The Mauricio Pochettino thread

[Colonel Dax]

my point is, you make it sound as though our limited budget wouldn't allow us to buy a chick king with the change. you make it sound like we are scrapping the barrel. yes I agree we are not the biggest spenders or haven't been, but until the window is closed and we know what we have spent, it might be an idea to put across through the limited budget.

I didn't mean to say we are paupers. Rather that we ought to concentrate on our priority positions first, given we don't have unlimited funds like City. That's just my opinion though.

 

[BringBack_leGin]

I wouldn't say no to Sessegnon but where would he play? As a left back he currently he isn't better than Rose or Davies (has the potential to be, but certainly not yet). And if we're signing him as an attacking midfielder/winger to play in the 3 behind the striker in a 4-2-3-1 formation, there are better players out there we could target IMO.

As I said, he's a very good young player with bags of potential but with our limited budget surely there are more pressing concerns.

Well in our 4231, we currently have 5 players, of whom one is Erik Lamela. With Lamela constant injuries, that means that anytime even one of the other 4 is injured, we are down to kids (or excess defenders) on the bench.

Add Sessegnon to that, or if Lamela leaves add Sessegnon and Grealish to that, and suddenly this is no more an issue, giving us quality depth for now and also building for the future.

Needless to say that if Eriksen leaves then he needs to be replaced with someone a bit more proven, but to turn down Sessegnon now on the basis that he might not be consistently good enough just yet is to forgo you right to complain should he go elsewhere and become a huge success in years to come.

 

[Colonel Dax]

Well in our 4231, we currently have 5 players, of whom one is Erik Lamela. With Lamela constant injuries, that means that anytime even one of the other 4 is injured, we are down to kids (or excess defenders) on the bench.

Add Sessegnon to that, or if Lamela leaves add Sessegnon and Grealish to that, and suddenly this is no more an issue, giving us quality depth for now and also building for the future.

Needless to say that if Eriksen leaves then he needs to be replaced with someone a bit more proven, but to turn down Sessegnon now on the basis that he might not be consistently good enough just yet is to forgo you right to complain should he go elsewhere and become a huge success in years to come.

Oh I agree we might come to regret not buying him now. My worry is that we need to spend big on our priority positions - CM and RB - and I wonder whether there will be significant funds left over for the likes of Sessegnon. Would be fantastic if there is.

I like your scenario for the attacking midfielder positions. If it's a choice of Grealish or Sess I'd go for the former but getting both would be both surprising and great.

 

[Hotspur33]

I thought we spent all that money on a great training complex so we can bang out a few Kings, Kanes and Winks’ every few years? Surely there are loads of great youth academy prospects at the top clubs that know they are never going to get a chance at their clubs. I would like to think we have quietly been collecting all the great young talent across the world and soon going to unleash them on the world? That way you save loads of money and get in a lot of young talent wanting to prove something.

Great point, and I'm sure Poch would not hesitate to use academy players if he feels they are good enough. But everything he hs been saying lately points to him wanting to compete with City and to think we can do that with a largely academy based team is fanciful.

 

[homer hotspur]

I disagree with the narrative that Levy drags out transfers and that we should somehow be able to wrap players transfers quickly and covertly. When the fact is that many players we target who will genuinely improve us are on the radars on more prestigious clubs. Unfortunately their agents will be constantly pimping the player out to these clubs no matter how quickly we want to wrap it up. So a lot of the time we have to wait our turn in the pecking order - when those clubs sign another player or indicate their no longer interested in our target, then we can complete the transfer. Yes, you can say we should just move on if we can’t wrap it up quickly but if it’s matter of waiting a month to have a chance to sign our first choice or not waiting and getting a less able 2nd choice then I understand why the club sometimes wait it out.

Fair enough to some of your points but I think there has been ample evidence of us missing out on players due to making a succession of clearly too low bids and dragging the thing out/irritating the other clubs etc etc. Similarly, we seem to really struggle to off load players and , again, it is fairly clear that we don't help ourselves with values and general awkwardness. If we are serious of really bringing in some good players, we have to be realistic about finding a way to get unwanted players out, even if that means making a loss or paying them off.

 

[wrd]

A well written article which im sure none of you give a shit about but allow me to highlight one particular piece

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/footbal...nway-transformed-liverpool-chaos-2010-record/

“Compare what happened with Sanchez to the Van Dijk situation. Where Jurgen was so strong is when that deal initially fell away he did not do what other coaches might do and ask for someone else so he could have another body in the dressing room. He was prepared to wait to get what he felt was the right player.”

I know people will claim different circumstances as they knew Van Dijk wanted to come but the main point remains, we need to trust our manager if he is waiting for particular targets. He got us top4 and the final, hes earnt our trust to be picky on who he wants in and although last summer was a thunderous shit of a window, that frustrating period will be well worth the pain if Poch gets what he wants.

