What now?

[Davo99]

After the signing of Bassong tonight, like many other I now feel the defence is pretty sorted. Same with the forwards and 'keepers.

So what are we in the market for now? Or do you think we are done?

I think maybe a defensive midfielder could come in, but Palacios and Huddlestone should be okay.

Left midfield is the only problem for me tbh. We still haven't got a left winger. Playing Modric there is a waste. Bale is okay but I think we need a full time lefty. It's the only position we're light in now imo.

So I'm saying a left mid with maybe an experienced backup def midfielder to come in, but what does everyone else think?

 

[Dan Ashcroft]

After the signing of Bassong tonight, like many other I now feel the defence is pretty sorted. Same with the forwards and 'keepers.

So what are we in the market for now? Or do you think we are done?

I think maybe a defensive midfielder could come in, but Palacios and Huddlestone should be okay.

Left midfield is the only problem for me tbh. We still haven't got a left winger. Playing Modric there is a waste. Bale is okay but I think we need a full time lefty. It's the only position we're light in now imo.

So I'm saying a left mid with maybe an experienced backup def midfielder to come in, but what does everyone else think?

1) A ballplaying holder to start alongside Palacios.

2) A better #9 to lead the line.

Double deal for Gago and Negredo possibly?:
www.dearmrlevy.com/dml/2009/8/5/gago-and-negredo-will-do.html


We don't need a left winger because teams don't play with 2 wingers any more - you have one winger and then your playmaker on the other flank. Plus Modric was 10 times more effective in his natural LM position than he was when he played in the centre earlier in the season.

 

[Davo99]

1) A ballplaying holder to start alongside Palacios.

2) A better #9 to lead the line.

Double deal for Gago and Negredo possibly?:
www.dearmrlevy.com/dml/2009/8/5/gago-and-negredo-will-do.html


We don't need a left winger because teams don't play with 2 wingers any more - you have one winger and then your playmaker on the other flank. Plus Modric was 10 times more effective in his natural LM position than he was when he played in the centre earlier in the season.

I don't know about that. :shrug:

 

[ShadyAftermath2k]

1) A ballplaying holder to start alongside Palacios.

2) A better #9 to lead the line.

Double deal for Gago and Negredo possibly?:
www.dearmrlevy.com/dml/2009/8/5/gago-and-negredo-will-do.html


We don't need a left winger because teams don't play with 2 wingers any more - you have one winger and then your playmaker on the other flank. Plus Modric was 10 times more effective in his natural LM position than he was when he played in the centre earlier in the season.

We need another ball winning player to play alongside Palacios, but for the love off god, we do not need ANOTHER FORWARD!!! We've got four, all offer different options and all very good.

 

[Green Valley]

Jermaine Jenas' final chance this season. Him and Palacios could be a great partnership, hopefully it will flourish.

 

[defoe18]

now we wait...

 

[ginol@14]

centre mid replacement for jj is the only real position we need to upgrade at the moment

 

[gibbs131]

Backup for Palacios. Groom Gio for backup on the left for Modric.

I would LOVE a Naybet style center back to help Ledders and coach the young defense we have left and right of the stalwarts.

 

[gibbs131]

centre mid replacement for jj is the only real position we need to upgrade at the moment

Does not look like we have the funds to buy anyone better than JJ. besides, you can;t guarantee Palacios partner would click.

Him and JJ look a right handful.

 

[VegasII]

Just a tough mid to cover or sometimes play alongside WP. But then with WP, JJ, Hudd, O'horror, KPB & possibly Bostock we've still got a lot of centre mids. The whole Vieira thing has gone quiet & we haven't been linked with too many other centre mids.

I think King has probably become our Naybet type as he won't play every game.

Unless Harry wants to overhaul by signing David James, another forward & another mid to replace Gomes, Pav/Keane & JJ then we'll be looking at things being quiet for the rest of the window. Although things could change if we receive bids or have further injuries.

 

[lishiyo]

I would be happy with giving JJ and Palacios a chance this season, at least until an upgrade on JJ becomes available to us. I don't think their distribution together is good enough (would prefer a CM with creativity, vision, and passing ability alongside Palacios) but I think they will improve with time and do well defensively at least - I can't think of any reasonable option that is guaranteed to improve on JJ atm, maybe we can review his position in January. I'd like Witsel or Defour, but not as an immediate replacement given how inexperienced and unproven they are - JJ should stay for at least another half a season in case they don't do as well as hoped here.

As for the striker front, I would prefer Negredo over Pav; the former is a target man with physical qualities that are suited for the PL imo, whereas Pav is a poacher who hasn't scored enough in the league - the fatigue excuse doesn't cut it for me, given Pav's far different form in the cups as opposed to the league. I think the physicality and pace of the PL is above him, whereas his technical ability is enough against fizzy pop and second-team PL sides; that said, perhaps Pav has worked his ass off this summer to get stronger and fitter and learn English and impress in training, in which case he is welcome to compete for a first-team spot next season.

