Tag: signings

PART 2….

Radu Drăgușin

Arriving from Italy with such high praise in the Serie A league as one of the most promising defenders, I was quite excited with the thought of another ‘Romero’ capture. To say he has struggled to adapt to the English league is a bit of an understatement. At times he has been very poor, getting caught out of position and with no real exceptional pace he struggles to recover forcing him to take his player down. We have seen red cards, poor distribution out the back and a real lack of confidence is evident in his game. I was hoping this extended run of game time would help boost his confidence and we would begin to see the reason we invested in him but his performances have been inconsistent at best.

Considering he was brought in to replace the likes of Dier, Rodon and Sanchez, I really don’t see how this has been any sort of upgrade, with the pace of Sanchez arguably being more suited to Anges high line pressing than what we are seeing from Dragusin. He is still only 22 and maybe we are yet to see the best of him but he needs to improve vastly if he is to be successful in the English game.

Transfer Rating: 6/10

Good enough to get us in the Top 4: NO

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Pedro Porro

If you are a stat man then it is hard not to be impressed with this man’s figures. Porro’s seven assists last season was the most for a Tottenham defender in a full season since the Premier League began. He is not doing too bad this season either, with 2 goals and 7 assists already to his name, he is potentially on course to break his own record. At times he has shown great passing ability and vision to release a striker early.

As a right back, or right wing back, or in our case an inverted full back, we have to address his overall positional play and defending contributions too. Physically he copes quite well in the Premier league and again is another player that works hard for the team. But how many times have we seen him get caught out of position leaving us wide open at the back. We have seen several teams target his side for that reason, leaving Romero or whoever overloaded with 2 players to cover. Of course this is inevitable with the current system and it is difficult to over criticise a player that is following team orders.

Transfer Rating: 8/10

Good enough to get us in the Top 4: YES

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Destiny Udogie

Arriving as another hot prospect from Italy and making quite a name for himself in just a short time in Serie A, I can see why Paratici recommended him. He looks a perfect fit for the Premier league and it didn’t take him long at all to settle in. In his debut season he managed 2 goals and 3 assists, which isn’t bad for what was then a 21 year old. But injuries have slowed his progress down since the second half of last season and it hasn’t gone much better for him this season. Currently out injured with another hamstring problem we can only hope he makes a good recovery and re-discovers that early form he showed. This season he has just 1 assist to his name and so things haven’t gone quite so well for him so far in his second year at Spurs.

Like Pedro Porro we have to look at how Udogie handles his defensive responsibilities and there’s no question he can handle the physical aspect of the Premier league. But like Pedro this kami-kazee style of football means Udogie is quite often caught out of position. Whilst his pace and strength allows him to recover quickly, these constant demands will inevitably not only cost Spurs but also the players’ fitness levels. He is still young but he needs to learn when to go forward and when to hold position. At such a young age he has great potential if he is guided in the right way!

Transfer Rating: 8/10

Good enough to get us in the Top 4: YES

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Yves Bissouma

There was a lot of hype when we signed Bissouma and it was regarded that this signing was seen as a real steal! So much in fact that even Paul Merson himself said this could be the signing of the season, now that’s saying something coming from him lol. With our other holding midfielders failing to impress (Winks, Skipp and Højbjerg) I was very excited to see what difference this man could make to our midfield. 

So I have to say Bissouma has been incredibly disappointing. If we even ignore the fact that he has only managed 2 goals in 3 seasons and not a single assist, because at the end of the day he is a defensive midfielder. His defensive contribution has been inconsistent at best, being caught out of position and making it way too easy for opposition to hit us on the break because there is simply no midfield there to protect the back line.

As one of the more senior players out there I would expect him to not only organise himself better but to be commanding those around him and taking control. I just haven’t seen this in his game and it seems these types of players are becoming all the more difficult to find these days.

When he does win the ball Bissouma doesn’t seem to know what he wants to do with it, like it is always an afterthought where he is going to pass the ball next. On multiple occasions I have seen him wrestle the ball away from the opposition, before running around in a circle as he decides to attempt a sideways or backwards pass. Whilst he is physically strong and is more than capable of winning those duels, his overall game is not what I expected it to be and his passing is average at best.

Transfer Rating: 6/10

Good enough to get us in the Top 4: NO

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Pape Matar Sarr

Another recommendation from Paratici I believe and at just the age of 22 he has already shown plenty of potential. Boasting 8 goals and 6 assists to his name since joining Spurs, that is not too bad. He is a player that likes to go forward you can clearly see and every time he attacks the opposition line you think something exciting may happen. Sometimes when I watch him I think we have a real star on our hands here and nothing can stop him.

