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The Daily ITK Discussion Thread - The first of the Month Edition 1st July 2013

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talkshowhost86

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Oct 2, 2004
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Soooo...plenty to chew on over the weekend.

I love 'first of the month' editions...IIRC last years was epic.

Interesting to hear that deals are as good as done in some areas...Paulinho, Villa (maybe) and the two young Croatians.

The Kaboul info is a worry though...is he still struggling or is he ready for pre-season? With him and Sandro back in the fold, I've started looking at competitions next season...who AVB will play in EL and league matches. The ITK on 4 more after Paulinho (not including the Croats) gives us the depth we need to succeed in all competitions. Rotation is key but so is, to a large degree protection for the likes of Kaboul and Sandro. They can't be playing week in week out at the start...but I reckon AVB will have planned around this.

It'll be an intriguing 2 months finding out who those 4 (if 4) will be. ITK have pointed out how quickly targets change so who we're linked with today might be completely different tomorrow.

I'd still like to see us sign 2 forwards (Villa and 1 other) If this is Leandro, I'm happy with that. Keep Ade and we have a very strong selection there. With another pacey, creative wide player added, our only concern is LB.

Happy days...pinch and a punch motherfuckers :)

Sandro and Kaboul are both key considerations.

If Kaboul's injury is very serious (i.e. long term like Ledley's) then we'll probably need another centre back unless AVB trusts that Caulker can step up. It's an area where it's important to have a partnership so we need someone to be consistently playing alongside Vertonghen, and I'm not sure if AVB thinks Dawson or Caulker are that player.

As for Sandro, we need a sensible backup option for him. When he's out we look much weaker so we need to sort that out. Will Paulinho be able to play that role? If so who else comes into the midfield, particularly if we're selling Parker and Huddlestone.

They're both very important positions and we need to make sure we aren't reliant on one player. We've got a lot of work to do to have a strong squad rather than just a strong first XI.
 

talkshowhost86

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As much as I want to get excited I can remember exactly the same hype around Sinama Pongolle and Anthony Le Tallec when they signed for Liverpool. And even though you could see they were very good players they just couldnt make the breakthrough into Liverpools first team.

Dont get me wrong, I hope these kids make it, if we sign them, but with kids you can never predict the path they will take.

Spot on. At 17 nobody is guaranteed to make it in the game as playing at the level they do is very different to the Premiership, plus at that age anything can happen physically so it really is a minefield.

I'm sure they've got the skills and the technique, and you'd hope that would eventually see them blossom, but there have been plenty of others who have had the same skills and technique who never really quite made it.

Here's hoping though that AVB and co would be the team to get the best out of them.
 

strader

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Apr 29, 2005
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Can imagine the Croatian youngsters thinking, if we perform well ay spurs we can get a big money move to top oil club in few years like our countrymen modric, good profit for levy. Win win situation
 

Hoopspur

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I have seen one match of his for Ivory Coast and it was boring as hell but anyway even though he is young I thought he looked extremely ordinary. He had a poor touch, diabolical defoe like movement and zero vision. But I didnt let it bother me as he is still very young he may just have a massive growth spurt and become an unplayable Drogba/Lukaku type.

Hopefully he progress assuming he will go out on loan again.

Yep, I've seen him a few times in the flesh. For me there are 2 factors - his size, because he's not very big and his pace. He does not seem to have the extra yard of pace a top striker needs these days. Maybe he'll just end up being that fox in the box? I wasn't excited and didn't think this guy should be in the first team, but then again I'm not a scout or coach. Does have a bullet shot though.

The 2 croatians are a different matter - hopefully we will have done our homework here also. Got to say there is no substitute for skill and pace, so hopefully we may be onto a winner here Rodders. Edit - add vision in there also! I like us having a gamble though.
 

