• The Fighting Cock is a forum for fans of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. Here you can discuss Spurs latest matches, our squad, tactics and any transfer news surrounding the club. Registration gives you access to all our forums (including 'Off Topic' discussion) and removes most of the adverts (you can remove them all via an account upgrade). You're here now, you might as well...

    Get involved!

If you were manager

Latest Spurs videos from Sky Sports

There is a lot of work to do for next season, we need aim, we need team cohesion and most of all we need definition of roles.

Formation - 4-1-1-3-1

GK - Playing as a sweeper keeper, like Lloris does now.

Lloris
New keeper

LB - Attacking wing back with little to no defending responsibilities, unless of course they are in position to close down. Over lapping down the wing to create options and to spread the width. One-twos and fast paced movement both on and off the ball. Get to the byline and whip in crosses.

Rose
Fryers/New left back

RB - Pretty much the same as left back, but on the other side of the pitch.

Walker
Naughton

CB - We need a good combination here, one built like a brick shit house and the other a nippy player. Both need to be able to split teams with balls like Dawson plays up-field to start counter attacks.

Vertonghen
Dawson
Chiriches
Kaboul/New defender


DMC - Needs to act like a pushed up central defender, closing everything down and tracking back to cover. Working well with the back two we will be able to have one player closing down any player and always two covering to cut out through balls. Much like the centre backs he needs to be able to whack the ball up the field. Utilising him like this will avoid the problems of sending the wingbacks forward as we'd always have three at the back.

Sandro
Capoue

MC - The player that will link our defensive line, needs to close down further up the field in order to keep pressure throughout the team. Making runs forward to give options and moving the ball out wide to the wings to create pacey threats. On the front foot needs to sit on the edge of the box to allow for a threat from distance or quickly move the ball on to get a cross whipped in.

Dembele
Paulinho
Bentaleb

AMC - Needs to look around for space in order to create for others, both on and off the ball. His main aim will be to feed balls through to the wingers and striker to create goal scoring opportunities. Occasionally making forward runs beyond the striker to create an unpredictability of attack.

Eriksen
Holtby
Carroll

AML - Needs to be given the instruction to either cut inside or head for the byline, when cutting in he should look to put someone in a better position through on goal or have a crack. When hitting the byline he needs to put in a cross to the danger zone. This, like the AMC will create an unpredictable attacking threat. With a wing back overlapping he will have many an option.

Chadli
New left winger

AMR - Exactly the same as the left wing.

Lamela
Townsend
Lennon

CF - Needs to be ready to run off the last defender at any given moment with through balls and crosses coming his way, needs to be able to take a touch and shoot. Although should look to see if any of the wingers or AMC are in a better position to score.

Soldado
Kane
New Striker

Out: Friedel (Age), Gomes(Hasn't played for years), Siggy(We are overbulked in midfield) & Adebayor(Wages too high next season)

Others to consider selling: Kaboul(Injury prone) & Paulinho(He's a fairy).
 
Here's my manifesto....

Tough decisions need to be made, so balls of steel are needed alongside footballing knowledge and leadership skills.

Looking at the amount of remedial work required shows the importance of appointing the manager quickly. That's irrespective of whether it's TS or a new fella (or me, picking up the title of this thread).

I suggest that the first thing a new manager needs to do is a comprehensive assessment of each player's fitness. And remedy it, working out a programme with each player and shipping out anyone not fit enough for the PL.

And ship out anyone who's bitching about not wanting to be here. Are you up for the challenge? Are you going to stay and play? If not, there's the door. For a suitable fee. And before anyone mentions Liverpool keeping Suarez, that only happened because they didn't get a high enough offer.

If we're in the Europa (and I hope we are) we need to smash that self-fulfilling prophecy about playing twice a week being too tiring. The top teams are playing mid- week and if we want CL, we need to use the Europa to build a more resilient collective and individual mindset. It also gives a chance to look at youth and squad players.

We then need to ship out some has-beens and never-weres. A top manager will have their own way of identifying those and it needs a degree of ruthlessness. The trouble is that, to me, the list looks pretty long as you can see from my thoughts below.

For the team, we need to sort a robust spine, a core from which we can build a flexible range of formations and systems.

Hugo's a cert if we can keep him (if not get Marshall from Cardiff) and Eriksen gives us great options in attacking midfield/behind a striker but we've got problems with the rest of the spine.

