When thinking about improving our squad, many wonder if a prospective player could get into the (very few) teams above us. Or even if some of our own players could get into those teams. Nobody ever wonders out loud if our players are too good for the 80+ clubs below us. Which they probably are.
I wonder if the 80+ teams below us think the same way. Every club in the four divisions (remember that) wants to be Pool or City. Does Stevenage wonder if their players would fit in at Anfield, or if the player they are chasing could play for Pool. Of course not. We all have hopes and dreams, but they must have an element of realism attached to them. Everything to do with football is relative. Every club is different depending on the many variables that form the base of each club.
We are not Stevenage, struggling at the bottom of Division four (there it is again). We are Tottenham, competing at the top end of the toughest league on the planet. We are not Pool or City with an obscene amount of money to spend on eleven players kicking a piece of leather around while the millions of poor around the world starve. Personally I would not want to be like that. It seems to have gone way too far, it’s almost immoral. Gradually Football has ceased being ‘the peoples game’ and has become a game for the elite, rich, and powerful. But, nevertheless, we continue to do the best we can within the capacity of our resources …. and we remain in the mix.
We have a world class striker …. but that’s not enough! We want two, just in case one gets injured, or tired. Does any sane person think this is viable or even realistic? Is another Kane really going to sit on the bench and watch the game instead of playing in it. And if he is willing to do that …. what does it say about his commitment and integrity. So, to develop a younger player to, hopefully, ease into the team for years to come seems to make sense. Or, to bring in a less skilful player who, hopefully, can do a job, also makes sense. Hope is a big word when it’s connected to the world of football.
As HT said earlier (article comments here), we have bought back-ups for Kane more than once, without great success. At the time it may have looked like a good move …. but supporters live more in hindsight than in real-time. And hindsight brings a different perspective. It lets us be critical in both a good way or a bad way depending on how it turns out. It gives any argument a very unfair advantage.
As far as THFC is concerned, we don’t look too bad. We’ve been around for a while and we’ll be around for a while longer. We’ve had good times and we’ve had bad times. That will continue, too. It is what it is.
Roll on next season.
HT. Sonny is my favourite Spur and he has been a wonderful signing for Spurs. But he is really a wing player who sometimes drives down the middle. But sadly Jose is expecting him to cover full back roles because we are so average in that department. Lucas and Berwijn do not seem to be consistent enough to be regulars if and when Kane gets injured, I have to totally disagree about Lo Celso. Having watched him in every game for Spurs, I have seen nothing to excite us for the future. A bench player at best like Winks and Skipp. I just repeat what I have seen about Lo Celso….terribly one footed, never scores, poor shot, weak free kicks , poor header of the ball and falls over a lot. But like many of our average players, he is busy. A midfield general who can pass, take free kicks and score goals is essential. Anything less than that is a passenger. Saying he might come good is not the positive way forward. If Jose is telling Winks to play in a conservative way that is a great shame. He was once an England International and actually played really well. Also I remember both Dier and Dele being automatic choices for England but certainly not now although they may come good again. It worries me that Jose is so defensive minded that we will get over run by the top teams with flair. We need that midfield supremo to compete.
TQ2Spurs – Werner’s transfer fee is £48m which by modern standards is not that high, particularly for a striker just coming into his prime. If United paid Dortmund the £100m they want for Sancho that would be a different story. But the suggestion is United are offering nowhere near £100m, see what happens I suppose. The thing about Clough was he didn’t get involved in scouting players, he left that to Peter Taylor who had the reputation of being the best judge of a player in football. Liverpool don’t have a Peter Taylor, they do though have science and computers and the results are obvious. As I say if we want to compete we have to copy their approach.
The Sancho deal would be something else but it now appears that Manu can’t afford the full asking price which isn’t a surprise in this covid era. £48m for Werner is still a big fee when taken in the current context even if it isn’t when compared to some earlier fees, I’ve just heard it announced that the gooners are to make around 50 redundancies as a result of falling income due to covid despite winning the FA cup so it must be hitting clubs pretty hard. You do have to wonder where Chelsea are finding the money considering they have also bought Ziyech (spelling?) as well and have been strongly linked with Chilwell who won’t come cheap!
