Player Watch: Fernando Llorente

[BENNO]

This pretty much sums up my view also. As soon as you see him come on you know we are going to play like rubbish in the hope something bounces off him. I know this worked occasionally last season (in high profile occasions) but plenty other times it led to nothing except a poor performance from the team.

You, like a lot of fans, are just thinking about last season and expecting the same to happen this season, when the reality is it won't. Last season was incredibly strange, with masses of players injured at various times, mostly in groups in the same positions ! either injuries or suspensions or both cost us dearly.

If the transfer talk is correct and at the very least we have GLC coming in, and lets say that either Eriksen stays or that Sessegnon also signs. Assuming everyone is fit because that is what you have to assume,then the striker is obviously Kane. regardless of system. If he is injured the striker is Son, and GLC/Eriksen/Lamela or Sessegnon take Sons position. If Kane and Son are injured, then Moura is the focal point. If Kane, Son and Moura are injured then a) Llorente plays and b) we are fucking unlucky. At a pinch we'd probably play Lamela there.

Point is, last season Llorente played in games where the whole team wasn't right, individually or as a unit. This season you have to start by assuming things won't be like that as obviously the problems were caused by the WC and then a smallish squad being stretched by masses of injuries.

I'm not saying Llorente is great, but in a Spurs side that is functioning properly, then he knows the system and players well, and should be able to play a role. Better that than spunking £10m on another cheapish backup player who comes in, clearly isn't good enough and never plays anyway.

 

[thelak]

The positives of Nando outweighed the negatives last season massively! He scored crucial goals and assists in the key stages of the CL! We wouldn’t have got to the final without him

The other thing is we played to his strengths I.e lump it up to him way more than in the early part of his time here

Another season of a seasoned well liked pro that can give us an option with 10 mins to go to try something else against some bus Parkers is not bad thing especially if he is happy to take a wage cut

 

[nailsy]

Have to prioritize needs. Buy a backup striker who may not be happy in limited minutes for 20 million or resign Llorente who we know is a good dressing room guy and won’t cost a dime out of transfer kitty. It’s a no brainer for me.

Spending £20m+ on a back up striker on a four year contract just doesn't make sense if we think Parrott could be ready to fill that role in the next six to twelve months. Llorente is limited in what he can do these days, but he's still pretty effective if you use him in the right way.

 

[Dannyspur]

I worry that the few crucial goals / assists have wiped from memory the larger catalogue of horrendous misses and mis-passes he made. I like him and blame the fact that he had such little playing time. But if he is going to be used for 10mins here and there, I worry that he will never really find his touch.
He will always be a hero for helping get us to the CL Final.

 

[jurgen]

A super ‘pragmatic’ signing, no problem if we get the other big players in, but the people suggesting we use Janssen instead.. behave. Has Janssen ever shown he could score in big CL games let alone the domestic leagues or cups? Scoring a doner kebab on the other hand..

 

[WiganSpur]

I'd rather wait to see how Parrott does in pre-season to be quite honest. If he looks good and bangs the few in then there's no point to Llorente. People have to remember it'll still probably cost us £1m to have him on the books for one year. If he's got no chance of playing then what's the point.

We should just kill two birds with one stone and improved our AM/winger depth. Son and Lucas then the obvious striker deputies.

 

[Japhet]

Spending £20m+ on a back up striker on a four year contract just doesn't make sense if we think Parrott could be ready to fill that role in the next six to twelve months. Llorente is limited in what he can do these days, but he's still pretty effective if you use him in the right way.

Same as people (probably the same ones) saying we should buy a LB for the short term to see how Sessegnon beds in. No idea where they think the money will come from when we're trying to tie up deals in excess of 140m. Llorente is like a free transfer, and IMO the only issue is him taking a non HG squad place, but if we can jiggle things around it's an absolute no brainer.

 

[WiganSpur]

Nobody's even thought about what the fuck he's been doing for the last couple of months. I'm sure he will have been professional enough to keep himself somewhat fit, but it'll hardly be a Poch pre-season. If he does sign it'll take him a good month to get up to speed.

We could well end up having a bench such as Lamela, Lucas and Lo Celso next season (think about it). Why bring on Llorente and start hoofing it over those? Yes he did well against Ajax, but people have forgotten how terrible he was in 90% of games.

Including the £12m sale of Dembele, it seems we'll spend about £100m net. Another £30/40m isn't going to harm us in terms of FFP, especially if we get a few quid for the dross on top. So why not think long term and buy another promising wide player leaving Son and Lucas to deputise up front? It'll only mean there is less business to do the following season.

