Lets just say....

[mattyspurs]

...that we didn't manage to upgrade our striking department again this transfer window!!!

"How dare you even suggest this?" I can hear you all saying this now. But just hear me out please.

I understand, like all of you, that our failure for not reaching 4th spot or better last season was pretty much down to our strikers being incapable of scoring goals. I agree that we need a shiny new top of the range one lady owner Striker ie: a Rossi, Eto'o, Benzema, Llorente, Adebayor, Vucinic etc etc etc... But what if we can't attract them. Whats happens then?

Are our strikers really that bad? Defoe, although he has never had a fantastic season, he has always been a goalscorer. You don't just loose the ability to score goals. He got injured early on last season for England, just after he scored a Hat trick playing off Rooney. I got really excited thinking he could do that off of Rafa. Perhaps he never recovered from that injury properly.

Crouch, in the first half of the season linked up very well with Rafa, then we changed things about a bit and he didn't really get a look in. That could work again!

Pav, hit and miss really. Can do no wrong in some fans minds, and is shit in others. But he can score goals, and seems to come alive at the end of the season. Maybe a sustained run out could be beneficial to him and us.

Keane. Oh Robbie Keane. I still love you, thousands don't. Perhaps, if we hadn't loaned him out at the end of last season and he was given a proper go, he might have got the goals to keep us going. We never will know, but has he still got it in him?

Rafa. I have loved you for years Rafa, and I had always dreamed about you joining my Spurs, and then you did. But was this the problem. Was it the fact that he joined so late that we struggled to find the right system to play him and others togeher to get the best out of everyone. This season he is here from the start. He will have no world cup hangover, a full preseason with the rest of his team mates to work together on a system that works for all.



Look I am now saying I am happy with what we have got, but, if the worst happens and we don't sign this new shiny straiker that we all crave, can we get through with what we already have? They have all got us into the CL before, why can they not do it again?

 

[whitelightwhiteheat]

Not to be all negative about things before we've even kicked a ball in anger, I fear not signing a class act up front would see us stall a little this season. This is something we can ill afford, let's face it, we're struggling to keep hold of Modric and Bale as things stand after a great season all in all.

So if, worst comes to the worst, we struggle to make an impact next season, that will see Modric and Bale leave.

I know, I know. No player is bigger than the club, we can rebuild etc etc. But we can't keep selling our best players and expect to be able to keep pace with the top clubs.

So for me. It's unthinkable. Two of our current batch need to be moved on, and at least one new Ready To Get Goals plus a young gun need to be brought in.

I love all of our current batch for what they've done for us. Robbie Keane - 120+ goals for us. Needs no mention really, but it's time to move on. And A.N Other of the other batch.

I've been on the fence with Pav, mostly frustrated with him. Knowing he can do so much more if he put his mind to it. But right now I'd keep him, and look to shift on Defoe.

I think Defoe lost that yard of pace which made him such a threat. Once that goes you can't get it back and he doesn't have enough other stuff in his locker to make him worthwhile keeping.

 

[Super Tottenham]

I think we'll finish 6th if we don't upgrade at least 1 striker. Defoe's lost his pace, Crouch has rarely scored many goals, Pav is hit and miss as you say, Keane's past his best. The other top teams have strikers on the bench better than any of ours.

 

[Hot-Spur]

The thought of starting next season with the same 4 strikers we have is the most depressing thing I've heard for a long time. I would be be pretty much like this :bang: as far as I'm concered their woeful finishing was the reason we drew so many games last season and missed out on 4th.

 

[mattyspurs]

So basically, so far what you are all saying is that there would be a mass suicide on SC if this happened?

 

[pablo73]

The problem is they are all on the decline, with the possible exception of Pav. Which means we will be going backwards while everyone else is strengthening which means we will do well to stay still, let alone move forward.

I get a bit fed up with people saying our strikers got us into the champions league. The overall squad did that and the strikers were, in my opinion, the weakest link even at that time. We got 4th more in spite of them, rather than because of them, IMHO.

If we don't upgrade our strikers we can kiss goodbye to any chance of Champions league and with it kiss goodbye to our best players. This is our last chance to capitalise on the fact that for the first time in a geneation we actually have a few top, top players. Our strikeforce are mid table level and that's probably being kind.

 

[pablo73]

So basically, so far what you are all saying is that there would be a mass suicide on SC if this happened?

yep, that's about the size of it

 

[Hot-Spur]

So basically, so far what you are all saying is that there would be a mass suicide on SC if this happened?

Thats about the size of it yes :wink:

 

[mattyspurs]

By the way, I do want a new strikeforce, i'm just trying to be a bit positive amongst all of the negative vibes aruond the place at the moment!

