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Sandro?

Following his injury scare at Loftus Road on Sunday, it seems there remains plenty of confusion over the condition of our midfield superstar.

Following the game, AVB seemed relaxed and confident that the Brazilian would be fit to face Manchester United on Sunday, however since there has been talk of him undergoing surgery yesterday and from that we either get talk of his being back against Leeds to perhaps Norwich or that he is out for the season, which is the last thing any Spurs fan wants to hear.

Of course having surgery doesn't really tell us anything. You have such a wide spectrum of possibilities from minor key-hole that allows a player to train and play within days or operations that take months to recover, and end seasons. What we don't know at this stage is whether he has had surgery or not and if he has, what level of procedure he has had.

The positives are that we at least have a very good player to step straight in with Scott Parker, but what happens to our next in line? Will Sandro's injury end talk of Jake Livermore joining QPR or whoever else? Will it force Mr Levy into bringing in a new midfielder to bolster the squad? With there seemingly still being concerns over the fitness of Mousa Dembele, a player who to me who doesn't seem 100% fit since his return, either in mind or body. are we in danger of leaving ourselves short, should anything happen to either Parker or Dembele?

That could all be alarmist, but will we suddenly see greater efforts made to attract a new midfielder in, in this window? There certainly seem to be plenty of options. Could we try to hijack QPR's deal for Yann M'Vila at what seems to be a bargain price? There has been talk of our interest in Moussa Sissoko who is available on a Bosman free transfer in the summer (I believe) or perhaps we will simply look to bring in the creative midfielder we need regardless with someone like Willian or even bring our already done deal for Lewis Holtby forward, if that remains an option.

At this stage we can only hope and speculate and of course, we might have to accept that Spurs might prefer to remain tight lipped over the injury to Sandro as any confirmation of a long term absence could easily hike up any price for a potential purchase, as clubs know our need is urgent. All we can do now however, is to sit tight and hope for the best, or it is beast?...




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Writer: OxfordSpur Mail feedback, articles or suggestions

Date:Wednesday January 16 2013

Time: 8:42AM

Your Comments

COYS...
Yidmarks
Benat... time to sign him... Cover for both and can play in a more attacking role...
Yidmarks
ADE gone = New striker, SANDRO gone = New midfielder. Can we have some new toys, DL?
spurring you on
Does that stand for Come on You Sandro?
oxfordspur
both OX... He has without a doubt been our rock this season.. we will miss him. I do agree that it shows our depth in that position to have Parker as back-up...
Yidmarks
We need that depth in all positions.. and we dont right now...
Yidmarks
If we could trust Caulker and Daws in the centre-back positions, i would use Verts as a DM on occasion... he has shown skill in driving forward and linking up play with the attacking line... Get well soon Mr Kaboom... Kabs and Caulker i could trust... with Verts and Dembele pushed forwards in there positions...
Yidmarks

............................NEW STRIKER/DEFOE...........................

BALE/SIGGY........WILLIAN/ISCO/HOLTBY.....LENNON/DEMPS..

...............DEMBELE/VERTS...........SANDRO/PARKER...........

BAE/FRY......VERTS/CAULK......KABS/DAWS....WALKER/NAUG

..............................LLORIS/FRIEDEL.................................


NEED SOME CHEQUE BOOK ACTION MR LEVY.... COME ON NOW
Yidmarks
Yep for me if he is injured I would play a midfield three of Vertonghen, Parker and Dembele, with Dawson and Caulker at the back. Mind you, Gallas best game this season was against United so who knows. AVB likes horses for courses - or is he injured?
Sebthespur
My understanding is that he is out for six months, this comes from someone whwho knows him. A slight caveat is that this guy wh is also a friend of mine does like a wind up.
tophobunty
Yidmarks & Sebthespur - Vertonghen has said he turned down Arsenal precisely because Wenger wanted to play him in midfield. He doesn't even like playing left back. Its never a good idea to ***** off your best players.
jod
I have mentioned this guy a few times over the last few months...


