Everyone we have signed in recent years - apart from our backup goalkeepers - have been in good form or one of their team’s best players. We don’t sign reclamation projects anymore.
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Spurs will not let him go that cheap, even if he’s out of favour at the moment. They would still command a decent fee I think. He’s got about 4 years left on his deal, that is a lot. He still represents certain value and potential for a club like Spurs.
Unless someone really wants him, you never know what some top clubs can do (like a Real or PSG, often focusing more on individuals and then from there trying to find the best way to continue winning trophies rather than necessarily the style of play dictating transfer activity).
I think the best solution at the moment for him is to look at himself on and off the pitch, shut put, put his head down, go back to basics, work hard and try and get back playing… if not as a regular starter, then at least in rotation. And then from that position, he and Spurs can maybe get more interest and a better deal.
I doubt that Ndombele is a #10 long term for them. There’s a potential spot alongside Hojbjerg in midfield (part of their team where I still see many problems, I don’t think even Hojbjerg is that great for where they want to arrive as a team). Sissoko is not a player for that, we saw how Mourinho was afraid of playing him centrally against our press. So if Ndombele continues improving, he might be pulled back deeper and that #10 slot becomes available again. But who knows how it evolves, because Kane now operates slightly deeper than before as well. It’s almost like he’s the one who partly also replaced Alli in Spurs’ system.
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I was summoned. State your wish humans…
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I share this sentiment about me !
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I think the common thread amongst us is we tried to warn everyone about Werner. I think we were all unified in our dislike.
To a lesser degree Havertz. He’s a much more likable bloke than Werner but also coming with a buyer beware sign.
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The best available CB right now. Price no object.
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I could not agree more. Has to be done. Matip cannot be relied on and Williams lacks experience and his lack of even average pace will cripple us. I hope Klopp is looking at a long term partner for VVD, not a stop gap.
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Yep, buy a central defender. Preferably one who looks at the group and fancies his chances to be the long term partner for VVD. If Gomez responds and gets the nod, it’s a good problem to have.
A lot of the young prospects might not come in and do a good enough job right away, so I’m leaning towards Koulibaly perhaps?
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Not so sure about Koulibaly but we need a quality centre half brought in asap with a view to the long term plan. This is not a knee jerk reaction to today’s game either, Matip has shown for years he’s a injury liability. I get no joy from saying this either but I don’t think Williams will make it at the top level and if the plan is to use him to partner Fabinho until VVD returns or Matip turns up for a sporadic appearance then its all going to end in tears. We have managed to get to the Window top of the league which being honest when VVD and Gomez went down I thought it would be impossible, it would be a massive mistake not to bring buy a centre half now.
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Sven Botman perhaps? Really seems to be kicking on at Lille.
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I honestly haven’t seen enough of him.I hope the scouting system at the club already have targets identified.
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If not, someone should be fired
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A durable and capable CB is a must in January!
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Not sure how long Matip is going to be out this time, but it didn’t look good. I’d expect him to spend at least half the time out between now and the end of the season.
That leaves us with a converted midfielder, a mid table centre back (Philips) and a young man (Williams) who - whilst very promising - any side looking to compete on three fronts wouldn’t want to be playing week in week out.
It’s just not credible for a side of our quality, to be so undermined by injury prone centre backs.
You just can’t only have three senior centre backs at the club, when two are so injury prone, and exiting the transfer window with the same scenario, with your top man out for the season, would be reckless.
Football isn’t the same just now, but there are trophies for the taking, and in ten years what we win now will count towards our standing as a club.
You don’t undermine world class full backs, a quality midfield, and world class forwards, by running with a completely unacceptable situation in central defence.
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Go buy a centre back we believe could be Virgil’s partner week in week out. Sod the short term, gap filling, can do a job for a bit option.
We’ve no idea how long until Virg or Gomez will be back and how they’ll look once they are. And let’s be fair, Gomez has looked out of sorts since last season restarted and may have benefitted from some time out the side anyway.
He’s still relatively young for a CB but has a lot of experience for his age, you’ve just now got to worry about his durability or the risks of future issues with that knee.
Matip is about as resilient as soggy weetabix. He can’t be relied upon consistently but would make an excellent fourth choice until we see if one of the kids has what’s needed to step up to that role.
Phillips was supposed to be gone in the summer. Williams is young and whilst he’s looked okay his lack of pace is an attribute he’s unlikely to be able to improve and so puts him at a disadvantage for the way we play. Koumetio got the biggun in the summer but clearly is behind those two and possibly van den Berg now.
Would have been really interesting to see what Hoever might have done had he still been here but unfortunate timing on letting him go.
All this to me says we need a proper partner for VVD type of centre back. If we can get that player in January then we should. It could potentially be the difference in winning another title. Hold off until the summer and we may have more options but no longer be in possession of the title.
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I have an unpleasant feeling Gomez could really struggle to come back from this one. I think I read that it’s about the worst injury a player can have, and this is a player who is no stranger to fucking his knees.
We’ll see what happens, but I suspect if we do go and buy a long term partner for Van Dijk, there are worries about the condition that Gomez is going to return in.
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And agree on Williams. The kid has everything else, but if he needs to to sprint back it’s like he’s running through treacle. He could do really well in a deeper defence, but I think he’s going to be caught out in our system.
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I totally agree with the posts above. Buy a centre half with enough quality to straight into the side and also be a partner for VVD next season. There is a huge question mark over Gomez in terms of his knee and Matip simply cannot be relied upon. I don’t see an imediate solution from the junior ranks either because I don’t think Williams has enough pace and Philips was on the way out and Billy is still a bit young.
Its a cut throat business, time to be ruthless with Matip and also Keita. Both have quality but neither can sustain fitness.
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Players like them can be ok as luxury players but not as part of the meat and bones of the side. We have Matip in a role we rely on, more so than ever with VvD and Gomez out. He is actually the reason we need another CB not them two being out. It wouldn’t be ideal with Matip and Gomez both out but if we had VvD fit playing week in week out and partnered with Fabinho would we still need a CB? Maybe but it would definitely be a replacement for one of Matip or Gomez not an addition. Keita we don’t rely on but he’s also not good enough that we HAVE to use him when he’s fit. Same with Ox and Shaqiri. If we didn’t have them would it negatively effect us? I feel like those 3 are just bodies filling up the numbers now. Sad but think Matip, Keita, Ox and Shaqiri all need to move on. Wijnaldum is leaving (seemingly) and Origi needs to go. Add Wilson, Grujic etc on loan and I think significant room, wages and fees would be created for maybe 3/4 coming in.
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Club needs to snap up Konate from Leipzig quick smart. Weaken their defence before the CL tie whilst strengthening ours. Send them back Keita wrapped in bandages if we have to, he won’t be available till Guinea’s next game anyway.
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