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What the pundits & media are saying about us

Led's Zeppelin

Can't Re Member
May 28, 2013
7,333
20,178
Whilst I agree we have strength in some areas, I'd say our '2nd XI' is weaker than the other top teams.

Some of this is up for debate but arguably our second team is:

Vorm
KWP
Carter Vickers
Wimmer
Davies
Dier
Winks
Sissoko
Son
N'Koudou
Janssen

Is that strong enough? For me it needs a bit of a boost if we're to challenge the mega bucks teams.

Someone like Lamela maybe.
 

tototoner

Staying Alert
Mar 21, 2004
29,387
34,059
http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40856491

Premier League 2017-18: BBC Sport pundits pick their champions

Good old Waddle again, 2nd year running, everyone else goes for the 2 Manchester clubs

More from the article

Will Tottenham tumble out of the top four?

Last year, 22 out of 33 people thought Spurs would finish lower than fourth - they were runners-up. This year, Chris Waddle again picks them to be champions but 24/40 think they will end up outside the top four.

Chris Waddle: I know Spurs haven't signed anybody yet but I think there is plenty of time to get in what they need. The squad they have already got came very close last year, and they proved they could beat the big teams when they had to.

The only thing that can set in now is complacency, but I don't think that will happen with the manager they have got - Mauricio Pochettino is a very talented manager, and I don't think he is frightened to fire the bullets if he needs to.

Jermaine Jenas: In that Spurs dressing room, a few players will be thinking 'well, we have just sold our best right-back Kyle Walker to a competitor who are going crazy in the transfer market, and we haven't bought anyone in yet'.

Yes I am fully on board with this kind of 'Pochettino Way' of bringing through the youngsters and developing the academy talent, but it is crazy that Spurs have just had two years where they have had a run at the title and fallen short and they have not improved their squad.

Their players will be thinking how are they going to make that next step if they have not improved our squad and that squad wasn't good enough to get the job done anyway?

Pat Nevin: There is an argument that 1-11, Spurs are the best team but you cannot go through a season with 11 players.

Ian Wright: I am a big admirer of Spurs and there are not many players in their team who I dislike - it is not like when I played against them, I disliked them then! But now they have got a lot of good young English players who are playing exciting football.

I like Pochettino too but if Harry Kane goes missing for any amount of time, they are going to struggle. It's the same with Toby Alderweireld or Danny Rose.

Danny Murphy: Having to play their home games at Wembley comes into play for Tottenham - with most teams, when they change stadiums it takes some time for them to adapt. I think it might mean they struggle a bit and miss out on the top four.

MOTD commentator Conor McNamara: The hardest decision for me in these predictions was leaving Tottenham out of the top four. Is Pochettino *choosing* to keep faith in his current squad? Or is Tottenham's construction bill on their new stadium the real reason they have not yet spent in this window?

BBC Radio 5 live's senior football reporter Ian Dennis: When fit, Kieran Trippier is an ideal replacement for Walker but Spurs are yet to add to their squad while Arsenal have Lacazette and, crucially in the race for the top four, appear to be retaining Alexis Sanchez.
 

RichieS

Well-Known Member
Dec 23, 2004
11,916
16,436
I've come to expect better from Wrighty - he's correct in what he says about Toby, but we were fine without Kane and Rose for lengthy spells last season.
 

Cavehillspur

Well-Known Member
Jan 28, 2011
13,967
18,271
Just on Ian Dennis saying Arsenal now have Lacazette - There was a French football journo on Talksport the other day talking about his attitude when things aren't going his way on the pitch, basically said he downs tools and becomes disinterested, was music to my ears and sounds perfect for that shower. We shall see anyway hopefully hes spot on.
 

guiltyparty

Well-Known Member
Sep 21, 2005
9,023
13,524
I've come to expect better from Wrighty - he's correct in what he says about Toby, but we were fine without Kane and Rose for lengthy spells last season.

Funny isn't it? How those two things LITERALLY HAPPENED LAST SEASON yet everyone pretends we'd struggle without them, as if it DIDN"T JUST HAPPEN LAST SEASON!!!

Fucktards. Fed up of this season already
 

tototoner

Staying Alert
Mar 21, 2004
29,387
34,059
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40941482

Tottenham: This is a crucial time for Spurs' future - Jermaine Jenas

By Jermaine Jenas

MOTD pundit and former Tottenham midfielder

This is such a crucial time for Tottenham's future and the direction they want to go in after taking such huge strides over the past couple of seasons.

Their fans, and undoubtedly their players too, just want to feel like they are still moving forwards after finishing third, then second in the Premier League.

The danger is not that they risk standing still - more that they could fall behind if they don't strengthen properly now or, even worse, keep this group of players together.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy holds the key to that with who they sign and the club's pay structure going forward.

He has a reputation for being a pretty vicious negotiator but when I played for Spurs I sat down with him personally on several occasions to speak about wages and we had a really good relationship.

There were times when I was offered an extended and improved contract and I bit his hand off, and others when I would say I did not think it was the right time to sign.

