I'm curious to see where we play Sissoko, whether it's in CM as a Dembele style midfielder or in AM.
The Spurs thread | 2016-2017 season | Serious thread - wummers/derailers will be threadbanned
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With CL football to contend with, I can see Spurs having a challenging season.
Just have the feeling with the signings made. Sissoko doesn't play the same role but money paid means Sissoko will be starter. Think he'd play in midfield, same with Dembele who is important player. Poch brought Wanyama in who he rates highly too, who obviously will be direct competitor for place with Dier.
Spurs fans, if you all had to guess, what would be your starting XIs after the international break?
I'm not happy about Sissoko for the money involved, but if Poch wants him then I'll trust that for now and hope it works out.
Otherwise, for me it's all been about what I thought it would and should be: (a) improving the squad depth rather than signing first XI players (since these IMO are already pretty good), which I think we've largely achieved; and (b) opening up some spaces for some more promising academy/youth players to come through.
Will it be enough? We'll see, but I think we'll make it out of the CL group stages at least and have a good chance of top 4 again.
Don't really think so personally.
Our CL group is basically a Europa League group and we're pretty darn used to that and in fact I think getting to play on Saturdays again may even make it easier. Then if we get through that and get knocked out by a top team will it really have drained us anymore than the Europa League ever has?
Wouldn't bank on it - Poch doesn't roll like that. This is the guy who said "you sign to train".
Not to mention Wanyama was bought more as Dier cover if anything.
I'd expect some regular rotation, but I'd also expect Dier playing in more games than not.
You are less likely to rest players in the CL in the same manner you rested players in the EL, I'd assume.
Well we didn't rest them very much during the group stages of the Europa. We typically rotate FBs if they have to play twice in a week and then 2 or 3 outfield players. Pretty standard fare.
I think many fans think we rotated the entire 11 every game or something because all they ever watched was Dortmund.
Plus the players bought were for the very purpose of resting:
Janssen to rest Kane.
Nkodou to rest an AM.
Wanyama to rest Dier.
Sissoko because even at his worst he's still a better rotation option than Mason (though I love him).
Not to mention, like I said our group is basically a EL group, so why would we be less likely to rest players?
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I'm not entirely sold on the players brought in tbh, Wanyama is good, Sissoko is meh and the others we'll learn about more during the season.
I just don't know whether you've strengthened enough to maintain your top 4 slot for another season, especially when you consider the manner in which United/City and Chelsea have set off this season.
The bottom is a fair point. For that we'll have to see.
But CL? Nah. It looks like the same old for us really.
Fair enough, and you're right about not having to play Thursday/Sunday as being an advantage.
Will need Kane back firing soon ASAP though.
After watching them against Liverpool, I think they needed him. If Dembele doesn't play, their midfield has no drive.
I do wish they strengthened a bit more, would prefer them to eek out Liverpool and Arsenal (would be nice to see the meltdown) for 4th.
I think that is key - we really lacked a powerful and direct presence in our midfield who could burst through and cause mayhem. Sissoko has that ability. I trust Poch to get him fitter, hungrier and more consistent.
Pochettino seems to be a great motivator, his players also seem to love him. I think that he could take Moussa up a level or two.
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Sissoko for 30mil, the fans up here on Facebook are in hysterics at that price
this is key for me, they had a chance to cement top 4 and instead of getting in star quality that would of won them the league they brought in more spurs standard players bit like what Liverpool do each year, failure to build on success is what will cost them again.
Sissoko for 30mil, the fans up here on Facebook are in hysterics at that price
Dodgy transfer window culminating in a last minute big spend on a player who was awful last season. Doesn't look good. Will see how things pan out.
I think they've had a poor to average window all things considered. With Champions League commitments this year I think they'll need a third consecutive super season from Kane to finish in the top 4. At the moment I don't see them overtaking Arsenal or Chelsea.
The price is crazy, we can all agree on that. What I'm very happy with is that for the first time in many years Levy has completely backed his manager. This is the most important thing about this window.
Surely improving your squad knowing United and city have solid managers now and will recruit Chelsea should be stronger who knows with liverpool.
Seems like he's let everyone catch up / over take
I'd argue we have improved our squad in areas we needed to improve. Our first team is very strong and young, hard to know who would have improved them without spending mega bucks - it was all about squad building this window and we have done a good job of it imo.
Will it be enough? I have no idea, but I trust our manager to get the best out of the players we have.
The likes of Utd, Chelsea, City were always going to catch-up/overtake us no matter what we did - we can't compete with their spending power.
How can you not compete! You've earned bucket loads and can waste 30m on a player from the championship
We can't compete on wages for a start - we can't compete on transfer fees either - Sissoko and Lamela are our two biggest signings in our clubs history and neither of them cost over £30 million. You look at the likes of Liverpool as an example and they can pay players £100k+ a week and afford to pay big transfer fees without needing to worry so much about balancing the books. We have to sell players to get others in, we are in a different world to the many of the top teams in the league - proves just what an outstanding job Levy and Poch are doing right now that we are able to compete when it comes to the matches.