But then there’s these other games, the games where more defensive duties are required. In this central midfield role alongside Bissouma or whoever, there are going to be times when defending and helping out the defence is going to be required. Unfortunately Sarr has absolutely no interest in this part of the game and in the current system that is a problem. Sarr reminds me of one of those lazy school kids who just wants to stand on the half way line and wait for the ball to come back up to the more exciting end of the pitch so he can join in again. There may be games where we can afford him but for many games he can become a liability and that’s a shame for all the man’s ability.

Transfer Rating: 7/10

Good enough to get us in the Top 4: NO

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Summary…

Well that’s most of them covered. I know I have left some out, some of which just haven’t played many games yet and it is too early to judge. Hopefully the likes of Wilson Odobert will provide cover for a much needed Son and it’s good to see Djed Spence finally being given some game time. So far I have been quite impressed with him. I didn’t mention Werner because he is on a loan deal and let’s hope it remains that way lol. 

More recently we have signed Kinsky, Danso and Tel on loan and although it is too early to say, I am not getting carried away with these signings as they appear as ‘quick fix’ options to just get us to the end of the season. Time will tell on those.

Looking at the list above there are several good signings and the odd dud, which is always expected I guess. But overall the rebuild is showing potential if we look at these players individually, so that only leaves me to question as to what’s going wrong? I think we all know the answer to that one!

How are we doing on the rebuild?

We’ve had a major squad overhaul these last two seasons and we all know it was long overdue. There have been far too many players in the squad that should have been moved on a long time ago. We can debate why it has taken so long and point the finger at certain people within the club for not cutting their losses sooner. But let’s focus more on the rebuild and ask ourselves where we are after 2 years of rebuilding under Ange Postecoglou.

PART 1….

Dominic Solanke

I have to say it, he is a hard worker but with only a single successful season to his name it was always going to be a huge risk. A risk I couldn’t quite understand to be honest considering we had already twisted and bust on the Richarlison signing. Why would we want to make the same mistake twice ? But this is not the first time we have seen those in charge repeat their mistakes in consecutive moves and yes I am talking about the appointment of Conte so soon after Mourihno.

I lecture my kids on learning from our mistakes but here we have one of the biggest football clubs on the planet with unimaginable resources at their disposal, making the same mistakes time after time.

Solanke will run his socks off for you but he’s never going to be a Harry Kane, he’s never going to be a prolific goalscorer, and that was exactly what we needed. I think like a lot of people out there, the logical step was to sign up Toney. Now I know what a lot of people will say to that, Solanke fits the Ange system better (running around aimlessly like a headless chicken), but was that really the reason why we signed Solanke and not a proven International goalscorer like Toney? Or was this Mr Levy going for the cheaper and younger option once again to make sure he gets his return on the transfer? I know what I think!

Transfer Rating: 7/10

Good enough to get us in the Top 4: 50/50

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Cristian Romero

A great tackler with a typical aggressive Argentine temper that will always make him popular with the fan base. Going forward he looks part of an exciting Spurs team and he knows how to find the net too which is always a bonus for a defender. But we have to judge a defender most of all on how he defends, how he handles pressure in the box and how many goals come from his side. This is where I find Romero frustrating, he seems to switch off far too many times in the box which result in goals I feel were avoidable with better positional awareness. If he can improve this part of his game we have a real world class defender.

Transfer Rating: 8/10

Good enough to get us in the Top 4: YES

…………..

Lucas Bergvall

I first watched Bergvall in a pre-season friendly for Spurs and I know we shouldn’t get carried away with friendlies but I really felt we have the next star on our hands here. He’s the type of player I would expect to see in a Real Mdrid shirt in a few years time, so we better enjoy him whilst we can! Like most players this season he’s had his highs and lows but let’s remember he is only 18! The confidence he shows for an 18 year old is incredible and it won’t be long before Maddison will be looking for the exit door as this man is the future. His physical attributes give him the potential to be very successful in the Premier league but it’s his quick vision and passing ability that sets him aside from the rest. With more game time I expect him to become a key figure in future Spurs teams.

