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Wilfried Zaha

ToDarrenIsToDo

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Aug 22, 2017
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It’s a lot of money so I don’t know how I feel about this.

Does anyone else just feel that Zaha will be a good (possibly great) signing, especially as Poch wants him so bad but on the other hand would maybe rather chuck the money at Bailey or Pulisic?

It’s a tough one but I really don’t understand the people that don’t rate him, defenders are literally terrified of him and he’s the only reason Palace came back from the dead last season.

I don't think he's got what it takes to take us to the next level. He'll add value but I can see him rotating with Sonny whereas I would want a guaranteed starter for that kind of cost. Personally I'd rather see the club wait if we've missed out on Martial and use the money for a better quality of player, even if it is a year down the line.

Martial has the potential to become World Class, Zaha will never reach those levels, I don't think he's got the footballing brain or the potential aptitude for it.

I can understand our interest, but for £60m I think we should wait and look to sign the next Modric or Bale.

If we've missed out on Martial and are in the market for a wide forward, I'd rather see the club shell out £30m on a player that can add a little more than GKN for depth on the wing who if it doesn't work out will have a reasonable sell on value, instead of see us blow the doors off on a player that could unearth the next big thing.

In a time where we signed Son for £22m, Zaha is a £40m-£45m player, tops and even that's being generous even with inflation.

I don't think Levy will blow his load on this one, I'd be very surprised if he did
 
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EQP

EQP
Sep 1, 2013
7,960
29,661
Zaha no matter the price. Martial and Son have similar skill sets and play styles, Zaha offers us something completely different

Plus him being homegrown would certainly help our quotas. I think he would have an immediate impact and make life difficult for a lot of the teams we would play.
 

SpartanSpur

Well-Known Member
Jan 27, 2011
12,552
43,063
I don't think he's got what it takes to take us to the next level. Personally I'd rather see the club wait if we've missed out on Martial and use the money for a better quality of player, even if it is a year down the line.

Martial has the potential to become World Class, Zaha will never reach those levels, I don't think he's got the footballing brain for it.

I can understand our interest, but for £60m I think we should wait and look to sign the next Modric or Bale

I do agree in general, but I think this summer is different. We have to show some ambition for the first season in the new stadium. There are no guarantees Poch and the likes of Eriksen will stay forever. We need to be showing progress to keep them.

Lopetegui could bomb after losing Ronaldo and guess who their top target would be?

You could argue that Zaha isn't huge ambition which is fair enough but I actually think Poch and the squad would be impressed with it. He's ready to go off the shelf and was a top performer in the league last season.

Plus what's to say if we spend £50m on Zaha there won't be funds to spend in future windows.
 

Davo99

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Dec 2, 2006
4,063
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It’s going to be Zaha, isn’t it?

I’d much rather Bailey or Pulisic tbh, but I do think he’s a good player.
 

ToDarrenIsToDo

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Aug 22, 2017
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We spent £40m to potentially buy the best future CB in the World in Sanchez. That's the kind of quality I'd be happy with us going to £60m on if the attacking quality is raw and there to see. Zaha has a glass ceiling and would cost 30% more than any other player we've signed.

If I had a choice when it came to spending £60m on a player in Zaha or Martial's mould, I'd rather go for someone like Rashford over Wilfried. I just think a player like that's ceiling is higher and would be less of a risk
 

dtxspurs

Welcome to the Good Life
Dec 28, 2017
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Oh and anyone saying he isn't effective against packed defences and only works on the counter attack - see his goal against Hull were he smashes it in after incredibly working an angle for himself.

We currently don't have anyone in the squad who can do that. Moura perhaps but he isn't able to generate as much accuracy and power in his shots.
Heung Min Son is fucking criminally under rated on here.
 

ToDarrenIsToDo

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Aug 22, 2017
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Heung Min Son is fucking criminally under rated on here.

I agree. He's two footed, deadly and averages 1 goal every 3 games for Spurs from midfield, not to mention his impeccable character being a huge influence in the dressing room and his fantastic work rate whenever he's in a Tottenham or South Korea shirt. He carries the weight of his Country on his shoulders when it comes to their football and he does it with a smile and a willingness to learn & improve, which he his doing year on year at Spurs.

