After a long, hard and ultimately disappointing season for Tottenham Hotspur, we have a busy summer in store now as we look to both sort out our managerial situation as well as strengthen the group via the transfer market – as massive question being Harry Kane’s own future.
Whilst we’ll hopefully have our new manager in within a few weeks (or maybe our old manager given the Mauricio Pochettino rumours) it’s unlikely much will happen on a transfer front until we see the culmination of this summers European Championship competition.
In a world still dealing with Covid, personally, I think international football is slightly ridiculous at this moment in time, but money makes the world go round doesn’t it – Spurs fans will however have a natural interest in the tournament given the players and former players that should be on show.
If nothing else it’ll be a distraction for a few weeks – so anything Euro related can go in here VSers.
Barça, on the other hand, were closely identified with the Republican, leftist, side of the civil war, and with the separation movement from the Castilians who were closer in general with the Falange.
If its to be believed Man C are in a bit of a flux at the moment, it looks like a lot of players want out, due to not playing enough, it seems to be OK to be the top team, but if you ain’t kicking enough of the ball week in week out, your not going to be happy being a bench warmer, even on the best team.
There could be a lot to be said in support of a more compact, yet better squad.
Maybe we could pick up a few dissatisfied customers from City.
Niall, as we know all too sadly, losing a CL final can make bollox of a team. My guess is that there’s a lot of blaming of Pep for the loss. He chose strangely for that match and lots of comments express the opinion that he was badly out coached. His defenders in the middle of the pitch were pulled out of position and the goal scorer ran into and through the opened space to score the match’s only goal. Coaching is largely about controlling space and pulling the other team out of the space they want to control, and Pep lost on this very part of the game.
Maybe Harry will lose a bit of his desire for Man C after they suddenly became a demoralized best team. I’d rather keep Kane for four more years than to gain Mo, Larry, and Curly like we did after Bale went to Madrid.
Just a quick comment on the Euros and Englands squad:
Loving Kane’s custom boots with the 3 golden boot logos and the flag of St. George on the heel.
Can’t believe Southgate is considering including Jordan Henderson in the squad when he has hardly played a competitive game in months. There are plenty of fit alternatives for his position, it’s sentimental decisions like this that cost us at international level.
TQ2Spurs – It’s not always about taking the best 26 players – it’s about creating an environment where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Henderson may have outstanding leadership qualities, and big game experience, which might be worth more to the group than having a fitter player around who will just be frustrated with being on the bench.
I think fans often misjudge how difficult it is to strike the right balance when assembling a squad. A player’s worthiness depends on a lot more than ability and fitness.
A few years ago, there was a big discussion in Belgium about who then-manager Marc Wilmots had picked to be the 3rd goalkeeper. Wilmots argued that for a player who is unlikely to see any significant action if everything goes as planned, it wasn’t about picking the best keeper but it was about picking the best “team player”. If the 3rd keeper was just going to bring more tension ot the group, because said talented keeper was frustrated at being 3rd choice, there was no point. So Wilmots said he picked the keeper with the best jokes, the guy who was most liked by other players, because that served the group more.
There has to be a lesson in there somewhere.
BS…in that case he should be in the coaching team and not taking up a valuable squad place.
I mean, in a squad of 26, I see nothing wrong with gambling on the fitness of 1 or 2 players. Especially if those players are surefire starters when fit, as I assume a fit Henderson an Maguire would be.
Belgium are doing the same with KdB, Hazard and Witsel, because the step down from those players is big.
If Soyuthgate was going to drop Henderson, who would he pick instead? Someone unlikely to challenge for a start, or maybe a 5th right back? 😉 For what it’s worth, I find the decision to pic 4 players at RB far more questionable than gambling on an important player’s fitness.
That’s gonna make the manager merry-go-round even more interesting with Ancelotti reportedly going to Madrid.
Good grief, so Southgate has included Maguire who is injured and doesn’t know when he can play again, Pope who had an operation on his elbow a week or so ago, and Henderson who hasn’t played a competitive game for months. He is also taking 4 right backs. I really hope Daniel hasn’t lined him up as our next manager!
