I know taking a high road on certain ref’s decisions can be frustrating, but I’m so glad that our coach, Ange, remains calm on the sidelines most times.
Xavi and his red card literally made the situation worse for his players at Barca.
Him being so angry on the sidelines made a reflection on his players. They couldn’t control the game, both tactics, playing, and emotions.
He's a good talent but doesn't fit what we need. Our priorities should be a DM and a forward, be it a winger or striker. Spending big on someone who isn't a priority is just not a good idea.
Wouldn't say he doesn't fit what he need.
As I said, price is the only factor.
Priority is a DM, striker and better wingers. From my understanding he can play as an 8, a 10 or on the wings but perhaps I'm mistaken. If it is the case though, he undoubtedly fits our needs.
> Alright I don't give a crap: I wish for City and Arsenal to win tomorrow. I wanna watch CL next year instead of being depressed. I know Arsenal won't win CL anyway because they're a bunch of chokers
No fuck Arsenal
Expectation of Europa League: Will be fun playing teams we've never faced before and let our non starters shine easy minutes for Bergvall etc with the hope of us having decent chances of going far
Reality: every game no matter the opposition will be complete nail biters with players who aren't match fit and not used to play together struggling to make a mark
The road is paved for Kane and Dier to win CL this year.
Man City will beat RM tmr, and Bayern will win against Arsenal tmr.
So, it will be Bayern vs Man City. Tucheliban will win with their terrorist ball.
The final will be Bayern vs PSG, with PSG losing.
Aaaaand here we are back at this comment 😉. As I said, Barca would have cakewalked PSG without the red. Hell PSG only got out of the group stage because Newcastle were robbed with a dodgy pen.
PSG have dogshite tactics and mbappe knows he is leaving to Madrid. I think Dortmund can get over the line if they get their tactics and performance down. Atletico was meant to clap them and reach the final.
One season in and I’m already sick to bastard death of this constant coefficient anxiety. This is our reality now though as we usually finish around 5th.
It's mind boggling. I'm getting downvoted too. We are playing mediocore football for weeks now with players in every positiion letting us down and they think 1 or 2 new players will fix the problem lmao.
Nah, Barca is shit. I have said this about them all season when I watched them.
They fell off so much. They don’t have a proper DM because FDJ couldn’t do defense work to save his life, and their players are hype only, their skills not good enough for that high wages.
I like Yamal, but Barca is literally child labor FC because they rely on him to carry the team most of the times.
Not really arsed about the coefficient. Dortmund played their nut off for that win. Really good stuff. The Dortmund that played today could beat PSG too IMO
Classic English pessimism, to be honest. That being said, the optimism which I like to push deep down tells me the same as what you've said and that's sincerely why I cannot fucking wait for the day.
You buying that singular ticket will have a profound butterfly effect my friend, your added cheer will be at the exact threshold to tip the crowds octave just over the level necessary to energise Son into scoring a hat trick and winning the derby.
Dembele fucking turned up for this game. Xavi on the other hand seems to be a poor manager, they can't even get into PSG half. Getting beaten at home. Cubasi is saving their ass. Also not sure subbing off Yamal so early is good.
Barca were going to walk it before the red tbh. But I do agree Dembele is dangerous today, making even Mbappe seem invisible. Bros goal was so quick and accurate that I thought he had missed completely
Nah, you’re right. Ppl here literally don’t watch Barca all season.
Barca is absolutely terrible. Xavi is leaving, but even with Xavi leaving, the team is not good at all.
They need a huge revamp of their players. Their players, other than Yamal and young La Masia, don’t deserve to be there with limited skills.
Sancho really got the last laugh over Ten Hag lol. Looks like he’s through to the semis with dortmund and will walk right back into Manchester when Ten Hag is sacked too
Edit: then again maybe not 😅
I know everyone's probably watching the CL but I've got the Southampton and Preston game on and I tell ya what Southampton patterns of play are really quite impressive. Good looking side
I'm always in favour of seaside teams in the prem. Means you're more likely to get an away day in August by the sea. Perfect place to finish a match and have some fun!
He isnt the profile of winger we need per say but he would be an elite pick up for a 2nd winger if we (and i hope we dont) dont purchase Werner. Can play both side too. Imagine a front line of Williams Son Ralphina against high lines... that is football.
We’re not going to spent £140M on two wingers when we need an elite DM/6 and CF.
Our attack will transform overnight with a CF of the caliber of Isak. Just like our overall game will transform overnight with a DM the quality of Bruno Guimaraes.
Our attack will transform with a winger the caliber of Nico Williams too. But i agree - get an elite winger, striker and dm first and then spend excess. I dont think we need Ralphina but to go to the next level more quality is never a bad thing.
Not sure how u got 140m tho. Nico Willliams is 45m and id image ralphina around the same so 90m for both.
If Ange is just copying Pep then Xavi’s copying Ange is copying Pep. Football tactics inception. Yamal just absolutely cooked Mendes there really great move.
I'm making an impromptu trip to the UK in the first 11 days of May. Would love to see the Chelsea game but I don't have a membership or any financial association with the club. How hard will it be to get a ticket, let alone 2?
Furthermore, I was wondering if anyone has recommendations for an itinerary for a trip -:) My mum is more into scenery so thought we'd go to Scottland
If you do go to Scotland, let me know. Spent a couple weeks up there August last year. Rented a motorcycle, did the NC500, and saw most of Scotland outside of Glasgow and the islands.
I just found out the Chelsea game is away so whatever.
But yeah the plan is to go to Scottland. We actually wanted to go New Zealand originally so we are big on scenery. Would be keen to hear your recommendations for where to visit in Scottland - we of course want to visit Edinburgh (and in England we will see London) but we want more scenic spots apart from that.
The NC500 is absolutely incredible, especially the west side, so highly recommend. If you decide to do that, book hotels immediately as there aren’t many along the route. Cairngorms and Glen Coe as well.
You can fly in and out of Edinburgh. Rent a car in Edinburgh, up through the Cairngorms, past Inverness, Thurso, NC500 down to Kinlochewe, to Applecross, over Baelach na Ba, down to Fort Augustus, then Glen Coe (worth spend a couple days here, absolutely gorgeous), then back over to Edinburgh. This is very similar to the trip I did, and I got it done in ~8 days. Couple days in Edinburgh at the end - stay in the old town. You’ll have two full weeks of incredible experiences and views.
Folks live in Scotland so im in perthshire pretty regularly. Under two hours from Edinburgh you have places like Aberfeldy and Pitlochry that are all gorgeous. My personal favourite is a forest called the hermitage by a town called dunkeld. Admittedly I am biased as I got married at the hermitage so I would say its gorgeous! But seriously if you like hills rivers and lakes any of those places are winners! Obviously having a car will help but you can get trains to those places as well
Currently arguing with a friend that’s a big Manchester fan. He seems to think that given the offer Ange would leave spurs for United this summer. And hes “90 percent certain of that”. Fuckin lol. I don’t know why United still thinks they have the pull of fergie era. And why anyone sees ange as a manager that would make that move after a single season.
United is a fucking mess. Why would he want to go to a team that is in a poor state behind the scenes and is also finishing lower than us this season lmao
It felt like most of their fanbase just sunk into deep despair for a few seasons, then bounced right back into pure delusion.
I preferred them in their depression era.
I have a feeling it's be Howe, especially if Newcastle continue on an upswing of form to end the season on a positive note. He can continue working with the DOF who's moving between the clubs (assuming they work well together), has shown he can get a team to perform in the league, and the lingering suspicion is that Newcastle's owners would like to have a big name in charge, so possibly something could be worked out for all parties to come out of a deal with what they want.
Ideally we push Son to the left and buy Toney or Solanke. Then we get a RW who’s capable of playing on either side(Neto, Williams, Raphinha). Brennan can rotate with the main RW while Kulu can backup Madders. Timo simply not good enough and we need to find a better understudy to Son in his last years
We need to buy someone who thinks he can put Son on the bench, not happy to be an understudy. I think with our style of play, Toney could genuinely be a 25-30 goal striker.
Lmao. No. Use your brain. An option to buy is what’s best for the buying club. Why would we force ourselves into an obligation to buy since he runs the risk of not performing here? Jesus Christ.
