no idea what that means.

 

[midoNdefoe]

If you were to look back on say, the last 4 or 5 January transfer windows and based on activity, what conclusions would you draw regarding Spurs' and more specifically, Daniel Levy?

We always end up signing someone, usually quite cheap, with differing success...quite late on...

I got excited when i saw you posting, as you only tend to surface (as i've noticed anyway) when things are about to get moving. Based on this presumption, i'm going to go and dance in the streets safe in the knowledge: shits about to go down!

ptimistic:

 

[Darrkespur]

Hang on a second, IF Levy plays hardball?

 

[Misfit]

Is he really that big a risk? This is a guy who has scored a load of goals in Scotland. If he really didn't work out he wouldn't be worthless. We wouldn't be losing a huge whack of money - he would be worth at least £4-5 of any serious Championship club's money surely?

I'm not suggesting in any way he's the answer, but I'm being realistic. We're not talking Bentley money here.

Unless Cardiff or Leicester want him, we'll not get near that for him from a championship club, imo. Most champ clubs are lucky to have something approaching £40m a yr turnover. Then there's the wages. Sure, he'll not be on 100K but even 30K to 40K for the kinds of clubs who might be interested in him should he flop here would be mahoosive.

We've reached the point where we need quality and not quantity. Now we can still get quality for good prices like Verts and Lloris but Hooper is really looking just like a quanitity signing to me and those signings, when not playing serve as nothing but a drain on our rather limited, for the company we keep league wise, finances.

Go for players you think have an upside/make financial sense by all means. Especially at striker, we're not getting top quality for anything less than top dollar. As long as those signings are calculated gambles then fine. Hooper - who here and, more importantly, at Spurs really gave him much thought until Defoe got injured. God knows, we've been linked to most world players by ITK down the yrs and not a whisper.

I'm not saying it's easy but equally nobody has a gun to their head to get involved with this football malarky. Loading the squad with what could be described as a stop-gap player, and one that isn't a bargain buy, is very dangerous. We're still struggling to part ways with severalpayers who were at one point, first XI players yrs later and it is impacting the way we can do business.

If JD is knackered, even just for a few weeks then we'll simply have to take a punt. I hope, in vain probably, that it would show les grande fromages that their little system isn't as shit-hot as they might think though and something needs changing going forward.

 

[Mouse!]

Well, basically, we've only really signed players on the 31st of the month. So I would conclude that he has a very heavy period of hibernation until 30th January.

Is he part-squirrel?

Gross.

 

[JerryGarcia]

Hang on a second, IF Levy plays hardball?

He plays softball to give them false hope, then Bam! Hardball in your face.