The Deadline Day ITK Discussion Thread - 1st September

[Teemu]

Yeah I think we’re ok or safe with our depth for this season (given the lack of games) at; RB (Porro, Emerson), #8 (Sarr, Bentancur), #10 (Maddison, Gio, Kulu), WF (Son, Johnson, Kulu, Perisic, Solomon), CF (Richy, Son)

But I worry a lot about our depth at CB (Dier, Sanchez), #6 (PEH, Skipp) and to a degree LB (Davies). An injury to any first choice CB or Biss and we’re immediately extremely vulnerable.

Yep, I agree broadly with that assessment, but other than City no team has two top options in every position. All of Dier, Sanchez, Hojbjerg, Davies are decent to good players who would get into a lot of other Premier League sides. Skipp I’m not sold on, but he can do a job.

Do I want them all to start every game? Of course not. But I don’t think it’s as disastrous as some people are making out if some of them have to start a few games.

 

[Cheds]

I genuinely don’t think our squad is as bad as it’s being made out to be.

Last year we had at least two of Dier, Davies, Sanchez or Lenglet starting each game. Now all of them are firmly reserves (or have left). Yes, it would have been preferable to have another top CB option to rotate with Romero and Van de Ven, but Sanchez, Davies and Dier are all proven, experienced Premier League players. Whilst they’re not at the top level it’s not like we’re having to chuck in a 17 year old if one of the starters is unavailable.

Porro and Royal are two good and complementary options at right back. Udogie looks fantastic at left back and Davies is a solid backup.

Similarly in midfield, one or two of Hojbjerg and Skipp started in almost every game last season. When Bentancur is back they are 4th and 5th choice in a two-man midfield, behind two arguably world class players and one of the most promising young midfielders in the league. You’d be hard pushed to find a better 4th choice than Hojbjerg.

We now have a playmaker for the first time since Eriksen left.

Clearly Kane will be a huge miss, but we’ve got a wealth of options in the front three (albeit all of them have some question marks above them and finding goals from attack could be a worry).

I’ve not even mentioned the new keeper. Kane aside, it’s so much better than last year.

Oh, and our manager isn’t a ****.

Did you watch the Fulham game

 

[Stoof]

Cheers you ****s. I’m going to have no work distractions now this is over for another few months.

You know how boring my fucking job is? Fuck.

Thanks for your good humour everyone. Up the Tottenham.

Night bombazos X

 

[Joshua]

I genuinely don’t think our squad is as bad as it’s being made out to be.

Last year we had at least two of Dier, Davies, Sanchez or Lenglet starting each game. Now all of them are firmly reserves (or have left). Yes, it would have been preferable to have another top CB option to rotate with Romero and Van de Ven, but Sanchez, Davies and Dier are all proven, experienced Premier League players. Whilst they’re not at the top level it’s not like we’re having to chuck in a 17 year old if one of the starters is unavailable.

Porro and Royal are two good and complementary options at right back. Udogie looks fantastic at left back and Davies is a solid backup.

Similarly in midfield, one or two of Hojbjerg and Skipp started in almost every game last season. When Bentancur is back they are 4th and 5th choice in a two-man midfield, behind two arguably world class players and one of the most promising young midfielders in the league. You’d be hard pushed to find a better 4th choice than Hojbjerg.

We now have a playmaker for the first time since Eriksen left.

Clearly Kane will be a huge miss, but we’ve got a wealth of options in the front three (albeit all of them have some question marks above them and finding goals from attack could be a worry).

I’ve not even mentioned the new keeper. Kane aside, it’s so much better than last year.

Oh, and our manager isn’t a ****.

I’ll be amazed if Dier plays a single second and Davies will be a one paced left back covering centre half in a high line. Goalkeeper, midfield all fine yeah. Forward line needs tinkering but we have a variety of options so sure we’ll find something that ticks. But the situation at centre back really is a huge concern and it is indefensible (ironically) that it’s ended up like that.

 

[Locotoro]

Don't know if posted but a deal sheet had been submitted for Harvey White for a move.to Stevenage.

 

[Caco]

Look, I'll say one more thing and then I'm done on the whole transfer thing. You read a lot of stuff on the likes of twitter from various sources about clubs who may be interested in our players, but there's always the caveat that deal may be difficult due to Levy. Bottom line, he's an absolute dick to deal with, so if clubs are tentatively interested in our players they just avoid the aggravation, or else try to get one over on the little weasel on last minute deals out of pure spite. He's absolutely the major spanner in most of our dealings.

 

[Teemu]

Did you watch the Fulham game

Yes. We changed almost the entire team at once and drew away to a decent Premier League side.

Almost by definition our reserve team is a drop-off in qualify from our first XI, but (a) individually most of them are fine as backups and (b) there’s almost no chance we’d ever see that many of them starting a league game (and if we had so many injuries that we did we’d be screwed anyway)

 

[TC18]

Where do you start?
Loose your best ever goal scorer and we have to rely on Son that has been out of form for nearly a year now, Kulusevski who again is out of form and Richarlson who can’t seem to hit a barn door when he is fit.

