The Weekend ITK Discussion Thread 26/27 July 2014

[THOWIG]

Think it just shows that there aren't the players available.

 

[loaderspurs]

Think it just shows that there aren't the players available.

Centre backs are becoming the new left backs, in regards to quality that is available.

 

[THOWIG]

Centre backs are becoming the new left backs, in regards to quality that is available.

Exactly, and we actually have four pretty decent ones.

 

[belsunz]

I can understand why people won't like us signing Shawcross. But I can't understand why anyone would have a problem with us showing "interest", which is all this apparently is.

He ticks a lot of boxes. What if there was any reason that would make him available for just a few million? Say we knew he could move for less than an amount we'd been offered for Dawson? Or that he would be cheaper than Lovren (he is), Vlaar (he might be), Caulker (he probably is), or anyone else.

Showing an interest is a world away from an offer, which is a world away from a deal. If you're unhappy with our current CB selection, I don't get why you could possibly object to any "interest" in Shawcross. Why not at least ask a question? It isn't like there's a load of homegrown Beckenbauer's out there.

Very true. Being linked with him, Vlaar and obviously Lovren this window learns us something about the profile our new CB preferably needs to have:

- experienced in PL
- strong, no nonsense hard tackler to complement ball-playing defender Vert
- good header of the ball
- rarely injured
- leadership mentality

We have to agree Shawcross fits these criteria quite well, don't we?

(Have to admit I am playing devil's advocate here to a certain extent, but wanted to feed the discussion instead of typing 'oh no not him')

 

[atoubasrightfoot]

I suspect there's probably interest because it's approaching august and we haven't got anyone else in. If Daws is off then we need a CB. Shawcross can do a job, we probably have other and better targets but he's identified as a possible if it comes to it.

 

[daveduvet]

Stoke chief exec suggested 2 days ago that they've no need to sell him or begavic to balance books - despite interest from man city on shawcross... BBC sport website...

 

[yankspurs]

There's "interest" that's all The Goat has heard. The player is reluctant to come 'daaahn saaarf" as cowheel pie and tripe baguettes are hard to come by in the smerk. It is thought he'd come if the money were reeeet, lad.

What the actual fuck? You expect me to understand this in my catatonic state? Translate this to English, please. Go home, Goat. You're drunk.

Not as drubk as me last night though. WOOF! Am I feeling it!

 

[Gaz_Gammon]

For someone who is so apparently crap Shawcross has been a main part of the best, most consistent defence outside of the top 6 for several seasons. Must all be a fluke I guess.

Would that be Mr Ryan 43 yellows and 4 red cards Shawcross?

Just what we need, a clogger.

 

[Bulletspur]

There's no need for someone like him at spurs, Sandro, Kaboul and Paulinho got sent off every time they tackled someone anywhere near the way stoke does

????

 

[Gaz_Gammon]

Someone at some point suggested molding Sandro into a CB. I think that could be worth a shot. Defensively Sandro is one of the best around. Offensively not so much. Why not focus on his strengths? It would solve our CB problem and appease all the Sandro lovers who want him to stay. This is just my opinion but I think after the injury he could benefit from playing in a less athletic role in defense as opposed to the midfield.

Why the fuck would a club the size of Spurs not want to buy an actual CB rather than converting a midfielder to CB?













I fooking give up....................................

 

[Oshi]

Would that be Mr Ryan 43 yellows and 4 red cards Shawcross?

Just what we need, a clogger.

We already have a clogger in Dawson, trouble is he is too slow to even be in a position to get a yellow or red card!

At least Shawcross can catch up with someone to mangle them into a twitching heap

 

[sloth]

I can understand why people won't like us signing Shawcross. But I can't understand why anyone would have a problem with us showing "interest", which is all this apparently is.

He ticks a lot of boxes. What if there was any reason that would make him available for just a few million? Say we knew he could move for less than an amount we'd been offered for Dawson? Or that he would be cheaper than Lovren (he is), Vlaar (he might be), Caulker (he probably is), or anyone else.

