The Daily ITK Discussion Thread - THE POST MORTEM EDITION

[Spurs 1961]

This will go down as a key moment for The Spurs. We are now able to compete in all types of conditions against all types of opposition. Could we make the squad better? Sure but then that is always true...RM bought Bale and ditched Ozil! We can add the odd player as needed to strengthen but right now what we need are games / time to gel the side.

We have done great business and built a squad with many stronger elements. Let's hope that Lamela, Eriksen, Holtby or perhaps others become our new stars

 

[Joeyboey]

Great window.

Haven't scored a goal from open play in our first three Prem games though. Big worry that.

They need time to gel. I hope AVB can make them gel sooner rather than later.

 

[0-Tibsy-0]

As he doesn't need upgrading that's unlikely. Right back is the one position AVB has left alone for 3 windows being as we have one of the top 3 right-backs in the Premier League.

I'm not a hater of Walker, although feel he could improve as he has the physical attributes but not the mental discipline yet. But a top 3 right back in the league is is slightly over selling him...

 

[Spurs1960]

Sandro is still regaining fitness. Capoue bar about 5-10 mins in the NLD has looked very good. Actually just before he went off injured he was playing better.

Just my thought: GB11 sale came one year earlier than expected I think we all knew he was off next year. I was gutted once it became apparent he was going to be off this summer but all things considered the board have managed to turn an unexpected event very much in our favor. We strengthened the squad overall added some really quality, quality I might add I never expected. Would have liked a Left Back but I think that was down to Fabio C not really fancying us so once our very top target was not available I don't think we were prepared to buy a stop gap solution. And it would have been nice to have got a striker, but again not shifting Defoe or Ade it was never likely that was going to happen. All in all I am baffled what people have to complain about.

We were expecting him to leave last year and were delighted he stayed an extra season to try and get us in the Champions League, we failed so he went. I'd argue it was one year later then expected.

 

[Spurs 1961]

Is there any info as to why we couldn't land Coentrao? Did he turn us down? Did RM refuse to deal with us?

Hopefully he won't end up at United as RM's replacement for him also seems not to have been signed in time. If he does though, i think thats one that needs explaining when we seem to have wanted him all summer and should have made him part of the Bale deal if only on loan.

CL football and maybe more crucially wages were the problem. Hear he wanted at least £120k

 

[commodoreLUNGE]

I get your point but I do have to disagree. Whilst it was tough having us lose to Arsenal and lose Bale on the same day, timing wise it meant that most people were talking about Bale than us losing so I think that is a fairly smart move. Especially since we couldn't really delay Bale any longer.

As for Eriksen, I guess we announced it Friday seeing as we were tryig to see if we could register him in time and just couldn't do it. I know the announcement and signing don't take place at the same time but if he had signed on the Friday why would we wait so long to announce it?

I really like our squad at the moment. And I think if, at the start of the window, if people said that Walker would be our RB NO-ONE would have complained. It's only now that we've strengthened nearly every other area people are starting to have a go at him. End of the day it's been a terrific window.

Your points make a lot of sense and are valid. I just think ensuring there was an announcement post Bale, we could have avoided having to put up with "The Boo Boys" that will inevitably find something to moan about.

Ref. Walker...I would have been happy with him at the beginning of the window, on the condition that there was improvement from last season. Whilst he seems to have improved his defensive game very slightly (positioning), he still gives away ridiculous freekicks in unnecessary areas, by pushing people over, and generally being a bull in a china shop, and going forward, his crossing has been atrocious. I can't count how many times he has stuck balls into the box that haven't beat the first man, and when they do, they beat every man, and end up going out of play, and the number of misplaced passes, resulting in us turning the ball over, especially in midfield, is downright dangerous, and puts pressure on the rest of the team. Don't get me wrong, I like Walker, he has potential, but it seems to me that he has poor concentration, and lacks the football intelligence to be a good decision maker that he needs to establish himself as a top class right back. I hope that, like Kaboul, his concentration improves with age, however I do feel, that like with Lennons lack of footballing intelligence, he will never quite make it much above "reasonable".

