Dominic Solanke

[Muttley]

What is the answer with Solanke though?

We cannot keep continuing with his current output. Iraola had him getting 19 goals in 37 league games. Ange only had him getting 9 in 25 whilst this season he's only got 3 goals in an injury ravaged 11 starts.

There is one thing that is subtle in this one and that is his injury history. He actually had a couple of early career hamstring injuries but that has never been his thing. It's been mostly knees and ankles with him. Now he has a grade 2 hammy apparently. I guess you find with injuries that a player can lose confidence in their body and it can seriously impact their performances when returning.

I guess RDZ needs to figure out whether Dom can get back to any sort of prime form under his management. Personally, I wouldn't bet on it and would be looking to build less dependancy on him. Then, if he comes back strong then that is an upside. We don't want to be in a position where he's the only striker of his type at the club and when he's out it impacts us this negatively. We know that Richi can't lead the line in the same way as Dom.

I don't want to load pressure on the kids, but perhaps Lanks and Melia could offer solutions next season.

 

[harr1984]

What is the answer with Solanke though?

We cannot keep continuing with his current output. Iraola had him getting 19 goals in 37 league games. Ange only had him getting 9 in 25 whilst this season he's only got 3 goals in an injury ravaged 11 starts.

There is one thing that is subtle in this one and that is his injury history. He actually had a couple of early career hamstring injuries but that has never been his thing. It's been mostly knees and ankles with him. Now he has a grade 2 hammy apparently. I guess you find with injuries that a player can lose confidence in their body and it can seriously impact their performances when returning.

I guess RDZ needs to figure out whether Dom can get back to any sort of prime form under his management. Personally, I wouldn't bet on it and would be looking to build less dependancy on him. Then, if he comes back strong then that is an upside. We don't want to be in a position where he's the only striker of his type at the club and when he's out it impacts us this negatively. We know that Richi can't lead the line in the same way as Dom.

I don't want to load pressure on the kids, but perhaps Lanks and Melia could offer solutions next season.

Solanke being our major CF signing is just one in a long list of reasons we are where we are. He can hold the ball up and work hard, but for what we paid and what is required if you want to compete at the higher end of the table it's nowhere near enough. Yes we lost Kane who is practically impossible to replace, but you will find there are plenty of very good strikers at the price point and in many cases less than what we paid for Solanke.

If we stay in the PL we definitely need to sign another CF with Richi likely going and also not being good enough. If in the Championship I would be happy to see Lankshear given a real crack, who has shown at a poor Oxford team he can score goals at this level and will only look better with better players around him....

 

[Muttley]

Solanke being our major CF signing is just one in a long list of reasons we are where we are. He can hold the ball up and work hard, but for what we paid and what is required if you want to compete at the higher end of the table it's nowhere near enough. Yes we lost Kane who is practically impossible to replace, but you will find there are plenty of very good strikers at the price point and in many cases less than what we paid for Solanke.

If we stay in the PL we definitely need to sign another CF with Richi likely going and also not being good enough. If in the Championship I would be happy to see Lankshear given a real crack, who has shown at a poor Oxford team he can score goals at this level and will only look better with better players around him....

I'm not sure who you refer to when you say other strikers were available at the time. Obviously, Saudi Sportswashing Machine scouts did an amazing job finding Isak. The England players of Solanke, Watkins and Toney never got me excited. In fact, I thought Toney was the best of them but everyone said that Solanke was the best stylistic fit. Vlahovic was always another name mentioned. Obviously, it is not our job to know the full spectrum of strikers that could replace Harry but my perception has always been that there is a dearth of great strikers across Europe. For me, it would have been a tough process.

All I've seen Spurs do is speculate on some really young strikers hoping one or two can come through. I hope that works eventually.