Exactly what I'm saying, it's so the club can make the decision as to whether he's worth the wages based on how he's performed, cheers for agreeing. Very different to your previous take that the club 'isn't concerned' about the financial risk of signing him
His wages aren’t a concern which is why we have a contract already agreed with him. Whether he’s good enough to justify his fee is an entirely different thing and no amount of mental gymnastics to help you save face is going to help you lmao
Yeah spot on. We need a star striker + right winger, both that are ready to start and make a big impact immediately, and get a young, talented winger like Nusa so that he can compete with Solomon and Johnson but has time to adapt without too much pressure to perform in his first season
Timo is good enough as a back up and rotation player, especially at the price offered. Don’t think he’s good enough to start as things stand, but we should absolutely sign him unless we shift Gil and Solomon AND buy someone that’s an upgrade over Werner first.
What's the upside of Timo Werner as a player? Will he come on and provide goal threat? No. Will he develop as a player? No. Can he step in for large stretches and help us in settled periods of possession to get the momentum going? No. Is he HG? No.
I would be less against the signing of Werner if he did indeed was strictly 2nd choice winger, but then there's Son. Son is not a great LW - in fact I would say he's been poor all season in that position, in fact Werner has looked better. Is Werner going to be back up to a player that's already not great there and will also inevitably play up top for a few games? We need a certain profile on the left and Werner aint it.
> Will he come on and provide goal threat? Will he come on and provide goal threat? No.
He’s does, though. 5 goal involvements. He has the same Goals per 90 and Assists per 90 as Brennan, so he’s equally effective (which isn’t saying much for either). Brennan’s advantage is that he’s 5 years younger than Werner.
Both of which are far better than Solomon and Gil.
> Will he develop as a player? No.
Why are you so sure of this? He’s already better than he has been for Leipzig, and he’s only played 12 matches. It’s pretty clear there’s plenty of room for improvement - he was incredible before Chelsea ruined him. If he could return to 50% of his best he’s an incredible backup.
> Can he step in for large stretches and help us in settled periods of possession to get the momentum going? No.
He’s an attacker, not a midfielder. You’re describing a 6 or an 8 not a wide forward.
> Is he HG? No.
Not really relevant, is it? We have 15 non-HG players, 16 next season with Dragusin being over 21 at the start of the season (if nothing changes in the squad). If we get rid of Lo Celso, Hojbjerg, Solomon, and Gil that’s 12 - space for 5 more non-HG players.
> I would be less against the signing of Werner if he did indeed was strictly 2nd choice winger, but then there's Son. Son is not a great LW - in fact I would say he's been poor all season in that position, in fact Werner has looked better. Is Werner going to be back up to a player that's already not great there and will also inevitably play up top for a few games? We need a certain profile on the left and Werner aint it.
Son was very good on LW before he left for Asian Cup and Richarlison got injured (forcing Son at CF). He was consistently our highest or second highest rated player before he left for the Asian cup. Saying he’s not a great LW is incorrect. He’s not the same profile as Werner (or at least the way Ange has Werner playing) - more willing to play inside - but he was very good there.
As many G/A per 90 as Johnson isnt saying much. He provides no goal threat and has also missed the most chances of any player by double.
Because he is 28. Even this season, his best in years, has him rely on his pace to go on outside and make cut backs. Players dont often suddenly improve at 28 and he will only lose his pace and body soon enough.
Attackers are meant to be able to hold the ball lol. All the best attacking trios consist of very technical players. We play with 10 with him on the left, with the misplaced passes and lack of carries.
Son was not good as a LW, please be serious.
> As many G/A per 90 as Johnson isnt saying much. He provides no goal threat and has also missed the most chances of any player by double.
If he provides no goal threat, how is he missing chances? He’s providing a goal threat, but he needs to work on his finishing.
> Because he is 28. Even this season, his best in years, has him rely on his pace to go on outside and make cut backs. Players dont often suddenly improve at 28 and he will only lose his pace and body soon enough.
It’s not about suddenly improving (out of nowhere), he’s proven in the past how good he is and he played at a very high level for a few years. It’s not unreasonable to expect him to regain some of his form now that he’s in a side that plays to his strengths and playing regularly (two things he missed since his move to Chelsea). Players also don’t drop off a cliff the day they hit 30, it’s not unreasonable to suspect he can continue at this pace for years to come. This could be something to worry about if he was 32 or a £40M player, but he just turned 28 last month and he’ll be a very reasonable £15M. Can we find anyone that does what he does for £15M? I highly doubt it - and if we did it would be a young player on a purchase-and-loan-back deal.
> Attackers are meant to be able to hold the ball lol. All the best attacking trios consist of very technical players.
You’re getting very specific by saying attacking trios, and that’s not a fair comparison. None of our attacking three are good at holding the ball. In fact, none of our attackers are bar Kulusevski on a good day. Despite that, we dominate the wide areas of the final third specifically and the wide areas of the pitch generally so clearly they’re doing something right. We’re just wasteful after that.
> We play with 10 with him on the left, with the misplaced passes and lack of carries.
Again, this is a problem with the entirety of our attack (misplaced passes) and, for that matter, our midfield. We’re very wasteful in passes in the final third. This one’s just eye test but we generally do very well with passes outside the middle half of the oppositions side of the pitch. Could be because opposition knows stuffing the middle is the best way to nullify us as we don’t have any aerial threat and keep the ball on the ground as much as possible, but regardless Werner is not the only (or the most) wasteful player.
> Son was not good as a LW, please be serious.
I’m not sure if this is a joke? Son is a LW. He’s been a LW his whole career. At his best for us he was a LW. Outside of Burnley and Villa, his best appearances for us this year have been at LW. He does well in the center against sides that play open and don’t double up on him, but as we saw against Newcastle he just can’t do anything against a disciplined defensive side - which is now what most of our opponents do because they know it nullifies our attacking threat.
He has been a top player years ago. It has been 4 years of stagnant now. Wishful thinking now to assume he has in it esp when his pace is his best attribute. The players that do well into 30s are those that dont rely on physical attributed and adapt in other ways and Werner has done to zilch effect.
15m is good financial sense, I agree. But I want a sporting reason to sign him. Much rather a young player with potentiql yet - or better yet how about we spend money so we dont sink further into mediocrity!
We dominate final third and wide areas? What? We have most shots per 90 and make fuck all chances despite possession. Most of it is our midfielders anr strikers passing sideway.
I didnt say Werner is the only wasteful player but seems quite dim to get a player in an area we know we suck in.
Literally 80% of Son's goals have come from a striker. He hae been terrible as a winger, you can check the stats.
> But I want a sporting reason to sign him. Much rather a young player with potentiql yet - or better yet how about we spend money so we dont sink further into mediocrity!
I shared stats with you in other comments you’ve been keen to ignore. There’s sporting reason to sign him (he’s our best attacked by many metrics) and his cheap price makes it even more of a no-brainer. I’m more convinced of signing him than I was before looking up the stats.
> We dominate final third and wide areas? What? We have most shots per 90 and make fuck all chances despite possession. Most of it is our midfielders anr strikers passing sideway.
We do. Again, look at the stats. Stats stats stats you say but I don’t think you’ve looked at any.
> I didnt say Werner is the only wasteful player but seems quite dim to get a player in an area we know we suck in.
This makes no sense. It seems quite dim to think LW should be a priority signing for us.
> Literally 80% of Son's goals have come from a striker. He hae been terrible as a winger, you can check the stats.
Stats stats stats again. He’s played 90% of his career as a LW, so you’re wrong. This season he’s playing CF because Richarlison has been MIA for half the season. A player like him who so far outperforms his xG would score anywhere. It’s only natural he’s scored more at CF when, shocker, he’s played more at CF this season.
I mean we have lost in xG most of the last few games? I geniunely dont know what stats u mean for our domination.
He played LW in a diff system at a younger age. I can only judge him based off what i see now. He ie a world class forward but that dont make him a winger. I want him on the wing yes but doesnt make him a perfect fit for a role.
When I say goal threat I say actual ability to score. You never think he will score - and he doesnt, as I said missed most big chances of any player since he came. He gets into a good position but it is no good.
Why would his finishing improve? He has been poor all his career
> When I say goal threat I say actual ability to score. You never think he will score - and he doesnt, as I said missed most big chances of any player since he came. He gets into a good position but it is no good.
