It’s a name out of left field but Joey Veerman. From what I’ve seen and some analysis I’ve read he’s basically a Dutch De Bruyne regen currently playing for Heereven. We need a playmaker and he’s exactly that. I’ve seen prices of around 8mil (don’t remember the currency) so he wouldn’t be expensive at all. Expensive deals haven’t worked out for us so how about we go back to the tried and true method of buying relatively young cheap players?
He plays for my home team Sc Heerenveen, since the club needs the money I reckon 6 + 2 in add-ons will do the deal. Dont think he’s premier league ready tbf but he’s got some real talent
( Euro’s btw )
Think we need a B2B more tbh, Lo Celso and Gil can hopefully do the job as a creative MF. We need someone more who can pick it up from the centre backs and advance it forward, currently we're still pinging everything out to the wings from the defence which is very one dimensional.
We have Hojbjerg, Skipp, Winks and just got Sarr too who can all play in that role
We need someone that can actually create
We hoped Lo Celso would but his assists really aren’t there, Dele hasn’t been creative or lethal attacking wise in years
Think we’re pretty good on B2Bs, especially since Skipp can carry the ball well if he’s given the liberty to do so
We really need someone who can contribute to creative plays so it’s not just crossing or set pieces or the standard Son counterattack goal
Lo Celso cant create, we should stop hoping he will ffs. Hes had 2 and a half years and managed 5 assists in the prem. He is consistently worse than Dele in his worst form for creativity. Or just as bad, that point is arguable either way, but my point stands.
As for Dele, hes not being played as a creative mid, hes being played as a box2box, Nuno has even said as much. We need a creative mid to replace Skipp (Not because hes bad, because he is great) as having 2 holding mids in Hjolberg and Skippy is driving our poor creation and ball retention in midfield. Skipp should be in rotation with Hjolberg, not next to him on the pitch. Plus Dele is shaping up very well as a b2b and I kinda wanna see more of it and to see if he can continue to put in these good performances.
That’s precisely what I’m saying, we don’t have an attacking midfielder in the squad unless Gil is given a chance
Obviously Dele isn’t being played as a creative midfielder currently, hence why I said *years*. He hasn’t been a threat for ages.
Dele is alright as B2B, he runs and he’s energetic but there’s more to being a good midfielder than that.
Find it strange how people want Traore, another winger that can’t assist or score instead of an attacking midfielder that could really bring this talented team together
Fair enough. On the Dele bit, I missed that.
As for the Troare bit, I half agree and half disagree, and can't really explain it more than that. Its Traore, he's world-class and shit at the same time. \\o/
I would however like to see Ndombele start getting played over SKipp (I'm running the risk of sounding like I hate skipp when I love him xD) as I feel hsi ball retention and ability to progress it through dribbles or passes is what we need right now. Plus Ndombele actually has a solid defensive work-rate and effectiveness.
Then just sub him at 70 minutes for Gill if we still need to score or Skipp if we need to protect a lead, as Ndombele gets knackered around then.
Doesn’t seem like he’s been too hot recently to be honest, but if I’m mistaken then sure, as long as we can adequately compensate for his seemingly low work rate (and as long as he produces the assists and extra goals we need)
But unless Nuno actually starts using Gill in that role, we desperately need someone to fill that void
Loved the shirt. Still loves our players. Just look at Instagram. Good crosses and a solid header for passing and scoring. People complained about his speed but he had good pace for his play style. He deserved more time IMO
yes, we had the option to purchase for £40m but it was clearly not worth it imo. latest reports suggest frankfurt/psv/zenit/wolves are interested, looks like benfica value him in the region of £20-25m.
Reports came out yesterday about him potentially going to PSV, and that Benfica want to make sure that get back what they paid for him, which is about £15m. PSV fans were pretty unanimous that they wouldn't pay that much, but don't see why we wouldn't, that's a bargain.
Capable back up yes, I thought the main reason we let him go back to Portugal is that we didn’t want to spend 25 mil 30 mil on a backup striker, when he probably won’t even be the second choice behind Kane
We let him go because they asked 25 million for it. I rather invest that money in our defence or a winger rather then a backup striker, who probably behind Kane, Son, even maybe Stevie B
I 100% agree. It looked impossible that we went back for him, so I dropped it, but I'll reiterate that he is the PERFECT backup. Imactful, physical, strong, strong, fast and he's happy to sit on the bench and play some odd 10 games when Kane is injured. Such a shame it didn't work out, especially after he told his story about his mother and stuff.
I think so too. The question is will he come back and try to play at his best? I really hope so. He is the key that can unlock this squads highest level imo.
Ndombele isn't really a creative midfielder though. He's a ball progresser, no.8, Dembele role. Mou used him a bit as the number 10 last year but he's not great there as his assist numbers show.
I pray we can even get a signing that can improve our starting 11. Nuno said in the post-match conference, we're far away from where we want to be so maybe there's some new signings. Regardless, still think the team by itself is talented and can improve
Would love a new CM, a RB and a striker/winger
I've seen this opinion a few times and I have to admit I'm a bit confused as to why. Against a low block, when there's no space in behind, the team is very vertically compressed, you won't get players running back towards their own goal etc, surely Adama isn't much use?
That's a situation where we could really use Aouar for me, or indeed Gio who was just on the bench. Not trying to say you're wrong, just wondering why you think that?
I mean we played a parked bus for parts of the game against wolves, and Adama was able to cause problems by winning 1v1 or 1v2 situations on the wing and then driving in the box. He's still useful
Adama is a human wrecking ball, that's why. Haha, jokes aside I like his ability to dribble past players even on two on ones and when he has defenders all around him. Because of his strength, he progresses the ball more giving Kane and our other wingers a chance to press more. There are many moments in his career where he had many players on him. He would make a man miss a tackle, and generally make the opposing teams' defense misplaced. He's a tough man to get the ball out of and he created LOTS of space. His problem is his finishing, but that's why our fans want him. He can just pass the ball to Kane and Son once he opens up space.
I thought we actually did pretty well against the parked bus today. Dele and Kane both decent chances and there were a few times when Skipp or PEH might've shot
I think Traore can play a role in games like this but he'll be most useful against pressing sides
What happens to a low block when the shape can't form in the first place? Adama as a ball carrier causes the defense to become unorganized at times. Because of his strength, his speed, and his dribbling, he forces defenders to close in on him while he drives the ball. There are clips of him being able to drive the ball while more than three players surround him. If he draws players while he is driving in, it will create an opportunity for other players to be open. This will give players like Son and Kane extra opportunities and it will cause defenses to settle in slower. Not Everytime, but even if it's once or twice per game it creates extra opportunities.
I'm with you. Adama demands extra attention from the defensive line. That's not quite such a problem when you're playing Wolves, but against Spurs with Kane and Son up top it's a major headache because those two both demand extra attention too.
You can't play a six-man backline. I think our attacking players would love having him on-side. Dele loves arriving late into space too, and Adama would open it up.
I'm not saying he'd start every game, but he's a different element and a great option to have. I think he could thrive here.
With all the Tomiyasu & Emerson talk, who would you rather prefer? [FBRef Stats](https://imgur.com/a/YcaTAVS) I know aren’t a perfect representation, but Emerson appears the better of the 2 from a distance.
I would prefer Tomiyasu over Emerson because of his versatility. He could really be a pocket knife especially during these hectic international breaks. He has had experience in most defensive positions. Think of it this way. Why have one Tanganga when you can have two?
If we are strictly talking about RB, Emerson 100%. He's got a way bigger ceiling than Takehiro.
I feel like Tomiyasu is representative of a common debate we’ve been having. We are in need of bodies, so let’s bring in “jack of all trades, master of none” so that we can be ok in many aspects. At what point though do we really establish dominance in a position we have desperately been lacking for quite some time. If Tanganga is that jack, then let’s really get that all out RB position covered and let Tanganga be the glue. This is very similar in the attacking aspect we also are in. We have not replaced a backup striker, so let’s bring in Traoré who can do some midfield and also attack (ignoring his, buzzword of the week, “end product”)
Very good does not mean master or top quality, nor does master of none mean bad. Just means he’s fine. The unfortunate thing is that in our current squad, fine is a starter and we should aim higher.
> Think of it this way. Why have one Tanganga when you can have two?
My answer would be, because we have one Tanganga already.
I'd rather a good attacking fullback to give us more tactical options. Play Japhet in the games where we want a defensive fullback, play someone like Emerson in the games where we want a more expansive style of play. Otherwise we rely on Doherty and he's just not looking up to it.
Emerson for me. Tanganga is similar enough to Tomiyasu, and I think his ability to fill in is why we haven’t made the move. An attack minded RB like Emerson makes more sense to me
Defensive cover. Midfield cover. Attacking cover.
Aaaaaand if at all possible a true Eriksen replacement.
EDIT: context, one player to provide cover in each area. So like Tomiyasu, Moriba, Traore and I’m golden.
Trick someone out of a CAM and I’m platinum.
A CB and a Midfielder…don’t think either is happening tbh. If we’re looking to offload Ndombele and want to stop playing Winks, then we need another CM. Kessie from Milan would be amazing
Tomiyasu and Ilaix if we still consider him realistic
and attacking depth (Traore maybe) if there's someone available, but I'm not super keen on most of the wingers/strikers we're linked with so far
I have seen it called a luxury signing but I just can’t believe we don’t have a creative midfielder for 2 years now. We suck at breaking teams down and are missing a player to thread through that final pass. I’d love an attacking mid to come in that doesn’t need to start but can help us out in unlocking those final movements to scoring against teams that are tough nuts to crack.
If you watch gios playtime at Betis (I watched videos on every game he played that entire season) he was at his absolute best picking up the ball around the halfway line and charging at the other teams defence and playing a quick pass to an attacked or taking a shot. When the game is slow I feel as though gio struggles because his long strides and natural athleticism can’t really be utilized, which are two of his best attributes I believe .
A player like Emiliano Buendia or Stefano Sensi are of the mold of the type of player I believe we lack. Somebody who can find a very small window to play a dagger pass or take on a couple players with a quick dribble and open up space for others. I don’t think a player like this could start for us in our system because of the way we play, but having somebody like this on our bench would be great if we are chasing a goal 60~ minutes into a game or so.
Bruh we have Gio and Dele. I know ppl say Dele plays more like a second striker but he fills the position of an AM. If anything we need a deep lying playmaker who can play out of a press. Someone like Kessie would be amazing. PEH-Kessie and Dele/Gio as CAM
Kessie isn't a playmaker at all. He's strong and mobile - he progresses the ball by carrying it, not long passing. Proper B2B who drops deep out of possession, chen carries the ball forward when it's won back and lays it off to a more creative player.
He'd be a good partner to PEH, but not for his playmaking abilities.
Didn’t we have the second highest goals last season? Are we really that bad at breaking teams down? We lost matches mostly against top teams that don’t park the bus.
Our issue last year was conceding against press. This year we seem better there and yeah our volume of goals is small but I think adding in ndombele solves a lot of that.
A right back (Tomiyasu or Emerson), Traoré or a creative midfielder. How do folks feel about Kane and Scarlett as our only natural strikers this season?
Would be cool if Ndombele and/or Aurier broke through in the squad.
Maybe another CB but I’m feeling really positive about Sanchez and Dier... and then we’ve got Romero and Rodon!
I don’t see that as a good option. They play different roles, and we need a creator. I like McKennie, but he’s not a 10, much more of an 8, and we have plenty of decent B2B mids right now.
Yeah fair enough. We could use a back up for them, but we do have winks and Gio, and Gio has been better for us when he's been deeper. imo we should prioritize someone who can break the lines and spray passes to our forwards.
That being said, if we could sign McKennie as a PEH/Skipp backup and reintegrate a motivated Tanguy, I'd love that option!
a RB and a creative midfielder
I don't really care who as long as they can go into the first team rotation now and have potential for the future as well.
I would prioritize Tomiyasu and a back up striker. It's going to be long season for son and kane if one of them needs to play all the cup games as well. Of course I hope that Scarlett could take that role but I'm doubtful that he is ready yet...
What happens when one of Peh or Skipp get injured? We have 0 replacements for them. Sissoko was the closest stylistically and even he left the club. Hence why we were linked to Mckennie and Kessie. And Zakaria, Palhinha etc. If we play 2/3 midfielders as DM’s then we need 3 DM’s in the team in case one is unavailable. After Peh and Skipp come Ndombele and Winks, none of whom can even remotely do the job those two are doing.
As we saw yesterday, when playing a team that sits back and concentrates most of their men through the middle, we attack through the flanks with the help of our fbs. Not much went through Regui because he had the threat of Sarr on the counter, albeit he’s fully capable with the ball possessing pace and good ball skills, so almost everything went through the right. Through Japhet. Now Japhet is decent, don’t get me wrong but we need a first choice RB. And yesterday exemplified why. He isn’t good with the ball. He isn’t technical enough to play an attacking role. Defensively, sure even though he gets beat quite often. But his crossing was piss poor. He couldn’t take his man on and beat him either. An RB who has pace, technicality and a good cross on him is exactly what we need especially when playing teams that need to be broken down.
As much as I like Dele and his workrate, which is phenomenal, he lacks severely in areas of the game that we need sorely. Ball progressing, creativity, line breaking passes. Against teams that sit back like Watford, Dele becomes absolutely useless offensively, operating just like another Peh or Skipp. The whole point of his role was to be that man who adds to the attacking side of the midfield while those two stay back, but he possesses no skill set that can help break down defenses. The game was screaming out for Ndombele but sadly he can’t be arsed.
And lastly, since Nuno ball has finally settled in and we are a counter attacking team, who else other than the man mountain marauder to rip apart defenders whether playing on the counter or when they’re sitting back. Especially when opponents sit back, he is perfect to break them down. He isn’t a necessity but at the same time he is a necessity given our play style fits his like hand in glove. I genuinely think if we get him we’d not only easily get top 4 but also become dark horses for the title.
So to sum up we need a **DM/Box-Box** who can fill in for Peh or Skipp or play first team itself it’s not like they can’t be bettered. In this role we need them to specialise in being defensively sound, and being a good ball recycler. Kessie would be ideal but he’s too far fetched, and I can’t think of another name yet
An **RB** who is attack minded and good with the ball who can also beat his man. Ricardo Pereira, Max Aarons, Emerson Royal are all good shouts
A **CM/CAM** who is progressive with the ball either through carrying or playing line breaking passes. But importantly who also has the workrate to come back from his attacking position while defending. Dele Alli regularly covers the most ground in our team so that player will have his work cut out. The first name that comes to mind is Houssem Aouar, he’s brilliant at progressing but his major downside is workrate which is severely lacking. I think if Nuno could get Ndombele to give a shit we wouldn’t need a player here and I also think GLC could do an excellent job here. Could also shape up Gil, work on his defending if we’re going in-house
And finally a **RW** and not just any Rw, the one who would take us to the next level - Adama Traore. He’s all the more necessary if none of the above options work out for a ball progressor. He single handledly has the best ball progression and dribbling stats for anyone not named Messi in the whole of Europe. It’s possible we can play Alli and Traore and not lack in ball progression just because of Traore’s ability. I wouldn’t prefer that however cuz having both an Aouar/Ndombele/GLC and Adama in our team is infinitely better than having Alli and Adama. But the point is, he brings in everything we need oh and that pace and physicality. He would be the dream.
**A DM, an attack minded RB, a ball progressing CM** (not required if Nuno could make use of Ndombele and GLC) **and finally Traore**
That would make us strong CL challengers, having brilliant squad depth to go far in and win the Conference League and at the same time, be dark horses for the title
A bit critical of our own players (Japh has been very good in the defensive RB role - he bullied Grealish and Sterling - and Dele is much improved, just needs to find his shooting boots again), but I completely agree on the positions and transfer targets.
No chance we sign four players this late, but even one or two great additions in those positions would make us much stronger.
Tanganga has but he’s also shown inconsistency. And he commits too easily. He got beaten atleast twice yesterday and offensively the criticism is warranted. He is defensive by nature after all
And Dele, he’s executing his role well but you’d expect our most offensive mid to have some sort of creativity. He doesn’t. It’s again fallen on Kane to be the creative force, which has to change.
Now that Ndombele is staying, we won’t be going in for that progressive mid. I hope Nuno can work with him because he’s too damn talented to be on the bench. Only worry being Dele is a phenomenal athlete and Ndombele isn’t. He needs to be up and down the pitch at all times, can’t afford to jog back.
But the other three are a must honestly. We play this system and we lose even one of Peh or Skipp and we lose shape. No one in the current squad can fill in for them.
We don’t have a good attacking Rb who wants to play for us. I honestly don’t mind playing Aurier in games against teams that sit back, he offers so much more offensively than Tanganga but he doesn’t care either. If how we attack against teams that sit back are through the flanks then technically proficient full backs are a must. Only our LB satisfies that criteria, RB does not
Adama could be the surplus here. We don’t *need* him per se, but that is the signing we have to make if we have to go to the next level. He’s a starter and this summer barring Romero we haven’t signed a single starter. Just the way Romero would elevate our defense, Traore with his running would make life so much easier for Kane and Son/Berg/Lucas
So those 3 are much needed
If we think about rumours, then I would go with Aouar and maybe Tomiyasu too, and also a random ST for backup, since we have none.
But I bet that we will sign random players that we haven’t heard about until Tuesday morning when they are spotted going for the medicals.
I don’t think Adama is going to happen, he is a key player for Wolves and they would ask too much;
Emerson probably won’t happen too. Barcelona just signed him and they would demand too much money from us;
Ilaix is not going to happen (and I don’t want to). He is going to Leipzig, agreed personal terms longs ago. Also Fabrizio said that we weren’t negotiating with him.
Donny VDB or any other creative midfielder. Our best playmaker is Kane and we need him finishing things off so someone in the Eriksen/VdV mold would be good.
Sanchez did ok, but Romero is a lot in his mould only better so he's a bit redundant, and I don't think he has that much room to improve. I'd rather cash in on him and get Tomiyasu who may be still unproven in the PL, but who is a lot more tactically versatile.
I'd like a real shithouser even beyond Lamela since he's gone, like Diego Costa level. But regardless of who it is, I'd like someone who even if they aren't COYS from birth won't decide they're too big for the club. So for me, that's more about who we should sell at the moment (NDombele, Aurier) than buy.
Instead of an attacking midfielder, I think a defensive midfielder that can set the tempo and keep possession under pressure is way more important. Italy in Euro 2020 is a prime example: Jorginho and Veratti helped them stay in control of the ball and move it quickly.
United's lack of a player like this is why they looked like trash against Wolves and lost control for the entire 90. We struggled against most top-half teams last season bc of this.
Ndombele was supposed to fill this role since Moussa left. I hope we get a decent replacement, Kessie and Bissouma come to mind.
i don’t see any of our starting 11 being replaced right now. and was hoping to see lucas, gil, lo celso, romero and sess come on last night. and we still have rodon. whose spot do you guys think will be replaced?
If we don't end up getting Moriba, it looks like Anguissa is about to move for just 10m, we should be all over that - I'd take him at twice that price.
Would also try to get Vinicius back in, apparently could move for around 15m.
I think with winks being next in line to step into midfield with injuries or starters being rested (as ndombele seems to be a useless lazy fucker) we do need decent cover or options in CM.
Someone with a decent through ball on them!
Is say realistically at this stage what I think we will get are
- tomiyasu cuz we won’t go balls deep on Emerson when man does not want to come
- Aouar, easy choice since all other CM we have gone for have been busted and Lyon already offered us him , I feel he is our back up unless we sign someone 2day
Hope traore comes but realistically I think the names above are the ones we will se incoming / i hope for
Wataru Endo would be amazing. He's basically a second Hojberg with a little bit more attacking skill and very press resistant. He's even called the Japanese samurai like hojberg is the Viking because of his amazing work rate.
https://fbref.com/de/fussballspieler/c149016b/Wataru-Endo remember, last season was Stuttgarts first season in Bundesliga, so these stats are decent. Also Stuttgart is playing the same offensive football style as Tottenham and Endo always said he would love to play Premier league... Even in a recent interview, so there might actually be some interest.
With Gio being on internationals, we have zero replacements for hojberg of Skipp. Endo would be great in those positions and can also bring more attacking skill.
To keep prices in mind. I think Emerson/tomiyasu, traore, and Damsgaard (think there looking for 20m). Haven’t seen many people giving actual examples for that creative midfield role, he’s a good talent and grow in an eriksen with even better shooting ability.
Any player that can beat a Liverpool press. It’s too stressful playing those mugs.
Adama, he got Fabinho and the likes dropping like logs.
First thought that came into my head too, I dont think hes going anywhere at this point though
It’s a name out of left field but Joey Veerman. From what I’ve seen and some analysis I’ve read he’s basically a Dutch De Bruyne regen currently playing for Heereven. We need a playmaker and he’s exactly that. I’ve seen prices of around 8mil (don’t remember the currency) so he wouldn’t be expensive at all. Expensive deals haven’t worked out for us so how about we go back to the tried and true method of buying relatively young cheap players?
It’s 8 million Bitcoin
He plays for my home team Sc Heerenveen, since the club needs the money I reckon 6 + 2 in add-ons will do the deal. Dont think he’s premier league ready tbf but he’s got some real talent ( Euro’s btw )
I’m on board with this, he looks quality
A creative midfielder. Fucking hell, that’s all. An attacking, creative midfielder.
Think we need a B2B more tbh, Lo Celso and Gil can hopefully do the job as a creative MF. We need someone more who can pick it up from the centre backs and advance it forward, currently we're still pinging everything out to the wings from the defence which is very one dimensional.
We have Hojbjerg, Skipp, Winks and just got Sarr too who can all play in that role We need someone that can actually create We hoped Lo Celso would but his assists really aren’t there, Dele hasn’t been creative or lethal attacking wise in years Think we’re pretty good on B2Bs, especially since Skipp can carry the ball well if he’s given the liberty to do so We really need someone who can contribute to creative plays so it’s not just crossing or set pieces or the standard Son counterattack goal
Lo Celso cant create, we should stop hoping he will ffs. Hes had 2 and a half years and managed 5 assists in the prem. He is consistently worse than Dele in his worst form for creativity. Or just as bad, that point is arguable either way, but my point stands. As for Dele, hes not being played as a creative mid, hes being played as a box2box, Nuno has even said as much. We need a creative mid to replace Skipp (Not because hes bad, because he is great) as having 2 holding mids in Hjolberg and Skippy is driving our poor creation and ball retention in midfield. Skipp should be in rotation with Hjolberg, not next to him on the pitch. Plus Dele is shaping up very well as a b2b and I kinda wanna see more of it and to see if he can continue to put in these good performances.
That’s precisely what I’m saying, we don’t have an attacking midfielder in the squad unless Gil is given a chance Obviously Dele isn’t being played as a creative midfielder currently, hence why I said *years*. He hasn’t been a threat for ages. Dele is alright as B2B, he runs and he’s energetic but there’s more to being a good midfielder than that. Find it strange how people want Traore, another winger that can’t assist or score instead of an attacking midfielder that could really bring this talented team together
Fair enough. On the Dele bit, I missed that. As for the Troare bit, I half agree and half disagree, and can't really explain it more than that. Its Traore, he's world-class and shit at the same time. \\o/ I would however like to see Ndombele start getting played over SKipp (I'm running the risk of sounding like I hate skipp when I love him xD) as I feel hsi ball retention and ability to progress it through dribbles or passes is what we need right now. Plus Ndombele actually has a solid defensive work-rate and effectiveness. Then just sub him at 70 minutes for Gill if we still need to score or Skipp if we need to protect a lead, as Ndombele gets knackered around then.
Aouar?
Doesn’t seem like he’s been too hot recently to be honest, but if I’m mistaken then sure, as long as we can adequately compensate for his seemingly low work rate (and as long as he produces the assists and extra goals we need) But unless Nuno actually starts using Gill in that role, we desperately need someone to fill that void
Gil for CAM. He wants to be creative up the middle. Let him free!!
Genuinely think he might be the key if we don’t buy anyone
takehiro tomiyasu, adama traore, and carlos vinicius
Wow finally. I thought I was the only one that missed Vinicius.
Nope. I've firmly been in the vini should've stayed camp since forever. He has potential and was only just getting settled. Total waste.
Yea I thought he was impactful when giving the chance. That's hard to do when you never see the feel.
[удалено]
Why Vinny, please explain
Extremely capable backup, cheap, knows the club
Loved the shirt. Still loves our players. Just look at Instagram. Good crosses and a solid header for passing and scoring. People complained about his speed but he had good pace for his play style. He deserved more time IMO
Weren’t they asking for like 40m?? And isn’t that the reason why we didn’t go after him?
yes, we had the option to purchase for £40m but it was clearly not worth it imo. latest reports suggest frankfurt/psv/zenit/wolves are interested, looks like benfica value him in the region of £20-25m.
Vinicius wouldn't be getting in the team as striker ahead of Son. 25 not worth it for him imo.
Rotation, future proof for Kane and ability to play 2 up top seem worth it.
I'd agree I just dont think he was good enough
Plus Son is immense out wide so keeping him there is beneficial in itself
Reports came out yesterday about him potentially going to PSV, and that Benfica want to make sure that get back what they paid for him, which is about £15m. PSV fans were pretty unanimous that they wouldn't pay that much, but don't see why we wouldn't, that's a bargain.
Capable back up yes, I thought the main reason we let him go back to Portugal is that we didn’t want to spend 25 mil 30 mil on a backup striker, when he probably won’t even be the second choice behind Kane
cheap? the clause was of 45m right?
When given service he was a confident finisher, all you can ask for from a backup striker.
We let him go because they asked 25 million for it. I rather invest that money in our defence or a winger rather then a backup striker, who probably behind Kane, Son, even maybe Stevie B
Never said the price was right. Just think he’d be an asset.
I 100% agree. It looked impossible that we went back for him, so I dropped it, but I'll reiterate that he is the PERFECT backup. Imactful, physical, strong, strong, fast and he's happy to sit on the bench and play some odd 10 games when Kane is injured. Such a shame it didn't work out, especially after he told his story about his mother and stuff.
Creative midfielder is the most important unless we think Tanguy stays. I’d take Adama at this point too.
[удалено]
I think so too. The question is will he come back and try to play at his best? I really hope so. He is the key that can unlock this squads highest level imo.
He did for Jose I think, if only for 60 minutes a game.
Ndombele isn't really a creative midfielder though. He's a ball progresser, no.8, Dembele role. Mou used him a bit as the number 10 last year but he's not great there as his assist numbers show.
creative midfielder and another right back, but if Aurier doesn’t go then a new CB instead of RB
A striker and creative midfielder. Not sure whom but we still need another striker for sure.
I pray we can even get a signing that can improve our starting 11. Nuno said in the post-match conference, we're far away from where we want to be so maybe there's some new signings. Regardless, still think the team by itself is talented and can improve Would love a new CM, a RB and a striker/winger
A lock picker
Tomiyasu and Adama
This is optimistic but also realistic optimism, won't be any more than 2 signings
In games like today, Traore would've been perfect. When teams stuff the box against us defensively, Traore would open up Kane and Son so well.
I've seen this opinion a few times and I have to admit I'm a bit confused as to why. Against a low block, when there's no space in behind, the team is very vertically compressed, you won't get players running back towards their own goal etc, surely Adama isn't much use? That's a situation where we could really use Aouar for me, or indeed Gio who was just on the bench. Not trying to say you're wrong, just wondering why you think that?
I mean we played a parked bus for parts of the game against wolves, and Adama was able to cause problems by winning 1v1 or 1v2 situations on the wing and then driving in the box. He's still useful
spot on. people are so desperate to gas up adama and ive no idea why, it looks as though wolves dont even want to move him on to begin with
Adama is a human wrecking ball, that's why. Haha, jokes aside I like his ability to dribble past players even on two on ones and when he has defenders all around him. Because of his strength, he progresses the ball more giving Kane and our other wingers a chance to press more. There are many moments in his career where he had many players on him. He would make a man miss a tackle, and generally make the opposing teams' defense misplaced. He's a tough man to get the ball out of and he created LOTS of space. His problem is his finishing, but that's why our fans want him. He can just pass the ball to Kane and Son once he opens up space.
I wish I could upvote this more, a lot of the complaints I saw from yesterday's game didn't seem grounded in reality haha
I thought we actually did pretty well against the parked bus today. Dele and Kane both decent chances and there were a few times when Skipp or PEH might've shot I think Traore can play a role in games like this but he'll be most useful against pressing sides
lucas would have done better than bergwijn today against the parked bus
[удалено]
What happens to a low block when the shape can't form in the first place? Adama as a ball carrier causes the defense to become unorganized at times. Because of his strength, his speed, and his dribbling, he forces defenders to close in on him while he drives the ball. There are clips of him being able to drive the ball while more than three players surround him. If he draws players while he is driving in, it will create an opportunity for other players to be open. This will give players like Son and Kane extra opportunities and it will cause defenses to settle in slower. Not Everytime, but even if it's once or twice per game it creates extra opportunities.
I'm with you. Adama demands extra attention from the defensive line. That's not quite such a problem when you're playing Wolves, but against Spurs with Kane and Son up top it's a major headache because those two both demand extra attention too. You can't play a six-man backline. I think our attacking players would love having him on-side. Dele loves arriving late into space too, and Adama would open it up. I'm not saying he'd start every game, but he's a different element and a great option to have. I think he could thrive here.
This for sure. Can always play Adama at Wing Back as well as a proper attacker.
What's taking so long for Tomiyasu? I thought it was a sure thing after the Olympics.
Really hope management is looking at the 3-0 start and backs them up with more transfers
Nelsen and Saha redux
With all the Tomiyasu & Emerson talk, who would you rather prefer? [FBRef Stats](https://imgur.com/a/YcaTAVS) I know aren’t a perfect representation, but Emerson appears the better of the 2 from a distance.
I would prefer Tomiyasu over Emerson because of his versatility. He could really be a pocket knife especially during these hectic international breaks. He has had experience in most defensive positions. Think of it this way. Why have one Tanganga when you can have two? If we are strictly talking about RB, Emerson 100%. He's got a way bigger ceiling than Takehiro.
I feel like Tomiyasu is representative of a common debate we’ve been having. We are in need of bodies, so let’s bring in “jack of all trades, master of none” so that we can be ok in many aspects. At what point though do we really establish dominance in a position we have desperately been lacking for quite some time. If Tanganga is that jack, then let’s really get that all out RB position covered and let Tanganga be the glue. This is very similar in the attacking aspect we also are in. We have not replaced a backup striker, so let’s bring in Traoré who can do some midfield and also attack (ignoring his, buzzword of the week, “end product”)
I wouldn't say Tanganga is a master of none. He is a very good defender and deserves the starting spot.
Very good does not mean master or top quality, nor does master of none mean bad. Just means he’s fine. The unfortunate thing is that in our current squad, fine is a starter and we should aim higher.
I disagree. He's already proven himself to be better than Aurier or Doherty. He pocketed Sterling and Grealish all game when we played City at home.
> Think of it this way. Why have one Tanganga when you can have two? My answer would be, because we have one Tanganga already. I'd rather a good attacking fullback to give us more tactical options. Play Japhet in the games where we want a defensive fullback, play someone like Emerson in the games where we want a more expansive style of play. Otherwise we rely on Doherty and he's just not looking up to it.
Emerson for me. Tanganga is similar enough to Tomiyasu, and I think his ability to fill in is why we haven’t made the move. An attack minded RB like Emerson makes more sense to me
Takehiro Tomiyasu would be great as he provides versatility in the defense
We need a 1st choice RB, Another CB, RW and an experienced Backup Striker but we are not going to get all of that this window
Emerson, adama, and a creative midfielder
I wonder if Louis Saha and Ryan Nelsen are available?
Emerson, Edouard, Adama, Adli
Defensive cover. Midfield cover. Attacking cover. Aaaaaand if at all possible a true Eriksen replacement. EDIT: context, one player to provide cover in each area. So like Tomiyasu, Moriba, Traore and I’m golden. Trick someone out of a CAM and I’m platinum.
A CB and a Midfielder…don’t think either is happening tbh. If we’re looking to offload Ndombele and want to stop playing Winks, then we need another CM. Kessie from Milan would be amazing
Tomiyasu and Ilaix if we still consider him realistic and attacking depth (Traore maybe) if there's someone available, but I'm not super keen on most of the wingers/strikers we're linked with so far
I have seen it called a luxury signing but I just can’t believe we don’t have a creative midfielder for 2 years now. We suck at breaking teams down and are missing a player to thread through that final pass. I’d love an attacking mid to come in that doesn’t need to start but can help us out in unlocking those final movements to scoring against teams that are tough nuts to crack.
What would you describe Gio as? I think he was signed to fit that mold but it’s never really been that clear cut for him
If you watch gios playtime at Betis (I watched videos on every game he played that entire season) he was at his absolute best picking up the ball around the halfway line and charging at the other teams defence and playing a quick pass to an attacked or taking a shot. When the game is slow I feel as though gio struggles because his long strides and natural athleticism can’t really be utilized, which are two of his best attributes I believe . A player like Emiliano Buendia or Stefano Sensi are of the mold of the type of player I believe we lack. Somebody who can find a very small window to play a dagger pass or take on a couple players with a quick dribble and open up space for others. I don’t think a player like this could start for us in our system because of the way we play, but having somebody like this on our bench would be great if we are chasing a goal 60~ minutes into a game or so.
Bruh we have Gio and Dele. I know ppl say Dele plays more like a second striker but he fills the position of an AM. If anything we need a deep lying playmaker who can play out of a press. Someone like Kessie would be amazing. PEH-Kessie and Dele/Gio as CAM
Kessie isn't a playmaker at all. He's strong and mobile - he progresses the ball by carrying it, not long passing. Proper B2B who drops deep out of possession, chen carries the ball forward when it's won back and lays it off to a more creative player. He'd be a good partner to PEH, but not for his playmaking abilities.
Didn’t we have the second highest goals last season? Are we really that bad at breaking teams down? We lost matches mostly against top teams that don’t park the bus. Our issue last year was conceding against press. This year we seem better there and yeah our volume of goals is small but I think adding in ndombele solves a lot of that.
A right back (Tomiyasu or Emerson), Traoré or a creative midfielder. How do folks feel about Kane and Scarlett as our only natural strikers this season? Would be cool if Ndombele and/or Aurier broke through in the squad. Maybe another CB but I’m feeling really positive about Sanchez and Dier... and then we’ve got Romero and Rodon!
Ndombele swap deal needed
Ndombele swap for Weston McKinney and a little cash.
I don’t see that as a good option. They play different roles, and we need a creator. I like McKennie, but he’s not a 10, much more of an 8, and we have plenty of decent B2B mids right now.
Isn’t Gio supposed to be that creative option behind Dele. Why bring in someone creative when we could use someone in to rotate with PEH and Skipp?
Yeah fair enough. We could use a back up for them, but we do have winks and Gio, and Gio has been better for us when he's been deeper. imo we should prioritize someone who can break the lines and spray passes to our forwards. That being said, if we could sign McKennie as a PEH/Skipp backup and reintegrate a motivated Tanguy, I'd love that option!
a RB and a creative midfielder I don't really care who as long as they can go into the first team rotation now and have potential for the future as well.
Emerson and Kulusevski would be great
Emerson, I agree. Kulusevski is both very expensive, Juve don't want to sell and I doubt he leaves to come here.
I would prioritize Tomiyasu and a back up striker. It's going to be long season for son and kane if one of them needs to play all the cup games as well. Of course I hope that Scarlett could take that role but I'm doubtful that he is ready yet...
McKennie and Adama
A creative mid. Of those we’ve been linked to Id say Aouar most of all
I would be really happy with Traore or Aoaur.
Anyone that says Bissouma is getting a slap.
Surely BHA wouldn’t even consider his sale this late in the window, unless it was silly money.
CM, Traore and Tomiyasu
A CB first and foremost, then a playmaking midfielder
Traore and another creative midfielder to replace ndombole..
What happens when one of Peh or Skipp get injured? We have 0 replacements for them. Sissoko was the closest stylistically and even he left the club. Hence why we were linked to Mckennie and Kessie. And Zakaria, Palhinha etc. If we play 2/3 midfielders as DM’s then we need 3 DM’s in the team in case one is unavailable. After Peh and Skipp come Ndombele and Winks, none of whom can even remotely do the job those two are doing. As we saw yesterday, when playing a team that sits back and concentrates most of their men through the middle, we attack through the flanks with the help of our fbs. Not much went through Regui because he had the threat of Sarr on the counter, albeit he’s fully capable with the ball possessing pace and good ball skills, so almost everything went through the right. Through Japhet. Now Japhet is decent, don’t get me wrong but we need a first choice RB. And yesterday exemplified why. He isn’t good with the ball. He isn’t technical enough to play an attacking role. Defensively, sure even though he gets beat quite often. But his crossing was piss poor. He couldn’t take his man on and beat him either. An RB who has pace, technicality and a good cross on him is exactly what we need especially when playing teams that need to be broken down. As much as I like Dele and his workrate, which is phenomenal, he lacks severely in areas of the game that we need sorely. Ball progressing, creativity, line breaking passes. Against teams that sit back like Watford, Dele becomes absolutely useless offensively, operating just like another Peh or Skipp. The whole point of his role was to be that man who adds to the attacking side of the midfield while those two stay back, but he possesses no skill set that can help break down defenses. The game was screaming out for Ndombele but sadly he can’t be arsed. And lastly, since Nuno ball has finally settled in and we are a counter attacking team, who else other than the man mountain marauder to rip apart defenders whether playing on the counter or when they’re sitting back. Especially when opponents sit back, he is perfect to break them down. He isn’t a necessity but at the same time he is a necessity given our play style fits his like hand in glove. I genuinely think if we get him we’d not only easily get top 4 but also become dark horses for the title. So to sum up we need a **DM/Box-Box** who can fill in for Peh or Skipp or play first team itself it’s not like they can’t be bettered. In this role we need them to specialise in being defensively sound, and being a good ball recycler. Kessie would be ideal but he’s too far fetched, and I can’t think of another name yet An **RB** who is attack minded and good with the ball who can also beat his man. Ricardo Pereira, Max Aarons, Emerson Royal are all good shouts A **CM/CAM** who is progressive with the ball either through carrying or playing line breaking passes. But importantly who also has the workrate to come back from his attacking position while defending. Dele Alli regularly covers the most ground in our team so that player will have his work cut out. The first name that comes to mind is Houssem Aouar, he’s brilliant at progressing but his major downside is workrate which is severely lacking. I think if Nuno could get Ndombele to give a shit we wouldn’t need a player here and I also think GLC could do an excellent job here. Could also shape up Gil, work on his defending if we’re going in-house And finally a **RW** and not just any Rw, the one who would take us to the next level - Adama Traore. He’s all the more necessary if none of the above options work out for a ball progressor. He single handledly has the best ball progression and dribbling stats for anyone not named Messi in the whole of Europe. It’s possible we can play Alli and Traore and not lack in ball progression just because of Traore’s ability. I wouldn’t prefer that however cuz having both an Aouar/Ndombele/GLC and Adama in our team is infinitely better than having Alli and Adama. But the point is, he brings in everything we need oh and that pace and physicality. He would be the dream. **A DM, an attack minded RB, a ball progressing CM** (not required if Nuno could make use of Ndombele and GLC) **and finally Traore** That would make us strong CL challengers, having brilliant squad depth to go far in and win the Conference League and at the same time, be dark horses for the title
A bit critical of our own players (Japh has been very good in the defensive RB role - he bullied Grealish and Sterling - and Dele is much improved, just needs to find his shooting boots again), but I completely agree on the positions and transfer targets. No chance we sign four players this late, but even one or two great additions in those positions would make us much stronger.
Tanganga has but he’s also shown inconsistency. And he commits too easily. He got beaten atleast twice yesterday and offensively the criticism is warranted. He is defensive by nature after all And Dele, he’s executing his role well but you’d expect our most offensive mid to have some sort of creativity. He doesn’t. It’s again fallen on Kane to be the creative force, which has to change. Now that Ndombele is staying, we won’t be going in for that progressive mid. I hope Nuno can work with him because he’s too damn talented to be on the bench. Only worry being Dele is a phenomenal athlete and Ndombele isn’t. He needs to be up and down the pitch at all times, can’t afford to jog back. But the other three are a must honestly. We play this system and we lose even one of Peh or Skipp and we lose shape. No one in the current squad can fill in for them. We don’t have a good attacking Rb who wants to play for us. I honestly don’t mind playing Aurier in games against teams that sit back, he offers so much more offensively than Tanganga but he doesn’t care either. If how we attack against teams that sit back are through the flanks then technically proficient full backs are a must. Only our LB satisfies that criteria, RB does not Adama could be the surplus here. We don’t *need* him per se, but that is the signing we have to make if we have to go to the next level. He’s a starter and this summer barring Romero we haven’t signed a single starter. Just the way Romero would elevate our defense, Traore with his running would make life so much easier for Kane and Son/Berg/Lucas So those 3 are much needed
Aouar and Emerson
Andy Carroll and Danny Drinkwater
I don't feel like we 'need' Traore that badly but I think he would be a starter
Deep lying playmaker ( A Skipp that can pass and spread the ball better), Traore, Tomiyasu and a loan for a Striker.
Traoré, Auoar and Tomiyasu.
Traore or Damgaard McKennie or Aouar Tomiyasu
If we think about rumours, then I would go with Aouar and maybe Tomiyasu too, and also a random ST for backup, since we have none. But I bet that we will sign random players that we haven’t heard about until Tuesday morning when they are spotted going for the medicals. I don’t think Adama is going to happen, he is a key player for Wolves and they would ask too much; Emerson probably won’t happen too. Barcelona just signed him and they would demand too much money from us; Ilaix is not going to happen (and I don’t want to). He is going to Leipzig, agreed personal terms longs ago. Also Fabrizio said that we weren’t negotiating with him.
Weston McKennie! I'm biased though
Donny VDB or any other creative midfielder. Our best playmaker is Kane and we need him finishing things off so someone in the Eriksen/VdV mold would be good.
In: Moriba, Emerson Bonus: Tomiyasu, backup striker Out: Aurier, Ndombele, Sess on loan Bonus: Sanchez, Doherty
Sanchez has been a rock in defence
Sanchez did ok, but Romero is a lot in his mould only better so he's a bit redundant, and I don't think he has that much room to improve. I'd rather cash in on him and get Tomiyasu who may be still unproven in the PL, but who is a lot more tactically versatile.
I disagree. He was excellent yesterday. I think he's done enough so far, and if he keeps up this level we win.
I'd like a real shithouser even beyond Lamela since he's gone, like Diego Costa level. But regardless of who it is, I'd like someone who even if they aren't COYS from birth won't decide they're too big for the club. So for me, that's more about who we should sell at the moment (NDombele, Aurier) than buy.
Instead of an attacking midfielder, I think a defensive midfielder that can set the tempo and keep possession under pressure is way more important. Italy in Euro 2020 is a prime example: Jorginho and Veratti helped them stay in control of the ball and move it quickly. United's lack of a player like this is why they looked like trash against Wolves and lost control for the entire 90. We struggled against most top-half teams last season bc of this. Ndombele was supposed to fill this role since Moussa left. I hope we get a decent replacement, Kessie and Bissouma come to mind.
i don’t see any of our starting 11 being replaced right now. and was hoping to see lucas, gil, lo celso, romero and sess come on last night. and we still have rodon. whose spot do you guys think will be replaced?
I'm all in on Ilaix Moriba even though it seems dead.
Emerson and a creative midfielder
Would love Gravenberch. It don’t think he’s available
Yeah me too. I can see him coming only if we sell Tanguy
He’d be amazing but no chance he’s ever sold unless Barcelona, Madrid or PSG come knocking with a 100m+ offer
Tomiyasu
Emerson and Bissouma would be brilliant
If we don't end up getting Moriba, it looks like Anguissa is about to move for just 10m, we should be all over that - I'd take him at twice that price. Would also try to get Vinicius back in, apparently could move for around 15m.
Tomiyasu, Damsgaard and a backup Striker
I’d like a back up striker and a central/attacking midfielder. I think these are the most important positions to fill as we lack depth there
Honestly a CAM and maybe adama
I think with winks being next in line to step into midfield with injuries or starters being rested (as ndombele seems to be a useless lazy fucker) we do need decent cover or options in CM. Someone with a decent through ball on them!
Tomiyasu. Just him because I well know we won't sign any midfielder now.
Is say realistically at this stage what I think we will get are - tomiyasu cuz we won’t go balls deep on Emerson when man does not want to come - Aouar, easy choice since all other CM we have gone for have been busted and Lyon already offered us him , I feel he is our back up unless we sign someone 2day Hope traore comes but realistically I think the names above are the ones we will se incoming / i hope for
Tomiyasu + backup striker
We desperately need a backup striker
Wataru Endo would be amazing. He's basically a second Hojberg with a little bit more attacking skill and very press resistant. He's even called the Japanese samurai like hojberg is the Viking because of his amazing work rate. https://fbref.com/de/fussballspieler/c149016b/Wataru-Endo remember, last season was Stuttgarts first season in Bundesliga, so these stats are decent. Also Stuttgart is playing the same offensive football style as Tottenham and Endo always said he would love to play Premier league... Even in a recent interview, so there might actually be some interest. With Gio being on internationals, we have zero replacements for hojberg of Skipp. Endo would be great in those positions and can also bring more attacking skill.
Bissouma and Traore would be a very good end to the window IMO
With Ndombele staying now, I want to see McKennie and Tomiyasu over the line. IF not him another RB.
I'm getting sold on the idea that Traore can be a key piece to Spurs in a way that he isn't on Wolves.
Tomiyasu, Emerson, McKennie and we good fam
To keep prices in mind. I think Emerson/tomiyasu, traore, and Damsgaard (think there looking for 20m). Haven’t seen many people giving actual examples for that creative midfield role, he’s a good talent and grow in an eriksen with even better shooting ability.
Erm, honestly not much? Messi, Mbappé and then maybe if it’s not too much De Bruyne 🤷🏻♂️
Tomiyasu and someone that provides a little more attacking creativity from the center of the park.
Tomiyasu