We’ve signed Johnson.. suppose he’ll take Kulusevskis spot. He’ll need time to settle and integrate, not fair to put the lad under pressure to start banging in 15 goals a season, and i’m not entirely convinced by the signing either to be honest.

My point is, our front line is bang out of form and quite frankly naff. Great on paper, poor in reality. We needed a front man who could get us a goal in a tight game, someone who can finish.

All well and good saying well spread the goals, but what happens in a tight game where a chances are limited and it falls to your striker? You want to know he’ll finish it. I have zero confidence.

 

[Trix]

Im not using them as a baseline. Just as a useful example of the reality of the transfer market and it’s not as simple as just buy buy buy. I’ve worked in and around football for over 20 years.
This isn’t a one window rebuild.

You are absolutely correct there isn't.

Thing is if it were just this window you wouldn't be seeing the levels of discontent though. It's every single year we are left short mate every one. We went a whole calendar year without buying anyone. We spent nearly 3 years without a single back up striker. We now have left Ange short at CB, and remember our last 3 managers have identified this area as a major problem.

Every single window posters come on here defending our transfer dealings, only ever taking that one window into account. Here are the reasons why we failed to do xyz, and in isolation that's possibly acceptable. When that happens window after window after window you have to take a deeper look into the reasons why, and there's only one common denominator.

 

[Blue]

I understand, bit shocked just seen Spurs fans posting Levy address on twitter. I am extremely worried about state of mind of some ppl. My apologies to you

Thats obviously shocking. Its just entertainment after all – at least for the normal fan and people that don't work in the industry. Not necessary to apologize. Enjoy the season

 

[Teemu]

We went a whole calendar year without buying anyone. We spent nearly 3 years without a single back up striker.

Well we’ve resolved this one at least. Now we don’t have any strikers at all

 

[13VanDerBale13]

We sold two players this window, Kane & Winks. Utter shambles.

 

[muel]

Did you watch the Fulham game

To be fair that’s what happens when you play 9 squad players which is an exceptional and one off (now!) scenario.

1/2 within a line up should in theory be far less of an issue

 

[THOWIG]

You are absolutely correct there isn't.

Thing is if it were just this window you wouldn't be seeing the levels of discontent though. It's every single year we are left short mate every one. We went a whole calendar year without buying anyone. We spent nearly 3 years without a single back up striker. We now have left Ange short at CB, and remember our last 3 managers have identified this area as a major problem.

Every single window posters come on here defending our transfer dealings, only ever taking that one window into account. Here are the reasons why we failed to do xyz, and in isolation that's possibly acceptable. When that happens window after window after window you have to take a deeper look into the reasons why, and there's only one common denominator.

Completely agree, but he’s not going anywhere for the foreseeable and we are paying for several poor transfer windows.
I need a dose of reality too as we’ve not signed a player I’ve wanted for years. We are short in several areas but we have improved in others.
I get the frustration I really do.

 

[worcestersauce]

No one is saying buy buy buy. No one is saying this was a one window rebuild. People are saying Ange has been left short at centre half, and are refuting your mad claim about Lloris, Dier and Ndombele staying around not being a bad thing. And now you’re straw manning an argument to present yourself as reasonable and everyone else needing a dose of reality.

Funnily enough I think plenty of people were effectively saying buy buy buy, Kelly! Chalobah! anyone!
Its a bark that we didn't get another CB to improve our bench but I've said all along that Davinson and Dier are not the catastrophe people are saying they are. Sure we wanted rid of them and we wanted to replace them with better and we should have done that but that don't make them a total disaster and that's the reality.

Edit: whoah! I'm in the club!
Johnweldon@ gave me a WTF rating. I feel so proud.

 

[Trix]

Well we’ve resolved this one at least. Now we don’t have any strikers at all

Indeed we've gone backwards in this regard. However Ange doesn't seem worried about that. He's been very clear though that he needed another CB though so this is a problem.

 

[THOWIG]

Well we’ve resolved this one at least. Now we don’t have any strikers at all

We have two and they are better than most in the league.

 

[ReadieSpur]

That's just not good enough for a summer window. 51m net spend for a club of our stature is a joke.

We're owned by an investment company. What do you seriously expect?? They are not here to sportswash or to show off as a illy big bollox. They are here to invest and grow a business. Yes, it sucks with the likes of city, Newcastle and Chelsea all funded by middle Eastern groups sportswashing, but it is what it is.

The kane sale would have been seen by them as a golden egg to offset a spend period. That's exactly why they invest in youth like kane was.

 

[0-Tibsy-0]

We spent nearly 3 years without a single back up striker.

Consistency is key. So at least we’re back to not having a back up striker

just a shame that our only striker now is a quarter of the player of our last only striker..

 

[Teemu]

We have two and they are better than most in the league.

‘Twas a joke