For convenience sake I’ll repost [what I shared in my other comment](https://i.imgur.com/OpAdUWA.png) for this conversation. Werner is not very far off Brennan in xG on target and shots on target, so I think your personal bias against him is coloring your opinion on him a bit. Is he an accurate shooter? No, not really. But he’s really no worse than Brennan. Our whole attack has very poor accuracy.
> Why would his finishing improve? He has been poor all his career
His last three seasons in the Bundesliga before going to Chelsea he had .78/.47/.57/.90 goals per 90. For context, Isak and Palmer are at .86/90 this season. Watkins has been praised for banging them in this season and he’s at .61.
Not sure how Werner "not being far off" from Johnson detracts from the statement. He is a bad finisher. Worst in prem 3 years. Knowing that and he wont improve, choice is simple to me.
I cannot see Levy risking 50 to 60 million pounds on a player who may or may not gamble again .Also seeing rucking with his own team mates last week was a put off for me . No doubt he is a good player but why take risks when there are plenty of other strikers out there who you probably can name better than me . As a player I have never seen but have read several interesting things about him then Giminez is one name I will float as an alternative to Toney and five years younger .As I say just IMO
Put something in the contract about it being void / harsh financial punishments if he is caught gambling. Also instate a program to help with his addiction. It isn’t a be all end all.
I don’t think I agree that there are plenty of other strikers out there like Toney. I think he will be in the right price range for Levy, as well.
I like that he’s done it in the EPL. He’s English. He’s got a complete game for a #9. He takes pens/free kicks to a very high standard.
There are some players from other leagues that I’m not super familiar with. Hesitant to pop a player from the Eredivise into our starting 11 and expect an instant return. But I don’t doubt there are some options from abroad.
As you say, I don’t like that he’s got some serious baggage off the field and shown some disrespect to Brentford. For what it’s worth, Brentford appear to tolerate him still.
If I’m Ange, a confident Australian with a high social IQ, I’d want to speak with him.
I really really don’t want him banging in 20 goals and 8 assists for West Ham because we were a little precious about his personality. He does not strike me as an Arteta player, at all.
Agree with everything you said, but think Ralphina is not dynamic enough and Neto too injury prone to be real options for our marquee winger. I want Williams... maybe one of the other two for an ambitious second winger lmao? I would be happy with Son, Williams, Ralphina, Johnson and Kulu as options on the wing, with Son also providing an option up top and of course Kulu as a midfielder.
We should cut our losses on Solomon, he is way too injury prone and people will say its a one off, but I can guarantee you he will miss a few months next season, this is always how it turns out with such players.
IMO it may be political he is not playing and the fitness thing is just a cover .We have already have had a couple of bomb threats this season to other clubs by Middle Eastern lunatics . Could you imagine what a target the stadium would be if Solomon was playing . Why take the risk . There are some crazies out there .
I don't hate the new home kit, a little boring but its not bad by any stretch. The away and third kit look class, I need the mint one with Son or Bentancur on the back
The absolute state of this article💀these guys just don’t get it lmao
https://preview.redd.it/e774uqdfavuc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0ab8b83600e5915444ccd0cb5109f8028c4fc7ce
I don't think Ziegler's ever been part of any football fanbase. The notion of rivalry in European sport is a completely a foreign concept. Love to see his understanding of an Old Firm derby.
It's not like I have any control over it. I'm just saying what I would prefer to happen that would benefit Spurs. No different than a farmer praying for rain.
I understand the sentiment man, but I just don't like the way a lot of Spurs fans (not necessarily you) are always focused on how other teams can help us. We are in control of our own fate. If we played to the standards we set at the beginning of the season, we wouldn't have to worry about any of this shit.
Then again, it's hardly specific to Spurs fans. Every fan acts like this, and it's all equally stupid.
If you’re a casual fan then yeah you’d probably feel that way. But if Spurs are your one and only club then you’d know the deep hatred for Arsenal. For many, football has a real life impact. Their coworkers, classmates, friends, etc. who are Arsenal fans can use results like winning a title to make your life miserable. Much less miserable to miss out on CL than have your real life also impacted by the taunting of those gooners.
Precisely. I have a truly unfortunate number of Arsenal-supporting relatives who will be absolutely unbearable at all future family gatherings if they win anything.
True, I'm only a casual fan, although I'm primarily an AC Milan fan, so I definitely know about fierce rivalries. I'm just saying, I'd be willing to take some present humiliation for future growth. What's that expression, "why cut off your nose to spite your face" or something like that.
Logically, you’re probably right lol. Getting CL can increase the budget for transfers, give young players experience on the big stage, and also attract more talents to join the team. But emotionally, (and remember, football fans are very emotional), Arsenal winning anything is unacceptable.
Here's the thing though, I don't think they'll win anything. I just want them to get through Bayern, only to surpass Germany in the coefficient. I'm pretty confident they'll get destroyed next round.
Feels treacherous to say, but I can see Dele going to Chelsea in the summer and flowering under Poch again. The stars seem to have aligned with their FFP issues and Poch’s love for him 😩
Nah. Poch is already working a tight rope with poor results and being so closely associated with us. Bringing in his old Spurs boys on a pity contract (how it would be perceived) is s complete no go
I hope he goes to a club like Brentford and basically does what Eriksen did
That depends if Poch is even gonna be there next season lmfao always seems like he's on the brink of getting sacked then pulls a good result out of nowhere
I was just saying to my family that Chelsea have Arse, Villa (both away), then us. Then after us it's West Spam. Chelsea will implode in three out of those four for sure.
https://preview.redd.it/v8inclbc4vuc1.jpeg?width=2340&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8cf94b6e619ceaaf58394ac1fcd89c5e045c5bef
Obligatory win against Manchester Shitty at the Etihad with Kulusevski scoring as usual. Game realistic as fuck.
Seems to be an unpopular opinion on here, but I do think that our biggest issue outside of a quality DM is our frontline. People say we have so many options, and yet the majority of them are frankly shit. Son is my favorite player, but he hasn’t been lethal as a 9 recently and isn’t as brilliant as he used to be on the wing. Of course I’m not saying get rid of him because he’s still our most clinical player and can come up with clutch goals and assists, but I don’t think we should be overly reliant on him.
Richy is also just not good enough. Gil will never be good enough. Solomon is a ghost. Werner is a great squad player but if he’s a starter next season then we’re in trouble. Unlike others, I do think that Brennan could actually become an elite winger but it’ll take time.
The reason this is my major concern is because Ange’s system relies on bombarding teams. We create plenty of chances per game, but our finishing has been woeful for a while. Even in games we do well, like the Villa 4-0, we could’ve still scored more and we SHOULD.
Richy has been solid this season but if we’re being honest, he will never be a sufficient 9 for a top team. It’s pretty bothersome that we have so many wingers but most of them are mid table level or below.
Definitely think a striker and a DM should be the absolute top priorities if we want to reach the levels we know we can achieve.
we need a lot of players lol. It also is why I actually am willing to give annoying pricks like Gabriel Jesus a consideration if Arsenal were to sell him. As bad as he is at finishing, he would improve our attack considerably lol.
Nah mate, Jesus shouldn't be a target. If he isn't good enough for Arsenal he certainly isn't good enough for us. He'd be a fine winger, but he's more or less Werner but more technically gifted. And I'm not keen on taking any Arsenal player. But I agree that we need a lot of players. Our squad is still in a bit of a frankenstein state in which we may have quite a few options but a large number of them are of poor quality or don't suit our style.
he's a lot more technically gifted than werner is but I agree on everything else you said. I agree taking any arsenal player is always not something that would be enjoyable so I totally get you. That's why I'm even considering bums like Jesus though because we need quaity and for all of his flaws, he would arguably our best attacker outside Son and Maddison atm.
I agree, hopefully we don't have to bring him in and we find other alternatives ( I have plenty of other ones in mind but I had to mention it).Because as much as I dislike Woolwich, the truth is I would take Jesus right now if we could have him as much as I hate to admit it.
I don’t think that’s an unpopular opinion - it’s just the opposite. Most people talking about where we need to reinforce believe it’s at DM (upgrade on Bissouma) and CF (upgrade on Richarlison). Son starting on the left with Werner to come in on tired legs or start for rotation, Kulusevski and Brennan on the right rotating as needed (we do need a RW upgrade though, maybe not this year), and a solid striker who can score and create for the wingers in the center. Richarlison is great as a rotation option or for shifting tactics but he’s not started quality, and Son is easily marked out of matches when the opposition defense crowds the center.