Is he not worth a look...

http://www.footballfancast.com/premiership/are-premier-league-clubs-missing-a-transfer-trick-with-sanchez
Yidmarks
Jod - As cover only mate.. When it is needed.. You'd wanna keep him as a CB along side either Kabs or Caulk/Daws... but in case we needed to.. money that can be spent in other areas... Goals maybe..
Yidmarks
lets forget Vertonghen in midfield and LB. He needs to cement his place as a CB and that is what we bought him for. Push him into midfield, even in an emergency and how quickly will he feel he needs to consider his own future as he is being messed around at WHL by rarely playing in the position he was signed for
oxfordspur
Heaven forbid Ox play players out of position, whatever next.
tophobunty
I'm not sure how reliable the information is but this site states he'll be back on the 20th January! http://www.physioroom.com/news/english_premier_league/epl_injury_table.php
yiddyboy
Hope he’s back soon as he ahs been one of most consistent players this season. Unless he has a serious injury and is out for 3-4 months then I don’t think we need to bring anyone else in. Parker is more than adequate cover for that position and is fresh for the rest of the season. We also have thud who can play that role if worst came to worst. Think we have to play 4-5-1 against united on Sunday anyway. I would be seriously tempted to play parker & Thudd in the middle with Dembele just in front of them feeding Defoe. Either that or play Parker and Dembele centre with Bale just in front and Townsend on the left. I don’t want Dempsey or Siggurdson anywhere near the starting 11 on Sunday.
hudderspur
Sandro is on twitter, has anyone checked to see if he has an update.
vicspur
Sir Alex ''Oxford Spur'' Ferguson bit early for mind games, let them play wet spam first, could have posted this friday. Anyway nothing on the THFC website regarding Sandro, Shame Jenas is injured, he could have stepped in, a large man hole would be better.
spu 4 life
It all seemed as though there were no problems until someone tweeted that he'd had an op...how reliable that guy is is anyones guess? BUT it does show how important he is, parker can deputise but imo is not as effective...if we can improve striker/creative mid we can compensate but we do need some activity in the window...
shedboy2
Who's the ref on Sunday, tell me it's not Howard Webb please?
yiddyboy
Watched Madrid last night, can someone send Modders a photo of a football, just to remind him what one looks like.
spu 4 life
Yiddyboy - Ref's not allocated yet, open the link and save in favourites, this will tell you the ref's game by game. http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb.html
spu 4 life
In short, we broke Sandro. I was saying it before he got injured. We needed to phase Parker in, and Sandro out. Not permanently, but the guy played non-stop throughout 2012. Needed a break. Sooner or later then relentless game after game would take its toll. Too late now, the dude is injured, and needs a break. But instead of us having a choice of Parker + Sandro, we have just Parker....
TonyRich
hudderspur - why do you want to play Townsend ahead of Siggy/Dempsey....? Sounds like suicide to me...
TonyRich
Whilst i agree with you in some respects, He twisted his knee Tony. Theres not much anyone can do about that. You also have to consider the fact that parker has been injured the entire season and has only been available in sorts for the last month. I think it shows that AVB doesnt rate Thudd or Livermoore enough to play them unless its a lst resort. I also think the fact that we bid £15m fo Yann m'via in august (according to HR) backs that up.
hudderspur
Tony – Simply because I do not rate Dempsey or siggurdson enough to play them behind the striker. I Know Siggy is only 22, and Demspey is perhaps just having a “slow start” but on a performance basis they do not merit a place in the starting 11. I would much rather play Bale as an attacking midfielder / behind the striker and Townsend who has shown pace & determination deserves his chance on his favoured LW. If we had another creative midfield player (Holtby??) then yeah I would stick with bale on the left, but as we don’t I would mix it up. There’s only so many games Dempsey and to a lesser extent siggurdson can roam around doing nothing. Like I posted the other day, we are over half way into the season, not 3 games in. The excuses of “bedding in” or adapting have long since worn out, especially as they are both adapted to the premiership.
hudderspur
Our club lately seems to be run like MI6, there is precious little information released on any subject these days. What possible disadvantage could there be, or help to opposition, in just simply putting out an official progress report on the web site for predominantly supporters information. Are we operating a "need to know" policy, and the supporters are deemed as "not needing to know".
Frank
Espero que os deuses do futebol brilhar o rosto para baixo sobre Sandro. Nós precisamos de você, rapaz. Fique bem logo.
Total knobhead
According to M'Vila's agent quite a few other clubs are looking to hijack his move to QPR. The report claims we're one of them, we wait & see.
Spurs Allday
Vertonghen..in midfield..!?........NO way........centre back, or left back. Not good to keep moving players round and round...all manner of positions. You get no cohesion by doing this. Personnally, i prefer the 4,4,1,1...system but could see the merits of 3(centrebacks),5, 2.........when kaboul comes back. I'm.....100% for getting Townsend involved more...........seen him play live....seen him deliver excellent left and right footed inswinging corners...........this man has more talent than Siggurdsen. Can play left or right wing. As for siggy'..i'd be trying him as striker, with dempsey behind, at the min'. Just think it's worth a try......with Defoe, obika..on the bench. Straight choice between Lennon and Townsend for the right side.......with the loser, occupying the subs bench. Plus straight choice between naughton and walker for right back. Sandro.....well...we have Parker and others for back up.
82spursdebut
Perhaps we are interested in a player plus cash exchange for M'Vila..!?
82spursdebut
Frank - Our club runs more like the M25, GOES ROUND IN A CIRCLE
spu 4 life
Go on Arry great interview, yeah tony fernades spoke to him yeah, yeah told him of the players i was lookig to bring in, yeah yeah he knows of Rio and phil neville, i tried to get gary as well, yeah yeah triffic lad.
spu 4 life
Boom, Boom spu 4 life, I like it.
Frank
It would be a real shame if he is out for a while, certainly been one of our best players and you noticed a difference in our shape and tempo when he went off sat. Actually think as he develops he will become more attacking and a massive threat going forward.