First and foremost, I'd like a really energetic, hard-nosed leader in midfield to be our new captain. Someone who can be the fans' representative on the pitch, find a pass, tackle and get a grip on games. And be a nasty bastard when needed.
It pains me to say it but Viera, Keane, Terry, Yaya and to a certain extent, Gerrard, are the kind of player we're missing. Our great teams of the past had this - Mackay, Perryman, Roberts etc. That's one for the scouts and new manager as we definitely don't have that in-house at the minute and no names spring to mind.
We need to spend top dollar for this person as they can be the fulcrum of the team, take us forward collectively and re-align the team with the supporters.

I'd sell Ade whilst we can still get a few quid. Too inconsistent and I suspect a divisive figure between players and management. Our new manager must be able to focus on the team not ego battles. Replacements are not easy to see but perhaps Bony, Lukaku or Rodrigues? I'd keep Soldado as we've not seen him in a high- energy attacking set-up, with proper discipline and well- coached decision making.
I'd also keep Kane as he's got potential and I think we should have some patience with our homegrown players.

I can't make head nor tail of our current central midfielders, so I don't know whether any of them can cut it alongside our new captain (see above) and in a new system. They all seem to flatter to deceive but may shine in a better structure, with more focus on energy, clever movement and effective decision making. A new manager needs a long, hard look at these in training and take a view.
My current assessment is sell Dembele and Paulinho whilst we can still get decent fees. Neither looks that bothered but I appreciate that I might be misreading the body language.
See whether Sandro recovers properly from his injury and then challenge him to grow up and man up. If he can't, sell him. If we want to challenge for titles we need to start focusing and lose the extraneous social media comedy bollocks.
I'd like to see a bit more of Capoue before deciding as I think he can do a job as defensive CM and CB but he might need to go. I'd keep Bentaleb as he's got bags of potential.
I think Holtby's been under- used but he needs the right people around him and a sensible structure in which to flourish. He'll do well in a more energetic team. I'd understand if he wants to move on but I'd like to keep him for next season and see how things pan out.
I'm not sure about Carroll and I don't think he's been great on loan this season. I'd be tempted to give him another season with us, maybe even another on loan. But I'd be receptive to decent offers for him.

For the central defence of the spine, ideally we need Verts to get his act together. Or clear off. If he clears off, we 'll need to shell out that money on a new CB and can perhaps scout one at the World Cup. I'd have liked Cahill but that ship's sailed.
Daws and Kaboul have had their day but maybe keep Daws for cover as Kaboul's too injury prone.
Vlad's okay but I'd need another season to judge. He's another who needs more structure and discipline in a well-drilled and consistently fit defence. So, ideally a re-energised Verts, alongside a new, mobile centre half who's good in the air. I wonder if Capoue could do this as he's played centre half before but I think we need to find at least one new one with Vlad and maybe Capoue and a versatile full back as cover. And Daws as last resort.

As we all know and have done for years, full backs are a massive problem. I'd keep Walker but bring in someone to challenge him and possibly pinch his place. I like Clyne at Southampton. I also like the look of Ryan Fredericks who's been on loan at Millwall. Might not be ready for a step up yet but ideal to coach into a more disciplined system played across all our teams from youth to first team.

I'd get rid of BAE as I think he's had his day and we could still get a fee. He's another that's not taking Tottenham seriously so ship him out. Keep Danny Rose as cover for left wing or LB in an extreme emergency.
Keep Fryers for a season as I think there's potential there. He looks like he could cover CB as well, at a pinch.
Sell Naughton as he's not PL standard.
Don't mess around, slap decent money on the table for Luke Shaw or the LB from Swansea (whose name I've forgotten) or Baines. It's time to buy at least one proper left back and another right back to keep Walker on his toes.

We need much more guile and craft in our wing play. Sell Lennon as he's past his best. We need a proper look at Lamella to see what he can give us on the right or left. Probably controversial but I still think Milner has lots to offer; plenty of experience, good movement and can pass. I think Chadli could come good in the right playing environment, either wide or a bit more central.
I think Townsend could be really good with the right coaching and playing system. We've not got masses of pace and I'd keep him for another season at least.
And Eriksen of course, can do a job coming on from left or right.
I quite like Gylfi, so I'd keep him for a bit of utility back up. If he's not happy with that, or we find we've got sufficient cover with our re-shuffled squad, sell him while we can still get a fee.

