Wilfried Zaha

[Lighty64]

Spurs are now at a level where only very good players can improve the team and squad. Yet that is what we must do, improve, because we aren't the best side in the country.

We have got to where we have through investing in lesser players yes, but football is also a combination of factors that leads to Spurs being where they are now, and a huge part of that is Poch and of course, Kane coming through when he did. Without striking it lucky with Kane and his incredible goal haul, we wouldn't be where we are. So whilst our transfer strategy has worked to an extent to get us to where we are, it isn't the only reason for being where we are and it isn't necessarily the best strategy going forward.

Now, unfortunately we still haven't won any trophies, and I think a big part of that is a failure to really strengthen this side with a bit more genuine quality. My other concern and it should be yours too, is players like Eriksen and Kane and Alli won't wait around for lesser players to develop for this side to win stuff.

I'm sure if you asked Kane and Eriksen, would they want us to sign Martial or a Zaha or a Pulisic, or an N'koudou, the answers would be obvious. Spurs have a golden opportunity whilst we have Kane and the side we do have now, to really achieve something, we don't have anymore time to wait around for more players to develop. By the time that happens, Kane will be 27 and if we still haven't won anything he will be gone and so will our other star players.

I'm not advocating we should bankrupt the club, or do a City, but I think we are too much on the cautious side as opposed to going for it for once, and our transfer windows always leave us and the squad short.

so if Levy doesn't back his manager why has Levy turned bids down for Kane?

 

[SpartanSpur]

I flat out refuse to believe that we’ve had a bid accepted and offered a package to the player and none of this not one iota has made it to the press!!!

People are taking the agreed a fee thing too literally, even Herc has tried to clarify this.

Modern transfers there's usually an informal agreement of a fee, then the selling club grants the buying club access to the player. If personal terms are agreed they thrash out the finer details of the fee and that's when the formal bids usually go in and the fee is officially 'agreed'.

Public bid rejections like you'd see on the yellow ticker are usually one party making things public for a variety of reasons. Such as sellers/agents trying to get additional interest and start an auction. Or the selling club looking for a PR rub for turning the deal down and saying he's staying. There's a whole host of reasons.

My take with Zaha is that both us and Chelsea agreed with Palace a set price and loose structure of a deal and confirmed they were willing to pay it. Palace then allow us to speak to the player. Palace want to keep it quiet as they need to get incomings in without inflation. Us and Chelsea have no reason to want it to go public at this stage either. Missing out is bad PR and could compromise alternative deals. All 3 clubs brief staff on the importance of keeping things quiet, but some things slip the net informally.

We literally experienced this with Bale but no one seems to be interested in it potentially being the case here. The fee for him would in no doubt have been agreed weeks before the official bids started rocking up on SSN.

Could all be moot regardless if Gards' info is legit anyway.

 

[stonebrow]

so if Levy doesn't back his manager why has Levy turned bids down for Kane?

He knows what Kane is worth to the club... he has not backed Poch (so far) regarding incomings this TW

 

[Primativ]

so if Levy doesn't back his manager why has Levy turned bids down for Kane?

Erm...because Levy would be crucified if he accepted a bid for Kane.

I'm not quite sure how you take the fact that we are holding onto Kane as some sort of proof that Levy is backing Poch. You must have awfully low expectations.

 

[Lighty64]

He knows what Kane is worth to the club... he has not backed Poch (so far) regarding incomings this TW

has the window closed yet?

 

[stonebrow]

has the window closed yet?

No that’s why I said ‘so far’?!

 

[Sandros Shiny Head]

I love how this threads gone from not wanting him to being no.1 target, then to can't afford him, up to "it's definitely happening" round to losing out to Chelsea, but if you weren't a member on here and just read the media you'd give next to no fucks about it whatsoever since nothing's being said about it

 

[Ricky_Yid]

I'm honestly cool if we don't spend any money this window. Roll it over to the winter or, more likely, next summer. I know this is near blasphemy but we still have the second or third best squad in the country imo (so long as no one leaves) and hopefully players like Alderweireld, Lucas and Lamela will be 100% this season and really influence the team in a way they couldn't before the break.

The other side of this is I want players like Winks and Foyth and even the kids who are playing in the US at the moment to be in the first XI or on the bench and getting opportunities. This set up works for us and it's been working for the last four years.

