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Management Roberto De Zerbi

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Phomesy said:
Bollocks. This squad was performing perfectly "adequately" (ie: 5-8th on expected points)under Postecoglou until the never ending injury curse ruined two league seasons in a row.

De Zerbi is a better manager than Postecoglou and already has won the absolute buy in of the squad which Frank/Tudor never even got close to doing.

Quite apart from the fact it's just ludicrous pie in the sky fantasy to pretend it's possible to change 15 senior players in one summer, there is perfectly decent Premier League level core here and some bvery good promising youngsters.

What De Zerbi needs (and can realistically be provided) is 3 genuine elite quality players. An Adam Wharton type (possible); an Kvaratechelia/Olise type (less possible but much needed); and a striker who scores goals. Maybe a keeper too if Kinski isn't deemed Number 1.

That is realistic and if we have no injuries will have us back into Top 6 in no time.

The rest of the upgrades can wait like they'll almost certainly have to. In the real world.
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The drop in quality from first team players to their injury backups should not be the cliff drop it is for us.
Some of our kids might come good, could fill in here and there within a squad of 25 senior players - but we have been playing half a fucking U21 side most the time in the Premier League!!

That's why so many sides find us so easy to beat, and these players can't cope with being expected to be our most important players before their 22nd birthdays.

It's not possible for us to bring in 10+ senior players, absolutely. We will continue to have injuries next season - and we can expect another relegation dog fight.
 
SameOldSpurs said:
Whilst true, it's also a reflection of our terrible squad planning how hard the injuries hit us.
Surely we need to plan for that by having quality backup players?

But regardless of injury, had everyone been fit this season (Maddison has a career full of injuries so let's not expect 38x 90 minute games from him) we would've still been playing a mixture of Tel, Odobert, Solanke, Muani, Kudus... it's relegation standard forwards.
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Agree on the squad planning

If everyone is fit the forward line alone is mid table...Kudus, Maddison Kulusevski aren't relegation level players
 
SameOldSpurs said:
I would sack off Romero but I don't think RDZ will. Fully expect him to try and get him back on side with the 'project' etc.
And I can't blame him for it either.

Oh yes, Kudus and Xavi. I'm not convinced by either personally but would expect them to be around the squad next season due to their injuries alone. They should be effectively replaced in the summer with them both coming back to fight for minutes when they are fit.
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Regarding Romero and RDZ -possible. I see your point in that.

But regarding Kudus and Xavi replacement - it does not make really sense, does it?

I do not know the return date, but let's say we do move out Richie and terminate Kolo Muani. And bring in ST + "replace" Kudus and Xavi. Then we would have following attacking players contracted:
Solanke, new ST, Maddison, Kulusevski, Tel, Odobert, Moore, Xavi, Kudus, Xavi replacement and Kudus replacement - that is 11 (!) players. Ok- even if say we move on Tel as well and find one more loan for Moore. Still 9 players for 3-4 positions - that would be bad squad planning.

Realistically speaking - we should get in top level LW and top level ST to frontline.
Kolo Muani is as good as gone, i think time has come for Richie too. And let's assume Tel moves on.
That would still mean roaster of: New LW, New ST, Solanke, Madders, Kulusevski, Odobert, Xavi, Kudus + youngsters like Moore, Yang, Lankshear etc. So - to sum up - I do not see more than 2 top quality players coming in to frontline in summer.
 
Shadydan said:
Agree on the squad planning

If everyone is fit the forward line alone is mid table...Kudus, Maddison Kulusevski aren't relegation level players
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Everyone fit, our midfield and attack is what?

Solanke
Xavi Kulusevski Kudus
Bentancur Maddison?

Tbh I think you take Deki out of that set of players and you have a group well capable of relegation levels of attacking penetration.

It's still a squad planning issue if I see our best LW, CAM and CM playing slightly awkwardly out of position too.
 
A sensible win and thank heavens we didn't play like Postecoglou piling forward like berserkers. Well done and thank you RDZ for not doing the charge of the light brigade.
 
If he can do what he did with this below par squad in the amount of time he had, Think of what he can do with some proper quality added. Personally i think next season will be a hell of a ride, in a good way.
 
SameOldSpurs said:
Everyone fit, our midfield and attack is what?

Solanke
Xavi Kulusevski Kudus
Bentancur Maddison?

Tbh I think you take Deki out of that set of players and you have a group well capable of relegation levels of attacking penetration.

It's still a squad planning issue if I see our best LW, CAM and CM playing slightly awkwardly out of position too.
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Come on be real that 6 is better than at least half the teams in the league...compare that to Brentford's

Thiago
Schade Jensen Ouattara
Janelt Henderson

Difference is one team over achieved and one team under achieved, it's as simple as that.
 
SameOldSpurs said:
Everyone fit, our midfield and attack is what?

Solanke
Xavi Kulusevski Kudus
Bentancur Maddison?

Tbh I think you take Deki out of that set of players and you have a group well capable of relegation levels of attacking penetration.