I don't think we should panic though, Hudd and Parker are good short term replacements and if we do go for a midfielder it should be someone exception i.e. Mountinho/William.
T.H.F.Chris
Thanks spu 4 life.
yiddyboy
Could long term injury to Sandro trigger Holtby now?
yiddyboy
Holby is not, I repeat, not a replacement for Sandro. In no way, shape or form. Totally different types of players. Holtby isn't going to solidify the defense and go in for crunching challenges. Not going to happen. No way. He might stand in for Modric, but not for Sandro. Leave it out.
Total knobhead
TK - Dont think anyones questioning that, but we are light in quality midfield now. We are ok so long as Scotty stays fit, but if anything happend to him we would only have Thudd and Dembele as CM players. I think its the question of Getting holtby as an option. I dont see the point in signing someone like M'Vila when we have parker and sandro on our books when only one DM plays at any one time. If sandro is out for a while and if parker got injured, a 3 man midfield of say Thudd, Dembele and Holby would be the next best option i guess

Its just such a shame that we brought dempsey and siggy in, both play similar positions, both have struggled so far and both have fairly lengthy contracts. It really does restrict our options. If we brought a player like M'Vila or Sissoko i could see one of Dempsey or Siggy bieng sacrificed. Livermoore IMO wont be an option.
hudderspur
Now we're being linked to another midfielder, Josip Ilicic, who also wouldn't be a Sandro replacement. Could bring in Holtby this month and Ilicic and no striker and with an injury to Defoe we'd be playing a 4-6-0 by default. You hear it here first. lol.
Total knobhead
Parker, Big Tom, Livermore all could play in the Sandro position at a pinch (none will do as good a job as Sandro but thats why they are cover!) Dembele's cover looks like Tom Carroll! That to me is a much bigger issue!
Slurms McKenzie
If we bought a creative midfielder, Dembele could even play Sandro's role, he's better defensively than most.
Guyver
The herd heard it here foist.
Total knobhead
TK its onlly taken since June but the 4-6-0 formation looks like its finally falling in to place! LoL! Its like you have some kind of Brazilian crystal ball.
Slurms McKenzie
Huddlestone as a potential replacement for Sandro, the thought makes me shudder in fear. For how long, one game, any longer would invite disaster. Our only feasable replacement is Parker. Incidently I would agree with the comment, that the availability of a replacement for Dembele, for any medium to long term absence, should give rise to greater concern. I have to say with some regret that Tom Huddlestone shouldn't get within a 100 miles of the 1st team any more, he has gone backwards, his known limitations i.e. lack of pace, and mobility, are now more apparent, he is no longer good enough, should be sold on.
Frank
Frank re Hudd, I've had said the same about Noughton until he got a run of games at LB and now looks like solid cover. A more deep lying role for Huddlestone with Dembele along side him would probably suit his game more. Not an ideal replacement but behind Sandro and Parker anyway and competing with Livermore for the third spot the question really is who do you perfer as backup to our backup?
Slurms McKenzie
Don't know where all this 6 months stuff has come from? Some dodgy tosser posts an obscure tweet, people get all up in arms about it & it's the end of the world. Do people not find it odd that SSN, the official site, the press etc etc haven't heard about this operation? Or even the injury being more serious than the "knock" AVB told us about? Has nobody bothered to find out for themselves that the tweet has since mysteriously disappeared? Odd that!!

