For the entire month of January, Tottenham Hotspur was connected in a never-ending saga with Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Adama Traore, who they wanted to convert to a wing-back.
On various occasions, it seemed as though a deal would be imminent. However, at the final hour, the Wolves man went on a loan deal to FC Barcelona. After six months, it doesn’t appear as though Traore will remain with the Spanish giants.
As a result, 90min reports Spurs are revisiting their interest in the Spanish winger. However, the north London club isn’t the lone team eyeing the 26-year-old, as the report adds that Newcastle United and Leeds United are also observing the winger.
Wolves will attempt to sell this summer to get a fee for Traore, who has 12 months remaining on his current deal. It will be interesting to see whether playing under manager Antonio Conte and playing UEFA Champions League can convince the winger to finally come to north London.
You mean Royal, not Kulu!
Yes knowing the league helps but Benty and Kulu stepped right in no problem. What we need are technically skilled players that can move the ball quickly one touch and have defensive awareness. I like Traore’s chances.
Only on the right when playing perverted.
Knows the league and will be coached and playing with much better players.
some of the rubbish we have bought over the years seems like a bargain.
Wingbacks have to do the defensive work as well. Plus you’ve two holding midfielders and a 10 behind the two strikers. Probably need a couple of beers down the pub to explain it better. Watch some of the videos of the last 6 months of Conte at inter when Eriksen got into the side you’ll see what I mean, Belgium play similar as well
Every manager thought that.
Your trying to invent a right wingback …
Exactly right .
We’ve signed worse haven’t we….that made me laugh !
I blame the likes of Dave Basset/Wimbledon and Howard Wilkinson/Leeds for their long ball style that nearly turned me off football forever, a period when fifteen year old kids who didn’t measure over six feet tall being told, “Sorry son your not gonna make it”.
Then the “new” coaching styles with inverted wingers which was due IMO to players unable to skilfully use both feet equally well, big and strong number nine’s have become false nine’s. Pep has taken things to another level with his possession based one touch passing.
Natural attacking wingers with brilliant crossing ability have now been phased out in favour of them being converted into WB’s, so long as they can run a hundred meters in less than ten seconds. CB’s now have to make perfect passes, but the biggest change in a players skill levels has come between the sticks with GK’s, they are now ballers/sweepers which the majority do not have the ability to use effectively because they are not footballers imo.
In simple terms we need 2 things:
Traore ticks both boxes.
That formation will pull your central defenders out wide and leave the middle vulnerable with only one holding mid. We will have a #8 or 10 that would be further up the pitch with the wingbacks playing high as the widemen. Too much space behind them on the flanks. The 3 teams ahead of us will eat us live,unless we apply the same tactics as last term which we do not do against “lesser” teams. I think with Matt Doherty improving and will return as the starter, Perisic on the left the experience will serve us well. Kulu will drift out wide early and often and that will ensure Matt plays behind him. The all out attack can come from the left with Perisic cannot help himself but to be up in the attack and that will keep Son inside filling that second striker/10 role. If we play with that balance of not over committing the wingbacks we will win more than we loose.
Of course. I’m best off in the centre mid position. But if needed I can play anywhere in midfield or attack.. All players specialise in one position.. A versatile player like Perisic is priceless. Depending on the needs of the team he can play anywhere.. Left wing back, winger, centre mid, CAM, he can even play up front… The game isn’t ‘simple’ anymore. If you want a simple game with basic tactics then you need to be looking at amateur football or kids football.
Perisic is a left wing back mate.
Great answer, short but to the point.
Can’t a really good player play any position but is better suited to one in particular?
Thanks for that explanation but it’s far too complicated for a simpleton like myself. I believe that football is a simple game and I find the amount of commentators drawing lines on screens and the coaches showing substitutes tactical analysis on a spread sheet hilarious. I grew up watching Spurs in the 60s when we were successful and played great football and I thoroughly enjoyed watching Ajax in the 70s who played total football. God spare from the drivel I read and hear about how football should be played these days.
Pep uses inverted wing backs at City, he overloads central areas by players drifting in, then creating space out wide…
Contes tactics are actually similar because his wing backs and wingers overload wide areas and corners, dragging defenders out and creating space inside.
The players you mentioned are all world class and could play as a full or a wing back in any set up. Good players can.. I think Alexander Trent could play a few positions. Centre mid, winger or full or wing back. He’s class.
No thanks.
Traore would thrive in Contes set up. Remember how he converted Victor Moses. He also converted Perisic from winger to wing back..
A wing back is a hybrid of the winger/full back. It is a cross between the two. Able to attack like a winger, and also defend like a full back. You need to be multi skilled and very fit. A lot of running to get up and down.
Sonny, Koolio and Lucas are wingers.
Doherty was a wing back for years at wolves.
