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Townsend wants talks with boss Pochettino over his future

diamondlight

Well-Known Member
Nov 16, 2006
1,263
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Your last point about system based managers is an interesting one. I have often thought about how 3 of our best players in recent years could work in Poch's system:
  • Modric probably not mobile enough to play the role in one of the midfield berths despite his genius in possession of the ball
  • Bale doesn't do enough defensively when without the ball in the forward wide role
  • VDV definitely wouldn't have the desired stamina and workrate to play as one of the forward three in a high pressing team
People can agree/disagree with the above but one of the problems with a lack of flexibility with a 'philosophy/project/system' is that you risk discarding players who have a lot to offer the team just because they do not fit exactly with the requirements of the system. I am totally with the principle of adopting a clear personality for the team/club but just hope it isn't overly restrictive for the reasons above....
Absolutely agree with this. The flipside, of course, is that we may already have a load of players who could be of Modric/Bale/VDV quality but we'll never know it because even Modric/Bale/VDV wouldn't have looked good in this system.

As a general rule, 4231 seems to favour 'much of a muchness' players. Either bung them in the midfield or plonk them out wide. They all charge around the pitch enthusiastically but ineffectively while ONE attacking player labours on his own upfront. Horrible formation. Works for Mourinho but that's because he has taken anti-football to an unprecedented degree.
 

Database

Active Member
Dec 17, 2014
403
612
Andros was phenomenal 2013-2014 before he got injured. And I do remember how he remained on the pitch when there was zero substitutes left... Townsend jumping with one leg and if I remember right he missed World Cup because that injury. Great lad.

Townsend over Lamela any day of the week.
 

Tom Pops

Well-Known Member
Jan 13, 2014
2,293
3,094
Andros was phenomenal 2013-2014 before he got injured. And I do remember how he remained on the pitch when there was zero substitutes left... Townsend jumping with one leg and if I remember right he missed World Cup because that injury. Great lad.

Townsend over Lamela any day of the week.
Taking Townsend over a woefully out of form player isn't saying much though. I would've taken Crouch over Soldado.

I like Townsend but I just think a move would benefit both Spurs and him.
 

Gassin's finest

C'est diabolique
May 12, 2010
37,355
87,831
Thought he played very well for us in that string of appearances he made in the new year. I don't think it's a coincidence that we had our best spell when we had a direct winger running at defenders, as opposed to when it was someone like Lamela dithering on the ball.

Limited as he is, he makes things happen in the final third, and I could see he worked very hard on his game last season. He's not going to start ahead of our current starters, and our new signings I imagine, but he doesn't deserve the stick he gets on here.
 

jezz

Well-Known Member
Aug 21, 2013
5,650
8,650
Thought he played very well for us in that string of appearances he made in the new year. I don't think it's a coincidence that we had our best spell when we had a direct winger running at defenders, as opposed to when it was someone like Lamela dithering on the ball.

Limited as he is, he makes things happen in the final third, and I could see he worked very hard on his game last season. He's not going to start ahead of our current starters, and our new signings I imagine, but he doesn't deserve the stick he gets on here.
Yeah losing at Utd Villa and drawing with Burnley was great.
 

Mustard

Well-Known Member
Nov 14, 2012
10,781
20,141
Great player. Needs to be given a run. And please play him on the left. It adds width and natural balance.

Gets treated very shabbily by the club and some of the fans.
 

carpediem991

Well-Known Member
May 31, 2011
8,836
20,308
Shame he rarely delivers as he is made to be loved. Nice kid, local boy, came through our youth academy. But that does not cover shit headless performances. A permanent move to Saints or Baggies would have been a decent choice me thinks, as he could be better when his team has more space to operate. These talks should take place at the end of a season, not when the transfer window is closed. Townsend + money to WBA, Berahino to us. Fucking hell there would be only winners and still everyone involved fucked it up.
 

E17yid

Well-Known Member
Jan 21, 2013
16,985
30,495
Yep beating Chelsea was great but Townsend didn't play against Arsenal.
And he got hauled off when Utd beat us 3 nil.

Tbf, in that UTD loss, the whole team deserved to be hauled off.
 
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