According to the physio room he's due back on Sunday. They're usually quite accurate (i.e. they update regularly as they receive news) although i don't know where they receive their info from. http://www.physioroom.com/news/english_premier_league/epl_injury_table.php
coopsieyid
YIDDYBOY - Chris Foy is our ref on Sunday (sorry if somebody else has already answered your question). I know we all unanimously hate Foy after his antics in our match against Stoke last season BUT he was also the ref when we beat Utd at Old Trafford earlier this season ;). Remember Fergie going mental after the game? "Only 4 minutes injury time is a joke"... Hopefully Foy remembers this little outburst.
coopsieyid
Granted Coopsie, still a good excuse to examine the options open to AVB in the event of players being being unavialbale from the starting eleven. Although replacing the statisically best DMF in European football this season is impossible we do seem to be blessed with decent cover in this area. Also the prospect of loosing Sandro for a period of time (however hypothetical) shines a spotlight on Livermore's proposed move to QPR. Still good nes about Sandro!
Slurms McKenzie
https://twitter.com/premierleague/status/290850754720329728

Premier League tweet about the ref for Sunday's match
coopsieyid
vicspur.. There has been no new update from Sandro via Twitter. His last message was after match day (Jan 12th @ 15.28: "H guys, I'm in some pain at the moment! On my way to the hospital for a scan now so fingers crossed it's good news... thanks for all support"... I am sure he must now know the result of that scan and to me suggests that it is not great news.. How bad, only he and the club know! AVB said after the match that he would be ok for ManU because he was presumably being optimistic on first view.. Fair enough! I also personally think that those suggesting the club are quiet and should tell us what is going on, out of respect to the fans, should think further on the situation! If Sandro is injured for a while (Hope not obviously!) and Levy, AVB & Co are in for replacements and even Attacking midfielders, would you honestly think that the club would be advertising the fact that our first team regular is injured!? I do not! It can only push the price up for a midfielder, if you are desparate for that player, never down. Yes, before you say, I know, we are indeed desparate for a Moutinho/Willian type player, who would transform our team, which is why Porto/Shaktar are in pole position to negotiate, hence asking for silly money... Same for the striker situation. The media lets the world know exactly what our team needs, making it hard when negotiating. If i were Levy/AVB and currently in talks for new players (which i am sure they are!), I would certainly not let the player or club website tell the world/media our exact current injury worries until negotiations were complete!! Although if i were Levy I would've bought the players I/we want already.. haha... We will find out if he plays on Sunday, but if he doesn't it may be just a knock or may be serious. I for one do not think we will find out for sure (from a credible source.. NOT a ***** RAPPER on twitter!!) until deals in midfield are done!! Hopefully Sandro plays and Moutinho & a striker are announced before the game!? best case scenario... I can dream!! COYSpurs/Sandro
YidoDave
YidoDave to take your idea of Levy/spurs keeping quite to keep prices low to its logical conclusion, why wouldn't they just annouce that he is not injured and is available for selection?
Slurms McKenzie
Slurms... I am not going to suggest that we have upstanding honest leaders of our lub, but why would they lie!!!??? What would be the point in that?
YidoDave
Club not lub obviously
YidoDave
Ah YidoDave I Lub you too!
Slurms McKenzie
The statistics are remarkable http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11096/8400337/In-praise-of-Sandro COYS
Don Coys
Slurms... Are you 'Mr Deeds' in disguise!?
YidoDave
Jan Vertonghen is also in the top 10
Don Coys
Yes amazing stats Don, what a player he is proving to be. Would be surprised if there is any good news coming now ref the injury and totally understand why the club would want to keep this secret as they try to negotiate deals. I did hear from somebody very close to the player that an operation had already taken place.
tophobunty
Yeah, but come on OX, what are we meant to do with BAE out? I thought Vertongen showed true class playing left back when he had to. Now that BAE is back, Naughton can fight Walker for RB and Dawson looks to keep Gallas out until Kaboul is ready. Caulker gets shafted in this deal. I'd rather Caulker than Dawson, but Dawson has been playing really well.
tengboon
Update:

Going to have to have a look further into the knee, MRI and other scans are proving inconclusive.

