ChRiStOpHe
It's a piece of cake to bake a pretty cake
- Dec 14, 2004
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The Theory
Tottenham currently have a huge opportunity to follow in the footsteps of some of the modern greats. While we don’t have the pull of Champions League for this season, our stock is at its highest in years, and we have a group of players most would be envious of. However, we also have a huge squad, with high earners sitting out much of the season. We also have solid first teamers with high values who can be improved on. Another way of looking at this is that we’re sitting on a huge amount of capital, with endless possibilities when planning and modelling ourselves on proven projects.
The idea of this piece is to look at what other teams have done well, how they did it, and how we can replicate their success.
The Chelsea Machine
In 2005/06 Chelsea were an incredibly well drilled unit, where everyone knew their role within the team. Having Robben, Duff, J.Cole and Wright-Phillips wide forced the opposition to sit deep, which is turn meant Drogba and Crespo were playing to their strengths; in and around the opposition penalty area.
Makelele and Essien were completely dominant in the middle of the park, with the former shielding the back 4 and latter snapping at the heels of opponents. The power of these 2, along with the space created by the front 3, allowed Frank Lampard the time needed to do damage in the final third – which he did game after game for years (it should be noted at this point that the English national team have never made such allowances for Frank).
The interesting thing about the Chelsea team of 2006 was that the full-backs were just that – full-backs. Unlike most successful teams of the last decade, their full-backs were there to aid the defence, consolidate that area of pitch, and releasing the ball quickly and simply to the midfield.
How Barcelona Ruled the World
The fantastic thing about Barcelona’s success is that they have done it their own way. Chelsea, and more the point Mourinho had the blue-print – they just chose not to use it.
Barcelona’s success is largely built on technical ability; and there are very few teams on the planet that would be able to replicate it. They play a high line from the off, essentially sectioning off the pitch, forcing the opposition to try and match them technically in tight spaces. The alternative is for the opposition to play quickly and directly into the space left behind the defence – a problem countered by having one of the World’s greatest ‘sweeper-keepers’ (his main rival being Pepe Reina – another former Barcelona keeper). Valdes is so quick off his line, and completely comfortable with a side of the game that most keepers will consciously avoid.
There is however one glaring similarity between the Chelsea of 2006 and the current Barcelona side – both teams were fluid and flexible. Essien would slot in at centre-back, and Diarra would fill in at full-back. Gudjohnson offered options from centre-midfield to centre-forward, while their wingers were comfortable operating on both flanks. With Barcelona, there is a similar fluidity. Alves can fill it at both full-back and wide-right, while Abidal is comfortable at both centre-back and full-back. Marcherano can drop into defence, while Iniesta is at ease either in the middle or on the wing. Up front, Perdo, Messi and Villa are each interchangeable, making marking them an absolute nightmare for opposition defenders.
How Can Spurs Learn from Them
The romantics among us would love nothing more than to learn entirely from Barcelona. While there is a lot to take from them, there are also lessons to learn from Chelsea – the most important being that in a 4-3-3, assuming you don’t have Lionel Messi in your starting XI, you’re going to need goals from midfield.
In 2006, Frank Lampard helped his team to the title with 16 league goals from midfield. In the following 3 seasons, Chelsea failed to win the title – and Lampard failed to notch more than 12 goals a season over that period. It is no coincidence that the following year when they did win the title, Lampard registers 22 league goals. Tottenham are very lucky – in Rafael van der Vaart, we possess someone every bit as technically gifted as Lampard; and a career record that suggests that he has it in him to replicate Lampard’s success from deep. The question is, do we use Chelsea’s blue print to afford him the time and space Lampard gets, or do we use Barcelona’s?
Another similarity between the two are fast, technically gifted wingers. If you’re defence and your midfield are strong enough to successfully accommodate 2 such wingers (i.e. with very little defensive duties), you will either force the opposition onto the back foot, or you’ll expose them with raw pace time-and-time again. Although we’ve played with 2 wingers ourselves this season, the system has meant that both Lennon and Bale have had restrictive defensive duties, while they have been operating a lot deeper than they would be in a 4-3-3.
One myth that Barcelona have helped dispel is that all target men come in the Didier Drogba mould. If your midfield have the technical ability, and your wingers have the speed to pin the opposition back, a target man can be someone as small and slight as Lionel Messi. The only requirement is that they have the ability to come deep, receive the ball, and either hold possession or switch quickly to the flanks. How the ball is received is dictated by the level of players around them (in the Barcelona example, Messi is able to receive the ball to feet time and time again due to his ability to drop into space and Xavi and Iniesta’s abilities to find him with the early ball).