Transfer Rating: 9/10

Good enough to get us in the Top 4: YES

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Archie Gray

Another young signing who has really been thrown in at the deep end this season! I don’t think anyone would disagree he has been outstanding and yes we know he is not playing in his favoured position, which makes it even more impressive. The confidence he shows on the ball under pressure makes him a perfect fit for this kami-kazee football because let’s face it, if you are defender in this Spurs team, you are going to find yourself in deep sh%t more than once or twice in a game, so you better know how to handle it! I hope this experience only helps develop him further as a player and I can’t wait to see how he performs when he’s played in his preferred position.

Transfer Rating: 9/10

Good enough to get us in the Top 4: YES

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Micky van de Ven

I don’t think there’s any doubt he is a player we miss when he is on the sidelines. His pace and recovering ability make him invaluable with this high line defending set up. He is a player that is very difficult to replace in this current Spurs squad but yes, Gray has made a great effort in his absence. I hope Micky can get over these injuries and does not become another one that is plagued with injuries leaving us to only question what could have been! Not only can he defend well and cover those around him, but for a defender he is one cool finisher too. In fact some of his finishing has been superior to most of our forwards these last two seasons. Mickys dribble and assist against Utd was as good as any you will see from a defender.

Transfer Rating: 9/10

Good enough to get us in the Top 4: YES

…………..

Brennan Johnson

I have to say when we signed Johnson I asked who, and why? Once again he fits the bill in the age department meaning Mr Levy will get his return on his £47.5 million over the 6 year contract, but is he any good? Well after just over a year now I am still asking why? In all fairness he has scored 15 goals so far this season and is our current top scorer, so it may sound a little harsh. Credit where credit’s due, he has shown the ability to come into the box late and ‘toe poke’ a few goals and there’s nothing wrong with that. Many great strikers have made their names in just being in the right place at the right time. 

I think my frustration with Johnson lies with his overall contribution in a game. Sure we have another hard worker who can maybe run all day but he’s not a great passer of the ball and his control lets him down. My biggest criticism of Johnson though is his lack of dribbling skills. For me I want to see my wingers beat their man and put in a good cross or pass and he simply does not seem able to produce that. 

An interview I saw with Johnson from last season has stuck in my head when he was asked about how he was settling into the team and adapting to Anges way of football. In this interview he says he was instructed by Ange himself to always put in a cross or pass into the box as early as possible and NOT to look up first. This astounded me as it goes against everything I remember being taught as a boy, control the ball, look up and make the pass. But not with Ange ball, our wingers are instructed to ‘hit and hope’, so it is difficult to criticise Johnson for this as he is only following team orders.

Transfer Rating: 7/10

Good enough to get us in the Top 4: NO

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James Maddison

When Mads joined us I was very pleased and pretty confident he was a key position we had been missing for some time, since the departure of Eriksen in fact. It was clear we needed a new creative midfielder who could split a defence with a clever pass and create a few assists for our goal starved forwards. It didn’t take him long to show just that and the timing of his injury last season couldn’t have come at a worse time. Before his injury he showed the ability to dribble forward and commit his player before making that through pass or even going for a one-two pass into the box causing mayhem for the opposition. 

But on his return from injury all that seems to have deteriorated within his game. I don’t know if it is because of his injury he is being over cautious now, or whether the Ange system is taking its toll on his game. Again, it may sound a little harsh considering he has still notched up 10 goals and 7 assists over 33 games this season. But from a player of Mads ability I think he is capable of more assists and I think Spurs need to work out how to utilise him better to get his full potential.

Transfer Rating: 8/10

Good enough to get us in the Top 4: YES

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Dejan Kulusevski

What can we say about the ‘ginger swede’, strong, physical, exciting and committed in everything he does. I was very frustrated with him last season and began to even question if the right decision was made in making his signing permanent. But this season he has been outstanding and a potential player of the season at Spurs. He has managed 13 goals and 10 assists in all competitions so far this season, compared to 8 goals and 3 assists in the full season before. There’s no coincidence that his rise in form coincides with the change to his favoured position down the middle, giving him that extra freedom to keep the opposition guessing. 

Sure he could do with cutting out those silly challenges or rather ‘shoves’ he likes to impose in a tackle but he is just that type of player, committed in every play. If I was to find a criticism at all in Kulu, it would have to be his long range shooting. For the amount of times he has cut in and made a shot attempt, I have lost count how many times we have seen them sail into row z! If he can learn how to control these shots and improve his accuracy we have another top class player.

Transfer Rating: 8/10

Good enough to get us in the Top 4: YES