Unfortunately at this point, it is not looking very positive. However, nothing conclusive to give an accurate diagnosis. Obviously out for the weekend, fingers crossed for the lad.

POTL
coopsieyid
I really wanted to see Parker + Sandro AND Dembele in the centre 3 V Manure on Sunday to nullify the supply to Van Pussy. With Bale and Lennon waide and Defoe up top would still have a good threat. My prayer mat is still out but when AVB said he only had a slight knock on his knee we all knew that was not right.
CoysRus
I like the shroud of secrecy around White Hart Lane, I don't want to be privy to info if it means our opponents in the EPL are not privy to info. Long gone are the Recaro days of non-stop media ass kissing
tengboon
Tengboon, agree Verts looked very good at left back, better than Naughton I would say, it's more natural for him. Also all players when asked should be happy to play for the team/club ahead of personal preference and just hope its not for too long. Naughton should be really pressuring Walker at right back, he might just be better! COYS R US parker sandro and Dembele would be awesome i think, the best in the prem probably.
tophobunty
Cheers Coops!

Sandro is double hard so if he's out for 4 weeks he'll be playing again in 2 :-)
yiddyboy
***** hes had surgery and is out 4 ages.
SpursSnM
@sandoraniere says "Sorry guys but this ones really got me, the Beast is hurt".... F*ck!!
YidoDave
SSN confirm Sandro has surgery, doesn't say how long. Parker to come in, but how fit is he.
Frank
Does Not look good for sandro. Or for us. Parker it is then, then if he gets crocked......thud or jake ; (
hudderspur
VERY saddening picture :(

http://instagram.com/p/UjU3LJuakt/

And how about this for proof that Sandro has well & truly listened to what supporters call him, either from the stands or on twitter etc.. He just tweeted "Sorry guys, but this one really got me, the beast is hurt..."....