What I Would Do
The last team to truly dominate the English Premier League was Chelsea in 2005/06. The current Barcelona team are arguably the greatest team to ever play the beautiful game. Both play variations of 4-3-3, and as such, I would adopt a hybrid of the two.
Goalkeepers
I have been an immovable Gomes fan since the day he single handily ended our interest in the 2008 UEFA Cup. Even when that goal went in at Craven Cottage, I was still completely stubborn in my opinion that he would come good. 2 seasons later, and I have finally decided that he big Brazilian moving on to pastures new would benefit both parties. Gomes has just a year remaining on his current contract, and with former club PSV Eindhoven interested in taking him back to the Netherlands, it could suit him after a tough 6 months in England. Gomes’ mistakes have, in my opinion, started to plant seeds of doubt in the minds of our back line, and fairly or unfairly, will put him under greater risk of future errors.
Any keeper replacing Gomes needs to be an improvement – which despite what many will say, is not easy. They’ll also need to be at ease coming off their line; something Gomes has never excelled in. Atletico’s David de Gea would fit the bill, but a move to United seems a formality. With that in mind, the stand out candidate is Lyon’s Hugo Lloris. Commanding, quick & reliable, Lloris would inspire confidence through his displays between the sticks. Communication would be an issue for much of his first season, but having the French speaking duo of Kaboul and Gallas should help him settle.
Defenders
On paper, our defence should be formidable. In reality, it is much less so. Although we rarely ship lots of goals, we regularly ship some. With 3 different goalkeepers, 4 different right-backs, 8 different centre-backs and 4 left-backs, it’s no wonder we failed to build a solid base to build upon. It’s an old truth that a solid defence is built on the partnerships within it, and the relationships between the back 5 members of your chosen XI can make or break a season. With that in mind, I think we need to go into the season with a clear idea of who our first choice back 5 are. Of course, it’s open to change – just not as the rate we managed last season.
Rightly or wrongly, I believe you can be solid defensively without being defensive – as Barcelona have proved in recent years. I would stick to capable but attack-minded full-backs, with defenders clever enough to play a high line.
At right-back, we have the exciting Kyle Walker returning. While he would be my first choice, I like the idea of retaining Corluka to ease him in. Although many will disagree that Corluka is an attacking full-back, I would argue that he no less attacking than Barcelona full-back Eric Abidal, who supports his teams attack well despite not being the most technically gifted of players. Both also offer flexibility, with many believing Kyle will end up in midfield, and Corluka able to fill in at centre-back. This leaves Kyle Naughton and Alan Hutton leaving. Naughton is a good player, but I don’t believe he’ll ever make the grade at Spurs. However, his stock will never be higher after a fine season at Leicester. Hutton, as you may know, is a favourite of mine, but his face just doesn’t seem to fit at White Hart Lane. Personal problems, injury & loss of form have lead him to a crossroads in his Tottenham career, and I think it’s gotten to the stage where we should move on if we receive an acceptable offer.
Many looking at Barcelona will struggle to improve what they already have. One area that it could be argued is currently under strength if their left-back position – and the irony of it all is that our very own Gareth Bale has been mooted as the perfect candidate. Now, in our current setup, Gareth is by far and away at his best from midfield. However, with people claiming he’d be a perfect fit at Barcelona, I’m going to argue that he’d be perfect in our version of their system. Few in the World have the engine he possesses, and the ability with it to do such damage from full-back. His bursts forward would consistently create space for our midfield, and more importantly his winger. I also think Danny Rose has shown enough about him to warrant the spot as Gareth’s understudy. That decision in mind, I’m going to make the controversial decision to move Assou-Ekotto on. This project is about raising capital intelligently, and Assou-Ekotto fits the bill of valuable asset who can be improved on.
In the centre of defence, I feel we miss genuine organisation when Ledley is out. Many won’t like it, but I think picking up Rio Ferdinand on the cheap would be an absolute masterstroke. His skill, leadership and experience could prove absolutely vital when King is absent. Adding Rio to an already bloated position means cuts will have to be made. Sébastien Bassong has already made his desire to leave known to the club, and with Ferdinand coming in, Woodgate’s role at the club would be filled. Bongani Khumalo looks like a talent, but I would rather send him out to lower end Premier League club (Swansea or Norwich for example, would be ideal) for the year. Getting 10 minutes every 2 months will only stand to hinder his development, while we’d be taking a chance on an unknown entity.
Midfielders
Though our forward line is the area of the pitch with the biggest face lift, my plans for the midfield are probably going to have the most opposition.