Daniel would say something like: 'I fully respect that, but we will sit down again.'

He was always brilliant with me. Even when I ruptured my Achilles in 2011 while I was on loan at Aston Villa, one of the first things that came down the chain to me was, 'Jermaine, you will be back - and here is an extra year', which was great.

So from my point of view, he always treated me with respect and treated me well.

He has definitely got that humane side to him and the reputation he seems to have of being a horrible or tight man is just plain wrong.

From my experience of Levy, he will have a good relationship with the current Spurs players too - despite the issues that Spurs left-back Danny Rose commented on last week.

Of course Levy is shrewd, though. He has always been clever - especially with the way he ties young players down to long deals but with the incentive to improve.

When I joined from Newcastle, aged 22, I must have signed a new contract every year for four or five seasons.

Dele Alli has done something similar recently, signing three new deals in the space of 16 months to tie him to the club until 2022.

I was always happy at Spurs so it was never an issue for me but, without really knowing it, I got to a point where I was about 26 or 27 - the age Rose is now - where I realised that even if I did want to leave it was too late.

I could not renegotiate because I had too many years left on my contract, which took me up to the age of 30 or 31, at which point you are struggling to land a big deal anyway.

As a model for Tottenham, it worked in the same way it does today - but we saw some of our best players leave, which is something that no longer has to happen.

We reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League in 2011 with genuine stars like Gareth Bale and Luka Modric in the team, but we were never as consistent as this Spurs side who are trying to achieve bigger things than we did in the Premier League.

It has been a very strange and probably quite stressful week for everyone at Tottenham despite their win over Newcastle on Sunday.

Off the back of Rose's comments about the club's wages and lack of activity in the transfer market, there has been a lot of discussion about the club's ambition, or the perceived lack of it.

It appears things are now happening on the transfer front, with Ajax's Davinson Sanchez and Everton's Ross Barkley both in Spurs' sights.

Only Levy knows why he always does business so late - even my transfer to Spurs from Newcastle was done on the last day of the window in August 2005.

Looking at that approach as a pundit rather than a player, it does not help manager Mauricio Pochettino much.

Manchester United did not get their deal for Nemanja Matic done particularly early, but he was still able to play for them on their summer tour and hit the ground running at the start of the season.

You look at the players Spurs are going for and Sanchez would be new to England, while Barkley did not feature in Everton's pre-season at all and has picked up a hamstring injury this week.

Realistically, for different reasons, you are not going to get the best out of either of them until October, at the earliest.

But from my point of view, there has never been a problem with their transfer policy in general. It has always been very well thought out when it comes to bringing players into the club, because in terms of the ability, age and price of their signings, they often seem to get that right.

My issue is more about how they handle the players they already have. They need to treat their contracts with just as much importance as they do the transfer market itself.

That is not happening at the moment. Tottenham are in the Champions League for a second straight season and are trying to establish themselves in that competition but, when it comes to wages, it feels like their level is more of a club challenging for a Europa League place.

They have not won anything yet - and if you want to go and try to take on the big boys and win trophies, then you have got to put your hand in your pockets.

I spoke about Tottenham's wages and why they should pay more on Match of the Day 2 on Sunday - and I want to reiterate that they do not have greedy players on their books.

Indeed, some of them may well be very happy with their contracts but, knowing the club and their wage levels, I still think there is a core of that squad - and not just Rose - who will think the situation needs addressing just so they are getting what they are worth.

Spurs' marquee players like Harry Kane and Hugo Lloris are probably on about £100,000 per week, and for the rest I expect the cap is about £60,000.

To keep everyone happy you would not have to change the pay structure dramatically, just take it to another level for everyone to reflect the progress the team has made on the pitch.

I am not saying pay anyone £300,000 per week, or even £200,000 - but Spurs could take their wages-revenue ratio up a notch without going crazy and remain a well-run club.

If they do that, everything is going to go a lot more smoothly for them in the next year or two as they move to their new stadium, while trying to maintain the momentum they have at the moment.

Spurs are running the risk of losing Belgium centre-half Toby Alderweireld, who has got two years left on his contract and is probably on about £50,000 a week.

If they could re-sign him this summer, and have him happy and on a long-term contract, that is as good a signing as they could make - but they are going to have to give him a big pay increase for that to happen.

As things stand, he has not signed and is not going to be in any rush to change that because the closer he gets to the end of his deal, the more power he will have. Every top club in the world will be circling around him.

If Alderweireld leaves, then Spurs are going to have to go and buy someone who they have to try to build up again to be at his level. For me, that is a backwards step.

Paying more would have similar benefits when it comes to signing players too.

At present, you kind of know that Spurs are never going to make a really huge signing, because of their wage structure.

Say if Real Madrid made Isco available. They would have to pay upwards of £50m for him for starters but, even if Tottenham did do that, he would not go there for £100,000 a week. Coming from Real, he is going to want close to double that.

So, at the moment, they are not even in contention to sign that calibre of player. They cannot even consider it.

