05 Nov 2013 17:37:15
Davo (and others)
I am not deliberately trying to be provocative, but I get frustrated when people constantly criticise the players that are actually playing well while ignoring the elephant in the room: some of our new players are under-performing to a degree that is starting to be a real concern.
I often seem to be the odd man out when people talk about our players and I have been wondering why. I think the answer might lie in the old saying: familiarity breeds contempt.
When players have been around for a while, people get to know their strengths and weaknesses and the limit of their potential. If someone has just been a good, dependable player for a couple of years, he is not suddenly going to turn into a great one. As soon as fans realise this, they want fresh faces with greater potential.
But 'fresh faces' and 'greater potential' is not the same thing. Mostly, we just swop one set of strengths and weaknesses for another one.
However, fans always live in hope, so when new players first arrive there is a tendency to over-estimate what they are actually doing and under-estimate what the established players are doing. The cry is always: "out with the old and in with the new."
I am more cautious. I believe in the value of continuity and I prefer solid achievement to flashy promise, so I tend to be sceptical about the quality of our new players until they have actually proved it.
For me, Soldado still has a lot to prove, despite his 6 goals in 11 games.
Similarly, we spent a shed load of money on Lamela, presumably in the hope he would eventually make up for the loss of Bale. I hope he does, but he is another player who hasn't shown me anything yet. Unless he is a lot better than I have seen so far (and I do mean a lot), he could end up making Bentley look like good value for money.
There is another old saying I would mention: be careful what you wish for, because you might just get it.
For a couple of years people have been begging Levy to open his chequebook and spend big. Well, this summer we did spend big. The question is whether we spent well. I hope so, because we will be living with the consequences of this spending spree for some time to come.
But for me, the jury is still very much out.
Spurs Banter Archive November 05 2013
Use our rumours form to send us spurs transfer rumours.
05 Nov 2013 10:19:07
how much longer will soldado have to suffer?
hes getting no service and his frustration is starting to show
weve bought a top striker and we are not playing to his strengths, hence his goal return from open play this season.
do we need to return the wingers to traditional roles to supply the crosses for him to convert or play as we are and hope he alters his way of playing to suit the style of play?
How much longer will we have to suffer Soldado?
Clearly, he is not getting much service at the moment, but at £26m we have right to expect more from him than this. You say we are not playing to his strengths, but what are his strengths? I am not seeing any at the moment. Even if we were firing in the crosses (as we should) where is the evidence that Soldado would get on the end of them?
If it was Adebayor, Crouch, Bent, Pavlyuchenko, or even Keane and Defoe, that was putting in these performances, we would be a lot more critical and a lot less willing to find excuses.
You say we bought a top striker, but I am starting to get worried. We paid for one, but that is not the same thing.
It is time for Soldado to step up and start to make things happen for himself.
I still hope he makes me look like an person.
Christ, there is no doubt we brought a top striker, but name me any striker that could survive with the service he is getting! We have Siggy and Townsend playing on the wings for h**ks sake! Neither know how to get to the bye line and put in a cross! It was amazing watching Townsend for England, taking players on and getting to the bye line, then CROSSING! Why can't he do it for Spurs? I for one am glad lennons back, at least he looks for a cross! Give Soldado the service and if he doesn't do the business then moan! Until then give him a break as he is not a bustling win the ball striker like Lukaka or Bentenke, but a finisher! How many chances have we made for him this season? Probably countable on two hands!
Soldado is a lot better than Defoe that's for sure. Everytime Defoe is given a chance he is useless, just whacks all his chances straight at the goalie. He only scores against lower teams in the Europa league. I do think it's about timr Adebayor is used and see what happens, surely its worth a go.