Answer to your query you have to wonder where Chavs are finding the money….simple bollocks to Fair Play and a deep pockets Russian gangster. COYS
Geoff great Item. Particularly the opening where you said about “improving our team” . I think that is the crux I alluded to that in the last post. Re-another (back up) striker. Do we need another /lesser version of HK10? Or do we require a player who is a different option and can play alongside Kane if needed or can play in that position if Kane is injured or rested.
I suppose the biggest issue is as stated earlier(I think HT) who would want to play 2nd fiddle to Kane and, may be warming a bench.
However with the recent EL situation a decent run at the , FA and what ever the league Cup is now. There may be enough football to keep another CF or striker busy.
The Hojbejjerg (wrong spelling) looks to be settled better than previously thought. If it is as stated only around 2 or 3 mil more than KWP that Should still give us a decent amount of dosh to pick up the likes of a Werner. Who knows Jose mind and the type of players he listed to Mr Levy.
On the LoCeslo issue WW said a few things about his performance which made me take another look at him. Against Leicester Ndidi had him in his pocket and at Palace he was fairly anonymous.
However as I said it may take time for him to settle, as others have said look at Moderic in his first season it took him time to settle. I also think others have said this is not his usual position or role and with time to settle in that position or a move to his favoured role may bear some fruit.
Still looking forward to who comes in who leaves and what the new season brings.
The futures bright the futures Lily White COYS.
Hey Geofspurs, now having read the article, twice in fact, it is very good, just what is needed to keep posters thinking, writing opinions etc, “cat amongst pigeons” springs to mind.
Some say we need this type of backup, some say otherwise, it is argued that we need someone who can also play alongside Our Arry, don’t we have that already! others say we need a bench warmer/understudy who will play instead of when required , esp to give HK a rest, it could even be argued this bench warmer will when played change our way, thus giving an A or B plan way of going forward, me am all for that, but whatever we say it is an opinion, which may or may not be the answer, JM will know what he wants and whatever the decision we will in my mind back him. COYS
I think when criticising players such as LoCelso, Lucas, Bergwijn, Aurier, etc, we should recognise that they are playing in a team that has not been performing well for some time. If Jose can get then to function better ‘as a team’ they will all improve. If he can’t get them to perform better as a team then there’s little hope for any of them …. or us!
Niall D – Don’t we already have a player who can play alongside Kane in Son ? I am unsure why you would want another player to do the same thing, especially as he’s unlikely to do it as well as Son. Again not sure what you mean by a different type of player playing Kane’s position, ie as a centre forward. Son plays as a false nine when played up front, are you talking about the same thing ? if so we’re back to my original question. If you are talking about a player playing as a genuine centre forward with his back to goal holding the ball then how can he do that if he’s not a centre forward, a similar type of player to Kane ?
HT, your going to have to stop pointing out true statements, lol!
I believe we have a very good team in the making. COYS
So….bale left out of the RM squad for the CL return against City, that should get the gossip tongues wagging! lol
Jd just doing similar to what you’re doing, and, actually what the post is saying only in a different way.
I’m asking what do we need. Is it a similar player to HK10 or are we to go with someone different.
For example :If we go for similar to HK 10 can we then ever play them together?
If we go for the same type of player as HK 10 and we want to change our tactics by maybe substituting him for another forward what then?
Another type of striker as suggested (not by me) but I was in some agreement to was a Keane or Defoe type. I’m not wanting another player to do the same thing.
What I’m asking was who or what type of player do we get to fill that position and if you read my previous post to
1 Play if Kane is injured or rested
2 play If Sonny is injured or rested
3 As an alternative tactic.
I don’t know what JM is going to pick. But everyone is talking about a back up striker on paper.
If I mention who I want, it’s tin hat time, who I don’t want it’s similar.
So just like Geoff the original poster I m looking for suggestions as to whom we get.
But from your post looks like we’re fine and dandy with Kane and Sonny.
No back up needed then.
More money for a new RB then. Or is Aurier OK too.
Spurs do not have much money to spend for obvious reasons. Other clubs that usually spend big will still be able to spend more than Spurs. But probably less than before C-19. But still a lot more than Spurs. None of them have just finished building an expensive state of the art stadium, for example.
So, I really can’t see many players being purchased that can come in and seriously improve the team in a very noticeable fashion and in being great players that will instantly inspire us and their team mates. But then that rarely happens straight away anyway. Most take time.
To me, it’s more to do with Jose having more suitable (and of course affordable) players to play his way. Or those that are able to be easily adjusted to his methods. Which then does hopefully see an improvement in what is more a Jose type set-up than the current left-overs of MP’s squad. Not necessarily much better players. just different.