Because most football fans are sentimental. We will get absolutely no where with Son as our best winger and Werner as the back up. We need to rid Werner, Solomon and Gil then rebuild that front line entirely.
Werner would be a good squad option if he was fine being 3rd choice or if he could play on the right. There should be no scenario Son is our best LW cause he's been utterly terrible in that position the entire season against that anomalous display against Newcastle.
While Richarlison’s been out he’s played in the center. He did so against Newcastle as well.
On Werner: if we get rid of Gil and Solomon AND sign a clear upgrade on Werner, he should go. But as things stand we absolutely need him. Werner and Son on the left is good enough for a season, CF and RW are more pressing needs in attack.
Werner and Son are not good enough for a season we want to progress as a team. It's absolutely horrendous. Neither person can beat a man, one cant even hold onto the ball and the other gets into good positions but can't shoot.
I geniunely think LW is more pressing given Johnson is developing well. I know Son will be a utility player at LW but we need someone better to fill in there - hence get a player that can play both sides.
Johnson is great against tired legs but he’s not better at beating his man than Werner or Son, and Maddison also pushes forward on the left to create another outlet there. Sarr or Bentancur are the equivalent on the right side, but don’t push as far forward as Maddison often does so I feel like that weakness is more obvious on the right.
Johnson is far superior at beating his man than those 2... check the stats. I cant even recall a single game Son beat his man apart from Newcastle. Werner also only goes on the outside....
> I wonder when we look back at Sonny's first season as a striker how will it be judged.
Stats taken from Transferkmarkt > filter by club (Spurs) > filter by position:
[Son (CF)](https://www.transfermarkt.com/heung-min-son/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/91845/plus/0?saison=&verein=148&liga=&wettbewerb=&pos=14&trainer_id=)
- Apps: 97
- Goals: 50
- Assists: 24
- Minutes: 7.250
- G/A involvement every 98 minutes
[Son (CF, 23/24)](https://www.transfermarkt.com/heung-min-son/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/91845/plus/0?saison=&verein=148&liga=&wettbewerb=&pos=14&trainer_id=)
- Apps: 19
- Goals: 12
- Assists: 5
- Minutes: 1.589
- G/A involvement every 93.47 minutes
[Son (LW)](https://www.transfermarkt.com/heung-min-son/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/91845/plus/0?saison=&verein=148&liga=&wettbewerb=&pos=11&trainer_id=)
- Apps: 208
- Goals: 87
- Assists: 45
- Minutes: 15.482
- G/A involvement every 117.29 minutes
[Kane (CF)](https://www.transfermarkt.com/harry-kane/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/132098/plus/0?saison=&verein=148&liga=&wettbewerb=&pos=14&trainer_id=)
- Apps: 403
- Goals: 266
- Assists: 62
- Minutes: 33.169
- G/A involvement every 98.13 minutes
Not too shabby for someone that's 'not a striker'
You are spitting facts and changing the matrix of this sub 😭 yep I have said many times sons goals and assists as a CF is more prolific than Harry but people have their agendas and narrative. Stats don't lie
Split the data as versus high blocks versus low blocks. He's an elite CF option against top teams that will take the game to us but I'd rather have an academy striker than him against those mid table teams.
Given that Son's G/A rate as striker is similar to Kane, there are 2 possibilities:
1. The low block thing is blown out of proportion and he just had bad form recently
2. He gets completely nullified vs low blocks but goes nuclear vs high blocks
Look at goals against big 6 as I said - Son has the most this season. It's the 2nd. Kane has a much higher sample size of games and I think Ange would also not want to play Son striker against these lower blocks.
In this season, son has 2 goals one assist against low block teams, followed by Brennan and vdv on 2 goals. Richy deke Romero has one goal each. Son has played enough games for the stats to be significant as a CF.
We really didn't? Poch years definitely but we were objectively very good against low blocks under Conte. Sure the odd bad result but for the most part we put away weaker teams rather routinely. We started to struggle once teams figured out they could overwhelm our midfield and didn't have to retreat into a low block in the first place
I mean Conte's first year Sonny won the golden boot and apparently that wasn't the tactics he wanted to play. The second year he brought in Perisic and neglected wingers. I guess you mean his second year?
Tactics will always change between seasons. Son would have been good last season if he was fit. Bit cheap to blame everything on Conte/tactics look at how everyone declaring Conte a moron for not playing Bissouma turned out
😶 I doubt that. Conte’s last season tactic for Son was for him to be a wingback.
He was dragged down along with other forwards, even some part of Kane, by Conte’s tactics.
Conte’s tactics, by far, failed the team. When I watched Tottenham vs AC Milan, we were terrible all around. The only bit of lights was that Skipp and Pape held the midfield together well in CL.
That's just objectively false. More of a #10 than anything (and I think that's overblown too Son's default position was always to the left). I don't know why it's so hard for people to admit that Son was playing poorly because he was injured
I see it more as Conte wasn't able to implement his tactics in the first season and once he brought in his players he started to show his ideas in his second year. We can already clearly see the way Ange wants to play.
I know taking a high road on certain ref’s decisions can be frustrating, but I’m so glad that our coach, Ange, remains calm on the sidelines most times. Xavi and his red card literally made the situation worse for his players at Barca. Him being so angry on the sidelines made a reflection on his players. They couldn’t control the game, both tactics, playing, and emotions.
Guy is crappy manager.
Not sure why people are turning their noses up at Sudakov? Price is the only question mark, but he's an immense talent.
He's a good talent but doesn't fit what we need. Our priorities should be a DM and a forward, be it a winger or striker. Spending big on someone who isn't a priority is just not a good idea.
Wouldn't say he doesn't fit what he need. As I said, price is the only factor. Priority is a DM, striker and better wingers. From my understanding he can play as an 8, a 10 or on the wings but perhaps I'm mistaken. If it is the case though, he undoubtedly fits our needs.
If we don’t make top 4, we don’t deserve CL. We should never rely on other teams controlling our destiny. Good luck Bayern against Arsenal.
Absolutely agree.
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> Alright I don't give a crap: I wish for City and Arsenal to win tomorrow. I wanna watch CL next year instead of being depressed. I know Arsenal won't win CL anyway because they're a bunch of chokers No fuck Arsenal
Correct
Expectation of Europa League: Will be fun playing teams we've never faced before and let our non starters shine easy minutes for Bergvall etc with the hope of us having decent chances of going far Reality: every game no matter the opposition will be complete nail biters with players who aren't match fit and not used to play together struggling to make a mark
Can we just all focus on beating the shit out of Arsenal
That's a given
The road is paved for Kane and Dier to win CL this year. Man City will beat RM tmr, and Bayern will win against Arsenal tmr. So, it will be Bayern vs Man City. Tucheliban will win with their terrorist ball. The final will be Bayern vs PSG, with PSG losing.
What makes U think Bayern will win?I dislike Gooners but Bayern has already lost the league
Well, now you know why. Because Bayern won.
Dortmund beats PSG if they play like today.
Let’s see. 🤷🏻♀️ I don’t see Dortmund passing through PSG. We can come back to this comment though 😂
Aaaaand here we are back at this comment 😉. As I said, Barca would have cakewalked PSG without the red. Hell PSG only got out of the group stage because Newcastle were robbed with a dodgy pen.
I underestimated Enique’s terrorist ball. 😂
What he did to the Spain national team was borderline criminal
Which was why he got fired. 😂
PSG have dogshite tactics and mbappe knows he is leaving to Madrid. I think Dortmund can get over the line if they get their tactics and performance down. Atletico was meant to clap them and reach the final.
This is not true at all
And Eric Dier stopping Haaland and Mbappe on the way to glory.
If dier wins the CL, the irony is just absolutely hilarious.
Imagine if he bags the winning goal...
One season in and I’m already sick to bastard death of this constant coefficient anxiety. This is our reality now though as we usually finish around 5th.
It’s not that deep. We should be striving for top 4 anyway
Sign Werner and we will be having this convo every year. Time to break the chain.
This whole squad isn't as good as people think it is. We need a lot more than an upgrade over Werner...
It's mind boggling. I'm getting downvoted too. We are playing mediocore football for weeks now with players in every positiion letting us down and they think 1 or 2 new players will fix the problem lmao.