$hoguN

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Jul 25, 2005
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Can imagine the Croatian youngsters thinking, if we perform well ay spurs we can get a big money move to top oil club in few years like our countrymen modric, good profit for levy. Win win situation

I doubt so. I imagine they will both excited about playing in the World's most watched league, anything that comes after won't even reach their minds. At 17 all I could think of was sex, alcohol, sport and video games, what I would be doing in 5 or 6 years time didn't even enter my mind.
 

Paolo10

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Apr 6, 2004
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Can imagine the Croatian youngsters thinking, if we perform well ay spurs we can get a big money move to top oil club in few years like our countrymen modric, good profit for levy. Win win situation


I'd rather they stayed until we won leagues and cups and beat the top oil clubs tbh, I'm tired of seeing our best players leave!
 

Hoopspur

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Sandro and Kaboul are both key considerations.

If Kaboul's injury is very serious (i.e. long term like Ledley's) then we'll probably need another centre back unless AVB trusts that Caulker can step up. It's an area where it's important to have a partnership so we need someone to be consistently playing alongside Vertonghen, and I'm not sure if AVB thinks Dawson or Caulker are that player.

As for Sandro, we need a sensible backup option for him. When he's out we look much weaker so we need to sort that out. Will Paulinho be able to play that role? If so who else comes into the midfield, particularly if we're selling Parker and Huddlestone.

They're both very important positions and we need to make sure we aren't reliant on one player. We've got a lot of work to do to have a strong squad rather than just a strong first XI.

I still have a feeling that McArthur (is that his name?) from Wigan may come in as back up/No.4 central midfielder. Not saying I approve but that may be a sensible option?
 

WiganSpur

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Aug 31, 2012
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I think the priority should be to get the transfers to bolster our starting XI for the first game of the season and then look at more strength in depth before the TW closes. Ideally we'd want to have both for the big kick off, but for now our focus must be to get Paulinho & Villa done.
 

talkshowhost86

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I still have a feeling that McArthur from Wigan may come in as back up/No.4 central midfielder. Not saying I approve but that may be a sensible option?

I like him as a player but would see him as competition for Dembele really and I think Holtby may have that area covered already.

If our midfield three is Sandro/Paulinho/Dembele, then I'm not quite sure who our cover/competition is in those areas other than Holtby. Parker, Huddlestone and Livermore all sound like they're on the way out (and probably aren't at the right level anyway).
 

Spursh

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Jul 21, 2009
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I still have a feeling that McArthur from Wigan may come in as back up/No.4 central midfielder. Not saying I approve but that may be a sensible option?

Would much prefer McCarthy

But have a feeling he'll be one of the first to follow Martinez to Everton unfortunately. Great potential to become a class box-to-box player, would be a fantastic signing.
 

robbiedee

Mama said knock you out
Jul 6, 2012
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I think the priority should be to get the transfers to bolster our starting XI for the first game of the season and then look at more strength in depth before the TW closes. Ideally we'd want to have both for the big kick off, but for now our focus must be to get Paulinho & Villa done.

Definately, I think the last 2 seasons in particular have seen us suffer in the first 2 matches because our business hadn't been concluded. It'd be nice to KO against Palace with some key signings in place having had some time to play with the team.
 

TottenhamMattSpur

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Aug 31, 2012
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Definately, I think the last 2 seasons in particular have seen us suffer in the first 2 matches because our business hadn't been concluded. It'd be nice to KO against Palace with some key signings in place having had some time to play with the team.

I've always put it down to getting hard opening games.
Go back and look at who we've played in the last 4 or 5 years.
 

the yid

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Dec 14, 2010
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Spoke to my GFs old man they are from Croatia her parents are still in Zagreb. Halilovic, Jedvaj and Rebic are there 3 next stars everyone there is raving about them said if we've got the Dinamo pair we have done well as top European teams are sniffing around (according to Croatian media)
 

Danny1

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Dec 6, 2006
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The young Halilovic is definitely the young player that everyone seems to be after at the moment, his technique and the way he glides with the ball actually does resemble a cross between Modric & Messi (not saying he is as good obviously)! Hopefully get these 2 signed up asap & then concentrate on the first team with Paulinho & a striker!!
 

robbiedee

Mama said knock you out
Jul 6, 2012
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don'
I've always put it down to getting hard opening games.
Go back and look at who we've played in the last 4 or 5 years.
Don't disagree with that at all. But should we be conceding 6 to Man City the season before last and we only lost 2-1 away at Newcastle last season. A few players in at the beginning of the window could have a massive impact on these games.

