The Daily ITK Discussion Thread - THE DEADLINE

[Mr Pink]

Have we not all seen enough windows....

To know how the next one pans out...when will the penny drop....

We'll do the bare minimum to maintain the status quo.

ENIC have a ceiling for ambition.

 

[nedley]

Was OKeefe right then that our budget was 30M

He's been bang on the money over the last few windows.

One of the best ITKs around IMO.

 

[Lifelong]

Have we not all seen enough windows....

To know how the next one pans out...when will the penny drop....

We'll do the bare minimum to maintain the status quo.

ENIC have a ceiling for ambition.

I fear you are right……..Every transfer window comes round and I think this one will be different……turns out it’s exactly the same…..

 

[Spurs 1961]

I reckon we'll need 2 more on top of that.

It’s ‘Arry! Hi

 

[Dougal]

Only dipping in and out of the Spurs headlines over the last few days. Does this Beyoncé fella play centre back?

 

[roy@SC]

Did anyone solve the London's calling cryptic?

 

[only1waddle]

Did anyone solve the London's calling cryptic?

yeah, something about Beyonce

 

[DiscoD1882]

Can she play CB?

No. But she does a mean “all the single ladies!”

 

[JUSTINSIGNAL]

Can't remember in which thread it was posted, but someone set out how our central defence looks for each position with starter/back-up if we remove the players who (we think) are not up to scratch (or have the loanee return to parent club), and it's essentially this:

RCB: Romero - Blank
CB: Blank - Blank
LCB: Blank - Blank

So that's five players we need to find straight off the bat, unless we are looking at Dier/Davies/Sanchez continuing for another couple of years.

I'm struggling to think of the right way to put this but here goes: we need to build the squad so that we are never in a position where we need to upgrade (at least) two players for one position. Currently we definitely have that situation in two (CB, LCB) and arguably three or four positions (GK, DM). That's potentially 8 players just to get to a stable squad situation before considering that LWB might need more work, and Son and/or Kane will need replacing soonish. If we work at the rate of one proper upgrade per window then the likes of Bentancur/Romero/Deki will be getting to the last year or two of their contract before we've got a fully functioning first team.

In sum: Get a bloody move on!

It’s an ongoing process, where you need a DOF and/or manager who stay for an extended period to ensure the right pieces are signed each window to plug gaps. That’s why it’s essential either Conte and Paratici (hopefully both) stay beyond this summer. It’s the luxury Arsenal and Liverpool (models we should follow) have had. Yes it can be frustrating only adding 2-3 players each window but the key is that they are the right players who have a productive use in the squad and won’t be shipped out in less than 18 months. Eventually the team should peak and success will follow. But having a manager/DOF with a strong vision needs to be the foundation of that success.

 

[PCozzie]

It’s an ongoing process, where you need a DOF and/or manager who stay for an extended period to ensure the right pieces are signed each window to plug gaps. That’s why it’s essential either Conte and Paratici (hopefully both) stay beyond this summer. It’s the luxury Arsenal and Liverpool (models we should follow) have had. Yes it can be frustrating only adding 2-3 players each window but the key is that are the right players who have a productive use in the squad and won’t be shipped out in less than 18 months. Eventually the team should peak and success will follow. But having a manager/DOF with a strong vision need to be the foundation of that success.

Can't disagree with most of that. My fear is that we are concentrating so hard on finding the first team starter in the one position we've identified for that window that we are missing out on getting in upgrades elsewhere. If you imagine that we need a squad of 25, all of whom could start in a title challenging team, then we've probably filled about 6 - 8 of those places. Hopefully a couple of youngsters kick on, maybe one or two train on, but short of having a one-off Leicester style season we are going to struggle to hang on to the coat tails of clubs who have squads of 30 - 40 (not suggesting that's a good model btw), fully formed and stuffed full of young starlets and experienced trophy winners.

Totally agree about the manager/DOF.

 

[Nanky_1988]

Is it likely that we’ll get a debrief of the window from some of the ITK’s? Guessing as it was so quiet deadline day we might not need one!

 

[G Ron]

i'm going to defend Davies a bit here. Every club needs players like this in the squad. Not one of the top earners, never rocks the boat, never complains, does his job when called upon. Not the most spectacular player in the world, and not the best left sided defender in the world, but always puts a shift in

I don’t disagree but he should never have been more than a bench option for us (he wasn’t under Poch, and yet here we are trying to keep pace with the elite and he’s now a regular starter). It’s another sad indictment of how we’ve failed to strengthen key areas as defensively we’re significantly weaker than we were under Poch.

 

[gibbospurs]

Just saying, but… everyone was chuffed when lloris signed the extension. Davies last season was a revelation. Dier before his 50p head against Liverpool was the second coming. Perisic was world class etc. I want levy out, we need new owners. But half of spurs community were all saying the same Regarding the players. The drop off of quite a few has been crazy. End of last season nobody wanted or thought we needed a new back line. We were never gonna fix this shit in January. Especially with Conte not committing. We’re left what we’ve got so let’s get behind the team. Going Sunday and I think we’re gonna win. The 2 we’ve got in look great. One a defo starter and the other looks like he might of put a massive boot up Sons backside. So COYS

 

[daryl hannah]

Agree that by the time we’ve plugged all the holes in this sieve of a squad some of the key players’ contracts would be running down. They could extend, though.