Sergio Busquets and Claude Makélelé both proved that you can be World class without being the most technically of gifted players. Like Makélelé in 2005/06, Busquets is making a wonderful career out of simply protecting those behind him. Key to this being that both know their limitations. Having won possession, the simple ball was the only thing in their minds. Spurs are incredibly lucky to have Sandro in our ranks – someone who I believe will go on to prove himself as the best in the World in the role.
Barcelona’s success is built largely on the technical ability of their midfield, which is why I would overload this area of pitch with clever, technical gifted midfielders. Barcelona rely heavily on the abilities of Xavi and Iniesta, and I see no reason why we shouldn’t follow suit. Ever Banega, one of the most promising midfielders of his generation, is rumoured to be available for as little as €8m, which is today’s inflated market, is wonderful value. Milan Badelj, who’s star has faded somewhat over the past 12 months, could also be available for a similarly low figure.
Flying in the face of Barcelona’s blue-print, and in doing so contradicting everything I have to this point said, I would also bring in free-agent Nigel Reo-Coker. Before you question both my judgement and sanity, hear me out. Chelsea had Lassana Diarra and Michael Essien in their squad – players who lack the technical ability of a Xavi, who but base their game around work-rate, athleticism, power, and enough ability to get by. Key to this, they were both also able to fill a number of positions, from full-back to centre-midfield. He may not be in the class of Michael Essien, but Reo-Coker has made a career from focusing on his stengths. Unlike Essien though, he would not be first choice – far from it. He would come in on a free transfer, on reasonable wages, and would provide cover for a number of positions.
In order to make room for the aforementioned players, I would move on a number of high valued, high earners. Wilson Palacios, Jermaine Jenas, Tom Huddlestone, David Bentley, Niko Kranjcar & Jamie O’Hara would all be sold – raising around £35m in the process. With Wilson chasing first team football, Jenas outgrown and Huddlestone, in my opinion, unsuited, it makes sense to sell sooner rather than later. Bentley will surely end his disastrous spell at Spurs too, while Kranjcar and O’Hara have been out of the first team picture for a long time now.
Going back to Huddlestone, I feel I should shed some light on my decision to part with one of the most gifted players at the club. I have come to the conclusion that Huddlestone simply doesn’t have the intelligence to play in the tight spaces we’d ask of him. He’s a player who has always excelled when the team has been built around him to afford him the space and time to do his thing. Unfortunately, I don’t think he’s good enough to warrant that sort of luxury. As a result, I would rather a Badelj or a Banega than Huddlestone, if only because I feel they’re more suited to role asked of them. Ironically, Huddlestone may well excel further forward, almost in a Lampard role.
Forwards
Due to the system, I’m going to consider wide players as forwards. Both Barcelona and Chelsea developed systems to get the most out of their wide men, and we need to follow suit. A key difference between the systems is that Chelsea’s focal point was Didier Drogba or Hernan Crespo – both not only great finishers, but both great target men in the traditional sense. Barcelona on the other hand rely on the likes of David Villa and even Lionel Messi to play as a below-waist-height target man. Clearly, such a decision is helped by the quality of your midfield – and while Makelele, Essien and Lampard are clearly quality, the emphasis is on athleticism and energy. The lack of intricacy within this setup meant that Chelsea needed someone who, if necessary, could pluck a ball out of the air or win a header against a 6’ 5” centre-back. The quality of the Barcelona midfield, along with the organisation of the team itself means that they simply do not need an old fashioned target man to move the ball forward quickly.
Clearly, the decision of whether to go with a brute or a fleet footed target man is one based on your midfield, and in this instance, I think a starting midfield of Sandro, Modric and van der Vaart, with the likes of Badelj and Benega waiting in the wings, is good enough for us to follow Barcelona’s footsteps. Sandro and Modric have both previously been linked with Barcelona, where it is clear to see how both would instantly fit into their system. Having Rafael van der Vaart on board not only ticks the box of technical ability, but he allows an overlap of the Barcelona/Chelsea systems – a Lampard in Barcelona’s midfield. We all know the quality of the Spanish trio in Barcelona’s midfield, but not one of them has ever had a goals record to boast about. To have someone in our midfield capable of playing in tight areas, being intelligent with his use of the ball, but also being capable of scoring 15-20 goals from midfield – that’s something to be excited about.
