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Luka Modric doesn’t contribute enough to Tottenham..
For a player so extravagantly talented, the Croatian shows little interest in imposing himself on games and has seemed satisfied over the last season to play an increasingly passive role in Spurs’ midfield.
Regardless, Modric still has a sizeable market value, and when Daniel Levy does finally agree a fee for him with another club, expect it to be in the £40m-£50m range.
Tottenham’s Chairman will emerge as the big winner from this situation. His determination to hold onto Modric last Summer held a lot of weight with the club’s fans, and as such, he went a long way to repairing Spurs’ image as a selling club. What most people have now realised though, is that he probably should have taken the money offered for Modric – the playmaker’s contribution this year, particularly in the blue-chip fixtures, has been decidedly average and far from being a victim of the team’s failure to qualify for the Champions League, Modric – through his insipid performances – has been one of the causes of it.
This Summer, we’re all back in the same situation. Modric will announce after Euro 2012 that he needs to be playing in the Champions League, and Levy will be summoned back to the negotiating table. Only this time he’ll go there willingly, because the revenue from selling is now far more valuable to Tottenham than keeping the player.
With those kind of funds, Levy and Harry Redknapp can restock the team – and address the areas that have let the side down this year. Equally, it’s not as if Spurs would be left with a gaping hole in their midfield; no Modric will likely mean more Sandro in the centre of midfield, and anybody who’s watched the Brazilian recently will know quite how good a player he could become. They’re not the same type of midfielder, of course, but Sandro offers a reliability and solidity that the Croatian never has – for all his attacking prowess, Modric is a huge defensive liability.
Daniel Levy has nothing to fear from this Summer. He’s already protected his reputation with the club’s fans by standing tall to Chelsea last Summer, and he should be as determined to cash Modric in as the player is to leave. It suits everybody.
Jan Vertonghen, Loic Remy, Lassana Diarra, a permanent deal for Emmanuel Adebayor – the collective value of those types of player add up to more than Luka Modric brings.
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Even further I have come up with a squad design:
How about this for a 25 man squad:
GK: Friedel, Gordon (Free) or LLoris etc if we spend money (10m), Third goalie get an under 21
DF: Walker, Naughton, Gallas, Kaboul, Vertonghen (10m), Dawson, Caulker (Who I believe is an under 21), Assou-Ekotto, Rose or new LB
DM: Diarra, Parker, Sandro, Livermore, Huddlestone
AM: Lennon, Hoilett (Free), Kaka, Krancjar, Van der Vaart, Bale, Pienaar or Kone (Free) or someone else
AT: Adebayor, Saha, Diamao or Remy or someone else (15m – 25M)
Even with a new goalkeeper and left back we would have an outlay of between 30m and 50m.
King can move on to the coaching staff.
We can sell Gomes, Cudicini, Nelson, Corluka, Bassong, Dos Santos, Jenas, Bentley, Defoe and Pienaar if we opt to bring in another AM. That should bring in around 20m – 30m and just get them off the wages. Modric is swapped for Diarra and Kaka. We can cover Kaka and Adebayors wages with signing on fees, especially if we get some wage space from the above players.
I think they are all gettable, except maybe Kaka, but it would add to the Brazilian connection, aid us with Diamaio and show Bale etc that we have the ambition. If you look at the pace and flexibility in those midfield positions we can play many types of systems for any situation. I would say 4-2-3-1 is most logical but even within that we would have options.
I think that would be a very balanced squad with 2 players for every position and one bonus D, DM, AM and ST for balance.
What do you think?
James
Excellent points. However, you know what Levy is like with overall wage bill and Kaka and Adebayor aint on peanuts.
Why not swap Modric for Kaka and Diarra. Real Madrid want to offload both and it would not cost Madrid anything. Could then set up with two defensive midfielders and play a rotatin 3 attacking players behind Adebayor.
Friedel
Walker Kaboul Vertonghen Assou-Ekotto
Sandro Parker/Diarra (Rotate 2 from 3)
Kaka/Lennon Van der Vaart Bale
Adebayor
You could rotate the midfield for many different situations and gives us loads of flexibility in all situations which incorporating Modric is difficult to do. Can go 4-4-2 with wingers if we need to, can stay with 3 or drop back in a five man midfield if we want to defend a lead. Would just need a new younger keeper, anothe r striker with Adebayor, even bringing in Hoilett to add to the rotation and a new back up left back. Problems sorted and some serious flexibility. Kaka, Diarra, Adebayor, Vertonghen might attract others and keep the ones we have.
I’ve been a STH at WHL for a number of years and attend with my two younger sons every home game.
I have to say that Modric is one of the most gifted midfielders we have ever had at the club and I have supported us for over 40 years now and sat through so much terrible football I cannot begin to explain.
But………Players come and players go. Going back a couple of years we had to do without Modric for untold games due to a leg injury. We managed………We did well……….
With the cash we get from Modders we should be looking to strengthen at least three positions. For me these are CB (Vertonghen), LB (cover for Benny, sorry, DR not good enough as demonstrated before his sending off against a very poor AV side.) and a striker over and above Adebayour, who we must keep.
Controversially, if we could get £18m for Defoe, let him go and bring in a top draw younger striker (Damiao for the same price would be good)
What we need is players brought in where we can change our shape according to what the game dictates. At present I believe we have a plan A without any plan B. This showed in a number of games last year.
