The Daily ITK Discussion Thread - Shakedown! 13th January 2015

[Breezer]

did you watch liverpool games for the last couple of weeks ? they are two hundred times better team than us .. agree about utd though !!

200 times better... Have you seen the league table? I know Liverpool are playing better than us but we're still in a position to finish 4th. Are we good enough? Not really... But football is a funny old game. Arsenal are playing well lately. Are they smashing us in league position?

 

[shelfmonkey]

I'm wondering whether some of these ITK bods are working for the club, by that I mean the club knows what goes on on forums like this so they use them for disinfo purposes. Just a thought though.

 

[SamR]

The way i see it is that it's only worth buying if that player is going to make an immediate impact; whether that's a james milner type who gives experience or a danny Ings type that has lots of potential - we could do with both types coming in really to move forward. What both of these needs mean is decent fees/wages and we clearly can't do that at the moment. The club is extremely risk adverse and from a business sense so it should be, but from a football team sense it is frustrating because we are the biggest nearly team of them all.

 

[Nerine]

Peoples excitement over the transfer window baffles me a bit.
It's usually very dull.
And mostly just a tool that pretty much Sky created to sell stories/news etc.

I shudder every time I hear the phrases:

Window slams shut.
Strengthen in January.
Gonna have to dip into the January transfer market.
Reassess in January.
Deadline day.

Etc etc etc.

It's all wank.

 

[mill]

Yet people are still clambering for us to sign more instant deadwood like Reid and Delph

Yes - I think both Ade and Kaboul have contracts that expire this summer, but with 1 year options to extend. So we can release them in June, or we can extend and try to sell.

Thing is their wages will be the same as whatever fee we receive for them imo

 

[KenilworthSpur]

The best bit about deadline day is the fans with the reporters outside the grounds/training complex's. Nothing better than seeing a Sky Sports reporter getting increasingly pissed off with them...

 

[mill]

The best bit about deadline day is the fans with the reporters outside the grounds/training complex's. Nothing better than seeing a Sky Sports reporter getting increasingly pissed off with them...

Especially when they put a vibrator in the reporters ear lol, what was it someone shouted last time 'fuck her in the arse' or something lol

 

[mill]

Peoples excitement over the transfer window baffles me a bit.
It's usually very dull.
And mostly just a tool that pretty much Sky created to sell stories/news etc.

I shudder every time I hear the phrases:

Window slams shut.
Strengthen in January.
Gonna have to dip into the January transfer market.
Reassess in January.
Deadline day.

Etc etc etc.

It's all wank.

January's seem to get quieter year on year

 

[Shea]

If we were able to find buyers for the likes of Lennon, Kaboul, Ade, Paulinho and Chiriches I would be happy to free up some space and let the youngsters have a go if we can't find a replacement


They're all deadwood and just draining resources and limiting space in our squad for incomings


Chiriches maybe to stay as he covers both centre back and right back I guess now Naughton has gone - but to be fair now Walker is fit and Yedlin has arrived I'd probably be happy to leave Dier as the RB and CB cover

Kaboul has to go he's become wotless

I doubt we'll be able to shift that many due to either Levy's demands or player wage demands putting off potential suitors but here's hoping

I can't really see us bringing anyone in at this stage - I'd be happy with one player who would make any sort of positive impact at this stage. But the silver lining is at least if we shift some of the deadwood and free up space some more youngsters may take their chance like Kane, Bentaleb and Mason have over the next season or so (we just need to sign on or two quality players with leadership qualities to bring things together)

 

[yido_number1]

Is anyone surprised by JJ's statement? Bloated squad lacking in a lot of the right types. The more we thin it out the more we can sign the right players. The right players are rarely available in January, so we'd probably end up with second and third choices.

This always seemed a transition year and we are doing well in the cups and ok in the league. Letting lennon goes hardly makes a difference he's only played in a handful of games. Start the clear out now, finish it in the summer and bring in a couple of good players and promote the youth again.

 

[Blackrat1299]

If you want the proper Greek pronouncement it's "Nigi"

A K is pronounced as a G

Does it matter, just call it TICK

 

[mill]

Is anyone surprised by JJ's statement? Bloated squad lacking in a lot of the right types. The more we thin it out the more we can sign the right players. The right players are rarely available in January, so we'd probably end up with second and third choices.

This always seemed a transition year and we are doing well in the cups and ok in the league. Letting lennon goes hardly makes a difference he's only played in a handful of games. Start the clear out now, finish it in the summer and bring in a couple of good players and promote the youth again.

I agree with what you say but I think people are being optimistic if they think we'll clear all the unwanted by the end of august

 

[S17PUR]

My worry is that we'll end the window weaker than we started it. Say what you like about Lennon, he does have the ability to change a game - he was great against Everton in the league. We don't have too many game changers in the squad, and we don't have much pace.

 

[shelfboy68]

The best bit about deadline day is the fans with the reporters outside the grounds/training complex's. Nothing better than seeing a Sky Sports reporter getting increasingly pissed off with them...

There will be no reporters outside WHL mate

 

[ilikeost]

I'm wondering whether some of these ITK bods are working for the club, by that I mean the club knows what goes on on forums like this so they use them for disinfo purposes. Just a thought though.

You should probably remove that neg rep you gave the ITK post before a mod sees it.

 

[yido_number1]

I agree with what you say but I think people are being optimistic if they think we'll clear all the unwanted by the end of august

Thats what Im getting at... people think we're gonna sign players this window... its just never gonna be the case JJ has been fairly consistent on that... Poch seems a bit more thought out than that. January is a real bum fight to get in any quality. Has any one really signed anyone you would say is first rate? Bony will unlikely start when everyone is fit at Man city and they over paid 10m since last summer...

Its a shit window for people who are desperate which we aren't. Having Chadli, Lamela an Kane improving has been like three new signings and same for Mason and Bentaleb. If Andros can improve or Soldado or Ade contribute that will be like a new signing...

 

[yido_number1]

You should probably remove that neg rep you gave the ITK post before a mod sees it.

Especially when its the person adding the itk up that you are neg repping not the itk person...

 

[Air Jordan 3]

I say clear as much deadwood as we can that does not effect starting 11 (Lennon, Kaboul, Holtby, BAE, Khumalo). Bring Pritchard back and that should see us through to a good season with hopefully a cup final.

As someone said not many good players available in Jan so no point as we will end of with second/third choices which will be our deadwood in 18mths.

 

[mill]

My worry is that we'll end the window weaker than we started it. Say what you like about Lennon, he does have the ability to change a game - he was great against Everton in the league. We don't have too many game changers in the squad, and we don't have much pace.

Lennon hasn't changed a game in years, he did play well against Everton but game changer he isn't

 

[SFCS]

Is anyone surprised by JJ's statement? Bloated squad lacking in a lot of the right types. The more we thin it out the more we can sign the right players. The right players are rarely available in January, so we'd probably end up with second and third choices.

This always seemed a transition year and we are doing well in the cups and ok in the league. Letting lennon goes hardly makes a difference he's only played in a handful of games. Start the clear out now, finish it in the summer and bring in a couple of good players and promote the youth again.

I see no reason why second/third choices can't work out. The trick surely has to be not to invest too much in them. So no big transfers, just reasonable fees and reasonable wages, that way we're minimising the liability if it doesn't work out.

We can't just throw this season away, we're in a good position if we just get a couple more players in that can fit in with what Pochettino wants.