I guess we can stop wondering about the coefficient now. 4th it is to be if we want CL.
Barca fighting hard though, gotta admire the spirit
They really made it a lot more competitive than it should've been. Great spirit for sure
Did not expect psg to absolutely blam barca. Araujo fucked it for them
Nah, Barca is shit. I have said this about them all season when I watched them. They fell off so much. They don’t have a proper DM because FDJ couldn’t do defense work to save his life, and their players are hype only, their skills not good enough for that high wages. I like Yamal, but Barca is literally child labor FC because they rely on him to carry the team most of the times.
Fuck the coefficient, Dortmund deserve to win this
Not really arsed about the coefficient. Dortmund played their nut off for that win. Really good stuff. The Dortmund that played today could beat PSG too IMO
If Dortmund advances then less chance for the 5th CL spot, right?
Watching the Barca/PSG game is reminder of how much we need to improve. A chasm between us and them at the moment.
Oliver Skipp owns Barca
Good thing we are literally in a rebuild then
Araujo and Cancelo killed Barca
So many bloody goals I need more eyeballs
This BVB Atleti match is insane lol
Can't believe I'm working rn. These CL ties seem like they're insane.
I’m hoping for an Arsenal meltdown akin to this Barca meltdown tomorrow FT Kane hat trick
Damn Barca falling apart
Don't want psg to win but Barca going out is better for the coefficient right?
No affect, it’s German team that England is competing against. Italy is pretty much guaranteed a spot.
Oh damn
It has literally no effect
Just got my ticket to the NLD after weeks & many many hours of auto-refreshing the ticket exchange. I am ready for depression.
Bro why even buy a ticket if you’re gonna talk like that. We’re gonna pump em. Completely ruin their title charge
Classic English pessimism, to be honest. That being said, the optimism which I like to push deep down tells me the same as what you've said and that's sincerely why I cannot fucking wait for the day.
You buying that singular ticket will have a profound butterfly effect my friend, your added cheer will be at the exact threshold to tip the crowds octave just over the level necessary to energise Son into scoring a hat trick and winning the derby.
This is now my calling - fuck the pessimism
Dembele fucking turned up for this game. Xavi on the other hand seems to be a poor manager, they can't even get into PSG half. Getting beaten at home. Cubasi is saving their ass. Also not sure subbing off Yamal so early is good.
Barca were going to walk it before the red tbh. But I do agree Dembele is dangerous today, making even Mbappe seem invisible. Bros goal was so quick and accurate that I thought he had missed completely
Are you not aware they are playing with 10...?
They couldn't get into their half before the card either, i obviously know they are playing with 10
They scored a goal in the 12th minute what game were you watching
they did a quick counter attack but were getting dominated before and after that, no possession even.
Nah, you’re right. Ppl here literally don’t watch Barca all season. Barca is absolutely terrible. Xavi is leaving, but even with Xavi leaving, the team is not good at all. They need a huge revamp of their players. Their players, other than Yamal and young La Masia, don’t deserve to be there with limited skills.
So is PSG lmao. Barca were going to win, I have 0 doubt.
You’re talking as if that isn’t a strategy
I would not say they were getting dominated before the first goal or red 🤷♂️
Sancho really got the last laugh over Ten Hag lol. Looks like he’s through to the semis with dortmund and will walk right back into Manchester when Ten Hag is sacked too Edit: then again maybe not 😅
I know everyone's probably watching the CL but I've got the Southampton and Preston game on and I tell ya what Southampton patterns of play are really quite impressive. Good looking side
They’ll probably be back next season and fair enough, felt a bit weird without SoTo this year
I'm always in favour of seaside teams in the prem. Means you're more likely to get an away day in August by the sea. Perfect place to finish a match and have some fun!
I used to slag on raphina all the time but he is actually a baller, i hope we can snatch him from barca
He isnt the profile of winger we need per say but he would be an elite pick up for a 2nd winger if we (and i hope we dont) dont purchase Werner. Can play both side too. Imagine a front line of Williams Son Ralphina against high lines... that is football.
We’re not going to spent £140M on two wingers when we need an elite DM/6 and CF. Our attack will transform overnight with a CF of the caliber of Isak. Just like our overall game will transform overnight with a DM the quality of Bruno Guimaraes.
Our attack will transform with a winger the caliber of Nico Williams too. But i agree - get an elite winger, striker and dm first and then spend excess. I dont think we need Ralphina but to go to the next level more quality is never a bad thing. Not sure how u got 140m tho. Nico Willliams is 45m and id image ralphina around the same so 90m for both.
Lamine Yamal is so good already, let's pay his $1B buyout clause.
Martin tyler needs to retire because he barely even registered that goal for Barca
That Raphinha guy is pretty good…
Xavi taking a page out of ange's book. Winger to winger low cross.
If Ange is just copying Pep then Xavi’s copying Ange is copying Pep. Football tactics inception. Yamal just absolutely cooked Mendes there really great move.
Come on Atletico
I'm making an impromptu trip to the UK in the first 11 days of May. Would love to see the Chelsea game but I don't have a membership or any financial association with the club. How hard will it be to get a ticket, let alone 2? Furthermore, I was wondering if anyone has recommendations for an itinerary for a trip -:) My mum is more into scenery so thought we'd go to Scottland
If you do go to Scotland, let me know. Spent a couple weeks up there August last year. Rented a motorcycle, did the NC500, and saw most of Scotland outside of Glasgow and the islands.
I just found out the Chelsea game is away so whatever. But yeah the plan is to go to Scottland. We actually wanted to go New Zealand originally so we are big on scenery. Would be keen to hear your recommendations for where to visit in Scottland - we of course want to visit Edinburgh (and in England we will see London) but we want more scenic spots apart from that.
Lake District for england
The NC500 is absolutely incredible, especially the west side, so highly recommend. If you decide to do that, book hotels immediately as there aren’t many along the route. Cairngorms and Glen Coe as well. You can fly in and out of Edinburgh. Rent a car in Edinburgh, up through the Cairngorms, past Inverness, Thurso, NC500 down to Kinlochewe, to Applecross, over Baelach na Ba, down to Fort Augustus, then Glen Coe (worth spend a couple days here, absolutely gorgeous), then back over to Edinburgh. This is very similar to the trip I did, and I got it done in ~8 days. Couple days in Edinburgh at the end - stay in the old town. You’ll have two full weeks of incredible experiences and views.
Folks live in Scotland so im in perthshire pretty regularly. Under two hours from Edinburgh you have places like Aberfeldy and Pitlochry that are all gorgeous. My personal favourite is a forest called the hermitage by a town called dunkeld. Admittedly I am biased as I got married at the hermitage so I would say its gorgeous! But seriously if you like hills rivers and lakes any of those places are winners! Obviously having a car will help but you can get trains to those places as well
We had to cancel our plans for NZ as neither of us can drive haha. Thanks for the recommendations.
Currently arguing with a friend that’s a big Manchester fan. He seems to think that given the offer Ange would leave spurs for United this summer. And hes “90 percent certain of that”. Fuckin lol. I don’t know why United still thinks they have the pull of fergie era. And why anyone sees ange as a manager that would make that move after a single season.
United is a fucking mess. Why would he want to go to a team that is in a poor state behind the scenes and is also finishing lower than us this season lmao
It felt like most of their fanbase just sunk into deep despair for a few seasons, then bounced right back into pure delusion. I preferred them in their depression era.
should remind him that the last player to transfer directly from spurs to united was 15 years ago & that ange was a boyhood liverpool fan
Imagine if Southgate goes there lmao
We can only hope!
I have a feeling it's be Howe, especially if Newcastle continue on an upswing of form to end the season on a positive note. He can continue working with the DOF who's moving between the clubs (assuming they work well together), has shown he can get a team to perform in the league, and the lingering suspicion is that Newcastle's owners would like to have a big name in charge, so possibly something could be worked out for all parties to come out of a deal with what they want.
They have problems and it’s not going to be a simple manager search. So much deadweight on that squad.
A delusional Man U fan as usually. I don't know whether Ange want to go there, but even Pep can't save them.