I think OWL is wrong mate, Modric is our heartbeat – sets our tempo, maintains our possession (he regularly hits a late 80% or in the 90s% pass completion rate). Probably the most important player on the pitch – which is why Harry and Levy were so desperate to keep him.
People look at his goal tally and scorn, and although this aspect could be improved, given all his other talents it is not the be all and end all – we have players further forward who are employed to stick the ball in the net.
Luka is a player who could fit into any top team in the world and belong. A player who would improve any team he is in, as long as they use him right (i.e. as the central playmaker) and therefore if he leaves, I would prefer him to go abroad.
Passive, doesn’t impose himself..A deep lying playmaker, who controls the rhythm and tempo of Spurs game..best passer of the ball. If he’s that bad why are so many clubs rumoured to be interested.
whoever wrote this is totally clueless..beyond a joke
Couldnt Pienaar slot into the vacancy left by Modric. He is an untapped talent
Old Reigatian – you’re right. VDV was in a similar position at Real Madrid before we signed him. The difference is that VDV was what we needed at the time – a top quality player in a position and of a type that we were lacking.
There’s nothing wrong with Diarra. If we didn’t already have Parker and Sandro (and Livermore as back up), Diarra would be a good signing. But, as it is, we don’t need him.
An Owl a symbol of a wise being. you the author of this drivel are not wise. As previous posters have pointed out he is the catalyst of our attacks, he feeds the assits on numerous occasions, delightful balls to Bale, lennon, Ade, VDV, he squirms out of defensive pressure situations leaving the oppostition in his wake, if he has no footballing value to Spurs why his he revered by the “wise old owl” Sir Alex, along with Jose, Mancini among others. Author LOOK there is another bandwagon why dont you jump on it.
With respect JD, wasn’t VDV in pretty much the same boat as Diarra at Madrid?
His playing style does allow for goals, he just doesn’t execute when in opportune positions – how many times do you see him shoot tamely from within 25-yards?
I agree about the hockey assist factor, and that’s a point that’s been made on this site before. That being said, it should be an aspect of his game rather than the sum of it. There are plenty of players in Europe capable of the same thing with an inferior talent level to Modric, but who also contribute more offensively.
He’s not Tottenham’s best player either, because as you say, without Lennon or Bale – or pace generally – outside of him, he doesn’t contribute. Look at how the team struggles when one of those two are out of the side. Modric becomes redundant. He’s a very, very good footballer, but he’s not as integral a cog as he’s been made into.
The OPTA stats are fine, they have a time and a place within the game – football has too many intangibles for statistics, and as such they’re misleading. OPTA rate Danny Simpson as the best right-back in the Premier League, which is a pretty good example of that.
tipical spurs player a fancy dan
Happy to sell Modric this summer. We don’t need to go through all that again. So long as we get £35 million plus for him.
As to Diarra………why would we want him? We already have Parker and Sandro. No room for a third such player – especially one who, after failing to get games in Spain, will want and expect to be first choice.
If Modric goes, we will need a midfield creator. Not another midfield destroyer.
The idea he doesn’t contribute is farcical. Look at the stats – relevant ones – like passing accuracy, chances created, passes made. OPTA did an article looking at all these things and it proved he is one of the best midfielders in the league. So he doesn’t get goals or assists – that is not how he plays. Modric’s playing style is almost unique, but it’s one that doesn’t allow for goals – he is the one who makes the ‘hockey assist’ – the pass that sets off bale or lennon for the goal. I also disagree that he doesn’t contribute defensively – he’s not an out-and-out denfensive midfielder and he does as much as his position and style requires. That is why we play parker or sandro next to him, to be the destroyer. I do agree however that it isn’t worth a summer of speculation, and if a team outside the prem makes a good enough offer, we should sell. The idea that we should be happy is also farcical however – no one should be happy about losing their best player
Whilst l love having Modric at WHL, l agree with the comments above about his actual worth to the team. He does not weigh in with goals like a Lampard or create that many assists.
I hope that he has a really good Euros and then we can sell him for top dollar and replace with 2/3 quality signings.
One player who l would like to see at the Lane next season is Clint Dempsey – he wouldn’t cost much, and a player who scores goals as regularly as he does is definitely worth looking at.
We have a decent midfield with Sandro,Parker,Livermore and, hopefully Huddlestone back from injury.
Next season can be a really good one for us and l think that, with the right signings, that 3rd spot is definitely up for grabs. Aim for top spot and if we miss out we’ll take 2nd or 3rd spot. COYS
I agree, Modric has run his course and should go for about £50 million (if Torres cost that he should be worth the same) … but please let Harry go as well or he will land us with that awful Disara or what ever his name is at Madrid … Harry as much as the players were our downfall and with the sales of Modric, Dos Santos, Bentley, Defoe etc. we should raise about £65000000.50p (the 50p is for Bentley) ….. no player is bigger than the club and if Man U can sell their best players and not be classed as a selling club (like the Arsehols as well) then there is no reason we cannot do the same, after all business is business ….
THE SAME OLD CRACK AGAIN WITH MODRIC ITS TIME WE LET HIM MOVE ON AND PREFERABLY TO A CLUB OUTSIDE THE PREMIERSHIP , THE TALK ABOUT DIAARA FROM MADRID IN PART EXCHANGE MUST BE HAVING A LAUGH THE GUY COULD NOT GET A GAME FOR MADRID SO LET THAT ONE ROT IN SPAIN .