We should aim for a squad that can implement an approach and style that is consistent, so well-understood but with the flexibility to adapt systems and formations to suit the occasion. You can't be too rigid in modern football.

We need higher energy levels and momentum. This season we've dawdled and drifted around. Watch our set pieces, we look half asleep. And completely asleep for the opposition's free kicks and corners. I hesitate to say "fucking run around a bit" but we certainly need to bring some verve and spark into our play. Let's blaze, people !

This season, for the first time I've felt no connection with our players. I've heard that from a lot of fellow Spurs . A new manager needs to restore that connection. So, above all, we need people that care as much as we do and show it on the pitch. I know that's a big ask in these times but we can hope.

To dare is to do.

COYS!
 
Can we have one game where the fans get to vote on the starting line up...i struggle to see how (non) experts such as ourselves can see our deficiencies but experts (lol) such as the manager cannot
 
If I were manager I would make sure this squad stays as in tact as possible.
I would implement a style of play, and work with the players to bed them in (and get their buy in)

Its simple (not to say easy). We have 90% of the players required, we now just need a steady hand to guide them
 
I mostly agree with Lister. Our squad has quality and quantity and some really good players that we have to keep (most important Eriksen, Vertonghen, Lloris, Walker).
But there are definitely some areas we have to improve.

Currently we have 5 Center Backs: Vertonghen, Dawson, Chiriches, Kaboul, Fryers.
Vertonghen is crucial in his 12/13 form. Dawson is a solid cb but his long balls are annoying me every and every game. He is a good defender, but in every other area he's limited as hell.
Chiriches had some good games but he also made a lot of mistakes (ok, new country, new league, new tempo). He can be a very good defender, but in my opinion he still needs time.
Kaboul is without injuries and in form our 2nd best center back, but his injury proneness hinder his ability and, more important, his dependability.
And Fryers is, sorry, not good enough for the starting eleven. I like him and his playing style but I definitely would loan him out.

That means one really good center back and three partly good but definitely not dependable ones.
So I would loan Fryers and Chiriches out, and buy another good center back. My absolute favourite os of course Steven Caulker, who will be available after Cardiffs relegation.

Improvable area number 2 is the left back position. Danny Rose is a good left back and in my personal opinion his biggest problem defensively was Sherwoods devastating idea not to deploying a real left winger so he had to do the job of two defensively plus the usual tasks of a modern full back in the attack.

But we haven't any sufficient backup. Fryers in't bad as LB but not good either. And Naughton showed that he is a good right back but with him on the left side we were vulnerable as hell.
My personal favourite here is Fábio Coentrao, but I don't think that he would want to join us, despite his certainly huge wage at Real.
So I think Ben Davies would be a great addition to the squad. He is young and talented and he would be a serious competitor for Danny Rose while not rule him out of the starting eleven.

Number 3 is the left wing of course. Currently we have 3 good right wingers, Lamela, Lennon and Townsend. The first two aren't good at the left wing and Townsend can play left but is better played on the right hand side aswell. And on the left hand side the only player who is good enough don't want to play there (Chadli). Eriksen on the left wing is really suboptimal and gives away much of his potencial.
So we need a new left winger, if possible right or either footed. My favourites here are British aswell:
Lallana, Jay Rodriguez and James Milner. I know Lallana will be hard to get, but the other ones are quite realistic aren't they? Rodriguez would be optimal cause of his ability to play as striker aswell. Milner could ask for too much money as salary but his creative skills and versatility could add sth to the team aswell!
Lallana would be a dream, but probably not possible cause every fuckin' club in the top four and ManU aswell want him...

That should be enough for the moment... some tactical ideas maybe later ;)
 
Lister said:
If I were manager I would make sure this squad stays as in tact as possible.
I would implement a style of play, and work with the players to bed them in (and get their buy in)

Its simple (not to say easy). We have 90% of the players required, we now just need a steady hand to guide them
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...


Yep new left back and maybe bony or lukaku , sell a few deadwoods and bobs your uncle a full team. As you say most important thing now is a manager\system of play.
 
I would be very impressed, and very surprised, if a new manager manages to prevent something we would refer to as "overhaul" this summer. This will likely end up both good and bad at the end (in the eyes of the supporters at least), but I like to hope mostly good if the decision-makers in the window can keep in mind the mistakes of last summer.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top