What an absolute legend!!
coopsieyid
the info i had the other day was that it is likely to be six months, this was from a guy who knows Sandro and told me the day of the op, so its likely to be season ending, so we need to factor this in and buy in January because Livermore is not good enough and neither sadly is Hudd
tophobunty
@sandroraniere " My surgery went well, now its moving forwards with treatment And rest!.... (and in brazilian) The flowers from the garden, they veered grey".... Gutted! My optimism is bad but as i said earlier, could this mean we have announcements pendng?
YidoDave
Just bring Holtby in early = The most sensible thing for us to do. Failing that, there's been talk that we're trying to chase Sissoko on a pre-contract. So perhaps he's also an option for a cheap fix? I'd be OK with that (Sissoko) BUT only if we have plans to move Parker on in the summer. No point going for a player like Sissoko if we're only looking for a temporary fix until Sandro is fit again, unless Parker is soon to be surplus to requirement. That's why Holtby makes the most sense to me.
coopsieyid
coopsie I think what i have seen of Holtby is not is a replacement or cover for sandro, he looks a different type of player. Sandro will not be easy to replace as its been obvious to you and I and a few others on here he was top draw, well before Pikey realised.
tophobunty
tophob - I wasn't saying Holtby is a replacement for Sandro mate. I said earlier that he prefers playing from deeper, so he's an 'alternative' rather than a 'replacement'.
coopsieyid
ok coops, didnt read earlier stuff
tophobunty
M'Villa would have been a good replacement, evil bugger with 22 French caps, ideal. Unfortunately it looks as though he's going to QPR, yes QPR for £7Mish.
Frank
We could have got him, sold Livermore and Huddlestone, would have nearly balanced.
Frank
Frank that does seem like a good idea at 7mil for mvilla...surely he would walk to white hart lane from loftus road given the call
tophobunty
So what? Sissoko would cost half of that, at the most. But we ain't Man city & we CAN'T just go out & buy a new player just because 1 of our current ones has got an injury. What happens when Sandro returns? That's why the best bet is to simply bring in a player that is already scheduled to be coming to us, just earlier than anticipated.
coopsieyid
No doubting M'Vila's talent, it's his off the pitch antics that are scaring teams off.
Guyver
Coops, we could have got M'Villa, shifted Livermore and Huddlestone, an possibly Parker in the summer. Rotate M'Villa and Sandro. Books balanced and squad strengthened.
Frank
though personally I like M'Vila and would have been excited at the prospect of our signing him, is he much better than Livermore is potentially? I rate Jake very highly and think he has huge potential, but he has suffered with our having two of the Prems best DCM's in Parker and Sandro, two players that when played together or with Jake, never look to have enough creativity and are too similar. Play Jake plus someone like Dembele, and I dont think we would be disappointed
oxfordspur
Get well soon sandro the beast,our player of the season to date! Respect
Little spur
No,no and no for Livermore or Huddlestone to be given that responsibility, just not good enough to replace the beast! We have to go out and buy someone. I'm sorry but if you've seen the picture on twitter with that massive stocking all the way down his leg over a thicker support its looking like a season ending injury. Parker is fine to deputise but if we lose him or Dembele we won't get fourth! C'mon Levy time to spend some money!
Jantheman
Coops, agree on Holtby especially as Schalke have bought a midfield replacement today. Could now happen we take Holtby earlier.
CoysRus
We need a midfield enforcer now Sandro is out. M'Villa would be great business at 8m. Some people are concerned about his red card habit, but every continuously successful team has had a player who could mix it and play and got their fair share of reds, but more importantly became the driving force, the motivator, the one who led by example. Think Souness, Robson, Keane, Vieira. The player that lets others know we are not too be messed with. I think M'Villa is capable of this in the right team, where he will find his place and become a better player. I can see him getting comfortable with Kaboul and Lloris in the French team and Vertonghen and BAE speaking the lingo as well. We would then potentially have the spine of the French national team.
vicspur
Huddlepur. you don't rate dempsey? wait, which players scored against man u away? how many fantastic passes has he gotten through - only for ade to make a fool of himself.
dannyhotspur
17:47 GMT: Montpellier chairman Louis Nicollin has invited Tottenham to bid for Younes Belhanda, but says no concrete interest in the player has emerged yet. He told L’Equipe: "Tottenham's interest? There has been nothing official as yet, but I would like there to be. If a good offer arrives, he will leave. We can live without him and he can live without us."
coopsieyid
vicspur, M'Vila has not been signed by Arsenal because he is a highy indisciplined player (think bad Palacios but who can pass a bit). He is not the answer. andro i head and shoulders ahead of every other tackler in the PL. It is a huge loss, but that's what serious teams do. They deal with the losses In a pinch, Kaboul and Vertonghen can play DMF once Kaboul is back. We have Hudd, Livermore and Carroll and may have to make do. Belhenda would be a decent choice. Sissokho could probably be had at a paltry sum if we sign him now on a pre-contract. Or get Alderweirald in now and push Vertonghen forward (2nd top tackler in the PL). COYS