Hmm….BBC got there initial squad announcement wrong, Pope isn’t included.
Dele out, coutinho in
Dele out Coutinho to somewhere else, apparently they still haven’t paid Liverpool all of the fee for him!
England have a cracking chance – what a squad and only potentially 1 match away from Wembley if going all the way – Henderson and then Mings has to start with Maguire (if he can get back to full fitness) – got to have some pace in the centre especially if as I’m about to suggest – England try to take full advantage of so many home games and (such top attacking talent in abundance also) and really go for it indeed! Lack of pace and even a proper left foot in the central defence – need only look at how Dias and Stones got exposed for it on Sat nite, etc!
Chillwell and probably Trent on the sides. Rice and Mount in the middle – England are playing at home so why the hell not go for it indeed as here suggested. Then probably Grealish, Rashford, Sterling and HK10 to fill the 4 attacking position’s – incredible Foden can’t get in, but then there’s Sancho, Lewin, Henderson (Geordie/Scouse lol), Phillips, all those quality RB’s, etc, etc, etc!
Main rival obviously France – but England have a great chance IMHO – let’s wait and see! Watch out for my native Spain and Portugal – 2 very good squad’s there also! Then maybe Germany of the rest if they can get their act together – Belgium’s main defenders as we know all too well – past it – no way can they win anything now even if FIFA reckon they’re still numero 1 – ridiculous – in that case France, Portugal and probably England should be top 3 for me!
Your reasoning is a bit crackpot EJ but we can only hope England win the Euros in the hope that it might satisfy Kane’s desire for success at least for a short while so he stays for another season at least.
It really does get frustrating the way we seem to turn everything into a drawn out drama when you see the likes of Madrid making positive decisions and going out and getting their man in no time at all.
TQ whilst I take your point, I would argue that RM have a greater pulling power than Spurs.
Whilst both teams are in a flux atm and need rebuild, but most managers given the chance would like to have this team on their CV, plus Ancelotti does have a previous history with the team and perhaps, for him unfinished business, plus he hasn’t exactly changed the world at Everton, in reality they are no further forward league wise than when “Big Sam” was there, so perhaps the writing was on the wall for him. And he decided to jump before he was pushed.
I’m sort of happy that we are taking our time over a manager and considering all options rather than a knee jerk appointment.
It’s just difficult to say if we are taking our time by design, or if things are dragging on because our preferred candidates have all declined, and we are now looking at options C, D or E.
I really hope it’s the former.
England defo the dark horse – all those home games at Wmbley and that ridiculous attacking talent ………………………!
In the past maybe my Spain AND Portugal, even Belgium, etc (despite this last lot never winning anything with their clearly golden generation) – but I think it’s now maybe time for England to stand up and be counted properly at long last – got to be brave though and get on the front foot – defenders are clearly not world class besties especially and above all centrally – so need to use all that attacking talent to best effect and throw caution to the wind – with Trent and Chillwell it just spices it up even more so!
Thought carlo was a good honest guy who doesn’t need the money etc and stay and build a future with Everton.
123 listening to some Everton fans on TS, they weren’t overly happy with his product, felt they played a boring style of football and hadn’t progressed enough, sound familiar?.
So many are happy enough to see him go and actually want “the much malligned” Moyes back funny that.
Re transfers the midfielder Pareria (spelling?) from WBA looks a decent option, 11 goals this, season from midfield in a poor team, Premiership experience, might not cost the earth.
England v Austria hardly edge of the seat stuff in the first half, didn’t see the line up prior to kick off and only realised Grealish was on the pitch at around 15 minutes, been falling over as usual ever since. Harry is trying to do everything again and dropping back to the half way line constantly trying to get something going.
Hi folks,
As a neutral, I accept that was hardly England’s first team, if it were they’d be in diffs.
The best dispersal of the ball was from the goal keeper.
Austria defo had more chances, and Sabizer looks decent and athletic enough, with two decent chances on goal, but it was only a friendly.
And those players won’t be on the field when it matters.