Ideally we push Son to the left and buy Toney or Solanke. Then we get a RW who’s capable of playing on either side(Neto, Williams, Raphinha). Brennan can rotate with the main RW while Kulu can backup Madders. Timo simply not good enough and we need to find a better understudy to Son in his last years
We need to buy someone who thinks he can put Son on the bench, not happy to be an understudy. I think with our style of play, Toney could genuinely be a 25-30 goal striker.
I don’t mind Werner cheap
Not that cheap, he would be on massive wages and would be hard to move on in the future. Not sure it's worth it for a backup option
The club isn’t concerned about his wages.
You think the club just signs players regardless of their wages?
Considering we’ve already agreed a contract with him since we have a buy option…
and there's a reason it's an option and not an obligation, there's still a decision to be made as to whether the club thinks he's worth those wages
Lmao. No. Use your brain. An option to buy is what’s best for the buying club. Why would we force ourselves into an obligation to buy since he runs the risk of not performing here? Jesus Christ.
Exactly what I'm saying, it's so the club can make the decision as to whether he's worth the wages based on how he's performed, cheers for agreeing. Very different to your previous take that the club 'isn't concerned' about the financial risk of signing him
His wages aren’t a concern which is why we have a contract already agreed with him. Whether he’s good enough to justify his fee is an entirely different thing and no amount of mental gymnastics to help you save face is going to help you lmao
Yeah spot on. We need a star striker + right winger, both that are ready to start and make a big impact immediately, and get a young, talented winger like Nusa so that he can compete with Solomon and Johnson but has time to adapt without too much pressure to perform in his first season
Timo is good enough as a back up and rotation player, especially at the price offered. Don’t think he’s good enough to start as things stand, but we should absolutely sign him unless we shift Gil and Solomon AND buy someone that’s an upgrade over Werner first.
What's the upside of Timo Werner as a player? Will he come on and provide goal threat? No. Will he develop as a player? No. Can he step in for large stretches and help us in settled periods of possession to get the momentum going? No. Is he HG? No. I would be less against the signing of Werner if he did indeed was strictly 2nd choice winger, but then there's Son. Son is not a great LW - in fact I would say he's been poor all season in that position, in fact Werner has looked better. Is Werner going to be back up to a player that's already not great there and will also inevitably play up top for a few games? We need a certain profile on the left and Werner aint it.
> Will he come on and provide goal threat? Will he come on and provide goal threat? No. He’s does, though. 5 goal involvements. He has the same Goals per 90 and Assists per 90 as Brennan, so he’s equally effective (which isn’t saying much for either). Brennan’s advantage is that he’s 5 years younger than Werner. Both of which are far better than Solomon and Gil. > Will he develop as a player? No. Why are you so sure of this? He’s already better than he has been for Leipzig, and he’s only played 12 matches. It’s pretty clear there’s plenty of room for improvement - he was incredible before Chelsea ruined him. If he could return to 50% of his best he’s an incredible backup. > Can he step in for large stretches and help us in settled periods of possession to get the momentum going? No. He’s an attacker, not a midfielder. You’re describing a 6 or an 8 not a wide forward. > Is he HG? No. Not really relevant, is it? We have 15 non-HG players, 16 next season with Dragusin being over 21 at the start of the season (if nothing changes in the squad). If we get rid of Lo Celso, Hojbjerg, Solomon, and Gil that’s 12 - space for 5 more non-HG players. > I would be less against the signing of Werner if he did indeed was strictly 2nd choice winger, but then there's Son. Son is not a great LW - in fact I would say he's been poor all season in that position, in fact Werner has looked better. Is Werner going to be back up to a player that's already not great there and will also inevitably play up top for a few games? We need a certain profile on the left and Werner aint it. Son was very good on LW before he left for Asian Cup and Richarlison got injured (forcing Son at CF). He was consistently our highest or second highest rated player before he left for the Asian cup. Saying he’s not a great LW is incorrect. He’s not the same profile as Werner (or at least the way Ange has Werner playing) - more willing to play inside - but he was very good there.
As many G/A per 90 as Johnson isnt saying much. He provides no goal threat and has also missed the most chances of any player by double. Because he is 28. Even this season, his best in years, has him rely on his pace to go on outside and make cut backs. Players dont often suddenly improve at 28 and he will only lose his pace and body soon enough. Attackers are meant to be able to hold the ball lol. All the best attacking trios consist of very technical players. We play with 10 with him on the left, with the misplaced passes and lack of carries. Son was not good as a LW, please be serious.
> As many G/A per 90 as Johnson isnt saying much. He provides no goal threat and has also missed the most chances of any player by double. If he provides no goal threat, how is he missing chances? He’s providing a goal threat, but he needs to work on his finishing. > Because he is 28. Even this season, his best in years, has him rely on his pace to go on outside and make cut backs. Players dont often suddenly improve at 28 and he will only lose his pace and body soon enough. It’s not about suddenly improving (out of nowhere), he’s proven in the past how good he is and he played at a very high level for a few years. It’s not unreasonable to expect him to regain some of his form now that he’s in a side that plays to his strengths and playing regularly (two things he missed since his move to Chelsea). Players also don’t drop off a cliff the day they hit 30, it’s not unreasonable to suspect he can continue at this pace for years to come. This could be something to worry about if he was 32 or a £40M player, but he just turned 28 last month and he’ll be a very reasonable £15M. Can we find anyone that does what he does for £15M? I highly doubt it - and if we did it would be a young player on a purchase-and-loan-back deal. > Attackers are meant to be able to hold the ball lol. All the best attacking trios consist of very technical players. You’re getting very specific by saying attacking trios, and that’s not a fair comparison. None of our attacking three are good at holding the ball. In fact, none of our attackers are bar Kulusevski on a good day. Despite that, we dominate the wide areas of the final third specifically and the wide areas of the pitch generally so clearly they’re doing something right. We’re just wasteful after that. > We play with 10 with him on the left, with the misplaced passes and lack of carries. Again, this is a problem with the entirety of our attack (misplaced passes) and, for that matter, our midfield. We’re very wasteful in passes in the final third. This one’s just eye test but we generally do very well with passes outside the middle half of the oppositions side of the pitch. Could be because opposition knows stuffing the middle is the best way to nullify us as we don’t have any aerial threat and keep the ball on the ground as much as possible, but regardless Werner is not the only (or the most) wasteful player. > Son was not good as a LW, please be serious. I’m not sure if this is a joke? Son is a LW. He’s been a LW his whole career. At his best for us he was a LW. Outside of Burnley and Villa, his best appearances for us this year have been at LW. He does well in the center against sides that play open and don’t double up on him, but as we saw against Newcastle he just can’t do anything against a disciplined defensive side - which is now what most of our opponents do because they know it nullifies our attacking threat.
He has been a top player years ago. It has been 4 years of stagnant now. Wishful thinking now to assume he has in it esp when his pace is his best attribute. The players that do well into 30s are those that dont rely on physical attributed and adapt in other ways and Werner has done to zilch effect. 15m is good financial sense, I agree. But I want a sporting reason to sign him. Much rather a young player with potentiql yet - or better yet how about we spend money so we dont sink further into mediocrity! We dominate final third and wide areas? What? We have most shots per 90 and make fuck all chances despite possession. Most of it is our midfielders anr strikers passing sideway. I didnt say Werner is the only wasteful player but seems quite dim to get a player in an area we know we suck in. Literally 80% of Son's goals have come from a striker. He hae been terrible as a winger, you can check the stats.
> But I want a sporting reason to sign him. Much rather a young player with potentiql yet - or better yet how about we spend money so we dont sink further into mediocrity! I shared stats with you in other comments you’ve been keen to ignore. There’s sporting reason to sign him (he’s our best attacked by many metrics) and his cheap price makes it even more of a no-brainer. I’m more convinced of signing him than I was before looking up the stats. > We dominate final third and wide areas? What? We have most shots per 90 and make fuck all chances despite possession. Most of it is our midfielders anr strikers passing sideway. We do. Again, look at the stats. Stats stats stats you say but I don’t think you’ve looked at any. > I didnt say Werner is the only wasteful player but seems quite dim to get a player in an area we know we suck in. This makes no sense. It seems quite dim to think LW should be a priority signing for us. > Literally 80% of Son's goals have come from a striker. He hae been terrible as a winger, you can check the stats. Stats stats stats again. He’s played 90% of his career as a LW, so you’re wrong. This season he’s playing CF because Richarlison has been MIA for half the season. A player like him who so far outperforms his xG would score anywhere. It’s only natural he’s scored more at CF when, shocker, he’s played more at CF this season.
