With around three weeks to go until the Premier League kicks off again, at least one thing has been sorted; the fixtures. The other remaining ‘thing’ to be sorted, the Transfer Window, will hold our undivided attention for a while longer.
But with the release of the fixtures the upcoming season becomes serious. We have something concrete to consider and speculate on. We can examine the fixture list for all competing clubs and attempt to determine how the start of the season might progress and we can consider what would make for a successful season when it’s all over. It’s the time for all optimists, cynics, hopefuls, and dreamers, to show what they’ve got.
In this regard, nothing has changed for me since last season. I want to see eleven Spurs players on the park playing good football (however that is defined) as a team; a solid unit. I want to see Spurs finish in the top four with Champions League football on the horizon. I want to see a new and welcome Cup (any cup) added to our neglected trophy cabinet. And I want to be entertained. And I don’t think what I want is either unreasonable or unrealistic.
Looking at the list, the early games suggest we can be off to a very good start. A good start will give us something to build on and push us well into the season. We seem to have three winnable games before we meet United away. Three games to gain confidence and a belief when we face them. That game is followed by more winnable games. The United game could be crucial …. but not season-defining.
For those who believe in fairies, consider this. Our most successful season happened in 1960-61. This season is 2020-21. That season started with a home game against Everton (2-0). This season starts with a home game against Everton. I know, it’s freaky, isn’t it. (smile of amusement).
So, the questions are: What do we want? What is realistic? and …. Do you believe in fairies?
Apparently we rejected an around £13m (14.5m Euros) opening offer from Milan for Aurier – we need to push for atleast 20m Euros so effectively £18m minimum IMHO!
We got around 23m Euros (£20m) up front plus add-ons for Trippier last summer I think and I can’t see us getting more than that for Aurier, but 20m Euros has to be reasonable as he’s still only 27 and got some decent year’s left in him!
Saying that I thought we let Trippier go very cheap indeed!
Here’s hoping for such a decent fee of 20m Euros as regards Aurier anyway – let’s see how it goes!
P.S. Forgot to factor in any possible Amos money – wonder what we got for him – never much of course but every little helps naturally!
Would I be right in believing that if Doherty is signed and Aurier sold there will be only 15 “foreigners” in the squad – namely: Lloris, Gazzaniga, Toby, Davy, Dier, Davies, Hojbjerg, Sissoko, N’Dombele, Fernandes, Lo Celso, Moura, Bergwijn, Lamela and Sonny! The others in Hart, Doherty, Foyth, Tanganga, Sessegnon, Winks, Dele and HK10 are OK!
That’s a 23 man squad and as we’re allowed a 25 man squad and 17 foreigners so we could get in 2 new foreigners if necessary for the STR and LCB roles?!
Is Davies really regarded as a foreigner?
Hi TQ – I think for European competition he is regarded as a foreigner but within the Premiership he is considered home grown (that’s the crux of what I read earlier) – so for a belt and braces approach I have considered Davies as a foreigner – hope this helps!
Not much EJ…….isn’t Doherty an Ireland international? He came to the PL from Bohemians in around 2010 I believe so he would have been around 20 years of age then.
Hi TQ – as will happen with Foyth now from this season – please consider the following:
“Crucially, the right-back also counts as homegrown due to spending three years at Wolves before he turned 21, having been signed for just £75,000 from Irish side Bohemians in 2010.”
He’s only currently 28 not already 30 – indeed if he was 30 I’d be much more apprehensive about signing him!
Again hope this helps LOL!
Yes EJ, I realised when lying in bed that I had confused Doherty’s age in my comment and he was around 18 when he moved to Wolves. I had in mind that he made his league debut for Wolves when he was 20 or thereabouts. I balme it on Pochettino for encouraging me to try Argentinian malbec!
TQ – just read up further and like Davies – he’s considered home-grown in the PL but again not in Europe so adopting a belt and braces approach put him down as a foreigner also lol!
This should definitely help – not just you but myself also lol!
“There has been speculation over the future of Foyth, but should he stay then from next season UEFA’s rules appear to suggest that he would become a club-trained player as he has “between the age of 15 and 21 (or the end of the season during which he turns 21), and irrespective of his nationality and age, has been registered with his current club for a period, continuous or not, of three entire seasons”.
The same rule domestically means Foyth will also become a Premier League homegrown player.”
This is what I was going on originally and without further consideration but now with more consideration Foyth joined in 2017 aged 19 and that means he only has 2 qualifying years and not the 3 required so I think again he has to be considered as a foreigner – which indeed he is anyway lol – but bloody bollocks – that means we now have 17 foreigners in the 23 man squad above as regards European competition!
Wilson as the new back-up STR to HK10 anyone LOL?!
