The Daily ITK Discussion Thread 11th July 2013

We've put a proposal in have we? Great
Cannot see the Benteke deal being a quick turnaround

Misfit said:

Also, just on Dempsey - I have to defend him. I'll make no attempts to defends his technical ability or skills. That would be suicide. Dude knows where to be to get a goal more often than not. That is a very valuable talent in itself. Obviously he's not a first XI player going forward but I'd be delighted if he was still here as part of the squad going forward.

The good news if we're likely to make our money if he does get offers so those who vomit at the mere sight of him can relax. Chances are that he won't be, imo.

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The one thing people always dismiss with Dempsey is that he is not a quitter. And the reason he pops up with goals at good times is due to this "never say die" attitude

That's a valuable thing for any club to have. But especially for us. I wasn't around for Burkinshaw, so we've always had a loser complex during my time. And I watched it year after year as we found ways to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

That being said, I think that the shift isn't Dempsey. I think it's partly Bale and the absolute faith that the rest of the team has that he will get it done. But mostly I think it's AVB. So if we sell him, we don't resort to old ways.

But if we keep him, it's a good quality to have.

As for technical ability.......he's a poor white kid from Texas. There is a difference in being a caravan park kid in Holland like VDV and being one in Texas like Dempsey. The fact that he could come from that background and make it at the highest level is one of the highest testaments to him as an athlete. Had he been born in a place where the sporting education in football was like most of the world, he would have had much better teaching and his technical ability would be different. But he didn't. And here's where the poverty thing comes into play. Texas is about American football, no doubt. But there is good football instruction in the state too. And he had a chance to join an elite academy in Dallas. But due to financial difficulties and the death of his sister that training got interrupted.

So for his haters, cut him some slack on the technical argument. I think 99% of the people on this board had access to better footballing education than he did. Yet he's the one living the dream.

And please don't think I am soft on him because we share a nationality. When it comes to football, I trade in on my very thin Dutch heritage and follow Holland. If somebody better comes along, I would sell him in an instant. If a shitty Dutch player came along with a peg leg and was blind, I'd probably want them more. But I have a fucking hell of a lot of respect for his story. It deserves respect.

I'm sure this has been mentioned, but if we have indeed put in a proposal for Bernard and we are willing to spend 17-18m on Benteke, at least it appears we do have money available for the right deals.

I'm not a Dempsey fan, not in the slightest, but appreciate he can score goals - and that's a commodity i'd be very wary of getting rid of just because he doesn't look flashy or always get involved in build up play

Snarfalicious said:

I'm sure this has been mentioned, but if we have indeed put in a proposal for Bernard and we are willing to spend 17-18m on Benteke, at least it appears we do have money available for the right deals.

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Could be putting bids in for both knowing that if we can get them it will end up being one or the other and we'll walk away from one. Hedging our bets

Gasping for a tasty morsel of ITK. Damn the fine weather. All the bighitters are probably all too sun-stroked and pished on cider to log-on.

HappySpur said:

The one thing people always dismiss with Dempsey is that he is not a quitter. And the reason he pops up with goals at good times is due to this "never say die" attitude

That's a valuable thing for any club to have. But especially for us. I wasn't around for Burkinshaw, so we've always had a loser complex during my time. And I watched it year after year as we found ways to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

That being said, I think that the shift isn't Dempsey. I think it's partly Bale and the absolute faith that the rest of the team has that he will get it done. But mostly I think it's AVB. So if we sell him, we don't resort to old ways.

But if we keep him, it's a good quality to have.

As for technical ability.......he's a poor white kid from Texas. There is a difference in being a caravan park kid in Holland like VDV and being one in Texas like Dempsey. The fact that he could come from that background and make it at the highest level is one of the highest testaments to him as an athlete. Had he been born in a place where the sporting education in football was like most of the world, he would have had much better teaching and his technical ability would be different. But he didn't. And here's where the poverty thing comes into play. Texas is about American football, no doubt. But there is good football instruction in the state too. And he had a chance to join an elite academy in Dallas. But due to financial difficulties and the death of his sister that training got interrupted.

