Not to mention a potentially career-limiting move.That's true, but it seems like a guy playing for a mid-table League 2 club is probably just excited to be on the field with these guys and taking out some guy like that would be heavily, heavily frowned upon.
Definitely, but keep Chelsea off the board is a big plus.I'll take a largely undeserved first leg victory. They are going to need to play much better at Stamford Bridge to advance.
My favorite Spur and player overall for some time. Shame he never got in the Belgium side more regularly. On his day, and when healthy, an absolute beast and a joy to watch.Oh... Mousa Dembele!
Sale of Dembele to a Chinese team confirmed for 11 million pounds.
This hasn't been confirmed and some reports are that if Spurs advance, Uefa is ok with the new stadium.As I understand it, if the Dortmund match is played at Wembley, so will any/all remaining CL matches be required. Even if New WHL is opened and available.
Major bummer.
I think they have enough flexibility that they just need another good player or two in the front six, not necessarily a CM. Alli and Eriksen in front of Dier is a very good midfield 3 with Winks/Wanyama/Skipp as depth. Of course that leaves huge holes up front.Kane out until March: Midfield is another story. They needed to buy at least one CM last summer, they probably need two now. Even when everyone is healthy a Sissoko/Dier/Winks/Wanyama rotation is not good enough, now that everyone is hurt they just need bodies.
Well, Rossi is without a club since he left Girona Genoa at the end of last season, and has spent the past while training with Manchester United, a club he spent three seasons at in the mid Aughties. With the transfer rumor machine being what it is, and with Harry Kane out for the next few weeks with a bum ankle, Rossi is being linked with a return to football with Tottenham Hotspur by Tuttosport (as reported by Sport Witness) and the Manchester Evening News.
Cast your mind back to this past summer when Spurs were heavily linked with Brazilian winger Malcom, then at Bordeaux. He didn’t sign with Spurs, obviously, and ended up signing for Barcelona, becoming their most expensive summer signing at €40m. He was then promptly sidelined, playing a grand total of 363 minutes for Barca this season, and you can generously say that he’s not in Ernesto Valverde’s plans.
Enter Spanish daily Sport, which is now reporting as of this morning that Barca is willing to let him already go this month, and that his agents are currently in negotiations with... you guessed it, Tottenham Hotspur. The report states that the transfer would initially be a six month loan, but that Spurs would compete a permanent signing this summer. The report goes as far to say that Malcom “probably” will be wearing lilywhite by the end of the month.
Since he's the only player that can consistently finish, I would put Dele up top. Have Lamela play one wing and have Eriksen play further up, which you can do now that Dier is back. Even if Aurier is still out, you could put Davies, Trippier, and Rose out there and have Davies play RMF. You could also get back to the 3-4-2-1, since that gets our best players on the field at onece. Llorente can get shot to the moon--he's useless.Looks like Lucus is back in training, but overall you’re right. I thought they could get by with lucus and lorrente up front, but that also requires dele in the midfield. This is going to be a rough stretch.
Unfortunately I don't think Dele is going to see the field for a couple weeks at least. But maybe Lucas can slot into that spot. Llorente had a terrible game, but I'm willing to give him a couple before I claim he's another Jansen. He actually has scored in the PL before and has showed flashes in limited time even with Spurs.Since he's the only player that can consistently finish, I would put Dele up top. Have Lamela play one wing and have Eriksen play further up, which you can do now that Dier is back. Even if Aurier is still out, you could put Davies, Trippier, and Rose out there and have Davies play RMF. You could also get back to the 3-4-2-1, since that gets our best players on the field at onece. Llorente can get shot to the moon--he's useless.
Lloris
Rose-CB1-CB2-Trippier
Davies-Dier-Winks
Eriksen
Dele-Lamela
Lloris
CB1-CB2-CB3
Davies-Dier-Winks-Trippier
Eriksen
Dele-Lamela
You're going to see Son, Dele and Kane on the pitch before you see Wanyama.Dele was the player that gave them some flexibility with Kane/Son out. They're really in big trouble the next 2 months. Their best 11 is pretty shaky and they have 0 depth. A best case lineup right now is probably something like:
Toby-Sanchez-Jan
Trippier-Dier-Winks-Rose
Lucas-Lamela-Eriksen
With Davies, Foyth, and Wanyama (if healthy) the only remotely proven backups. That's not a *terrible* 11 in terms of overall talent, but who is going to score goals? They're really not in a position to be playing for 0-0 draws and eek-ing out 1-0 wins.