 

[nailsy]

Nobody's even thought about what the fuck he's been doing for the last couple of months. I'm sure he will have been professional enough to keep himself somewhat fit, but it'll hardly be a Poch pre-season. If he does sign it'll take him a good month to get up to speed.

We could well end up having a bench such as Lamela, Lucas and Lo Celso next season (think about it). Why bring on Llorente and start hoofing it over those? Yes he did well against Ajax, but people have forgotten how terrible he was in 90% of games.

Including the £12m sale of Dembele, it seems we'll spend about £100m net. Another £30/40m isn't going to harm us in terms of FFP, especially if we get a few quid for the dross on top. So why not think long term and buy another promising wide player leaving Son and Lucas to deputise up front? It'll only mean there is less business to do the following season.

Isn't there a good chance that he's been training with us anyway, but not included in the media photos and videos if we were considering offering him a new contract?

 

[jordibwoy]

Same as people (probably the same ones) saying we should buy a LB for the short term to see how Sessegnon beds in. No idea where they think the money will come from when we're trying to tie up deals in excess of 140m. Llorente is like a free transfer, and IMO the only issue is him taking a non HG squad place, but if we can jiggle things around it's an absolute no brainer.

The Non HG part is the biggest thing for me, especially in the CL where Davies and Dier count as Non HG as well (and assuming we get GLC)

 

[Japhet]

Nobody's even thought about what the fuck he's been doing for the last couple of months. I'm sure he will have been professional enough to keep himself somewhat fit, but it'll hardly be a Poch pre-season. If he does sign it'll take him a good month to get up to speed.

We could well end up having a bench such as Lamela, Lucas and Lo Celso next season (think about it). Why bring on Llorente and start hoofing it over those? Yes he did well against Ajax, but people have forgotten how terrible he was in 90% of games.

Including the £12m sale of Dembele, it seems we'll spend about £100m net. Another £30/40m isn't going to harm us in terms of FFP, especially if we get a few quid for the dross on top. So why not think long term and buy another promising wide player leaving Son and Lucas to deputise up front? It'll only mean there is less business to do the following season.

Jack Clarke. And before you say 'he's not ready', what would we do with him if we've filled up the exact role he's meant to fulfil? If we're going to bring in quality like Ndombele and LoCelso there have to be compromises elsewhere. Llorente is no hassle at all and is a great presence to have about the place. The next stage of 'the project' isn't going to be done and dusted in one transfer window.

 

[jordibwoy]

Isn't there a good chance that he's been training with us anyway, but not included in the media photos and videos if we were considering offering him a new contract?

In this day and age we would have found out. No way we can keep that a secret and Ally G probably would have said so if that was the case.

 

[WiganSpur]

Jack Clarke. And before you say 'he's not ready', what would we do with him if we've filled up the exact role he's meant to fulfil? If we're going to bring in quality like Ndombele and LoCelso there have to be compromises elsewhere. Llorente is no hassle at all and is a great presence to have about the place. The next stage of 'the project' isn't going to be done and dusted in one transfer window.

He’s one for the future and probably isn’t ready. But I agree with you. Loaning out Clarke was stupid if all we are going to do is re sign Llorente.

 

[Hercules]

He’s one for the future and probably isn’t ready. But I agree with you. Loaning out Clarke was stupid if all we are going to do is re sign Llorente.

We had zero choice in loaning back. If we didn’t, they wouldn’t deal. Funnily enough those up the road in Islington would of. As would two other clubs.

 

[ikky]

We had zero choice in loaning back. If we didn’t, they wouldn’t deal. Funnily enough those up the road in Islington would of. As would two other clubs.

That’s what I was thinking, the only way we could get him was to loan him back for a year.

 

[ebzrascal]

We need a young hungry striker not llorente if Poch cannot see that, then I'm very disappointed.

 

[Yiddo100]

We need a young hungry striker not llorente if Poch cannot see that, then I'm very disappointed.

Maybe he feels it’s better to spend funds elsewhere (and rightly so)

 

[bbunc]

Would assume this would be one of the very last things to happen in the window if it does. We can’t afford to tie up this non HG spot until we see how things shake out.

 

[ebzrascal]

Maybe he feels it’s better to spend funds elsewhere (and rightly so)

We need goals and to be fair that could come from Son, Dele and Lucas getting 15+ like the Liverpool attacking players do to help Harry Kane who is normally 20+

 

[ebzrascal]

Maybe he feels it’s better to spend funds elsewhere (and rightly so)

Another point on this should we be wasting a foreign spot on Llorente?