Been a revelation since he's come in. Mad to think Genoa had an £8.5m option on him in the summer, even madder that they didn't exercise it. He's easily worth triple that now. Should have the right back slot nailed down over Porro, who can't defend 1v1 to save his life and doesn't make up for it enough in an attacking sense. Porro is a RWB who can cross. Spence is a versatile FB on both sides who can both defend and get forward. Been our best fullback on both sides this season. How many right backs can say they kept Salah quiet?
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Player Djed Spence
- Thread starter The Fighting Cock
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When he did try something a bit out there along those lines he went and put Spence on the wing ahead of Porro...
Yep- what a clown-car affair that was. Like a video of a child who almost eats a bite of cake- only to shove it directly into their face instead.
Being that he's English, I'd say Djed is worth more like 55-60m right now. And honestly I wouldn't sell him for even that- he's the kind of player you try and build around.
Considering age, HG factor and skillset, you could be right. Personally I'd say it's closer to 35-40m given it's only a few months of good form, and he has known attitude issues. But if he keeps this going to the end of the season he'll quite easily be our best full back at the club.
Matches the eye test then.
- Spence (or at least, current form Spence) is our best and most well rounded fullback. Incredible his numbers are this high despite playing most of the time on the left hand side where he's less comfortable. Really talented footballer.
- Porro is absolutely useless at anything defensive. His attacking numbers are good but not high enough to make up for how much of a liability he is at the back. Spence and Udogie should be our first choice pairing if both are available.
- Personally I think Porro would suit a wing back system much better, Udogie too, but we don't play that.
- Offensively Udogie's output is pretty poor. Which again matches the eye test. How often do you see him combine well with Son down that left flank? I recall more combinations between Son and Donley in pre season than I do with Udogie during the entire time he was on the pitch. He should be primarily used in a more defensive role; if he and Porro must play together, Porro should be the one getting forward and Udogie staying deeper.
- those 1v1 defensive figures for Spence are absolutely mad. 80% of dribblers tackled, 99th percentile for that metric, despite playing at left back. How many defenders this season have effectively shut down Salah the way he did at WHL in the first leg of the Semi final?
Also all the suggestions of playing Porro at RW in this system are stupid. He'd just be a crossing merchant. We need someone there with pace who can run in behind and be a dribble threat. The profile you're looking for is a Saka, Yamal type of player. Possibly Mbeumo, possibly Bowen, possibly Dibling. Not a small right-footed guy with no pace who can't take on his man and can't defend or press to save his life.
Spence putting up elite FB numbers on his wrong side.
But does Ange have the ruthlessness to drop Porro when Destiny comes back?
You don’t think a crossing merchant would benefit Solanke?
I think I might just put this here. Thanks for acknowledging Levy’s greatness
July 2022; Levy signed Spence, for 20 million, for a manager who didn't ask for Spence and made this public.I think I might just put this here. Thanks for acknowledging Levy’s greatness
That manager didn't pick Spence.
= Levy masterclass.
January 2023; Levy signed Pedro Porro, for 34 million$, presumably because the manager didn't pick Spence for the team, then sacks the manager weeks later.
= Levy masterclass.
June 2023; Levy appoints Ange. Ange rotates Emerson Royal and Porro in the right back position; Spence is ignored and subsequently loaned. Spence is then reported to have an 'attitude problem'.
= Levy masterclass
January 2025;
Pedro Porro is humiliated by a National League winger who plays for Tamworth.
Spence emerges as the best right or left back at Spurs despite being accused of having attitude problems and being ignored for 18 months from first team selection at THFC.
= Levy masterclass.
Join your friends on the ENIC naughty step & stop apologising for the failure of this regime for 24 years.
All three are really wing backs to some extent. It's just more evidence of horrendous squad management and creation that this club excels in that the only pure full back we have is in his thirties.
Big test of Ange's management now to see how he uses Spence over the next few games. Common sense approach is to ease Udogie back so imagine Spence continues at left back this weekend. Then the question is will Ange use him on both sides to manage both Udogie and Porro's minutes. Its not rocket science but Ange has to get this right and not end up freezing Spence out again!
Davies? I don't think he's a pure fullback tbh. Much more suited as the LCB in a back three, he's never really had the attributes to be an effective fullback (lacks pace, not a particularly good crosser, not much of a box-threat, not great defending 1v1).
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I think a crossing merchant would be incredibly easy to shut down. Get tight on him (which you can do because he doesn't have any pace so he can't run past you), show him onto his left and watch him do sweet fuck all.
Tell me, how many top managers have Porro-type players on the wing these days? Zero.
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Football changes. Our team is crying out for crosses.
Well I have no doubt Ange will be forced to try it at some point, because he'll injure all our standard RWs. And you'll see then how bad Porro is there.
Personally I’d rest Porro, play Spence at RB with Reguilon at LB. Bring on Udogie for last 20 mins or so. Porro has been in poor form but he’s also overplayed and in a system that doesn’t help him (or anyone in defence).
That would be the smart move. But he could have used Reggie to do this in recent weeks anyway and didn’t.