The Daily ITK Discussion Thread - 30th May 2012

[Dan Ashcroft]

Talksport were running a story that Afellay could be available for around 6m, now that would be a real bargain....I like Johnson too, but he would be 12m upwards I would have thought, not barring the fact that if he was available I`m sure he would have a host of suitors...

Johnson will be on enormous wages too. And he's not actually very good.

 

[Snuzzy]

don't rate Johnson. certainly won't rate him if City decide to offload him, him being a young home-grown player.

 

[Blake Griffin]

you can't put a potentially world class #10 in a two man central midfield, not only do you limit their effectiveness going forward but you also weaken the team from a defensive stand point. just because he might give you 15 goals playing as a #10 with little defensive responsibility, doesn't mean you'll get 15 goals from him playing in central midfield.

we're not signing him anyway so this was a waste of a post really.

 

[Bromavinci]

Johnson is a fine player who has been stifled at man city. He needs to move and move now to a side where he plays week in week out.

Did I miss ITK on him ?

 

[shaqTHFC]

Bolton's goal being a case in point in the League game there four weeks ago.

But Modric can be good at making those little interceptions, his intelligence allows him to read the game well in a defensive capacity to.

Overall though he doesn't push hard enough to track runs etc and when played in a CM two that will and has cost us at times. Its why he needed to be played in a three, a lot of the time, to get the best out of him, to shackle him of that defensive responsibility with the other two taking those roles on.

I'm convinced that's why Parker's form dipped in the final third of the season as well, the amount of work he had to do when in a CM two with Modric was phenomenal.

Yep, can't really disagree with that. However, to me it did look like Parker could've sat and screened more like he did earlier in the season, and I think Modric played too deep at times. It's one of the reasons I liked it when Sandro came in for the last few games as he screened the back 4 more rather than running around everywhere. Perhaps Parker grew more confident whereas earlier he was more trying to prove himself (for club and country) and came forward more or he just had to run around so much because Modric shirked responsibility (eg tracking runners such as Reo Coker). I could be wrong but that's how it looked to me.

 

[faze_coys]

Johnson wouldnt start week in week out for us though...

and if he did get a run of games and say lennon was dropped to the bench it wouldnt be long before lennon would take his spot back.

there is a reason johnson has been used as an impact player for city.

 

[StartingPrice]

Sometimes you have to think about these about if he worked in your office. Modric this season has played the same as last season, which is a great credit to the professionalism of the guy. We all say "oh he has a contract he should play like that", but look at Fabregas towards the end at Arsenal, he did not want to be there anymore and it really showed. I definitely have respect for Luka for being professional this season.

Then I think well if I, at work, did a really good job and was a top performer...I would expect a promotion or more money. If somebody else came along and wanted me and wanted to pay me more money...why would I say no?

Its life, and football moves quickly. Ronaldinho went from undoubtedly the best in the world to an after-thought in a very short space of time. If someone will pay you £200k a week today, they might not pay that in a year!

So from a career point of view, I can understand Luka wanting to move. And if I was an employer and he was my employee, and he wanted to move on to a great side like Barca or Madrid...I'd be willing to let him. The contract he signed....maybe this isn't true...but at Zagreb he signed a 10 year contract so it would protect his value when he got a transfer. Maybe he signed the 6 year deal so it would protect his value for Spurs.

I do think that the problem has occurred that Levy would be ok with losing him abroad but he doesn't classify another English team as a "big move", where Luka did.

I hope Luka stays ... would not blame him for wanting to win titles and play in the CL, I would just hope he shows some professionalism in his conduct in the close season which he didn't last season. As much as I hate Berbatov and he refused to play...all summer long he never spoke about any transfer

The problem wasn't that he wanted to leave though. I tnever was. It was that he allowed the Chavs to blatantly tap him up, gave a ridiculous interview to the Fail when he should have been talking to THFC, and then colluded with Chelsea to try and keep the price as low as possible, to their benefit,and the detriment of his employers. And all this shortly after telling everyone he believed he could fulfill his footballing ambitions with us, and stating over and over that he was very happy where he was, and then, shortly after, that he was waiting to see our ambition in the transfer market - and yet gaave his interview to the Fail when the transfer window had barely opened, for him to see our ambition or otherwise. That was the problem.