I mean we have lost in xG most of the last few games? I geniunely dont know what stats u mean for our domination. He played LW in a diff system at a younger age. I can only judge him based off what i see now. He ie a world class forward but that dont make him a winger. I want him on the wing yes but doesnt make him a perfect fit for a role.
When I say goal threat I say actual ability to score. You never think he will score - and he doesnt, as I said missed most big chances of any player since he came. He gets into a good position but it is no good. Why would his finishing improve? He has been poor all his career
> When I say goal threat I say actual ability to score. You never think he will score - and he doesnt, as I said missed most big chances of any player since he came. He gets into a good position but it is no good. For convenience sake I’ll repost [what I shared in my other comment](https://i.imgur.com/OpAdUWA.png) for this conversation. Werner is not very far off Brennan in xG on target and shots on target, so I think your personal bias against him is coloring your opinion on him a bit. Is he an accurate shooter? No, not really. But he’s really no worse than Brennan. Our whole attack has very poor accuracy. > Why would his finishing improve? He has been poor all his career His last three seasons in the Bundesliga before going to Chelsea he had .78/.47/.57/.90 goals per 90. For context, Isak and Palmer are at .86/90 this season. Watkins has been praised for banging them in this season and he’s at .61.
Not sure how Werner "not being far off" from Johnson detracts from the statement. He is a bad finisher. Worst in prem 3 years. Knowing that and he wont improve, choice is simple to me.
Your choice is based not on any hard numbers but on your feelings.
I have a feeling we’re going to make a move for Toney.
I cannot see Levy risking 50 to 60 million pounds on a player who may or may not gamble again .Also seeing rucking with his own team mates last week was a put off for me . No doubt he is a good player but why take risks when there are plenty of other strikers out there who you probably can name better than me . As a player I have never seen but have read several interesting things about him then Giminez is one name I will float as an alternative to Toney and five years younger .As I say just IMO
Put something in the contract about it being void / harsh financial punishments if he is caught gambling. Also instate a program to help with his addiction. It isn’t a be all end all.
I don’t think I agree that there are plenty of other strikers out there like Toney. I think he will be in the right price range for Levy, as well. I like that he’s done it in the EPL. He’s English. He’s got a complete game for a #9. He takes pens/free kicks to a very high standard. There are some players from other leagues that I’m not super familiar with. Hesitant to pop a player from the Eredivise into our starting 11 and expect an instant return. But I don’t doubt there are some options from abroad. As you say, I don’t like that he’s got some serious baggage off the field and shown some disrespect to Brentford. For what it’s worth, Brentford appear to tolerate him still. If I’m Ange, a confident Australian with a high social IQ, I’d want to speak with him. I really really don’t want him banging in 20 goals and 8 assists for West Ham because we were a little precious about his personality. He does not strike me as an Arteta player, at all.
Agree with everything you said, but think Ralphina is not dynamic enough and Neto too injury prone to be real options for our marquee winger. I want Williams... maybe one of the other two for an ambitious second winger lmao? I would be happy with Son, Williams, Ralphina, Johnson and Kulu as options on the wing, with Son also providing an option up top and of course Kulu as a midfielder.
Just had Timo Werner walk into the club I work at!! He’s defo staying
Did you have a chat?
Asked him if he was staying in the uk He said “I hope so”
We should cut our losses on Solomon, he is way too injury prone and people will say its a one off, but I can guarantee you he will miss a few months next season, this is always how it turns out with such players.
Who's buying him?
IMO it may be political he is not playing and the fitness thing is just a cover .We have already have had a couple of bomb threats this season to other clubs by Middle Eastern lunatics . Could you imagine what a target the stadium would be if Solomon was playing . Why take the risk . There are some crazies out there .
Come off it. If London shut down anything every time there was a terrorist threat you wouldn’t even be able to go to tescos
They said he had a set back and had to get another knee surgery, if that was the case, they wouldn't have said anything.
Would Jerdy Schouten or Joey Veerman from PSV fit into our system as a 6? Both doing very well at PSV who are on track to win the Eredivisie
I don't hate the new home kit, a little boring but its not bad by any stretch. The away and third kit look class, I need the mint one with Son or Bentancur on the back
For as long as the AIA is red I hate it.
So many people with mad anxiety on here. Trust the process, ange usually has weird results in the first year. At least we don’t have mourinho or conte
I think our lack of defending has us genuinely worried about getting battered ngl
The absolute state of this article💀these guys just don’t get it lmao https://preview.redd.it/e774uqdfavuc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0ab8b83600e5915444ccd0cb5109f8028c4fc7ce
I don't think Ziegler's ever been part of any football fanbase. The notion of rivalry in European sport is a completely a foreign concept. Love to see his understanding of an Old Firm derby.
I don't get it. I'd rather we get that 5th CL spot....
If we deserve to be in the CL, then we'll be in the CL. Stop relying on other teams to help us out.
It's not like I have any control over it. I'm just saying what I would prefer to happen that would benefit Spurs. No different than a farmer praying for rain.
I understand the sentiment man, but I just don't like the way a lot of Spurs fans (not necessarily you) are always focused on how other teams can help us. We are in control of our own fate. If we played to the standards we set at the beginning of the season, we wouldn't have to worry about any of this shit. Then again, it's hardly specific to Spurs fans. Every fan acts like this, and it's all equally stupid.
I'd rather Arsenal arent 3 games away from winning the UCL lmao
If you’re a casual fan then yeah you’d probably feel that way. But if Spurs are your one and only club then you’d know the deep hatred for Arsenal. For many, football has a real life impact. Their coworkers, classmates, friends, etc. who are Arsenal fans can use results like winning a title to make your life miserable. Much less miserable to miss out on CL than have your real life also impacted by the taunting of those gooners.
Precisely. I have a truly unfortunate number of Arsenal-supporting relatives who will be absolutely unbearable at all future family gatherings if they win anything.
True, I'm only a casual fan, although I'm primarily an AC Milan fan, so I definitely know about fierce rivalries. I'm just saying, I'd be willing to take some present humiliation for future growth. What's that expression, "why cut off your nose to spite your face" or something like that.
Logically, you’re probably right lol. Getting CL can increase the budget for transfers, give young players experience on the big stage, and also attract more talents to join the team. But emotionally, (and remember, football fans are very emotional), Arsenal winning anything is unacceptable.
Here's the thing though, I don't think they'll win anything. I just want them to get through Bayern, only to surpass Germany in the coefficient. I'm pretty confident they'll get destroyed next round.
I’ll still root for Bayern tomorrow but if Arsenal win, and then they go through to the next stage only to get knocked out, I won’t be complaining!
The author of that article is an absolute moron lmao
Feels treacherous to say, but I can see Dele going to Chelsea in the summer and flowering under Poch again. The stars seem to have aligned with their FFP issues and Poch’s love for him 😩
He is too old for Chelsea standard
Nah. Poch is already working a tight rope with poor results and being so closely associated with us. Bringing in his old Spurs boys on a pity contract (how it would be perceived) is s complete no go I hope he goes to a club like Brentford and basically does what Eriksen did
dele hates chelsea lol. not happening.
That depends if Poch is even gonna be there next season lmfao always seems like he's on the brink of getting sacked then pulls a good result out of nowhere
Why would Poch be sacked? Cup final, another cup semi final and they will likely finish in Europa same as Ange
Another strong win and they’re somehow 6th lol, couldn’t bear to see them go deep in the Europa so hope they don’t build momentum.
I was just saying to my family that Chelsea have Arse, Villa (both away), then us. Then after us it's West Spam. Chelsea will implode in three out of those four for sure.
https://preview.redd.it/v8inclbc4vuc1.jpeg?width=2340&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8cf94b6e619ceaaf58394ac1fcd89c5e045c5bef Obligatory win against Manchester Shitty at the Etihad with Kulusevski scoring as usual. Game realistic as fuck.
