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We need a lot of work

ajspurs

Well-Known Member
Jul 7, 2007
22,987
31,167
It's strange, despite the range of positives this season I feel we really need a lot of work done to the team. Bale has certainly almost single handedly carried us along throughout the season too, well, at least in the 2nd half of the season. We have the striker situation where IMO, not only do we not have enough, but it's possibly fair to suggest that the ones we even do have are not good enough.
Then we have the central midfield situation which hasn't been spoken about as much as other problems but I feel this has been a big big problem and I think it's contributed to seeing some of the worst consistently bad performances at home I've witnessed for years. We bypass the middle of the pitch so much sometimes and as a result we've seen a lot more long balls from defence to attack and our football obviously suffers from it. Not having any ball players due to the loss of VDV and Modric has just made our style of play so patchy. Away from home we can get away with it but at home it always plays into the hands of the opposition.

Then there's the LW and RW issue. Dempsey, Holtby and Sigurdsson are far from the answer to these positions, they've been playing on the left mostly and despite sometimes putting in good shifts it almost feels like we're wasting a position by using them there. Lennon on the other side is one of the best wingers in the league when he's on form IMO but this form doesn't come consistently enough at all and I'm wondering if the time to rely on him to deliver for us in a season from that position is up. Both sides need to be looked at.

I know there are probably more issues but these are the ones that are incredibly important for us to move forward as a club. I hope some of our successes don't cover up the work that I personally think needs to be done.
 

Gbspurs

Gatekeeper for debates, King of the plonkers
Jan 27, 2011
26,945
61,824
Of course we need work. All teams do. I trust the managers ability to spot what's wrong and come back stronger.
 

stormfly

Well-Known Member
Dec 6, 2006
4,584
11,990
We've been crap for years and we are finally catching up. The problem is when you are catching up you're are going to get close but Mess it up. Give it another year or two and we'll finally get there.
 

kaz Hirai

Well-Known Member
Nov 5, 2008
17,692
25,340
It's strange, despite the range of positives this season I feel we really need a lot of work done to the team. Bale has certainly almost single handedly carried us along throughout the season too, well, at least in the 2nd half of the season. We have the striker situation where IMO, not only do we not have enough, but it's possibly fair to suggest that the ones we even do have are not good enough.
Then we have the central midfield situation which hasn't been spoken about as much as other problems but I feel this has been a big big problem and I think it's contributed to seeing some of the worst consistently bad performances at home I've witnessed for years. We bypass the middle of the pitch so much sometimes and as a result we've seen a lot more long balls from defence to attack and our football obviously suffers from it. Not having any ball players due to the loss of VDV and Modric has just made our style of play so patchy. Away from home we can get away with it but at home it always plays into the hands of the opposition.

Then there's the LW and RW issue. Dempsey, Holtby and Sigurdsson are far from the answer to these positions, they've been playing on the left mostly and despite sometimes putting in good shifts it almost feels like we're wasting a position by using them there. Lennon on the other side is one of the best wingers in the league when he's on form IMO but this form doesn't come consistently enough at all and I'm wondering if the time to rely on him to deliver for us in a season from that position is up. Both sides need to be looked at.

I know there are probably more issues but these are the ones that are incredibly important for us to move forward as a club. I hope some of our successes don't cover up the work that I personally think needs to be done.


i'll probably have few people disagree with this because he has so many fans. But I don't think lennon is that great, and would love to upgrade and relegate him to the bench

Keep him as he is a good squad type player but too inconsistent and always a player who just looks threatening rather than actually being a threat. Usually has a spell each season were he looks good, kinda like JD but just doesn't get himself involved in the play.
 

ajspurs

Well-Known Member
Jul 7, 2007
22,987
31,167
Of course we need work. All teams do. I trust the managers ability to spot what's wrong and come back stronger.

Of course but I think we need more than maybe some people think. When we had VDV and Modric I really felt we were just one or two signings away from being top top quality, now I personally think we need 2 strikers, at least 1 central midfielder, 2 wide men and maybe a left back. Not sure I can see us brining in 7 players of the required quality to fill those positions but it's what I think we need.
 

ajspurs

Well-Known Member
Jul 7, 2007
22,987
31,167
i'll probably have few people disagree with this because he has so many fans. But I don't think lennon is that great, and would love to upgrade and relegate him to the bench

Keep him as he is a good squad type player but too inconsistent and always a player who just looks threatening rather than actually being a threat. Usually has a spell each season were he looks good, kinda like JD but just doesn't get himself involved in the play.

At around the Xmas point I probably would have argued your point but I'm starting to feel the same.
 

Misfit

President of The Niles Crane Fanclub
May 7, 2006
21,015
34,214
Strikers and a CM who might be less of a busy **** than Holtby etc but is our Mate/Silva/whisper it - VDV.

Other than that, a settled back 5 is long overdue.
 

mpickard2087

Patient Zero
Jun 13, 2008
21,886
32,513
i'll probably have few people disagree with this because he has so many fans. But I don't think lennon is that great, and would love to upgrade and relegate him to the bench

Keep him as he is a good squad type player but too inconsistent and always a player who just looks threatening rather than actually being a threat. Usually has a spell each season were he looks good, kinda like JD but just doesn't get himself involved in the play.

I don't know why people would disagree with this, spot on.
 

