We've plugged a hole

True aswell but he's still a big game player and proven compared to Eriksen the pretender hence the move & fee.

 

Ce and Dele both suffer from having a Manager who doesn't play them in their best position (no10).
If a team is built around Dele/ CE you'll get plenty of goals and assists, however, Mp plays them all over the place, hence inconsistent performances.
Ce is a good player, who Mp didn't use correctly (except 2016/17) if a team use Ce correctly he could become a crucial player for that team.
The Hazzard deal was struck quickly, whereas with 3 weeks to kick off we are none the wiser on where Ce will be playing next season, everyday ce comes closer to being a free agent. Spurs are in a position where they may sell at a discount rather than let him leave on a free.

 

60m best for Ce imo Big Fran....only a year to go...

 

Somewhere between 60 and 80m is sat. Fact is Madrid can't afford him due to ffp rules and a bloated squad. Likewise juve. Barca don't need him. Can't see where he goes really. Think the side is shaping up to that of a diamond and alli of played at the top of the diamond will hit close to 20 goals again. Skipp was unbelievable yesterday. Lo Celso and sessagnon look close with tobys clause coming to an end shortly.. Need a new right back and we're ready to go. Hope Rose stays on also.

 

According to Sky, Toby seems to be banking on playing for Tottenham next year...just wondering what the situation with his contract will be?
The £25 million release cause expires this Thursday, ok, but after that? Will he be a free agent next summer/able to sign a pre-contract in January?

 

Hazard will saack at RM. My prediction.

#7 is less than #10 in price usually. But CE is older. Levy will not sell for less than he is going to pay for CE replacement LoCelso . He just wont. So if he pays 68m for Locelso, CE may be seen off for 70m. Which is quite plausible IMHO.

 

Don't like the way spurs played the diamond last season, the 3 cms had a lot of ground too cover especially in wide areas. The diamond is good for a spell in a game like a orthodox boxer switching to southpaw, however, once the opposition work it out you have to switch to a more balanced formation.
Mp likes the mid and attackers to play narrow, he over loads the team with midfielders and doesn't seem to like wide attackers so you end up with several players whose best position is no10, who end having to play in their 2nd best position.

 

You can't criticize Poch , he only does good , improves every player he works with (except from the list of duds in which it was their fault) , has (at best) jumped us up 2 whole places (and at worst same place as 3 of his last 4 predecessors) , has just been unlucky and hamstrung (despite numerous other big 6 clubs being a shadow of their former selves) , he's worked miracles with the squad he's had 5 years to build.
What does he need to use width for when he can bore the other team into submission , it's not like we're actually looking to win anything is it?
We're a Top 4 project management company not a Football Club.

Still waiting on adequate improvement in the squad ie Depth in quality and pace or are we gonna ignore that again and act like it was a suprise then go to a default setting of how well we done against the odds?

Roll on the con

 

So.....we're nearly there, all raring to go, looking forward to seeing the lads return to The Lane for the Villa opener.

Based on today's known squad, how do we line up. Let's try a 4-2-3-1 formation to start.

Hugo
Aurier ,Toby, Jan, Rosey,
Dembele, Sissoko,
Dele, Ce, Sonny,
HK.

Options - Lucas for Sonny at any time. Lucas to start instead of Dele, given his largely poor last season. Needs to deliver more - goals, assists. Too lightweight and lacking in penetration for me, as was Ce.

Issues with this apart from the weakness at RB, not too many. We're never going to start Gazza ahead of Hugo, unless he gets injured, so we'll never really know if he's up to it.

If we sign Lo Celso - he'd be sub at best, for Ce. Sessengnon - bench player at best for now. Just didn't show in PL last season, so a way's to go there.

Players on the bench - Lucas, Winks, Tripp. No proven strikers - still, what's new there, but don't hold out much hope there either.

If Dele and Ce can get there arses in gear, it could be a good starting 11. We will see.

COYS.

 

That's how Argentinians played in 1978 World Cup they won. Ardilles wore #7 for Spurs, but shifted to #10 position all the time.
Crosses are not so difficult to defend against, especially when you have a define striker waiting for service. That is why Soldado, LLorente and Jenssen failed, while Kane and Son are successful at #9 position. They are Forward-Midfielder hybrids.

 

Not sure that side is much stronger than the last year one tbf as I'd expect rose to be gone. However dybala would be a real coup if we could do that one.

Lloris kwp sessagnon Toby Jan.
Sissoko ndombele.
Son alli dybala
Kane.

Now that would be mega.
Gazza winks moura Davies dier sanchez lo celso/eriksen.

 

Pretty sure Son and Foyth are both banned for the Villa game after the horror show at Bournemouth

 

Read somewhere that Toby's 25mil release clause ends today

 

Stroke of midnight mate happy days...

 

The thing is Big fran, as soon as I hear a name like Dybala mentioned as a potential acquisition, I immediately thing what's the most we're going to pay him - same as Kane, so £200k with bonuses, more as his agent will want for more, rocking the boat with incumbents ..... I'd like it to be real, but I can't get excited about something that I cannot see happening...

 

It’s a new day which means ...Toby’s clause is over. Can’t believe anyone will now buy him at more than that

It’s not a new signing but it’s great news and l don’t know of another cb I would have taken instead of him , so this is positive

 

14 days today till window shuts , we've made 1 proper signing.

 

The front 4 of kane, son , dele and Ce has been used a lot under Mp before son came it was Lamela who was used. Basically it hasn't been and won't be good enough to win trophies. That front 4 needs to be jazzed up. Maybe Lo celso or Dybala would be a better wide fit than Dele/ ce has they are both decent dribblers which is a weakness both Dele and ce have.

 

Never tired ?

 

Tired of the pretence that we're a football club.
If anyone is that dumb they think replacing Dembele that went is somehow gonna catapult us the distance we need to to catch up with Pool and City then they are completely delusional.
The club needs depth in quality and a couple upgrades on the current starting 11.
If they're not doing that then they're conning us fans, in what will be yet another season of promise with little to show for at the end due to ignoring the obvious.