I also have reservations about playing two wingers in a 4-4-2, especially if Modric is in the middle too. It seems very lightweight to me against quality teams that will pressure us (rather than give Modric plenty of space like Stoke). Besides Modric the likes of Taarabt, Rose (who just signed a new 4-year contract), Gio (more of a right winger though - cover for Lennon if Bentley goes?), and Lennon can all fill in on the left.

It's actually a bit difficult to upgrade our team right now without spending Citeh-esque money - we underachieved last season and have a few players who haven't shown us their best form yet along with young players with plenty of potential, and perhaps stability and a settled team like Everton's will improve us more than anything else. I'm quite curious as to how well Crouch, Bassong, and Naughton will do. I think we'll see some surprising form from a few players next season.

 

[ginol@14]

still think we have more money to spend , and i think harry will bring in one more
either centre mid or left winger although id get another centre back if we could

 

[daffygremlin]

honestly i think we are fine and would rather we give ohara, boateng, huddlestone, and dos santos a chance before we buy anybody else. give them all atleast one more season to prove themselves.

 

[Dan Ashcroft]

We need another ball winning player to play alongside Palacios, but for the love off god, we do not need ANOTHER FORWARD!!! We've got four, all offer different options and all very good.

Surely it's better to have a more cultured DM, like a Carrick, to compliment Palacios' destroyer play? Two mobile pressers is the same as we've had since Carrick left (i.e. Zok-JJ, JJ-WP). While it just about works defensively, it limits us offensively - ensuring that all our play goes over the top or out wide. We need a Pirlo/Carrick/Petit to Palacios' Gattuso/Hargreaves/Vieria.

Th problem is that our strikers our crap. It was our biggest weakness last season. I don't rate any of them that much apart from Keane, who of course had a real dip in form last season. I'd happily see any of them upgraded, and Pav seems the most likely. Negredo in for Pav would be excellent business.

 

[alamo]

After the signing of Bassong tonight, like many other I now feel the defence is pretty sorted. Same with the forwards and 'keepers.

So what are we in the market for now? Or do you think we are done?

I think maybe a defensive midfielder could come in, but Palacios and Huddlestone should be okay.

Left midfield is the only problem for me tbh. We still haven't got a left winger. Playing Modric there is a waste. Bale is okay but I think we need a full time lefty. It's the only position we're light in now imo.

So I'm saying a left mid with maybe an experienced backup def midfielder to come in, but what does everyone else think?

You were doing so well up til then. How can you possibly justify that statement he was simply fantastic there for us last year.

 

[Legend10]

I think we're finished unless we sell first.

 

[am_yisrael_chai]

I doubt we're finished, remember it was only 24 hours ago that Toulouse confirmed we'd bid for Sissoko so I guess HR still wants another central midfielder. If this happens then expect one or more of JOH / Hudd to move on.

I also suspect he'd like a left winger, Robben or Young, if he could get them to come.

Finally, I think he'd buy another forward if he could get takers for either Keane or Pav.

More outgoings to take place as well, with Chimbo the most certain but GDS also pretty likely IMHO. I also think we'd respond to good bids, not desperate sale levels, for Hutton, Dawson and Bale.

Not saying any of the above is my view on the players mentioned just reading the tea leaves in terms of how I think HR rates the squad.

 

[Kendall]

Nothing really.

I wouldn't mind us getting rid of Chimbonda and maybe Huddlestone, but I think we have a great squad now. Harry has made a few signings, a few tweaks here and there and the overall squad looks stronger. We could do with a workhorse midfielder to help do the job of Palacios when he's eventually suspended (of injured) but we do have Boateng back and O'Hara looked comfortable in central midfield.

 

[RobinLeonard]

Nothing really.

I wouldn't mind us getting rid of Chimbonda and maybe Huddlestone, but I think we have a great squad now. Harry has made a few signings, a few tweaks here and there and the overall squad looks stronger. We could do with a workhorse midfielder to help do the job of Palacios when he's eventually suspended (of injured) but we do have Boateng back and O'Hara looked comfortable in central midfield.

Indeed: Corluka(1st choice?), Hutton, Chimbonda and Naughton (even though he can play further up the field too) seems a bit excessive.

But the squad is looking good.

 

[BPR_U16]

With the way we finished last year, I was fairly happy with the squad and not too concerned if we bought in the summer or not. Arry had us on the right track and we were a club with possibilities.

The signings in and departures out have strengthened the squad though, so we are now in an even better position and should certainly be looking top 6.

We do probably still have cash to spend, but there is no point spending it just for spending sake. We now need to take stock of what we have, and play the first couple of matches to see how it blends together.

There are still a number of big time players who have to find homes before the window shuts on this WC season - and believe there are still a number of clubs who will go out and spend big time (Chelski for one I think and despite SAF saying no still expect Manure to spend again).

What would life be like a Spurs if we didn't have the famous last day tranasfer scenario? However, if we have bought as well as I believe we have, we can hopefully save the cash for the January window when we identify what we really want for the push to top 4 because if we are close it will add to our pulling power.