'Almost impossible' to improve squad?

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http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/improving-tottenhams-starting-xi-is-almost-impossible-says-damien-comolli-a3601336.html

Improving Tottenham's starting XI is 'almost impossible', says Damien Comolli
ALEX YOUNG |
Tuesday 1 August 2017 12:31 BST|


Funds: Tottenham have brought in over £70m in player sales this summer Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I


Mauricio Pochettio's task of improving Tottenham's starting XI is "almost impossible", according to former director of football Damien Comolli.

Spurs are the only Premier League club without a new signing so far this summer, while Ross Barkley remains the only target of lasting interest during a near-barren pre-season.

Comolli has sympathy for Pochettino and Daniel Levy and notes how the club will have to part with record fees for players good enough to crack the current starting XI.

"I think Tottenham deserve so much respect for what they’ve achieved," Comolli told talkSPORT.

"Daniel Levy and Mauricio Pochettino are working with less money than everybody else and working on a lot smaller wage bill than any of the Premier League’s top five - we need to give them some credit.

"I’m sure they know exactly where they’re going [in the transfer market].

He added: "So to reinforce that team with players who are as good or better than those players, and as young too, it’s almost an impossible task.


"They're probably looking for young and up-and-coming players to come an compliment that team, probably two or three and I’m sure they’ll achieve that in the end."

Comolli spent three years at White Hart Lane, between 2005 and 2008, before being sacked ahead of Harry Redknapp's appointment.
 
Improving our first 11 will be tricky, squad wise plenty of decent players around. I'm sure most agree it's the squad that needs strengthening not our first 11.

Can we get a better RB/RWB than Trippier? I think we can get a more athletic wing back than him, and for that reason we should be bringing one in.

A CB to cover Verts, Toby or play with them.

AM with pace, dribbling skills, vision.

Not unreasonable.
 
Agree RD, winds me up people keep coming out in the press saying 'Spurs can't improve their first 11'. 95% of Spurs will agree on that, it's the squad that we need to improve!

A right back, Barkley and Gray. That would improve our squad significantly.
 
No ones asking to improve the first 11 but we need to add quality to those positions that need cover when injuries happen or when we want to rest them.

 
Keane would have improved our squad, so would Barkley, Parriera, Patrick Roberts and plenty of other player who were/are available.

Our squad is in a bad place, we have a backup RB who has no playing time, a CB who fell out with the manager and another CB who never played competitively and looks like he will never make the grade. Our backup AMs include a crooked player who'll be out for another 6 months, Sissoko(enough said), and a player who needed babysitting for a whole year just to be (maybe) ready for a PL season.
 
Real Deal - 1/8/2017 12:48

Improving our first 11 will be tricky, squad wise plenty of decent players around. I'm sure most agree it's the squad that needs strengthening not our first 11.

Can we get a better RB/RWB than Trippier? I think we can get a more athletic wing back than him, and for that reason we should be bringing one in.

A CB to cover Verts, Toby or play with them.

AM with pace, dribbling skills, vision.

Not unreasonable.
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This.

I suspect we already have a couple in mind so why the delay?
 
We should be aiming for players who are not happy to be bench players.

Get the feeling Janssen etc are more than happy to be sitting on the bench
 
No players are happy on the bench but players like Janssen, N'Koudou, Wimmer know they are likely to get more recognition playing for a top PL team who are in the CL than a lesser team, even if they do start. Think they also realise they will get plenty of playing time over the season. For example since Janssen's move to us he hasn't been out of the Dutch starting 11
 
Complacency rears its' ugly head.

When our first 11 included Walker there was no real stand-out weak position, but we play a semi-fluid style so not many are in a rigid position and instead require multiple skills.

Virtually none (some of the defense are possibly up there) of our first 11 are the very best players in the world in their position and can't be upgraded - for example, how many times have we said that we lack creativity and lack pace? - Bale in this team would improve it, but we are all realistic and know it would cost a fortune.

I hope Porky doesn't 'think' like some and believe it is only squad players needed in this window - all the worse if there are no incomings of those either.

As for Commoli, I pretty much ignore what he says as he isn't as good as he thinks he is.
 
ScottDaYid - 1/8/2017 13:07

Agree RD, winds me up people keep coming out in the press saying 'Spurs can't improve their first 11'. 95% of Spurs will agree on that, it's the squad that we need to improve!

A right back, Barkley and Gray. That would improve our squad significantly.
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We need a CB Scotty. Wimmer is clearly out of favour, CCV isn't ready, Dier struggles at CB. It's an area we must strengthen.

I like Gray, was a bit miffed we didn't sign him when he first went to the foxes.
 
ScottDaYid - 1/8/2017 19:54

No players are happy on the bench but players like Janssen, N'Koudou, Wimmer know they are likely to get more recognition playing for a top PL team who are in the CL than a lesser team, even if they do start. Think they also realise they will get plenty of playing time over the season. For example since Janssen's move to us he hasn't been out of the Dutch starting 11
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That could be more to do with the fact they havent got many good strikers lol
 
I was going to add that at the end tarrico lol to be fair he's always scoring for them.

RD, if Wimmer goes we definitely do, just have a feeling we might struggle to get someone in and he might stay.
 
I think our first eleven can be improved tbh.. Son for all his endeavour and knack for scoring goals needs to be pushed for his place. Don't get me wrong i like him and realise he has a huge part to play but he is one level of class below Eriksen and alli.. Of course getting someone better requires dosh and huge wages so won't be happening.
 
Depends on what formation we play.

If we play with 3 CB's, Dier is the weak link. Son won't play in that formation.

In a 4231 it's likely Son plays. Struggle to see who we could get that would be better?

As good as Trippier is, we clearly need an athletic RWB brought in.

 
Bald Archie - 1/8/2017 20:07

Complacency rears its' ugly head.

When our first 11 included Walker there was no real stand-out weak position, but we play a semi-fluid style so not many are in a rigid position and instead require multiple skills.

Virtually none (some of the defense are possibly up there) of our first 11 are the very best players in the world in their position and can't be upgraded - for example, how many times have we said that we lack creativity and lack pace? - Bale in this team would improve it, but we are all realistic and know it would cost a fortune.

I hope Porky doesn't 'think' like some and believe it is only squad players needed in this window - all the worse if there are no incomings of those either.

As for Commoli, I pretty much ignore what he says as he isn't as good as he thinks he is.
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Well you've got your answer Poch is quite rightly looking for players that will push our best, so that they were try to improve and be under a constant threat.

As for Commolli like most DoF, he had some successes and he'd had some real failures.
 
A week away from the big kick off and this our squad for the start:



GK
Lloris
Vorm

RB
Trippier
KWP

LB
Davies
Rose

CB
Vertonghen
Alderweirdeld
Wimmer
CCV

CM
Dier
Dembele
Wanyama
Sissoko
Winks

AM
Eriksen
Alli
Son
Lamela
Edwards

CF
Kane
Janssen


 
Nick Real Deal - 4/8/2017 16:39

Take out the injured leaves 19 players.
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Take out Sissoko and Wimmer that leaves 17

and 4 with little/none PL football.

CCV
KWP
Winks
Edwards
 
So 14 players of the standard we expect . I'm including Winks. One is a keeper so 13 outfield. Can anyone spin it any worse ?
 
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