With my heart set on a fast, clever forward, I feel we should make a real push for Giuseppe Rossi. With most feeling he was on his way to Barcelona themselves, the move seems to be on ice as Barcelona pursue Alexis Sanchez of Udinese (ironically, someone who would have been ideal for this project). If they get their man, and the talk in the Sanchez camp is that they are his first choice, the chances of us signing Rossi will increase dramatically. Our move for Leandro Damiao seems to be close to completion, and I feel that these 2 offer everything we need in a front line. Leandro was of course tracked by Barcelona earlier in the summer, and while he’s not as fast or technically gifted as Rossi, he seems to be someone in the Hernan Crespo mould; a player who can come in when needed to great effect.
On the wings, I feel we can improve with some of the best young players in Europe potentially on the market. With the likes of Eden Hazard, Javier Pastore and Ashley Young potentially obtainable, there is surely never a better time to strengthen this area. Although I’d pursue Young, Werder Bremen wide man Marko Marin should be lined up in case that move comes to fruition. While these players would undoubtedly be costly, the money raised from the sale of midfielders and our current forwards will cover the considerable outlay.
Plan B
Of course, targets more often than not will not end up signing. The selling club may want an unreasonable amount, the player will ask for a wage outside of our reach, or another club may come in and take the player themselves.
In defence, if we’re not able to bring in Rio, I would simply offer Woodgate a pay-as-you-play deal. A player I would liked was former Blackburn defender Phil Jones, but he of course has already wrapped up a £17m transfer to Manchester United.
Should we fail to bring in either Ever Banega or Milan Badelj, I would target Ajax’s Christien Eriksen. He first came to my attention during Denmark’s friendly vs England earlier in the year, and he ticks all of the boxes in what we should be looking for. Basing our midfield largely around Barcelona’s, it’s encouraging to know that they themselves have shown an interest in the midfielder.
While we agreed that our midfield are good enough to allow us to play Rossi as a centre-forward, he is by no means a certainty to be in a white shirt next season. If we fail to bring him in, we should target Didier Drogba. At 33, he is very much a short term option, and one that would change our style considerably. However, the system worked fantastically for Chelsea, and if we can’t replicate Barcelona’s front line, we can do worse than replicate Chelsea’s.
Transfers
Incoming Players
Lloris
Ferdinand
Reo-Coker
Banega
Badelj
Hazard
Pastore
A.Young
Rossi
Leandro
[see PDF for more details]
Outgoing Players
Gomes
Hutton
Naughton
Assou-Ekotto
Bassong
Woodgate
Jenas
Palacios
Huddlestone
O’Hara
Bentley
Kranjcar
Lennon
Pavlyuchenko
Defoe
Crouch
Keane
[see PDF for more details]
Incoming vs Outgoing
For arguments sake, we’ll work on the basis that we manage to bring in our entire first choice list, and shift the surplus members of our squad. The total outlay would be £133m, while we’d stand to recoup £122m of that (meaning a total cost of £11m). The estimated wage demands of the targeted first choice players would be £524,000, compared to the estimated £510,000 in wages that our outgoing players would free up from the budget. Of the incoming players, only Rio Ferdinand would be considered a short term option. Every other player should either hold or increase in value. Of the outgoing players, only Tom Huddlestone would be considered a gamble in letting go. I feel every other outgoing player will either hold of decrease in value.
Conclusion
Lloris
Friedel/Cudicini
Walker Ferdinand King Bale
Corluka Kaboul Dawson/Gallas Rose
Sandro
Banega
Modric van der Vaart
Badelj Reo-Coker
Hazard Pastore
Piennar/Giovani Young
Rossi
Leandro
With the changes now in place, I struggle to see a stronger squad in the Premier League. The aim was to follow in the footsteps of Barcelona and Chelsea circa 2006, and I feel we have done that, implementing lessons learnt from 2 very different, but both brilliant teams.
The team has a keeper comfortable in coming off his line, full-backs who will overlap their winger time-and-time-again, and a mixture of experience and class at centre-back. In front of them, we have one of the most technically gifted midfields in the World, and ahead of them, pace, creativity, and goals.
The chances of bringing all of these players in are unlikely; but that’s not to say we shouldn’t try. Regardless of how many players knock us back, we should be shaping our squad to fit the systems discussed – systems tried and tested to an incredibly high standard by teams who have been there and most certainly ‘done it’.
Football is a strange game, and opportunities like this rarely present themselves. To have the spine of the team we do, and to have such a high value of no longer needed players, it is imperative we reinvest wisely this summer. Without being melodramatic, this summer could define the next decade. If we make the wrong choices, I still believe we will go on to be a good, top 5 club. If we make the right choices, we could truly impose ourselves as one of the greatest clubs on the Planet.
