Tosin Adarabioyo

[ItsBoris]

Didn't want to compete with Romero, now he want to compete with Romero AND Dragusin?

If Pep has taught us anything (and learned himself), it's that you need quality depth at CB to win this league. He had Dias, Stones, Ake, and Akanji, plus Walker who plays as a RCB in a back 3 quite often, and yet he still went and bought Gvardiol last summer.

If any players wants to play in a league-winning team, they have to accept the challenge of battling for places and/or being a rotation player. That's the only way to do it. You don't win a league with 11 players especially not when trying to push for 3 other competitions.

 

[purplemonkey]

KWP is the answer to adding HG defensive depth. Most importantly he’s also club trained. Can cover both RB and LB. Very suited to the demands of Ange's style of football. Top pro, known quantity and as a genuine Spurs fan and as someone who didn’t agitate for a move in the Championship, it’s safe to say he’ll knuckle down and settle for a squad role. He’s in the last year of his contract and I think we have a sell on which will bring the price down further, so won’t make a huge dent in the transfer budget.

Stylistically he’s a good fit as per this article from The Athletic last summer:

“Overall, 62.5 per cent of his Premier League appearances in 2021-22 came at left-back, leading to his first international call-up. Indeed, that figure would have been higher had Livramento not suffered an ACL injury that April, which meant Walker-Peters switched over to his natural position once more.

Walker-Peters became a less crossing-centric version of his left-back predecessor and mainstay Ryan Bertrand, compensating for deliveries out wide with better ball-carrying qualities. This rewired Southampton’s passing networks, with Ralph Hasenhuttl having the width and power of Livramento finely balanced by the guile and inverted positioning of Walker-Peters, who was more akin to Joao Cancelo than Andy Robertson. He often found half pockets of space between the lines and away from the wing — creating the desired central overloads Hasenhuttl perpetually craved.

As a consequence, Walker-Peters’ emerging attacking thrust meant Southampton’s in-possession work became better balanced and increased productivity. Walker-Peters was receiving the ball more and in higher areas than any other full-back at the club in the previous four campaigns, with passing networks being established at left and right back. Livramento’s impact also showed a notable increase in pass value down the right side.


Using Smarterscout, which gives players a series of ratings from zero to 99 relative to either how often they perform a given stylistic action or how effective they are at it compared with others playing in their position, we see an acute upturn in Walker-Peters’ attacking output moving to left-back.

Those who have worked with Walker-Peters say that playing on his unfavoured side enables his greater strengths, such as his dribbling dexterity. At left-back, the former Tottenham Hotspur graduate is more incisive in his decision-making, carrying the ball into more threatening areas of the pitch. This was evidenced in his extremely impressive ball progression in 2021-22 (94 out of 99).
Moreover, not having to hold width compensated for a perceived blindspot in his stylistic profile, which was the quality of his delivery into the box.
As his 2021-22 pizza chart illustrates, Walker-Peters was as good as it got in carry and dribble volume (99 out of 99) when deployed at left back.

Walker-Peters’ positional awareness and calmness under pressure factored into Hasenhuttl’s thinking when trialling him in central midfield during games. There were indications, as illustrated in the example below, of Ruben Selles also wanting to lean on his ability to drift inside the pitch.

Manipulating the ball in tight areas has long been a standout trait, discernibly influenced by his schooling at Tottenham Hotspur. His composure was crucial to Selles, who wanted players to break lines with passes and play out under pressure. But, as Selles would admit in his final press conference, the squad are not inclined to do as such. Walker-Peters’ “pausa” — a trait Southampton generally lack — can act as a pressure valve, winning free-kicks and playing out of tight areas.

“I think Kyle is an extraordinary player,” said Selles. “His ability in positions, but also to understand the system we are playing has big value for us. Kyle has been really good in the Premier League for the last four to five years. He came from Tottenham in the final of the Champions League that season and played games in it. He’s a player that is very important for us.”

In his 31 Premier League appearances in 2022-23, Walker-Peters recorded 53 shot-creating actions, the third-highest in the team and 18 more than any other Saints defender. Curiously, though, he failed to register an assist to go with his solitary goal.
It is somewhat of a quirk given Walker-Peters is a highly proficient dribbler and, as evidenced, Southampton’s chief vehicle for ball progression. Remarkably, he made 102 progressive carries (when a player moves the ball forward at least 10 yards) which was 41 more than Stuart Armstrong, Southampton’s next-best dribbler.
More broadly, Walker-Peters ranks in the top 10 per cent for progressive carries (3.46 per 90 minutes) of full-backs across Europe’s top five leagues and in the top eight per cent for successful take-ons (3.39 per 90).”

 

[rabbikeane]

If Pep has taught us anything (and learned himself), it's that you need quality depth at CB to win this league. He had Dias, Stones, Ake, and Akanji, plus Walker who plays as a RCB in a back 3 quite often, and yet he still went and bought Gvardiol last summer.

A lot of versatile fluid players though who can cover fullback and DM. Tosin and Dragun compete with Romero for that one position, and I'm not sure it's ideal with them in any other. While Ange ask for different from his full backs than Pep, opening up less spots for CBs than we see at CIty.

