Watching Spurs flail about in midfield with a rock solid defensive midfielder has become from behind the sofa stuff. The bottom line is Harry Winks is a great kid, but one that no Tottenham coach has found a true home for. Nor is it a leap to see why Giovani Lo Celso is leaving the pitch in a state of near exhaustion on a regular basis.
Solving Tottenham’s man in the middle problem has been haunting Spurs for some time, a standout solution would be Tanguy Ndombele, however he appears to be at best ‘indisposed’ since joining Tottenham.
Looking at who is out there to step in, as an ‘oven ready’ solution produces frustrating results.
Burnley’s Jack Cork is 31-years of age, and Mark Noble wouldn’t play for Spurs under any circumstances, at any age. The standout candidate, Pierre-Emile Hojberg was, word has it, the choice of Jose Mourinho.
The Athletic (£) understands that Ajax have joined Everton in also being keen on the 24-year-old, which may provide a clue as to the interest that could well swell up the longer Hojberg’s future is undecided.
Given the fragility of Mourinho’s squad (perhaps highlighted by the Portuguese’s unexpectedly timid use of substitutes) getting Tanguy Ndombele back on track AND signing Pierre-Emile Hojberg are both vital if Spurs are to compete meaningfully in more than one competition next season.
Would Pierre-Emile be our Ya Ya? Or Roy? or Patrick? Or Claude? Or Xabi?
That’s what’s needed if Maureen’s Spuds are to go one step higher than Podge, and actually win an elite trophy. Hmmmm……..
I’m more of a pessimist hoping to be pleasantly surprised. Life tends to be less disappointing that way – especially where Spurs are concerned.
I’m getting very “carried away. Fans confidence rubs off on the team. COYS
Pogba ruined us in the FA Cup semi a few years ago, even bumped Dembele off the ball for the Sanchez goal. He is a tool, but he can certainly play. Obviously, he would never be a Spurs player, but we need sitting players who can play, a la Modric or Carrick.
If it a scrap I’ll back Sissoko,if it’s the latest fancy haircut Pogba all day.
Sounds like you’re on the coke.
Now I know you wouldn’t want Sissoko instead of Pogba! Baggage or no baggage, Pogba just needs managing better than what Mourinho did at Utd. He went there as the world’s most expensive player and had Ashley Young, Smalling, Jones and Valencia stinking the place out. Give me Dembele any day over Pogba, but we have some ordinary players and he would make Lo Celso, Son, Kane and Moura better. I know what you mean about team selection, but to me that is tactics.
W*nks, Sissjoko, Lo C only 1 class player there pal and 2 wasters I will lend you my coke bottles for Palarse.
Bruno yes Pogba no too much hassle and baggage comes with him.Ole got his team selection wrong.
We desperately need a CM with steel who can keep possession and free up Lo Celso’s attacking creativity.
Yesterday we looked solid without the ball and deadly on the counter, but having that little possession isn’t realistic over a whole season. The likes of Liverpool and City will open us up whilst teams like Burnley and Palace will sit deep and shut up shop. We will end up burnt out by Christmas chasing shadows without a player capable of controlling the tempo in midfield. Leicester was a freak high stakes game with Kane’s class the only meaninful, and perhaps worrying difference if he decides to leave. Harry’s second goal was from the absolute top draw and showed just how irreplaceable he is.
Lacking strength in depth has long been our handicap and the reason we miss an effective plan B. A player like Hojbjerg might not be exciting but would take the pressure off those who can be, and make us significantly less predictable.
It was a great result yesterday but I don’t think any of us should be getting too carried away. Talk of winning the league next season with only twenty percent possession, at home, against Liecester is more than a little premature.
Ndombele turned out well! I’d have both Bruno and Pogba at Spurs, Ole got his tactics wrong yesterday. Ch Lg takes precedence though and we have put them in pole position!
It’s as if both Manchester clubs just rolled over. Have to endure another Woolwich Chavs final now – sickening.
I think we had planned for LoCelso,N’dombele and either Sissoko or Winks but N’Dombele doesn’t want to play ball.The sooner he is shipped out the better. Even with Fernandes & Pogba Utd were rubbish yesterday.lol
It has become fashionable in the last decade to have a player who defends the back four from midfield, but why have they always got to be water carriersand why do we have 2? It was only a short while ago CM had to defend and attack, they were box to box players. So, so easy to sit in front of a back 4 and do nothing but pass square to a FB or back to your CB. Finally, Declan Rice showed some attacking quality with the Watford goal, and I have been critical of what he offers other than intercepting a pass and tackling. Sissoko and Winks passing the buck to Lo Celso is an easy way out and the opposition will see it coming. I would crowd Lo Celso and force him to Winks and Sissoko. When Utd’s Fernandes is crowded he has Pogba to offload to and the threat remains. FBs nowadays have to attack, CBs have to be good on the ball, GK has to be able to use their feet, and for me, Winks, Hojbjerg, Sissoko or whoever else is on the park needs to have some attacking qualities. The more threats you have on the pitch the harder it is to defend.
Serge Mikinkovic-savic from Lazio and sell N’dombele.
Defensive midfielders Winks and Hojbjerg do their defensive duties it’s LoCelso who is meant to be the attacking threat,of which he isn’t providing regularly enough.
We have a problem of creativity when both Winks and Sissoko play. We are more solid, but there is no attacking threat. Anyone else notice the results when Harry has played? Hojbjerg is a step up from Winks (but he is hardly an attacking threat himself, the boy cannot shoot), but that does not solve the Sissoko problem. As pointed out, Lo Celso needs some help as he is not getting it from either his fellow midfielders.
Couldn’t care less whether we get ropey or not tbh, in fact secretly hoping we don’t just to screw over Levy.
He’s here all week. Ba bum cha! Superb
Clarke and Sessegnon a waste of cash imo. The present needs dealing with not the future.
Ndidi is the one. we should move heaven and earth for him.
We won’t last a season using the first eleven at this usage rate. Obvious Mourinho knows we need reinforcements. Skipp and Gedson and Tanganga are bench warmers who he doesn’t play. What was the point of buying Clark? Foyth and Verts are going, time to get the cheque book out or we’re going to have a full treatment room.
Yes Ndidi.
Greetings. Can’t wait for this scripted farce of a season to end. Sky pulling all the strings. Our victory over the Foxes didn’t so much benefit us as it did Man Utd. Can’t wait for a ‘resurgent’ Arsenal (PML), out of the European placings, beat the Chavs in the FA Cup final to steal a Euro spot from us. Sky is getting the gang back together. Secretly hoping this happens so we miss out on Thursday nights – hits Levy where it hurts and protects our under-invested in squad from getting burnt out before the end of the season. Cynic? Pessimist? I don’t care – for me, football as it should be is dead.
Ndidi would be most welcome🌚 maybe his fellow countryman victor o might follow