Syn_13

Fly On, Little Wing
Jul 17, 2008
14,851
20,659
Strikers and a CM who might be less of a busy **** than Holtby etc but is our Mate/Silva/whisper it - VDV.

Other than that, a settled back 5 is long overdue.

You're right. We seriously lack friends right now. :(
 

Misfit

President of The Niles Crane Fanclub
May 7, 2006
21,015
34,214
Hah, yes bit of a typo there. That aside I think it was a belter of a post in content and quality.

/self-satisfied
 

mill

Well-Known Member
May 21, 2007
10,385
37,100
Defence concedes too many, not enough creativity in midfield, a new striker needed and an upgrade on Lennon. So yeah at lot of work needed IMHO. We've played some very dour football this year and not smashed any teams apart from the first Inter game
 

Misfit

President of The Niles Crane Fanclub
May 7, 2006
21,015
34,214
Going forward, would AVB not try his hardest to direct DL into at least signing players that allow him to switch to 3 up front?

If AVB does start to try and change our formation to that for the majority of our games, Azza might organically find himself as no longer first choice. Certainly he'd be an option for wide right up front but realistically, he's not good enough in terms of confidence or end product for that role. If so then replacing him isn't so much the issue as concentrating on getting the right strikers in.
 

Mattspur

ENIC IN
Jan 7, 2004
4,885
7,257
Of course but I think we need more than maybe some people think. When we had VDV and Modric I really felt we were just one or two signings away from being top top quality, now I personally think we need 2 strikers, at least 1 central midfielder, 2 wide men and maybe a left back. Not sure I can see us brining in 7 players of the required quality to fill those positions but it's what I think we need.

Where are you playing Bale?
 

beats1

Well-Known Member
Feb 22, 2010
30,006
29,551
Strikers and a CM who might be less of a busy **** than Holtby etc but is our Mate/Silva/whisper it - VDV.

Other than that, a settled back 5 is long overdue.
Thing is Holtby looked like a Mate;)/Silva/VDV type of player in the Schalke team but he looks a shadow of the player that caused Arsenal so many problems earlier this season but Holtby seems to be running around like Freund than that guy for Schalke. Im interested how it turn out but it didnt help he was playing on the wing. I think we needed a CM that AVB could trust to put straight in and not take his time.
 

ajspurs

Well-Known Member
Jul 7, 2007
22,987
31,167
Where are you playing Bale?

To be honest, I forgot to think about where I'd play Bale if he stays but I would have him on the right, certainly not in the middle and I think he'd get a lot more goals there than on the left and he can occupy those more central positions from the right anyway so with that in mind, maybe only one winger would be needed if Lennon is back up.
 

Misfit

President of The Niles Crane Fanclub
May 7, 2006
21,015
34,214
Thing is Holtby looked like a Mate;)/Silva/VDV type of player in the Schalke team but he looks a shadow of the player that caused Arsenal so many problems earlier this season but Holtby seems to be running around like Freund than that guy for Schalke. Im interested how it turn out but it didnt help he was playing on the wing. I think we needed a CM that AVB could trust to put straight in and not take his time.
Indeed. Holtby is going to be like a new signing next season, imo. He could easily cement a starting berth and, as you rightly say, isn't exactly an inelegant plodder when it comes to creativity. I think at least 2 of Hudd, Parker and Jake are offski. I suppose that leaves us with Sandro and Moose for the deeper CM spots. After that, we've got Siggy and Holtby as AMs and Clint as a general one size fits all utility player for anywhere but defence. AVB will certainly be looking to bring in a CM he has trust in. In fact, it's a must. Even if Holtby and Siggy really kick on next season, we don't have any quality depth.
 

Mattspur

ENIC IN
Jan 7, 2004
4,885
7,257
As my sig shows, I think we need a new left back, center mid, right wing forward (who can play on the left aswell) and a striker.
 

mrlilywhite

Well-Known Member
Sep 1, 2008
3,174
4,992
I agree with everything you have said ajspurs, As I am sure most spurs fans do. I have noticed that when we do play dempsey/sig in that inside fwd position, That it leaves our full backs exposed and also it creates issues when our full backs get fwd, The lack of width has been detrimental to our ability to stretch the opposition and this is in part due to having clint or gylfi......But the one thing that has forced this, Is the emergence of Bale through the middle and our fwds being unable to find consistency....Normally round pegs in square holes does not normally work and I think avb`s brilliance has shown that although not ideal, He can work wonders with limited resources.

I agree that next season we need to get in the RIGHT players that can give Avb the tools to do the job right, I believe with the right players that we will challenge. I think with Utd, City and Chelsea all with new managers that will need time to bed in there ideas, That it will give us the chance to mount a serious challenge. I hear a lot of fellow spur`s fans saying we must keep Bale at all cost`s and whilst true, I believe the most important person we need to keep sweet is Avb, He is pivotal to the success this club will have. That said I think both of them will be at the lane next season and hopefully herald a new of era of Tottenham Hotspur success.
 

Misfit

President of The Niles Crane Fanclub
May 7, 2006
21,015
34,214
As my sig shows, I think we need a new left back, center mid, right wing forward (who can play on the left aswell) and a striker.
Pretty bang on. I'd expect another couple of young and cheapish players on top of that too tbh. Whether they are a couple in the yoof set-up who have caught AVB's eye in that regard or whether we sign them from elsewhere.
 
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