The full piece can be read here.
Tottenham currently have a huge opportunity to follow in the footsteps of some of the modern greats. While we don’t have the pull of Champions League for this season, our stock is at its highest in years, and we have a group of players most would be envious of. However, we also have a huge squad, with high earners sitting out much of the season. We also have solid first teamers with high values who can be improved on. Another way of looking at this is that we’re sitting on a huge amount of capital, with endless possibilities when planning and modelling ourselves on proven projects.
The idea of this piece is to look at what other teams have done well, how they did it, and how we can replicate their success.
The Chelsea Machine
In 2005/06 Chelsea were an incredibly well drilled unit, where everyone knew their role within the team. Having Robben, Duff, J.Cole and Wright-Phillips wide forced the opposition to sit deep, which is turn meant Drogba and Crespo were playing to their strengths; in and around the opposition penalty area.
Makelele and Essien were completely dominant in the middle of the park, with the former shielding the back 4 and latter snapping at the heels of opponents. The power of these 2, along with the space created by the front 3, allowed Frank Lampard the time needed to do damage in the final third – which he did game after game for years (it should be noted at this point that the English national team have never made such allowances for Frank).
The interesting thing about the Chelsea team of 2006 was that the full-backs were just that – full-backs. Unlike most successful teams of the last decade, their full-backs were there to aid the defence, consolidate that area of pitch, and releasing the ball quickly and simply to the midfield.
How Barcelona Ruled the World
The fantastic thing about Barcelona’s success is that they have done it their own way. Chelsea, and more the point Mourinho had the blue-print – they just chose not to use it.
Barcelona’s success is largely built on technical ability; and there are very few teams on the planet that would be able to replicate it. They play a high line from the off, essentially sectioning off the pitch, forcing the opposition to try and match them technically in tight spaces. The alternative is for the opposition to play quickly and directly into the space left behind the defence – a problem countered by having one of the World’s greatest ‘sweeper-keepers’ (his main rival being Pepe Reina – another former Barcelona keeper). Valdes is so quick off his line, and completely comfortable with a side of the game that most keepers will consciously avoid.
There is however one glaring similarity between the Chelsea of 2006 and the current Barcelona side – both teams were fluid and flexible. Essien would slot in at centre-back, and Diarra would fill in at full-back. Gudjohnson offered options from centre-midfield to centre-forward, while their wingers were comfortable operating on both flanks. With Barcelona, there is a similar fluidity. Alves can fill it at both full-back and wide-right, while Abidal is comfortable at both centre-back and full-back. Marcherano can drop into defence, while Iniesta is at ease either in the middle or on the wing. Up front, Perdo, Messi and Villa are each interchangeable, making marking them an absolute nightmare for opposition defenders.
How Can Spurs Learn from Them
The romantics among us would love nothing more than to learn entirely from Barcelona. While there is a lot to take from them, there are also lessons to learn from Chelsea – the most important being that in a 4-3-3, assuming you don’t have Lionel Messi in your starting XI, you’re going to need goals from midfield.
In 2006, Frank Lampard helped his team to the title with 16 league goals from midfield. In the following 3 seasons, Chelsea failed to win the title – and Lampard failed to notch more than 12 goals a season over that period. It is no coincidence that the following year when they did win the title, Lampard registers 22 league goals. Tottenham are very lucky – in Rafael van der Vaart, we possess someone every bit as technically gifted as Lampard; and a career record that suggests that he has it in him to replicate Lampard’s success from deep. The question is, do we use Chelsea’s blue print to afford him the time and space Lampard gets, or do we use Barcelona’s?
Another similarity between the two are fast, technically gifted wingers. If you’re defence and your midfield are strong enough to successfully accommodate 2 such wingers (i.e. with very little defensive duties), you will either force the opposition onto the back foot, or you’ll expose them with raw pace time-and-time again. Although we’ve played with 2 wingers ourselves this season, the system has meant that both Lennon and Bale have had restrictive defensive duties, while they have been operating a lot deeper than they would be in a 4-3-3.
One myth that Barcelona have helped dispel is that all target men come in the Didier Drogba mould. If your midfield have the technical ability, and your wingers have the speed to pin the opposition back, a target man can be someone as small and slight as Lionel Messi. The only requirement is that they have the ability to come deep, receive the ball, and either hold possession or switch quickly to the flanks. How the ball is received is dictated by the level of players around them (in the Barcelona example, Messi is able to receive the ball to feet time and time again due to his ability to drop into space and Xavi and Iniesta’s abilities to find him with the early ball).