 

[wrd]

I wouldn't say no to Sessegnon but where would he play? As a left back he currently he isn't better than Rose or Davies (has the potential to be, but certainly not yet). And if we're signing him as an attacking midfielder/winger to play in the 3 behind the striker in a 4-2-3-1 formation, there are better players out there we could target IMO.

As I said, he's a very good young player with bags of potential but with our limited budget surely there are more pressing concerns.

Keeping hold of rose with Sess as his backup will be superb imo and gives us depth if we are desperate in attack

 

[Fidget]

Fair enough to some of your points but I think there has been ample evidence of us missing out on players due to making a succession of clearly too low bids and dragging the thing out/irritating the other clubs etc etc. Similarly, we seem to really struggle to off load players and , again, it is fairly clear that we don't help ourselves with values and general awkwardness. If we are serious of really bringing in some good players, we have to be realistic about finding a way to get unwanted players out, even if that means making a loss or paying them off.

well shucks I absolutely agree with you on this. it’s great being ‘wiley’ and not paying too much but one should realise that, when one doing this just becomes funny to everybody else, you been rumbled.

 

[hellava_tough]

Maybe not set the world alight, but a bit harsh to go as far to say Sessegnon did the opposite (I.e. abject failure). At 18 years old the kid assisted 6 goals and scored twice in the leagues second worst side. That means he was involved in roughly a quarter of Fulham’s goals, not to mention 2 fewer than Moura, and the same amount as Dele. Yes, he started 4 more matches than Dele and 1 more than Lucas, but this is easily mitigated by how poor his team were.

The kid has obvious talent, huge potential, and I’d be delighted if we signed him.

With all the talk and hype surrounding this kid, you forget that he's only 18 years old; I thought he was 22 or 23 lol

If RS had been an unknown until the season just gone, I think fans might be a bit more forgiving of his performances and see him as an interesting prospect.

I wouldn't say no to Sessegnon but where would he play? As a left back he currently he isn't better than Rose or Davies (has the potential to be, but certainly not yet). And if we're signing him as an attacking midfielder/winger to play in the 3 behind the striker in a 4-2-3-1 formation, there are better players out there we could target IMO.

As I said, he's a very good young player with bags of potential but with our limited budget surely there are more pressing concerns.

To be honest, I think we need a couple of these young prospects every season just to keep the squad fresh and ensure the team doesn't age badly.

If they don't work out, they have a solid resale value so it's not the end of the world.

As for our budget, well I guess it's up to Poch and Levy what they prioritise. But if they think there's cash available for the likes of RS, then fair enough.

I do, however, think we should be signing these players when they're still in the Championship and a bit cheaper. Maddison, Brooks, Bowden, Grealish and that lad from Swansea are all examples.

That said, RS was a bit of an anomaly as he was so good in the Championship, his asking price was through the roof.

 

[Monkey boy]

Is this where all of us folk that are banned from the transfer section are gonna hang out for the summer it’s ok, I never really liked it there any way

 

[Gilzeanking]

Is this where all of us folk that are banned from the transfer section are gonna hang out for the summer it’s ok, I never really liked it there any way

Dunno why they don't have an amnesty for you guys...banned for 1 or two windows OK...but forever , seriously ? For people who will clearly never transgress again , who have long supported this community with money and quality posts...banned forever ?

Seems harsh ... also for some reason I now can't turn off italics

 

[Dazza86]

The new strategy that Poch mentioned recently and for the next 5 years is probably the most important conversation within our club within a lot of our lifetimes.

In my mind, the strategy can't be to go out there and attempt to outspend our competitors (both domestically and abroad). We'd lose that one. We have to get clever in how we use the (now considerable) money we do have and the facilities we've afforded ourselves. I think that conversation has to come down to what setup we'll have in the scouting system, how we'll prioritise and utilise younger players, when we make our signings (financial patterns), as well as what characteristics we'll want for our big signings (historically, we haven't been too good here).

It'll be amazing to go out there and net spend £200m on De Ligt, N'Dombele, AWB, etc. and we will almost certainly see some element of this, but Poch will surely know that arms race can't be our core methodology for competing in the long term. We'd be playing a game where the tactic is our competitors strengths.

This is what I think he was referring to recently. He wants to know the strategy can stack up, not just that we'll have money to spend and we'll spend it on the players he's identified. Everything else has to play a part.

 

[Monkey boy]

Dunno why they don't have an amnesty for you guys...banned for 1 or two windows OK...but forever , seriously ? For people who will clearly never transgress again , who have long supported this community with money and quality posts...banned forever ?

Seems harsh ... also for some reason I now can't turn off italics

You’re being watched

 

[Gb160]

Is this where all of us folk that are banned from the transfer section are gonna hang out for the summer it’s ok, I never really liked it there any way

We need our own thread to save spamming the fuck out of this one.
Start it...I'll be there buddy!