peterballb
Jantheman, Hudd is not ideal, but he nd Modric were what calmed us down in themiddle and got us 4th and CL. He is painfully slow at times going forward but he is big and tacles well. He also takes cards at smart times and is nowhere nearas bad as peoplemention. Not ideal, as I said, but he is not wanted by Fulham because he can't play. COYS
peterballb
Frank, Arsenal have been tracking him for years now. Do you not think they would be signing him for 7M if they thought he could manage. I cn see a situation where QPR have bothM'Bia and M'Vila sent off in the same game. At best they are on the line. At worst they are over it. We can't afford that. COYS
peterballb
Coopsie, I wouldn't say we couldn't sign Sissokho. Yes, Sandro will come back (let's hope sooner rather than later) and yes, there will be congestion. Let the best players win. Whether Belhenda or Sissokho, they would be competing with whoever remains of Sandro, Debele, Parker, Livermore, Hudd (who should be sold if we sign any DMF). Fact is, if they bed in well, Parker, or Dembele or Belhenda or Sissokho will all be assets other teams will want. I don't see the issue. If Sandro is done for the season, we need cover. I'll accept it if AVB thinks Jake and Hudd can do the job. I'd prefer to get in Sissokho who was so highly rated and is just not happy where he is. price is right. Get the pre-contract done and then see if they'll take a few quid now to let us have a player they don't want. COYS
peterballb
M'vila is a much better player than Palacios Peter, 22 caps for France at the age of 22 is about as much as Flamini and Cabaye combined. It' rare that a player in of his type is known for his passing as much as his defensive attributes. His discipline off the field is what holds him back and i'd agree he'd be a risky signing for anyone.
Guyver
Guyver, there is not a lot of quality in France in DMF at the moment. You don't see Newcastle upping their offer, do you? Fact is, QPR will overpay him and it will be a huge risk. Bad if they go down. Bad if his rash tackles start coming and bad if the player has the off-field issues. Arsenal have been hoping for 2 years that he would become that player that everyone expected. Wenger et al are not convinced even at 7M. Sissokho and Belhenda are better players and Sissokho might well be the best rated of them all and is available on a free on a pre-contract. I'd do that as it's a no lose situation. COYS
peterballb
Peter nobody wanted Cabaye and he's a quality player, Newcastle got him for peanuts. M'vila is also known for his well timed tackles, only 1 red in his Rennes career and 2 yellows in 38 games for them last season, along with being 1 of the most accurate passers in the French league, impressie for a player in his position. If he stops messing about of the pitch, he has the potential to be a great player.
Guyver
Wouldnt say Sissokho and Belhenda are better, they are different types of players, especially Belhanda.
Guyver
Perhaps Guyver. The PL moves much quicker than Ligue Un. You may be right. Could be a star in the making. No one has doubted the talent. You'd think if any were convinced (and he has been watched a lot) they would be jumping in with more than 7M on the table. I would submit that Sissokho (on pure ability) is the best of the bunch. Arsenal see M'Vila as a risk. I see him as a similar case (different players) to Zokora. Looked great until he had to play at the frenetic pace of the PL where errant passes wind up in the back of your net. It's like playing hockey in Switzerland versus the NHL. The speed of the game is the great equalizer. We'll see. If we thought he was all that it would take nothing for us to gazump them in the deal. I suspect we won't. COYS
peterballb
Well M'vila played really well against England not too long ago, i'd be surprised if he couldnt handle the premiership. Zokora's problem was his passing was poor even when not pressured, that shouldnt be an issue for M'vila 1 bit.
Guyver
well assuming we are already in the market for creative mid and or striker I wouldn't change tak because of Sandro's injury (big loss) we still have Parker for the 'enforcer' role (but notice we get a lot more respect from teams so hopefully won't need destroyers as much) I'd bring Holtby forward as Coops rightly points out he wants to play deeper anyway...we can ease him in alongside Dembele and Parker (fingers crossed he's good!)
shedboy2
Harry put a man on Demebele and it worked others will now try it so having another passer in the middle would be a good idea BUT even more effective would to bring in Negegredo and Willian...other clubs won't have a clue how to play us....element of surprise for the 2nd half of the season!!
shedboy2
shedboy2 Looks like we're doing just that. Some of the press are reporting that Sandro is out for the season & we're now in talks with Schalke about getting Holtby now. Think that tells Hudd & Livermore their Spurs careers are over.
Spurs Allday
I think that could be the case...Thud just didn't get back to form after his injury and isn't suited to AVB's style. Jake was unlucky playing with another DM and his limited passing range showed up...bit of pressure on Holtby but he seems a confident lad judging by his comments...
shedboy2
Holtby also gives us cover in other positions because if needed he can slot in at RW or as a no10. I think he's just had his winter break as well so he should be feeling fairly fresh.
Spurs Allday
I can't see us playing him rw...as for the 10 role I guess Gylfi and Dempsey will have to up their games... I'll have a go at a Yidmark formation...;)
for Manu game:
lloris
walker Daws Verts BAE
Parker Dembele
Lennon Dempsey Bale
Defoe