Zaha has 22 Premier League goals across 5 seasons in the Premier League, averaging just over 4 goals a season. I want us to do well, I just think Zaha isn't in the league of player we should be after and would rather see us spend that money on a top class centre mid instead of a guy with plenty of tricks but ultimately limited end product. He had a good season last season I just ain't sure if he's right for us and if he's a bit of a knee jerk to missing out on Martial.

£60m is far too much, even if he has qualities our team lack at the moment which might prove me wrong. If we sign him, I hope I'm proven wrong and he absolutely smashes it
 
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JayB

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Aug 24, 2011
6,652
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There's a times article written by Gary Jacob which goes one step further, saying Zaha rejected the deal to come to us, so my guess is that the news was embargoed until midnight and he just jumped the gun? I don't know
Doesn't read like that tbh. Also this was tweeted by a Times Sport editor before the Mirror story was even published:


The idea that this story was floating around among journalists but had been embargoed until midnight would seem to be consistent with rebrab's ITK that we would begin to see more info becoming public tomorrow.
 

synththfc

Well-Known Member
Aug 24, 2017
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I agree. He's two footed, deadly and averages 1 goal every 3 games for Spurs from midfield, not to mention his impeccable character being a huge influence in the dressing room and his fantastic work rate whenever he's in a Tottenham or South Korea shirt. He carries the weight of his Country on his shoulders when it comes to their football and he does it with a smile and a willingness to learn & improve, which he his doing year on year at Spurs.

Zaha has 22 Premier League goals across 5 seasons in the Premier League, averaging just over 4 goals a season. I want us to do well, I just think Zaha isn't in the league of player we should be after and would rather see us spend that money on a top class centre mid instead of a guy with plenty of tricks but ultimately limited end product. He had a good season last season I just ain't sure if he's right for us and if he's a bit of a knee jerk to missing out on Martial.

£60m is far too much, even if he has qualities our team lack at the moment

Watching him over the past three seasons, every year his end product has gotten gradually better. This year, having watched many CPFC matches, I can think of at least 5 instances off the top of my head where he puts the ball pretty much in the net for Benteke or others and all they have to do is tap it in, and they miss.

Harsh on him to say his end product is limited.
 

frost14

Smell my cheese
Aug 22, 2017
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Heung Min Son is fucking criminally under rated on here.
Yea I agree actually, I'm not sure why. I'm a huge fan of son I think 30 goals 13 assists in 99 games is pretty good like, but considering the impending two-year military service some like Zaha would be a good buy imho and as I've said before I will support whomever poch/levy buy.
 

ToDarrenIsToDo

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Aug 22, 2017
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Watching him over the past three seasons, every year his end product has gotten gradually better. This year, having watched many CPFC matches, I can think of at least 5 instances off the top of my head where he puts the ball pretty much in the net for Benteke or others and all they have to do is tap it in, and they miss.

Harsh on him to say his end product is limited.

His end product isn't definitely getting better as would most footballers as they get a little older and start taking a little more responsibility. I think he'd be a good fit but his main asset would be his trickery and ability to get past the full back and driving into the box, putting the defence on the back foot and drilling balls into dangerous areas for our attackers to make the most of.

The price we are seeing of £60m is incredibly high though. That being said, I do think he's earned the right to move to a big club after his struggle at Man U, he could easily have folded after that her he's bounced back and got better. He deserves his chance but he'll very much be a player that I'm assuming will be used to hug the byline, stretch the opposition, get in behind the defender and stick it in the danger zone for players like Kane, Dele & Eriksen.

He definitely increases our options no doubt, I just think the money being quoted is far too high but it wouldn't be interesting to see what he can do with better quality players around him. Time will tell if this one comes off
 

DCSPUR

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Apr 15, 2005
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5,415
Quick question - Zaha for £50m or Martial for £75m? Neither going to or would happen for the money just wanted to see your thoughts and who you'd rate as a better deal
Zaha at 50m.
Take the 25 and use it as a downpayment on Sessegnon for next season.
The Zaha deal could include: Sissoko (15m), GKN (5-7m), loan of CCV for a season and about 25m....
 

Ben1

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Jun 22, 2015
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I'm interested to see what happens with this wing forward situation as I reckon getting Zaha may be as difficult as Martial. Personally, I'm intrigued by our willingness to put down seemingly so much money on this position. In Alli, Eriksen, Son, Moura and Lamela, we have a fine set of attacking mids, its probably our strongest position depth wise. Of course we need cover for Kane, so a versatile forward would help, but it seems to be our main priority in a window where I didn't think it would be.
 

