Jan Vertonghen

[diego_maradona]

Wimmer and Dier options for CB - Bentaleb and Dembele options for CM if Dier is needed to fill in. We aren't close to being stretched enough to dip in to the market imho

Agree. We should be able to cope, but it is of course an obvious blow.

We have a lot of games coming up and really could have been able to rotate and rest one of Alderweireld and Vertonghen intermittently without always having to fall back on Dier.

Saturday - Colchester
Tuesday - Norwich
Saturday - Watford
Sunday - Emirates Marketing Project
Thursday - Fiorentina
(Potentially FA Cup 5th round)
Thursday - Fiorentina

So almost two games a week for the next month. I think Pochettino has almost got to an ideal position with regards to full backs where rotating pairs hasn't seen any drop off in performance from the team.
Son, Chadli are now providing real competition to Eriksen, Alli and Lamela. Still have Onomah and Clinton (when available) to further fall back on.
Great to have Bentaleb back in the fold again to rotate with Carroll, Dier and Dembele.

I think the only places we simply can't afford to get an injury is now at CB and of course Kane. We'll copy but I would imagine it would have a detrimental effect on our overall performance.

We've got a good squad, and all members are really beginning to form important cogs in the overall picture.

 

[Pirate55]

Wimmer and Dier options for CB - Bentaleb and Dembele options for CM if Dier is needed to fill in. We aren't close to being stretched enough to dip in to the market imho

Please explain the need for Fazio in the squad then. If the manager isn't going to use him, why keep him in there. Surely a better option to your suggestions is sell Fazio and buy a better replacement. Simples.

 

[Baleforce]

it certainly appeared that we were trying to sell Fazio in the summer

I guess no one wants him badly enough to meet our valuation

 

[billyiddo]

Please explain the need for Fazio in the squad then. If the manager isn't going to use him, why keep him in there. Surely a better option to your suggestions is sell Fazio and buy a better replacement. Simples.

No I wouldn't say that was a better solution and nor is it in any way 'simples'

 

[Pirate55]

No I wouldn't say that was a better solution and nor is it in any way 'simples'

How can replacing a CB the manager seemingly won't use with another dedicated CB in the squad be a better solution than shuffling round the team you propose with all the disruption that involves?

 

[milo]

Please explain the need for Fazio in the squad then. If the manager isn't going to use him, why keep him in there. Surely a better option to your suggestions is sell Fazio and buy a better replacement. Simples.

We're meant to have been talking to Sevilla about exactly that this month but if the press are to be believed, they want him on loan and we want to sell him. If he is surplus to requirements, I would not be surprised to see some movement from one or both sides in the next six days.

 

[billyiddo]

How can replacing a CB the manager seemingly won't use with another dedicated CB in the squad be a better solution than shuffling round the team you propose with all the disruption that involves?

How is bringing in a new player at the mid point of the season and expecting them to slot in to the team and form a good partnership with existing players a better solution than relying on players that are already here who we know are up to scratch/speed and have already built partnerships with the players they'd have to play alongside?

Seriously?

I don't wish to sound like Parklane or GB here but that attitude really does smack of the computer player generation or the Redknapp 'only way to fix a problem is spend money' style of management - we have a good squad with plenty of options, let's use it...

 

[Craig_J]

This is really bad news. Him and Alders have been very solid this season. I think Wimmer has impressed me so far so I'm not to worried about him. I just feel we need another option behind Wimmer because as others have already stated we'd have to resort to playing Fazio and having Fazio play any game we have left this season really frightens me.

 

[the dza]

How is bringing in a new player at the mid point of the season and expecting them to slot in to the team and form a good partnership with existing players a better solution than relying on players that are already here who we know are up to scratch/speed and have already built partnerships with the players they'd have to play alongside?

Seriously?

Why would replacing Fazio, with a player who had more similar attributes to Toby, be in any way a bad thing? It'd be replacing dead weight with a player that might actually be useful, and could save the legs of our established players (such as Dier) in the event we go on a good run in the cups or pick up another injury at centre half.

 

[billyiddo]

Why would replacing Fazio, with a player who had more similar attributes to Toby, be in any way a bad thing? It'd be replacing dead weight with a player that might actually be useful, and could save the legs of our established players (such as Dier) in the event we go on a good run in the cups or pick up another injury at centre half.

If the long term plan is to replace Fazio with a new signing to sit as a dedicated 4th choice CB, then sure speed up the process if it's possible and we have targets in mind who are available - what I'm saying is that we don't need to rush in to the market because Vertonghen has picked up an injury as we have good depth and options already here.

I never said replacing Fazio is a bad idea, I said our current options would be preferable

 

[the dza]

If the long term plan is to replace Fazio with a new signing to sit as a dedicated 4th choice CB, then sure speed up the process if it's possible and we have targets in mind who are available - what I'm saying is that we don't need to rush in to the market because Vertonghen has picked up an injury as we have good depth and options already here.

I never said replacing Fazio is a bad idea, I said our current options would be preferable

I agree, there's no point in buying some mug, because we can keep Fazio if need be (sorry Faz). If the club have had their eye on anybody, then hopefully they'll bring it forward to this window.

 

[Yoof]

This is really bad news. Him and Alders have been very solid this season. I think Wimmer has impressed me so far so I'm not to worried about him. I just feel we need another option behind Wimmer because as others have already stated we'd have to resort to playing Fazio and having Fazio play any game we have left this season really frightens me.