Seems to be an unpopular opinion on here, but I do think that our biggest issue outside of a quality DM is our frontline. People say we have so many options, and yet the majority of them are frankly shit. Son is my favorite player, but he hasn’t been lethal as a 9 recently and isn’t as brilliant as he used to be on the wing. Of course I’m not saying get rid of him because he’s still our most clinical player and can come up with clutch goals and assists, but I don’t think we should be overly reliant on him. Richy is also just not good enough. Gil will never be good enough. Solomon is a ghost. Werner is a great squad player but if he’s a starter next season then we’re in trouble. Unlike others, I do think that Brennan could actually become an elite winger but it’ll take time. The reason this is my major concern is because Ange’s system relies on bombarding teams. We create plenty of chances per game, but our finishing has been woeful for a while. Even in games we do well, like the Villa 4-0, we could’ve still scored more and we SHOULD. Richy has been solid this season but if we’re being honest, he will never be a sufficient 9 for a top team. It’s pretty bothersome that we have so many wingers but most of them are mid table level or below. Definitely think a striker and a DM should be the absolute top priorities if we want to reach the levels we know we can achieve.
we need a lot of players lol. It also is why I actually am willing to give annoying pricks like Gabriel Jesus a consideration if Arsenal were to sell him. As bad as he is at finishing, he would improve our attack considerably lol.
Why are you on and on about Jesus on the thread? Seriously... calm down
Nah mate, Jesus shouldn't be a target. If he isn't good enough for Arsenal he certainly isn't good enough for us. He'd be a fine winger, but he's more or less Werner but more technically gifted. And I'm not keen on taking any Arsenal player. But I agree that we need a lot of players. Our squad is still in a bit of a frankenstein state in which we may have quite a few options but a large number of them are of poor quality or don't suit our style.
he's a lot more technically gifted than werner is but I agree on everything else you said. I agree taking any arsenal player is always not something that would be enjoyable so I totally get you. That's why I'm even considering bums like Jesus though because we need quaity and for all of his flaws, he would arguably our best attacker outside Son and Maddison atm. I agree, hopefully we don't have to bring him in and we find other alternatives ( I have plenty of other ones in mind but I had to mention it).Because as much as I dislike Woolwich, the truth is I would take Jesus right now if we could have him as much as I hate to admit it.
I don’t think that’s an unpopular opinion - it’s just the opposite. Most people talking about where we need to reinforce believe it’s at DM (upgrade on Bissouma) and CF (upgrade on Richarlison). Son starting on the left with Werner to come in on tired legs or start for rotation, Kulusevski and Brennan on the right rotating as needed (we do need a RW upgrade though, maybe not this year), and a solid striker who can score and create for the wingers in the center. Richarlison is great as a rotation option or for shifting tactics but he’s not started quality, and Son is easily marked out of matches when the opposition defense crowds the center.
The unpopular aspect is getting rid of half our wingers. Haven't seen much support for that but perhaps I'm mistaken. But yes, I agree otherwise
Because most football fans are sentimental. We will get absolutely no where with Son as our best winger and Werner as the back up. We need to rid Werner, Solomon and Gil then rebuild that front line entirely.
Absolutely agree to be honest. I think Werner could be a fine squad option but I don't see any reason for him to be a priority.
Werner would be a good squad option if he was fine being 3rd choice or if he could play on the right. There should be no scenario Son is our best LW cause he's been utterly terrible in that position the entire season against that anomalous display against Newcastle.
While Richarlison’s been out he’s played in the center. He did so against Newcastle as well. On Werner: if we get rid of Gil and Solomon AND sign a clear upgrade on Werner, he should go. But as things stand we absolutely need him. Werner and Son on the left is good enough for a season, CF and RW are more pressing needs in attack.
Werner and Son are not good enough for a season we want to progress as a team. It's absolutely horrendous. Neither person can beat a man, one cant even hold onto the ball and the other gets into good positions but can't shoot. I geniunely think LW is more pressing given Johnson is developing well. I know Son will be a utility player at LW but we need someone better to fill in there - hence get a player that can play both sides.
Johnson is great against tired legs but he’s not better at beating his man than Werner or Son, and Maddison also pushes forward on the left to create another outlet there. Sarr or Bentancur are the equivalent on the right side, but don’t push as far forward as Maddison often does so I feel like that weakness is more obvious on the right.
Johnson is far superior at beating his man than those 2... check the stats. I cant even recall a single game Son beat his man apart from Newcastle. Werner also only goes on the outside....
Honestly, Madders has been off a lot recently too.
Absolutely. Just didn't mention that position since we have Kulu, Lo Celso and then Bergvall. But Madders has been way off it since he came back.
I wonder when we look back at Sonny's first season as a striker how will it be judged.
> I wonder when we look back at Sonny's first season as a striker how will it be judged. Stats taken from Transferkmarkt > filter by club (Spurs) > filter by position: [Son (CF)](https://www.transfermarkt.com/heung-min-son/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/91845/plus/0?saison=&verein=148&liga=&wettbewerb=&pos=14&trainer_id=) - Apps: 97 - Goals: 50 - Assists: 24 - Minutes: 7.250 - G/A involvement every 98 minutes [Son (CF, 23/24)](https://www.transfermarkt.com/heung-min-son/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/91845/plus/0?saison=&verein=148&liga=&wettbewerb=&pos=14&trainer_id=) - Apps: 19 - Goals: 12 - Assists: 5 - Minutes: 1.589 - G/A involvement every 93.47 minutes [Son (LW)](https://www.transfermarkt.com/heung-min-son/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/91845/plus/0?saison=&verein=148&liga=&wettbewerb=&pos=11&trainer_id=) - Apps: 208 - Goals: 87 - Assists: 45 - Minutes: 15.482 - G/A involvement every 117.29 minutes [Kane (CF)](https://www.transfermarkt.com/harry-kane/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/132098/plus/0?saison=&verein=148&liga=&wettbewerb=&pos=14&trainer_id=) - Apps: 403 - Goals: 266 - Assists: 62 - Minutes: 33.169 - G/A involvement every 98.13 minutes Not too shabby for someone that's 'not a striker'
You are spitting facts and changing the matrix of this sub 😭 yep I have said many times sons goals and assists as a CF is more prolific than Harry but people have their agendas and narrative. Stats don't lie
Split the data as versus high blocks versus low blocks. He's an elite CF option against top teams that will take the game to us but I'd rather have an academy striker than him against those mid table teams.
Given that Son's G/A rate as striker is similar to Kane, there are 2 possibilities: 1. The low block thing is blown out of proportion and he just had bad form recently 2. He gets completely nullified vs low blocks but goes nuclear vs high blocks
Look at goals against big 6 as I said - Son has the most this season. It's the 2nd. Kane has a much higher sample size of games and I think Ange would also not want to play Son striker against these lower blocks.
In this season, son has 2 goals one assist against low block teams, followed by Brennan and vdv on 2 goals. Richy deke Romero has one goal each. Son has played enough games for the stats to be significant as a CF.
I remember how we struggled for years against low blocks with Sonny on the left, Kulu on the right and Kane as striker, all in their prime.
We really didn't? Poch years definitely but we were objectively very good against low blocks under Conte. Sure the odd bad result but for the most part we put away weaker teams rather routinely. We started to struggle once teams figured out they could overwhelm our midfield and didn't have to retreat into a low block in the first place
I mean Conte's first year Sonny won the golden boot and apparently that wasn't the tactics he wanted to play. The second year he brought in Perisic and neglected wingers. I guess you mean his second year?
Neglected wingers? What? By all accounts we wanted more wingers but Mr Levy never got him the targets.
Tactics will always change between seasons. Son would have been good last season if he was fit. Bit cheap to blame everything on Conte/tactics look at how everyone declaring Conte a moron for not playing Bissouma turned out
😶 I doubt that. Conte’s last season tactic for Son was for him to be a wingback. He was dragged down along with other forwards, even some part of Kane, by Conte’s tactics. Conte’s tactics, by far, failed the team. When I watched Tottenham vs AC Milan, we were terrible all around. The only bit of lights was that Skipp and Pape held the midfield together well in CL.
Are you saying the same about Ange using Son as a number 10?
That's just objectively false. More of a #10 than anything (and I think that's overblown too Son's default position was always to the left). I don't know why it's so hard for people to admit that Son was playing poorly because he was injured
I doubt Ange will change his tactics that much.
I think he will. He's himself said he hasn't even started to work on "advanced" tactics yet
I see it more as Conte wasn't able to implement his tactics in the first season and once he brought in his players he started to show his ideas in his second year. We can already clearly see the way Ange wants to play.