SambaSpurs

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Jun 30, 2013
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I think he's a really really good player who's just entering his prime. I used to think he was pretty so-so, flashy and quick but never really impacting the game. The last season and a half though he's really upped it, he takes a lot of responsibility, pretty much a constant nightmare for defenders. Just watching Palace last year almost every game he impressed me and this is playing with a team that has Benteke, Townsend and Puncheon instead of Kane, Eriksen and Dele.

His dribbling is ridiculous, would comfortably be the best in our team if he arrived in my opinion. He's the type of player you really don't want to leave one-on-one with your full-back because he will get by them, teams near enough always have a player fronting him up and one covering that defender, that will leave more space for our other quality players. As proven with Palace though he's still winning them games with all that attention.

Most of all though he's the type of player that excites you and I would love to watch him next year with us.

This is not to say Martial isn't class either, I think he is, I'd just prefer Zaha. I haven't seen so much of Pulisic so can't really comment but being so young and new to the league I'd be surprised if he would have the same impact I see Zaha having with us.
 

ToDarrenIsToDo

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Aug 22, 2017
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I'm interested to see what happens with this wing forward situation as I reckon getting Zaha may be as difficult as Martial. Personally, I'm intrigued by our willingness to put down seemingly so much money on this position. In Alli, Eriksen, Son, Moura and Lamela, we have a fine set of attacking mids, its probably our strongest position depth wise. Of course we need cover for Kane, so a versatile forward would help, but it seems to be our main priority in a window where I didn't think it would be.

A long winded one to reply to your message, apologies in advance :s

It seems like Pochettino wants trickery and directness on that wing and to add versatility across the 3 behind the striker. Martial and Zaha can play as forwards when need be so bringing one of them in would give backup to Kane when Son is away with South Korea (or when one or the both are unavailable or injured), and when Son returns offer 3 options up top instead of just Kane & Son, with one of either Son or Zaha still able to function on that left flank should one of them need to play as a forward due to an injury to Kane.

With the links to Grealish & Malcom/Plea/Martial/Zaha seeimingly being the hottest this window as it draws to a close it wouldn't surprise me to see our style and system evolve and change again this year. Grealish will offer competition as well as a central creative outlet to and with Eriksen when need be, a new wide left forward would offer more competition down the left as at the moment as we only have Son there and with Lucas & Lamela on the right as backup to Dele we would have so many different styles in attack with speed, trickery, directness, dribbling, passing, creativity, hold up play & the ability to win free kicks when needed that it will give Pochettino a genuine selection to tailor his gameplan based on teams we are playing against and how things are going during a particular match.

Eriksen & Grealish the creative forces that have different styles to mix it up, Dele the free spirit role that can float from left to right so he can do what he does best, popping up and arriving late, Lamela, Lucas, a new wide left forward & Son that are stronger on a certain wing but have the ability to switch wings allowing Dele when playing to not get man marked as well as the ability to move from central to the left and to the right, making us a very fluid, very active team in the final 3rd, with a lot of floating across the width of the attacking areas of the pitch.

Kane will obviously be our main striker but Zaha & Son, as well as Llorente if he stays for another season will offer sufficient backup and depth offering different varieties of play.

Dier & Wanyama our destroyers in midfield whose sole purpose is ball retrieval, to pressure teams into areas of the pitch where they can't cause damage, preferably over to the wings and to dispense to the creative elements of the team when they do win the ball back, with a flexibility to play Trippier, Aurier, Davies or Rose in a flat back four or as wing backs when our centre backs revert to 3 instead of 2.

Signing someone like Zaha or a direct wide left forward who has trickery in abundance will most likely see us get the ball over to him the most with the sole purpose of using his trickery against full backs that are playing for a team sitting deeper defensively against us (which 75% of the Premier League do to catch us on the break and due to our forced high defensive line).

The wide left forwards purpose would be to either cut in or to go on the outside and get past his man which Zaha & Martial seem to be able to do better than most, supplying dangerous balls into Kane and a late arriving Dele or Eriksen. If he gets doubled up on, this could allow players like Eriksen, Grealish, Dele & Kane more freedom to cause damage. If he doesn't get doubled up on, it'll be easier for him so get the ball to him the most.