They didn't bring anyone in to take them to the next level. I was expecting them to make a massive signing or at least one of the top youngsters in world football but they have signed a overrated midfielder who has had around 10 good games in the 3 years he's been in the Prem in Sissoko. When he's on top of his game, he's brilliant but he won't last long if he reproduces what he did at Newcastle.
Admittedly I haven't seen much of N'Kodou but I doubt he's a player who will take them to the next level, at least not short-term but will add good depth of the bench. Wanyama is a decent enough midfielder but hardly strengthens their first 11, while Janssen is good but doubt he will ever amount to a top class striker.
Admittedly I haven't seen much of N'Kodou but I doubt he's a player who will take them to the next level, at least not short-term but will add good depth of the bench. Wanyama is a decent enough midfielder but hardly strengthens their first 11, while Janssen is good but doubt he will ever amount to a top class striker.
You are very quick to right off N'Koudou and Janssen. How about giving them a few months before deciding you don't think they are good enough.
Think about the best players in our squad.
How many of them did you think were amazing purchases when we bought them and would take us to the next level? We tend to get the most out of the lest heralded.
Yes, terms were agreed with Real Madrid as well as personal terms agreed with Isco, then he changed his mind and decided to stay at Real.
Yes that was the reason for the delay.Stuck in London for over a monthonly managed to start training last week. Marseille had some ownership problems but don't think that'd be enough to explain the delay.
From Isco to Sissoko
@GlastonSpur
What role do you envisage him playing for you - part of the attacking trio like he was for France (RW I believe) or sort of a driving midfielder in a 2-man midfield?
There's a real physical presence developing in the Spurs team which I haven't really associated with any of your teams before; with Walker, Wanyama, Dier, Janssen, Kane, Alderweireld and Dembele etc. Sissoko definitely adds to this. Sounds like a pretty tough team to face but I'm really curious to know what Poch thinks Sissoko can add.
What role do you envisage him playing for you - part of the attacking trio like he was for France (RW I believe) or sort of a driving midfielder in a 2-man midfield?
There's a real physical presence developing in the Spurs team which I haven't really associated with any of your teams before; with Walker, Wanyama, Dier, Janssen, Kane, Alderweireld and Dembele etc. Sissoko definitely adds to this. Sounds like a pretty tough team to face but I'm really curious to know what Poch thinks Sissoko can add.
If Isco suddenly changes his mind and decides to stay at Real after terms are agreed there is nothing you can do about that. When that happens, where do you suppose you can suddenly recruit another Isco level player in the last couple of hours of the transfer window?From Isco to Sissoko
Try and sign a player when there's time left in the transfer window to allow for such scenarios?
I think both roles at various times. Poch likes versatility and depending who needs to be rested or injured, Sissoko can step in. Definitely a rotation candidate for Dembele, that's important, he is much better driving forward like Dembele does than Wanyama who is more defensive minded.
We couldn't do that in Isco's case. He spent the whole summer making up his mind what to do. Finally agreed to come to spurs and then changed his mind again.
You got 70 points last year. The only reason they took you to the next level is because the biggest clubs crapped the bed last season.
09/10: 70 points
10/11: 62 points
11/12: 69 points
12/13: 72 points
13/14: 69 points
14/15: 64 points
15/16: 70 points
Your argument would likely be that considering the age of the squad that it's likely your players will develop and progress to be better than they were last year, but growth is not always linear. It doesn't seem like to me that you added players to the squad who will genuinely challenge your starters and potentially improve your starting XI this season. Maybe it will happen in a year or two from now, but who knows how different players will feel about remaining at the club if you don't get top 4 and bigger clubs that can offer better wages come knocking.
Spurs are a good team, but this summer feels like a lost opportunity to capitalize on a promising foundation with CL football to offer and at a time when the big clubs were perhaps at their most vulnerable.
The only way this makes sense is if Pochettino wants to play more 4-3-3/4-5-1 with Dembele, Alli and Sissoko now giving him 3 guys who can play box to box in front of 1 of Wanyama or Dier.
Crazy to think Spurs could presumably have had Ousmane Dembele giving them width with this money. Would have changed their ceiling tremendously. Has to be some other winger out there with Hazard/Sanchez potential.
Crazy to think Spurs could presumably have had Ousmane Dembele giving them width with this money. Would have changed their ceiling tremendously. Has to be some other winger out there with Hazard/Sanchez potential.
It's good at least some club took advantage of Spurs panic buying. 30 Million for Sissoko is a great deal for Newcastle.
I don't think he will be a starter, he isn't better than what they have. They left it too late and paid the price.
I don't think he will be a starter, he isn't better than what they have. They left it too late and paid the price.
Sissoko for 30m is laughable. What a ridiculous deal.
Very mediocre window for a team that was chasing the leaders for most of the campaign last season. Spurs should go back to being Spurs this season. 6th or 7th is my guess.
Was there any truth to the Max Meyer rumours? That kid is going to be a star and would've been a good pick up.
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