But I can’t see how we get a RB that is to be a great step-up to Aurier for example. (Maybe one to at least challenge his position?). Or a new outstanding DM’er that will somehow knock Winks for six. Or an unbelievable new talent to give Kane a much needed rest….
TBH, I never understand why so many always feel that he needs to rest so often. He is not doing ten hour shifts, 5 days a week down a coal mine for the next 40 years of his life or until he dies… LOL
When I was Harry’s age I was up and down ladders with bags of cement over my shoulder 8 to 10 hours a day, 5, 6 and sometimes 7 days a week. Then in the pub most nights until closing and with some heavy duty partying at the weekends. Playing football when I could… Playing gigs some evenings, rehearsing on others. (And that’s tiring in itself.) Smoking fags and drinking a lot… I can still ride my bicycle, work hard and kick a football about for a couple hours at a time. And still do long shifts when I have to… Not on a building site I might add. And I don’t drink much anymore. I can’t…. And, I have never had another me in reserve to come off a bench and do my job when I was knackered. And I certainly never earned 200 grand a week. No matter how hard I worked. And I didn’t get to retire wealthy, at the age of 35….
I’m more than twice Harry’s age! But, I’ll sit on the bench for him. And if he needs a much earned rest from banging one in… I could be his sub, and hold the ball up for a good five to ten minutes or so. Given that we have a lead and Jose has decided we don’t need anymore goals because we were 1-0 up after 5 minutes… 🙂 I can do that. I’ll do it for free, Mr. Levy.
It can’t be that difficult can it. This EPL football lark!
HT……..The strikers union might not be too happy about a goalie providing cover for HK10. 🙂
HT never a truer word m8. The real world. I used to do 10 day shifts. Every other one was 12 hours the 3 days off. Weekends off were for football and gigging at night. Rhythm guitar lead singer.
Cancer saw the end of my work, too old for football, gig now one e every 5 weeks. Lol
But re-Kane it’s no illusion that in the latter half of each of the last few seasons the guy has been sidelined thru injury.
So I suppose many think he needs a backup.
HT/ND …. I can’t believe how easy you guys have had it. You think that was tough? I’ll tell you what tough is. After the house burned down and my parents disappeared I had to leave school when I was nine years old to support my eight younger siblings. I had three jobs; an early morning milk round lasting seven hours, followed by a nine hour shift cleaning chimney stacks (from the inside), and ending with another seven hours on the garbage truck run. I carried out all three jobs seven days a week, fifty-two weeks a year, for a decade. Thank god for the one free hour each day when I could do the shopping, clean the size twelve shoe box we used to live in (just off the Old Kent Road), prepare the bread (on a special day it was toasted) for my siblings meals, attend football training (HT, I was a striker, not a GK where I could stand idly in goal and snatch a few valuable seconds rest), …. and sleep. Was I tired? Of course I was bloody tired. Did I complain? No, I didn’t (not like today’s younger generation of pansies). It’s life. I picked up the challenge and ran with it. It was character building. And I firmly believe that it was this challenge that I have to thank for becoming the total alcoholic, mentally deficient, morally corrupt, homeless, Spurs supporter, that I am today!
Geoff the difference between you and I is what I have, written above is true. What you have written is Pythonesque.
Okay, ND, you nailed it …. I’m not the Messiah, I’m just a very naughty boy.
Maybe our humour is different m8. Pls re read my post I’ll leave it there.
ND …. What is life without humour. I am sensing ours is different and you seem offended. I’m not sure why but that was obviously not my intention.
Now now lads, one good real life, one fantasy, but could be true in another world/age, story, great reading and with a touch of humour, esp in these days where everyone is down, in particular being a Spurs fan lol!
As for your tales of life where do I start? COYS
Hey PY …. You’re up early. All good?
Niall D – The way I see it our problem is not in doing something different. You can play Son up front as a false nine, you could play Moura there. Its not playing without a centre forward that’s the problem, its playing with one. We’ve been reminded in the past few games what a fully fit Kane can do, the problem is over the past few seasons he hasn’t usually been fully fit. Hardly ever rested, rushed back too soon from each injury, we’ve wasted one of our main assets. The only way we will ever get the best out of him is if we can rest and rotate. The only way we can do that and keep playing the same way is if we have someone else who can play centre forward.