I've written an essay on this now so I'll stop, but that's the logic I have when it comes to why this position and type of quality we are identifying this window seems to be the highest priority based on who we are being linked with compared to other areas that seem to require more attention like in centre mid or defence with in central defence Toby's situation. I can see us adapting a newer style due to Dembeles role in the team being possibly phased out for a more creative player in his position instead, such as Grealish.

After all of this thinking about what our transfer gameplan is we'll probably end up signing Ndombele or Gomes now instead of a wide forward. That would be hilarious but that's the logic I've come to based on links to players like Malcom, Plea, Zaha etc this window, that's the way I can see us possibly setting up to play
 
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Ben1

Well-Known Member
Jun 22, 2015
2,130
8,411
A long winded one to reply to your message, apologies in advance :s

It seems like Pochettino wants trickery and directness on that wing and to add versatility across the 3 behind the striker. Martial and Zaha can play as forwards when need be so bringing one of them in would give backup to Kane when Son is away with South Korea (or when one or the both are unavailable or injured), and when Son returns offer 3 options up top instead of just Kane & Son, with one of either Son or Zaha still able to function on that left flank should one of them need to play as a forward due to an injury to Kane.

With the links to Grealish & Malcom/Plea/Martial/Zaha seeimingly being the hottest this window as it draws to a close it wouldn't surprise me to see our style and system evolve and change again this year. Grealish will offer competition as well as a central creative outlet to and with Eriksen when need be, a new wide left forward would offer more competition down the left as at the moment as we only have Son there and with Lucas & Lamela on the right as backup to Dele we would have so many different styles in attack with speed, trickery, directness, dribbling, passing, creativity, hold up play & the ability to win free kicks when needed that it will give Pochettino a genuine selection to tailor his gameplan based on teams we are playing against and how things are going during a particular match.

Eriksen & Grealish the creative forces that have different styles to mix it up, Dele the free spirit role that can float from left to right so he can do what he does best, popping up and arriving late, Lamela, Lucas, a new wide left forward & Son that are stronger on a certain wing but have the ability to switch wings allowing Dele when playing to not get man marked as well as the ability to move from central to the left and to the right, making us a very fluid, very active team in the final 3rd, with a lot of floating across the width of the attacking areas of the pitch.

Kane will obviously be our main striker but Zaha & Son, as well as Llorente if he stays for another season will offer sufficient backup and depth offering different varieties of play.

Dier & Wanyama our destroyers in midfield whose sole purpose is ball retrieval, to pressure teams into areas of the pitch where they can't cause damage, preferably over to the wings and to dispense to the creative elements of the team when they do win the ball back, with a flexibility to play Trippier, Aurier, Davies or Rose in a flat back four or as wing backs when our centre backs revert to 3 instead of 2.

Signing someone like Zaha or a direct wide left forward who has trickery in abundance will most likely see us get the ball over to him the most with the sole purpose of using his trickery against full backs that are playing for a team sitting deeper defensively against us (which 75% of the Premier League do to catch us on the break and due to our forced high defensive line).

The wide left forwards purpose would be to either cut in or to go on the outside and get past his man which Zaha & Martial seem to be able to do better than most, supplying dangerous balls into Kane and a late arriving Dele or Eriksen. If he gets doubled up on, this could allow players like Eriksen, Grealish, Dele & Kane more freedom to cause damage. If he doesn't get doubled up on, it'll be easier for him so get the ball to him the most.

I've written an essay on this now so I'll stop, but that's the logic I have when it comes to why this position and type of quality we are identifying this window seems to be the highest priority based on who we are being linked with compared to other areas that seem to require more attention like in centre mid or defence with in central defence Toby's situation. I can see us adapting a newer style due to Dembeles role in the team being possibly phased out for a more creative player in his position instead, such as Grealish.

After all of this thinking about what our transfer gameplan is we'll probably end up signing Ndombele or Gomes now instead of a wide forward. That would be hilarious but that's the logic I've come to based on links to players like Malcom, Plea, Zaha etc this window, that's the way I can see us possibly setting up to play
I get this, its essentially what I presumed. However its still Alli, Lamela, Moura and Son for two spots before any addition. Unless, its a 433 with Alli and Eriksen in the three, as suggested by others. I really don't like that, but Poch knows much better than me if that's the case.
 
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