 

[Shadydan]

 

[THX2208]

With four years to run on a very lucrative contract I would expect Daniel Levy to sit down Pochettino after the Champions League Final and detail his next five year plan to compete with the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea & Man Utd. You have to leave City out of the equation as they are blatantly breaking every FFP rule in the book. I really hope it will be enough to keep Pochettino at the Club for another five years as there is absolutely no way Levy can expect to be getting into the top 4 and Championships League Final every season without giving the manager the tools he needs. The new stadium income alongside the huge money generated by our run to the final should give us plenty of transfer funds but for me personally its not all about transfer funds but paying wages that is comparable with the likes of Liverpool is essential. If Levy is telling Christian Eriksen he is worth £150 Million he better start paying him a wage that is inline with players worth that sort of money. Signing new players is imperative but also keeping our best players by paying them what they are worth in the current financial market is as important, if not more.
COYS

 

[vegassd]

...there is absolutely no way Levy can expect to be getting into the top 4 and Championships League Final every season without giving the manager the tools he needs.️

I agree with what you are saying but I think there is a bit of a leap here that many fans and the media make - the idea that Levy is expecting us to get into the top 4 and a run to the CL final. I don't believe he has that expectation or that he has said this is what he expects.

What we heard from Poch earlier in the season was that his job was to get Spurs into the CL once the stadium had been built, so that was the expectation Levy would have had going in to next season. Unfortunately the media (and lots of us fans) prefer to apply their own expectations which sees all the talk about winning trophies and player budgets. It actually goes against what the real expectation is.

I thought Poch was getting a bit miffed with that expectation gap, especially because he is the one who has to field the journalists questions and it's him who gets written about in the press. He has wildly exceeded what his boss asked of him but that doesn't stop the negative articles. So when he talks about clarity and transparency I think he's saying don't judge him on what you personally think he should be doing, judge him on what Spurs think he should be doing, and part of that is the club making those targets known.

Like you say, hanging on to players will be equally as important as signing new ones. So I would imagine there is a lot of contingency planning going on in terms of targets and timescales based on the playing squad.

For example, if the next league milestone is 85 points we could say that will be achievable next season with some additions, but if we lose Toby and Eriksen maybe we should have that as a 2 season target. Does changing that timescale change the approach to transfers in this window, perhaps with more emphasis on youth and the academy as opposed to ready-made players?

Whatever happens, I do hope that we get some sort of statement either from the club or Poch himself about what our targets and timescales are before the new season begins.

 

[THX2208]

I agree with what you are saying but I think there is a bit of a leap here that many fans and the media make - the idea that Levy is expecting us to get into the top 4 and a run to the CL final. I don't believe he has that expectation or that he has said this is what he expects.

What we heard from Poch earlier in the season was that his job was to get Spurs into the CL once the stadium had been built, so that was the expectation Levy would have had going in to next season. Unfortunately the media (and lots of us fans) prefer to apply their own expectations which sees all the talk about winning trophies and player budgets. It actually goes against what the real expectation is.

I thought Poch was getting a bit miffed with that expectation gap, especially because he is the one who has to field the journalists questions and it's him who gets written about in the press. He has wildly exceeded what his boss asked of him but that doesn't stop the negative articles. So when he talks about clarity and transparency I think he's saying don't judge him on what you personally think he should be doing, judge him on what Spurs think he should be doing, and part of that is the club making those targets known.

Like you say, hanging on to players will be equally as important as signing new ones. So I would imagine there is a lot of contingency planning going on in terms of targets and timescales based on the playing squad.

For example, if the next league milestone is 85 points we could say that will be achievable next season with some additions, but if we lose Toby and Eriksen maybe we should have that as a 2 season target. Does changing that timescale change the approach to transfers in this window, perhaps with more emphasis on youth and the academy as opposed to ready-made players?

Whatever happens, I do hope that we get some sort of statement either from the club or Poch himself about what our targets and timescales are before the new season begins.

I cannot argue with that, very good post. Personally I would love Toby & Christian to sign new contracts as this will alleviate the need to recruit replacements and give us a little bit more breathing space in the Summer Window, if that makes sense?
COYS

 

[Monkey boy]

Dunno why they don't have an amnesty for you guys...banned for 1 or two windows OK...but forever , seriously ? For people who will clearly never transgress again , who have long supported this community with money and quality posts...banned forever ?

Seems harsh ... also for some reason I now can't turn off italics

It does seem harsh considering all the monetary donations that I’ve made over the years. I am however close on 4K posts so maybe this is A&C’s way of telling me to get out more and enjoy the summer sunshine lol

 

[Everlasting Seconds]

It does seem harsh considering all the monetary donations that I’ve made over the years. I am however close on 4K posts so maybe this is A&C’s way of telling me to get out more and enjoy the summer sunshine lol

You go out there and get up to some monkey business. I'm telling you, the amount of brunettes out and about in July! I had no idea!!