Player Watch - Tanguy Ndombele

[C0YS]

That’s all well and good but Skriniar also plays in the Italian league which is considerably slower and more tactical than the premier league where defenders need to be quick and sharp from the first whistle to the last. It’s a lot more forgiving to defenders. Smalling has gone there and is basically one of the best despite being pretty shite in England. Happy to be proven wrong and I’m sure there are a few recent success stories but I can’t think of very many defenders who have come from Serie A and been a roaring success?

I think it’s a big risk and, tbh, a stupid risk.

tbf Skriniar's qualities indicate he'd do alright. He's very aggressive, the PL might even suit him more.

The issue is there haven't been all that many Centre backs from Serie A who have moved to the PL n recent years, and rarely those of the top level. But lets look at who has


Rudiger - taken a while but I would say he has been a moderate success, Rudiger didn't have anywhere close to the reputation Skriniar has now.
Hoedt - flop
Ogbonna´- nothing special but fundamentally a hit.
Ranocchia - predictable flop, wasn't any good when loaned out to Hull, doesn't suit Serie A
Federico Fernandez - hit, again for a low table PL team
Benalouane - flop, strange move by Leicester. Parma were actively trying to sell

and out of recent transfers, I think that's it. There haven't been many transfers so there haven't been many roaring successes.

Fullbacks there has been a lot more.

Cancelo - flop,
Zappacosta - bizarre signing, did as well at Chelsea as he did in serie A
Kolarov - big hit
Alonso - hit
Emerson - moderate success
Darmian - big disappointment
Lichtsteiner - predictable flop
Santon - okay

and thats about it.

So out of all of those players, only Rudiger and Darmian were really signed with a very high reputation, and one mostly based on potential. Most defenders from Italy go to Spain or France and the likes of Thiago Silva, Marquinihos, Savic and loads more have been big hits. Or they join Juventus. Italians, infamously, don't travel much (though that is beginning to change) and the best Italian defenders tend to prefer moves to big Italian clubs than moves abroad, that's the same with all positions.

In any case, most transfers of defenders have been hit and miss but more or less in line with those from other divisions. As always, more than what league players come from it is important to look at the individual profile of the player. Would they suit the English game? For me Skriniar really ticks that box, he is powerful, aggressive and physical, sort of the opposite of, say, Darmian, so his style should suit us well. Again, where he has struggled is covering large spaces, which actually is less likely to happen in the PL where the pitch is much smaller, with teams playing higher up.

 

[matthew.absurdum]

One thing for sure: If Barcelona wants Ndombele, he won't fix their problem

 

[rossdapep]

One thing for sure: If Barcelona wants Ndombele, he won't fix their problem

If Poch goes there, they may turn interest into serious bidding

 

[Ron Burgundy]

If Poch goes there, they may turn interest into serious bidding

really, after he’s seen how unfit he is first hand?

 

[rossdapep]

really, after he’s seen how unfit he is first hand?

Well Poch really really wanted Ndombele and believed he could turn him into the next big midfielder. Although having De Jong may prevent this as he also wanted him too.

 

[Univarn]

Well Poch really really wanted Ndombele and believed he could turn him into the next big midfielder. Although having De Jong may prevent this as he also wanted him too.

Of course it's all rumors but it seems pretty clear what Barca want to do this summer is Arthur/Pjanic swap deals because they don't have the cash on hand (even though they again come out of it poorly). Serious bidding from them so far would just mean offering us a broken Umtiti and Semedo again or Coutinho who they are desperate to recoup some money for. None of which I'd take vs Ndombele's potential.

 

[rossdapep]

Of course it's all rumors but it seems pretty clear what Barca want to do this summer is Arthur/Pjanic swap deals because they don't have the cash on hand (even though they again come out of it poorly). Serious bidding from them so far would just mean offering us a broken Umtiti and Semedo again or Coutinho who they are desperate to recoup some money for. None of which I'd take vs Ndombele's potential.

I'd take Coutinho. We could do with a player like that. But yeah, serious money and no cast offs otherwise forget it.

 

[Japhet]

Well Poch really really wanted Ndombele and believed he could turn him into the next big midfielder. Although having De Jong may prevent this as he also wanted him too.

True, although he may equally be congratulating himself on having dodged a massive bullet.

 

[wrd]

Poch wanted de jong as his first choice

 

[dondo]

If Poch goes there, they may turn interest into serious bidding

He won’t go there. He said he would never manage Barcelona after he managed espanyol

 

[rossdapep]

He won’t go there. He said he would never manage Barcelona after he managed espanyol

and then last week he said he should never have said it

 

[he is you know!]

He won’t go there. He said he would never manage Barcelona after he managed espanyol

and then last week he said he should never have said it

Dragon is saying Poch to Barca was done verbally 3 weeks ago, see Poch thread.

 

[Dean]

Another reason they want to sell?

Wasn't he Juve's player of the season? His lungs can't be that shot.

 

[dondo]

Dragon is saying Poch to Barca was done verbally 3 weeks ago, see Poch thread.

Believe it when I see it tbh

 

[Spurrific]

Sorry, but how the fuck would a Spurs “ITK” know what Poch verbally agreed with Barcelona 3 weeks ago? Such a ludicrous claim.

edit - sorry, but if you buy into that claim, your gullibility is bordering on dangerous.

 

[TPdYID]

Sorry, but how the fuck would a Spurs “ITK” know what Poch verbally agreed with Barcelona 3 weeks ago? Such a ludicrous claim.

edit - sorry, but if you buy into that claim, your gullibility is bordering on dangerous.

Throw enough shit...

 

[Spurrific]

Throw enough shit...

Especially if you throw it directly after the prospect of Poch managing them had been widely touted in the media.

 

[Mattspurs1982]

They dont want to sell. They want to keep. They want to sell Ronaldo & his astronomical wages. But they cant sell him so they have to come up with a different solution.

so amusing since they were the ones who did the maths to give Ronaldo said deal in the first place.

 

[gibbospurs]

Sorry, but how the fuck would a Spurs “ITK” know what Poch verbally agreed with Barcelona 3 weeks ago? Such a ludicrous claim.

edit - sorry, but if you buy into that claim, your gullibility is bordering on dangerous.

How do you know he is only a spurs ITK? He might have contacts for lots of agents? Maybe he posts on other teams supporting pages?

 

[Spurrific]

How do you know he is only a spurs ITK? He might have contacts for lots of agents? Maybe he posts on other teams supporting pages?

Yeah, I’m sure they know Poch’s agent or people that’d be involved at Barca board level making decisions like this. And nobody else had heard anything except them. And it’s just a coincidence they shared that snippet the same day that links started gaining traction.

It’s just obviously nonsense in this instance. If they had those sort of contacts, they’d have a lot more info than “hear we’re after a striker and a right back” when obviously that’s what we’re after.