Transfer window over.... how did Spurs fare?

While im dissapointed that we didnt reinforce our attacking options for which I do believe we will cost points this year, I do think that overall we made some improvements at the back, although im not about to give them any glowing and as yet undeserved praise before they have even kicked a ball. We will soon see them in action so lets hope they can bring something to the team, im really hoping that Faz can slot in next to Jan as Kaboul has been shocking so far. We all know that this window was always going to be about trimming the squad/bloated MF and selling before buying, we have too many players and an unbalanced aquad that has to be sorted first. Also agree that before we go buying more potential matchwinners we have to accept that MP needs to be given time to implement a team system and a cohesive team unit first. However I do feel like we made a few compromises in this window, Paulinho will be playing as a more advanced MF in place of players like Siggy and Holtby not because he is better than either of those two but because no one wasr stupid enuf to buy him, especialy for somewhere near the money we paid for him. I do understand that in order for the club to at least get a decent return on a very expensive player he needs to be playing, but I think its a shame that players that bring more to the team have to be sacrificed

 

Paulinho won't be playing in replacement of Sigurdsson or Holtby. Pochettino isn't silly!

Dembele will fulfil a more advanced role, if need be, and to be honest I don't think that would be such a bad thing on occasions.

A Dembele who is given licence to virtually do as he pleases, in terms of movement, on and off the ball, could be a VERY dangerous weapon, indeed.

I've seen him fulfil this role a couple of times before with real success. And the prospect of seeing the Belgian be given a roaming role within the side is certainly an interesting, and exciting, one.

My point is Poch STILL has options, and plenty of them.

There is no point in spending for spending sake, and I have no doubt that if Pochettino wants to strengthen the squad in January, OR if the right player player becomes available, the The Chairman will given him the funds.

I thought Paulinho, who was played in a 3 (Sandro, Dembele and Paulinho) against Limassol, actually had a good game. He pressed well, looked energetic, was strong and did a good shift going back the other way.

Mauricio will NOT suffer fools. If the Brazilian fails to pull his weight, or is caught working in for his own interests instead of those of the team, he will be out! Simple as that.

Paulinho is an interesting case for me, because he does, potentially, have a great skill-set. Especially for the English game.

If he can be remoulded into the powerful, tenacious, energetic, intelligent box-2-box midfielder we all thought we were getting for our £17m quid, then he could be a big player for Spurs this season.

He is good in air, and has that wonderful knack of being a magnet to the ball in the oppositions box. He just needs to put that all together now on a consistent basis and I believe he can if he REALLY wants to. Pochettino's job will be to encourage him to do just that!

Simple but effective is how I want to be able to describe Paulinho come the end of the season.Just, simple but effective.

 

Good points and you could be right about Dembele although myself I still have doubts about Paulinho being used as a genuine box2box because the player is too lazy and a complete liability with defensive duties, he wants to be Frank Lampard, that is loiter around the box and nick a few goals without doing much else which is fine if he nets around ten goals or so but I dont see him being useful unless he's used as a CAM,or as has been pointed out with 3 in the middle allowing Paulinho to move foward I havnt ever seen Dembele do anything useful in an attacking role for Spurs, has anyone? have I missed something?

 

Liverpool's recent successes? Okay, so more recent than Spurs but that wouldn't be difficult really would it. They finished second last year and as they sniff success again, they have just bought in more players than even we did last season.
Everton? Success? What, winning nothing in the 11 years that Moyes was manager.
I have said on many occasions that football has sadly changed and this just proves it. Success is now simply doing okay with what you have, rather than actually winning anything! I will never buy into that I am afraid. Success has to be about silverware.
As for levy, I am not going to get too involved because you all know my opinion and you don't need to hear it again, although in terms of this summers transfers, he did pre warn us that there would be little activity and that the squad we have would be given time to develop.

We do have a talented squad, and there are signs that they will be fine. No one played well against Liverpool, but Dier, Lamela, Chadli, showed against, an admittedly poor, QPR, that they are much better players than last season suggested.

We are not going to win the league. We are far from being a top four team, and as for success, that all depends on your definition if success. If Everton is our benchmark however, I guess we may as well give up now.

 

Success is the same thing it's always been....RELATIVE.

You ask Liverpool and Everton supporters whether the enjoyed successful campaigns returning to their respective European competitions, this, and I'm sure they will both tell you yes.

Ask a Palace fan whether staying in the EPL and finishing 11th last season was a successful season, I'm sure they will tell you yes.

Ask a Spurs supporter whether finishing 3rd/4th in the EPL, at the moment, would be considered success, and guess what...I'm sure they will tell yes!

Hey, I'm NOT here to try and convince you guys of anything. I can only express myself, sharing with you my knowledge/ understanding of the beautiful game.

The club has been EXTREMELY active over the last 18 months, bring in 12/13 players and like I said Pochettino job is now to mould those individuals into a balanced and cohesive unit.

If you choose to doubt the ambition, quality or standing of the players the club have at it's disposal, then that is your prerogative.

And, yet, give it a couple of wins, and a couple of good performances and those same doubters suddenly begin to 're-evaluate' their position.

What does that tell you about the nature of the common fan?.... Because it tells me everything that I need to know.

 

My opinion hasn't changed. We have a good squad and it will need time. Yes, success is relative but we haven't been finishing third or fourth. We did twice and that manager got sacked as we know. It will take at least this season for Spurs to break into the top four and I am clear that sixth this season will be fine, but for it to be a success, I would be looking at some silverware in the cabinet too.
Finishing lower than sixth is unthinkable and would be abject failure, but I really do not see that happening. Some will see sixth as poor but if the team start to gel, then we can realistically raise our expectations next season. A lack of Champions league football though will always make it harder for us to strengthen with that extra calibre of player we desire and ultimately, the top four is our aim, but more essentially, the top four consistently has to be the aim.

 

Ramos

From rubbing shoulders with the elite, finishing top 4 and dining at the top tier of European competitions we are now happy/thankfull/hopefull about finishing 6th.
We have also become the top 5s whipping boys that can barely put up a fight let alone score some goals.
And during this we are making a profit every window through player sales you genuinely think this is acceptable? Is this Progress were making?

 

Is anyone else getting a feeling of deja vu, here?

After (almost) every transfer window, after every disappointing result, we seem to have the same old conversation.

Is it me, or is their a bit of a pattern emerging ?

Spurs have NEVER had the best of records against the top 4, and, yet, before the difficulties of last season I think the club/team was making certainly making progress in that department. i.e winning our last 2 two trips to Old Trafford in the EPL, beating City at home 3-1, etc, etc

And, yes, progress is something I, strongly, believe the club has made in recent years, both, on and off, the pitch. The problem is, other teams in that time will have progressed too.

Tottenham are competing against 4 of the of the richest, most established, clubs in the world (Arse, Chel, Man U, Man C)...Fact. So forgive me for not buying into the idea that a couple of big cash splurges in the transfer window will solve all of our problems.

Listen, we all want to see Spurs return to Europes top table. We all probably feel that's where the club belongs, and there's nothing wrong with that.

But it's important to remember the club has no divine right to finish in the top for just because we have seen that been achieved twice in the last 20+ years.


Spurs DON'T need more signings, right now. What we need is a manager who knows what their doing. And guess what, that's exactly what we've got!

Have people forgotten about the world-class training centre that's been built? Or the new stadium that's in the early stages of development?

Who do you think is going to pay for all of that lot? Richard Branson?

IF Spurs are being more prudent with the finances, it doesn't take 'Bill Ny the Science Guy' to see that it's with good cause.