It's always the time to 'back the boss' for some people, it's always this season that breaking the transfer record for a star is going to lift us to the mythical 'next level'. Guarantee the same people will be saying the same things next season and the season after that etc etc

If the opportunity is there to do it and club and coach are agreed on the target, then sure, do it But if those players aren't available keep your money in your pocket, trust your squad and fringe players to step up and wait until the right deal comes along. Don't go for a player you never identified or wanted just because he's being hawked around 48 hours before the deadline and you couldn't get the players you really wanted.

I get your point completely but my issue is that while you might be happy to wait until our team develops over the coming years and we add an occasional player if the right deal comes along, the top class players we currently have won't, they'll be looking at Kyle Walker who is now playing for the best in the country and probably best manager in the world with a league winners medal and thinking I want that but that's not going to happen at spurs, time to go. Make no mistake the vast majority of our team could play for City, Madrid and Barca

 

[Lighty64]

Erm...because Levy would be crucified if he accepted a bid for Kane.

I'm not quite sure how you take the fact that we are holding onto Kane as some sort of proof that Levy is backing Poch. You must have awfully low expectations.

no Ive seen the club progress for 45years, just about to open the best stadium in the country, and have followed all the ITK to know we need to shift non HG players if we want to buy another non HG player, and I also understand that if the ITK was correct about Zaha it's his choice of clubs. he might even go to Dortmund for all we know he can get CL football there. or as someone else mentioned Chelsea might of offered a better deal witch includes RLC (I mentioned that also yesterday).

We haven't bought anyone yet and if you followed ITK de Ligt price hiked, Ajax wanted him back for a season loan, and Raiola has got involved. Man U won't sell Martial obviously he is option A because we heard about him a lot earlier. if RM where 4-0 up in CL final, and Bale wasn't the hero who knows if ZZ would of left, or if Ronaldo would of been sold, and Bale might of been on the market. with Grealish is he wasn't in the original plans and we had the chance to get him cheaper (because not many rate him at 25m) then perhaps Levy was trying to get him without stretching over what he hopes to spend.

let the window close, and if we haven't signed anyone that can improve our squad then moan like fuck, but the window hasn't closed yet. what good would buying any player today do? they won't join the tour. there isn't a guarantee that if they joined before the tour that they wouldn't of suffered an injury (Mahrez the only decent player sold by a premier league club), which shows that all clubs are having trouble selling at the moment, and with all the WC players away at the moment, they are not going to be able to build up an understanding yet anyway

 

[Lighty64]

No that’s why I said ‘so far’?!

and if you read my post above or followed all ITK, it might show the reasons why

 

[Lighty64]

Posts like this really irk me tbh....yes we have a really good squad and they have got us top 4 finishes but they have won fuck all. All our rivals are strengthening around us and we are standing still. If we dont buck our ideas up we will be out of the top 4 in the next 2 seasons.

Every team has to add new players and improve each season as this league is so competitive.

please tell me who have strengthened and why you believe they are stronger

 

[dtxspurs]

please tell me who have strengthened and why you believe they are stronger

What? Chelsea, Liverpool, ManU, Arsenal and City have all added players in areas of weakness.

 

[Supersi32]

please tell me who have strengthened and why you believe they are stronger

Liverpool
Man City
Chelsea
Arsenal
Man Utd
Even West Ham ffs

 

[Ricky_Yid]

please tell me who have strengthened and why you believe they are stronger

Liverpool and man City have both strengthened

 

[King of the Lane]

please tell me who have strengthened and why you believe they are stronger

Liverpool - bought really good players which address their weaknesses.

Chelsea - Jorginho should solve their Kante partnership problem they had last season.

City - bought another top class AM

Utd - Fred, Matic and Pogba is a very good midfield

Arsenal- have actually addressed their weaknesses for once. I wouldnt want the players they have bought but it could make them a more solid team.

It really isnt difficult so why it needs explaining to you I dont know. Before you argue that most are not proven in the prem...neither was Sanchez but he has been class for us

 

[stonebrow]

and if you read my post above or followed all ITK, it might show the reasons why

Ok

 

[Lighty64]

What? Chelsea, Liverpool, ManU, Arsenal and City have all added players in areas of weakness.

tell me 1 player that is a GUARANTEED improvement, the Liverpool keeper? no guarantee.

