The Weekend ITK Discussion Thread - 20/21 July 2013

[Bus-Conductor]

If you listen to the google interview with him he says his prefered (and best) position is deep in the middle so make of that what you want.

He played in the centre of the attacking 4231 for Schalke when I saw him and for Germany U21's. So not sure if that is lost in translation or he meant deep as in the VDV type role (which is where he plays) i.e. VDV used to drop quite deep at times to receive the ball and link play. But he is not a CM in my understanding of the role.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Agree with all of this apart from the 'manager' you speak of.

Supporting your point even more is the fact we have a 'Head Coach'

Agreed and edited.

 

[gibbospurs]

Ade had a great first season with us and I am having a hard time finding someone (realistic) that would repeat that. Good luck finding a 30+ striker if that is how you see it...

Well Ade didnt repeat it did he? So good luck thinking he may this season. the guy is a lazy super rich wanker that has the job everyone of us can only dream of and he repays our club by turning up late and unfit at every occasion he can, fuck him.

 

[Bobbins]

Linked with Soldado for £18m - I'd bite their arms off for that - and though I'd like Bernard in an ideal world, I think his exposure is now such that the ship has sailed there. However Ade could play wide left forward or switch with Bale, those front three would be devastating.

 

[Jamie18]

The way I'm looking at it right now is that if we don't get Soldado then we should just have Ade as our 1st choice striker next season and bring in, like others have said, a more unknown/young striker to battle with Ade and Defoe to be 1st choice next season. I really hope we try our best in getting Soldado though can see him being a 20+ goals a season striker for us.

 

[Spurger King]

Linked with Soldado for £18m - I'd bite their arms off for that

Is that you Luis?

 

[Gaz_Gammon]

Is that you Luis?

Funny thing is that in the same article the DM quote that Newcastle had been put off by the 10 million asking price for Defoe. Good to see that Danny Boy wants his pound of flesh. No wonder the deadwood usually see their contracts out as Spurs players.

 

[beats1]

He played in the centre of the attacking 4231 for Schalke when I saw him and for Germany U21's. So not sure if that is lost in translation or he meant deep as in the VDV type role (which is where he plays) i.e. VDV used to drop quite deep at times to receive the ball and link play. But he is not a CM in my understanding of the role.

I think he meant, he see himself as a deep playmaker and he played that role for Schalke the season before but I think he could be play there tbh but last season he was all over the place for us and don't think you could call him anything tbh except a runner.

 

[Lilbaz]

Funny thing is that in the same article the DM quote that Newcastle had been put off by the 10 million asking price for Defoe. Good to see that Danny Boy wants his pound of flesh. No wonder the deadwood usually see their contracts out as Spurs players.

Usually? Bentley and who else?

 

[Bobbins]

Funny thing is that in the same article the DM quote that Newcastle had been put off by the 10 million asking price for Defoe. Good to see that Danny Boy wants his pound of flesh. No wonder the deadwood usually see their contracts out as Spurs players.

I believe they actually quoted £12m, which is even more mental.

 

[Mr Pink]

I think he meant, he see himself as a deep playmaker and he played that role for Schalke the season before but I think he could be play there tbh but last season he was all over the place for us and don't think you could call him anything tbh except a runner.

Harry is that you?

 

[Mr Pink]

To be honest if we could get half the fee for Soldada, or just under it, by selling Defoe you never know....it could be a possibility. Still not convinced Levy will go big for a 28 year old.

 

[beats1]

Harry is that you?

You know I always said he was a terrific player but last season he was totally different player to the one playing for Schalke, he will be valuable first team member in this season imo but we did learn he is shit player on the wing in our current system

 

[Huddlebone]

I think lewis should play as a linkup player and find those last key passes, in the VDV role so to say. I think Lewis will be totaly new player this season, He wanted to much last season. Hope that Lewis can show us that fantastic ability he has and that AVB give him full confidence. COYS !

 

[Gaz_Gammon]

Usually? Bentley and who else?

Judas was the biggest one.

 

[beats1]

To be honest if we could get half the fee for Soldada, or just under it, by selling Defoe you never know....it could be a possibility. Still not convinced Levy will go big for a 28 year old.

By never making that final invest for to plug the huge hole in our squad we are losing more money potentially by trying to scrap through

It doesn't help though that Soldado's profile isn't as huge as Villa

 

[Lilbaz]

Judas was the biggest one.

I wouldn't have called him deadwood.

 

[Syn_13]

I think he meant, he see himself as a deep playmaker and he played that role for Schalke the season before but I think he could be play there tbh but last season he was all over the place for us and don't think you could call him anything tbh except a runner.

To really utilise a player like that you need to have players prepared to do the legwork. For Germany U21 he had Rudy and Rode sitting behind him doing the legwork, allowing him to drift in and out of space and dictate the flow of the game. It was a 4-2-3-1 of sorts and Hotlby worked it well, often dropping deep to receive the ball. Last season we played Bale in the free role behind the striker instead and since Holtby isn't great on the wings and hasn't seemed to have learned the physiciality of the EPL he wasn't suitable to the wide or centre mid options.

In a strict 3 man midfield I reckon he could be quality. If you look at Brazil's line up at the Confed Cup they played a 4-2-1-3 with Oscar being given a free role. I thought Oscar was Brazil's best player in the tournament, his creativity and workrate were sublime, often tracking back and receiving the ball from deep. With Sandro/Paulinho/Dembele making up the 2 anchoring in midfield and pushing Bale into part of an attacking 3 (like Neymar, Hulk + Fred) we could see Holtby utilised in that Oscar-role.

 

[Grapo2001]

Looking around at prices for strikers, Defoe is easily worth £10million. He carried us for half a season last year! He is a regular international who does score goals

 

[Lilbaz]

Looking around at prices for strikers, Defoe is easily worth £10million. He carried us for half a season last year! He is a regular international who does score goals

He's a year younger than villa who went for €4m.