 

[harr1984]

I'm not sure who you refer to when you say other strikers were available at the time. Obviously, Saudi Sportswashing Machine scouts did an amazing job finding Isak. The England players of Solanke, Watkins and Toney never got me excited. In fact, I thought Toney was the best of them but everyone said that Solanke was the best stylistic fit. Vlahovic was always another name mentioned. Obviously, it is not our job to know the full spectrum of strikers that could replace Harry but my perception has always been that there is a dearth of great strikers across Europe. For me, it would have been a tough process.

All I've seen Spurs do is speculate on some really young strikers hoping one or two can come through. I hope that works eventually.

I'm not even just talking about back when we signed him, but where we are now and who other clubs at our level and below have. J Pedro, I Thiago, Watkins, Kroupi are a few I think better than what we have.

I'm not actually someone who is too hard on our scouting department, as I think we have bought in a lot of young quality who in 1 or 2 years will really be of a good level. But CF is one of the most critical positions, and I do think that is definitely one of the areas we should have done better in bringing ready now signing (which of course Solanke was). But we have a lot of talented young CFs, I'd be surprised if one of them doesn't step up in the next couple of years....

 

[Legohamster]

Solanke being our major CF signing is just one in a long list of reasons we are where we are. He can hold the ball up and work hard, but for what we paid and what is required if you want to compete at the higher end of the table it's nowhere near enough. Yes we lost Kane who is practically impossible to replace, but you will find there are plenty of very good strikers at the price point and in many cases less than what we paid for Solanke.

If we stay in the PL we definitely need to sign another CF with Richi likely going and also not being good enough. If in the Championship I would be happy to see Lankshear given a real crack, who has shown at a poor Oxford team he can score goals at this level and will only look better with better players around him....

Not even sure he works hard, I watched Brentford today as I am a macaron,

Watching Thiago work his arse off shows up Solanke.

It's a shame our striker that actually works hard has the touch of a 31 year old from North London

 

[robp135]

Interesting stat which I don’t think I’ve ever considered.

However, there is still no correlation between scoring in one of these high-profile games and being a good player/signing as evidenced by both Hoddle aka GHod and Alan Nielsen being on this list.

Were arguing with someone that thinks Solanke and Andy Booth are on the same level here and part of his argument is that the important goals he scored were tap ins and pens.

 

[robp135]

Solanke being our major CF signing is just one in a long list of reasons we are where we are. He can hold the ball up and work hard, but for what we paid and what is required if you want to compete at the higher end of the table it's nowhere near enough. Yes we lost Kane who is practically impossible to replace, but you will find there are plenty of very good strikers at the price point and in many cases less than what we paid for Solanke.

If we stay in the PL we definitely need to sign another CF with Richi likely going and also not being good enough. If in the Championship I would be happy to see Lankshear given a real crack, who has shown at a poor Oxford team he can score goals at this level and will only look better with better players around him....

Sign Marmoush with Tel & Lankshear in the squad would be ideal.

 

[thfcsteff]

Ange left a year ago. This season Solanke has been crap, I can think of numerous situations where he let his man go, or got pushed off the ball easily.

Richie works works 10 times as hard.

I cannot think of many moments he has been on the pitch, or 100% fit. Having said that, I think he is a 35 million player we hugely overpaid for...

 

[robp135]

I cannot think of many moments he has been on the pitch, or 100% fit. Having said that, I think he is a 35 million player we hugely overpaid for...

Going rate.

Sesko £74M
Kolo Muani £69M
Woltermade £69M
Hojlund £65M
Cuhna £62.5M
Vlahovic £60M
Joao Pedro £60M
Richarlison £60M
Gyokeres £55M

 

[Bishop]

I'm not sure who you refer to when you say other strikers were available at the time. Obviously, Saudi Sportswashing Machine scouts did an amazing job finding Isak. The England players of Solanke, Watkins and Toney never got me excited. In fact, I thought Toney was the best of them but everyone said that Solanke was the best stylistic fit. Vlahovic was always another name mentioned. Obviously, it is not our job to know the full spectrum of strikers that could replace Harry but my perception has always been that there is a dearth of great strikers across Europe. For me, it would have been a tough process.