Liverpool
Man City
Chelsea
Arsenal
Man Utd
Even West Ham ffs

Man U 2 players never played in the prem, new country how have they strengthened, Fergusson once bought 1 of the best midfielders going Veron, that didn't work.

Chelsea nicked Jorginho might work,

Arsenal an aging defender on a free, a midfielder that did okay in the WC, but Xhaka had a brilliant Euro's that worked out.

Man C got Mahrez, lucky he signed before the tour or he might of not got injured, and Man C we can't compete with

Wet Spam have finally spent after 2 years in the rented stadium, and 1 player might improve them, they are talking about selling 2 that kept them a float

 

[popstar7]

I get your point completely but my issue is that while you might be happy to wait until our team develops over the coming years and we add an occasional player if the right deal comes along, the top class players we currently have won't, they'll be looking at Kyle Walker who is now playing for the best in the country and probably best manager in the world with a league winners medal and thinking I want that but that's not going to happen at spurs, time to go. Make no mistake the vast majority of our team could play for City, Madrid and Barca

That's all true. MP leaving soon under those circumstances is a risk, same with Eriksen and Dele. Maybe Sanchez and Kane down the line. Beyond those I'm not sure many of our squad would be on Barcelona or Madrid's watchlist. But the reality is winning the Cup or the League Cup doesn't change that equation.

Even winning the league, which I really don't see happening this season, wouldn't change it. Those clubs because of who they are will always be a temptation. Us winning the Cup next season isn't suddenly going to make MP or CE think 'That's it. I'm staying here for the rest of my career'. There's always a chance they'll go if Madrid/Barca are sniffing round again. And the better we're doing, the more interest there's likely to be.

If I look around other leagues I'd say right now (not historically) we're in with the likes of Dortmund, Roma, Inter, Napoli, maybe Atletico (if you squint really hard) and a few others in terms of pull. We can attract and hold onto similar level players but win stuff or don't win stuff, these clubs will still struggle to hold on to their managers and best players when the top dogs come calling. Winning a domestic cup doesn't change that situation.

What would really fuck us short term would be dropping out of the top four, then if Eriksen wants out all you can do is try to get £150m for him. And that's what's what all these clubs do because that's the reality of their place in the pecking order. And we're relative newcomers at this level compared to them.

 

[Supersi32]

tell me 1 player that is a GUARANTEED improvement, the Liverpool keeper? no guarantee.



Man U 2 players never played in the prem, new country how have they strengthened, Fergusson once bought 1 of the best midfielders going Veron, that didn't work.

Chelsea nicked Jorginho might work,

Arsenal an aging defender on a free, a midfielder that did okay in the WC, but Xhaka had a brilliant Euro's that worked out.

Man C got Mahrez, lucky he signed before the tour or he might of not got injured, and Man C we can't compete with

Wet Spam have finally spent after 2 years in the rented stadium, and 1 player might improve them, they are talking about selling 2 that kept them a float

Look its all about opinions and there are no guarantees with any transfer but calculated risk....Keita is a superb player, Fabinho was excellent for Monaco in their run in their CL....

Fred looks a good signing from what I've seen of him for Shaktar in the CL

Arsenal have addressed their areas of weakness - defence and signed a very decent holding midfielder from Sampdoria, they also have a new manger who knows how to win trophies...

Chelsea also have a very good player in Jorginho, and a manager who helped shape a fantastic Napoli side...

West Ham as tinpot as they are have signed much better players than they had...

You are right we are getting nowhere near Man City....

The reverse of your argument is that you can't guarantee these players won't strengthen these teams and make them better either....

 

[dtxspurs]

tell me 1 player that is a GUARANTEED improvement, the Liverpool keeper? no guarantee.



Man U 2 players never played in the prem, new country how have they strengthened, Fergusson once bought 1 of the best midfielders going Veron, that didn't work.

Chelsea nicked Jorginho might work,

Arsenal an aging defender on a free, a midfielder that did okay in the WC, but Xhaka had a brilliant Euro's that worked out.

Man C got Mahrez, lucky he signed before the tour or he might of not got injured, and Man C we can't compete with

Wet Spam have finally spent after 2 years in the rented stadium, and 1 player might improve them, they are talking about selling 2 that kept them a float

By your standards I guess the only players you would have approved of were Wanyama, Sissoko and Llorente from the past few years? How are those all working out?