Lennon or Townsend??
- Thread starter robp135
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PeeEyeEmPee
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- Aug 31, 2012
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well Lennon's better than both of them, so...no
SpurSince57
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- Jan 20, 2006
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If I'm going to watch football other than Spurs, it's not going to be a bunch of Championship-bound bozos.
SlickMongoose
Copacetic
- Feb 27, 2005
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It doesn't have to be one or the other, Townsend isn't first choice but he needs to be given chances. He should be rotated in a lot more than he has been in the past.
ClintEastwould
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- Jul 3, 2012
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townsend is way too selfish and plays with his head down. replacing lennon with him would leave soldado even more isolated and we should be looking to build our team around him considering he is our record signing
Dancing Dozzell
SC Supporter
- May 23, 2010
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Lennon has been one of my favourite players and can be unplayable. However Townsend plays like he believes he is the next Messi, and although he will never reach those heights I do believe his skill set,AVB's coaching and some playing time will see him surpass Lennon.
SpurSince57
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Well, he's going to have to earn chances, and if AVB believes he's done so, I certainly won't have a problem. It's just pretty absurd for people to bleat on about how he looked really good for QPR on MOTD and how he looked better than Lennon in a couple of Mickey Mouse pre-season games. He hasn't done that much out on loan to clubs in lower divisions (and certainly hasn't given any evidence of being a goal machine), and whilst he looked promising for us in cup games a couple of seasons ago, he wasn't sufficiently promising to be kept in the squad.
Lennon should be taking on shots more often than he does, and I'm not sure why he doesn't, or hasn't been encouraged to do so. He's actually a good finisher. Then, he's a winger, not a wide forward, and goalscoring wingers are rare birds indeed, certainly those that score into double figures: why else have Real offered us crazy money for Bale, and why are we telling them it's not crazy enough? Why aren't Real looking for a cheaper alternative?
City have splashed out £15m for Navas, who is better than Lennon (from what little I've seen of him, anyway), and if reports are true, we're ready to blow twice that on Willian; neither has a better goalscoring record than Lennon. The simple fact is, whilst Lennon has failed to become the player we hoped he'd be eight years ago, he's still bloody good, if some way short of 'world class'. Finding someone who does what he does and also scores in double figures (and, preferably, puts in decent crosses as well) isn't going to be easy; he's also going to be very, very expensive.
PeeEyeEmPee
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- Aug 31, 2012
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no he isn't. we've bought Chadli for £7m, and I'd put any money up against yours that he'll get at least the 12 combined goals and assists that Lennon averages.
we're spending £30m on Willian because we're expecting far more than what Lennon gives us. at the very least, the expectation is that he'll be able to play (and be effective) in several positions, and provide goals, both for himself and others on a regular basis.
we're spending £30m on Willian because we're expecting far more than what Lennon gives us. at the very least, the expectation is that he'll be able to play (and be effective) in several positions, and provide goals, both for himself and others on a regular basis.
Tottenham_God
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- Nov 6, 2011
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Willian
SpurSince57
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My, you should enter Mastermind with 'Stating The Crashingly Fucking Obvious' as your specialist subject. I really couldn't have figured out why we wanted to sign him without your deep, deep insight. However, I wouldn't bet the farm on his scoring a shedload of goals, just as I wouldn't bet on Chadli equalling his Eredivisie scoring record. The EPL is a different proposition, as anyone who's watched both leagues knows.
Lennon creates a scoring chance every half he plays, as does Bale. They're not quite up there with Mata and Cazorla, but that's pretty good. How many of those chances are converted is dependent on who's on the receiving end. Bale had four assists last season, 10 the season before, but the number of chances he created was pretty much the same.
Cravenspurs
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- Jul 31, 2011
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And you are basing this on what body of evidence? AVB talks about the vertical attack. Look at Porto for example. Did hulk, a player that demanded the ball and attempted to take people on, negate the contributions of others? I don't think so
PeeEyeEmPee
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you're making out that it will be very expensive to get someone to do what Lennon does and score in double-figures, and you're citing the fees paid for Navas and Willian as evidence of that. my argument is that Chadli will do just that, and all for £7m. to sum up, it isn't nearly as hard as you think to replace what is an average winger in Lennon.
Spurs1960
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- Jul 26, 2011
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There is taking people on and always cutting in to take people on. How many times in pre-season have you seen him take on his man on the outside on the right? He cuts in on his left every time. If you are not going to go outside them and he has shown no inclination in his cameos to do so then he is in the way of a midfielder, who we have paid £17 million to arrive into the box and add goals.
Lennon is half the player when played on the left because he can't cross with his left, Sigurdsson is a fish out of water on the left because he cuts in all the time and is easy to defend against. That is exactly what you are proposing we now do on the right. If I am a defender and I know what a player is going to do it becomes a lot easier for my side. His shooting statistics are very poor, an accuracy of 18% I believe it is compared to Bale's 44% from outside the box. He had no shots from inside the area last season.
Townsend is suited to the left side, he would make us very predictable on the right. He'll cut inside and shoot. He didn't created a single goal for anyone else last season. He hasn't put in a decent cross or picked out a through pass in pre-season. Being harsh the bottom line is he is not good enough, he needs more to his game to get into a top 4 side, until he adds it he will remain the inferior player AVB clearly believes he is, otherwise he'd be playing. It has been well documented all window that we have been looking at wingers, if Townsend were thought to be good enough, why have we been looking? Answer is he is not thought to be good enough.
Ask yourself would Man U, Chelsea or Man C pick him. The answer is no. Football management is about having the ability to look at the whole picture and not just what a player can do, not be blinded by cut inside and shoot. He has to fit the system and Townsend on the right weakens us, he doesn't fit there, he takes more away from our game than he gives. Yes he can score a goal, terrific, but it's not enough. On the right he is a one trick pony, on the left he offers a lot more.
Hardly anything has actually offered that he brings to the table. He adds an attacking threat, how? And how does his play enhance those around him? He cuts in and shoots, what else has he got if he is on the right? He won't be going to the byline and cutting it back so as a defender you just push him into a crowded midfield limiting the angles of balls to try and pick out Soldado and limiting our creativity and therefore goals output. The odd shot from distance doesn't make up for that.
When Lamela arrives, I don't think Townsend will even make the bench. Lamela, Lennon and Chadli will be the three in the Premier League match day squads. Townsend will find his level and when he leaves it won't be to a top 4 club.
michaelden
Knight of the Fat Fanny
- Aug 13, 2004
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It'll be Lennon & Lamela & Townsend & Chadli all season. Lots of games to go around
SpurSince57
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We haven't signed Lamela yet, and you appear to have forgotten Willian (although we haven't signed him yet either. You've also forgotten Bale.
michaelden
Knight of the Fat Fanny
- Aug 13, 2004
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It's early and I',m only 1/2 way through my 1st mug of coffee.
I expect Bale to be off. I expect William to be played more centrally if we are 4-2-3-1. If we 4-3-3 then I think that if we sign Lamela he will be 1st RWF, and William will be 1st LWF. Lennon & Chadli 2nd picks. Townsend and Falque or other to be reserve.
I think both Townsend & Falque will want more game time and to be fair, both would probably be a regular in more teams in the (expected) lower half of the Premiership.