Yes, the fact their current strongest XI is so good is one reason it is hard for them to sign players that will improve their team, but their pay structure is part of the problem too.

Jermaine Jenas was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan.
 
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Bulletspur

The Reasonable Advocate
Match Thread Admin
Oct 17, 2006
10,690
25,246
There are three players in there who haven't proven themselves yet in KWP, Carter-Vickers and N'Koudou. I think we'll have to take Poch's view on these players as he'll have seen them more than most of us, but from what I've seen I wouldn't want to rely too much on N'Koudou, and there's always worries about a young centre back.

.

Until Poch says otherwise I am more than happy that all three of KWP, CCV and N'Koudou be given the opportunity to develop and do well with us than to sign other players who may or may not make it with us. And I believe that given the opportunity they will.
 

Oscar22

Well-Known Member
Apr 9, 2004
16,819
15,351
In fact I think he point re Isco is most salient. He's right that currently you know that we will not be looking at proper top end players due to wage demands. I'm not saying I agree or disagree with that stance as clearly we have benefitted ok without buying big name players, but it is still a good point that makes you consider the level of player we can attract.
 

Shadydan

Well-Known Member
Jul 7, 2012
38,247
104,143
We don't underpay, the other teams overpay

Lingaard on £100k a week
Walcott on £140k a week
Sterling on £180k a week

Do me a fucking favour.

Marcelo and Isco are on £80 and £70k a week respectively
David Alaba is on £80k a week.

How's that for perspective...
 

Bobbins

SC's 14th Sexiest Male 2008
May 5, 2005
21,548
45,031
Jenas needs to stop coming out with a new BBC article on this same subject, saying the same things, every two days.

If everyone could just fuck off and stop talking about how much we pay that'd be great, thanks.
 

Shadydan

Well-Known Member
Jul 7, 2012
38,247
104,143
Jenas needs to stop coming out with a new BBC article on this same subject, saying the same things, every two days.

If everyone could just fuck off and stop talking about how much we pay that'd be great, thanks.

The annoying thing is that people in this country always go on about how footballers are all overpaid mercenaries yet the moment when a team has a sensible and sustainable wage structure people think that they are being treated unfairly, it's absolute bollocks.
 

beats1

Well-Known Member
Feb 22, 2010
30,006
29,551
We don't underpay, the other teams overpay

Lingaard on £100k a week
Walcott on £140k a week
Sterling on £180k a week

Do me a fucking favour.

Marcelo and Isco are on £80 and £70k a week respectively
David Alaba is on £80k a week.

How's that for perspective...
Foreign players wages are often are listed as wages after tax

So Marcelo and Isco are on double that and Alaba too
 

Shadydan

Well-Known Member
Jul 7, 2012
38,247
104,143
Foreign players wages are often are listed as wages after tax

So Marcelo and Isco are on double that and Alaba too

Do you have a source? Cause I've searched high and low for these guys' wages on the Internet and literally every source says they are getting paid or round about that much.
 

Bobbins

SC's 14th Sexiest Male 2008
May 5, 2005
21,548
45,031
The annoying thing is that people in this country always go on about how footballers are all overpaid mercenaries yet the moment when a team has a sensible and sustainable wage structure people think that they are being treated unfairly, it's absolute bollocks.

I wish there was one pundit who would just come out and say that on MotD.
 

spursfan77

Well-Known Member
Aug 13, 2005
46,680
104,957
We don't underpay, the other teams overpay

Lingaard on £100k a week
Walcott on £140k a week
Sterling on £180k a week

Do me a fucking favour.

Marcelo and Isco are on £80 and £70k a week respectively
David Alaba is on £80k a week.

How's that for perspective...

It's driving me mad. I said in another thread that we are being criticised for apparently not paying our players enough. Not for a minute has anyone in the media said the other teams are paying players too much money. It's ridiculous.
 

Dov67

Well-Known Member
Jul 1, 2005
3,318
10,212
We don't underpay, the other teams overpay

Lingaard on £100k a week
Walcott on £140k a week
Sterling on £180k a week

Do me a fucking favour.

Marcelo and Isco are on £80 and £70k a week respectively
David Alaba is on £80k a week.

How's that for perspective...

completely agree, but the players will know that walker left and doubled his money, and someone as useless as walcott earns more than Harry Kane.....so from their perspective they're underpaid.
 

Shadydan

Well-Known Member
Jul 7, 2012
38,247
104,143
completely agree, but the players will know that walker left and doubled his money, and someone as useless as walcott earns more than Harry Kane.....so from their perspective they're underpaid.

My simple answer to that is don't sign the contract, you can't sign for good money then a year later claim you're getting underpaid, it's just greed. Surely as a player you'd know your own value and if the money isn't what you think you should be getting fuck off elsewhere. Sorry I don't have any sympathy and it's not as if the player's don't know what our wage structure is, every man and his dog know that Tottenham don't pay amongst the highest wages so I don't know why the player's expectations are going to be so high.
 
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