Spurs XI: name 4 better Prem players in each position?
- Thread starter GlastonSpur
- Start date
I don't disagree that Pogba will make your midfield better and that a healthy Shaw (which is far from a certainty over the course of a season) will make your defense better. That would be silly. But let me ask you this....do you think it's possible that Spurs' defense and midfield also improve? Consistency as a team, another season of training under Pochettino, further grasping the system, young players maturing. Or is signing new players the only way to improve your team?
As for the last point, couldn't you just as easily say the opposite? That its perfectly understandable that Spurs could easily finish inside the top 4?
I guess my point is, and I've made it in the Spurs thread, that many people speak with all this certainty that United, Chelsea and City will be miles and miles better than they were last season (and it could be....we'll see) yet there seems to be no credence given to the sentiment that Spurs could also improve on last season's performances. Makes it seem like Spurs have surely hit their ceiling and there's no possible way they'll get any better. I just find that to be incredibly short sighted. But no worries. We have a whole season to see exactly how this will all play out. And it can't get here soon enough.
Edit:: also, Chelsea and Arsenal have fantastic strikers?? Who are these players of which you speak?!?
Sorry mate but you're tarnished from Glaston. All I read is... I can't be bothered you'll finish sixth.
I would do it but I don't have the time right now, get back to you later.
Well that's a relief
This thread is pretty flawed. As of now, our opinions on PL players stand as they were at the end of last season. Which obviously goes against the point of this being a "new" season. Teams are hugely influenced by new managers, new coaches the general tides of form over time and new team mates to play with.
I think Spurs have a good squad but a lot for them, in the absence of some bigger spending, deoends on how quickly the new managers can implement what they want. If Pep, Mourinho and co take time, Spurs can challenge foe the title again. If not, I see them as 3rd/4th place challengers.
I think Spurs have a good squad but a lot for them, in the absence of some bigger spending, deoends on how quickly the new managers can implement what they want. If Pep, Mourinho and co take time, Spurs can challenge foe the title again. If not, I see them as 3rd/4th place challengers.
Yeah seriously. Who needs a full post? I'll just keep it simple from now on.
Lloris (GK): De Gea, Courtois, Cech
Walker (RB): Bellerin, Sagna, Azpilicueta
Rose (LB): Shaw, Montreal, Clichy, Fuchs
Alderweireld & Vertonghen (CB partnership): Smalling & Blind, Morgan & Huth, Terry & Cahill, Kosc & Mertesacker (Shkodrani?)
Dier & Dembele (CM pairing): Kante/Matic and Fabregas, Gundogan & Fernandinho, Pogba & Herrera, Xhaka & random midget
Alli (central AM): Silva, Mata, De Bruyne, Ozil, Coutinho
Lamela (right AM): Mahrez, Alexi Sanchez, Mkhitaryan, Willian
Eriksen (left AM): Payet, Hazard, Martial, Ramsey
Kane (striker): Aguero, Zlatan, Vardy, Sturridge
Poch (manager): Wenger, Klopp, Conte, Ranieri, Pep, Mou, Conte
Walker (RB): Bellerin, Sagna, Azpilicueta
Rose (LB): Shaw, Montreal, Clichy, Fuchs
Alderweireld & Vertonghen (CB partnership): Smalling & Blind, Morgan & Huth, Terry & Cahill, Kosc & Mertesacker (Shkodrani?)
Dier & Dembele (CM pairing): Kante/Matic and Fabregas, Gundogan & Fernandinho, Pogba & Herrera, Xhaka & random midget
Alli (central AM): Silva, Mata, De Bruyne, Ozil, Coutinho
Lamela (right AM): Mahrez, Alexi Sanchez, Mkhitaryan, Willian
Eriksen (left AM): Payet, Hazard, Martial, Ramsey
Kane (striker): Aguero, Zlatan, Vardy, Sturridge
Poch (manager): Wenger, Klopp, Conte, Ranieri, Pep, Mou, Conte
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Leicester XI: Name 4 better Prem players in each position before the start of last season?
Lloris (GK): De Gea
Walker (RB):
Rose (LB): Luke Shaw
Alderweireld & Vertonghen (CB partnership):
Dier & Dembele (CM pairing):Kante, Matic and Fabregas.