All I've seen Spurs do is speculate on some really young strikers hoping one or two can come through. I hope that works eventually.

There weren't a bunch of great strikers around but Solanke was not at the top of the available list. He's just an ok player who had come off the season of his life, this wasnt a consistent level for him.

 

[thfcsteff]

Going rate.

Sesko £74M
Kolo Muani £69M
Woltermade £69M
Hojlund £65M
Cuhna £62.5M
Vlahovic £60M
Joao Pedro £60M
Richarlison £60M
Gyokeres £55M

Not disputing that, just pointing out that he is not a 65 million pound player...just as certain geographic areas sell houses which in and of themselves are not worth anything close to their 'market valuation'. BTW, as much as I don't love Pedro, he'd have been a good striker fot this club. Sadly, we have to accept that we will never see the likes of Kane and Son again. Oh, and whisper it, Gyokeres would've done a great job for us as we currently play.

 

[thfcsteff]

I'm not even just talking about back when we signed him, but where we are now and who other clubs at our level and below have. J Pedro, I Thiago, Watkins, Kroupi are a few I think better than what we have.

I'm not actually someone who is too hard on our scouting department, as I think we have bought in a lot of young quality who in 1 or 2 years will really be of a good level. But CF is one of the most critical positions, and I do think that is definitely one of the areas we should have done better in bringing ready now signing (which of course Solanke was). But we have a lot of talented young CFs, I'd be surprised if one of them doesn't step up in the next couple of years....

Watkins was a big miss!!!

 

[Muttley]

Watkins was a big miss!!!

LOL, he's certainly done some big misses in his career.

As a 30 year old, only hit 20 goals twice in his entire career. A solid 1 in 3 striker if that floats your boat. No doubt, a manager's dream though. Happy to sacrifice his own game to play out of position. As solid a pro as you can find, but not exactly the answer we needed.

I struggle to see the difference between Watkins and Solanke. Prime Toney is the pick of the 3 England guys.

 

[Robspur12]

I'm not even just talking about back when we signed him, but where we are now and who other clubs at our level and below have. J Pedro, I Thiago, Watkins, Kroupi are a few I think better than what we have.

I'm not actually someone who is too hard on our scouting department, as I think we have bought in a lot of young quality who in 1 or 2 years will really be of a good level. But CF is one of the most critical positions, and I do think that is definitely one of the areas we should have done better in bringing ready now signing (which of course Solanke was). But we have a lot of talented young CFs, I'd be surprised if one of them doesn't step up in the next couple of years....

Kroupi looks like a star in the making. A Defoe type fox in the box. As does his mate Rayan. But as you know, Iraola has a talent for making players perform at their peak. He did that with Solanke and interestingly also managed to keep him injury free for an entire season I think.

 

[MartyFunkhouser]

There weren't a bunch of great strikers around but Solanke was not at the top of the available list. He's just an ok player who had come off the season of his life, this wasnt a consistent level for him.

Yeh I think there is a massive lack of talent in the role, a couple of stand outs, but some players I see listed were never mentioned before their rise, easy game init

 

[harr1984]

There weren't a bunch of great strikers around but Solanke was not at the top of the available list. He's just an ok player who had come off the season of his life, this wasnt a consistent level for him.

I remember you at the time of him signing for us being concerned that the goalscoring season he just had was an outlier, so your comments are certainly not one of hindsight....

 

[Robspur12]

Going rate.

Sesko £74M
Kolo Muani £69M
Woltermade £69M
Hojlund £65M
Cuhna £62.5M
Vlahovic £60M
Joao Pedro £60M
Richarlison £60M
Gyokeres £55M

Cunha is the top of that list as far as I can see. I really like Omar Marmoush and for reference his fee was around £59 million. But even he has yet to properly establish himself in the PL. Can't believe though there were Spurs fans who didnt appreciate Kane.

I remember having arguments with non Spurs fans during the Euros in 24 who questioned why Kane was still starting for England. No other striker apart from Harland comes close to the guy's quality, for me.