Showing an interest is a world away from an offer, which is a world away from a deal. If you're unhappy with our current CB selection, I don't get why you could possibly object to any "interest" in Shawcross. Why not at least ask a question? It isn't like there's a load of homegrown Beckenbauer's out there.

Because there's 30 or 40 other CBs you'd hope we'd express an interest in first?

 

[danielneeds]

I'd agree with the injecting a bit of experience and steal into the team - but surely we have a few capable of stepping up? Lloris is the French captain so surely has the leadership qualities! I think this is a big season for Vertonghen as well thinking about it. If he expects CL or a 'big' team to come calling then he needs to showcase an ability to lead and command for someone of his age.

I've mentioned a few times that we need a similar player to Kaboul (athletic CB) to complement Vertonghen and Vlad (technical cb) - id priorities this over a purely leadership man...might as well keep our club captain in Dawson for the moral support if his happy to play 5th fiddle!

I just don't think Vertonghen is that type of player. I know he was captain at Ajax, but I think that was more a case of being the most talented senior player.

On the pitch he's more of a lone wolf than an organiser and cajoler of others, and when he's on form such as in his debut season he leads by his performances.

All of that is fine, but for me, means that Kaboul is not the right partner for him, or Chiriches, because they have very similar traits, and Dawson's form has been shot to pieces by playing higher up the pitch.

 

[Gaz_Gammon]

We already have a clogger in Dawson, trouble is he is too slow to even be in a position to get a yellow or red card!

At least Shawcross can catch up with someone to mangle them into a twitching heap

A bit like Kaboul then?

At least we'd have a matching pair, a bit like the candelabras the wife keeps on our mantelpiece.............

 

[sloth]

Very true. Being linked with him, Vlaar and obviously Lovren this window learns us something about the profile our new CB preferably needs to have:

- experienced in PL
- strong, no nonsense hard tackler to complement ball-playing defender Vert
- good header of the ball
- rarely injured
- leadership mentality

We have to agree Shawcross fits these criteria quite well, don't we?

(Have to admit I am playing devil's advocate here to a certain extent, but wanted to feed the discussion instead of typing 'oh no not him')

It doesn't necessarily say anything about what the club's doing, it could say something about lazy folk putting their own analysis of what we need and assuming the club's will be the same.

 

[absolute bobbins]

Shawcross is a yes from me, sometimes you need a **** in your team to give good players freedom to perform, Chelsea have John Terry for example, he's very limited as a footballer and a human but he enables the rest of the team to play with less fear about the defence.

It's not like he's Charlie Adam, he's a fringe England player who would probably be a full international if he was playing for a bigger club the the Orc's

 

[sloth]

Shawcross is a yes from me, sometimes you need a **** in your team. It's not like he's Charlie Adam, he's a fringe England player who would probably be a full international if he was playing for a bigger club the the Orc's

Go check his Squawka stats and then compare him to any other PL CB you can think of. To put them in perspective, they're considerably worse than Dawson's in nearly every department except long balls! It makes no sense to get rid of Dawson and replace him with Shawcross which is why I think the Goat's misheard on this one.

 

[Yid1987]

Shawcross is a yes from me, sometimes you need a **** in your team. It's not like he's Charlie Adam, he's a fringe England player who would probably be a full international if he was playing for a bigger club the the Orc's

Agree. We are currently poor defensively and need someone who is first and foremost a defender. Shawcross is actually better in possession than some are giving him credit for on here!

 

[felmani26]

Surely we can come up with better alternatives and ones which would almost certainly be cheaper than Ryan bleeding Shawcross - Manolas, Gonzalez and Schär instantly spring to mind.

Despite all the talk about the left side of our defence, it's the right hand side that troubles me.

 

[sloth]

Agree. We are currently poor defensively and need someone who is first and foremost a defender. Shawcross is actually better in possession than some are giving him credit for on here!

If he's the answer then we should just keep Dawson as for all his limitations he's a better defender than Shawcross.