Soooo....2 remotely proven backups then. :-(You're going to see Son, Dele and Kane on the pitch before you see Wanyama.
Oh, I don't know if he's gonna score them, but Lamela is likely frothing at the mouth for the opportunities he's going to get.That's not a *terrible* 11 in terms of overall talent, but who is going to score goals?
I'm the biggest Lamela homer out there. I named my pub team after him - Lamelatonin. But the dude is just not capable of finishing with any consistency. He's frankly lucky to still be getting minutes due to the injuries. He's likely behind Moura in the pecking order, so 5th attacking option. I hope he steps up, but not holding my breath.Oh, I don't know if he's gonna score them, but Lamela is likely frothing at the mouth for the opportunities he's going to get.
If one of these guys steps up and pots a few he's going to become a club hero.
Oh, I know. But he's gonna go balls to the wall to try.I'm the biggest Lamela homer out there. I named my pub team after him - Lamelatonin. But the dude is just not capable of finishing with any consistency.
I think you are being too hard on Lamela here. Lamela has turned into a very useful player that's just very different from what Spurs thought they were getting when they signed him. He's not the goal-scoring wide forward Spurs had hoped for, but instead he's a very good ball-progressing attacking midfielder who is good in possession, can create for others, and is excellent at pressing. His lack of goalscoring + Spurs' midfield weaknesses that have led Poch to abandon the intense pressing from the front and play more on the break means that Son has largely replaced him in the first team, where Son's pace on and off the ball and finishing are more valuable. But that's more a system thing and shouldn't obscure that Lamela is still quite good.I'm the biggest Lamela homer out there. I named my pub team after him - Lamelatonin. But the dude is just not capable of finishing with any consistency. He's frankly lucky to still be getting minutes due to the injuries. He's likely behind Moura in the pecking order, so 5th attacking option. I hope he steps up, but not holding my breath.
Spurs are in big trouble and they really need to try and scour the market for some low cost reinforcements stat. I'm thinking of guys playing in Germany, France, and Spain who are on expiring contracts with mid-tier clubs. The names I'm looking at are Max Kruse (Bremen), who's a 30 year old striker with 4 goals and 4 assists for 9th place Bremen. Adam Szalai (Hoffenheim) is a 31 year old striker having a decent season (4 goals, 2 assists) but he's blocked by Kramaric and Wunderkind Nelson. Sergi Enrich (Ye Mighty Eibar) is having a solid season (5G, 1A) but Eibar are stuck in 11th. A younger target could be Rachid Alioui (Nimes) who has 4 goals in Ligue 1 for 12th place Nimes. He's only 26 and this could be an exciting proposition. Time to take a limited Levy gamble and just get another option into the squad.
Damn that's some good analysis. And you're right that a big part of Lamela's game is his willingness to press and do it effectively. He's a tough sumbitch and I'm sure defenders hate seeing him on the pitch. As you pointed out, they had to relax on the pressing with the weakness in MF. If Sissoko and/or Wanyama get back soon, a hyper aggressive press might actually be Spurs' best bet to weather the injury storm. They will still have to figure out some tactics for the key matches against clubs who can break a press and possess (Chelsea, Dortmund, etc.), but it may help keep them in the Top 4.I think you are being too hard on Lamela here. Lamela has turned into a very useful player that's just very different from what Spurs thought they were getting when they signed him. He's not the goal-scoring wide forward Spurs had hoped for, but instead he's a very good ball-progressing attacking midfielder who is good in possession, can create for others, and is excellent at pressing. His lack of goalscoring + Spurs' midfield weaknesses that have led Poch to abandon the intense pressing from the front and play more on the break means that Son has largely replaced him in the first team, where Son's pace on and off the ball and finishing are more valuable. But that's more a system thing and shouldn't obscure that Lamela is still quite good.
He just scored.Llorente is truly horrifying today
Nope, penalties. Need one more to go through.He just scored.
So, Spurs park the bus now they're through.
Oh, not away goals huh? Booo.Nope, penalties. Need one more to go through.
Got rid of it this year for this cup, I assume to specifically screw Spurs.Oh, not away goals huh? Booo.