way it could look end of Feb:
Lloris
walker Kaboul Verts Bae
Parker Holtby
willian Dembele Bale
Ade
tough call if Lennon or Parker would be dropped for the new boys but showed it this way as both dembele and holtby are left footers.
shedboy2
Shedboy, Harry shut out Dembele by snuffing out the service right and left. It was more about eliminating the wing threat than anything else. He knew Ade and Defoe do not work together. Basically Mackie and SWP came deep to stop the early passes to the wingers and Park and M'Bia stopped Dembele from getting deep with the ball. Worked a charm because Defoe and Adebayor offer no chemistry up the gut at all. And yes, I believe the same will work with any combo involving Defoe. He and Dempsey are no better. COYS
peterballb
Holtby in now is fine, but he will need time. It should also not preclude signing Sissokho and Son as well as Negredo. Probably 30M in transfer fees and we are immensely better. Sell Hudd and Rose and we are only 20M or so in the hole. COYS
peterballb
Sissoko for the price that's been bandied about is a clear no brainer. If there is interest in Hudd as well as Livermore I'd allow both to go & bring in Holtby & Sissoko. Strange as it sounds we'd probably make a profit too.
Spurs Allday
Just sieving through recent Sissoko stories & it seems the links with us have gone cold. Maybe Sandro's unfortunate injury may spark a re-think, or maybe we might try for M'Vila? Failing that we may just sit on our hands & place our hopes of CL in Parker & Hudd. Given their injury records I hope that isn't the way we go.
Spurs Allday
agree with your assessment there...but get used to Defoe cause he's all we have at the moment....I can't help but think Gylfi would be best supporting him, don't know why he's not shown much but have a hunch...
shedboy2
Just read an article from the Schalke press conference for Rafael(their new signing) The Schalke representatives confirmed that we've been in touch. Looks like Holtby will be on his way.
Spurs Allday
Olhe só, Sandro. Nós precisamos de você de volta imediatamente, rapaz. Sem brincadeira. Fique bem logo. Grandes abraços, caro.
Total knobhead
Tudo bem, o bicho?
Total knobhead
so how much will it cost us to bring him in early?...If I were shalke I'd bump the price up a little! that's what Levy would do....how much do we think we'll spend this window? is Gomes ever going to find a club....I would love his life at the moment paid fortunes to be on holiday!!
shedboy2
shedboy, I can't see Sigurdsson playing off of Defoe. He may well slot the odd pass in for him and if it's the 1 in 8 chances that he scores on, yippee, otherwise, I just can't see it happening. I'd rather see Sigurdsson behind Dempsey. Gylfi does a great job switching with the winger which will allow Bale and Lennon to cut in without sacrificing width. I also think that Dempsey and Sigurdsson, while not really fleet of foot, both have very good instincts. We need 2 players on the same page in the middle. I cannot think of one player who could play with Defoe. COYS
peterballb
Peter I just can't see Defoe being dropped so my thinking was more about character- Gylfi isn't selfish and trying to play his way into the team so he's more likely to keep laying them on for Defoe...the defoe argument reminds me of andy cole a few years back....missed shed loads but the argument was you have to be in the position to miss them.
shedboy2
Losing Sandro for the rest of the season is a huge blow for us. We are barely clinging on to fourth having just been through our easiest collection of fixtures for the season. If our response s to hold off on selling or loaning 2 players clearly not good enough (an admission in itself trying to loan/sell them) then we will most certainly give up 4th place again. We must earn from our experiences last year and plan for arsenal not continuing to play so badly and invest in our chase for 4th place now. At least a new Top quality all winning midfielder is required on top of the two already identified needs of an attacking midfielder and a top quality forward. This will show our ambition or lack of.
tophobunty
shedboy2 - It's already agreed that IF we wish to bring in Holtby early, we simply have to pay 2million euros (£1.6mil). I believe that's the remaining amount to be paid on his contract.

As for whether to play Dempsey or Siggy behind Defoe, I'll come from left field & say NEITHER should be played behind Defoe. Personally I believe that Dempsey started to come to life for us when he was deputising for the injured Bale, operating from our left. It's where he played his best at Fulham too (Danny Murphy pointed that out when we were last on TV for Europa League). So based on that, I'd play Dempsey left & play Bale behind Defoe. Bale is unquestionably the best finisher in our ranks and, unlike Dempsey & Sigurdsson, doesn't rely on being brought into play by others, can create his own scoring chances, so will not be the same spectator that Demps or Siggy would be if they played behind the greedy Defoe.
coopsieyid
Step up Townsend because he is good enough
tophobunty
Agree with your comment about Dembele Ox - he just hasnt looked the same since he returned from injury, he seems to labour a lot more and MBIA done a great job on him for QPR last week. I am not too concerned about Sandro as long as Parker and Dembele remain available otherwise I dont think we have adequate cover in CM right now
arpant
 

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