The opening games I've seen, sometimes gives me the feeling that the players have only just met and don't really have that team bond.

Some early signings and a good pre-season...is that too much to ask for? ;)
 

CoopsieDeadpool

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Jun 8, 2012
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Soooo...plenty to chew on over the weekend.

I love 'first of the month' editions...IIRC last years was epic.

We only have one month per year? :eek:

The Kaboul info is a worry though...is he still struggling or is he ready for pre-season?


He was on twitter last week & said something along the lines of, "Back from treatment in Holland, fit & can't wait for pre-season, bring it on".(y)

EDIT: Somebody definitely put the Kaboul tweet on here last week (y)
 

Snarfalicious

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Jul 15, 2012
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Can imagine the Croatian youngsters thinking, if we perform well ay spurs we can get a big money move to top oil club in few years like our countrymen modric, good profit for levy. Win win situation


Despite our disdain at the moment for Real Madrid, in the long run, this "partnership" really can give us a leg up on some competition given that many of these talents will have a long-term look at their footballing careers and have the aspirations to one day play for them. At 17 years old, Jedvag and Halilovic will still have the opportunity to get an additional year of consistent match minutes across the Croatian League and also Champions League and in their age 18 season come over to us and hopefully build up their roles in our squad.

If this deal does happen, and it is us securing their services, it's not unrealistic to think that in 2-3 years we could have an incredibly strong RW to replace Bale and a CB that could be a sort of hybrid between a Vertonghen/Kaboul.

Even if only one of these players were to reach their potential, that player alone could realistically fetch the fee that we are paying for both. Add on top of that this deal most likely includes payments over time and just goes to build our relationship with Dinamo Zagreb (Which for us is just as important as the Real Madrid one), this would be just another huge move for the future of our club.
 

Archibald&Crooks

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Feb 1, 2005
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I love 'first of the month' editions...IIRC last years was epic.

The thread itself might have been i can't remember, the OP certainly wasn't. I think up until July 1st 2012 ITK had beeen pretty quiet and on the 1st July I decided to become ITK myself, so in the OP of this thread I performed Abba's 'Money, Money, Money', debasing myself by prancing around the thread naked, with just an ostrich feather sticking out of my bum in a desperate plea for donations......

Breaks into song............

I surf all night, I surf all day, just to see what the ITK's might say
Ain't it sad
And still there never seems to be a single piece of info for me
That's too bad
In my dreams I have a plan
If I became an ITK man
I wouldn't have to surf at all and I'd be praised by one and all...

Info, info, info
Must be funny
In the ITK's world
Info, info, info
Always sunny
In the ITK's world
Aha-ahaaa
All the things I could do
If I had a little info
In the ITK's world

ITK like that is hard to find but I can't get it off my mind
Ain't it sad
The info happens to be free I love it when they post for me
That's too bad
So I must leave, I'll have to go
To FTL or SO
And try to get an ITK name, my info will never be the same...

Info, info, info
Must be funny
In the ITK's world
Info, info, info
Always sunny
In the ITK's world
Aha-ahaaa
All the things I could do
If I had a little info
In the ITK's world

So now i'm giving info out and all the fans they say good shout
Ain't it sad
And if they don't like info from me then I just reply wait and see
That's too bad
So if you're waiting, you want to know
Which new players will come and go
Then read my info, play the game your life will never be the same

Info, info, info
Must be funny
In the ITK's world
Info, info, info
Always sunny
In the ITK's world
Aha-ahaaa
All the things I could do
If I had a little info
In the ITK's world
 
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