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But "offering balance" isnt an attribute is it? What does that even really mean?
If anything he makes us unbalanced? As soon as he wins the ball he's laying it off to someone else. If our game is about possession and attacking what good is a player thats only good when we don't have the ball???
That is abysmal, and the absolute answer to his departure. Sad as his loss is I don't see how his departure is in question.
Don't bring ME into this dude!
In a way, I wonder whether the Sandro debate on here reflects the problem we have at Spurs.
We've been buying a host of players that polarise opinion as to whether they're any good - Sandro, Holtby, Paulinho, Capoue etc etc. We then compound that problem by the manager being unsure too!
We seem to have far too few players that everyone agrees is shit hot.
We've been buying a host of players that polarise opinion as to whether they're any good - Sandro, Holtby, Paulinho, Capoue etc etc. We then compound that problem by the manager being unsure too!
We seem to have far too few players that everyone agrees is shit hot.
In our last fourth place season we had Modric, Bale, and King all of whom would have gotten into any team in the league. Now isn't Lloris the only player a team like City would give a second look to? We also had the reigning FWA player of the year in Parker, VDV who despite his ability to only play 60 minutes was certainly top 4 quality, young player of the year Kyle Walker, and Adebayor who had a brilliant season and is certainly top four quality when in the mood.
Since then we've built a real squad full of immense depth like the top four mainstays do. However, we still haven't replaced that first eleven quality that we had. Hopefully with the continued development of younger players like Eriksen, Lamela, Bentaleb and a healthy and happy campaign from Adebayor, Vertonghen, Capoue, and Walker we'll reestablish a reliable and top quality starting eleven. Our depth is not a question, it's top end quality we need to sort.
Winning the ball and passing it - I don't have any problems with that. Parker was exceptional at that - just win it, and play a simple ball retaining possession, rather than trying to pick out 2 foot Lennon 90 yards away on the corner flag.
Not ALL players have to be involved in the attack. That's why I said he is a player that offers us something different. I don't see a like-for-like 'enforcer' in our squad. Against some teams (Stoke, West Ham, Hull) we will look a bit lightweight in the middle.
Unless Stambouli is that sort of player? Not seen him.
Summary: We do not have another Sandro in the squad (unlike Holtby of which he is easily replaced). I don't think we can question what he does or his ability, the bloke deserves more respect than that, regardless of whether you are in the Sandro love-in camp or not.
We retained Naughton. Problem solved.
i get your point but the thing is, Sandro only offers something when off the ball, and the way we play now is about having the ball as much as possible. If we're having 60% possesion what good is it having someone in our team thats only useful for the other 40%?
Yes Sandro runs around and tackles... but the point of our current system is that everyone does that. Look at Paulinhos goal the other night, Chirices, a CB, won the ball on the edge of the oponents area. If our whole team is pressing and tackling, what is the point of having one specific player that does only that?
Surely you'd rather have 10 ball playing footballers on the pitch? 11 if you include Hugo... Think of it this way. Name a team in the top four that has a player thats a complete passenger half the time?
Sandro is a little bit like the modern-Spurs version of Freund (but with a goal in him at least!)
We can all SEE their limitations, yet 'Pride & Passion' and a bit of Crazy gets you way more time to expose your deficiencies, than say a big money, high profile signing!
Both are likeable, and both are the sort of players you hate to face (QPR away will be emotional!)
But ultimately, neither would be anywhere near a PROPER Top-Top Four team!
...and that's what we all have to come to terms with, deep down.
Either he stays, and we show ourselves for what we really are, (Top 6 at best) or we reluctantly let him go, and TRY at least to make a statement of intention, as to WHERE we'd like to be!
We can all SEE their limitations, yet 'Pride & Passion' and a bit of Crazy gets you way more time to expose your deficiencies, than say a big money, high profile signing!
Both are likeable, and both are the sort of players you hate to face (QPR away will be emotional!)
But ultimately, neither would be anywhere near a PROPER Top-Top Four team!
...and that's what we all have to come to terms with, deep down.
Either he stays, and we show ourselves for what we really are, (Top 6 at best) or we reluctantly let him go, and TRY at least to make a statement of intention, as to WHERE we'd like to be!
But I don't believe he is a passenger. He can pick a pass, he can run with the ball, but his game in general when in possession is simple, pass and move.
I don't think that's a bad trait.
He certainly isn't "useless 60% of the time". He wouldn't be playing Premier League football if that were the case.
I take your point, we are going in a new direction - I accept that. But the tackle you mention against AEL could have easily been Sandro rather than Chiriches. I tell you who it wouldn't have been - Bentaleb. Or Lennon. Or Townsend.
Agree that we are now (apart from against Liverpool!) playing a pressing game and should be winning the ball all over the pitch, forcing mistakes and retaining possession. I think Sandro could contribute to that system as well as others still in the team, as well as offering more defensively whilst playing in that deep role.
If we use the Holtby to Fulham analogy, there were big clubs after him, but he chose QPR so he could drive the same car to work everyday by staying in London.
If Sandro was that much of a world beater he would not be a QPR.
Though will miss his passion.
Though will miss his passion.
I'm pissed off that we never got to see a sustained partnership of these two players mopping up for seasons to come. They are different animals and Poch went down in my estimations because potentially they are about as fearsome as it gets. Im so fucking sick of some of the mincers we have that duck out of games. Pundits constantly making jokes about soft Spurs and how prone we are to collapse. Mincy wingydingz getting thier tats and shaving slits in thier eyebrows when they are about as gangsta as a fucking schoolgirl.
I wanted us to dazzle up front with Lameka and Eriksen being the flip coin of a top midfields nightmare in Sandro and Capoue.
I'm starting to think that none of the managers will get it. Selling the Sandros and extending contracts to the Roses of the team will keep us soft as shit.
There is a flip side though.
The worst player thread IMO proves that managers get mugged by low contact training sessions.
It was filled with Rose, Soldado, Townsend, Lennon and Naughton posts. So we all seem to know where the rot is.
While none of us can agree on the best, we all seem to agree that the young, dumb, flashy weak core of this team is on the flanks.
Poch removing pillars like Sandro runs the risk of revealing just how fucking terrible some players team ethic is.
Sandros last 2 competative games we won comfortably. We could have done with him vs Liverpool. To sell as asset like that for peanuts is unforgivable. You can't put a price tag on his level of will and determination.
I was never that convinced by Sandro but you're right about the soft underbelly and lack of a fear factor. We definitely lack that although Dier's slide tackle on Ballotelli shows potential.
Every successful team has a few nasty bastards. Our double-winning side had a fair smattering of hard bastards.
Perryman, Roberts, Yorath and Miller in the early 80s shook up a few opponents.
I miss that too.
i dont consider Sandro much of a "hard bastard". Certainly no more than Capoue.
We have yet to see stamboli his replacement and how he might fit into the mix.
QPR ruined Sandro in the first place. :walker:
Honestly hope he does well there, stays injury free and keeps them up.
Then gets bought by a big italian club or something.
Honestly hope he does well there, stays injury free and keeps them up.
Then gets bought by a big italian club or something.
Beal. My favorite chav who only registers anything positive if it results something as obvious as a goal.