When we signed him, I said that if we had him for 3 years and then made a massive profit I wuld be happy - so, I am not intrinsically against the idea of selling him, and would be accepting of it this Summer as long as we are in control of the situation and sell where we want to sell.

BTW, I find it wholly spurious when folk in the real World trying and make what goes on in their careers in some way analagous to footballers' careers. They are nothing alike. One of the reasons footballers get paid a fortune is because they are so unalike.

Also, you can't compare how Fabregas was at the end of his Goons career with how Modric was last year. Fabregas had been tapped up the two previous Summer's, making that his third at the Scumerates when he had wanted to go and the Goons refused to let him. Wait until Modric has been here for a third season after Modric-Gate began, and see how he is and then compare it to Fabregas.

 

[SpurSince57]

Johnson is a fine player who has been stifled at man city. He needs to move and move now to a side where he plays week in week out.

Did I miss ITK on him ?

No.

 

[StartingPrice]

Johnson is a fine player who has been stifled at man city. He needs to move and move now to a side where he plays week in week out.

Did I miss ITK on him ?

I find myself in the strange position of agreeing with Mr Bromavinci.
Anyone who thinks Johnson is a poor player really can't have watched much of him.
Citeh often looked sterile until he came on, when he would virtually drag them forward himself, and he was always a goal threat. He would then be forced to sit on the bench again, and watch another turgid display before being called upon to save them again. After a season of that, he might have been expected to get regular game time - instead Citeh went out and spent another £40 million or something Twats.

At any club other than Citeh, folk on here would be drooling over him.

 

[Brazilyid]

Not sure if this has been mentioned but the mail, mirror and telegraph all saying we might bid 7 million for Demba Ba.

 

[RuskyM]

Not sure if this has been mentioned but the mail, mirror and telegraph all saying we might bid 7 million for Demba Ba.

Would be a good signing if so PROVIDED we got Ade/Leandro/de Jong in as well. Much cheaper version of Remy by the look of it.

 

[ajspurs]

Yep, can't really disagree with that. However, to me it did look like Parker could've sat and screened more like he did earlier in the season, and I think Modric played too deep at times. It's one of the reasons I liked it when Sandro came in for the last few games as he screened the back 4 more rather than running around everywhere. Perhaps Parker grew more confident whereas earlier he was more trying to prove himself (for club and country) and came forward more or he just had to run around so much because Modric shirked responsibility (eg tracking runners such as Reo Coker). I could be wrong but that's how it looked to me.

It's one of the things that made me think, is this supposed lack of tactical training and analysis before a match really as non existent as rumoured? The times when I'd repeatedly see Parker more advanced than Modric, it just always left me wondering why it wasn't the other way round and why Parker hadn't been told to (like you said) just sit and screen.

 

[Spurger King]

Not sure if this has been mentioned but the mail, mirror and telegraph all saying we might bid 7 million for Demba Ba.

Levy will do anything to save money on printing names on shirts.

 

[mil1lion]

Would be a good signing if so PROVIDED we got Ade/Leandro/de Jong in as well. Much cheaper version of Remy by the look of it.

Remy plays on the right though.

Ba would be a great replacement for Saha as backup for Ade. I would prefer Leandro or De Jong though provided we can afford either.

 

[Brazilyid]

Would be a good signing if so PROVIDED we got Ade/Leandro/de Jong in as well. Much cheaper version of Remy by the look of it.

Was also talk at the end of the season that Papiss Cisse has a release clause for around 15 Million. Two strikers for 22 million who have a proven partnership would be a good bit of business if true. We would be screwed when it's African Cup time.

 

[Dan Ashcroft]

Not sure if this has been mentioned but the mail, mirror and telegraph all saying we might bid 7 million for Demba Ba.

Levy will never sign a player who we can't get insured. End of.

 

[Spurger King]

Levy will never sign a player who we can't get insured. End of.

Ba humbug.

 

[nasescoba1985]

So can we all confirm and be confident that finally Vertonghen will be a spurs player by the weekend? Judging by the ITK'S today and rumours in holland, to me this looks to be done. Vertonghen is a spur

 

[Graysonti]

So can we all confirm and be confident that finally Vertonghen will be a spurs player by the weekend? Judging by the ITK'S today and rumours in holland, to me this looks to be done. Vertonghen is a spur

Looking positive shall we say

 

[Brazilyid]

Levy will never sign a player who we can't get insured. End of.

King wont be getting a new contract then.