I don’t understand why we perpetually have so much dross.

 

[DannyNZ]

Only dipping in and out of the Spurs headlines over the last few days. Does this Beyoncé fella play centre back?

She is an upgrade on a couple of our CBs

 

[Sloop]

She is an upgrade on a couple of our CBs

She does look pretty solid at the back

 

[Dannyspur]

Did anyone solve the London's calling cryptic?

Yes it was a link to a track on the ‘Give ‘Em Enough Rope’ album by the Clash : Cheapskates

 

[Thenewcat]

Can't remember in which thread it was posted, but someone set out how our central defence looks for each position with starter/back-up if we remove the players who (we think) are not up to scratch (or have the loanee return to parent club), and it's essentially this:

RCB: Romero - Blank
CB: Blank - Blank
LCB: Blank - Blank

So that's five players we need to find straight off the bat, unless we are looking at Dier/Davies/Sanchez continuing for another couple of years.

I'm struggling to think of the right way to put this but here goes: we need to build the squad so that we are never in a position where we need to upgrade (at least) two players for one position. Currently we definitely have that situation in two (CB, LCB) and arguably three or four positions (GK, DM). That's potentially 8 players just to get to a stable squad situation before considering that LWB might need more work, and Son and/or Kane will need replacing soonish. If we work at the rate of one proper upgrade per window then the likes of Bentancur/Romero/Deki will be getting to the last year or two of their contract before we've got a fully functioning first team.

In sum: Get a bloody move on!

Sorry but this is just way over the top: the idea that we need 5 CBs is ludicrous - name me a team with a better 6th choice CB than Dier or Davies. The fact that confidence is low and players are out of form is leading to a massive overreaction - there is nothing wrong with Sanchez, Dier and Davies as our reserve back line.

similarly, we don’t need 2 DMs - I’d argue we don’t need one if Bissouma can get to the level he’s shown previously. Lloris or Forster are fine as a back up keeper too.

If we can get at least one centre half, a creative player, being Udogie in and keep Harry our squad looks pretty strong all over. The last bit is the bit I’m worried about

 

[Thenewcat]

It's tough, because we don't do 'volume'. To be generous (the last 18 months anyway) we are being very surgical. Each window we look at one position that needs upgrading and do exactly that. Bentancur, Deki, Romero, Porro were all positions desperately in need of attention. Four windows, four upgrades. Super. But that's the strategy that the Liverpool of four years ago were employing for good reason. They were stacked in almost every position and could afford to concentrate on that one player per window.

It's been done to death in umpteen threads, but we have squad players that should be 3/4/5th choice starting matches often in three or four positions every match. At some point we are going to have to have a window (probably two consecutively) where we get in six or seven players each time, and sell a minimum of four or five. Can we do that, given how difficult just one deal seems to be to complete? Seems unlikely.

With a bit of luck we might already have two players in Sarr and Udogie who cover another couple of upgrades, but there's no guarantees.

This just isn’t true. Bentancur and Kulu came in the same window for a start, and you’ve ignored the fact that we went and spent a fortune on one specific Conte ask (Richy) and got another who wouldn’t usually fit our remit (Perisic) and Bissouma was absolutely supposed to be an upgrade too. So that’s at least 7 in four windows, and that’s without assuming any upside from guys like Danjuma or Udogie.

Our method of getting players in (timing etc) can be criticised and fans are always going to want 1 more, but both the quality and volume of first team signings have been fine. The far bigger issues are managing transfers out (abysmal) and failing to deal with the Conte/Harry contracts.

 

[PCozzie]

Sorry but this is just way over the top: the idea that we need 5 CBs is ludicrous - name me a team with a better 6th choice CB than Dier or Davies. The fact that confidence is low and players are out of form is leading to a massive overreaction - there is nothing wrong with Sanchez, Dier and Davies as our reserve back line.

similarly, we don’t need 2 DMs - I’d argue we don’t need one if Bissouma can get to the level he’s shown previously. Lloris or Forster are fine as a back up keeper too.

If we can get at least one centre half, a creative player, being Udogie in and keep Harry our squad looks pretty strong all over. The last bit is the bit I’m worried about

Isn't that the issue though? There probably isn't a better 6th choice combo than Dier/Davies in the division. The problem is that they aren't our 6th choice, they're our 1st and 2nd choice. I'd be perfectly happy with them as general injury cover, but with rotation even a second choice player starts one in three matches.

I haven't heard any noises of us trying to keep Lenglet, so realistically before we buy anyone in the summer our absolute 1st choice CB and LCB is Dier and Davies. We will be one Romero injury/suspension away from a back line of Sanchez - Dier - Davies to start the season.

The other positions I did say were arguable.