 

[Spurs1960]

Great window.

Haven't scored a goal from open play in our first three Prem games though. Big worry that.

They need time to gel. I hope AVB can make them gel sooner rather than later.

I'm sure one of our wide men will pass the ball to Soldado instead of shooting eventually.

 

[Archibald&Crooks]

No, it states you were given the name but couldn't share it at the time. Sorry to be a pedant. And what happened to A&C's cryptic? He threw a fit any time someone mentioned it.

I can't remember doing that. I wasn't even around for large chunks of yesterday.

 

[tiger666]

A&C what were all the random quotes about during the past few weeks?

 

[HailKingLevy]

Not sure why everyone is worried about a left back, we go forward. We had close to 60% possession at the emptycrates with a team that has played 3 times together, could put me or you at left back and we would still be ok, we play in their box.

 

[Mer fantastik]

And media have already got their next fall guy - Moyes. If he has few more rough resultsi in near future, believe me he will be under severe pressure and could even derail their season.
Lets see what happens there.

Yes I agree. He is on a totally new level to manage a top club and also to balance CL games with EPL and cup games. Totally new ball game for him.

 

[0-Tibsy-0]

Not sure why everyone is worried about a left back, we go forward. We had close to 60% possession at the emptycrates with a team that has played 3 times together, could put me or you at left back and we would still be ok, we play in their box.

Until we get hit on the counter attack and our high line leaves lots of space behind us which requires exemplary positioning from a defence...

 

[Spurs1960]

I'm not a hater of Walker, although feel he could improve as he has the physical attributes but not the mental discipline yet. But a top 3 right back in the league is is slightly over selling him...

I would argue you are under selling him, he's better than a lot of our supporters realise and when our new wide man and he get on the same wavelength the brilliant balls he plays in behind the opposition full-back will be a constant threat for opposing teams.

Townsend doesn't read them, Lamela, if he plays there, will appreciate the grasp it quicker and benefit from them.

 

[IMissTheWaddler]

Morning Window Slammers,

We what a lovely night in Waddle Towers last night. An evening staring at transfer news on the iphone in the garden mixed with SSN and frantic updates on whether we'd signed a striker or a left back? No. Not this time thanks Samantha. A bottle of Cotes du Beaune, chicken in a cream and leek sauce with new potatoes and then I finally watched the new Star Trek movie with Mrs Waddler (it's actually really good - wtf?).

The thing is, the transfer window ended Friday. We knew it then and we know it now so shouldn't we all feel a bit silly about yesterday. I know this site makes people essentially bi-polar and have the short term memory of Cheech and Chong but don't you all remember Friday afternoon? Triple signing. Creativity signed, defence given depth, Lamela finally secured. It was a day of days. I won't give a breakdown of our signings, BomberH has done a lovely job of that in this thread as have others, but a couple of things that people were complaining about on here yesterday really niggle me and need addressing. Plus I need to admit I was wrong on one or two things....

Firstly Arsenal. Let's get this over with. On Saturday their squad was woefully short, they had 9 fit players or something, they needed a defender, a centre forward desperately after having 1 (one) on their books, and a holding midfield player because like it or not they have 4 competitions this season - 2 of which they will take very seriously. So what did they buy? Ozil. A beautiful wafting Jaguar when they needed Land Rovers and a formula one car. A great player to bring skill and creativity and flair in a team that already has skill, creativity and flair. They haven't addressed their problems, they haven't added numbers, and Wenger has publicly bowed to pressure and done everything he said he wouldn't - overpaid, signed for the sake of it and not strengthened their squad. And fwiw, ALL of my football-following German in-laws and friends think £40m+ for Ozil is hilarious. Only time will tell. We lost on Sunday because of a lovely finish from their ONLY striker. On September 1st don't forget, not March 1st. And with a team who don't know each other, because of a mistake by a well-loved but not up to it defender who's soon to find himself 3rd or 4th choice.