TQ – on further reading lol – scrap Doherty – he is indeed homegrown both for the PL and also EL – phew!
That means we can sign a foreign striker to cover HK10 and all our eggs are not necessarily in 1 basket as regards Wilson!
SO the 16 foreigners as regards the EL are (Davies being considered home-grown for the PL so only 15 foreigners with regards to PL):
Lloris, Gazzaniga, Toby, Davy, Dier, Davies, Foyth, Hojbjerg, Sissoko, N’Dombele, Fernandes, Lo Celso, Moura, Bergwijn, Lamela and Sonny!
Home-grown are: Hart, Doherty, Tanganga, Sessegnon, Winks, Dele and HK10!
Great that Parrott will eventually be considered HG also in both competition’s if he makes it for us – hopefully will do!
I’m now actually OK with Aurier, Rose and CCV being added to Vorm, Vert’s, KWP and Amos in leaving the club!
SO for me it would be:
GK – Lloris, Hart, Gazzaniga.
CB – Toby, Davy, Dier, Tanganga.
RB – Doherty, Foyth.
LB – Davies, Sessegnon.
CM – Hojbjerg, Winks, NDombele, Sissoko, Fernandes
AM – Lo Celso, Dele
Wingers – Sonny, Bergwijn, Moura, Lamela
STR – Kane, newbie
That’s 24 already with the all new elusive STR- so 1 space left perhaps a LCB?!
I might add that Sess still being only 20 counts as an U-21 for this coming season anyway even though is home-grown!
Reports suggest we have been offered the chance to sign Diego Costa, how would we all feel about that prospect considering our history with him when playing for Chelsea?
Just to point out guys… It’s not just that the squad limit for non-homegrown is a maximum of 17 players in the PL and Europe; it’s also that the minimum homegrown for a club in both the PL and EL, has to be 8.
So work that one out given your proposed squad EJ… 🙂
Whoever we end up with, we have been making the presumption that Jose actually feels that he wants, needs, prefers a full 25 man squad for either or both competitions. But, he may not. Even so, it’s still uncertain at this moment how we can fulfil our relative quotas for both the EL and PL. But, we will know soon enough…..
Meanwhile, back to the actual game of playing football itself…
THFC 11-0 Reading!
But, (as it’s only a friendly), 0-0 will do……..
Up the Spurs!
Diego Costa?!
Well that one’s got me scratching my eyes out .. I mean scratching my head!
Haha! All this talk of Messi wanting to leave Barca and perhaps rejoin Pop at City… And Spurs are looking at players like Costa and Wilson!
Not to mention the players that we have already bought in Hojbjerg and Hart… And now possibly Matt Doherty? Not too much to get too exited about for a Spurs supporter is it?! All this and Jose too?
Hi folks
Not so long ago we all were banging on about the “deals” that other Prem teams got for very little money EG Maddison to Leicester.
With our recent acquisitions, Hoj and Heart with a strong possibility of signing Doherty for very little “Doh” I’d argue that we have been astute in our dealings so far this, season and have signed a few diamonds for Crystal prices.
A big headline signing would be good to see, but then again look at how N’Dombele has turned out so far. Hope he comes good tho…
can’t see jose signing and out n out striker and sitting on the bench for 80 % of his time, and we fans expect him to score after a little cameo, as we have enough attackers, that could fill the role like son or stevie B if needs be. For me kane has been run into the ground over the last few years
with regards N’Dombele him and jose really need to clear the air and a clean slate, no doubt he’s talented, but fitness and effort from him, if this doesn’t happen we won’t see much of him in a spurs shirt.
ND… I like your analogy. However it works even better if I say that a diamond is actually seen as a crystal, in structure. 😉
I wasn’t dismissing our new players (or possible new ones) as not being worthy. Just pointing out the vast chasm between what a Man City rumour looks like and the reality of the market that Spurs are looking into.
For me, it’s never about seeing players at their price and financial cost (or even their worldwide star status) but for their worth to the balance of the team and squad as a working unit. And we may well achieve this balance very well, in this TW…. ??? (Hopefully).
Even so, just as an expensive and undoubtedly talented player such as Tanguy may fail at Spurs, so may a cheap and solid player such as Hojbjerg or Doherty for instance. Either way we all hope they all can succeed. ………………
Messi is now 33. He has been at Barca since the age of 13… So given this and the huge difference playing in the PL would be and after so long in Spain (from boy to man), he may actually struggle to make the impact in the PL that we would possibly expect him too.
Then again, I would still love to see him in the PL and giving it a damn good try… Imagine having him as a sub for Harry Kane!
I’m with you on that HT……I’d rather we recruit players who put in a 4 star performance consistently than bringing in ones that put in a 5 star performance one week and a 2 star the next.