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Three positions to strengthen

I was thinking we'd retire brad and get a new number two actually. I love brad but and all but I think it might be time to hang the gloves up.
 
I'd rather have friedel than most of the other premiership keepers to be honest

of all the keepers at PL clubs he's probably still in the top 10
 
surely brad must be getting less competitive for each year that goes by...

I guess it depends on how highly we rate Archer.

You don't actually usually want a back-up GK to be competitive with your primary GK. What you need is to know they'd be reliable in the event of injury or suspension. But even then you are allowed emergency loans if keepers get injured.
 
Left Back
Right Back
Striker

Not having decent cover at fb cost us a lot of points last season and We still need a top quality striker imo
 
I think he ****ed off someone on the club. Just guessing. Didn't bother to stay to find out what poch thinks.
 
A ball playing central midfielder but this is Pochettino so sod that.
If he wants to get the team playing in his style he needs:
A left back.
A centre half with a bit of pace and who plays like he gives a ****.
Another centre half with above.

Kaboul hasnt played a good game in 2 full seasons.
Vertonghen will probably be a year long sulk until he gets to leave.
Dawson is a great at defending a packed penalty area but that is it.
Chriches can't head and get caught in two minds to stay or go every time someone runs at him from deep.
Pochettino needs someone who can organise the back four on the pitch..

Either that or we can spend another season protecting them with two dms and play with fear of ever giving the ball away.
 
Left back
Centre back x 2
Striker

(yes that's four players, but it's only strengthening three positions :)
 
LB and CB are top priorities, but another urgent priority has to be a player with top class dribbling ability and pace in the final third. Could be an out and out striker (Sturridge type), someone who drops in the hole (Suarez type) or a winger (Nasri type). We need a player who, if picked out with a good pass and finds himself one-on-one with a defender, should be able to use his skills to get a shot in on goal, not get tackled or forced out wide. His skill should mean that defenders are nervous enough about him to want to mark him tightly, and the pace and movement means he should tire them out during the game.

There are a lot of different players who could potentially fit that mould. Off the top of my head, Shaqiri, Konoplyanka, Remy, Ben Arfa...all very different sorts of players. But all players who would add a lot to our play. We were too predictable in attack last season, and we need that ability to not only break down those tricky opponents that defend well, but also to smash teams to pieces sometimes. We've seen in the last couple of years just how important goal difference is, and ours was quite frankly, crap last season, the 8th best in the league. Emirates Marketing Project's goal difference was +61 ahead of ours. We need to improve it. Not only that, but the big wins boost team morale, strike fear into the heart of the opposition, attract new players who want to play in an exciting team, and also, satisfies us, the fans.
 
LB and CB are top priorities, but another urgent priority has to be a player with top class dribbling ability and pace in the final third. Could be an out and out striker (Sturridge type), someone who drops in the hole (Suarez type) or a winger (Nasri type). We need a player who, if picked out with a good pass and finds himself one-on-one with a defender, should be able to use his skills to get a shot in on goal, not get tackled or forced out wide. His skill should mean that defenders are nervous enough about him to want to mark him tightly, and the pace and movement means he should tire them out during the game.

There are a lot of different players who could potentially fit that mould. Off the top of my head, Shaqiri, Konoplyanka, Remy, Ben Arfa...all very different sorts of players. But all players who would add a lot to our play. We were too predictable in attack last season, and we need that ability to not only break down those tricky opponents that defend well, but also to smash teams to pieces sometimes. We've seen in the last couple of years just how important goal difference is, and ours was quite frankly, crap last season, the 8th best in the league. Emirates Marketing Project's goal difference was +61 ahead of ours. We need to improve it. Not only that, but the big wins boost team morale, strike fear into the heart of the opposition, attract new players who want to play in an exciting team, and also, satisfies us, the fans.

Great post
 
LB and CB are top priorities, but another urgent priority has to be a player with top class dribbling ability and pace in the final third. Could be an out and out striker (Sturridge type), someone who drops in the hole (Suarez type) or a winger (Nasri type). We need a player who, if picked out with a good pass and finds himself one-on-one with a defender, should be able to use his skills to get a shot in on goal, not get tackled or forced out wide. His skill should mean that defenders are nervous enough about him to want to mark him tightly, and the pace and movement means he should tire them out during the game.

There are a lot of different players who could potentially fit that mould. Off the top of my head, Shaqiri, Konoplyanka, Remy, Ben Arfa...all very different sorts of players. But all players who would add a lot to our play. We were too predictable in attack last season, and we need that ability to not only break down those tricky opponents that defend well, but also to smash teams to pieces sometimes. We've seen in the last couple of years just how important goal difference is, and ours was quite frankly, crap last season, the 8th best in the league. Emirates Marketing Project's goal difference was +61 ahead of ours. We need to improve it. Not only that, but the big wins boost team morale, strike fear into the heart of the opposition, attract new players who want to play in an exciting team, and also, satisfies us, the fans.

I absolutely believe that Erik Lamela can be that player for us next season.
 
I absolutely believe that Erik Lamela can be that player for us next season.

I hope you're right. Even then, we still need more. Emirates Marketing Project have Aguero, Nasri, Navas, Silva and potentially Jovetic. Liverpool have Sturridge, Suarez, Sterling and Coutinho. Chelsea have Hazard, Willian, Schurrle, Salah and Torres. We have potentially Lamela. At a push, Townsend too. Not hard to see why this is an area that needs urgently strengthening.
 
Left back......Erik Pieters

Centre mid...Eva Banega

Striker..........Loic Remy
 
Left-back, Centre-back, midfielder. Ben Davies, Caulker and that Banega bloke would suit me, and it would be a quiet-ish summer, all things considered.

(I know some people think Caulker still isn't ready for us, but to be honest, I want him back. He's a youth player with potential that we rushed to let go, and if there's a chance that we can rectify that mistake I'd like us to try.)
 
Goals Allowed
51 = Worst amongst top 8

Goals Scored
55 = Worst amongst top 7

I'd say we need help in both areas if we're going to challenge for top 4. Defensively though, 51 goals is way off the mark if we want to have a shot at it (unless we plan to score 100+ goals like pool).

For me: CB, LB, CM

Not to say that we need to buy a CM but that we need to figure out what the heck we're trying to do with the position. Some clarity could go a long way if Poch can bring it. We have a good mix of skill-sets but haven't been able to find a consistent grouping that works. Think 1 or 2 may need to go before the end of the window.

I personally would want us to move towards a mix of Sandro and two others who have an eye for a pass and personally I think Bentaleb and Carroll are ready for their shot. With those two (as well as Eriksen and Holtby) I think we'd see the ball move quite a bit quicker in midfield and would also get the ball forward to our wide players and striker much faster.

One more thought... Paulinho is NOT a CM. He's just good attacking-mid and can make late runs into the box as well as finish in the area. He adds NOTHING to our play when asked to play-make from midfield and doesn't have the vision or the technique to play a pass like what we've come accustomed to (and need) from Modric and Hudd. He literally has the same CM ability as Scotty Parker. This is not to say that he shouldn't be in the starting 11. I just think he'd need to be on the top of a diamond in midfield but IMO Eriksen is already twice the player in that position.

Maybe we'll see a narrow 3 behind the striker with the two fullbacks providing the width:

Striker
Eriksen - Paulinho - Lamela
Sandro - Bentaleb
LB - Verts - CB - Walker
Lloris​
 
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