That leaves me with the Levy bashing and the areas we are "short" in. First Levy. I'll make this short - if you bash you're wrong. That's it. You're wrong and stupid. He quite frankly raped Madrid for £86m which is absurdly comical when you look at it dispassionately. He then used the money to buy young, exciting, promising and hugely rated players gaining the unilateral respect of all pundits, fans and journalists alike. He kept money for Jan/next year/the stadium, acquired Baldini and did everything with room to spare in the transfer window. I've been one of his biggest critics to date when it comes to footballing matters but I'm so impressed I'm slightly numb and I'll admit I was wrong.

As for LB and a striker. Well, I've vocally criticised Rose and openly panicked about Soldado's cover but you know what? We have to face up to what we have now and embrace it. We have no choice. Naughton can cover LB and RB so all we can do is watch AVB polish our rough diamonds in those positions. And I don't know about you but being honest, I've seen neither Rose nor Walker have a bad game yet this season. And as for a striker? Well, if they were all on form then Soldado, Adebayor and Defoe - backed up by Lamela, Eriksen, Chadli, Lennon, Townsend and Holtby - well that's just truly frightening. It's also a career saving season (or maybe 4 months) for Adebayor so if he's given a chance he might just surprise us....Stranger things have happened.

Finally.....

What's the one thing I'll take from the window aside from a rekindled love affair with SC? Well it's obviously the new players. And the one in particular? Well it's the one I didn't care about but the one who, now we've signed him I cannot wait to see play. No it's not Lamela, it's Christian Eriksen. I just have a feeling that he, like us, is just..... Spurs.

http://www.101greatgoals.com/blog/a...stian-eriksen-video-for-new-spurs-midfielder/

And as I guess this section of the site closes until Jan, I'll bid you adieu and see you all in Spurs chat, albeit with less regularity for the next couple of months.

Best. Window. Ever.

Lots of love

Waddler

 

[elDiablo]

Strange we didnt replace BAE, but looks like a promotion for Fryers.

 

[HailKingLevy]

Until we get hit on the counter attack and our high line leaves lots of space behind us which requires exemplary positioning from a defence...

How can any Spurs fan wake up this morning and not just be happy and rejoice to what we did and not what we didn't do, not a dig at you but just at the mood in general, I am truly happy and amazed at the quality of players we brought in, and the direction we are heading, Rome wasn't built in a day

 

[ValenciaYid]

All in all Messrs Levy & Baldini have done very well. We have to accept that for a few more years we may have to concede to selling our world class gems for world record fees. But this will allow us to re-invest heavily in the team and overall vastly improving the squad.

In a few years time when we have our brand new stadium and an even better team/squad, hopefully we will be in a position where our world class gems will not be tempted to leave.

Until then.....

Anyway I am back off to the cryogenic refrigeration system....

YIDS!!!

 

[lenmor]

Good window, very good squad now, should make us able to always put out competitive sides. Add a couple of quality players on the left next sumemr while keeping our manager and core squad, and the next 2-3 season are looking really promising.

Looking forward to seeing Lamela and Eriksen settles, to watch Walker as our creative vocal-point against the scum was not pleasant watching. Its not his job to take so much responsibility in the final third, as his decision-making with the ball is not his strength. Still don't understand that AVB did not put on Holtby instead of Defoe, but thats for another thread.

 

[Spurs1960]

Strange we didnt replace BAE, but looks like a promotion for Fryers.

We did buy him as a back up left back and pay him the wages of one, he was always going to be one. You either sell Danny Rose or send Fryers on loan but who would have paid him the 20K we are paying him.

He was certainly never going to stay in our development squad on that money.

 

[0-Tibsy-0]

How can any Spurs fan wake up this morning and not just be happy and rejoice to what we did and not what we didn't do, not a dig at you but just at the mood in general, I am truly happy and amazed at the quality of players we brought in, and the direction we are heading, Rome wasn't built in a day

My comment was merely a response to the point that because we attack it means we don't need quality full backs, which was a strange and wholly inaccurate point to make....