It's still a squad planning issue if I see our best LW, CAM and CM playing slightly awkwardly out of position too.
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Now that the relief is starting to sink in, I'm ready to start something resembling a rational review of our squad.

It won't be quick. This is clearly the beginning of an entire new generation.

The absolute critical element is our front line. It is complete and utter fucking dross. Richie has to go, and Solanke needs to be our back up/sub.

I'd personally be more than happy to sell Tel and Odobert, but appreciate things need to realistic. But we need, without fail, a new striker and a new winger, and they both have to be experienced, strong and good. No more fucking punts.
 
TheSpurEst said:
Regarding Romero and RDZ -possible. I see your point in that.

But regarding Kudus and Xavi replacement - it does not make really sense, does it?

I do not know the return date, but let's say we do move out Richie and terminate Kolo Muani. And bring in ST + "replace" Kudus and Xavi. Then we would have following attacking players contracted:
Solanke, new ST, Maddison, Kulusevski, Tel, Odobert, Moore, Xavi, Kudus, Xavi replacement and Kudus replacement - that is 11 (!) players. Ok- even if say we move on Tel as well and find one more loan for Moore. Still 9 players for 3-4 positions - that would be bad squad planning.

Realistically speaking - we should get in top level LW and top level ST to frontline.
Kolo Muani is as good as gone, i think time has come for Richie too. And let's assume Tel moves on.
That would still mean roaster of: New LW, New ST, Solanke, Madders, Kulusevski, Odobert, Xavi, Kudus + youngsters like Moore, Yang, Lankshear etc. So - to sum up - I do not see more than 2 top quality players coming in to frontline in summer.
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It's a logical argument but it becomes subjective I suppose.
I would break it down by positions and say 2 for each position and some youthful 3rd choice fillers..

ST - Expect Solanke to stay and 1 marque signing needed.
LW - I don't rate any of our LWs. Perhaps Moore as a 3rd choice but I think we need 2.
RW - Kulusevski and Kudus. Cool, I can live with them but there are huge question marks around their fitness. I think we need to bring one in.
CAM - Maddison and Xavi. We know Xavi will miss most the season, so we should bring one in, or move Kulu there and bring in a RW.

Then you have a 2-3 youth prospects around the squad as 3rd choice for the positions. Moore, Odobert and Tel are the same position, so I'm taking Moore and binning the other 2.
Let's not be shocked to see Lankshear, Yang and possibly Odobert playing on permanent contracts for lower division clubs within 1-2 seasons.

Whatever way I look at it, I believe we need 4-5 senior players of a high level coming in as an absolute minimum for the attacking positions.
Then we need a GK, LB, CB and although we seem to be collecting them - we do actually need a good CM. Got plenty of below par CMs that will be hard to shift now so expect little movement there.
 
Shadydan said:
Come on be real that 6 is better than at least half the teams in the league...compare that to Brentford's

Thiago
Schade Jensen Ouattara
Janelt Henderson

Difference is one team over achieved and one team under achieved, it's as simple as that.
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Thiago, Ouattara and Schade are the types of players we will target in the summer as they improve our squad - but we will risk being gazumped by teams that can offer European football like Brighton, Bournemouth and Sunderland.

Difference really is they got 192 appearances from those 6 players and we got 91 appearances from our 6 'best' players I mentioned.

Next season we can realisitcally expect all 6 of those Spurs players to miss a sigficant number of games between them again.
And once you go beyond the 6 I mentioned, the front 6 looks more like the below, of which 4-5 need replacing;

Richarlison
Tel Bergvall Odobert
Sarr Gallagher

Brentford, once again will have teams fighting over the signatures of their best players.
Who the fuck is going to want our players? Turkish sides?
 
SameOldSpurs said:
Thiago, Ouattara and Schade are the types of players we will target in the summer as they improve our squad - but we will risk being gazumped by teams that can offer European football like Brighton, Bournemouth and Sunderland.

Difference really is they got 192 appearances from those 6 players and we got 91 appearances from our 6 'best' players I mentioned.

Next season we can realisitcally expect all 6 of those Spurs players to miss a sigficant number of games between them again.
And once you go beyond the 6 I mentioned, the front 6 looks more like the below, of which 4-5 need replacing;

Richarlison
Tel Bergvall Odobert
Sarr Gallagher

Brentford, once again will have teams fighting over the signatures of their best players.
Who the fuck is going to want our players? Turkish sides?
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Presumably no one will be looking at our forwards because mose of them are coming off long term injuries and you've indirectly proved my point anyway, we have suffered through injuries and inconsistency and have massively under achieved, our players aren't anywhere near as bad as the table suggests.

And a word on Brentford they sold Wissa who's been crap, Mbuembo who has been disappointing and their captain Norgaard who barely plays and yet somehow we are led to believe that clubs will be lining up for their players, don't think so. Whatever they do over there works for them but take those players out of Brentford they are exposed, just like Frank.
 
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