 

[Hot-Spur]

yep, that's about the size of it

Ooooh great minds :grin:

 

[Shanks]

Not mass suicide, but dissappointment.

Although I think spurs fans can be deluded in thinking we are big time after hitting the CL once. Seem to believe that staying at WHL, we could draw in the big players.

We would have been a much better prospect, had we landed the OS site. Dare I say it, but maybe even given the team a lift had that gone through as well.

I believe we have hit our potential as it stands. We won't challenge for fourth next season if our squad stays the same. I believe we were lucky the season before, seeing as Liverpool had a shocking season and will definitely be back up there this season.

I'd like better players, but I don't know how we are going to get them.

 

[brett.spurs]

I'd give Lennon a chance up top.

 

[mattstev2000]

I don't think Defoe is really a goalscorer. If you look at his league scoring stats last season's tally was the odd one out, all the others are pretty average and last season's tally was greatly padded with lots of goals against Wigan and Hull.

Pav is a bit hot and cold, although he should have been considerably more chances than he was given by Redknapp considering the performances last season.

And I refuse to even refer to Crouch as a striker considering his stats. I invented a new position for him 'assister' and he doesn't do that particularly well. Handy for defending corners though I suppose.

Seriously, if we don't get better strikers in this summer we're going to be well short of the top clubs again.

 

[SpunkyBackpack]

I like our strikers, i think theyre good, they just all happened to be off form and a bit poo last season.



But then again i still think Robbie Keane has a part to play next season and i havent got a bloody clue who half the people you guys mention are despite them being worth millions of pounds. I find it hard to get that fussed about top flight football at the best of times, particularly when there isnt any being played.

 

[whitelightwhiteheat]

So basically, so far what you are all saying is that there would be a mass suicide on SC if this happened?

Well, life would go on of course! I've supported Spurs through the most barren spell in the club's history probably! Spurs events that I can remember in my lifetime: FA Cup final win and two Carling Cups!

So, I don't get suicidal if things don't go the way I'd hope, but we've never been so close (apart from mid 90s, with Klinmann and our uber-attacking Ardiles team!) to having something great as we are right now. So this is new territory for me!

I'd be disappointed though, no two ways about it, if we didn't get a striker of better standard than what we've got. Gutted, in fact.

 

[NEVILLEB]

God no!

 

[Hot-Spur]

Well, life would go on of course! I've supported Spurs through the most barren spell in the club's history probably! Spurs events that I can remember in my lifetime: FA Cup final win and two Carling Cups!

So, I don't get suicidal if things don't go the way I'd hope, but we've never been so close (apart from mid 90s, with Klinmann and our uber-attacking Ardiles team!) to having something great as we are right now. So this is new territory for me!

I'd be disappointed though, no two ways about it, if we didn't get a striker of better standard than what we've got. Gutted, in fact.

Same as me, not much for 21 years

 

[spurs mental]

I'd give Lennon a chance up top.

This. Or maybe Bale. I think Bale would be quite handy up front actually.

 

[whitelightwhiteheat]

Same as me, not much for 21 years

I've got quite used to it. I dunno about anyone else but I got quite uneasy with the expectations of actually winning lol

Every defeat last season seemed to be even worse than in previous years. Not sure why.

 

[Krafty]

It's a combination of a few factors. On form, any of the strikers can score goals and cause problems for the opposition. However, some struggle to build up form quickly (Defoe), some struggle to maintain form for long enough periods (Pav), some can only do well against certain teams and styles (Crouch) and some need the right partner to work with (Keane).

None of them deserve to be first choice when not on form, so we end up chopping and changing, hoping to avoid the dire performances but not succeeding in achieving quality performances. I think selling at least one of those four, possible two, would enhance the performances of the others imply because they would get more game time, stay sharper, blend in better, and ultimately score more.

Also VDV joined very later in the piece and we introduced a new system to accommodate him. It worked in instances with Crouch, but as said above Crouch struggles against certain teams and styles (if you push up he isnt going to cause trouble in behind, and if you double up on him he wont win as many balls in the air), but neither Defoe or Pav worked with VDV in behind.

And there were also selection and tactical errors from the management. One that comes to mind is Crouch playing against Utd at home where Vidic owned him, this after Defoe had scored two against charlton the previous week (yes it was only Charlton, but at least he had scored and his movement would cause Vidic and Ferdinand more problems).

If we don't change up the front line then Harry needs to decide on a system and pairing that is his firs choice for the majority. it might piss one or two players off, but it will get overall better performances. It's why I think our outgoings might be of more importance than our incomings this window.