Alli (central AM): De Bruyne, Silva, Pogba(if he comes).
Lamela (right AM): Mahrez, Mkhitaryan, Sanchez
Eriksen (left AM): Hazard, Martial
Kane (striker): Aguero,
Walker (RB):
Rose (LB): Luke Shaw
Alderweireld & Vertonghen (CB partnership):
Dier & Dembele (CM pairing):Kante, Matic and Fabregas.
Alli (central AM): De Bruyne, Silva, Pogba(if he comes).
Lamela (right AM): Mahrez, Mkhitaryan, Sanchez
Eriksen (left AM): Hazard, Martial
Kane (striker): Aguero,
Damn, thread locked. Wrap it up.
Not saying you have no chance of improving. Just pointing out that despite having probably one of your best seasons with all the usual contenders failing for one reason or the other, you didn't ever come close to challenging for the title seriously and finished very close to your average points finish over the last few years.
While United was having a horrible season on many counts while being led by a dinosaur, we still came within 4 points of your points tally. Basically all that means is that you needed one poor game while we were one good result away from being above you. I know it is all ifs and buts - however the fact that you didn't really improve much on your average points tally tells me that Spurs aren't really all that despite all the hype.
Obviously agree that we didn't come close to winning it. Yet some will say we bottled the title. What we did bottle was second. Had no business finishing below Arsenal. I think our young squad, which lacked depth, ran out of steam at the end and we produced some shocking results. If we had a bit more in the tank this might not have happened and Spurs would have finished more than 4 points ahead of United, but, again, ifs and buts as you say.
But I think you also need to look at the performances... we generally played better stuff than just about every team bar Leicester over the course of the entire season. Again, depth and youth caught up with us and prevented the points tally from being higher but I think, from a match performance perspective, we're starting at a higher level to build on than say United or Chelsea...who put in some pretty shocking performances last season even in matches they didn't lose. Now that's not to say that the Mourinho and Conte systems won't come in and immediately transform the United and Chelsea performances, skyrocketing them past Spurs, but that's also not a guranteed thing. I mean, Mourinho was never supposed to fail as miserably as he ended up doing at Chelsea and LVG was supposed to be a major upgrade over Moyes.
Ultimately, you're right. The measure of a team is the points they finish with and that is how they are judged. But when evaluating a team heading into a new season I think it allows more room to also consider what lies underneath that points tally...the performances they put forth on the pitch. That's what gives me hope for Spurs heading into this season. After playing some really nice football last season our young players are a year older and more experienced, we've made some good signings to add depth in key areas, and Pochettino has had another year to work with the players and cement his philosophy. Lots of reasons to be excited heading into the season....tho I've always got my lilywhite-tinted specs on.
Sorry double post
I think it's about time everyone accepts Spurs have a quality first team. They only lack a World Class player like Hazard, Ozil, Aguero but they're still the most complete team in the League.
Unlike United (midfield), Chelsea (defence), Arsenal (striker), City (defence) & Liverpool (defence & midfield) they have no real weaknesses as a unit. They have the best pair of fullbacks in the League, great GK, best CB partnership, above average CM partnership, above average attacking midfielders & a striker coming off of back to back 20 goal seasons.
Replace Eriksen with Hazard & everyone would say they're favourites for the title.
Unlike United (midfield), Chelsea (defence), Arsenal (striker), City (defence) & Liverpool (defence & midfield) they have no real weaknesses as a unit. They have the best pair of fullbacks in the League, great GK, best CB partnership, above average CM partnership, above average attacking midfielders & a striker coming off of back to back 20 goal seasons.
Replace Eriksen with Hazard & everyone would say they're favourites for the title.
This has descended into another 'how good spurs really are' debate, hasn't it? I think the OP was quite clear, just name players who you think are better than the ones in the Spurs team in each position. How good Spurs season was last year, should really be for another thread, IMO.
My fault. I'll take it to the other Spurs thread.
