The Daily ITK Discussion Thread - 20th July 2015

[Mr Pink]

Not saying I want Fellaini but he's not as bad as some of you are making out. He could easily do a job in the middle with Bentaleb and provide some much needed physicality to our team. People seem to be knocking him because he's tall and looks like an idiot with his stupid hair style but imo he's technically very good and always difficult to play against.

Those qualities and attributes you mention come to the fore when he's playing higher up the park, not in the two in central midfield.

I agree, he's effective and is brillant at the winning the ball in the air, and of course he brings a bit of nasty....but he's only at his best up the park in a team playing to his strengths.

He's just not suitable for us. Is he going to press?

 

[nicdic]

Competitive enough to challenge for top four. The point I'm making is that a lot of people in here appear to have turned into wannabe accountants and it's boring.

We're never going to compete on the terms that they are. Hence the training ground, academy, stadium, NFL, etc.

 

[kanoute16]

We have spent fuck all in the last 5 years (less than any prem club) yet have stayed roughly 5th place. If our transfers are so bad what does that say for the rest of the league?

Get real mate we spent 100million + on mostly dross two years ago. Yea yea it was a net spend blah blah blah, but it didn't work because as usual the manager was not in sync with the chairman or the newly appointed director of football.

The fact is we wasted most of the money we earned from one of our best players in a decade yet you'll trot this rubbish out with your head buried in the sand. We were finishing 5th with Martin Jol, why did we remove him from his post in the most disgraceful of fashions to perpetually finish 5th 10 years later? This club had the potential to be up there but this regime has proven that it can only get us this far. What is wrong with questioning this and what they are doing?

For the sake of this thread I think we could do worse than Fellaini but hope he is not our only target (if he is a target that is)!

 

[THFCSPURS19]

Not sure if he's said something more recently, but this is what was posted by Dova...

edmonton on the 11m we got from the sale of brook house being earmarked for transfers: surprisingly that bit is actually true

Oh. I think someone posted at the time that he said the opposite, so I was basing it on that. Looks like whoever that was got it wrong- blame him

 

[thebenjamin]

We'll start the season with 10 or 11 (Alderweireld vs Dier the possible change) of the starting 11 that finished it. That will be an excellent thing

surely we need to be improving the first 11 more than perhaps or perhaps not having one slightly better centre back? That is if we actually want to improve.

 

[Tobyisbest]

This is 100% a confidence thing! Kane had same opportunity few weeks later buried it! I watched a lot of Soldado for Valencia and is 1 of the best goalscorers I've ever seen! You get his head right confidence up you have know idea how many he could score! This is clearly Pochs thinking he could have a fantastic backup Striker in this squad already if he can get Bob firing! Soldado on form is easily 20 goals a season! The challenge seems to be getting him out the drought then getting his confidence back!

But helder Postiga scores in Spain. Giovanni dos santos does. It's a great league but you just don't get your stokes who park the bus teams. How if we play the formation we do is he ever gonna get he's confidence up with Kane playing? Poch won't change he's formation and soldado is doubtful to get infront of Kane. Therefore selling and purchasing a player that can play a winger roll if chad or lamela have a off day but then if needed can go up top for Kane is key. That player can get confidence and rhythm off the wide forward roll for when call upon to lead if needed. Soldado won't ever be used wider either.

 

[Ledleys Knee]

surely we need to be improving the first 11 more than perhaps or perhaps not having one slightly better centre back? That is if we actually want to improve.

We'll improve because 'the youngest squad in Europe'(TM) will be a year more experienced and will have a full pre-season working on Poch's methods.

It's called organic growth, and it's how teams properly improve.

 

[Indisguise]

We're never going to compete on the terms that they are. Hence the training ground, academy, stadium, NFL, etc.

We've had several opportunities to compete and haven't made the best of our opportunities because of some, quite frankly, dizzyingly bad management decisions. This isn't all about money.

 

[chrissivad]

surely we need to be improving the first 11 more than perhaps or perhaps not having one slightly better centre back? That is if we actually want to improve.

From Brads Q&A that was posted in here (i think) Pochettino was playing the youngsters (or some of them) last season to give them experience and help them develop their game.

So with out buying players we have been improving the first 11.

 

[Lilbaz]

surely we need to be improving the first 11 more than perhaps or perhaps not having one slightly better centre back? That is if we actually want to improve.

Pritchard, Alli, Toby and probably Tripier will all be strengthening our first 11 by xmas.

 

[Jamturk]

From Brads Q&A that was posted in here (i think) Pochettino was playing the youngsters (or some of them) last season to give them experience and help them develop their game.

So with out buying players we have been improving the first 11.

I think Mason is going to break out this season and Delle Ali really excites me.

 

[WiganSpur]

Quite like Fellaini, I think him and Bentaleb would be a decent combination.

Wouldn't really want him further forward though unless we're doing a last minute kitchen sink job.

 

[spursLA]

Not sure that what we've heard really justifies all the discussion in the ITK thread (apologies for adding to it) but Fellaini's an interesting idea. Not a "Spurs type" player but that would be just the point (the last one of those we had scored the goal that got us into the Champion's League). I suspect he'd play in the hole behind as a target for crosses, providing knockdowns for strikers and outside forwards cutting in, and occupying center halves who would otherwise be able to focus on a lone striker. Doubt it will happen though - we're not going to pay those kinds of wages.

 

[BunionBoy]

trying to justify Fellani, we may as well bring back Sandro if we can get a work permit.......

 

[Jamturk]

We'll improve because 'the youngest squad in Europe'(TM) will be a year more experienced and will have a full pre-season working on Poch's methods.

It's called organic growth, and it's how teams properly improve.

With the news that Poch played youngsters to give them experience shows that he has a plan, he did this knowing he had better more experienced options but has taken a mid to long term view of things.

I like this.

Maybe our clamour for a new CM is bigger than Poch's as he clearly trusts Mason and Bentaleb.

 

[Greenspur]

Just because someone doesn't believe our transfer windows are perfect doesn't make them a "wanker" or a "whiny c***"! That's just bloody rude!

I agree. What makes them a wanker is that they are human beings (particularly, but not exclusively, if they are male).

 

[Greenspur]

I'd like it on record that I never called anyone a whiny ****, but I do accept I called you a bellend, and I apologise, and accept your apology for the patronising post.

If we all agreed then this place would be boring.

This place IS boring. So why am I glued to it every day?

 

[Cornpattbuck]

Not sure if it's just the Belgian beer, but looks like silly season has well and truly struck here. Woe is all of us!!!!!!!!!

 

[kremlyn]

If Fellaini is available and willing to come, it's a no brainer. Massive, nasty, dominant physically, lots of energy, smart, versatile through the centre. He's unique in the game and very effective. We have plenty of midfielders who like to play cute so he would give us a great deal of variety.

Speaking of variety, as we've just signed trippier we can expect a hell of a lot of crosses so players who thrive off crosses are going to have value. Kane, Soldado and Fellaini great from open play but also Fazio joining them for corners should make us much better at set-pieces.

My fingers are crossed.

 

[Ledleys Knee]

With the news that Poch played youngsters to give them experience shows that he has a plan, he did this knowing he had better more experienced options but has taken a mid to long term view of things.

I like this.

Maybe our clamour for a new CM is bigger than Poch's as he clearly trusts Mason and Bentaleb.

Exactly. I think they'll start and Alli, Veljkovic, Winks and maybe Carroll will provide an exciting supporting cast.

I think Oduwa might be given a shot as our back-up LWF too, which Friedel's ITK is supporting.