We saw against Leicester in the replay that if Jan and Toby aren't playing then Dier will partner Wimmer at CB, with Bentaleb coming back into midfield.

 

[Nigeyman]

I do not think it would be wise to play Faz...his mindset probably says he has no future at the club and therefore he might not show the commitment we need...of course that could go the other way...

With Bentaleb back the ideal solution would be to revert Dier back to CB and use Wimmer as the rotation option...of course this annoys me because I really want Dier to be kept in the Dm role as he is our only option with the nous to sit in and protect our cb's as our full back venture forward.

The more pressing need is to get some back up for Kane, I wouldn't be against us signing another CB but in all honesty its a little late to start scratching around for one. Playing Fazio could be very risky and I am not confident in him but it may be something that is forced upon us.

 

[Pirate55]

Why would replacing Fazio, with a player who had more similar attributes to Toby, be in any way a bad thing? It'd be replacing dead weight with a player that might actually be useful, and could save the legs of our established players (such as Dier) in the event we go on a good run in the cups or pick up another injury at centre half.

Spot on. Can't see how anyone can think otherwise really.

 

[Pirate55]

How is bringing in a new player at the mid point of the season and expecting them to slot in to the team and form a good partnership with existing players a better solution than relying on players that are already here who we know are up to scratch/speed and have already built partnerships with the players they'd have to play alongside?

Seriously?

I don't wish to sound like Parklane or GB here but that attitude really does smack of the computer player generation or the Redknapp 'only way to fix a problem is spend money' style of management - we have a good squad with plenty of options, let's use it...

You seem to think that the current squad is the best we can do. Allow me to let you into a secret - it certainly isn't the finished article. Until yesterday, we had two players the manager didn't rate. We have sold one. When we sell the other ( Fazio) we will have the ideal opportunity to bring in two players who will make our squad more balanced and ( hopefully ) improved. The two areas we are lacking is cover for Kane and cover for either Dier ( at DM or CB). Then we will have a much better squad able to deal with most eventualities without a major team reshuffle.

 

[ricky2tricky4city]

We don't know the extent of the injury yet. Until its graded it's pure speculation.

I did my MCL in June last year and a grade 2 tear was diagnosed from the MRI scan.

From experience, I have to agree with @glasgowspur, if it was really bad there was know way he would have travelled to Barca with the team...when i did mine it would have been over a week before doing anything that was avoidable. (definitely not strolling round barca with my mates)

It is a pretty straight forward injury as long as no secondary damage to the cartilage has occurred (not that that is bad, will just require surgery, which im hoping is why Clinton had surgery(MCL as well)), crutches, swelling to reduce, brace to prevent lateral movement but range of motion and exercises (especially bike) asap. You can really get on with recovery quite quickly with this.

Messi had the same, so maybe there is some MCL guru in barca and thats why he went?

Once we know it will feed into the decision of what to do personnel wise.

 

[billyiddo]

You seem to think that the current squad is the best we can do. Allow me to let you into a secret - it certainly isn't the finished article. Until yesterday, we had two players the manager didn't rate. We have sold one. When we sell the other ( Fazio) we will have the ideal opportunity to bring in two players who will make our squad more balanced and ( hopefully ) improved. The two areas we are lacking is cover for Kane and cover for either Dier ( at DM or CB). Then we will have a much better squad able to deal with most eventualities without a major team reshuffle.

Don't presume to tell me what I do or don't think please mate - I'm very aware our squad isn't the finished article thanks.

I've already covered what you have posted above, but to reiterate - buying/selling players in January isn't simple (I'm sure I don't need to spell out why) and buying players that can/will do better than our current options is even less simple - and far from guaranteed to happen, we've got an international defender who captained his former club to a European trophy who can't get in our squad/team ahead of Dier and Wimmer for example. Any new signing would need the time to settle/adapt to the league, get up to speed with our training methods, get up to scratch with our tactics and then form a working partnership with his potential partners - all in the business end of the season where each game matters (no margin for error) by which time Vertonghen will probably be back looking for game time to regain match fitness.

Like said in reply to DZA, if we were planning on selling and the replacing Fazio directly anyway and the players we had in mind are available and it's possible to speed everything up then sure do it, would be better than leaving it till the summer (as it'd give the player a head start on next season) but the need to buy someone as a must to fill in as a 4th option at CB ahead of Dier isn't really there as our current options are strong enough (imo for the reasons stated above)

 

[Modric THFC]

Isn't the rumour that Poch isn't even talking to Fazio right now?
I assume with Vertonghen out Dier is back up for the right and Davies is back up for the left.

 

[thfcsteff]

Fazio is (or should be) oven ready. None of the others you mentioned are PL standard CBs at the moment. We need adequate cover now. If Fazio is not it, then we need another CB now. Fazios wages out, means no net increase in wages so that point is moot.

I'd play Carroll ahead of Fazio!

 

[thfcsteff]

Why would replacing Fazio, with a player who had more similar attributes to Toby, be in any way a bad thing? It'd be replacing dead weight with a player that might actually be useful, and could save the legs of our established players (such as Dier) in the event we go on a good run in the cups or pick up another injury at centre half.

Chemistry my friend...