- Jul 20, 2005
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Building a team, a stadium, getting a manager worthy of building a legacy then throw it away as you won't spend on 2 to 3 first team players. Yup definitely a let down.The last 10 years of spurs.
Building a team, a stadium, getting a manager worthy of building a legacy then throw it away as you won't spend on 2 to 3 first team players. Yup definitely a let down.The last 10 years of spurs.
Building a team, a stadium, getting a manager worthy of building a legacy then throw it away as you won't spend on 2 to 3 first team players. Yup definitely a let down.
Being in Milan watching Crouch score that header I really thought it was the start of something. Shame.
what header in Milan?
Against AC. Oh shit it wasn’t a header ha. You get my general point though...
Actually it looks like like a completely normal window. Osimhen is close to Lille for 70-80m which would be high even without covid, Gabriel is leaving for 30m. Hakimi also had a offer for 60m which would be normal pre-covid. Tbh with deflated market we would sell player cheap but then would buy even cheaper, it's still good situationI think it's going to be extremely hard going in this transfer window. Only clubs with oil money will be spending big and players won't want to move if wages have dropped. Levy will hang onto the purse strings even tighter than usual so all in all, I expect a fair bit of disappointment. The only ray of hope is that some clubs might be forced to sell at knock down prices.
Your surety is interesting, when you consider VVD, who many now consider to be the best defender in the world, had only just left the SPL for Southampton when he was Davinson’s age.
Defenders don’t usually peak until their late twenties, he’s a physical specimen and has great attributes to be a real solid centre half. If he can improve his composure and improve with the ball at his feet, he could potentially be a monster defender.
People are raving about Upamecano, and though he is younger, is even less refined than Davinson.
Sometimes I think people just want to moan.
I think it is still possible to get bargains (and Lo Celso & Bergwijn may prove to be just that) but we're just not as good as others at finding them any more.It's what we've basically tried to do by buying Lo Celso, Stevie, Tanguy and Sess, only these days it's not possible to get cut prices for "promising but unproven at this level" players, all players are overpriced to the level of complete insanity, no matter where you buy them from. So we've ended up spending record amounts on players who won't even be up to speed until next season, let alone prove themselves to be worthy replacements of previous star players.
We can't be as clever as we used to be.
Out of this current squad for next season, If you were Levy & Jose, who would you definitely not sell?
For me, it's....
Kane
Lloris
Son
Bergwijn
Lo Celso
Tanganga
Parrott
Everybody else as far as I'm concerned can be sold if the right offer comes in.
I think a lot of it was thinking that your Madisons, Tielemans, Maguire were not good enough for us at the time, I don't know if it was scouts or Poch. One thing I did like about Jose, Bergwijn wasn't his first choice, but he still bought him. Poch would have made us go in with just Moura, and Son as pure wingers.I think it is still possible to get bargains (and Lo Celso & Bergwijn may prove to be just that) but we're just not as good as others at finding them any more.
Leicester are a good example. How much did they pay for their back four? Ndidi? Madison? Tielemans? Barnes? Maguire? And going a little further back, Kante & Mahrez?
I think we were just trying to play at being big boys by relying on someone else to take a punt and then hoping to buy EPL tried & tested players but still wanting them at the knock down price.
You completely missed the point I was making. The most heralded centre back in world football today was leaving Celtic to join Southampton when he was 24.I hope I’m wrong. I’m just judging what I’m seeing, and what I have seen for three years. He’s got so many fundamental flaws in his game it’s just completely ridiculous to think he’s just going to turn into a Vvd level player just because he’s the same age as when he went to Celtic. There is literally no other comparisons in style between the players. Upamenco I haven’t seen to much of but I don’t need to watch him to judge another player.
I wish it was just composure and ability that he needs to improve because then he would have a chance I guess(although personally I don’t think you can improve to much in that regard at his age) but I don’t see where you’re seeing these great attributes to be a solid/monster centre half. what are his great attributes? He struggles to judge the flight of crosses/high balls, he often gets bullied by any reasonable physical forward that he ends up giving silly fouls away because he can’t handle them. He either gets to tight or drops off too far because of it. His technique when clearing crosses is dreadful. He’s got decent pace but I wouldnt say he was lightning quick either. just don’t see where the confidence comes from, all seems like perception and wishful thinking to me.
To be a World Class centre back you have to be able to do everything and one of the most important attributes is composure on a football. Ramos has always had it, Van Dijk has always had it, De Ligt has always had it, Bonnuci has always had it, Pique has always had it. Apart from De Ligt as he is at the other end of the age spectrum the other four have had composure as part of their game throughout their entire careers which has led them to be four of the best defenders over the last 10 years and can be deemed world class. If you not going to be a ball playing centre half but still a World Class defender then you have to be like Chiellini and be pretty much utter faultless in the way you defend.You completely missed the point I was making. The most heralded centre back in world football today was leaving Celtic to join Southampton when he was 24.
You could argue Sánchez has achieved more and is more experienced at this stage in his career. You could also factor in he’s maybe playing with some of the worst full backs in the league, no proper defensive midfielder and no consistent partnership with one particular player. There’s no real cohesion at the back at the moment.
To write off a defender at 24, whilst he’s playing competently enough individually, without being absolutely foot perfect, is very premature in my book. What would be the point in investing so much time and money into Sanchez to get rid before we even see how he fully develops?
I brought up Upamecano as he’s the shiny new thing you’ll see clubs splashing big money on shortly. They’ll be buying an even rawer Sanchez. Lots of things to iron out to become a real refined, elite defender. The only thing more expensive than the top wonderkid in any position is usually the much older, finished article. The player in his prime.
At a younger age I think it’s more about having certain attributes to potentially becoming a great centre back, but I think it mainly comes with experience and judgement. You rarely find that in younger defenders, as was the case with a certain VVD. When he first came to Southampton he was far from the player he is today. You could argue he’s still improving and did so from years 1 to 2 at Liverpool. De Ligt hasn’t been all that great for Juve this season, is he trash? He will most likely become the best centre back in the world in the future.
Sanchez is tall and strong and dominant in the air, just a bit clumsy and unaware sometimes. He’s very quick which is a great attribute for a defender. See: VVD and Joe Gomez. Things like positioning, anticipation, composure, awareness - these are things that can be worked on and will flourish in a solid and consistent back four that play a certain way. You develop that as a defender and improve as you get older and more experienced. Though he could definitely improve in these areas, and most likely will, I don’t think he’s all that bad in any of them and I don’t think his performances this year have been disastrous or anything.
I think his main problem is with his feet, that’s the part of his game that’s the most lacking for me. I remember Mourinho targeting it before as United boss vs Ajax. He’s poor on the ball and I hope that can improve.
I certainly wouldn’t suggest selling him just yet though. Just out of interest, who would you say are the best centre backs in the world? And what would their average age be?