So for his haters, cut him some slack on the technical argument. I think 99% of the people on this board had access to better footballing education than he did. Yet he's the one living the dream.

And please don't think I am soft on him because we share a nationality. When it comes to football, I trade in my very thin linkeage to being Dutch and follow Holland. If somebody better comes along, I would sell him in an instant. But I have a fucking hell of a lot of respect for his story. It deserves respect.

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Beautifully put. It's all context as ever. He's still one of the best technical footballers on the planet. Shit, even those being paid in a wage in league 1 and 2 and other similar leagues around the world are in the top, what, 1% of footballers on the planet.

Next to a Modric, yeah, he's shite. Rather an unfair comparison though. Most are.

Well didn't Paulo10 write himself into SC history today. I wonder if he made it thru the day ?

Harry_Snatch said:

We have needed competition for Lennon and Bale for years! Every time either of them has got injured or the last 3 years, we have dropped points!

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There are only 2 players in the world that can compete with Bale and were will never get either of them. We do however have a good back up in the form of Townsend.

I agree that we need competition for Lennon though, however Falque has just come back from a successful loan spell and could be the answer. If will be interesting to see how he does in pre-season.

HailKingLevy said:

Well didn't Paulo10 write himself into SC history today. I wonder if he made it thru the day ?

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K, what did I miss and to which page of the thread should I go?

Misfit said:

Beautifully put. It's all context as ever. He's still one of the best technical footballers on the planet. Shit, even those being paid in a wage in league 1 and 2 and other similar leagues around the world are in the top, what, 1% of footballers on the planet.

Next to a Modric, yeah, he's shite. Rather an unfair comparison though. Most are.

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Yeah, I can see why people sometimes have this perception about technical ability. It only takes a few great players like the Xavis or Prlos to alter our construct. Having gotten the chance to see Berbatov and Modric, we've seen glimpses of technical football that is on another level. And naturally people like that make your decent technical players look like they are worse than they really are.

Snarfalicious said:

I'm sure this has been mentioned, but if we have indeed put in a proposal for Bernard and we are willing to spend 17-18m on Benteke, at least it appears we do have money available for the right deals.

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Allegedly..

I still remember Levy and the wheelbarrow full of cash.

Misfit said:

K, what did I miss and to which page of the thread should I go?

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I think it started around page 8.

Ta muchly.

Snarfalicious said:

I'm sure this has been mentioned, but if we have indeed put in a proposal for Bernard and we are willing to spend 17-18m on Benteke, at least it appears we do have money available for the right deals.

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Yes and it seems we are trying to get Bernard & spend 17-18 on Benteke not just one or the other too.

Now that the Croatian kids have fallen through I wonder where that money will be spent.....

Rogmeister said:

Now that the Croatian kids have fallen through I wonder where that money will be spent.....

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I'd like to nominate two of Ezekiel, Mitrovic and Bruma. For the millionth time.

HailKingLevy said:

Well didn't Paulo10 write himself into SC history today. I wonder if he made it thru the day ?

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He's still around. He's been a long standing member here. He had one of those days, we've all had where frustration gets the best of you and your posts come from the gut.

What didn't help was the fact that people fed on this like sharks sniffing blood. We should have recognized that he was having a day like that and cut him some slack rather than having a go. Rather than neg repping him, we could have used the disagree button. Rather than telling him "you're having a mare", we could have stepped away from the thread. He couldn't because sometimes we all get in that mood and can't.

Paolo has times he's up for banter. He can appreciate a good argument. But it took two posts for me recognize that wasn't what was going on with him today. He was mad. Probably won't be tomorrow. So let's respect his past contributions and throw anything said in anger today away. Because there was genuine opinion in there too and that should be respected (you don't have to agree with it though)

edit: I don't think sharks sniff. When I have time, I'll try and look up if they use their electrosenses to sense it or if it's actually smell. Until then, if it is wrong, feel free to make fun of me. Because I would do it to you

Snarfalicious said:

I'd like to nominate two of Ezekiel, Mitrovic and Bruma. For the millionth time.

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also maybe add Rebic to that list?

Who's gonna be our sponsor in 2030? I want that shirt with 'Defoe' on the back.





Crouch too.