What I Would Do
The last team to truly dominate the English Premier League was Chelsea in 2005/06. The current Barcelona team are arguably the greatest team to ever play the beautiful game. Both play variations of 4-3-3, and as such, I would adopt a hybrid of the two.
Goalkeepers
I have been an immovable Gomes fan since the day he single handily ended our interest in the 2008 UEFA Cup. Even when that goal went in at Craven Cottage, I was still completely stubborn in my opinion that he would come good. 2 seasons later, and I have finally decided that he big Brazilian moving on to pastures new would benefit both parties. Gomes has just a year remaining on his current contract, and with former club PSV Eindhoven interested in taking him back to the Netherlands, it could suit him after a tough 6 months in England. Gomes’ mistakes have, in my opinion, started to plant seeds of doubt in the minds of our back line, and fairly or unfairly, will put him under greater risk of future errors.
Any keeper replacing Gomes needs to be an improvement – which despite what many will say, is not easy. They’ll also need to be at ease coming off their line; something Gomes has never excelled in. Atletico’s David de Gea would fit the bill, but a move to United seems a formality. With that in mind, the stand out candidate is Lyon’s Hugo Lloris. Commanding, quick & reliable, Lloris would inspire confidence through his displays between the sticks. Communication would be an issue for much of his first season, but having the French speaking duo of Kaboul and Gallas should help him settle.
Defenders
On paper, our defence should be formidable. In reality, it is much less so. Although we rarely ship lots of goals, we regularly ship some. With 3 different goalkeepers, 4 different right-backs, 8 different centre-backs and 4 left-backs, it’s no wonder we failed to build a solid base to build upon. It’s an old truth that a solid defence is built on the partnerships within it, and the relationships between the back 5 members of your chosen XI can make or break a season. With that in mind, I think we need to go into the season with a clear idea of who our first choice back 5 are. Of course, it’s open to change – just not as the rate we managed last season.
Rightly or wrongly, I believe you can be solid defensively without being defensive – as Barcelona have proved in recent years. I would stick to capable but attack-minded full-backs, with defenders clever enough to play a high line.
At right-back, we have the exciting Kyle Walker returning. While he would be my first choice, I like the idea of retaining Corluka to ease him in. Although many will disagree that Corluka is an attacking full-back, I would argue that he no less attacking than Barcelona full-back Eric Abidal, who supports his teams attack well despite not being the most technically gifted of players. Both also offer flexibility, with many believing Kyle will end up in midfield, and Corluka able to fill in at centre-back. This leaves Kyle Naughton and Alan Hutton leaving. Naughton is a good player, but I don’t believe he’ll ever make the grade at Spurs. However, his stock will never be higher after a fine season at Leicester. Hutton, as you may know, is a favourite of mine, but his face just doesn’t seem to fit at White Hart Lane. Personal problems, injury & loss of form have lead him to a crossroads in his Tottenham career, and I think it’s gotten to the stage where we should move on if we receive an acceptable offer.
Many looking at Barcelona will struggle to improve what they already have. One area that it could be argued is currently under strength if their left-back position – and the irony of it all is that our very own Gareth Bale has been mooted as the perfect candidate. Now, in our current setup, Gareth is by far and away at his best from midfield. However, with people claiming he’d be a perfect fit at Barcelona, I’m going to argue that he’d be perfect in our version of their system. Few in the World have the engine he possesses, and the ability with it to do such damage from full-back. His bursts forward would consistently create space for our midfield, and more importantly his winger. I also think Danny Rose has shown enough about him to warrant the spot as Gareth’s understudy. That decision in mind, I’m going to make the controversial decision to move Assou-Ekotto on. This project is about raising capital intelligently, and Assou-Ekotto fits the bill of valuable asset who can be improved on.
In the centre of defence, I feel we miss genuine organisation when Ledley is out. Many won’t like it, but I think picking up Rio Ferdinand on the cheap would be an absolute masterstroke. His skill, leadership and experience could prove absolutely vital when King is absent. Adding Rio to an already bloated position means cuts will have to be made. Sébastien Bassong has already made his desire to leave known to the club, and with Ferdinand coming in, Woodgate’s role at the club would be filled. Bongani Khumalo looks like a talent, but I would rather send him out to lower end Premier League club (Swansea or Norwich for example, would be ideal) for the year. Getting 10 minutes every 2 months will only stand to hinder his development, while we’d be taking a chance on an unknown entity.
Midfielders
Though our forward line is the area of the pitch with the biggest face lift, my plans for the midfield are probably going to have the most opposition.