Lloris (GK): De Gea, Cech, Gomes
Walker (RB): Bellerin,
Rose (LB): Luke Shaw, Azpilicueta, Fuchs, Moreno
Alderweireld & Vertonghen (CB partnership): Koscielny, Van Dijk, Smalling, Morgan
Dier & Dembele (CM pairing): Kante, Gueye, Noble, Matic
Alli (central AM): De Bruyne, Ozil, Barkley, Mane
Lamela (right AM): Mahrez, Sanchez
Eriksen (left AM): Hazard, Payet, Martial, Arnautovic
Kane (striker): Aguero, Vardy
Walker (RB): Bellerin,
Rose (LB): Luke Shaw, Azpilicueta, Fuchs, Moreno
Alderweireld & Vertonghen (CB partnership): Koscielny, Van Dijk, Smalling, Morgan
Dier & Dembele (CM pairing): Kante, Gueye, Noble, Matic
Alli (central AM): De Bruyne, Ozil, Barkley, Mane
Lamela (right AM): Mahrez, Sanchez
Eriksen (left AM): Hazard, Payet, Martial, Arnautovic
Kane (striker): Aguero, Vardy
Out of interest, you haven't made any big signings other than Wanyama, have you? Anyone being linked with you guys, who would improve the team further?
We've signed Janssen from AZ to back up Kane. He played really well in our most recent friendly against Inter and I think he's an exciting prospect, but you just never know with players from the Eredivisie.
We've been linked with N'koudou for awhile and I wouldn't be surprised if that deal was finalized in the near future. Again, more of a depth signing with good future potential as opposed to an immediate starter. His pace is much needed, but he wouldn't replace Lamela, Alli or Eriksen in the first 11.
i think part of the problem for spurs is that they have a lot of players that wouldnt look out of place in any team in the world but none that you'd consider WC or a nailed on starter in a team tthats going to win the league (except your cb's who are brilliant)
Theres no Aguerro, silva, KDB level players.
They're all close but fall a bit short imo
I can see dier and alli improving next season, maybe lamela too.
All 3 could have a tough year too though
I expect you to finish 5th or 6th basically but know id struggle to name 4 better players in each position.
Not without stretching and throwing in pretty debatable leicester or chelsea players
Theres no Aguerro, silva, KDB level players.
They're all close but fall a bit short imo
I can see dier and alli improving next season, maybe lamela too.
All 3 could have a tough year too though
I expect you to finish 5th or 6th basically but know id struggle to name 4 better players in each position.
Not without stretching and throwing in pretty debatable leicester or chelsea players
Actually think that makes sense. You have a pretty good first XI. Its your bench that needs strengthening.
Clyne at RB, Azpi at LB, Ozil at #10 and Aguero at CF. I'd even take Kane or Sturridge over (a 34 or 35 year old, not in his prime) Zlatan.
The OP is pointless. Why 4 in every position ? No sense to the question posed.
The problem for Spurs is that they had a good team last season too and still failed to make Top 2, and in fact only just finished in the Top 4, with most teams around them struggling and with sacrificing the EL for the PL. With strengthening in every team around them (managers, players, tactics, fitness) and with CL football too this season, it is going to be much tougher, they are however deepening the squad so they are not dependent on the luck they had with injuries last season.
Glaston, and other Spurs fans, is hanging his hat on their young team improving further this season, that may or may not happen but I'm sure for all the chest-puffing that Spurs fans would have loved to have seen actual first team strengthening in 2-3 positions and those incumbents dropped to the bench/squad.
34 year old zlatan is still a much better player then either sturridge or Kane. Its not even close actually. If you were building a team with the future in mind then sure, but hes second only to Aguero in the premier league for strikers.
Exactly. This thread is influenced heavily by last season performance. Dembele was poor for spurs but he had one good season now he is considered as one of the best.
Nobody has better players in any position and you're going to win the league, mate.
Kane i can kind of understand but sturridge is a total pisstake
Clyne too
Only a liverpool supporter would put either near a best 11
We will see. I said RvP would flop the season after he won you the league (due to age and fitness) and was howled down on here. It could be the same this season for Zlatan, this is by far, physically, the toughest league he will have played in and he is already (at his age it's a given) on the downward slope. Kane was top scorer in the PL last season, he is already better than Zlatan in this league and Zlatan will have to prove otherwise. Sturridge has been injury-free for 8 months now, if he truly stays that way he could have a very good season because he is certainly capable.
Your bias or mine ? Where's your list then ?