Perisic was a wing back at Inter. But he can play anywhere even up top.
Reggy and Sessy blur the lines, they are wing backs really.
Davies and Jelly are natural full backs. Though I think Jelly can evolve. He has the minerals. Davies is a centre back now really.
Formation and defence actually changes according to the opponents. We sometimes defend with 5,6,7,8 or all 10 with backs against the wall.
I’d keep Doherty rather than Royal if forced to keep one.
Traore isn’t good enough though I’d trust Conte if that who he wants.
The right wingback will give Conte real flexabitily as he does like a 3412 as an option with 2 strikers and WB keeping the width. Kulu has had to cover the lack of width esp with Royal playing (watch Royal and you’ll see he came in to the outside right channel alot rather than keep on the wing).
PS Davies was better than Rose when he came in, just fans had rose tinted specs with Danny.
I’d say Ta and walker are WBs as defensively they are susceptible to a brain fart.
It’s all about mobility and qty of players in an area of the pitch. The getting a numbers superiority in that area.
If full backs can play both then you’ve more options.
Contes system also wants the CB that side pushing up the channel with the fb/wb up on the wing
Yes, if true. I hardly think that you would describe Pep as inflexible in his tactics.
With 5 subs, 4 competitions plus the WC, we need able bodies. It’s all relative. Is anybody gettable better than Traore?
As for this whole wingback thing, call them what you want but Perisic, Traore, Doherty, Sess, Kulu, Sonny, sometimes Lucas are all really wingers. Regy, Davies and Emerson are proper fullbacks. What’s the difference? Backs’ first instinct is to defend, wingers to attack. Pay no attention to the formation, which actually changes to a back 5 on defense. Same as a 433 when the center mid drops down.
What matters are results and so far Conte has delivered.
Both Pep and Klopp played 4-3-3 pretty much every game all season. Is that not inflexible?
I think Parisic plays on the right.
Perisic plays RWB as far as I can tell. He will be first choice.
He should be playing Rugby League. I still don’t understand this fixation with wingbacks. Trent Alexander, Andy Robertson, Cancelo and Walker are arguably the best FBs in the PL. Can they or do they play WB as well? I am always sceptical of any coach that is inflexible in his tactics.
You trying to invent a right wingback? When not fo get one. Troare us utter rubbish. How many times is he going run down the wing and either hit the side netting or run out pitch. There is nothing defensively about him to make me say, give it a shot. I would rather put Lucas Moura over there than see this guy at the club.
Conte will get a tune out of Traore but will the notes be in the right order ..his crossing is painful.
We all know Traore at his best would be a handful for ANYONE .
However we know percentage -wise he fails miserably – but the man in charge must have an inkling he can change the stats with Adama , we’ve signed worse haven’t we ?
You have to admit that in full flight he’s unbelievably exciting , if Barca have rejected him , there surely is a deal to be made and if Antonio wants him , let him come ………………..
THIS.
Maybe Conte feels he can ‘get a tune’ out of Traore?
I’d see him and Doherty fighting it out for a starting position. Kulu was improving near the end of the season… but I sense Conte not trusting a 2nd season to Kulu (who could be a very good player in a different set-up)
of course… Conte/Paratici would have other players on that RWB list (like Djed Spence)
I would like to see this happen. Traore is unstoppable when he runs at defenders. With a Spurs front three of Kane, Kulusevski and Son, supported from wide areas by Traore and Perisic we will be a real handful for opposition teams. Pace, strength, skill and deadly finishing.
Traore does lack an end product. The statistics tell you that. However; in this team, under this manager he may finally step up and produce consistently. Conte has made ‘super’ Ben Davies look like Maldini in 6 months.
Can’t see this at all, we will persist with Royal methinks. Unless we get rid of Doherty and get this bloke in as I feel Conte will want four or maybe even five wingbacks or players that play well there. Two for each side plus another who could fill in on both, and to be fair, Doherty has looked ok at wingback but woeful at fullback, shame nobody told Jose that…
Off piste,I notice Lo Celso had another good game for Argentina last night and Cuti played almost the whole match against Italy.Hopefully he’s back for a good pre-season.Pity Lo Celso couldn’t cut it in the PL.
Poor player turn us down he doesn’t want to play rwb either if we sign him it’s a massive backwards step doc n royal r better
Yes he’s like a runaway train,but his end product is woeful.No thanks.
Playing as a wing-back he would certainly advance the ball swiftly from defence to attack no matter who is stood in his way
I dunno, I still like him. However, I can’t see this story even being true. He’s not getting in ahead of Kulu, Perisic or probably even Moura, and we also have Doherty and Royal on that side.
I just don’t see where he fits.
Utter rubbish. ‘Convince the winger to come to London’. Stay in the Midlands please.