Sergio Busquets and Claude Makélelé both proved that you can be World class without being the most technically of gifted players. Like Makélelé in 2005/06, Busquets is making a wonderful career out of simply protecting those behind him. Key to this being that both know their limitations. Having won possession, the simple ball was the only thing in their minds. Spurs are incredibly lucky to have Sandro in our ranks – someone who I believe will go on to prove himself as the best in the World in the role.
Barcelona’s success is built largely on the technical ability of their midfield, which is why I would overload this area of pitch with clever, technical gifted midfielders. Barcelona rely heavily on the abilities of Xavi and Iniesta, and I see no reason why we shouldn’t follow suit. Ever Banega, one of the most promising midfielders of his generation, is rumoured to be available for as little as €8m, which is today’s inflated market, is wonderful value. Milan Badelj, who’s star has faded somewhat over the past 12 months, could also be available for a similarly low figure.
Flying in the face of Barcelona’s blue-print, and in doing so contradicting everything I have to this point said, I would also bring in free-agent Nigel Reo-Coker. Before you question both my judgement and sanity, hear me out. Chelsea had Lassana Diarra and Michael Essien in their squad – players who lack the technical ability of a Xavi, who but base their game around work-rate, athleticism, power, and enough ability to get by. Key to this, they were both also able to fill a number of positions, from full-back to centre-midfield. He may not be in the class of Michael Essien, but Reo-Coker has made a career from focusing on his stengths. Unlike Essien though, he would not be first choice – far from it. He would come in on a free transfer, on reasonable wages, and would provide cover for a number of positions.
In order to make room for the aforementioned players, I would move on a number of high valued, high earners. Wilson Palacios, Jermaine Jenas, Tom Huddlestone, David Bentley, Niko Kranjcar & Jamie O’Hara would all be sold – raising around £35m in the process. With Wilson chasing first team football, Jenas outgrown and Huddlestone, in my opinion, unsuited, it makes sense to sell sooner rather than later. Bentley will surely end his disastrous spell at Spurs too, while Kranjcar and O’Hara have been out of the first team picture for a long time now.
Going back to Huddlestone, I feel I should shed some light on my decision to part with one of the most gifted players at the club. I have come to the conclusion that Huddlestone simply doesn’t have the intelligence to play in the tight spaces we’d ask of him. He’s a player who has always excelled when the team has been built around him to afford him the space and time to do his thing. Unfortunately, I don’t think he’s good enough to warrant that sort of luxury. As a result, I would rather a Badelj or a Banega than Huddlestone, if only because I feel they’re more suited to role asked of them. Ironically, Huddlestone may well excel further forward, almost in a Lampard role.
Forwards
Due to the system, I’m going to consider wide players as forwards. Both Barcelona and Chelsea developed systems to get the most out of their wide men, and we need to follow suit. A key difference between the systems is that Chelsea’s focal point was Didier Drogba or Hernan Crespo – both not only great finishers, but both great target men in the traditional sense. Barcelona on the other hand rely on the likes of David Villa and even Lionel Messi to play as a below-waist-height target man. Clearly, such a decision is helped by the quality of your midfield – and while Makelele, Essien and Lampard are clearly quality, the emphasis is on athleticism and energy. The lack of intricacy within this setup meant that Chelsea needed someone who, if necessary, could pluck a ball out of the air or win a header against a 6’ 5” centre-back. The quality of the Barcelona midfield, along with the organisation of the team itself means that they simply do not need an old fashioned target man to move the ball forward quickly.
Clearly, the decision of whether to go with a brute or a fleet footed target man is one based on your midfield, and in this instance, I think a starting midfield of Sandro, Modric and van der Vaart, with the likes of Badelj and Benega waiting in the wings, is good enough for us to follow Barcelona’s footsteps. Sandro and Modric have both previously been linked with Barcelona, where it is clear to see how both would instantly fit into their system. Having Rafael van der Vaart on board not only ticks the box of technical ability, but he allows an overlap of the Barcelona/Chelsea systems – a Lampard in Barcelona’s midfield. We all know the quality of the Spanish trio in Barcelona’s midfield, but not one of them has ever had a goals record to boast about. To have someone in our midfield capable of playing in tight areas, being intelligent with his use of the ball, but also being capable of scoring 15-20 goals from midfield – that’s something to be excited about.