 

[ItsBoris]

A lot of versatile fluid players though who can cover fullback and DM. Tosin and Dragun compete with Romero for that one position, and I'm not sure it's ideal with them in any other. While Ange ask for different from his full backs than Pep, opening up less spots for CBs than we see at CIty.

Again not many clubs have an equal number of right and left footed central defenders. Because there aren't an equal number of them. I mean how many partnerships of two right footed players do I have to list? Vidic/Ferdinand; Nesta/Cannavaro; Terry/Carvalho, etc.
We already do have a left footed CB in our main partnership. We need defenders who are strong, fast, can pass, good with the ball at their feet. Being left footed is way down the list. If we can get someone for free who has the former qualities it's a no brainer. A better debate is whether Adarabioyo fits the bill in those ways.

Yeah that's right Pep plays defense differently, but he didn't at first. He said in an interview he realized he needed more defensive solidity and that it's when they began to "enjoy" the defensive side that they became really good and started winning everything. We may continue to play differently with fullbacks but we still need defenders who can battle it out with physical and fast forwards in a high line.

 

[kitchen]

If Pep has taught us anything (and learned himself), it's that you need quality depth at CB to win this league. He had Dias, Stones, Ake, and Akanji, plus Walker who plays as a RCB in a back 3 quite often, and yet he still went and bought Gvardiol last summer.

If any players wants to play in a league-winning team, they have to accept the challenge of battling for places and/or being a rotation player. That's the only way to do it. You don't win a league with 11 players especially not when trying to push for 3 other competitions.

Or you can be like Arsenal and never get any injuries...

 

[Adam456]

Seems like a no brainer but the concern for me on this one is that because he's on a free and there is supposedly interest from e.g. Liverpool we overpay quite a bit on his wages to secure him.

Then firstly that he is a blocker to potentially bigger talents in Phillips, Vuk etc. and secondly if the others do get ahead of him we struggle to move him on because of the wages

 

[THFCSPURS19]

 

[Twizzle]

come on down

the price is right

 

[Albertbarich]

Free or not he is good player and I'd be more than happy to see him here.

 

[rabbikeane]

Good signing for those that get him, but I reckon we've already signed someone with his profile in Dragusin.

 

[dontcallme]

I’m happy with our choice of centre backs.

Romero, VDV and Dragusin playing for 2 spots with Davies 4th choice and Phillips as the youngster working towards getting up to level.

 

[JUSTINSIGNAL]

He plays right centreback though?

We saw how that restricted us when Dragusin played there. Surely we need to target a player who is comfortable at LCB or just keep Ben Davies as an option instead.

 

[Johnny J]

Surely we don't need another right-sided CB? Feels like another "opportunity" signing. Many positions we need to strengthen more than this.

 

[coy-spurs1882]

I’m happy with choice of centre backs.

Romero, VDV and Dragusin playing for 2 spots with Davies 4th choice and Phillips as the youngster working towards getting up to level.

Dorrington and Vuskovic too

 

[$hoguN]

Pointless signing we have Romero, Micky, Dragusin and Davies. We also have to start to trust our youth - Phillips and Dorrington are great prospects who need a chance.

 

[Snarfalicious]

Pointless signing we have Romero, Micky, Dragusin and Davies. We also have to start to trust our youth - Phillips and Dorrington are great prospects who need a chance.

Yeah, I agree. I could maybe see a true LCB as a need, but Davies doesn’t really let you down and he helps with the squad makeup. Also, somewhat unrelated but every time I see Dorrington’s forays on the ball and his apparently crisp passing and progression through the center of the pitch he reminds me a bit of Ben White. I may be completely off base with that, but it’s makes me think he may have some ability as a Porro backup. I’m sure someone who knows his overall game better can let me know if that’s crazy talk.

 

[matty74]

I guess it’s the signing home grown players that play a massive factor.

can’t see skipp being in our plans . Sessengon also . We need home grown players but I guess it’s finding the balance and signing the right ones

 

[ItsBoris]

He plays right centreback though?

We saw how that restricted us when Dragusin played there. Surely we need to target a player who is comfortable at LCB or just keep Ben Davies as an option instead.

Surely we don't need another right-sided CB? Feels like another "opportunity" signing. Many positions we need to strengthen more than this.

I don't get this thing about left and right CB suddenly. I've said this before but plenty of great CB pairings have been both right footed. Vidic/Ferdinand, Terry/Carvalho, Nesta/Cannavaro, Puyol/Pique, and plenty of others. Because Dragusin had one bad game on the left side, suddenly we need 2 solid left footed CBs, which basically no other club has? We certainly shouldn't be ruling out a player's potential value to us just because they are a right footed player.

It's a lazy argument imo. Now maybe he's only ever played on the right side of a pairing. Or maybe his left foot is ridiculously weak and so maybe it's not wrong to pigeon-hole him as an exclusively right sided CB. But those aren't the arguments I'm seeing and as far as I'm aware neither is true.

 

[branchie]

Can he defend corners?!?

 

[rabbikeane]

Can he defend corners?!?

He won't get on the pitch to do so, like Dragusin another giant in the air