You also said Benteke would be great for you and many more predictions about Balotelli.
So what ? (Balo I said could be but it was still a gamble). We all get predictions wrong - yes even you. That doesn't mean this one is wrong.
So by that logic, if Ronaldo or Messi came to the league, kane would be better then them because they werent in the league last year? Bit of a shit argument. Ibrahimovic scored over 50 goals in all comps last season. I dont care how poor you say the french league is, its still over 50 goals and a total that no premier league player, not even aguero (because of injuries) would have reached.
As for RVP... his career was loaded with injuries. When he played in 13/14 he wasnt that bad, its just it was a stop start season for him but he still scored a decent amount of goals. Ibra has never had injury troubles and its why he has still been banging them in. We'll see though. I think its laughable to even think Kane or Sturridge are anywhere near Ibrahimovic, but there you go.
Clyne I can see, he is a pretty good player in a world of mediocre right backs. Sturridge is ridiculous though. He had one good season in his career where a large part was down to Suarez. Since then hes been either injured or a bit meh. Massively overrated player.
Is this because of the Inter Milan friendly? You gotta love friendlies, everyone looking for moral victory. If you lose 'ah our young lads did well, we didn't play full strength, our fitness wasn't our best' as if the other team was full fitness and were treating it like a final. And if you win? 'We are so good, we owned them'. It's just a friendly, even if your under 17 team beats their first team it is still only a friendly, all about fitness. Not to be taken so seriously.
You used your previous prediction as a support for your argument, which is very weak argument. Zlatan is physically freak, in superb shape.
Since I'm up early and bored here is my views on the apparent top 4 contenders - Arsenal, Spurs, City, United, Chelsea, Leicester, Liverpool and WHU in terms of the OP and player comparison;
Twigg's reply was epic.
(GK): DDG > Courtois > Cech > Lloris > Hart > Adrian > Schmeichel > Mignolet
(RB): Antonio > Clyne > Sagna > Bellerin > Ivanovic > Walker > Valencia > Simpson
(LB): Monreal > Azi > Shaw > Cresswell > Fuchs > Rose > Clichy > Moreno
(CB partnership): Spurs > Chelsea > City > Leicester > United > Arsenal > Liverpool > WHU
(CM pairing): City > Chelsea > Arsenal > Spurs > WHU > United > Leicester > Liverpool
(central AM): KDB > Ozil > Countinho > Fabregas > Alli > Lanzini > Rooney > Okazaki
(right AM): Mahrez > Mkhitaryan > Feghouli > Sane > Willian > Mane > Lamela > Ramsey
(left AM): Payet > Sanchez > Hazard > Nolito > Martial > Firmino > Musa > Eriksen
(striker): Aguero > Zlatan > Kane > Costa > Sturridge > Vardy > Giroud > Carroll
Average
City/Chelsea
Arsenal
United
Spurs/WHU
Liverpool
Leicester
So based on the average my league table would be the above, which is pretty similar to what I think for this season. Although expect United to finish above Arsenal.
(RB): Antonio > Clyne > Sagna > Bellerin > Ivanovic > Walker > Valencia > Simpson
(LB): Monreal > Azi > Shaw > Cresswell > Fuchs > Rose > Clichy > Moreno
(CB partnership): Spurs > Chelsea > City > Leicester > United > Arsenal > Liverpool > WHU
(CM pairing): City > Chelsea > Arsenal > Spurs > WHU > United > Leicester > Liverpool
(central AM): KDB > Ozil > Countinho > Fabregas > Alli > Lanzini > Rooney > Okazaki
(right AM): Mahrez > Mkhitaryan > Feghouli > Sane > Willian > Mane > Lamela > Ramsey
(left AM): Payet > Sanchez > Hazard > Nolito > Martial > Firmino > Musa > Eriksen
(striker): Aguero > Zlatan > Kane > Costa > Sturridge > Vardy > Giroud > Carroll
Average
City/Chelsea
Arsenal
United
Spurs/WHU
Liverpool
Leicester
So based on the average my league table would be the above, which is pretty similar to what I think for this season. Although expect United to finish above Arsenal.
Twigg's reply was epic.
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Do you go out of your way to make the top 10 worst posts on this site? Or are you just clueless?
I'll go with the latter...