With my heart set on a fast, clever forward, I feel we should make a real push for Giuseppe Rossi. With most feeling he was on his way to Barcelona themselves, the move seems to be on ice as Barcelona pursue Alexis Sanchez of Udinese (ironically, someone who would have been ideal for this project). If they get their man, and the talk in the Sanchez camp is that they are his first choice, the chances of us signing Rossi will increase dramatically. Our move for Leandro Damiao seems to be close to completion, and I feel that these 2 offer everything we need in a front line. Leandro was of course tracked by Barcelona earlier in the summer, and while he’s not as fast or technically gifted as Rossi, he seems to be someone in the Hernan Crespo mould; a player who can come in when needed to great effect.
On the wings, I feel we can improve with some of the best young players in Europe potentially on the market. With the likes of Eden Hazard, Javier Pastore and Ashley Young potentially obtainable, there is surely never a better time to strengthen this area. Although I’d pursue Young, Werder Bremen wide man Marko Marin should be lined up in case that move comes to fruition. While these players would undoubtedly be costly, the money raised from the sale of midfielders and our current forwards will cover the considerable outlay.
Plan B
Of course, targets more often than not will not end up signing. The selling club may want an unreasonable amount, the player will ask for a wage outside of our reach, or another club may come in and take the player themselves.
In defence, if we’re not able to bring in Rio, I would simply offer Woodgate a pay-as-you-play deal. A player I would liked was former Blackburn defender Phil Jones, but he of course has already wrapped up a £17m transfer to Manchester United.
Should we fail to bring in either Ever Banega or Milan Badelj, I would target Ajax’s Christien Eriksen. He first came to my attention during Denmark’s friendly vs England earlier in the year, and he ticks all of the boxes in what we should be looking for. Basing our midfield largely around Barcelona’s, it’s encouraging to know that they themselves have shown an interest in the midfielder.
While we agreed that our midfield are good enough to allow us to play Rossi as a centre-forward, he is by no means a certainty to be in a white shirt next season. If we fail to bring him in, we should target Didier Drogba. At 33, he is very much a short term option, and one that would change our style considerably. However, the system worked fantastically for Chelsea, and if we can’t replicate Barcelona’s front line, we can do worse than replicate Chelsea’s.
Transfers
Incoming Players
Lloris
Ferdinand
Reo-Coker
Banega
Badelj
Hazard
Pastore
A.Young
Rossi
Leandro
[see PDF for more details]
Outgoing Players
Gomes
Hutton
Naughton
Assou-Ekotto
Bassong
Woodgate
Jenas
Palacios
Huddlestone
O’Hara
Bentley
Kranjcar
Lennon
Pavlyuchenko
Defoe
Crouch
Keane
[see PDF for more details]
Incoming vs Outgoing
For arguments sake, we’ll work on the basis that we manage to bring in our entire first choice list, and shift the surplus members of our squad. The total outlay would be £133m, while we’d stand to recoup £122m of that (meaning a total cost of £11m). The estimated wage demands of the targeted first choice players would be £524,000, compared to the estimated £510,000 in wages that our outgoing players would free up from the budget. Of the incoming players, only Rio Ferdinand would be considered a short term option. Every other player should either hold or increase in value. Of the outgoing players, only Tom Huddlestone would be considered a gamble in letting go. I feel every other outgoing player will either hold of decrease in value.
Conclusion
Lloris
Friedel/Cudicini
Walker Ferdinand King Bale
Corluka Kaboul Dawson/Gallas Rose
Sandro
Banega
Modric van der Vaart
Badelj Reo-Coker
Hazard Pastore
Piennar/Giovani Young
Rossi
Leandro
With the changes now in place, I struggle to see a stronger squad in the Premier League. The aim was to follow in the footsteps of Barcelona and Chelsea circa 2006, and I feel we have done that, implementing lessons learnt from 2 very different, but both brilliant teams.
The team has a keeper comfortable in coming off his line, full-backs who will overlap their winger time-and-time-again, and a mixture of experience and class at centre-back. In front of them, we have one of the most technically gifted midfields in the World, and ahead of them, pace, creativity, and goals.
The chances of bringing all of these players in are unlikely; but that’s not to say we shouldn’t try. Regardless of how many players knock us back, we should be shaping our squad to fit the systems discussed – systems tried and tested to an incredibly high standard by teams who have been there and most certainly ‘done it’.
Football is a strange game, and opportunities like this rarely present themselves. To have the spine of the team we do, and to have such a high value of no longer needed players, it is imperative we reinvest wisely this summer. Without being melodramatic, this summer could define the next decade. If we make the wrong choices, I still believe we will go on to be a good, top 5 club. If we make the right choices, we could truly impose ourselves as one of the greatest clubs on the Planet.
The full piece can be read here.
mg:
