Player Dominic Solanke

[sudoku]

Has he got a number yet??

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Has to be another transfer going through before Monday....

1	VICARIO Guglielmo
2
3	Reg
4	SKIPP Oliver
5
6	DRAGUSIN Ragu
7	SON Heung-min
8	BISSOUMA Yves
9	RICHARLISON De Andrade
10	MADDISON James
11	Gil/Johnson?
12
13	UDOGIE Destiny
14	GRAY Archie
15	BERGVALL Lucas
16	WERNER Timo
17	ROMERO Cristian
18	LO CELSO Giovani
19
20	FORSTER Fraser
21	KULUSEVSKI Dejan
22	JOHNSON Brennan
23	PORRO Pedro
24	SPENCE Djed
27	SOLOMON Manor
28
29	SARR Pape
30	BENTANCUR Rodrigo
33	DAVIES Ben
35	PHILLIPS Ashley
36	VELIZ Alejo
37	van de VEN Micky
40	AUSTIN Brandon
41	WHITEMAN Alfie
44	SCARLETT Dane
45	DEVINE Alfie

 

[AlabamaSpur]

Has to be another transfer going through before Monday....

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[LLB Part Deux]

I think the trouble is he isn't proven for any more than 1 season. and the add ons on top of the £57m minimum fee are almost certainly pretty much box ticking excercises.

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This is my concern. I decided to watch all of his goals and assists from last season and many of them could just as easily have not gone in, or relied on the type of ball in space that we typically don't tend to get because of teams defending deep against us. Obviously he'll get a decent amount of chances at Spurs, so that should count in his favour, but my impression is that 19 was a spike in form rather than a reflection of his ability. I think he'll probably get 10-15.

Of course, this is me who also said a decade ago that Kane needed a leap of faith before he could be considered a like for like replacement for Louis Saha so...

 

[Macch]

View: https://x.com/thespursweb/status/1824062605637374416?t=SyQtCZiwpsqCDbyQvB4H2w&s=19

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So fully recovered from the toe injury???

 

[MemphisWill]

This is my concern. I decided to watch all of his goals and assists from last season and many of them could just as easily have not gone in, or relied on the type of ball in space that we typically don't tend to get because of teams defending deep against us. Obviously he'll get a decent amount of chances at Spurs, so that should count in his favour, but my impression is that 19 was a spike in form rather than a reflection of his ability. I think he'll probably get 10-15.

Of course, this is me who also said a decade ago that I didn't think Kane needed a leap of faith before he could be considered a like for like replacement for Louis Saha so...

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So you're saying we've got another peno and tap in merchant?



Lucky us.

Good strikers make scoring goals look easy because they're in good positions. Average to worse strikers make it look hard because they're never where they need to be.

 

[LLB Part Deux]

So you're saying we've got another peno and tap in merchant?



Lucky us.

Good strikers make scoring goals look easy because they're in good positions. Average to worse strikers make it look hard because they're never where they need to be.

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I'm saying that quite a few of his goals last season were either slightly fortunate (bobbles, deflections, bounces) or occurred from situations not often engineered under Ange.

I made a similar observation about Soldado when he joined in 2013 - most of his goals at Valencia came from breakaway wing play resulting in crosses into the centre. At the time we didn't play that kind of game, so he wasn't a natural fit:

Anyone who hasn't done so already - take a look at Soldado's goals for Valencia over the last 2 seasons. The VAST majority of them are the same type and involve him running into a good position (often beating an offside trap) and receiving the ball either from a low cross or threaded thru-ball from a deeper creative player. 9 times out of 10 he then hits it first time past the keeper.

The big difference between almost all of his goals and his chances this season is that he's been playing in a team that doesn't pressure the opposition team into their final third. Compressing the play, as we do, leads to less space for beating the offside trap and no room for low crosses - it's no surprise he's starved of supply. Look at the chances he nearly scored - an opportunic backheel against the bar, a point blank block to deny him against Woolwich - he's certainly got a goalscorers instinct.

I genuinely have no idea why AVB (I assume) picked Soldado to spearhead his attack unless he feels that Soldado's game can adapt to our style. Given our investment, I bloody well hope he's right.

However, if he doesn't adapt then we need to find someone who can play the most effective way for a compressed tactic - someone like a Tevez, who can dribble and bully his way into a shooting position, or someone like Llorente who can physically dominate the defences in order to bring attacking midfielders into goalscoring opportunities or provide a target for higher crosses / passes into the box.

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Of course Solanke brings a lot more than just goals to his game, whereas Soldado was very much about the goals... until he came to us.

 

[Richard Arlison]

This is my concern. I decided to watch all of his goals and assists from last season and many of them could just as easily have not gone in, or relied on the type of ball in space that we typically don't tend to get because of teams defending deep against us. Obviously he'll get a decent amount of chances at Spurs, so that should count in his favour, but my impression is that 19 was a spike in form rather than a reflection of his ability. I think he'll probably get 10-15.

Of course, this is me who also said a decade ago that Kane needed a leap of faith before he could be considered a like for like replacement for Louis Saha so...

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Mate…

Did you also watch the chances where he did the right thing but was unlucky not to score? All the great saves and minimal offsides ?

 

[MemphisWill]

I'm saying that quite a few of his goals last season were either slightly fortunate (bobbles, deflections, bounces) or occurred from situations not often engineered under Ange.

I made a similar observation about Soldado when he joined in 2013 - most of his goals at Valencia came from breakaway wing play resulting in crosses into the centre. At the time we didn't play that kind of game, so he wasn't a natural fit:



Of course Solanke brings a lot more than just goals to his game, whereas Soldado was very much about the goals... until he came to us.

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Kinda wild that your analysis of Soldado basically describes peak Son. Of course, things have changed over the years.

Think Solanke was the target from fairly early on, we'll see how it goes. In terms of strikers who were available, I think he's the best option. Certainly rate him over Toney.

I think he'll do well and we'll get much more put of that position with Richarlison and Solanke than we got last season.

 

[Shadydan]

This is my concern. I decided to watch all of his goals and assists from last season and many of them could just as easily have not gone in, or relied on the type of ball in space that we typically don't tend to get because of teams defending deep against us. Obviously he'll get a decent amount of chances at Spurs, so that should count in his favour, but my impression is that 19 was a spike in form rather than a reflection of his ability. I think he'll probably get 10-15.

Of course, this is me who also said a decade ago that Kane needed a leap of faith before he could be considered a like for like replacement for Louis Saha so...

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What about the chances he narrowly missed then, if you're gonna factor in the ones that he was lucky to score, what about the near misses, surely that balances itself out

We could do this all day

 

[LLB Part Deux]

What about the chances he narrowly missed then, if you're gonna factor in the ones that he was lucky to score, what about the near misses, surely that balances itself out

We could do this all day

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I'm sure there are a few, yeah. Same for any striker. Probably more for Solanke as his Xg (21) was higher than his actual tally.

All I can say is that I've watched all the goals, assists and key contributions and I feel that a few of them were on the fortunate side in terms of how the ball arrived at him or in the back of the net.

In the previous three seasons his Xg per 90 mins was under 0.3.

Unless he has bloomed late, I think his goal return this year will be lower. I understand that people don't want to hear that and hope I'm wrong.

 

[Richard Arlison]

I'm sure there are a few, yeah. Same for any striker. Probably more for Solanke as his Xg (21) was higher than his actual tally.

All I can say is that I've watched all the goals, assists and key contributions and I feel that a few of them were on the fortunate side in terms of how the ball arrived at him or in the back of the net.

In the previous three seasons his Xg per 90 mins was under 0.3.

Unless he has bloomed late, I think his goal return this year will be lower. I understand that people don't want to hear that and hope I'm wrong.

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But you do understand that the tungs you are basing that on aren't really much more than you feel like he will score less because you think he got lucky?

 

[Murphy]

I'm sure there are a few, yeah. Same for any striker. Probably more for Solanke as his Xg (21) was higher than his actual tally.

All I can say is that I've watched all the goals, assists and key contributions and I feel that a few of them were on the fortunate side in terms of how the ball arrived at him or in the back of the net.

In the previous three seasons his Xg per 90 mins was under 0.3.

Unless he has bloomed late, I think his goal return this year will be lower. I understand that people don't want to hear that and hope I'm wrong.

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You are spectacularly missing that early in his career he was hardly first choice for Chelsea or Liverpool, and the season before last he wasn't playing in at attacking team. Which he was last year with their new manager and will be for us.

I'm more on the side of it'll be fine than not.

 

[Shadydan]

I'm sure there are a few, yeah. Same for any striker. Probably more for Solanke as his Xg (21) was higher than his actual tally.

All I can say is that I've watched all the goals, assists and key contributions and I feel that a few of them were on the fortunate side in terms of how the ball arrived at him or in the back of the net.

In the previous three seasons his Xg per 90 mins was under 0.3.

Unless he has bloomed late, I think his goal return this year will be lower. I understand that people don't want to hear that and hope I'm wrong.

Click to shrink...

Scored 19 in the league, his xg was 19.6 , not really much of a difference is there? I'm not really buying that fortunate argument because if you really wanted to you can make the same argument for every other football player on the planet, you tend to make your own luck in football and if you're a striker getting into the right positions for opportunities is the basically a skill.

Previous season he was playing in a side who were sitting back and creating less chances, he's obviously a late bloomer just like Watkins was.

 

[LLB Part Deux]

But you do understand that the tungs you are basing that on aren't really much more than you feel like he will score less because you think he got lucky?

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That is essentially my view, yes. I'm not sure what the issue is with that. It's not like this is the first time I've watched football - it's an informed perspective backed up by historical data.

Fwiw, I don't think it's all about the goals.

 

[Richard Arlison]

That is essentially my view, yes. I'm not sure what the issue is with that. It's not like this is the first time I've watched football - it's an informed perspective backed up by historical data.

Fwiw, I don't think it's all about the goals.

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Very loosely backed up by historical data

 

[bk_spur]

I'm sure there are a few, yeah. Same for any striker. Probably more for Solanke as his Xg (21) was higher than his actual tally.

All I can say is that I've watched all the goals, assists and key contributions and I feel that a few of them were on the fortunate side in terms of how the ball arrived at him or in the back of the net.

In the previous three seasons his Xg per 90 mins was under 0.3.

Unless he has bloomed late, I think his goal return this year will be lower. I understand that people don't want to hear that and hope I'm wrong.

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Ok. But why wouldn’t he do better in an offensive system, with better offensive players where he’ll get more chances?

 

[The Swellhead Spur]

If he does get the 18 shirt it will be beautiful

Or this season gets the 25 shirt, pretty sure Defoe had that for abit

 

[Spurs Curious]

Surely the hope is that he can between him and Richarlson one of them can play as the out and out striker for the majority of the games. Whoever is in form can start. If they can return 30 goals between them you're probably happy.

Last year Song and Richarlson scored 28 between them. Song will move back to his wider/deeper role, and if his goal scoring goes down and he scores 10 (rather than 17) you've still got 40 odd goals between those three.

That's the foundation you need.

 

[manmountainbutters]

Surely the hope is that he can between him and Richarlson one of them can play as the out and out striker for the majority of the games. Whoever is in form can start. If they can return 30 goals between them you're probably happy.

Last year Song and Richarlson scored 28 between them. Song will move back to his wider/deeper role, and if his goal scoring goes down and he scores 10 (rather than 17) you've still got 40 odd goals between those three.

That's the foundation you need.

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Agree. We now have three guys who can get decent double figure numbers.

 

[GGTH]

Surely the hope is that he can between him and Richarlson one of them can play as the out and out striker for the majority of the games. Whoever is in form can start. If they can return 30 goals between them you're probably happy.

Last year Song and Richarlson scored 28 between them. Song will move back to his wider/deeper role, and if his goal scoring goes down and he scores 10 (rather than 17) you've still got 40 odd goals between those three.

That's the foundation you need.

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You keep calling him Song, what's that about.